95_The court of the tabernacle

Ex 27:9-19 “You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side. 10 Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 11 And likewise for its length on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, its pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 12 And for the breadth of the court on the west side there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases. 13 The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits. 14 The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 15 On the other side the hangings shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 16 For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases. 17 All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze. 18 The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze. 19 All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze.

Picture a man standing outside the Tabernacle in the wilderness, his eyes straining against the brightness of the midday sun. As he gazes at the structure before him, all he sees is an unbroken wall of dazzling white linen, stretching 100 cubits in length and 50 cubits in width. The fence, standing 7.5 feet tall, is impenetrable to sight, revealing nothing of what lies within. He walks along its perimeter, searching for an opening, but none appears. The sheer whiteness of the fine twined linen blinds him, symbolizing an unattainable standard of holiness.

“Holiness becomes your house forevermore, O Lord,” declares Psalm 93:5. This is the essence of what the Tabernacle’s court represented—the absolute purity of God’s dwelling place. The Israelites alone were permitted to enter this sacred space, while all others had to remain outside. The linen curtain, woven tightly and securely fastened to bronze pillars with silver hooks, stood as a barrier between the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man. The bronze sockets, upon which the pillars stood, reminded the people of the righteous judgment of God, while the silver pointed to redemption—the price paid for their entry into His presence.

The structure of the Tabernacle reveals much about the person of Jesus Christ, the complete and final revelation of God. John declares, “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, and we beheld His glory.” (John 1:14). As Jesus walked the earth, many who encountered Him bore witness to His divine nature. They marveled at His words and authority, saying, “No man ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46) and “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16). He embodied the righteousness of God, and he knew no sin.

The pillars of the outer court, standing firm on their bronze sockets in the desert winds, remind us of Christ’s steadfast character. He withstood every test, remaining unshaken under the scrutiny of the religious leaders and the temptations of Satan. At the beginning of His ministry, He was tested in three fundamental areas: the desires of the body (hunger), the craving for recognition, and the test of loyalty to God. Unlike the first Adam, who failed all of them, Christ stood firm. He challenged, “Which of you convicts me of sin?” (John 8:46). He alone, of all humanity, lived in complete holiness.

From the outside, the Tabernacle appeared unapproachable—an impregnable fortress of divine purity. But on the eastern side, a richly woven colorful curtain stood out, covering the 30 foot wide entrance. Unlike the rest of the unyielding white wall, the blue, purple, and scarlet threads caught the eye of anyone seeking a way in. This single entrance symbolized Jesus Christ, the one and only way to God. “I am the door,” He declared. “If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9). There was no other way to enter the court of the Lord. There is no other way to come to God except through Christ. He is the only mediator between God and man, and he alone brings us into the presence of God.

This truth is reinforced in Acts 4:12: “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the perfect man, the suffering servant who gave His life for the ransom of the world. He is the coming King who will rule in righteousness. The gate to the Tabernacle was both an invitation and a declaration. It invited those who sought God to enter his courts. It also declared that there was only one way in.

To step through the gate of the Tabernacle was to leave the outside world behind and enter into God’s dwelling place. Those who come to Christ are dead to this world. As believers, we are the visible representation of God’s holiness on earth. The world sees God first and foremost by the purity of love in our lives, just as an outsider looking at the Tabernacle would first see the blinding white linen. We are called to reflect the righteousness of Christ, through the grace of the Spirit of God who is freely given to us.

Romans 5:1-2 declares, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” The Psalmist expresses the longing of the godly heart in Psalm 84:1-2: “How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD of Hosts! My soul longs, even faints, for the courts of the LORD.” Through Jesus, we have gained access to God’s presence, an access that would have otherwise been impossible.

God has opened a new and living way for us in Christ. He calls us to enter into His courts through faith. The world may offer many false paths, but there is only one true entrance which is wide, visible, and welcoming. No one who seeks will fail to find it. In God’s presence, there is perfect love, fullness of joy, peace that surpasses understanding, and the hope of eternal life. “Come to Jesus and find life.” God bless.