TABERNACLE OF DAVID KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE NEW TESTAMENT

 

The Conference of apostles and elders at Jerusalem in Acts 15.1-21 is key in understanding the destiny of the church which is made up of both Jew and Gentile believers. This Conference was held to decide how to treat the incoming flow of Gentiles which were coming into the church. The key issue was whether or not these believers should have to be physically circumcised.

 

The leadership of the church at this time were Hebrews. They were steeped in the ancient scriptures and understood the Old Testament and used the Old Testament to teach new believers about Jesus. There was no New Testament scriptures at this time. Jesus was revealed as the Savior and Lamb of God through searching the ancient prophesies of His advent. The New Testament was just beginning as an oral history at this time. Later it would be written down and complete, as we know it, after the death of John the Apostle around 100 AD.

 

Up until the time of this Conference the church at Jerusalem was dealing with mostly Jewish converts. Peter had been instructed to go to the house of Cornelius the Centurion and preach to him the Gospel of Christ. Cornelius’ entire household converted at that time. (Acts 10) They were the first Gentile converts. At the same time, Paul was preaching to Gentiles in Antioch and they were becoming believers. This Conference was held to decide if these new converts should be circumcised or not.

 

After Peter and Paul told of their experiences and that it was obvious that God was calling the Gentiles into the fold James stood up and spoke. It is key to understand at this point that the Gentiles were being called into a church that was led by Jews and that the foundation of the new faith was the Old Testament. (Eph 2.20-22; 1 Peter 2.5-6; Isaiah 28.16)

 

James stood up and quoted Amos 9.11-12 “On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old; That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name….”

 

James went on to say: “Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” Acts 15.19-21

 

The decision was that new Gentile converts would not have to be physically circumcised. This would later be the supreme issue among Gentile converts and something Paul would have to deal with constantly. Gal 5.1-3

 

James also instructed Gentile converts to go to the synagogue and study the Torah or Law of Moses. They were to learn the Old Testament scriptures and code of law. Read it again, that is what the verse plainly says.

 

WHAT IS THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID?

The tabernacle of David is not the temple of Solomon. It was a tent that David constructed for the ark of God which he brought to Jerusalem. (2 Sam 6) Here the tabernacle of David was “pitched” in Zion, the City of David and became the dwelling place of Jehovah. The housing of the ark in Zion was a time of great celebration in Israel. 1 Chron 16.1-3

 

This tabernacle became a place of worship without animal sacrifice. The Levites who ministered there sang and praised God continually. (1 Chron 16.4-36) The burnt offerings continued to take place in Gibeon. (1 Chron 16.37-43)

Later, Solomon’s temple would combine the burnt offerings, worship and praise, together in his temple.

 

The New Testament says we are living stones built into a spiritual temple. (1 Peter 2.4-6) Peter also says we are a nation of priests. (1 Peter 2.9-10) This is what the tabernacle of David represents. It is the coming together of Jew and Gentile as one new man (Eph 2.11-22) in Christ. This temple does not require burnt offerings because Jesus has become our burnt offering. It does not require physical circumcision because as born again believers we have had our hearts circumcised. (Ezek 11.19-21; Rom 2.29) This is the new covenant that God has made with His people. 

 

In David’s time many Gentiles had “attached” themselves to the God of Israel. In fact, some of David’s military commanders were Gentiles. Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah was a Hittite (2 Sam 23.8-39). Those scriptures also mention other Gentile commanders. David’s Tabernacle represents both Jew and Gentile.

 

James recognized this by recognizing the meaning of the tabernacle of David. In this tabernacle we are the tent or dwelling place and our sacrifice is our worship to God. There is no Jew or Gentile in this tabernacle, we have become the bride of Christ--both of us. Both Jew and Gentile have a common destiny. The early church brought us together as one man. The veil of separation (Eph 2.14) is now removed. Read Ephesians 2 and 3 carefully. Jew and Gentile are to become one new man. We are the habitation of God. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

 

The tabernacle of David was in ruins and had fallen down. Israel had not recognized their Messiah as a whole--only individual Jews recognized Jesus. Over time the unbelieving Jews shut off those who believed in Jesus as Messiah. The message was received by the Gentiles. This is what Jesus called the “time of the Gentiles.” This age in now coming to a close.

 

As time progressed and the church moved into the second century great changes would take place as the church moved away from their Hebraic roots. All things “Jewish” were removed from the church by the completion of the Councils of Nicea and Laodicea. It would be heretical of anyone being a Christian to worship on Saturday or observe the feasts of the Lord. A wall of separation was erected between Jew and Gentile.

 

This separation is slowly ending. Ezekiel 37.15-28 speaks of the two sticks coming together at the end of this current age. David’s Tabernacle represents this future coming together of the House of Israel and the House of Judah.