Exodus Chapter 26 Preface

There are certain sections of the scriptures that are written in figurative language.  An example of this is the book of Revelations.  According to Rev. 1:1: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:”  We are told in this verse that the book is written in sign (signified) language.  The key to gaining understanding of that book is in finding the meaning of the multitude of signs in that book.  Moreover, throughout the bible there are very strong correlations between bible numbers and associated bible subjects.  Likewise, there are strong correlations between bible colors and associated bible subjects.  In addition, we find strong correlations between bible metals and associated bible subjects.  Generally, these correlations hold throughout the scriptures.   

In the book of Hebrews we read concerning the tabernacle and the vessels of the ministry: Heb. 9:21 “Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:”  In this passage we are told that the tabernacle and the vessels of the ministry are patterns of things in the heavens and are figures of the true.  Based on this our approach to the study of the next few chapters will be to look at the figures and patterns to search how they teach us about the heavenly things and the true tabernacle of God and of Christ.   

We will first, try to establish the meanings or correlations of the colors, metals, and numbers used in the descriptions given in each of the next few chapters and then attempt to see how these correlate to the heavenly things and the true tabernacle and to Christ. 

Exodus Chapter 26:1-6 

:1 “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.”

There are three things in the scriptures that are called the house of God.  Two are in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament.  The tabernacle was called the house of God: 1 Chr. 6:48 “Their brethren also the Levites were appointed unto all manner of service of the tabernacle of the house of God.”  The temple was called the house of God: 2 Chr. 3:3 “Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.”  In the New Testament the church is called the house of God: 1 Tim. 3:15 “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”   

In Heb. 9:21-23 we are informed that the tabernacle and vessels of ministry were patterns of things in the heavens: “Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”  The New Testament Church is a heavenly thing of which the Old Testament tabernacle is a pattern.   

“Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen…”  The scriptures associate fine linen with the righteousness of the saints: Rev. 19:7 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”  The New Testament associates the bride, the Lamb’s wife, with the Lord’s church.  As such the saints which make up the church are clothed with fine linen or righteousness. 

However, according to Is. 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”  This along with Rom. 3:10: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” If we have no righteousness of our own, then how can we be clothed with fine linen or righteousness?  The pattern of the curtains says that there were ten curtains.  Ten (1) is associated with the law or commandments of God in the scriptures.  Jesus said: Matt 5:17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”  In fulfilling the law and the prophets, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for his covenant people: 2 Cor. 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”  Thus we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. 

“and blue, and purple, and scarlet…”  Blue (2) is associated with the law in the scriptures and purple (3) is associated with royalty and scarlet (4) is associated with blood or warfare.  As we have already noted, Jesus kept the law perfectly and is the royal king who was prophecied to come and through his atoning blood has made us righteous.  He fought the enemies that we could not defeat (sin, death, hell, Satan, and the grave) and defeated all of them through his perfect sinless life, his atoning sacrifice upon the cross and his death, burial and resurrection.  Moreover, we see the pattern of the ten curtains pointing us to the church being made righteous through the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ who now sits as King and High Priest over the house of God.  

“with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.”  As we have previously shown in our study of the book of Exodus, the cherubims in the scriptures are associated with the subject of witness.  According to what is described before us, the curtains contained cunning needlework of cherubims.  This points us to the fact that the members of the Lord church are to be witnesses:  The following three verses show us how that each member is a witness:

    1.  Rom. 2:15 “Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;”

    2.  Rom. 8:16 “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”

    3.  Rev. 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” 

“The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits…”  Only one time in the scriptures is the phrase, “eight and twenty,” used.  The number twenty and eight is used a few times in the Old Testament but no pattern jumps out from its usage.  However, when the numbers of eight and twenty are used as two separate numbers, we see a pattern develop.  The number eight (5) is associated with new beginnings in the scriptures.  One significant new beginning is the new or spiritual birth.  All of those who comprise the Lord’s visible church on earth have undergone a new or spiritual birth.  The number twenty (6) is associated with service.  As members of the Lord’s church on earth we are to serve one another and thus serve God.   

“and the breadth of one curtain four cubits:”  There is a correlation in the scriptures between the number four and the work of the Holy Spirit.  This is especially true with the work of the Spirit in the preaching and receiving of the gospel.  One of the things that each member of the Lord’s visible church on earth shares is that each member has heard and believed the true gospel of the grace of Christ.   

“And every one of the curtains shall have one measure.”  Eph. 4:3 “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. : There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”  Gal. 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” 

“The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.”  In this verse we read that there are two couplings of five curtains that make up the tabernacle.  This would correlate to the fact that the Lord had two flocks of sheep consisting of Jews and Gentiles and ultimately those two flocks are coupled together to make one flock: John 10:16 “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”  Notice that each set of five curtains was coupled together to make one set.  Notice how this principle of unity is taught and practically brought about in the New Testament church as Paul taught in Eph. 4:13-16 “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” 

“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.” 

The two sets of curtains were attached together with loops of blue and taches of gold.  Fifty, like the number eight, signifies a new beginning.  Blue, as we have noted is associated with the law, and gold (7) is associated with kings and kingdoms.  With this in mind, we find a correlating passage in the New Testament: Eph. 2:11 “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:”   

Five (8) is associated with death in the scriptures.  It was through the death of Christ that both the elect among the Jews and among the Gentiles are brought together into one body.  Moreover, Christ slew the enmity, the law of commandments contained in ordinances (blue), between the Jews and the Gentiles by his blood.  In so doing our King (gold) and redeemer reconciled both unto God in one body by his cross and brought us together into unity.                                                  (FOOTNOTES)