Tabernacle Glory Is Reversed In Christ

I am currently working my way through the Meredith Kline collection. While Kline says many weird and frustrating things, and his writings can be a chore to understand, occasionally there is a gem, an "Aha!" moment. I had one of these moments reading Images of the Spirit. Sometimes Kline makes you read a paragraph multiple times because it is confusing, and other times he makes you read a paragraph multiple times because it is profoundly insightful; confusing and insightful happen side by side a lot too.


In his section on the priestly model of the image of God he begins discussing the garments of Aaron described in Exodus 28. He argues that the priestly vestments correspond directly to the tabernacle, and therefore reflect the Glory-Spirit in creation (as the tabernacle is a reflection of the Glory-Spirit, which he had argued for previously). Whether or not you agree with his biblical theological arguments, something more basic grabbed my attention. Setting aside all hyphenated discussions of the Glory-Spirit and creation, Kline makes some observations on the Aaronic vestments and the tabernacle that grabbed my attention.

Like the tabernacle and the theophanic cloud-formation, the priestly vestments were multilayered coverings. The order of the heavenly cloud strata, from inside to outside, which was duplicated in the sanctuary coverings, was reversed in the priests' garments. For whereas the Glory was stationed within the tabernacle, it was externalized to the priest so that it was his outer garments that directly reflected the light of the Glory standing over against him. Thus, the inner priestly garments (like the tunic) corresponded to the outer skin-coverings of the tabernacle. Then, over the tunic was the robe, a firmament of blue, and over it was the ephod, the direct refulgence of the effulgence of the Glory, and thus an equivalent of the inmost tabernacle curtains that reflected back the Shekinah light within the holy of holies.

This was exciting for me to read. Naturally, I love patterns in scripture and seeing all of the inter-connectivity within the Scripture. That got me thinking. The tabernacle was the dwelling of God with Israel, and there were multiple layers in the tabernacle which prevented the commoner from drawing near. And the holy of holies was even more discriminating. Only the High Priest could enter, but that was also limited to one day and only after being cleaned himself. So the holy of holies, where God would personally meet with man, was where the glory of God would dwell in Israel (as would be the case when the ark of the covenant was placed in the holy of holies). This was a very private and exclusive experience. But, as Kline points out, the glory of the holy of holies is reversed in the glory of the High Priest.

What does all of this mean? We are all sinners and we exist on this earth in separation from God. When he look at the house of God (in this case, the tabernacle), we are not allowed to come into the presence of God, but instead we see the coverings of skin. There are barriers set up the keep the glory of God inwardly focused away from the sin and death that is abundant in this world. But we have a great High Priest, Jesus Christ, who is God incarnate who tore down the wall of separation between God and man. The vestments of Aaron were a picture of this tearing down of the walls of separation. They were a parable of the transformation from death to life, from glory recoiling to glory pouring out. The inner man is being changed as the children of God put on Christ and are transformed into the image of God and reflecting this change outwardly.

What Aaron's vestments showed the people was that the glory that was limited to the holy of holies was brought to them in the High Priest. Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest, brings the glory of God to us. But that is not the end. When we put off the flesh, and put on Christ, we become beacons of glory in the world. The Shekinah glory that was in inwardly focused in the holy of holies is now outwardly focused in the church, the bride of Christ who is clothed by Christ. What was offered exclusively to one man is now offered to all men. When we are clothed in Christ, we are clothed in glory. Being transformed into the image of God was the reality portrayed by Aaron's robes, and it is a picture of redemption in Christ. Where as the glory was pointed away from creation in the holy of holies, it is pointed outward in and fills the earth in Jesus Christ. He makes all things new and Paul, speaking of the church, says this:

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." - 2 Corinthians 3.18