Exodus 36:8-38.

Building the Tabernacle

 8And every wise hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work made he them.

 9The length of one curtain was twenty and eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: the curtains were all of one size.

 10And he coupled the five curtains one unto another: and the other five curtains he coupled one unto another.

 11And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling: likewise he made in the uttermost side of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.

 12Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain which was in the coupling of the second: the loops held one curtain to another.

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

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 14And he made curtains of goats' hair for the tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains he made them.

 15The length of one curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits was the breadth of one curtain: the eleven curtains were of one size.

 16And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.

 17And he made fifty loops upon the uttermost edge of the curtain in the coupling, and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.

 18And he made fifty taches of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one.

 19And he made a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers' skins above that.

 20And he made boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood, standing up.

 21The length of a board was ten cubits, and the breadth of a board one cubit and a half.

 22One board had two tenons, equally distant one from another: thus did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle.

 23And he made boards for the tabernacle; twenty boards for the south side southward:

 24And forty sockets of silver he made under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.

 25And for the other side of the tabernacle, which is toward the north corner, he made twenty boards,

 26And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

 27And for the sides of the tabernacle westward he made six boards.

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 28And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.

 29And 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.

 30And there were eight boards; and their sockets were sixteen sockets of silver, under every board two sockets.

 31And he made bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,

 32And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the sides westward.

 33And he made the middle bar to shoot through the boards from the one end to the other.

 34And he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold to be places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.

 35And he made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubims made he it of cunning work.

 36And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.

 37And he made an hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of needlework;

 38And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with gold: but their five sockets were of brass.

Explenation.

The Tabernacle is known in Hebrew as the Mishkan ( משכן "Residence" or "Dwelling Place"). It was a portable dwelling place for the divine presence from the time of the Hebrew Exodus from Egypt through the conquering of the land of Canaan. It is said to have been built under Moses during the Israelites' wandering in the wilderness. Its elements were made part of the final Temple in Jerusalem about the 10th century BC.

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The fullest description of the Tabernacle describes an inner shrine (Holy of Holies) housing the Ark and an outer chamber (Holy Place), with a lampstand, table for shewbread, and altar of incense.[1] This description is generally identified as part of the Priestly source (P),[1] written in the 6th or 5th century BC. Many scholars contend that it is of a far later date than Moses, and that the description reflects the structure of the Temple of Solomon, while some hold that the description derives from memories of a real pre-monarchic shrine, perhaps the sanctuary at Shiloh.[1] An earlier, pre-exilic source (E) describes the Tabernacle as a simple tent-sanctuary.[1]

The English word "tabernacle" is derived from the Latin word tabernaculum meaning "tent." Tabernaculum itself is a diminutive form of the word taberna, meaning "hut, booth, tavern." The word sanctuary is also used as its name, as well as the phrase the "tent of meeting".

Exodus 37: 1-9.

Making the Ark of testimony.

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 1And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:

 2And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.

 3And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.

 4And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.

 5And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.

 6And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

 7And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;

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 8One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

 9And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.

Explenation

The Ark of the Covenant (Hebrew: ית ִר ְב� ārōn hāb’rīt, Modern aron habrit) is ָאִרֹון ָה�described in the Bible as a sacred container, wherein rested the Tablets of stone containing the Ten Commandments as well as Aaron's rod and manna. According to the Biblical account, the Ark was built at the command of God, in accord with Moses' prophetic vision on Mount Sinai (Exodus 25:10-16). God communicated with Moses "from between the two cherubim" on the Ark's cover (Exodus 25:22). The Ark and its sanctuary were "the beauty of Israel" (Lamentations 2:1). Rashi and some Midrashim suggest that there were two arks - a temporary one made by Moses, and a later one made by Bezalel.[1]

The Biblical account relates that during the trip of the Israelites, the Ark was carried by the priests ~2,000 cubits (Numbers 35:5; Joshua 4:5) in advance of the people and their army or host (Num. 4:5-6; 10:33-36; Psalms 68:1; 132:8). When the Ark was borne by priests into the bed of the Jordan, the river was separated, opening a pathway for the whole of the host to pass over (Josh. 3:15-16; 4:7-18). The Ark was borne in a seven-day procession around the wall of Jericho by seven priests sounding seven trumpets of rams' horns, the city taken with a shout (Josh. 6:4-20). When carried, the Ark was always wrapped in a veil, in tachash skins (the identity of this animal is uncertain), and a blue cloth, and was carefully concealed, even from the eyes of the Levites who carried it.

