This is the most pastoral of the three guides. It is intended for groups that have worked through Guide One and Guide Two — groups that already have the diagram in their hands and the I AM declarations placed on it — and are now ready to walk through what it means to live inside the Tabernacle as a believer.
The central distinction this guide opens up is the one most Christians have never had taught to them: the difference between salvation and redemption. Salvation is what happens at the gate. Redemption is what happens in the Tent. Many believers spend their entire lives in the courtyard, never realising that the door to the inner court has always been open to them.
Session one — The gate, and what salvation gives you
Read Exodus 12 verses 1 to 13 (the Passover) and Hebrews 9 verses 11 to 14. Discuss the gate of the Tabernacle as the only point of entry. Discuss the bronze altar as the foundation of every approach to God. Salvation is by blood — once for all. Read Romans 10 verses 9 to 10 and discuss what salvation gives the believer: standing, forgiveness, peace with God. Close by drawing the gate and altar on the floor plan and writing "SALVATION" in pencil beside them.
Session two — The courtyard problem
Read Hebrews 5 verses 11 to 14 and 1 Corinthians 3 verses 1 to 4. Discuss the Christian who has been saved but has not grown — the believer in the courtyard. What does it mean to be saved and yet to live as if salvation is the whole story? Discuss the dangers of stagnation, of believing that the courtyard is the destination rather than the doorway. Open the diagram and identify everything that lies beyond the courtyard.
Session three — The laver, and the daily walk
Read John 13 verses 1 to 17 and Ephesians 5 verses 25 to 27. Discuss the laver of bronze as the daily washing of the believer in the Word. Salvation is once. Cleansing is daily. The believer walking inside the Tabernacle is a believer who returns to the laver every day, allowing the Spirit to wash them with the Word. Discuss practical disciplines: how do members of the group keep this washing daily?
Session four — The Tent, and what redemption gives you
Read Romans 8 verses 1 to 17. Discuss the inside of the Tent as the place of redemption. Salvation gets you into the courtyard. Redemption brings you into the Tent. Walk through the three pieces of furniture inside the Tent — Menorah (Spirit), Table (Word), Altar of Incense (Prayer) — and discuss how these three are the daily food of the believer who lives inside the Tent. Have each person identify which of the three is most underdeveloped in their walk.
Session five — The veil, and the access we have been given
Read Hebrews 10 verses 19 to 22, and Matthew 27 verses 50 to 51. Discuss the veil of the Tabernacle and the moment it was torn at the crucifixion. The way is now open. The Holy of Holies is now accessible to every believer. Discuss what it means to enter the very presence of God. Have the group pray together — not as people knocking at the door, but as people welcomed into the throne room.
Session six — Living in all three zones
Read Revelation 21 verses 1 to 5 and 22 verses 1 to 5. Discuss the picture of the New Jerusalem as the final Tabernacle, where God dwells with His people forever. The structure of the Tabernacle has been preparing us for this destination from the beginning. Have the group reflect on the journey — Salvation at the gate, daily cleansing at the laver, redemption inside the Tent, access into the throne room, and ultimately the city where God dwells with us face to face. Close with the entire diagram on the table and prayer for one another.
For the leader
The aim of this guide is not new information. It is to give people permission to live deeper than they have been living. Many believers have been told that the Christian life is the courtyard. They have not been shown the door. This guide is the gentle, biblical opening of that door.
If members of the group become emotional, give them space. The realisation that there is more — that there has always been more — and that the way has been open for two thousand years can be deeply moving. Do not rush these moments. The slow opening of the inner door is the work of the Spirit, and the guide is only there to point at it.
This study guide is drawn from the pastoral chapters of Behold — The Kingdom of God is at Hand, where the salvation/redemption distinction is unpacked in full.