| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And thou shalt make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be 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 the horns of it upon the four corners thereof; the horns thereof shall be of one piece with it: and thou shalt overlay it with copper.
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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 take away its ashes, and its shovels, and its basins, and its flesh-hooks, and its firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of copper. |
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| 4 And thou shalt make for it a grating of network of copper; and upon the net shalt thou make four copper rings in the four corners thereof. |
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| 5 And thou shalt put it under the ledge round the altar beneath, that the net may reach half-way up 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 the staves thereof shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, in bearing it. |
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| 8 Hollow with planks shalt thou make it: as it hath been showed thee in the mount, so shall they make it. |
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| 9 And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for 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 pillars thereof shall be twenty, and their sockets twenty, of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be 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 for the north side in length there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, and the pillars thereof twenty, and their sockets twenty, of copper; the hooks of the pillars, and their fillets, of silver. |
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| 12 And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits; their pillars ten, and their sockets ten. |
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| 13 And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits. |
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| 14 The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. |
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| 15 And for the other side shall be hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. |
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| 16 And for the gate of the court shall be a screen of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer; their pillars four, and their sockets 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 filleted with silver; their hooks of silver, and their sockets 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 fine twined linen, and their sockets 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 instruments of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of copper. |
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| 20 And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn 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, without the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before Jehovah: it shall be a statute for ever throughout their generations on the behalf 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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