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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And thou shalt make the altar of acacia-wood, five cubits the length, and five cubits the breadth; the altar shall be square; and the height thereof three cubits. |
Shalt make an altar – Representing Christ's ransom sacrifice. T22
Five cubits long and five – Being square, it typified the perfection of Christ. R101:1*
Three cubits – Comparatively low, typifying one who is easy of access, and a free salvation. R101:1
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| 2 And thou shalt make its horns at the four corners thereof; its horns shall be of itself; and thou shalt overlay it with copper. |
Make the horns – Symbols of power. T42
Pointing to Christ as our refuge and his abundance of power and grace to all. R101:1*
Upon the four corners – In every direction; so God's power to all men is unlimited. R96:1
Overlay it with brass – Copper, symbol of perfect human nature. T18
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| 3 And thou shalt make its pots to cleanse it of the fat, its shovels, and its bowls, and its forks, and its firepans; for all the utensils thereof thou shalt employ copper. |
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| 4 And thou shalt make for it a grating of network of copper; and on the net shalt thou make four copper rings at its four corners; |
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| 5 and thou shalt put it under the ledge of the altar beneath, and the net shall be to the very middle of the altar. |
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| 6 And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of acacia-wood, and overlay them with copper. |
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| 7 And its staves shall be put into the rings, that the staves may be on both sides of the altar, when it is carried. |
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| 8 Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it hath been shewn thee on the mountain, so shall they make it2. |
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| 9 And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side, southward, hangings for the court of twined byssus; a hundred cubits the length for the one side, |
Make the court – Representing the condition of justification. T19
Representing the justified condition. In proportion as those in the Court advance toward the Holy, in that proportion they draw nigh to God and experience a measure of justification or harmony with God, leading to complete justification. R4745:3
In the present time the Court represents the condition of divine favor of all those who, exercising faith in God, are approaching nearer and nearer to him. R4922:5, R5418:3
The picture changes at the end of this age: those who have not made a full consecration go out and cease to be represented in the Court. The Great Company is represented by the Court condition thereafter. R4876:4, R4579:1-3
Only the Levites will be in the Court. In the last analysis the Court represents the spirit-begotten ones separated from the world. R4745:6
Corresponds to Plane N on the Chart of the Ages. R276:5; A244
Hangings for the court – Representing, to those within, a wall of faith; but to those without, a wall of unbelief, which hindered their view of, and access to, the holy things within. T18
Apparently without seam, symbolizing the righteousness of Christ. R100:3*
Fine twined linen – Representing Christ's righteousness. T36, T114
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| 10 and the twenty pillars thereof, and their twenty bases of copper, the hooks of the pillars and their connecting-rods of silver. |
The twenty pillars – Representing justified believers. T113
Sockets shall be of brass – Copper, representing that, though actually imperfect, the standing of the justified believer is that of a perfect human being. T113
Hooks ... of silver – Silver being a symbol of truth, justified believers (pillars) can truthfully claim that Christ's righteousness (the linen curtain) covers all their imperfections. T114
Truth is the hook, or connection, which binds the Church to the curtain of linen and, by it, to each other. R100:5*
As we are told to search for truth as for silver (Prov. 2:4); and as David likens the wruth is symbolized by silver. R100:5*
The Great Company class was represented by the "silver." R4745:6
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| 11 And likewise on the north side in length, hangings a hundred cubits long, and its twenty pillars, and their twenty bases of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their connecting-rods of silver. |
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| 12 --And the breadth of the court on the west side, hangings of fifty cubits; their pillars ten, and their bases ten. |
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| 13 --And the breadth of the court on the east side, eastward, fifty cubits; |
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| 14 the hangings on the one wing, of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their bases three. |
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| 15 And on the other wing hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their bases three. |
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| 16 --And for the gate of the court a curtain of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined byssus, embroidered with needlework; their pillars four, and their bases four. |
And for the gate – "I am the way" (John 14:6), "I am the door" (John 10: T18
The way out of unbelief and sin. T22
Of blue – "True blue" is the symbol for a faithful one. Blue in countries' flags stands for fidelity. In (Num. 15:37-41) a blue fringe on Israe R100:6*
And purple – In (Judges 8:26) we find that the kings of R100:6*
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| 17 All the pillars of the court round about shall be fastened together with rods of silver; their hooks of silver, and their bases of copper. |
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| 18 The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty everywhere, and the height five cubits of twined byssus; and their bases of copper. |
Height five cubits – The posts were five cubits high and five cubits apart; standing, as it were, within reach of one another, yet too far apart to lean upon one another. R100:3*
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| 19 All the utensils of the tabernacle for the service thereof and all the pegs thereof, and all the pegs of the court shall be of copper. |
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| 20 And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee olive oil, pure, beaten, for the light, to light the lamp continually. |
Pure oil olive – Symbolic of the holy Spirit. T29, T37, T116; D650
For the light – Representing the spirit of truth. T116
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| 21 In the tent of meeting outside the veil, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall dress them from evening to morning before Jehovah: it is an everlasting statute, for their generations, on the part of the children of Israel. |
Aaron – Representing our High Priest, Christ. T36, T116; E449
And his sons – Who succeeded him in office. T116
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