Exodus 25&26

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Exodus 25:1-40

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. 3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, 4 and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine [margin: “silk”] linen, and goats’ hair, 5 and rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, 6 oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, 7 onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. [In the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, a different gemstone is listed for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. They are, in the 1^st row, carnelian, ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnelian) chrysolite ( https://www.minerals-kingdom.com/stones-virtues/chrysolite-stone/ ), and emerald; in the 2^nd row, turquoise, sapphire, and amethyst; in the 3^rd row, jacinth ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacinth ) , agate, and crystal; in the 4^th row, beryl, lapis lazuli, and jasper (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasper).] 8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. 10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. 12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it. 13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. 15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it. 16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. 17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. 21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. 22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. 23 Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 24 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about. 25 And thou shalt make unto it a border of a hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about. 26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof. 27 Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table. 28 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them. 29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them. 30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway. 31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. 32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side: 33 three bowels made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick. 34 And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers. 35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick. 36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold. 37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it. 38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold. 39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels. 40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.”

Introduction

[Audio version: https://resources.ccphilly.org/detail.asp?TopicID=&Teaching=WED559]

“Exodus chapter 25, is far as we have come in our journey through the Old Testament, got a ways to go to Malachi, ten or eleven years. If the Rapture happens by then you can see all this stuff for yourself. We left Moses on the mount, he has proceeded up into the cloud, to the fire, the rest of the elders were not allowed to go that far. Joshua has followed him part of the way. Moses will be 40 days and 40 nights in the presence of the LORD, come down and back up for another 40 days and 40 nights, again, miraculously sustained in the presence of God, no water, no food for 80 days. And yet as he comes down, his face is glowing, his person is sustained the way all of our persons will be sustained when we are in the presence of God. You know, interesting, Jesus when he appeared after his resurrection he said ‘Touch me, does spirit have flesh and bone?’ not flesh and blood, the blood had been drained out, flesh and bone. And yet he was in his resurrected body, Mary Madelene held onto him, Thomas felt his side, felt his hands, just a completely different system, not blood-drive, spirit-drive, and it says our bodies shall be fashioned like unto his glorious body. [Comment: this is one of those weird Calvary Chapel doctrines that says we will be composed of flesh and bone in the resurrection to immorality, where the Bible says God, and Jesus is God, is a flaming spirit (Revelation 1:13-18). So God, and Jesus are spirit-beings, as are the angels. In 1^st John 3:1-2 John said we would be like Jesus in the resurrection to immortality. Jesus when he appeared was transitioning back and forth from spirit to human composition, which we see in Genesis 18, spirit-beings, in that case Yahweh and two angels, can transition from spirit to flesh when needed.] So evidently this time Moses, being in the presence of God, where man was created to be, is sustained miraculously these 80 days, 80 nights. He’s up there, and then again, not that length of time, not taken just to give him the Ten Commandments, but all of the description of this Tabernacle, the Tabernacle we’re going to begin to look at now in chapter 25, is the most detailed particular thing in all of Scripture, more detail given to it than any other particular thing through the Bible. And he’s told to make sure, when he constructs this Tabernacle, to make it according to the pattern that he was shown in the mount. When he was up there God revealed to him a heavenly Tabernacle, and we’re not sure exactly what that was, but in relationship to that, he is given every measurement, every colour, everything that’s supposed to be involved in this place of worship that will be created. And it’s the first time that God will take up his presence in the midst of his people since Genesis chapter 2, when God had open fellowship with Adam and Eve. After their sin they’re driven out of the Garden, and we don’t find God, we find him communicating with Abraham, but we don’t find him coming to dwell in the midst of his people until this Tabernacle provides that place, and it’s according to his description, it’s according to all of the details that are given to Moses. If you take note there in verse 9 it says, “according to all that I showed thee,” the Hebrew seems to indicate “according to all that I let thee see, after the pattern of the Tabernacle and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it, according to all the LORD let him see.” Seven times we have this brought before us. In verse 40, if you look there, it says “Look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount.” Chapter 26, verse 30, says “Thou shalt rear up the Tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was showed thee in the mount.” Chapter 27, verse 8 says “Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.” Now you don’t have to follow me to all of these, I’ll read them for you, Numbers chapter 8, verse 4, you’ll be frustrated, by the time you’re getting there I’ll be going to the next one, so, “And this work of the lampstand was of beaten gold unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, according to the pattern which the LORD had showed Moses, so he made the lampstand.” Again, Acts chapter 7, verse 44, we’ll go there, just, there’s only one more, so I’ll read these for you, Acts 7, verse 44, says “Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.” And Hebrews chapter 8, it tells us the same thing, it says “Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.” (verse 5) So this long stay on the mount, Moses, and I can’t imagine what detail, what comes before his eyes, he’s shown specifically this pattern of the Tabernacle that is to be then set up on earth as a reflection of the real Tabernacle, where there is to be worship in the midst of the camp.

