God does nothing by chance. Everywhere you look in Scripture, there is a rhyme and reason to every single word and every single mention.
The layout of the individual tribes around the Tabernacle is no different. God is at the center, but around the Tabernacle (and past the priests’ tents) are the twelve tribes of Israel. They’re organized in groups of three, with a “head” tribe or standard bearer in the principal spot.
(Side note: There is some disagreement as to where exactly these tribes are positioned. Some argue that they are side-by-side, whereas others say they are behind each other. If that is the case, Judah would be up front, with Issachar behind them, and Zebulun the farthest away from the Tabernacle.)
The very first tribe that is mentioned in Numbers 2 is the tribe of Judah. They sit on the east of Tabernacle, “towards the sunrise.”
At first, this may not seem like such a big deal. After all, you have to start somewhere; why not start with the largest tribe and why not put them in the direction of Canaan?
In reality, the significance goes far deeper. Judah is called the “lion’s whelp” in the prophecy of Israel (Genesis 49:9), and we know from later studies that this is the tribe that Jesus will eventually come from.
But still…why the east?
For starters, the east is the direction of the gate of the Tabernacle (Exodus 27:13-16). That means that Judah has an uninhibited vantage point of the Tabernacle courtyard at all times. Other tribes have to peek around the corner if they want to see inside.
Later on, the direction of the Temple gate will also be in the east (Ezekiel 40:6). Ezekiel goes more in depth on this topic by picturing the worship of God towards the east, while the worshippers backs are towards the Temple (Exodus 8:16).
When Adam and Eve are cast out of the Garden, God stationed a cherubim at the east entrance to Eden (Genesis 3:24). Since Cherubim are almost always in the direct presence of God as His personal attendants (Ezekiel 10), this positioning shows that the way to God is to come from the east.
The Eden picture is particularly poignant because it mirrors the same approach that someone would take to worship God. Anyone who wants to come into the Tabernacle must first walk through the east and past the cherubim that line the curtains of the holy place (Exodus 25-26; 36-37). Only then could you encounter God at the mercy seat.
Judah’s position on the east of the Tabernacle is seen as a New Testament metaphor for the way unto God. If you want to get to Jehovah, you have to go through the tribe of Judah. And who arises from the Tribe of Judah? The Messiah.
When Jesus says in John 14:6 that He is the “Way, the Truth, and the Life,” and then punctuates it by saying that “no one comes to the Father but through Me,” He’s not just stating the only way to salvation—He’s drawing on an Old Testament allusion about the Israelite camp. Those who want to enter must go through Judah.
And those who want to go to God today must do so through His Son.
