The Old Testament Tabernacle : Lesson #4
The Table of Shewbread and The Golden Candlestick
In the previous lesson the Brass Lavar was shown as a type of the word of God. After salvation we still need the word of God to cleanse us from the filth of the world. This was typified by the priest which had to wash before they could serve the Lord in the Tabernacle.
In this lesson we will step inside the Tabernacle of Congregation and see what is on the inside. We will look specifically at two objects, the Table of Shewbread, and the Golden Candlestick.
The Table of Shewbread: (Exodus 25:23-30)
When you enter the tabernacle of the congregation and look to your right you will see the Table of Shewbread. The table was made of shittim wood and covered with gold. It also had a crown of Gold. Like many of the other items of the tabernacle it also had rings on each corner and staves of shittim wood overlaid with Gold were put through them in order to carry the table when it was being moved. The table also had dishes on it that were also made of gold.
In Leviticus 24:5-9 we see the instructions that were given for the bread that was to be placed on the table. There were 12 pieces of bread placed on the table and they were placed in two rows of 6. The bread was to have pure frankincense put upon each row. The bread was placed on the table every Sabbath therefore it was done weekly. The bread was only to be eaten by Aaron and his sons.
Types we see from the Table of Shewbread:
First, the table itself is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Note it is wood overlaid with gold which show that he was both human and both God. But the table was also crowned which speaks of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ and the fact that when he returns at the 2nd Advent, he is said to have many crowns on his head, and he is called the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Revelation 19:11-16).
The bread that is placed on the table every Sabbath is a type of the word of God. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 that man should not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Just we need bread to live we need the word of God to live spiritually.
Note that there were two rows of 6 cakes. Two rows of 6 side by side makes 66. There are exactly 66 books in the word of God. The bread is served on a golden server which shows it has a Divine origin, but it is baked by man. The word of God has Divine origins because the men who wrote it down were inspired of God by the Holy Spirit but was written by man’s hand.
The bread is also a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. He called himself the bread of life in John 6:35, and he is also called the Word of God in John 1:1. The bread also had frankincense put on it. If you remember that was one of the things that the wise men brought Jesus in Matthew 2:11.
What are some spiritual things that we can see from the Table of Shewbread:
1) The bread was for the priest. Therefore, Lord is going to supply our needs (Philippians 4:19) just as he did Old Testament priest.
2) That we need the word of God to live and without it we will dies spiritually (Matthew 4:4).
The Golden Candlestick: (Exodus 25:31-40)
If you were to enter the tabernacle of the congregation and look to your left across from the Table of Shewbread you would find the Golden Candle stick. This piece is different from the others because it was not made of wood covered with gold, but it was made of pure gold. It was also to be of one beaten work, which means it was all one piece. The candle was to have six branches coming of the trunk in the center giving it seven lamps in all. There were bowls and knops on each branch and the bowls were made like almonds. The instruments used with it (tongs and snuffdishes) were also made of gold.
Types we see from the Golden Candlestick:
The Golden Candlestick is a type of the Holy Spirit in many ways. We will list some of them as follows.
- The Candlestick has no dimensions. The Holy Spirit can go anywhere. David said in Psalms 139:7-8 that he could not get away from the Spirit of God.
- The Candlestick was to be of one beaten work. There is one Spirit (Ephesians 4:4).
- The Candlestick has 7 lamps. These will match the seven spirits around the throne which are called the seven spirits of God (Revelations 4:5).
- The Candlestick illuminated the Table of Shewbread. The Holy Spirit is what reveals the word of God to us (1 Corinthians 2:9-14).
The bowls that were on the branches were to be made like almonds. Why were they made like almonds? The almonds represent the resurrected high priest which is the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 3:1). After the sons of Korah challenged Aaron on him being the high priest, God had each tribe take a rod and write their tribes name on it and he placed them in the tabernacle of the congregation. They left them overnight and the rod that budded whoever name was written on it is the one God wanted to be the priest, and it was Aaron’s rod that budded. The rod came back to life and it yielded almonds (Numbers 17:1-13). Therefore, the rod and the almonds are connected with the Lord Jesus Christ as our resurrected High Priest.
The Old Testament Tabernacle : Lesson #4 Handout
The Table of Shewbread and The Golden Candlestick
1) What was the location of the table of shewbread?
2) What was the table of shewbread made from?
3) What was on the table of shewbread? Give a reference to show this.
4) How is the table a type of the Lord Jesus Christ?
5) What is the bread a type of?
6) List some things that we can see spiritually from the table of shewbread?
7) Describe the Golden Candlestick?
8) How is the Golden Candlestick a type of the Holy Spirit?
9) What do the almonds on the Golden Candlestick represent? Give a reference.