God Asks The People For A Voluntary, Willing Offering

Chapter 25, verse 1 says, “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” now we’ve come through the Exodus, the deliverance, we’ve come through the Law, the giving of the Ordinances of the Law, now we come to the order of worship, and it’s interesting, at least to me, because I have the mic you have to listen to me, talk about what’s interesting to me. It says “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine [margin: “silk”] linen,” coloured cloth, “and goats’ hair,” which is a very dark, course burlap type of fabric “and rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins,” your translation might say “sea cows,” it might say “porpoise skins,” scholars have been trying to figure out what “badger skins” are for a long time, in fact in the Targums, I read through the Targum, it just said “and skins,” they don’t even try to hit this on the head here, some feel it’s talking about sea cows, which I wasn’t really privy to the fact there were sea cows over there, but these scholars I read said the Bedouin in the area actually like to make their sandals of the sea cows skin because, because it’s so tough and lasts so long, so just for your information, you can fill in whatever you like there, whatever badgers skins are, “and shittim wood,” which is acacia wood, “oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. [In the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, a different gemstone is listed for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. They are, in the 1^st row, carnelian, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnelian) chrysolite (https://www.minerals-kingdom.com/stones-virtues/chrysolite-stone/), and emerald; in the 2^nd row, turquoise, sapphire, and amethyst; in the 3^rd row, jacinth (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacinth) , agate, and crystal; in the 4^th row, beryl, lapis lazuli, and jasper (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasper).]” (verses 1-7) Now it tells us when the children of Israel came out of Egypt that they “spoiled them,” that they were given treasure by the Egyptians, that they laid on them gold and silver and linen and cloths and jewels. Of course the children of Israel had no idea at that point that it had said several times that they should take these things. Now they were back-wages owed to them no doubt, for being in slavery for many years without getting paid. But they come out of Egypt with all of this in abundance, and now God says to Moses, “Go and speak to them.” He doesn’t say ‘Mount a Pledge Program, I want you to take pledges from my people, look, there’s a fund-raising organization who does fund raising, they’ll tell you how to get to your people, how to work ‘em, how to get the bucks outa their pockets into the coffers,’ and all of that goes on everywhere. Listen, if you want to know about giving, here it comes from heaven. Moses is with God in heaven [up on the mount, that is], God just gave him the Ten Commandments. And they said to Moses, ‘Tell him not to talk to us again, we’ll die, you go talk to him, whatever he says we’ll do.’ God could have just said from heaven ‘GIVE ME YOUR GOLD AND YOUR SILVER AND ALL OF YOUR BRASS,’ and everyone would have handed everything over. He doesn’t want that. He says ‘Tell them, every man whose willing to give willingly with his heart,’ because that’s the only way treasures are laid up in heaven. You beg people and you harangue people for money, and they give grudgingly…just keep it and buy pizza, because that’s all your gonna get out of it [if you give grudgingly]. But if you give whatever you give, because you love Jesus, you can send it ahead, because you care about his Kingdom, there’s a right way to give, and it isn’t to be beaten to give or harangued or begged or have a guilt-trip laid on you. God says to Moses ‘You go tell them,’ he just had two million of them shaking in their sandals, he said ‘Go tell them, whatever they want to give willingly to this, Moses, you take it from them, if they can give from their heart.’ He doesn’t say ‘Give out boxes of envelopes,’ he doesn’t say to do all of these things. Paul would tell us in Corinthians in regards to our giving, he says, “This I say, he who soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully, every man according as he has purposed in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver.” He’s the God of the Universe saying ‘Moses, go talk to them, don’t yell at them, don’t shout at them, don’t preach at them, speak to the children of Israel,’ “that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.” (verse 2) It’s a choice. God’s given us the capacity of choice. That’s the only way he can have us. When he put us in the Garden of Eden we might be asking ‘Why was the devil there? Why did he put that tree there? We would have had no problems…’ because he didn’t want robots going ‘I LOVE YOU DADDY, I LOVE YOU DADDY,’ I got kids, I don’t want robotrons, might be nice one day a month or something. You want them to come to you because they love you, you want them to sit with you because they love you [they will, till they grow up 😊], you want them to be genuine. And for that to take place, with man created in God’s image and likeness, there had to be choice. For there to be choice there had to be an option. ‘Of all the trees in the Garden you may freely eat, acres of unimaginable fruit,’ imagine grapes as big as watermelons, just unimaginable, but there’s one tree in the midst of the Garden, the day you eat thereof you shall surely die.’ And Adam like the rest of us asked ‘What, really? Where’s that one?’ Choice, for there to be genuine love there has to be choice. ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, before the worlds were formed, that whoever would believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life.’ And here in time he takes Moses and shows him this pattern. The pattern is not just architectural, as we’ll see that as we look at it. There’s symbol, there’s type. There’s whole books written on them, we’re not going to spend the time to develop, every type and every picture. But it isn’t just something architectural, he’s says ‘Take this offering of those who are willing to give willingly, of their heart,’ “And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, and blue, and purple, and scarlet,” (verses 2-3) we’ll find gold is a picture of Deity, holiness, silver is always a picture of redemption, because the redemption price is always in silver, to pay, to redeem your son, to redeem an ox, redemption is always paid for in silver in the Scripture, brass, then the bronze laver, the altar, made of brass, brass is always a picture of judgment. Blue, a picture of heaven, purple a picture of royalty, scarlet a picture of redemption, fine linen, goats hair, ram skins dyed red, or badgers or sea cows skins, acacia wood, oil for the lights, spices for the anointing oil and for sweet incense, “onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.” Imagine Yahweh the Creator stooping down to ask his created beings to help him put this structure together, ‘Moses, ask them if they would give.’ It just staggers me, ‘Ask them.’ You know, because in our lives, I mean, to me he still leads, he still beckons, he still wants our hearts. What’s the sense of Christian bumper stickers and Christian music and the Christian culture, the shame of it is we see kids raised in it, and they get raised in it and never find Jesus. For many of us we got saved out of the world, there was a sharp line of demarcation when we got saved, it was very clear the changes that were taking place. I feel bad for kids that grow up in the Christian culture that have to find Jesus in the middle of the Christian culture. But until they do, there’s never a change. Because that’s still the goal, and it’s to be doing it with a willing heart, to have a relationship with him, to walk with him, to know him, to get up and hear his voice, to sit quietly with him during the day, to lift our head to heaven and say ‘Father … and say Father,’ to know that he gave his Son for us, to find fellowship with him, that’s the purpose of all of this, that he would have us, he wants us, he paid for us, he redeemed us, and he stoops down and says to these people ‘Moses, ask them if they’ll give, ask them. These are the things that I need.’