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Exodus 37:10-16.

Making the Table for the Showbread.

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 10And he made the table of shittim wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof:

 11And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.

 12Also he made thereunto a border of an handbreadth round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.

 13And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that were in the four feet thereof.

 14Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.

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 15And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.

 16And he made the vessels which were upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold.

Explenation

The table for the Shewbread was, according to Biblical regulations, to be placed in the northern part of the sanctuary, opposite the Menorah [5] , with the Altar of Incense between them. The Septuagint describes the table as being of solid gold, but the masoretic text argues that it was made from acacia wood, and only covered with pure gold, with a gold border around the top; the table's dimensions are given as 2 ells long, 1 ell wide, and 1.5 ells high.[6]

The feet of the table are described as having a ring-like enclosure to which four gold rings were fastened, so that rods (made from acacia wood, and covered with gold) could be passed through the rings, and used to make the table portable. The biblical text indicates that, when being carried, the table(shulchan) would be covered with a purplish-blue cloth, the loaves and vessels would be placed on the cloth, and another cloth, in scarlet, would be placed over it, with a seal skin being added on top of that[7]. In each sanctuary there was only one table, except for the Temple in Jerusalem, which the Book of Chronicles describes as having ten tables within its Holy Place [8] .

In Solomon's Temple, there was provision made for the proper exhibition of the shewbread[9]. Antiochus Epiphanes plundered the table of showbread from the Second Temple[10], but under Judas Maccabeus a replacement was made[11].

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Exodus 37:17-24.

Making the Golden Lampstand.

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 17And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:

 18And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof:

 19Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.

 20And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers:

 21And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two

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branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it.

 22Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.

 23And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure gold.

 24Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.

Explenation.

The menorah (Hebrew: ָה נֹוִר� is a seven-branched candelabrum which has been a ,(מ�symbol of Judaism for almost 3000 years and is the emblem of Israel. It was used in the ancient Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Lit by olive oil in the Tabernacle and the Temple, the menorah is one of the oldest symbols of the Jewish people. It is said to symbolize the burning bush as seen by Moses on Mount Horeb (Exodus 3).

(Parsha Bechalotcha) Exodus 25:31-40 lists the instructions for the construction of the menorah used in the temple:

31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made, even its base, and its shaft; its cups, its knops, and its flowers, shall be of one piece with it. 32 And there shall be six branches going out of the sides thereof: three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candle-stick out of the other side thereof; 33 three cups made like almond-blossoms in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three cups made like almond-blossoms in the other branch, a knop and a flower; so for the six branches going out of the candlestick. 34 And in the candlestick four cups made like almond-blossoms, the knops thereof, and the flowers thereof. 35 And a knop under two branches of one piece with it, and a knop under two branches of one piece with it, and a knop under two branches of one piece with it, for the six branches going out of the candlestick. 36 Their knops and their branches shall be of one piece with it; the whole of it one beaten work of pure gold. 37 And thou shalt make the lamps thereof, seven; and they shall light the lamps thereof, to give light over against it. 38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold. 39 Of a talent of pure gold shall it be made, with all these vessels. 40 And see that thou make them after their pattern, which is being shown thee in the mount.

The construction of the temple menorah was considered a religious order in Judaism.

Exodus 3737:25-29.

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Making the Altar of Incense.

 25And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.

 26And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about.

 27And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.

 28And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.

 29And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.

Explenation.

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The second altar was the Altar of Incense (mizbach haketoros) (Exodus 30:1-10), called also the Golden Altar (mizbach hazahav) (39:38; Numbers 4:11), and the Inner Altar (mizbach hap'nimi) stood inside, in the Holy Place "before the Veil that is by the Ark of the Covenant."

The altar was constructed of shittim wood and covered in pure gold. It was an upright rectangular stand, measuring one cubit wide, one cubit deep, and two cubits high, with a "horn" on each corner, a border of gold around the top, and rings on opposite sides through which poles could be passed to carry it (Exodus 37:25-26). The poles were made of shittim wood covered with gold. Moses consecrated the altar with the anointing oil when the Tabernacle was dedicated (Leviticus 40:9).

On this altar incense was burned daily at the time of the morning and the evening sacrifices. The coals used on this altar had to be taken from the Altar of Burnt Offerings. The incense used had to be made according to a specific formula (Exodus 30:34-35), and no other incense was permitted (Exodus 30:9). According to Jewish tradition, the incense was made by the Avtinas family, who closely guarded its secret. The offering of incense also had to be seasoned with salt.

