Exodus by Elder Vernon Johnson

Exodus Chapter 26 Verse 7-13

: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.”

Animals are frequently used in the scriptures to represent biblical principles. For instance, sheep are used to represent God’s elect covenant people. In contrast, goats (9) are used to represent God’s eternal punishment of sin. Forty times, goats are associated with the sin offering, which is more than the other animals (sheep, cattle, doves, and pigeons) combined. The curtains covering the tabernacle were made of goats’ hair. It was necessary that a sin offering be made for the people of God. Likewise, the Lord’s elect people in his church had to be redeemed by an offering for the eternal punishment of sin. Jesus was the offered sacrifice who suffered the eternal punishment for the sins of the elect.

The length of each curtain was thirty cubits. The bible number thirty (10) is associated with the subject of redemption. The New Testament points out to us that Jesus was betrayed into the hands of men for thirty pieces of silver, which was the redemption price in the Old Testament for a woman. Jesus, as our redeemer, was sold for the price of redeeming a woman, which of course, his church is the bride of Christ.

In this covering, the taches tying the curtains together were made of brass. Brass (11) is the bible metal associated with judgment. It is this eternal judgment of God that Jesus suffered for us on the cross of Calvary that unites us all together in redemption.

We also take note that the number of curtains of goats’ hair is eleven. The number eleven (12) is associated with joining together. Eph. 5:31 “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” As a part of the bride of Christ, we are joined together by the atoning blood of Jesus and his eternal redemption of us through suffering the eternal punishment of our sins.

Footnotes:

(9) Goats Goats and punishment of sin

Animals are frequently used in the scriptures to represent biblical principles. For instance, sheep are used to represent God’s elect covenant people. In this essay we will explore how goats are used to represent God’s eternal punishment of sin.

In the Old Testament there are eight sacrifices associated with the tabernacle or temple worship. There is the sin offering, the trespass offering, the burnt offering, the peace offering, the wave offering, the heave offering, the meat offering, and the drink offering. The only offering that goats were used in is the sin offering. In forty verses in the scriptures either a goat or a kid of the goats was used as the sin offering. This is more than all the other types of animals or birds combined. Cattle were used in 23 verses; sheep were used in six verses; a pigeon and a turtledove were used in 1 verse. Thus, in the seventy verses that the sin offering is mentioned, the goat is mentioned in forty verses.

Each of the Old Testament sacrifices under the tabernacle or temple worship point us to various aspects of what Christ did for us in atoning for our sins. The sin offering pointed us to the fact that Christ suffered the judgment of God on account of our sins. The trespass offering pointed us to the fact that we had trespassed against the laws of God and that Christ paid for our trespass. The burnt offering pointed us to the fact that Christ suffered for us in judgment because of our sins. The peace offering pointed us to the result of Christ atonement caused God to be at peace with us. The meat offering pointed us to the pure sinless body of Christ that was broken for us. The drink offering pointed us to the blood of Christ that was offered to God to remit our sins. The wave offering pointed us to the victory we have in Jesus Christ. The heave offering pointed us to both the resurrection of Christ and our awaiting resurrection.

The ordinance of the scapegoat gives us an understanding of God’s purpose in using the goat to represent God’s eternal punishment of sin. The ordinance is set forth for us in Lev. 16:8-10: 8 “And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD'S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.”

Two goats were used to represent the one work of Christ on our behalf in God’s judgment of sin. The one goat was offered for a sin offering. Christ offered himself without spot to God as a sin offering having suffered the wrathful eternal judgment of sin on our behalf. The second goat was sent unto a land not inhabited: Lev. 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: 22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. As a result of Christ’s offering and God’s acceptance of Christ’s offering, Christ put away our sins (symbolized by the scapegoat which was sent into a land not inhabited after our sins were atoned for by the first goat). Christ put away our sins by his sacrifice on our behalf. The judgment of God had been satisfied and our sins shall never again be brought before God as set forth in Rom. 8:33: “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.”

The next thing we read about goats is that goat hair was a covering of the tabernacle: Ex. 26:7 “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.” Goats’ hair is the product of the goat. These eleven curtains of goats’ hair covered the tabernacle. Since goats represent God’s eternal judgment of sin and the product of God’s judgment of sin in the person of Christ on behalf of the elect family of God is to cover these elect children with Christ’s work of justification. The tabernacle ordinances all point us to Christ’s work of justifying his elect family: Rom. 4:7 “Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.”