Here's How To Construct The Sanctuary And Ark Of The Covenant

“And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” (verse 8) God’s heart, that’s what he wants, when he finally has all things his way, Book of Revelation chapter 21, ‘new heavens, new earth,’ “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes…” (verses 3-4a) He shall be with them, the Tabernacle of God, which we know is Jesus Christ, the Word was made flesh and dwelt, tabernacled among us. In eternity the Tabernacle of God is with men. And I wonder how much of this Tabernacle that’s built, is not a reflection of a tent that Moses saw in heaven, is it a reflection of the Redemption that he saw in heaven, of the Redeemer? I don’t know. “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.” (verses 8-9) Now the first thing we come to in verse 10 is the Ark of the Covenant. As we begin to look at the Tabernacle and to the system of worship, we begin from God’s perspective, that begins from the Ark and works its way outward into the Court. When we start to have the priest’s office described, who represents us, then it works backwards, from the Court back into the Tabernacle to the Ark. So it’s very interesting to watch what happens here. Seven times we’re told he makes it according to the pattern, seven specific things described about the priest’s garments, seven specific instruments described in regards to the, you know, there’s a beauty and a symmetry to this. So here’s the Ark. And it isn’t from Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark, it’s not a transmitter to get in touch with the aliens or outer space, this is a wooden box overlaid with gold, and God has a specific purpose for it. “And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.” (verse 10) Now I’m going try to give you feet and inches, I may make some mistakes because the older I get the more of those I make. A cubit is about 18 inches, from the elbow to the fingertips, average, we’re in there. OK, so we’ll look at these measurements and hopefully make some of them understandable here. So this Ark of the Covenant is going to be 3-foot, 9-inches long, it’s going to be 2-foot, 3-inches high, and 2-foot, 3-inches wide, figuring a cubit is 18 inches…Here we go, “And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.” (verses 10-11) So we have this box now, without a lid, it’s 3-foot, 9-inches long, 2-foot, 3-inches wide, 2-foot, 3-inches high, overlaid within and without of pure gold. “and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.” so around the top edge there are these little spikes, it calls them a crown, decoration around the top edge of it. “And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.” (verse 12) So they make gold rings, two of them on each side of the Ark of the Covenant, and we’re going to have the description of staves or poles that are made of acacia wood overlaid with gold that slide through those rings, so it’s never to be touched, it’s to be carried. Remember when we come to 2^nd Samuel chapter 6 there, the Ark of the Covenant is being brought from Kirioth, it’s one of the Kirioth’s, David wants to bring it up to Jerusalem, Kirioth-Jearim, he wants to bring it up to Jerusalem, and one of his men [a priest I believe] Uzzia, touches it and he drops dead, it wasn’t to be touched, it was to be borne. So we have this picture now of the Ark of the Covenant, two rings on each side, staves or poles that will go through them, “And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.” (verses 13-15) because they were going to be in their journeys, so they were not to be taken out. God will tell them finally when the staves are to be drawn out of the rings on either side of the Ark of the Covenant, but “they shall not be taken from it.” “And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.” (verse 16) the two tables of stone will be placed inside of the Ark of the Covenant, ultimately a jar of manna will be placed in there also. But the two tables of stone. “And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.” (verse 17) which is the 3-foot, 9-inches, 2-foot, 3-inches, this is the covering, the Mercy Seat, the top covering. If it’s an inch thick, 3-foot, 9-inches by 2-foot, 3-inches, and an inch thick weighed 750lbs, this is not wood overlaid with gold, this top is pure gold. So this is 750lbs of pure gold, I don’t have any of my money in gold, I have my money in sneakers and kids and college. But if you have your money in gold, figure what an ounce is now, this lid is 750lbs, if it’s an inch thick, it’s probably at least that, of pure gold, the top. “And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.” (verses 18-21) So upon the lid of the