When you walk into a house, its furniture tells you a lot about those who reside there. If you were to enter my home office, you would see overloaded bookshelves, and you would be correct in guessing that I like books. Or, if you were to walk into someone else’s home and see a wall full of cloth material and a sewing machine, you would likely conclude that the person sews and probably enjoys crafts.
In the church, our furniture also says a lot about what we believe, what we do, and what we value (as does our architecture—see my article “Does the Church Have a Stage?”). While those who have gone to church for many years, or grown up in church, may not give much thought to it, there is a purpose and meaning behind the construction and location of just about every piece of church furniture. The Church as a pillar and ground of truth communicates theology through furniture, taking its cues from God’s use of furniture in the Old Testament.
The Furniture of the Tabernacle and Temple
The Tabernacle and Temple furnishings brought God’s story to life in simple but impactful ways, each one pointing to Jesus and His work. Picture the Ark of the Covenant, covered in gold and holding the stone tablets of the Law (Ex. 25:10–22). It was like God’s throne right in the middle of Israel, with a mercy seat guarded by cherubim where God met His people through the High Priest to extend forgiveness (Lev. 16:14–15; Heb. 9:5)—a beautiful picture of Jesus as our go-between with God (Heb. 9:11–12).
In the Old Testament, God used furniture as profound theological symbols.
Outside stood the bronze Altar of Burnt Offering (Ex. 27:1–8), where blood was sprinkled from the sacrifices to cover the people’s sins (Lev. 4:25–26). It showed the heavy price of making things right with a holy God, foreshadowing Jesus’ death on the cross (Heb. 10:10–12).
Inside the Holy Place, the gold-covered Table of Showbread held twelve loaves for Israel’s twelve tribes (Ex. 25:23–30; Lev. 24:5–9), reminding them of God’s daily provision—like the manna in the desert (Ex. 16:4)—and looking ahead to Jesus as our true bread, offered in the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 10:16; John 6:35, 51).
Next to the Table of Showbread burned the Golden Lampstand, shaped like an almond tree with seven branches fueled by pure olive oil (Ex. 25:31–40; Ex. 27:20–21). It lit up the darkness, symbolizing the Holy Spirit’s light, the tree of life from Eden (Gen. 2:9; Rev. 22:2), God’s guiding word (Ps. 119:105), and our call as the church to shine His light (Rev. 1:12–20). In the Old Testament, God used furniture as profound theological symbols.
Furniture in Christian Churches
Traditional churches have followed God’s wisdom by fashioning furniture that carries similar meaning and points to the reality of Christ.
The Communion Table or “Altar” is found at the front and center of the church, often on the east end, and is usually made of stone or wood. It stands for Jesus’ body given up for us on the wooden altar of the cross, and/or for the empty stone tomb, and reminds us of the table of the Last Supper. This is where we share the Lord’s Supper, stepping into heaven’s feast with the risen Lamb (Heb. 13:10). It stays put as a steady reminder that Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice is the center of the church’s life (Heb. 7:27). The candles on the communion table, like the golden lampstand, reminds us of the light of Christ and of the Holy Spirit (see my article “Why Put Candles on the Communion Table“).
The Baptismal Font remains in the church as an invitation to and continual reminder of the cleansing offered by the Holy Spirit, bringing us into union with Christ and welcoming us into God’s family (Rom. 6:3–4). It is usually eight-sided to signify new life starting now, beyond the world’s seven days of creation, and reminds us of the story of God’s people, from Noah and his family being saved through water (1 Pet. 3:20–21) to Jesus stepping out into the Jordan. The font is usually placed near the door to the church to represent the way of entrance that every believer must pass through before coming to the Lord’s Table to receive the benefits of Christ’s death.
Traditional churches also have a Lectern (or Ambo) and a Pulpit. The lectern, a simpler stand for reading Scripture out loud, holds a large Bible, and signifies the priority of God’s Word and devotion to public reading (1 Tim. 4:13). The pulpit sits higher or on the other side of the chancel for preaching, a sign of God’s authority over the church. Both lift up what God says over everything else.
A Place Shaped by the Gospel
In all this “theology through furniture,” we’re reminded that church isn’t a stage or a show—it’s a place shaped by the gospel. Each piece is designed to pull our eyes, hearts, and hands toward Jesus. So take a fresh look at your own church building this Sunday. What does the placement of your communion table say about how central the cross is to your life together? Does the baptismal font remind everyone that new birth through Christ stands at the heart of being a part of God’s people? And when you see that lectern or pulpit, does it call you to listen first to God’s voice before anything else?
Our furniture preaches a silent sermon every time we gather; what beliefs does yours proclaim? What eternal priorities might shift if we let these symbols reshape not just our spaces, but our hearts? Let’s arrange our churches, and our lives, with purpose that echoes heaven’s furniture, forever pointing to the Lamb who makes all things new (Rev. 21:5).
