Christ in all the scriptures Curtains and coverings

 Christ in all the scriptures

Curtains and Coverings

Readings: Exodus 26v1-14; 36v8-19; 40v1-3, v34.

We continue in God's picture book, in which is depicted the person and work of His Son.  Between the throne of God and the outside world there are four screens and coverings.  This tells us that in approaching men, which is what the tabernacle is about, He must do so in ways which display His character.  This is necessary, because He "dwells in light unapproachable", He is "apart" from His creation, and so He must veil Himself to approach us.  Proverbs 25v2, in comparing God with Kings, the highest ranking of all human dignitaries, says, "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter".  Kings who have limited knowledge and wisdom, are marked out by their diligent pursuit of both; but God, who is all wise, and is omniscient, is set apart by concealing matters as He chooses.  In revealing Himself to us, He does so with restrictions, for He is unsearchable.  The beauty of these coverings reveal something of the character of God, and reverence becomes us, as we worship Him.  We are not surprised that the coverings all speak of Christ.  Interesting, that they are mentioned before the boards (which depict believers standing in the presence of God on redemption ground), so attention is drawn to the Saviour, before our salvation.

The four coverings are: The tabernacle curtains/the covering of goat's hair/of ram skins dyed red/of badger (porpoise) skins.   Each of these present different aspects of Christ.

The tabernacle is His Priesthood, with the fine linen fabric-the main thought is intercession; the goats hair covering, the main thought is all sins removed- expiation; the ram skins dyed red, speaks of substitution; the porpoise skins of separation.   One lovely outline of this can be seen in Isaiah 53, the prophecy that predicts the life and death of Christ.  The coverings there can be seen in the reverse order, as follows:

Isaiah 53v2-3  "He hath no form nor comeliness...He was despised and we esteemed Him not"-the external covering was the ash-grey porpoise skin, no beauty, outwardly drab and unappealing, not colourful, not gaudy.  The gospel records abound with the low esteem many had of Him, particularly amongst the elite of Israel.  He shielded His glory from the public gaze.

Isaiah 53v4-6  The ram speaks of substitution-Genesis 22v13-the ram took the place of Isaac as a sacrifice.  This is the primary thought in  these verses; "He hath borne our griefs...He carried our sorrows...He was wounded for our transgressions...He was bruised for our iniquities...the chastisement of our peace was upon Him...with His stripes we are healed...the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all".   He for us, the Just for the unjust.  He took the place that was due to us!  The ram skins were dyed red, a reminder that the substitute must die, the blood must be shed.  

Isaiah 53v8-10  The goat represents man in rebellion against God-refer Matthew 25v32-33.  In Leviticus 16, on the day of Atonement, two goats were taken, one was slain, the second took the sins of the congregation and carried them away to an empty, uninhabited place; it just means removed altogether, the expiation of sins.  Expiation means "the act of making amends or reparation for guilt or wrongdoing"-Oxford dictionary.  The verses declare both aspects of the goat in Lev. 16..."He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was He stricken...He hath put Him to grief, when thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin...".  Here we see the removal of all sins, as depicted in the goat's hair covering.

Isaiah 53v11-12  For all those He saves, He intercedes, as the true heavenly priest.  In these verses we have satisfaction, justification, compensation, and intercession; all aspects of His present work today as depicted in the gorgeous tabernacle, prominent in the holy place and the Holy of Holies.

The term, "tabernacle", which means dwelling place, is often applied to the entire structure, but, technically it refers to the ten curtains of fine linen, beautifully embroidered, and joined together in one.   All of it depicts our Lord Jesus Christ in priestly service for all His people.  God not only saves, He succours all those He has made righteous in His sight by precious blood.

The fine twined linen, the garb of the priesthood, is His MORAL GLORY, defined as righteousness in scripture-Psalm 132v9; Revelation 19v8.  As our advocate, interceding for us, He is Jesus Christ the righteous-1st John 2v1.

The blue is His HEAVENLY GLORY, He ever lives in the bosom of the Father, He always does the will of the Father.

The purple is His ROYAL GLORY, reflecting the sapphire throne, with all the nobility and authority that brings.  Everything He does is regal and compelling as a King-Priest, combining compassion with dignity as He serves our needs.

The scarlet is His REDEMPTIVE GLORY, the scarlet associated with sins (Isaiah 1v18), and the dye obtained from the scarlet worm, symbolising the blood that justifies the sinner-Romans 5v9; 3v25.

The golden cherubims reveal His JUDICIAL GLORY, He will have the final say in all matters of judgment- John 5v22v27; Acts 10v42, 17v31; 2nd Timothy 4v1.

This is where God dwells, where priestly service is enacted, in an environment of beauty, and serenity.  It is where Christ is a minister of the true sanctuary, where He "ever lives to make intercession for us.  This applies to ALL God's redeemed people, each curtain attached by loops of heavenly blue, and the two sets of five attached by loops of gold.  The Tabernacle is ONE-Exodus 26v11.  Made up of multiple parts, there are no divisions, no schisms.  The number 50 gives the clue to the interpretation, prefiguring Pentecost, the formation of the Church.  The golden taches which join two sets of curtains are seen in Jew and Gentile joined together in unbreakable union-Ephesians 2v15, "...to make in Himself ONE NEW MAN, so making peace".  This is how God sees things, this is how we should see it now, for only God's view is the right one.  He sees no divisions, neither should we.  The whole of this curtain of exquisite beauty is covered completely with the goat's hair skins, which, symbolically removes all sin.  For too long now, we Christians have languished in the slough of sectarianism.  God's view of things is different; the tabernacle is the "pattern of things in the heavens".   The erroneous view that such unity will only be possible in eternity, is not the scriptural view, since the unity of all believers is linked to world evangelism in the here and now-John 17v21.  The unity of the Spirit, which is inviolable, should lead to the unity of the faith in the present time (Ephesians 4v1-16).  One tabernacle, one pearl of great price, one new man, one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.....!  This is the picture of the tabernacle; this was the prayer of our Lord in the sanctuary; this is how God sees things.  Man-made sectarian divisions promote the glory of men.  The Tabernacle, the Church, are about the glory of Christ, which is paramount.