Thomas Newberry
1811-1901

      Few brethren were more generally beloved, and few faces more familiar in the assemblies of Christians who gather to the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ than Thomas Newberry.

      Referring to his early days, he praised God for the blessing of a Christian mother and a godly elder sister, for through them, like Timothy of old, he knew the Holy Scriptures from a child; and it pleased God to reveal His Son to his soul as Saviour and Lord at an early age.

      During the early years of his Christian experience he was but an ordinary reader of the Word of God for comfort and instruction; but sixty-one years ago he began the diligent study and searching of the Scriptures in the original Hebrew and Greek languages. Pursuing these studies for twenty-five years, he felt constrained to commence that which will be one of the best memorials of his valuable life, "The Englishmans Bible,' which is now widely known and greatly prized by Bible students as one of the best helps ever published for enabling ordinary readers to discern the beauties of the original "sacred Scriptures."

      This work has been highly commended by competent scholars, who express admiration at the immense labours bestowed upon the book, and the valuable and reliable information given in its marginal notes, which help Christians to understand somewhat of the precious treasure which God has given in this, His own Word.

      Diligent Scripture study led Mr. Newberry into association with a remarkable revival which took place in the British Isles early in the 19th century, when the Spirit of God led many eminent Christians to search the Holy Scriptures in relation to their ecclesiastical associations. The conviction was forced upon many of their souls that much of the teaching was not in harmony with the Word of God; that many of the customs were based upon expediency rather than conformity to "the law and the testimony" (Isaiah 8. 20); that principles and practices (which were plainly recorded in the Epistle to the Corinthians and other scriptures, as characteristic of the churches of God as founded by the apostles, after the divine pattern given to Paul, "the wise master-builder") were not being observed, although 1 Corinthians 1, 2 said they were binding upon "all that in every place call upon the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord."

      Great searchings of heart took place about the years 1828-1830, leading godly men to act as those did in Malachi's day.

      Acknowledging the supremacy and authority ot the Holy Scriptures, and setting aside the creeds, rules, and regulations which men had devised, and which had become sectarian barriers to the communion of saints, they regarded it as a cardinal principle of God's assemblies that the Word of God should be their sole appeal for all matters of doctrine and practice, and its decisions were binding upon all in their fellowship; also that there should be liberty to preach, teach, and obey all that they found in the Bible.

      Mr. Newberry's lectures and writings upon the tabernacle and the temple have been of spiritual profit to thousands. He constructed a model of the temple of exquisite beauty, and quite unique in its design and workmanship, the result of great research in the original Scriptures, so that it might convey to modern people some idea of that gorgeous temple which Solomon built from the patterns given to his father David by the Spirit of God, as Moses also constructed the tabernacle from the pattern which God gave to him in the holy mount. This model, with various writings in connection with it and bearing upon other subjects, will be lasting memorials to the value of his Bible research. For long years he expounded the Scriptures in many parts of the British Isles, gave numerous lectures on the model of the tabernacle, wrote valuable papers for The Witness and other magazines, conducted an extensive correspondence with Bible students in various parts of the world, and sought to be a helper to the saints in every possible way, falling asleep at Weston-super-Mare on 16th January, 1901, at the ripe age of ninety.

Showing 1 to 17 of 17 items.

Types of the Tabernacle - Directions for setting up the Tabernacle
      THE SETTING UP Directions for Setting up, in the Tabernacle Exodus 40.1-8. Verses 1, 2. "And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation." THE first day of the first month is significant of a beginning, or beginning anew. A type of the commencement ...read

Types of the Tabernacle - God's Holy Dwelling Place
      GOD'S HOLY DWELLING PLACE "And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show THEE, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it." (Exodus 25. 8, 9). GOD having redeemed the people of Israel out of Egypt, desired to have a dwelling-place a ...read

Types of the Tabernacle - Introduction
      INTRODUCTION. (Exodus, Chapter 25. 1-9). It is not here Israel seeking to provide a dwelling-place for God, as in David's case (Ps. 132. 1-5), but God desiring a dwelling-place for Himself amongst them. Man naturally desires not the presence of God with him here on earth, but God in the riches of His grace seeks to dwell with men. We must remembe ...read