The offering of incense was the apex of the daily morning and the evening services. According to the Rabbis, this was the part of the temple service that was most beloved by God (Zohar I 130:A). The burning of the incense was symbolic of the prayer of the people rising up to God (Psalm 141:2; Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4). The offering of incense had to take place after the sacrifice, because only after the atonement could communion with God take place. After the offering of incense, the Kohenim (priests) pronounced the Priestly Blessing upon the people.

Whenever certain sin-offerings were brought, the coals from the incense that was lit that morning were pushed aside and the blood of the "inner sin-offering" was sprinkled seven times on the top of the Golden Altar (Leviticus 4:5-7).

Once a year, on Yom Kippur, the Altar of Incense was purified (Exodus 30:10, Leviticus 16:18-19). The High Priest, after sacrificing a bull and a goat and purifying the Holy of Holies with their blood, would mix the blood of the two animals together. Then, starting at the northeast corner, he smeared the mixture of blood on each of the four corners of the Golden Altar. He then sprinkled the blood eight times on the altar.

In Solomon's temple the altar was similar in size, but was made of cedar-wood (1 Kings 6:20; 7:48) overlaid with gold. In Ezekiel 41:22 it is called "the altar of wood." (Comp. Exodus 30:1-6.)

In the temple rebuilt after the Babylonian Exile the Golden Altar was restored. Antiochus Epiphanes took it away, but it was afterwards restored by Judas Maccabeus (1 Maccabees 1:23; 4:49). It was at this altar that Zacharias ministered when an angel appeared to him (Luke 1:11). Among the trophies carried away by

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Titus after the destruction of Jerusalem, and depicted on the Arch of Titus in Rome, the Altar of Incense is not depicted, though the menorah, silver trumpets (the hasoserah mentioned in Numbers 10:2-10), the mortar and pestle used for preparing the incense, and possibly the Table of Showbread are.

It should be mentioned that there are other offerings involving incense, such as the meat offerings, but these were consumed on the Altar of Burnt Offering, not on the Altar of Incense. On the day of Yom Kippur only, the High Priest would offer incense in the Holy of Holies.

Exodus 38: 1-7.

Making the Altar of Burnt Offering.

 1And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.

 2And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass.

 3And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basons, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass.

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 4And he made for the altar a brasen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it.

 5And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.

 6And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.

 7And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards.

Explenation.

The first altar was the Altar of Burnt Offering (mizbach ha'olah) (Exodus 30:28), also called the Brasen Altar (Exodus 39:39), the Outer Altar (mizbach hachitzona), the Earthen Altar (mizbach adamah), the Great Altar (mizbach hagedola) and the Table of the Lord (Malachi 1:7) This was the outdoor altar and stood in the Court of the Priests, between the Temple and the Court of Israel, and upon which the korbanot (animal and bird sacrifices) were offered. The blood of the sacrifices would be thrown against the base of the altar (Exodus 29:12; Leviticus 4:18), and portions of the sacrifices would be burned on top of it (precisely which portions would depend upon the type of sacrifice). Also consumed at the altar would be some of the meat offerings, and the drink offerings (libations of wine) were poured out here. All sacrifices had to be "seasoned with salt" (Leviticus 2:13, Numbers 18:19)

Three separate piles of wood burned atop the altar. The largest of these was where all the portions of the sacrifices were burned; the second fire provided the coals for the Altar of Incense within the sanctuary, and the third was the "perpetual fire" which constantly burned on the altar. Nothing was placed on it, and no coals were taken from it. It existed solely to fulfill the commandment that there be a perpetual fire, as the Torah states: "And a fire shall burn there on the altar constantly; it shall not be extinguished" (Leviticus 6:5). There was no commandment regarding the type of wood to be used; however, the Rabbis forbade the use of olive wood and grape vine, as these would not burn well and needed to be conserved because of their commercial value to the people. Three particular types of wood were preferred: fig, walnut, and pine. These woods all burn well, and were therefore preferable. The choicest branches of fig were used for the second fire, the one from which coals were taken for the Altar of Incense. If all of the lamps of the menorah went out, they would have to be rekindled from the fire on the Altar of Burnt Offering.

A large pile of ashes was formed in the center of the altar from the remnants of the three fires.[2] A portion of the ashes from this pile were required to be removed every morning before the first sacrifice of the day. In the Second Temple, the priest who fulfilled this mitzvah (commandment) was chosen by lottery every morning. He

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would vest in his priestly vestments and wash his hands before approaching the altar. The ashes were taken up in a silver shovel and set on the ground to the east of the altar at what was called, "the place of the ashes." Then he would change from his priestly vetments into ordinary clothing and remove the ashes to a clean place outside the camp (Leviticus 6:10-11, Cf., 1:16).

