To think that the God of the Universe who formed everything made a way to dwell with those who were His chosen people. That is what the Tabernacle allowed Him to do. It was entirely God’s idea, and He gave every detail. It allowed them a place to worship and bring their offerings. It traveled with them through the wilderness for 40 years.
The priest would enter the tabernacle through the curtains at the entrance. The tabernacle was divided into two sections. There was the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, or as it is most often referred to, the Holy of Holies.
God gave very detailed instructions as to how it was to be made. The roof and ceiling of the Tabernacle were made of four distinct layers, each carrying specific meaning. The innermost layer was of fine woven linen. The threads were blue, purple, and scarlet. The pure white linen represents holiness, righteousness, and sinlessness of God. The colors point to Christ’s. The blue is for divinity, the purple is royalty, and the scarlet is for the blood sacrifice.
The tent layer was placed directly over the fine linen. It was goat-hair curtains because goats were used as the primary animal for sin offerings, and on the Day of Atonement it was the scapegoat. The dark goat hair symbolizes Christ bearing the sins of humanity, acting as a substitute beneath the harsh desert elements.
Next, we have 48 boards which were acacia wood overlaid with gold. These boards were divided into twenty boards on the north, twenty on the south, and eight at the rear, which was the west side. Acacia wood represents humanity, while gold represents divinity, pointing to Jesus’ dual nature. The boards were placed tightly side by side, representing God’s people together. There were 100 sockets where the boards rested on two silver sockets, plus four additional silver sockets holding the inner veil pillars, for a total of 100 bases. These were cast from the silver redemption money the Israelites gave to help build the tabernacle. The silver in the Bible symbolizes redemption and ransom. The entire structure of God’s dwelling rests completely and securely on a foundation of redemption.
The third layer was rams’ skins dyed red. They were to symbolize the substitutionary sacrifice and blood atonement. We see here a picture of Jesus life’s blood being poured out for our sins.
The fourth layer was either badger, porpoise, or sea-cow skins. This was the outermost layer. It was the one visible to anyone standing outside the Tabernacle in the desert. This material was very durable, unattractive, and weather-resistant. Nothing about it was attractive compared to the other elements of the Tabernacle. This echoes the description of Jesus in Isaiah 53:2, “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” The true beauty of the Tabernacle was beneath the outward appearance; you could only see it, enjoy it, and embrace it as you went in. The beauty of Jesus cannot be seen or appreciated until we enter into a relationship with Him. Jesus was a humble servant; He did not seek His own glory. In Philippians 2:6-8 says, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
This tabernacle demonstrated toughness as it battled the harsh climate of the desert. It showed divine protection. Today God’s grace helps us to persevere through the hardest times in life. We are the sanctuary now, and by God’s grace we too can be insulated and protected from the corruption of the outside world if we will only trust and obey. While this Tabernacle was a shadow of Christ to come, we can be grateful for being on this side of the cross. We have a new and better way provided only by the blood of Jesus. We are inside the Tabernacle, and we are covered and protected with the toughest, most beautiful covering there can ever be. We are covered by the blood of Jesus now and forevermore.
