Rebuilding David’s Fallen Tabernacle, Part 3—God’s Purpose

David W. Palmer

(Acts 15:16–17 NKJV) “After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; (17) So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the LORD who does all these things.”

So far, we have looked at the beginning of David’s tabernacle from the Old Testament: its purpose, its design, and the atmosphere of its contemporary generation. In this passage, the elder James quoted from Amos where God says that he wants to restore it in New Testament times.

David’s tabernacle housed God’s ark, which is symbolic of God’s manifested glorious presence—based on the absolute assuredness of his covenant with us; and its tent flaps were open, so people could see and access the ark and so that God’s glory could shine out.

God wanting to restore David’s tabernacle speaks of the way he wants his manifested presence to be “housed” in our time: he wants to re-established the heart and atmosphere of David and his victorious, praise-filled generation; he wants us to have access to him; and he wants his glory to have access to the world through us.

God’s purpose for doing this is clarified in verse 17: “So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name.” The stated objective is about the Gentiles, the non-Jews. He wants them to “seek” the Lord.

The definition of the Greek word translated “seek” [1] shows that God wants the Gentiles, who are called by his name, to have access to God—to search Him out, and to worship Him. That is, that people everywhere can come to salvation; and that Christians can have an unhindered way to encounter God and his glorious manifested presence—searching him out, and finding him in worship [in spirit and in truth].

The context in which James quoted this passage gives us additional insight into God’s plan in this area. If we read the whole of Acts 15, we see the early church elders in a very intense and crucial discussion. They were trying to decide whether they should insist that gentile believers keep the Old Testament law. This ultimately distilled into a question about whether they needed circumcision for salvation. Amazingly, James quoted the passage about restoring David’s tabernacle as the reason not to circumcise them. Wow! This goes to the heart of New Testament salvation—is it by faith and grace, or is it by law-keeping? You mean David’s tabernacle, with all its celebration, praise, informal joy, and God’s manifested presence is central to the doctrine of salvation? Yes! A thousand times, “Yes!”

Note: the new believers didn’t need physical circumcision because God seeks those with a worshipping [circumcised] heart (Rom. 2:29; Col. 2:11):

Those who will truely worship him in spirit and truth;

Those who will live by faith that they may overcome sin by grace (Rom. 4:16); and

Those that thus may walk in the works God has prepared for them (Eph. 2:10).

James was saying that the salvation of the gentiles was a fulfilment of this prophecy. The context of his revelation was legalism—how far should it go? Therefore, David’s tabernacle must have a prophetic meaning contrary to legalism; it must be the solution to, and antidote for, dead legalistic religion; it must be a key to true spirit-led Jesus-living.

Jesus’s ministry—the Kingdom of God at hand, miracles, healings, etc.—demonstrated this spirit-led living and unhindered access to God and his glory. This can also be seen in:

(a) Jesus’s ministry, death, and resurrection;

(b) The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost;

(c) The resultant birth of the church and the lifestyle of the early Christians. Including:

Peter’s miraculous shadow—God’s glory in manifestation,

A supernatural community of believers,

A lifestyle of faith and communion with Jesus, and

Daily praise. etc.

What do we conclude from all of this? David’s Tabernacle is people—people in whom God resides; people who seek and find him in wholehearted praise, worship, intimacy, and surrendered obedience; people who then have their tent flaps open to allow God’s glory to shine out. Remember, God has put his glorious presence in you in the hope that you will let him shine out through you into the world:

(Colossians 1:27 NKJV) To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

God is restoring David’s Tabernacle in our generation. So, how do we cooperate with Him in this? First, let’s ensure we have received Jesus—the Lord Jesus Christ—into our hearts, and that he is on the throne of our personal kingdom. Then, let’s be unashamedly the tabernacle he yearns for: overflowing with praise, gratitude, love, worship, enthusiasm for Jesus, and a river of life-filled words from him and about him. I encourage you to open your tent flaps (anything that hides or obscures the greater one inside), and allow his glory to shine out through you. Allow him to take your cares, worries, and the pressure of legalism from you. May God’s love and grace fill you today and every day.

(Colossians 1:27 TPT) “Living within you is the Christ who floods you with the expectation of glory! This mystery of Christ, embedded within us, becomes a heavenly treasure chest of hope filled with the riches of glory for his people, and God wants everyone to know it!”

[1] Strongs G1567. ekzeteo, ek zay teh" o; from G1537 and G2212; to search out, i.e. (fig.) investigate, crave, demand, (by Hebrew.) worship: en (re ) quire, seek after (carefully, diligently).