Exodus 26: The design of the tabernacle itself was for portability. It was made to be moved around in the wilderness for many years. It had four coverings. The first covering was linen and it covered that part of the tabernacle that was 30 cubits long by 10 cubits wide by 10 cubits high.
(Exo 26:1 NASB) “Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet material; you shall make them with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.
Exo 26:1: The linen covering was beautiful and the result of skilled workmanship.
(Exo 26:2 NASB) “The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall have the same measurements.
Exo 26:2: The linen covering with the cherubim sewn in speaks of the deity and holiness of Messiah. This covering is what is seen if one is inside the Tabernacle.
The length of the curtains was only 28 cubits. That length did not allow them to touch the ground. The holiness and righteousness represented by this beautiful linen covering was not intended to touch the ground.
(Exo 26:3 NASB) “Five curtains shall be joined to one another; and the other five curtains shall be joined to one another.
(Exo 26:4 NASB) “And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set, and likewise you shall make them on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set.
(Exo 26:5 NASB) “You shall make fifty loops in the one curtain, and you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite each other.
(Exo 26:6 NASB) “And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and join the curtains to one another with the clasps, that the tabernacle may be a unit.
Exo 26:6: This linen covering was the innermost covering of the tabernacle. It had three coverings on top of it, so the beauty of the linen with the cherubs could only be seen from inside the tabernacle.
The linen covering with the cherubs speaks of the deity of Messiah.
(Exo 26:7 NASB) “Then you shall make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; you shall make eleven curtains in all.
(Exo 26:8 NASB) “The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains shall have the same measurements.
Exo 26:8: The second covering was made of goats hair and it was 30 cubits long. This means that this covering touched the ground. The goatskins speak of the sacrifice He became for us. He was literally our scapegoat in order for us to inherit His righteousness.
(Exo 26:9 NASB) “And you shall join five curtains by themselves, and the other six curtains by themselves, and you shall double over the sixth curtain at the front of the tent.
(Exo 26:10 NASB) “And you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the first set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set.
(Exo 26:11 NASB) “And you shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and you shall put the clasps into the loops and join the tent together, that it may be a unit.
Exo 26:11: The bronze that the clasps are made of speak of judgment. Elohim’s judgment of His people is satisfied through the sacrifice of His Son.
(Exo 26:12 NASB) “And the overlapping part that is left over in the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that is left over, shall lap over the back of the tabernacle.
(Exo 26:13 NASB) “And the cubit on one side and the cubit on the other, of what is left over in the length of the curtains of the tent, shall lap over the sides of the tabernacle on one side and on the other, to cover it.
(Exo 26:14 NASB) “And you shall make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of porpoise skins above.
Exo 26:14: The third covering is one of rams skins that are died red. The red rams skins speak of the offering of the spilled blood of Messiah.
The fourth covering is one made of tahash. This is the covering that will endure 40 long years in the wilderness. This was probably not a very beautiful covering at all. But the Tabernacle was not a structure built for the entertainment of man. The worshiper had to go inside the tabernacle to see the beauty of it.
(Exo 26:15 NASB) “Then you shall make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright.
(Exo 26:16 NASB) “Ten cubits shall be the length of each board, and one and a half cubits the width of each board.
(Exo 26:17 NASB) “There shall be two tenons for each board, fitted to one another; thus you shall do for all the boards of the tabernacle.
(Exo 26:18 NASB) “And you shall make the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side.
Exo 26:18: The boards of the Tabernacle are made of acacia wood. This wood is very strong durable and relatively lightweight.
(Exo 26:19 NASB) “And you shall make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards, two sockets under one board for its two tenons and two sockets under another board for its two tenons;
(Exo 26:20 NASB) and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, twenty boards,
(Exo 26:21 NASB) and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board and two sockets under another board.
(Exo 26:22 NASB) “And for the rear of the tabernacle, to the west, you shall make six boards.
(Exo 26:23 NASB) “And you shall make two boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear.
(Exo 26:24 NASB) “And they shall be double beneath, and together they shall be complete to its top to the first ring; thus it shall be with both of them: they shall form the two corners.
(Exo 26:25 NASB) “And there shall be eight boards with their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board and two sockets under another board.
(Exo 26:26 NASB) “Then you shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of one side of the tabernacle,
(Exo 26:27 NASB) 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 rear side to the west.
Exo 26:27: The tabernacle boards were not solid wooden planks but actually frames made up of two long boards, which were connected, to the top, middle and base by cross-rails. Apart from the fact that the acacia trees in Sinai do not grow large enough to provide a plank 27 inches wide, frames would have advantages over solid planks. They would be much lighter when erected. Also, the open construction would allow the inner curtain with its fine material and figures of cherubim to be seen from inside.
(Exo 26:28 NASB) “And the middle bar in the center of the boards shall pass through from end to end.
(Exo 26:29 NASB) “And you shall overlay the boards with gold and make their rings of gold as holders for the bars; and you shall overlay the bars with gold.
Exo 26:29: Once again, the boards of acacia wood overlayed with gold speak of the humanity and deity of Messiah. He was the Elohim’s Word made flesh that dwelt among us.
(Exo 26:30 NASB) “Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to its plan which you have been shown in the mountain.
(Exo 26:31 NASB) “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen; it shall be made with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.
Exo 26:31: Elohim used an outer veil to enclose the Holy Place and an inner veil to block out all light completely from the ark of the covenant in the Most Holy Place. The inner veil remained as a barrier to separate man from Elohim. Free access to Elohim was not possible except through the representative high priest, once a year on the Day of Atonement.
Man is separated from Elohim because of his sin. This veil represented that barrier of separation. The Holy of Holies where Elohim dwelt was completely sealed off from man.
Only the full and complete atonement through the shed blood of Messiah opened the way to the presence of Elohim. When Messiah died, the veil, which is the barrier between Elohim and man, was torn from top to bottom (Matt. 27:50-51). The fact that it was torn from top to botom indicates that it was torn by Elohim and not by man. The tearing of that veil indicates that we do have access to Him through Messiah (John 14:6). It is Messiah who is our Passover Lamb. The fact that the veil was torn from top to bottom, which opened up the Holy of Holies, shows that He Day of Atonement sacrifice also.
(Exo 26:32 NASB) “And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, their hooks also being of gold, on four sockets of silver.
(Exo 26:33 NASB) “And you shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring in the ark of the testimony there within the veil; and the veil shall serve for you as a partition between the holy place and the holy of holies.
(Exo 26:34 NASB) “And you shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the holy of holies.
(Exo 26:35 NASB) “And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand opposite the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south; and you shall put the table on the north side.
(Exo 26:36 NASB) “And you shall make a screen for the doorway of the tent of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver.
(Exo 26:37 NASB) “And you shall make five pillars of acacia for the screen, and overlay them with gold, their hooks also being of gold; and you shall cast five sockets of bronze for them.
Exo 26:37: The veil was the only entrance, or door into the Holy Place. This was the place of worship where the golden lampstand, the table of showbread, and altar of incense were.
This door is a picture of Yeshua. Yeshua tells us that He is the Doorway to His Father (John 10:7-9).
Patrick McGuire
Copyright 2014 Patrick McGuire and Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly All rights reserved, no portion of this Lesson may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews. Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly Fort Smith, Arkansas