The Tabernacle of Moses contained three doors:
- The Gate – the entry point into the Outer Court of the Tabernacle
- The Door – the entry point into the Holy Place; and
- The Veil – the entry point into the Holy of Holies
It will come as no surprise to the student of the Word that each door represents Christ Jesus Himself, He whom called Himself “the Door”.
“I am the door, whoever enters through me will be saved.” John 10:9
It’s all about Jesus. The study of the Tabernacle is simple when you realise it is all a testimony to God’s beloved Son. It is also a teaching tool He has given us to show us many wonderful truths about Christ and about us, the Church.
Previously we have looked at the Gate and the furniture in the Outer Court of the Tabernacle: the Brazen Altar and the Brazen Laver.
Now we will look at the Door, which was the barrier between the Outer Court of the Tabernacle and the Holy Place.
Contrast Between the Door and the Veil
The Door |
The Veil |
| Provided access to fellowship with God | Provided access to worship of God |
| No Cherubim embroidered on Door | Cherubim embroidered on Veil |
| Door held up by 5 pillars | Veil held up by 4 pillars |
| Set in brass sockets/foundations | Set in silver sockets/foundations |
| Door for entrance into the Holy Place | Veil to keep out from the Most Holy Place |
Materials of the Door
The Door was made of woven blue, purple, scarlet and white fine linen.
Five pillars supported the Door. These were made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. The sockets for the door were made of brass.
Significance of the Materials
God specified the exact materials and proportions to Moses that were to be used in the Tabernacle, in order to convey eternal truths to us:
- The Five Pillars
Acacia wood overlaid with gold is such a beautiful picture of Christ. The incorruptibility and earthliness of acacia wood signified His incorruptible (sinless) human nature and the gold signified His heavenly divine nature. Both God and Man in the one Person.
So we see that the five pillars point to Christ.
“He….upholds (the door) Himself as He invites every qualified person to enter for priestly privileges.” Portraits of Christ in the Tabernacle, Theodore H Epp.
Five is the number of grace.
In the Outer Court brass is the main material used, as seen in the Brazen Altar and Laver (brass signifying God’s judgment). However in the Holy Place it is a very different case. Gold is used extensively in the Holy Place and here, in the pillars of the Door accessing the Holy Place, we see for the first time the use of gold.
- The Fabric
White fine linen- a picture of Christ’s righteousness
Blue – His heavenly nature
Scarlet – His sacrifice
Purple – His Kingly nature
- The Brass Sockets
Brass always signifies God’s judgment and is used only in the Outer Court of the Tabernacle.
Remember that we are at the point in between the Outer Court and the Holy Place. So while the five pillars point to Jesus in His dual-nature of God and Man, they also point to judgment (brass) and grace (five). There was only one place where God’s judgment and His mercy/grace met – and that is the cross of Jesus Christ.
As we saw in the study of the Brazen Altar, Christ took the judgment for our sin upon Himself at the cross. So now as we pass through this Door into the Holy Place we see once again that the only way to enter fellowship with God is through the atoning work of His Son at Calvary.
“I am the Way…..No one comes to the Father but through me.”
To approach the Father is only possible through the one Door, Jesus Christ.
The Purpose of the Door
Imagine standing at the Brazen Altar or the Laver in the Outer Court and looking up at this Door. The brilliant colours of the fabric intricately woven together, the sunlight catching the light on the gold of the pillars holding up the fabric. Surely the beauty of that door would have caused the average Israelite to catch their breath and wonder what was beyond. The gold hinted at the beauty of the fellowship available to the priests beyond the door.
But the average Israelite would never enter the Holy Place. The door shut off the Holy Place from the Outer Court of the Tabernacle. While the Israelites were free to come into the Outer Court to bring offerings, it was only the priests who were allowed to enter the Holy Place to minister to the Lord and for fellowship with Him.
Primarily though, in contrast to the Veil, the Door was a place of entrance, but only for those qualified – the priests.
The Priesthood
Twice daily the priests entered the Holy Place through this door to tend the lamps of the Golden Lampstand, to burn incense on the Golden Altar and to eat of the bread from the Table of Shewbread.
However today we are in the New Covenant and the Bible says that all believers today are a “royal priesthood” (1Peter 2:9).
So we now have the privilege of entering through the Door (Jesus Christ) into the presence of God for fellowship. Once our relationship has been established through our faith in the finished work of Christ at Calvary (the brazen Altar) and we have been cleansed by the Word (the brazen Laver) we do not have to stay shut out in the Outer Court wondering about the beauty of the Holy Place. We each have the privilege and responsibility of entering into fellowship with God in the Holy Place. We each have the joy of moving onward from the brass (judgment) of the Outer Court, where Jesus took the judgment for our sins, and into the gold of getting to know our wonderful Saviour.
The priests daily entered into the Holy Place for fellowship with God. It may be asked – do we also enter the Holy Place daily for fellowship with God?
Are we still out in the Outer Court or have we moved forward into fellowship with God?
The next few posts will be focussed on the furniture of the Holy Place and the wonderful truths they convey:
- The Golden Lampstand
source: blog.ninapaley.com
- The Golden Altar and
- The Table of Shewbread.
Grace and Truth 