The Bible was written for the vast world of multi-ethnic gentile believers of the time of the New Testament churches.
1Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our [New Testament churches] admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our [New Testament churches] learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
This great building on earth, which has so much attention cast upon it throughout the whole of Scripture, and is also a figure of the great tabernacle in heaven, must have some specific identifiers for these believers, some identifiable attention beyond just an Old Testament Israeli emphasis.
Traditionally the Tabernacle is taught by focusing solely on Jesus Christ as everything therein is entirely about Him. That is a yes and a no. Jesus Christ is the center of everything, and the entire Old Testament is about Him. Of that we are clearly told in Luke 24 and other places. However, in the common studies on the tabernacle the teaching is either focused on more modern Jewish interpretations or a brief simple focus on Jesus Christ either ignoring, not understanding or not believing that there are any truth applicable to New Testament believers.
There is more to Jesus Christ than His Person alone. There are His People in the lights of the Lampstand (Matthew 5:14-16), His churches as the Lampstand itself (Revelation 1:20), His worship and prayers to Him in the altar of incense (Revelation 8:3-4), there is the believer's approach to God in his own "living sacrifice" which is the Saint's "reasonable service"(Romans 12:1) and more throughout the tabernacle.
One could read through all the books written on the tabernacle, study the series in audio, take courses taught, read the articles written, and would find many truths for today's believers missing from them. Further, Jesus Christ is not simple, and there are deeper truths in the study of the tabernacle that directed to the church era, as our two verses above show us.
Tottingham, Ronald L.: - Ronald L. Tottingham, Ph.D. is the 1974 founder and 33-year pastor of Empire Baptist Temple, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. As a pastor he led the church to establish several ministries including a church academy and seminary at which he has been a full-time professor and theologian since 1977. Dr. T served in the US Marines and in Vietnam as an infantry machine gunner. He continues his connection with the Corps by holding offices in the Marine Corps League. His highest Marine Corps decorations include the Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Presidential Unit citation, and Vietnam Gallantry Cross (bronze star), and others. Since 2007 he has served as a federal chaplain endorser. He is also an active SD State Prison Chaplain, and counselor, having worked with combat veterans and their families for over 40 years. He holds PhDs in counseling and traumatology. He has done out-patient counseling for Offutt AFB mental health services, held many training seminars and workshops on post-traumatic stress management world-wide, and done vocational work with the Rehabilitation Services for the Handicapped. In 1983 he became a 2Lt with the Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol and after two months was promoted to Major as a chaplain. In 2007 he received a Colonel's commission as a Chaplain with the U.S. Service Command. In 2009 he was promoted to Brigadier General and 2012 to Major General. He was service-connected medically retired as at the grade of Colonel (06) in 2007. Dr. T is listed in six Who's Who, was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel, honored a New Mexico 'Estimado Amigo', an Arkansas 'Traveler', twice with The Rev. Dr. Ron Tottingham Day by the Governor of South Dakota and with The Rev. Dr. Ron Tottingham Day by the Mayor of Sioux Falls and presented with the key to the city, and in January 2016 he was honored as a 'Baptist Divine'. He has written many books, pamphlets, and flyers, several translated into foreign languages. He is married to the former Linda Morris. They have been married since May 1967. The Tottinghams have three children, eleven grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren as of 2020.