The final use of goats in representation in the scriptures is found in Matthew chapter 25. Matt. 25:31-46 sets forth God’s eternal judgment of sin at the last day. In this passage there are two classes of people who are represented by sheep and goats. The sheep are on the Lord’s right hand and are called righteous and go away into eternal life. The goats are on the left hand and are called cursed and go away into everlasting punishment. The sheep represent God’s elect children and are declared righteous because Christ was their sin offering delivering them from the everlasting punishment of their sins. The goats are cursed by sin and were not covered by the atoning blood of Christ and thus have the eternal judgment of God to face because of sin.

(10) Thirty Ten and Law or Commandment

There is an association between the use of the bible number ten and the subject of law, or commandment, or authority. This association began in the first chapter of Genesis when the phrase, "God said," appears in ten verses and is associated with God's commandments in natural creation.

This association is manifest in the fact that God gave ten commandments in establishing His covenant with the children of Israel. He sent ten plagues upon the land of Egypt because Pharaoh disobeyed his commandment to let Israel go ten times. The word, "law," appears in the book of Genesis ten times. The term "wrath of God" appears ten times in the scriptures and is used to show God's great displeasure at the disobedience toward his commandments. Moses is commanded to use the rod to manifest the authority of God ten times.

The book of Psalms tells us to sing praises upon an instrument of ten strings, which we will see is symbolic of the commandments written in the heart and mind of God's born again people.

Abraham married the Egyptian handmaid Hagar after he had been in the land of Canaan ten years. Hagar as we will see is a representative of the law covenant.

The false authority of Satan is manifest to us in the book of Revelation as he is pictured to us as a dragon with seven heads and ten horns. The dragon causes to rise up out of the sea a beast with seven heads and ten horns. We are told the dragon gives the beast his power and great authority.

The two cherubims in the temple were each ten cubits in height and each had a wing spread of ten cubits from end to end. The molten sea was ten cubits in diameter. The temple had ten candlesticks and was built upon a foundation of stones of ten cubits in size.

(11) Brass Brass Judgment Outline

In the scriptures there is a very strong correlation between the subject of judgment or justification and the biblical use of the metal, brass. This correlation is found in many places. The serious bible student may want to study the following which demonstrate this correlation.

1. Bezaleel and Hiram

2. Fetters of Brass

3. Brass Couplings

4. Pillars of Brass

5. Brass Laver

6. Brazen Altar

7. Brazen Censers

8. Brazen Serpent

9. Vessels of Brass

10. 12 Brazen Oxen and Brazen Sea.

(12) Eleven Eleven – Compacted, Coupled, or Joined

The numbers one and eleven are very similar in their association with bible subjects. The number one is associated with the subject of unity. The number eleven is closely allied with this association in that eleven is associated with that which is compacted, coupled, or joined together. The word, coupled, appears eleven times in the Old Testament:

1. Ex. 26:3 "The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another."

2. Ex. 26:24 "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."

3. Ex. 36:10 "And he coupled the five curtains one unto another: and the other five curtains he coupled one unto another."

4. Ex. 36:13 "And he made fifty taches of gold, and coupled the curtains one unto another with the taches: so it became one tabernacle."

5. Ex. 36:16 "And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves."

6. Ex. 36:29 "And they were coupled beneath, and coupled together at the head thereof, to one ring: thus he did to both of them in both the corners."

7. Ex. 39:4 "They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together."

Similarly, the Greek word, kollao, means to cleave, join (self), keep company. This Greek word is found eleven times in the New Testament and is used to indicate that which is cleaved together, joined, or coupled.

One of the coverings of the Old Testament tabernacle had eleven curtains. These eleven curtains were all coupled together: Ex. 26:7 "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."

The Lord gave the gift of the gospel ministry and one of the purposes of the gospel ministry is to preach the word of God so that the members of the church may be coupled or joined together around the word of God: Eph. 4:11 "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 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: 14 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; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 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."

The question is asked and answered in Amos 3:3, " Can two walk together, except they be agreed? To be united in faith, we must be agreed. Our agreement is not on the details or interest of each individual, but our agreement is one the fundamental teachings of the scriptures.

There are some Old Testament verses that associate the number eleven and the word of God which, of course, is that by which we are coupled together:

1. Deu. 1:3 "And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them;"

2. Eze. 26:1 "And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,"

3. Eze. 30:20 "And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,"

4. Eze. 31:1 "And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,"

5. Zec. 1:7 "Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,"

Another example of this association between the number eleven and the subject of being coupled, joined, or compacted together is found in Gen 37:9 "And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me." The dream of Joseph, who is a very strong figure of Christ in the Old Testament was that his eleven brothers would come one day and make obeisance unto him. The figure is that we as the children of God are coupled together in our true worship of Christ through the knowledge of the word of God.