Exodus 26:30–31: “And you shall raise up the tabernacle according to its pattern which you were shown on the mountain. You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim.”

This is the 3rd time God gave this sort of warning as He instructed Moses on how to build the tabernacle: “make sure you construct this according to what was shown you on the mountain.” God obviously wanted them to follow the detailed plans He had given Moses on the mountain exactly. Here God described the design for the curtain or veil of the tabernacle. We would naturally tend to look at the tabernacle from the outside looking in, but here it is described from God’s point of view, looking from the inside out.

God’s perspective began in the Holy of Holies and moved outward to the slightly larger room, the Holy Place. In the Holy of Holies, the innermost room, we find the ark or chest covered with the mercy seat. Looking back in hindsight, we can see that the ark represented Jesus as the covenant keeper and the mercy seat was the place of atonement. Because of His mercy and through His once and for all atonement, we can approach Him. Moving outward, into the next room we find the table for showbread, which is a picture of Jesus being the Bread of Life, and it is the place of communion. Also there we find the menorah or lampstand, reminding us that Jesus is the Light of the World and it is a picture of His testimony. As we abide in Him, stay close to Him, we reflect His light to the world.

The veil described here that was used to separate the people from God was also in the temple in Jerusalem. This is the veil that was torn in two, from top to bottom, the day the Savior of the world died. Before this veil was ripped, mankind had no direct access to God’s presence. Through His death, Jesus, the Son of God, who came to take away the sin of the world, created an “Open Door” into the presence of God. Now when we are in need, we all have direct access to the throne of grace: “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split” (Matt. 27:50–53). In tearing that veil and removing it as a barrier into His presence, God was proclaiming to the people of the world that the ministry of the Jewish priesthood had ended. No longer was a high priest needed to atone for sin. Jesus, the true high priest, had opened the way for mankind to come into the presence of God through His atoning blood. The torn veil is symbolic of the torn body of Christ, who made it possible for us to come worship and bow down at the foot of the throne of God.

“LORD, we are humbled by Your sacrifice for us. Help us to serve You well this day, in Jesus’ name.”

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Exodus 26 KJV

¹ Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.  ² The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure. ³ The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another. ⁴ And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.  ⁵ Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another. ⁶ And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle. ⁷ And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make. ⁸ The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure. ⁹ And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle. ¹⁰ And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second. ¹¹ And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.  ¹² And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle. ¹³ And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it.  ¹⁴ And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers’ skins. ¹⁵ And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up. ¹⁶ Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board. ¹⁷Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle.  ¹⁸ And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward. ¹⁹ And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.  ²⁰ And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards: ²¹ And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. ²² And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards. ²³ And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides. ²⁴ And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.  ²⁵ And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. ²⁶ And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, ²⁷ And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward. ²⁸ And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end. ²⁹ And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold. ³⁰ And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount. ³¹ And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: ³² And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. ³³ And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. ³⁴ And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place . ³⁵ And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side. ³⁶ And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework. ³⁷ And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood , and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.