In Exodus 27:3 the various utensils used with the altar are enumerated. They were made of brass. (Comp. 1 Samuel 2:13-14; Leviticus 16:12; Numbers 16:6-7). The altar could not be carved using utensils made of iron or of bronze (Exodus 20:25), nor were any allowed on or near it, because iron and bronze were used for implements of war. The Altar and its utensils were considered to be sacred, and the priests had to vest and wash their hands before touching them—even so much as removing the ashes from the altar.

According to the Bible, the fire on the altar was lit directly by the hand of God and was not permitted to go out (Leviticus 6:12-13). No strange fire could be placed upon the altar. The burnt offerings would remain on the altar throughout the night before they could be removed (Leviticus 6:9).

A second lottery would be made to determine which priests would fulfill the various duties involved in offering the sacrifice and preparing the menorah and the Golden Altar.

Exodus 38:8.

Making the bronze Laver.

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 8And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Explenation.

The Laver was a bronze basin stood on a base about midway between the altar and the tabernacle (Ex.40:30). It was probably round and of considerable size although its exact shape and size are not stated in scripture. However we may surmise that the "stand" was separate since it is always mentioned separately (Ex 30:17).

Only the priests had access to the Laver, whereas the bronze altar was accessible to all. There was cleansing by blood the thought of justification and there was cleansing by water the thought of sanctification. The priests were obliged to wash their hands and their feet before entering God's presence, to disobey would mean death (Ex.30:19-21). There was no floor in the court or the tabernacle therefore the priests feet would be defiled by the constant contact with the earth and the hands by the work at the altar and other work. Therefore they had to wash before any ministry at the altar, to make them clean before communion with God and before service to man.

At their consecration the priests were washed all over at the Laver before being clothed with priestly garments and anointed (Lev.29:4-7). They did not wash themselves at their consecration, but were washed by someone else (Lev.8:6). This act was never repeated (perhaps a symbol of baptism Heb. 10:22) and afterwards the priests had to wash their own hands and feet at the Laver which would be a daily exercise. The Laver was made from the freewill gift of bronze mirrors made by the women (Ex.38:8) and enabled the priests to see their reflection. The thought of God's word being a Laver is seen in the New Testament, when Paul in Ephesians 5:26 writes "that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water

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with the word"(NASB). The Greek word used there translated as washing is "loutron" which means Laver and is the Greek word used in the Septuagint for the Laver in the court of the tabernacle. If in the passage we were to put the word Laver it would read "that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the Laver of water, with the word". This gives the real insight of the verse, a standing in the place of sanctification that comes through the word of God. The cleansing power of God's word is also see in Psalm 119:9, John 15:3, 1 Peter 1;;22. When we come to the Word of God, the Bible, so it is to us a mirror for our soul that will cleanse us if we are willing to apply its purifying water to our lives.

The Laver water was required also for the washing of the inward parts of the sacrifices (Lev.1:9,13) and so it is that our inner thoughts and motives need divine cleansing.

Thoughts for simple sermons :-

1/ The need to allow ourselves to stand in that place where the word of God can cleanse and sanctify us daily.

2/ We see the Laver in heaven in Revelation 15:2 with the saints standing on or beside it signifying the place or state of absolute holiness with no more defilement to be cleansed.

3/ The need to come to that place by the Laver for cleansing before ministry before God or to other people on behalf of God

These are the articles of furniture found in the court, they speak of an atoning sacrifice and of a cleansing as a preparation to enter into God's presence. The same is true today to be able to come into God's presence, to have a relationship with God we must identify ourselves with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and be cleansed of the sin that makes the relationship with a holy God impossible. But the maintaining of that cleanness that is known as righteousness is the responsibility of every believer by the daily exercise of applying Gods word in everyday living, to keep our thoughts and motives pure.

Now as we enter the tabernacle proper the first compartment we enter known as the holy place contains the following.

Exodus 38:9-20

Making the Court of the Tabernacle.

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 9And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits:

 10Their pillars were twenty, and their brasen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.

 11And for the north side the hangings were an hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

 12And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

 13And for the east side eastward fifty cubits.

 14The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.

 15And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.

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 16All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.

 17And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.

 18And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.

 19And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver.

 20And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.

