What is propitiation according to the tabernacle?
The tabernacle portrays propitiation as the entire structure and court—gold, silver, wood, brass, and every detail behind the veil—picturing Christ's finished work. It centers on the mercy seat above the law where the high priest presented blood, showing Christ as sacrifice, cleansing, bread, light, incense, and mercy seat.
Les explains that propitiation is not limited atonement, because Scripture is plain that Christ's death potentially was enough for every human being ever brought into the scene. The entire tabernacle—not counting the tribes, but the outer wall, court, gold, silver, beautiful materials, wood, brass, everything within its confines, and behind the veil to the very presence of God resting in mercy above the law, every jot and tittle—is a picture of Christ's finished work. That is propitiation. He constructs that Christ became our sacrifice at the cross, fulfilled everything the brazen altar spoke of, became our labor of cleansing (His Word shows our need and cleanses us), and is the table of showbread, the bread of life, the light of the world, the sweet-smelling incense, the mercy seat, the God of the Shekinah glory, and the high priest who comes once a year in Israel's history to present blood upon the mercy seat in the very presence of God.