We have briefly seen the spiritual meaning of the tabernacle in the Old Testament in regard to the matter of building. God placed the Ten Commandments inside the Ark. The Ark typifies Christ, and the Ten Commandments are the embodiment of God. Thus, the Ten Commandments being inside the Ark typifies God being expressed in Christ bodily. Furthermore, the Ark being placed in the tabernacle typifies Christ being in the church. This situation is exactly the same as the situation in the New Jerusalem. In the New Jerusalem God is the light, the Lamb is the lamp, and the lamp is in the holy city New Jerusalem. This is the fulfillment of the word at the end of Ephesians 3, which says, “[To God] be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus” (v. 21). Therefore, in the first step God had Christ as His vessel so that He could put Himself into Christ. Now in the second step He is gaining the church to be a vessel for His Son, Christ, that Christ may put Himself into the church. This is typified by the Ten Commandments being put into the Ark and the Ark being placed in the tabernacle.
We have also said that the tabernacle was the enlargement of the Ark. The Ark was made of acacia wood overlaid with gold, and the main part of the tabernacle was also made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. Therefore, in its spiritual significance, the tabernacle was the enlargement of the Ark. The Ark was the smaller vessel, and the tabernacle was the enlarged vessel. The components of both were wood overlaid with gold. However, the Ark and the tabernacle were different in two respects. First, the tabernacle was composed of forty-eight boards of wood, but the Ark was one, whole, solid entity. This depicts the truth that while the church is composed of many saints who have been coordinated together, Christ is uniquely one and is a complete whole. Second, each of the forty-eight boards had two silver sockets, whereas there was no element of silver with the Ark because Christ does not need to be redeemed. The saints in the church are not only of two natures—the divine nature and the human nature—but are also joined as one in the redemption of Christ to be the habitation of God.
I believe that at this point you should be very clear that God needs Christ to be His vessel and that Christ needs the church to be His enlarged vessel. We have to see these two levels or spiritual steps. The first step is the experience of the outer court. In the outer court were the bronze altar, the bronze laver for washing, and the hangings of fine white linen. This signifies that the newly saved ones should put in order and cleanse their outward living and walk. The second step is the experience signified by the showbread table, the golden lampstand, and the golden incense altar in the Holy Place and the Ark in the Holy of Holies. This step is much more advanced than the first step. It is at this juncture that we see that a Christian must not only care for his outward living and walk but also for the divine life within. Furthermore, we see that Christ is the embodiment of God, the expression of God bodily. He is the One with two natures—the divine nature and the human nature. Therefore, we enjoy Him as our life supply and enlightenment within to be accepted by God. All of these experiences are inward and should be the desire and pursuit of the children of God.
However, this step is not the final step. The final step is the producing of the tabernacle through the enlargement of the Ark. This indicates that our experience of the Christ within us issues in Christ being enlarged in us. Then we are united with all the saints in the life of Christ and are built into an enlarged vessel of God to be a dwelling place, a resting place, for God.