Types of the Tabernacle - Oil for the Light
      Oil for the light. Exodus 25.6) The word "light" here, signifies "light-giver"; that is, the lampstand with its seven lamps which stood in the Tabernacle. In the Sanctuary natural light was in a measure shut out. Light during the night was supplied by the golden lampstand. The lamps were ordered by Aaron and his sons from evening to morning befo ...read

Types of the Tabernacle - The Bars
      THE BARS "And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the Tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the other side of the Tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the Tabernacle for the two sides westward. And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end" (vv. 26-28). ...read

Types of the Tabernacle - The Boards
      THE BOARDS "And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up" (v. 15). REGARDING the Tabernacle as typical of Christ, these boards of shittim wood overlaid with gold, the framework of the Tabernacle, represent Him in the combination of the human and divine natures in His blessed Person, the foundation truth of Christianit ...read

Types of the Tabernacle - The Brazen Altar
      THE BRAZEN ALTAR THE BRAZEN ALTAR OR, THE ALTAR OF BURNT OFFERING. Exodus 27. 1-8. Verse 1. "And thou shalt make an altar (the altar]." THE SIN OFFERING was burnt, or consumed, without the camp: the BURNT, or ASCENDING OFFERING, was converted into a sweet savour on the altar of burnt offering by the fire which came originally from God, and w ...read

Types of the Tabernacle - The Court of the Tabernacle
      THE COURT OF THE TABERNACLE Exodus 27. 9. Verse 9. "And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle." WHATSOEVER things were written afore - the things which happened unto Israel, time, were written for our learning," and "happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come" (1 C ...read

Types of the Tabernacle - The Curtains of the Tabernacle
      CURTAINS OF THE TABERNACLE (Exodus 26. 1-6). Verse 1 " Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubim of cunning work shalt thou make THEM." HAVING considered the principal vessels of the sanctuary, we now come to the consideration of the Tabernacle itself. In th ...read

Types of the Tabernacle - The Golden Altar of Incense
      Altar of Incense The Golden Altar of Incense. Exodus 30.1-9. Verse 1. "And thou shalt make an altar to burn [burn as incense] incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make IT." THERE were two altars, the brazen altar of burnt offering and the golden altar of incense. They are both typical of the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, bu ...read

Types of the Tabernacle - The Hangings of the Court
      THE HANGINGS Exodus 27. 9. Verse 9. "For the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine-twined linen of a hundred cubits long for one side." THE FINE LINEN IS the righteousness of saints" (Rev. 19. 8). "I counsel thee to buy of Me white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed," says Christ (Rev. 3. 18). "Put ye on the Lord ...read

Types of the Tabernacle - The Lampstand
      THE LAMPSTAND "And thou shalt make a lampstand of pure gold." (Ex. 25. 31). THE golden lampstand, with its seven lamps and centre shaft, is the type of ministry according to God in the power of the Holy Ghost, in its various branches of testimony, having Christ for its centre, source, and subject. In the CHERUBIM, on the mercy-seat, we have mini ...read

Types of the Tabernacle - The Laver and its Foot
      THE LAVER The Laver and its Foot. Exodus 30.17-21. Verses 17, 18. "And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Thou shalt also make a layer of brass, and his foot [base] also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put IT between the tabernacle [tent] of the congregation and between the altar, and thou shalt put water therein." THESE Scriptur ...read

Types of the Tabernacle - The Propitiatory and the Cherubim
      THE PROPITIATORY AND THE CHERUBIM. (Exodus 25. 17-22). Verse 17. 'And thou shalt make a mercy-seat [propitiatory] of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.' THE spiritual import of this is clear from Rom. 3. 24, 25, where there is a manifest allusion to it by the Holy Ghost. "C ...read

Types of the Tabernacle - The Tabernacle set up
      THE TABERNACLE REARED UP Exodus 40.9-19. IN verses 9-16, we have the anointing of the Tabernacle and all therein, its vessels, the altar, and layer. Also the clothing and anointing of Aaron and his sons; but as we have had this subject previously, we now proceed at verse 17. THE PERIOD WHEN THE TABERNACLE WAS REARED. Verse 17. "And it ...read

Types of the Tabernacle - The Vail
      THE VAIL Exodus 26. 31-33. "And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet [worm scarlet], and fine twined linen of cunning work; with cherubim shall IT be made" (v31). THE spiritual signification of the vail is given us by the apostle in the following words: "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the ...read