THE TRUE TABERNACLE. Hebrews 8:2 The true sanctuary is heaven in the presence of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ is there, serving as our Great High Priest, and He wants to bring us there. The Holiest of all, or the most holy Place, in the tabernacle and temple, were representations of the true sanctuary that God built. Those were imperfect and not permanent, made by human hands, copies of the one in heaven. The true tabernacle is the eternal dwelling place of God.
As the “minister of the true tabernacle,” our Lord mediates above as we worship and serve Him here below. He is both God and man in one person, and as such, He makes a perfect connection between God and us. The true tabernacle is eternal because God created it, and it will never be moved. The Old Testament tabernacle was a symbol of a heavenly place, representing Jesus Christ, who is our “meeting place” with God. It also symbolizes Christ and the church in communion and holy fellowship. The sacrifices and ordinances Moses received from God were meaningful in their purpose but not everlasting, as they have been fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The minds of the readers of the book of Hebrews were directed to the High Priest in verse 1 and to His ministry in verse 2. Here, we focus on the place where He ministers. There is no place in the universe higher than where He ministers on our behalf—the true tabernacle which the Lord has erected. It is to the high and lofty place where “the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity” has brought us and dwells with us!
The Holy Spirit has come and dwells in each believer, through whom we become a “holy temple” unto Him, and we are “built together with Him for a dwelling of God through the Spirit.” We are a spiritual house where we offer sacrifices of praise and offerings of thanksgiving and obedience. In this place, our Lord finds His rest and joy with His people. God is in Christ, we are in Christ, and Christ is in us!