Mixtures of Colors

In previous sections we have studied the correlation between various colors and various bible subjects. Sometimes we see colors mixed together in the scriptures to give us a portrait of various things. The most common mixtures are of gold, blue, purple, scarlet and white. Some things that contain these mixtures are the garments of the high priest, the covering of the tabernacle, the veil of the tabernacle and temple, the door of the tabernacle, and the gate of the court yard to the tabernacle. We will examine these things in the next few essays to see how the colors portray the character of these things.

In the Old Testament there was a veil that separated between the holy place and the most holy place in both the temple and the tabernacle. We do not have to guess what that veil was a figure of as we are told in Heb. 10:19, 20: "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;" The veil of between the holy place and the most holy place is a figure of the flesh of Jesus Christ.

In Ex. 26 this veil is described for us: v.31-33 "And thou shalt make a veil 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 veil under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the veil the ark of the testimony: and the veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy."

The veil speaks of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ which he accomplished in his flesh. The veil separated between the holy place and the most holy place. Only the High Priest had access into the most holy place. The priests had no access but to the holy place only. Only when the Lord finished his work did the children of God gain direct access and view within the Most Holy Place.

To understand the purpose of the veil we must understand the work that Jesus came to do. Jesus said in John 6:37-39: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." This verse speaks of the Lord's work in saving his covenant people from their sins. It speaks of the fact that none would be lost and that they would be raised up twice by the Lord Jesus Christ: once in regeneration and once in the resurrection.

The children of God represented in type by the priests had no access or view into the most holy place. Their service only went so far as the holy place. Only the High Priest could go into the Most Holy Place. The Most Holy Place is a type of heaven. In order for the children of God to have view and access to heaven a work had to be done for them.

In order for the children of God to one day live in heaven's glory world it was necessary that their redeemer and Savior keep the law (represented by the color, blue) perfectly: Jesus said in Matt. 5:17, 18 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 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." Jesus kept the law perfectly and became the perfect sacrifice for his people.

When Jesus came to save his people from their sins he came not just as a man, but as the God-man. He was both God and man. The veil was hung upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold. Four is the number associated with the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was conceived in the womb of the virgin by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost. Further, he was God manifest in the flesh and he was born king of the Jews as the gold represents his character of being the King of kings and Lord of lords. He also came as a man as the shittim word represents. As this God-man he was imminently qualified to be the days man or intercessor between God and man.

Moreover, the veil also contained the color, purple. Purple is the color associated with royalty. Certainly, as the King of the kingdom Jesus is arrayed in royalty. He showed forth his royalty as He established and set up the kingdom of heaven while he journeyed on earth. We have this church-kingdom even to this day.

In order for the way into the holiest of all to be made manifest a sacrifice had to be made. Animal sacrifices are not sufficient to deliver God's people from their sins. Only a pure perfect man without sin could be a suitable sacrifice that God would accept as an offering for sin. Jesus is that perfect sacrifice and the color, scarlet, represents his perfect blood atonement to redeem his covenant people from their sins. In connecting with the blood sacrifice, God's covenant children had to be righteous in order for them to one day stand before his presence in heaven. Jesus is the righteous One and according to 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, through the righteous one being made to be sin for us, we were made to be the righteousness of God in him. The fine twined linen represents the righteousness of Jesus Christ and the fact that he made us righteous through his atoning sacrifice.