John Eckhardt - Rebuilding the Tabernacle of David - Back to the Future

Contents

Chapter 1

Back to the Future

A nd to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,

After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

Acts 15:15-17

In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.

Amos 9:11-12

James was stating that what was happening in the churchthe large numbers of Gentiles accepting the beauty realmwas in agreement with the prophetic word of Amos. The salvation of the Gentiles was the result of the rebuilding of the Tabernacle of David. In order to understand the plan of God for today, we must go back to the time of David. We must go back to the future. Amos prophesied concerning the present day. We are now seeing the restoration of the Tabernacle of David. God will build it as in the days of old.

What is the Tabernacle of David? Many believers are surprised to hear that David had a tabernacle. Many are familiar with the tabernacle of Moses and the temple of Solomon, but are unfamiliar with David's tabernacle. God has not promised to restore the tabernacle of Moses nor the temple of Solomon, but He has promised to restore the Tabernacle of David. We need a revelation of the Tabernacle of David in order to understand what is taking place in the church today.

And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it...

2 Samuel 6:17

The tabernacle of David was a temporary resting place for the ark of the LORD. It was simply a tent erected by David in which to place the ark. The ark was the most important article in the tabernacle of Moses. It represented the presence of God that dwelt in the midst of his people. The ark is referred to by many different titles in the Old Testament:

1. The Ark of the Testimony, Exodus 25:22

2. The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, Numbers 10:33

3. The Ark of the Lord God, 1 Kings 2:26

4. The Ark of the Lord, the Lord of All the Earth, Joshua 3:13

5. The Ark of God, 1 Samuel 3:3

6. The Holy Ark, 2 Chronicles 35:3

7. The Ark of Thy Strength, Psalm 132:8

8. The Ark of the Covenant of God, Judges 20:27

9. The Ark of the Covenant, Joshua 3:6

10. The Ark of the Lord, Joshua 4:11

11. The Ark of God the God of Israel, 1 Samuel 5:7

12. The Ark of Shittim Wood, Exodus 25:10

The Ark was made of shittim wood, overlaid with gold within and without. Moses was commanded to make this Ark (Exodus 25:10). There is an ark in heaven (Revelation 11:19). The ark made by Moses was an earthly representation of one that is in heaven. The ark represents the throne of God in the earth. It was upon the Ark that the High Priest sprinkled the blood of Atonement once a year (Leviticus 16 and Hebrews 9:7). God dwelt between the cherubims (upon the Ark; see Psalm 80:1). The Ark represents Jesus Christ who is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9).

Kevin Conner states:

The Ark of the Covenant is the most important piece of furniture in the Old Testament. God places such a great importance on it that there are more references to the Ark than to any other piece of furniture. For this reason a closer study of the history of the Ark is warranted. In fact, it will be seen that the history of the Ark is prophetic of the history of the New Testament Ark, the Lord Jesus Christ. As the Ark was first and foremost in Israel's history, so Jesus Christ is first and preeminent in all things before the Father and in the Church (Col. 1:17-19). The journeying of the Ark speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ in His birth, anointing, life, ministry, death, resurrection, glorification and second coming.

Shiloh

And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh.

And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas , the priests of the LORD, were there.

1 Samuel 1:3

After the wilderness journeying, the tabernacle was set up in Shiloh. This is the place where Hannah prayed and made a vow to the Lord. Shiloh is the place where the young prophet Samuel began to hear the voice of God.

The sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas , were wicked and corrupt priests. They despised the holy things of God and would bring judgment upon the house of Eli.

And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims : and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas , were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again...

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter: for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

And the Ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas , were slain.

1 Samuel 4:3-5 ,10 -11

The ark was taken by the Philistines. This was one of the most tragic defeats for Israel. The Israelites presumed that the ark would assure them victory. They lost the battle and the ark. Eli fell and broke his neck when he heard the news. His daughter-in-law went into travail with child upon hearing the news. She named her son Ichabod , meaning, the glory is departed from Israel (1 Samuel 4:22).

The ark of God represents the glory of God. When the ark departs, so does the glory ( Ichabod ). Israel was ordained to be the keepers of the ark. They were chosen by God to be blessed with his presence. No other nation had this privilege. The Philistines were not ordained to be the keepers of the ark. When they brought the ark to their land, tremendous judgments followed.

The ark of God would never return to Shiloh. It would end up in the Tabernacle of David. The Philistines would return the ark after experiencing the judgments of God (see 1 Samuel chapters 5-6).

Kirjath-Jearim

And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Aminadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.

And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim , that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel...

1 Samuel 7:1-2

The ark remained in Kirjath-jearim for twenty years. It remained there all the days of Saul.

Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah : we found it in the fields of the wood. Arise, O LORD into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.

Psalm 132:6, 8

Lo at Ephratah we (first) heard of (the discovered ark); we found it in the fields of the woodat ( Kiriath ) Jearim .

(Amp)

David desired to bring the ark from Kirjathjearim to Zion.

David Swan states:

King David knew the importance of the Ark of God. To have the Ark close to him in Jerusalem meant having the blessing, protection, and presence of God. The Ark is symbolic of God's throne upon the earth.

David's first attempt to bring the Ark ended in failure with the death of Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:8). David carried the Ark aside into the house of Obededom (2 Samuel 6:10). The Ark remained in the house of Obededom for six months. God blessed the house of Obededom because of the Ark.