Ark of the Covenant is the cherubim, remember the cherubim have the face of a man, the face of a lion, face of an eagle, the face of an ox. And sometimes they’re described with four wings, there’s also a description of Seraphim with six wings, they seem to differ [the Hebrew for Seraphim is “burners,” brings to mind, to me at least, the afterburners of a jet engine], but these cherubims have at least four wings. So it seems that they’re stretched over the Ark, the lid, over the Mercy Seat on the top of the Ark of the Covenant, and at least two of their faces are facing one another as they face. And that will be the place where once a year on Yom Kippur that the high priest will pour out the blood of the lamb there [actually, the blood of a goat, cf. Leviticus 16, read it] on the Mercy Seat. So our first description is of this Ark of the Covenant. The question is, where is it? it would be an interesting archeological find, wouldn’t it, the Ark of the Covenant? [order this dvd, and play the one about how Ron Wyatt found the Ark of the Covenant, it is really believable, even though some try to disparage Ron’s findings, especially because it seems he had attached himself to the 7^th Day Adventists. But that doesn’t detract from his work and research into his archeological finds. related link: http://www.ArkDiscovery.com and order "Revealing God's Treasure] I don’t know where it is, I don’t have any pictures, and I don’t have any maps. Josephus says that Jeremiah hid the Ark in a cave under the Temple Mount [actually Ron Wyatt found the cave, but it’s not under the Temple, it is a cave system that leads under Golgotha, so Josephus isn’t far off]. So Josephus believed the Ark of the Covenant was hid under the Temple Mount. [Now the Ark would have been in that Temple right up to the time of the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and Jeremiah was a holy Prophet and priest living in Jerusalem. He was God’s Prophet, who was staying in Jerusalem for the entire siege, and gave God’s dire prophecies directly to Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. So if anybody with his kind of authority in God’s eyes could have been responsible for hiding it safely away, it would have been Jeremiah. So Ron’s story is believable, and very fascinating.] There are those who believe that it’s hidden in Mount Nebo over by Pisgah, that’s another tradition that Jeremiah put it in a cave there. There is the tradition of Oxum in Ethiopia, and they believe it’s there, whether it is or not, they’re genuine about their belief. There are some who believe it’s in the basement of the Vatican, displayed on the Arch of Victory in Rome, and when Titus came back from Jerusalem the Arch of Triumph, there is clearly the Menorah there to be seen, with the seven branches, and it seems clearly the Table of Showbread, there’s another object that’s broken off, that’s not that clear. And we know that in 550AD the Church in Rome returned to what was just called the Christian Church in Jerusalem the Table of Showbread and the Menorah, and then it was carried off by the Muslims, we don’t know if they ground it to powder or it’s hidden somewhere. There are some who feel it’s hidden in the basement of the Vatican, and some day it’s going to be used as an overture as the Vatican tries to bring Islam, Judaism and Christianity at some point under one roof. Ah, we don’t know. When you go to the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, I’ve been there a number of times, when in 1967, when they came to the Wall and took possession of the city, some of the rabbis went down today where you have the rabbi’s tunnel, and those of you who’ve been to Jerusalem the last few times, were able to get down there and walk along the wall, and there’s one place where there had been a hole that went under the Temple Mount, that’s all cemented up now. But Shlomo Goren, one of the chief rabbis and another rabbi said they went under the Temple Mount, explored some of the caves, and actually found the Ark of the Covenant, of course they wouldn’t say where it was or pull it out, under the Temple Mount, they don’t know if that’s true. I’m gonna get Raptured, so I’m not really, you know, my hope is the return of Jesus Christ, not the Ark of the Covenant. But it would be an interesting archeological find, and would probably stir up the world a little bit more than it’s already stirred up [we don’t need that now, with a major war going on between Vladimir Putin’s Russia and the Ukraine, and a major war going on between Hamas in Gaza and the Israeli Defense Force, threatening to engulf the entire Middle East in warfare. So no, Joe, we don’t want to stir anything else up right now].