Explenation.

The ground plan of the Mosaic Tabernacle can be made out with reasonable certainty.

The layout of the tabernacle: showing how it was assembled

The main features are :-

THE COURT

The court was an enclosed space 100 cubits x 50 cubits, the court was enclosed by a white linen sheets that were sewn to make a continuous screen from a side of the doorway all the way round to the other. The height of the curtain was 5 cubits. Now a cubit was a measurement taken from the tip of the middle finger to the point of the elbow, about 18". An Egyptian cubit was about the same while a Royal Egyptian cubit was nearly 21" long. Taking the Hebrew cubit as the one used, this would make the court 150' x 75', and the screen about seven and a half feet high, too high to look over, and with no way through this continuous barrier.

The curtains were called " the hangings of the court " (Ex.38:9). They were hung on silver hooks (v.10), which in turn hung on silver connecting rods called fillets.

These fillets connected then 60 posts of bronze that held the curtain upright, these posts had silver tops called capitals (v.19) and each post stood on a socket of Bronze (v.10). The posts were secured by bronze pins (v.19) with cords (35:18). The pins and cords kept the posts rigid. There were 20 posts

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on the North side, 20 on the South, 10 on the West, and 10 on the East where the entrance gate was situated.

Thoughts for simple sermons :-

1 ) The message given by the linen wall to those outside was one of a barrier, representing God's righteousness or holiness, barring the way to the presence of God. God's righteousness shuts out the sinner (Isa. 59:2). In Numbers 3:10,38 it explains that a stranger who touched or came near the wall must die.

2 ) The message to the insider is that the white wall shuts the man in. He is encompassed by divine righteousness. That which formerly condemned him now preserves him.

3 ) The continuous curtain reinforces the separation of the Things of God, the Worship of God, and the Presence of God from the world that neither accepts him or receives him.

Exodus 38:21-31.

Materials of the Tablenacle.

 21This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest.

 22And Bezaleel the son Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses.

 23And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.

 24All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.

 25And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:

 26A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.

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 27And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the vail; an hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.

 28And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them.

 29And the brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels.

 30And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the brasen altar, and the brasen grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar,

 31And the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.

Exodus39: 1-31.

The priestly outfit.

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His vestments

The Kohen Gadol in his Golden Garments (the chain censer depicted is anachronistic).

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The breastplate (hoshen) of the High Priest.

The Torah provides for specific vestments to be worn by the priests when they are ministering in the Tabernacle: "And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for dignity and for beauty" (Exodus 28:2). These garments are described in detail in Exodus 28, Exodus 39 and Leviticus 8. The high priest wore eight holy garments (bigdei kodesh). Of these, four were of the same type worn by all priests, and four were unique to the Kohen Gadol.

Those vestments which were common to all priests, were:

Michnasayim (breeches)—linen pants reaching from the waist to the knees "to cover their nakedness" (Exodus 28:42)

Ketonet (tunic)—made of pure linen, covering the entire body from the neck to the feet, with sleeves reaching to the wrists. That of the High Priest was embroidered (Exodus 28:39); those of the priests were plain (Exodus 28:40).

Avnet (sash)—that of the High Priest was of fine linen with "embroidered work" in blue and purple and scarlet (Exodus 28:39, 39:29); those worn by the priests were of white, twined linen.

Mitznefet (turban)—that of the High Priest was much larger than that of the priests and wound so that it formed a broad, flat-topped turban; that for priests was wound so that it formed a cone-shaped turban, called a migbahat. The tzitz, a golden plate inscribed with the words: "Holiness unto JHWH" was attached to the mitznefet.

The vestments that were unique to the High Priest were:

Me'il ("Robe of the Ephod")—a sleeveless, purple robe, the lower hem of which was fringed with small golden bells alternating with pomegranate-shaped tassels in blue, purple, and scarlet - tekhelet [10] , argaman, tolaat shani.

