The Gate
The Outer Court or Court of
the Gentiles was 75 feet wide and 150 feet long encircled
by a white linen
fence. The fence was 7 ½ feet high, supported by bronze pillars and the bronze
pillars sat upon bronze sockets. The Eastern Gate was 30 feet wide and was
colored with purple, scarlet, white and blue.
There was only one entrance,
the Eastern Gate, and it was always located on the East end of the enclosure.
The first piece of furniture
upon entering through the Eastern Gate was the Bronze Altar, and then on the
other side or west of the Bronze Altar was the Bronze Laver. West of the Bronze
Laver was the Tabernacle.
The Tabernacle was a flat
roofed tent that was 15 feet high, 15 feet wide and 45 feet long. There were
two rooms. Upon entering from the East, the first room was called the Holy
Place and was 15 feet wide and 30 feet long. The second or rear room was called
the Holy of Holies and was 15 feet wide and 15 feet long. The two rooms were
separated by a veil.
Before proceeding, it helps
to know the following:
• The acacia wood speaks of Christ’s humanity.
• The gold speaks of Christ’s deity.
• The silver speaks of Christ’s blood sacrifice.
• The brass speaks of Christ’s perfect holiness and God’s
judgment.
• The purple speaks of Christ’s royalty.
• The white speaks of Christ’s righteousness.
• The scarlet speaks of Christ’s sacrifice, His blood.
• The blue speaks of Christ’s heavenly character.
• The veil speaks of Christ’s body.
The Fence (Exodus 27:9-18
NLT)
“Then make the courtyard for
the Tabernacle, enclosed with curtains made of finely woven linen. On the south
side, make the curtains 150 feet long. They will be held up by twenty posts set
securely in twenty bronze bases. Hang the curtains with silver hooks and rings.
Make the curtains the same on the north side—150 feet of curtains held up by
twenty posts set securely in bronze bases. Hang the curtains with silver hooks
and rings. The curtains on the west end of the courtyard will be 75 feet long,
supported by ten posts set into ten bases. The east end of the courtyard, the
front, will also be 75 feet long. The courtyard entrance will be on the east
end, flanked by two curtains. The curtain on the right side will be 22 1⁄2 feet
long, supported by three posts set into three bases. The curtain on the left
side will also be 22 1⁄2 feet long, supported by three posts set into three
bases.For the entrance to the courtyard, make a curtain that is 30 feet long.
Make it from finely woven linen, and decorate it with beautiful embroidery in
blue, purple, and scarlet thread. Support it with four posts, each securely set
in its own base. All the posts around the courtyard must have silver rings and
hooks and bronze bases. So the entire courtyard will be 150 feet long and 75
feet wide, with curtain walls 7 1⁄2 feet high, made from finely woven linen.
The bases for the posts will be made of bronze.”
Recall that the white linen
fence surrounding the Outer Court was 7 ½ feet high. Make no mistake, this was
no accident. It was designed to keep people out, but why would God want to keep
anyone away from Him?
We must realize that the
color “white” of the fine twined linen fence represents the righteousness of
God. Not only that … but the fact that the pillars (posts) and sockets were of
brass (bronze) depicts God’s judgment upon sin. But also, the silver hooks
remind us of something … the price that was paid by God (John 3:16) to make us
righteous and restore the fellowship that was lost. Remember too that Jesus was
betrayed for thirty pieces of silver. (Matthew 26:15)
God once walked with Adam in
the Garden of Eden, but when our original parents disobeyed God, sin came upon
all mankind. God could no longer walk with man. A separation happened. A wide
chasm was instantly formed that broke all fellowship between God and man.
The wall came between God and
man; a wall that said God is righteous (without sin) and cannot fellowship with
unrighteousness (sin). Unrighteousness must be judged or God is not holy. So
God judged the unrighteousness (sin) of man and also provided a way, the only
way that He could ever fellowship with man again.
We walk around the outer
fence and see the way is barred to enter in. It is too high to go over, for the
righteousness of God is never within man’s grasp (1 Peter 1:6). However, He did
provide a way to enter in (Ephesians 2:8-9). He provided one opening on the
Eastern end, a gate.
The Gate (Exodus 38:14-19
NLT)
“The courtyard entrance was
on the east end, flanked by two curtains. The curtain on the right side was 22
1⁄2 feet long and was supported by three posts set into three bases. The
curtain on the left side was also 22 1⁄2 feet long and was supported by three
posts set into three bases. All the curtains used in the courtyard were made of
finely woven linen. Each post had a bronze base, and all the hooks and rings
were silver. The tops of the posts of the courtyard were overlaid with silver,
and the rings to hold up the curtains were made of silver. He made the curtain
for the entrance to the courtyard of finely woven linen, and he decorated it
with beautiful embroidery in blue, purple, and scarlet thread. It was 30 feet
long, and its height was 7 1⁄2 feet, just like the curtains of the courtyard
walls. It was supported by four posts, each set securely in its own bronze
base. The tops of the posts were overlaid with silver, and the hooks and rings
were also made of silver.”
What a tragedy it would be if
there were no gate or if the gate were closed. We all would die without ever
knowing God or feeling His presence within us. We would all be doomed to wander
in the wilderness, never being able to enter His rest. We would leave this
world in death, with no hope, and only the eternal fire as our reward.
But there is an Eastern Gate
and it is always open for those who wish to enter in. This one and only
entrance to the bosom of God has been made available to us by the greatest act
of love and the greatest sacrifice ever made. The Holy Son of God took our
judgment and paid our debt, something that we could never do. Only He who is
without sin can pay the sin debt, and as we journey on, only a cold heart could
ever not be moved by this realization.
No matter how hard we work,
how “good” we think we are, or anything we have done, there is only one way
back to God and that is through His Son, Jesus the Messiah.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am
the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
(John 14:6)
As the arms of Jesus were
outstretched upon the cross, they are outstretched at the Eastern Gate. This
gate is thirty feet wide, more than enough room to enter in and be embraced by
the Lord God.
Jesus says, “Strive to enter
in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and
shall not be able.” (Luke 13:24) Why would He say to enter in at the strait
(narrow) gate, when this gate is thirty feet wide? He is saying that His arms
are outstretched and all who come to Him He will not deny (John 6:37), but
there is only one way to the Father, through Him. (John 14:6; Luke 13:24).
The linen fencing is all
white, but now we see a gate that is made up of four colors; purple, white,
scarlet and blue. The purple tells us that Jesus is of the royal family. He is
God. The white tells us that He is righteous, without sin. The scarlet reminds
us that He shed His blood for us upon the cross of Calvary, and the blue points
to His home in Heaven.
In Old Testament times the
people would bring a sacrifice to the Eastern Gate. The sacrifice had to be
acceptable per God’s standards and was to cover the sin debt temporarily. The
priest would take the sacrifice and slay it upon the Bronze Altar of judgment
which was a picture of Christ’s once-and-for-all sacrifice upon the cross.
Our Eastern Gate is, “All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in
no wise cast out.” (John 6:37) Our Bronze Altar is the cross of Jesus Christ.
Grant Phillips