The Table Of Showbread

Verse 23 says “Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.” round the top there’s these spikes of gold around the top, “And thou shalt make unto it a border of a hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.” so under the crown, around the edge, a border about that big, you got a handbreadth, about that big of pure gold, a border going around underneath the crown, “ And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.” this is the Table of Showbread now, “Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.” so up in the upper part by the border that goes around the crown is where the rings are, “And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them. And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them. And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.” (verses 23-30) So, interesting picture. It’s literally “the Bread of Presence,” and it’s interesting because Hebrew tradition tells us it was perforated, and no doubt it is a picture Christ. [Unleavened Bread, picturing Christ, the Word of God, to be eaten, digested. The Bible is the Word of God in print.]

The Lampstand, Menorah

Now we come to the lampstand, King James calls it “a candlestick,” nobody used candles back then, candles are self-consuming, not a picture at all of the lampstand. By the way, the Menorah is the symbol of Israel, with the seven branches, not the Star of David, but the Menorah. And this is the one with seven branches, it’s a lampstand not a candlestick, and it is of pure gold, “And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.” (verse 31) Now look, I’m going to read through some of this, and if we had a visual it would probably help us, but we don’t, so we’ll do our best. Notice it says, his, it’s in the masculine, “and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.” “knops,” which are “buds.” So, on the branches you have picture of almonds, you have knops which are buds, flowers, then almonds, which are the three stages of growth, you go from a bud, to a flower, to an almond. They’re on these branches to this lampstand. Ah, estimated to be about 5-foot tall. One of the interesting things about the Temple Institute in Jerusalem if you go there, now look, most Israelis are Zionists, they’re Nationalists. There’s a very small percentage that are religious. Then you have the Orthodox, the Hasidim, they don’t think that the Temple or Jerusalem will be rebuilt, that none of that is going to happen until Messiah comes. Then you have a small other group, like those at the Temple Institute, who think they’re going to institute [the rebuilding of the Temple], they’re reconstructing many of these things, and if you go to the Temple Institute, they have the priest’s garments according to the description, Scripture, taken a lot of these instruments and punched them into the computer and come up and spun them around and got a real look of what the dimensions would be like, and they have a model of the Menorah there. And it’s about 5-foot tall. The thing that puzzles them, is because it’s made of pure gold, what they know is that the arms would actually droop, it would be so heavy, so they have the money, they have the gold, what they estimate today is $150,000,000 worth of gold to make it, and they have it. But what they’re thinking of doing is they have to put a steel frame in it to make it stable. They don’t understand exactly how this was constructed. But we have the descriptions of it. Of course they’re all looking, this particular group, is they’re all looking for a Red Heifer, too, every time a red cow is born in Israel it’s big news over there. It’s trouble, because you have a religious sect, I remember years ago when we were there, there was one born, the mom and dad were not red, so when this thing plopped out and it was red, this particular sect of Judaism was jumping up and down. Then you had the Zionists thinking ‘You can’t let them kill this thing and burn it, because then they’re going to want to purify the implements and start sacrificing,’ there’s over 200 young men who have been trained in the sacrifices. So most Israelis consider those who want to do this worse than most Americans consider us. [Are The Jews Getting Ready To Build The 3^rd Temple? What about that red heifer? Those crazy Israelis are going to sacrifice one this coming Passover, year 2024, April 2024! see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhebWqm0yB0 ] Most Israelis consider those guys worse than most Americans consider us, they’re the fundamentalists over there, they’re the religious fanatics, kind of what they think of us over here, only there’s more of us and we’re right. [laughter] But over there, so you always hear that they want to set up the cornerstone of the Temple, it goes on every year, it’s just not going to happen [Will these crazy religious Israelis build a Temple? Pastor Joe says, “it’s not gonna happen,” but will it? What does the Bible have to say about it? See https://unityinchrist.com/End%20time%20temple/End-Time%20TempleI.htm]. But this poor cow, I always think, you got one group waiting to get their hands on it and burn it, you got another group thinking ‘Don’t let them get it, because it’ll start World War III,’ and you get all of this stuff swirling around, ‘Moow!’ some poor cow over there who has no idea what is going on, getting itself into. [Conditions are such right now, with a major war going on between Vladimir Putin’s Russian military and the Ukraine, and another major Hamas-Israeli war going on in the Middle East, and now the religious crazies over in Israel are about to sacrifice a red heifer that they finally found, right before Passover 2024, World War III here we come, Pastor Joe!] This description of this third implement now, and let’s read through, I’m sorry I got off on the red heifer. “And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:” (verses 31-32) that makes seven, of course Jesus said ‘I am the vine, you’re the branches,’ some interesting pictures here, first three implements, the Mercy Seat which certainly is a picture of the Father giving his Son, where he’ll meet between the Table and the cherubim. The next implement is the Table of the Bread of His Presence, a picture of his Son, and then the third implement described is a picture of the Light, which is no doubt a picture of the Spirit, fueled with oil. There’s so much beauty in this. Verse 33 says “three bowels made like unto almonds, with a knop” a bud “and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.” So far I’m following along there, I don’t have any problem, I got the picture. “And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.” (verse 34) and I loose it here, ah, you can help me. “And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick. Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.” (verses 35-36) Just try to imagine, that beaten out of one huge pure piece of gold. “And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.” (verse 37) There’s no natural light to be in this place of worship, in the holy place, there’s only to be the light that God provides through his oil, his presence. “And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold. Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.” (verses 38-39) Now we’re not sure what that talent weight was, is it a talent of volume, or a talent of weight, what exactly is the talent? [A talent was 57lbs by one reckoning.] They assume, most scholars, it had to be at least 5-foot high to give light to the Table of Shewbread, to the Table of incense we’re going to hear about it. It couldn’t have been a small lamp on the ground, it had to be tall enough to give light in there. “And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.” (verse 40) Now Moses is up on the mount, imagine what he’s seeing. It’s hard to imagine what’s coming before his eyes, as we have these things being described and the details given. Now, chapter 26.”