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Ephod —a richly embroidered vest or apron with two onyx-stones on the shoulders, on which were engraved the names of the tribes of Israel

Hoshen (Breastplate)—with twelve gems, each engraved with the name of one of the tribes; a pouch in which he probably carried the Urim and Thummim. It was fastened to the Ephod

Tzitz (crown)—a gold plate inscribed with the words "Holy unto YHWH" which was attached to the front of the Mitznefet, so that it rested on his forehead

The High Priest, like all priests, would minister barefoot when he was serving in the Temple. Like all of the priests, he had to immerse himself in the mikvah before vesting and wash his hands and his feet before performing any sacred act. The Talmud teaches that neither the kohenim nor the Kohen Gadol were fit to minister unless they wore their priestly vestments: "While they are clothed in the priestly garments, they are clothed in the priesthood; but when they are not wearing the garments, the priesthood is not upon them".[11] It is further taught that just as the korbanot (sacrifices) facilitate an atonement for sin, so do the priestly garments.[12]

The High Priest had two sets of holy garments: the "Golden Garments" detailed above, and a set of white "Linen Garments" (bigdei ha-bad) which he wore only on Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16:4). On that day, he would change his holy garments four times, beginning in the Golden Garments but changing into the Linen Garments for the two moments when he would enter the Holy of Holies (the first time to offer the blood of atonement and the incense, and the second time to retrieve the censer), and then change back again into the Golden Garments after each time. He would immerse in the mikvah before each change of garments, washing his hands and his feet after removing the garments and again before putting the other set on. The Linen Garments were only four in number, those corresponding to the garments worn by all priests (breeches, tunic, sash and turban), but made only of white linen, with no embroidery. They could be worn only once, new sets being made each year.

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His vestments

The Kohen Gadol in his Golden Garments (the chain censer depicted is anachronistic).

The breastplate (hoshen) of the High Priest.

The Torah provides for specific vestments to be worn by the priests when they are ministering in the Tabernacle: "And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for dignity and for beauty" (Exodus 28:2). These garments are described in detail in Exodus 28, Exodus 39 and Leviticus 8. The high priest wore eight holy garments (bigdei kodesh). Of these, four were of the same type worn by all priests, and four were unique to the Kohen Gadol.

Those vestments which were common to all priests, were:

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Michnasayim (breeches)—linen pants reaching from the waist to the knees "to cover their nakedness" (Exodus 28:42)

Ketonet (tunic)—made of pure linen, covering the entire body from the neck to the feet, with sleeves reaching to the wrists. That of the High Priest was embroidered (Exodus 28:39); those of the priests were plain (Exodus 28:40).

Avnet (sash)—that of the High Priest was of fine linen with "embroidered work" in blue and purple and scarlet (Exodus 28:39, 39:29); those worn by the priests were of white, twined linen.

Mitznefet (turban)—that of the High Priest was much larger than that of the priests and wound so that it formed a broad, flat-topped turban; that for priests was wound so that it formed a cone-shaped turban, called a migbahat. The tzitz, a golden plate inscribed with the words: "Holiness unto JHWH" was attached to the mitznefet.

The vestments that were unique to the High Priest were:

Me'il ("Robe of the Ephod")—a sleeveless, purple robe, the lower hem of which was fringed with small golden bells alternating with pomegranate-shaped tassels in blue, purple, and scarlet - tekhelet [10] , argaman, tolaat shani.

Ephod —a richly embroidered vest or apron with two onyx-stones on the shoulders, on which were engraved the names of the tribes of Israel

Hoshen (Breastplate)—with twelve gems, each engraved with the name of one of the tribes; a pouch in which he probably carried the Urim and Thummim. It was fastened to the Ephod

Tzitz (crown)—a gold plate inscribed with the words "Holy unto YHWH" which was attached to the front of the Mitznefet, so that it rested on his forehead

The High Priest, like all priests, would minister barefoot when he was serving in the Temple. Like all of the priests, he had to immerse himself in the mikvah before vesting and wash his hands and his feet before performing any sacred act. The Talmud teaches that neither the kohenim nor the Kohen Gadol were fit to minister unless they wore their priestly vestments: "While they are clothed in the priestly garments, they are clothed in the priesthood; but when they are not wearing the garments, the priesthood is not upon them".[11] It is further taught that just as the korbanot (sacrifices) facilitate an atonement for sin, so do the priestly garments.[12]

The High Priest had two sets of holy garments: the "Golden Garments" detailed above, and a set of white "Linen Garments" (bigdei ha-bad) which he wore only on Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16:4). On that day, he would change his holy garments four times, beginning in the Golden Garments but changing into the Linen Garments for the two moments when he would enter the Holy of Holies (the first time to offer the blood of atonement and the incense, and the second time to retrieve the censer), and then change back again into the Golden Garments after each time. He would immerse in the mikvah before each change of garments, washing his hands and his feet after removing the garments and again before putting the other set on. The

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Linen Garments were only four in number, those corresponding to the garments worn by all priests (breeches, tunic, sash and turban), but made only of white linen, with no embroidery. They could be worn only once, new sets being made each year.

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