Moses
The History of Israel
The History of Israel
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Chapter Six
However, when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the two tablets of stone and went before the Israelites, he found them worshiping a golden calf that had been fashioned by Aaron at the request of the people. Foolishly, they proclaimed that this was the god who had led them out of Egypt. Moses' anger burned hot when he saw this. He threw down the tablets of stone and broke them at the foot of the mountain (Exodus 32:1-19).
What did this all mean? As we have been able to observe in the entire course of Moses, virtually every event is declaring a deep spiritual meaning beyond the surface of practical circumstances. The providence to bring the tables of stone, the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle is very important and directly reflective of the very coming of Christ that would fulfill their destiny.
It was previously explained that if Adam and Eve had not fallen and had become perfected, they would have stood as the incarnations of the Word. Instead, they lost God’s Word when they received the false word of the archangel.
Moses received the two tablets inscribed with the Word, the Ten Commandments at the conclusion of a 40-day period for separation from Satan. This represented the symbolic restoration of Adam and Eve as incarnations of the Word. Thus, the two tablets symbolized restored Adam and Eve.
Who are to be the restored Adam and Eve? This is, of course, the coming Christ, the next Adam and his bride who will stand as the True Parents of rebirth. In Revelation 2:17, Christ is symbolized by a white stone and in 1 Corinthians 10:4, Paul declares, "The Rock was Christ."
The Tabernacle, likewise, is a symbol of Christ. In John 2:19-21 Jesus compared his body with the Temple. Likewise, Paul tells us that believers are “God’s Temple,” in
1 Corinthians 3:16. The Temple was a precursor of Jesus who stood as the substantial temple.
The Tabernacle was a precursor of the Temple. If the Israelites had quickly united with Moses 40-years previously and had accomplished the dispensation in one course, then they would have immediately built the temple in Canaan. Because the providence had been prolonged, however, God set up the Tabernacle as an interim procedure. Like the Temple, the Tabernacle was a representation of Jesus. When God commanded Moses to build the Tabernacle, He said, "And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst." In the same way, Jesus was Emmanuel in substance. “Emmanuel,” of course, means “God with us.”
The value of the Tabernacle was incalculable. It was composed, as would be the Temple, of an outer holy place and an inner “most holy place” representing the spirit and body of Christ. Within the most holy place would be the Ark of the Covenant that contained the two tablets of stone.
It was as if Christ himself were in their midst leading them in the wilderness. It meant that even if Moses faltered in faith, whoever revered the Tabernacle containing the Ark of the Covenant and the two tablets of stone would become the new Moses to lead Israel toward its destiny.
In fact, we can see evidence of God’s intent for the coming Christ in the way that God instructed and trained the Israelites in their conduct toward the Tabernacle. For example, they were to camp around the Tabernacle, three tribes on each side (Numbers 2:1-31). This foreshadowed that Christ was to be the center of the nation. Whenever God placed a cloud above the Tabernacle, it meant the Israelites were to encamp at that location. Whenever the cloud lifted the Israelites were to set out (Numbers 9:15-20). This was God’s way to train the Israelites to follow Christ unequivocally. For this reason, Moses implored his people about the coming Christ,
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:21-22
In order for the Israelites to receive the messiah, they had to establish a foundation of faith and a foundation of substance. This same principle holds true toward receiving a representation of the messiah, the Tabernacle. God would not just hand over the two tablets of stone, the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle, all symbols of Christ, without the Israelites first establishing the proper condition to receive them.
This is why Moses found himself called to the top of Mt. Sinai for a period of 40 days of faith. It was also why the Israelites would not be able to receive the tablets of stone, the Ark, and the Tabernacle unless they could unite with Moses, their “Jacob,” as Esau had united with Jacob.
They clearly failed in the first attempt to receive the Tabernacle. When Moses saw their faithless revel and worship of the graven image of a golden calf, he threw down the two tablets of stone. Moses recognized that there was no foundation to receive them. This would also serve as a warning to future generations of Israelites that they would have to fulfill a proper condition of faith in order to receive the coming messiah.
What did this all mean? As we have been able to observe in the entire course of Moses, virtually every event is declaring a deep spiritual meaning beyond the surface of practical circumstances. The providence to bring the tables of stone, the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle is very important and directly reflective of the very coming of Christ that would fulfill their destiny.
It was previously explained that if Adam and Eve had not fallen and had become perfected, they would have stood as the incarnations of the Word. Instead, they lost God’s Word when they received the false word of the archangel.
Moses received the two tablets inscribed with the Word, the Ten Commandments at the conclusion of a 40-day period for separation from Satan. This represented the symbolic restoration of Adam and Eve as incarnations of the Word. Thus, the two tablets symbolized restored Adam and Eve.
Who are to be the restored Adam and Eve? This is, of course, the coming Christ, the next Adam and his bride who will stand as the True Parents of rebirth. In Revelation 2:17, Christ is symbolized by a white stone and in 1 Corinthians 10:4, Paul declares, "The Rock was Christ."
The Tabernacle, likewise, is a symbol of Christ. In John 2:19-21 Jesus compared his body with the Temple. Likewise, Paul tells us that believers are “God’s Temple,” in
1 Corinthians 3:16. The Temple was a precursor of Jesus who stood as the substantial temple.
The Tabernacle was a precursor of the Temple. If the Israelites had quickly united with Moses 40-years previously and had accomplished the dispensation in one course, then they would have immediately built the temple in Canaan. Because the providence had been prolonged, however, God set up the Tabernacle as an interim procedure. Like the Temple, the Tabernacle was a representation of Jesus. When God commanded Moses to build the Tabernacle, He said, "And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst." In the same way, Jesus was Emmanuel in substance. “Emmanuel,” of course, means “God with us.”
The value of the Tabernacle was incalculable. It was composed, as would be the Temple, of an outer holy place and an inner “most holy place” representing the spirit and body of Christ. Within the most holy place would be the Ark of the Covenant that contained the two tablets of stone.
It was as if Christ himself were in their midst leading them in the wilderness. It meant that even if Moses faltered in faith, whoever revered the Tabernacle containing the Ark of the Covenant and the two tablets of stone would become the new Moses to lead Israel toward its destiny.
In fact, we can see evidence of God’s intent for the coming Christ in the way that God instructed and trained the Israelites in their conduct toward the Tabernacle. For example, they were to camp around the Tabernacle, three tribes on each side (Numbers 2:1-31). This foreshadowed that Christ was to be the center of the nation. Whenever God placed a cloud above the Tabernacle, it meant the Israelites were to encamp at that location. Whenever the cloud lifted the Israelites were to set out (Numbers 9:15-20). This was God’s way to train the Israelites to follow Christ unequivocally. For this reason, Moses implored his people about the coming Christ,
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:21-22
In order for the Israelites to receive the messiah, they had to establish a foundation of faith and a foundation of substance. This same principle holds true toward receiving a representation of the messiah, the Tabernacle. God would not just hand over the two tablets of stone, the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle, all symbols of Christ, without the Israelites first establishing the proper condition to receive them.
This is why Moses found himself called to the top of Mt. Sinai for a period of 40 days of faith. It was also why the Israelites would not be able to receive the tablets of stone, the Ark, and the Tabernacle unless they could unite with Moses, their “Jacob,” as Esau had united with Jacob.
They clearly failed in the first attempt to receive the Tabernacle. When Moses saw their faithless revel and worship of the graven image of a golden calf, he threw down the two tablets of stone. Moses recognized that there was no foundation to receive them. This would also serve as a warning to future generations of Israelites that they would have to fulfill a proper condition of faith in order to receive the coming messiah.