Exodus 26:1-37

“Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them. 2 The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure. 3 The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another. 4 And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second. 5 Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another. 6 And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle. 7 And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make. 8 The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure. 9 And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle. 10 And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second. 11 And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one. 12 And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle. 13 And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it. 14 And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers’ skins. 15 And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up. 16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board. 17 Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle. 18 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward. 19 And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons. 20 And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards: 21 And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 22 And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards. 23 And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides. 24 And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners. 25 And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 26 And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 27 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. 28 And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end. 29 And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold. 30 And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount. 31 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: 32 and thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. 33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. 34 And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place. 35 And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side. 36 And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework. 37 And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.”

The Curtains Of The Tabernacle

“I only see one person yawning, that’s not bad. We’re headed into the curtains now, alright, and the rest of you that are tired it’s curtains for you from here on in. But let’s look at these and see if we can get a sense of what the LORD is describing here. “Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work” should be embroidered on them, “shalt thou make them.” (verse 1) And look, here’s the thing, when we get to heaven [for the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, to the New Jerusalem, cf. Revelation 19:7-9] and see the heavenly Tabernacle, you can say ‘Oh, I was there, I studied this, we studied this, line upon line, precept upon precept, didn’t neglect the whole council of God,’ I don’t know where you were on Wednesday night, but we were there, studied it. “The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.” (verse 2) 28 cubits equals 42 feet in length, 4 cubits equals 6-foot wide, “one measure,” they’re all to be the same size. And we’re going to read here I believe in the first set that there’s six of them, five of them, let’s read down. Let me read it, then I’ll tell you what I think it’s saying, let’s read it together, verse 3, “The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another. And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second. Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another. And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle.” (verses 3-6) Got it? It says this, you have these strips, they’re going to be linen, scarlet, purple and blue, 42-foot long, 6-foot wide, and on one side of that long strip is going to be 50 loops of blue woven on there, and on the other side of it there’s going to be 50 clasps. Make 5 of them. That gives you 42-foot long, 30-foot wide. So you take the 50 loops and hook them to the 50 clasps on the other side, and take the 50 loops on the next one, hook them into the 50 clasps, so you have 5 42-foot lengths that are 6-foot wide hooked together, which gives you 30-foot by 42-foot. Then make two sets of them which gives you 60-foot by 42-foot. We on the same page here? It’s page 104. The Tabernacle, the structure of the Tabernacle is 45-feet long, 15-foot high, 15-foot wide. So what they’re going to do with this two sets of curtains we just looked at, the 60-foot is going to run lengthwise, because it’s 45-foot long, and then it’s 15-foot down in the front and the back, so, let me take this the other way, the 60-foot is going to run over the top, and they’re going to be clasps together lengthwise, 60-foot of them. It’s 42-foot because it’s holding 45-foot over the top of the Tabernacle, it will mean that each one is a cubit short on the side hanging down, and then there’s actually going to be ten of them that are 6-foot wide clasped together running all the way down the full length, which is 45-foot, 15 down the back and 15 down the front, which gives you 60-some foot, but they don’t have to come all the way to the ground, and the front is where the door is a little different. So you have the first covering of fine linen, beautiful, red, scarlet, blue, a picture of heaven, of royalty, deity, of atonement, ah, the first covering that goes over this. And then each covering that goes on top of it is going to be more course and more ugly. And the remarkable thing is, as we look at the structure, the gold and the beauty, the real value of it are going to be inside. Outside, is says ‘There was no comeliness, there was no beauty that we should desire him,’ in Isaiah 53 says, speaking of Christ. That when he came there was nothing to distinguish him from anyone else. Remember Judas had to kiss him in the Garden of Gethsemane to betray him. John the Baptist said ‘I would not have known him, except the One who sent me to baptize said The one upon whom you see the Spirit descending like a dove and abiding on him, that’s the one that will baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire.’ John the Baptist said, ‘I would not have known him.’ So he came Immanuel, God with us, to walk among us, to be approachable, that no sinner, no human would feel intimidated to approach him, to run to him, to talk to him. But little did they know what he was inside. Paul tells us in 1^st Corinthians chapter 2, ‘If they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.’ And inside was everything of Heaven, of Deity, of Atonement, of gold, royalty, just everything majestic was there, but clothed in human flesh. So we have this picture of the first covering that goes on is this beautiful covering of linen. Verse 7 now, “And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.” It is black, it is course. It’s like a burlap, like a wool. “The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure.” (verse 8) so it’s 45-foot instead of 42-foot across, which will take it from ground to the ground, going across. The breadth of one shall be 6-foot times 11 is 66-foot, so it’s going to hang over the first covering by at least a cubit on every side and come to touch the ground. And the 11 curtains shall all be one measure, all be 6-foot, that’s 66-foot. “And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle.” (verse 9) So the front one is folded back, there’s 11, it covers the front of the Tabernacle. “And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second. And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.” (verses 10-11) of brass now, not of gold, of brass. “And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.” (verse 12) the extra hanging over the back. “And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it.” (verse 13) What it’s telling us is, it’ll be 18-inches longer on each side, longer than the linen cloth, which doesn’t come to the ground. So all the way around, this covering comes all the way down to the ground, this goats’ hair. “And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers’ skins.” (verse 14) We don’t have all the measurements. It just says those two other coverings. So what we have is, 45-foot long, 15-foot wide, 15-foot high, the first beautiful linen, royalty, hanging down, coming a cubit short all the way around. The next one of black hair with brass clasps goes all the way to the ground, covers it by a cubit on all sides, the front is folded back. And then it just says on top of that are the rams’ skins dyed red, and they’re just evidently sown together, not in strips, to cover the whole thing. And evidently that all just lays down on the ground on the sides, and then on top of that the badgers’ skins, whatever they are. And so the whole thing from the outside looks very rough, it looks very earthy, it looks very unattractive, and we find as we enter, the beauty and majesty of it is all on the inside.

The Boards Of The Tabernacle

Look at verse 15, and I think we can get through this chapter, there we go, verse 15, “And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up.” and you’re already bored, but the ones of you that are spiritual are right in here with me, because I’m not, I’m having a great time here. “Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board.” (verse 16) 15-foot x 27-inches, “Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle.” (verse 17) ok, you cabinet makers, they’re to have tongs, tenons. “And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward.” (verse 18) and we’re going to find out 20 on the north, if you take 20, multiply 27 inches, you get exactly 45-foot. So what it’s describing to us, is that on either side of the Tabernacle north or south, because the front always faced East, and the back end always faced West, on the North and South are going to be these 20 boards of acacia wood, 15-foot high, 27-inches wide, and that will make our 45-foot length, and then there will be boards that go into the tenons across the top, and the tenons will go in to silver sockets on the ground, we’re going to read here this description. “And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons. And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards: And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.” (verses 19-21) but then there’s two extra boards that make the corners, which will give us the 15-foot, “And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards. And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides. And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.” (verses 22-24) Here’s our description so far, ok, we have these boards of acacia wood, they’re going to be covered with pure gold. They’re 15-foot long, 27-inches wide, I’m sure at least and inch and a half thick, I don’t know what that board would weigh without the gold, but they’re covered. That’s why there’s a whole one-third of the tribe of Levi, the Gershonites and so forth, assigned just to carry this when it has to move. So you imagine 20 of these boards on each side, 15-foot high, overlaid with pure gold, 8 across the back, boards going across the top fitted into the tenons. And then it’s going to tell us there’s rings on the boards, and long poles are slipped in to help hold steady the whole thing. And the weight of all this, then first the blue and red and purple tent laid over, not touching the ground, then the goats’ hair over the top of that, coming down over top of that. So you go inside of this, if you walk inside of it, and you come in, on your lefthand side would be the Menorah with seven lamps, on the righthand side is the Table of Showbread, 30-foot in front of you is the vail of the Tabernacle that separates the holy place from the holy of holies. And there will be the Table of Incense in front of it. And the light from the Menorah is reflecting on a ceiling of pure gold and on walls of pure gold. So you can imagine the colour and the warmth, and incredible beauty when a priest went in there to minister, what he saw, everything made of gold and overlaid of gold, and the lamps burning in there, just incredible. On the outside it’s so earthly, it looked so unattractive, inside, as the priests would go in, they’d be staggered, as they realized what was inside of there. So verses 25-27 says “And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 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.” (verses 25-27) these bars are evidently long and hold it together. “And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end.” (verse 28) so that’s a long pole. “And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold. And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount.” (verses 29-30) Now the vail, that separates the holy of holies from the holy place. The Holy of Holies is 15-foot high, 15-foot wide, 15-foot deep. When we get to Solomon’s Temple, it’s 30-foot, it goes from 10 cubits to 20 cubits, 20 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, the Holy of Holies is always a perfect cube. When we get to the holy city of Jerusalem, in the Book of Revelation chapter 21, this city is 1,500 miles by 1,500 miles, by 1,500 miles. Always for some reason there’s a picture of this, and now this vail will separate a 30-foot space, where you have the menorah, the table of showbread and so forth. From the last 15-foot, which is the Holy of Holies, is where the Ark of the Covenant will be, where God says he’ll dwell between the wings of the cherubim, there he says ‘I will meet with thee.’

The Vail Of The Tabernacle

“And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: and thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches,” the clasps “that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.” the Holy of Holies, “And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place. And thou shalt set the table without the vail,” which is the Table of Incense, “and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side. And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent,” which is where you enter the Holy Place, not the Holy of Holies, there’s to be a hanging there “of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework. And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.” (verses 31-37) Interesting, they’re standing in brass instead of silver. You have all of this acacia wood, this whole structure, in sockets of silver, a picture of redemption. That which is earthy, elevated, lifted up from the earth in stanchions, in sockets of silver all the way along. Coming into the Holy Place, gold on the ceiling, gold on the walls, the lampstand there burning. And once a year, going in to the Holy of Holies, where there was no lamp. Now what was it like in there, because there was the Shekinah Glory. The back wall was gold, the two side walls were gold, the ceiling was gold, only the one wall was the vail, and above the wings of the cherubim on the Mercy Seat the Shekinah Glory of God was there, reflecting off of everything in there. What was that like? How majestic, how amazing. And then the camp of Israel. When we study the camp of Israel, around the Tabernacle, we’re given specifically the tribes and the numbers of the tribes. And when you study the numbers of the tribes, you’ll find out the longest side faced one way, the other side where they were camped was short, and the other two sides were equal, you actually had almost the shape of a cross in the encampment around the Tabernacle, and the flags on the outside tribes of the Tabernacle, as we come to Numbers, are the face of a man, the face of an ox, Ephraim, the face of an eagle, Manasseh, and again the face of a lion, Judah, you have the faces of the cherubim as it were encamped around the whole scene. Early Christians understood that Matthew portrayed for us the lion of the tribe of Judah, that Mark is the face of the ox, the servant, come to serve, and not to be served, laid out his life for ransom, Luke gives us the humanity of Christ, in a remarkable way, the face of a man, and that John portrayed the Deity of Christ, the eagle. And in some of the places where early Christians met, when they were under persecution were marked with the cherubim on the outside and the four faces. And the Christians knew that was a mark of where there was a secret meeting place. And they knew that there was a reflection as it were in the four Gospels. So we have this beautiful imagery. The first cherubim, the Garden of Eden, Adam sins, man falls, driven out of the Garden. A cherubim with a flaming sword is placed there to guard the way to the Tree of Life. And that imagery then goes through the Bible. Here in the Tabernacle between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies is a cherubim embroidered onto the vail, and the sockets there are brass instead of silver, judgment, how do you get beyond this vail? And once a year with the blood of a goat [Leviticus 16] the high priest would go in, with a rope tied around his ankle, to the Holy of Holies. All of it a reflection, all of it a picture. There are whole books, guys who have written whole books on all of the symbolism and all the beauty, and you can go on really, ad nauseum to dig into this stuff, there’s a lot of typology and symbolism. But remarkable picture, read ahead, I hope as we go through this we get, that when you leave your brains are not scrambled, because that’s not what I’m trying to do, I hope we have some understanding of how remarkable this structure was and what it looks like. We still have to do the Table of Incense, we still have to do the bronze laver, the alter, those things. So read ahead…[transcript of a connective expository sermon on Exodus 25:1-40 and Exodus 26:1-37, given by Pastor Joe Focht, Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia, 13500 Philmont Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19116]