Keys and open doors/gates are used to illustrate the opportunity to obtain something, or to get somewhere (whether entering or exiting through it). Closed doors/gates are used to describe the lack of such an opportunity.
A. Keys / Doors / Gates related to salvation and the opportunity to be saved
- A warning that the way to salvation is not easy to find: It is like a narrow, hard to find gate (contrasted to a wide, readily visible gate) - Matthew 7:13-14.
- Jesus is the way. He is described as the good shepherd, as well as the gate to the sheep pen - John 10:1-18 (verses 1-3, 7, 9 use the word "gate").
- A stern warning against people who keep others from entering the kingdom of heaven, by taking the "key to knowledge" away from them - Luke 11:52.
- The apostles were given the authority to proclaim this message about Jesus. Peter, who was the first to acknowledge an understanding of this truth, was described as being given the "keys" of the kingdom of heaven, which would open the "gate" to salvation - Matthew 16:19. [The other apostles also had this authority to proclaim the message. But historically, Peter was the one God used to first "open the door" to the Jews (Acts 2), and then to the non-Jews (Acts 10).]
- This message about salvation, this "door of faith," has been opened (is available) even to non-Jews - Acts 14:27.
B. Keys / Doors related to the proclamation of the good news about salvation (examples)
- A request for prayer, that God would open the door (opportunity) for proclaiming the good news about Christ - Colossians 4:3. [In this verse, this good news is described as a "mystery": a previously-unrevealed truth that needed to be proclaimed to everyone.]
- The door (opportunity) for preaching the good news about Christ: It was opened by God - 2 Corinthians 2:12.
- An open door (opportunity) successfully entered: It resulted in the salvation of many - as well as opposition by those who were enemies of the good news - 1 Corinthians 16:9.
C. Keys / Open Doors related to life in Christ
- The opportunity for fellowship with Christ: It is available to all who "open the door" to him - Revelation 3:20. [Note: These people claimed to have all the blessings of salvation, but in God's eyes, they were spiritually naked. (They still needed "clothed" with salvation.)]
- "Open doors" related to answered prayer: Knock and the door will be opened to you (etc.) - Matthew 7:7-8; Luke 11:9-10.
- An "open door" of authority and opportunity
- Jesus, the King, has inherited the "key of David" - all the authority of King David, and more - Revelation 3:7-8. [This verse alludes to Isaiah 22:22. The authority that Eliakim (the palace administrator) had was a symbolic representation of the much greater authority that Jesus has.]
- An example of such an open door of opportunity, one that Jesus guaranteed would be kept open - Revelation 3:8. [Note that it was not because of their strength, that this "door" was opened, but because of their faithfulness to Christ. The King, not the people, opened the door.]
D. Keys / Doors / Gates related to prophecy, eternity and judgment
- An open door to heaven, allowing John to see the visions - Revelation 4:1.
- The gates of the eternal city
- They can be entered only by those who have clean robes - Revelation 22:14. <Some translations, such as the KJV, read "those who do his commandments." This expresses approximately the same thought as "those who wash their clothes."> [See Revelation 19:8. These robes represent their salvation and righteous deeds. ]
- They are never shut to God's people - Revelation 21:25. [Those who do not belong to God, will never be allowed to enter - Revelation 21:17 and other verses.]
- Other verses describing the gates - Revelation 21:12-13, 15, 21.
The key of the house of David combines the priestly anointing to access the realms of heaven with the Kingly anointed to rule at the gates on earth. (Royal Priesthood) King David was the first to combine the priestly anointing to minster unto God to access heaven to obtain the divine counsel to rule as King on earth. This is the original plan that God ordained for mankind, which is to rule on earth with the blessing to “Be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it, and have dominion…” (Ge. 1:25).Mankind was created to rule on earth with dominion under the authority of God in heaven.
The church is “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9) with the call to walk with an open heaven to have dominion on earth. It is the prayer of Jesus for “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is heaven.” In every Kingdom, there is a King for Kingdom means, the Kings’ domain. The dominion of the Kingdom of God is realized when that which takes place in heaven is manifested on earth.
Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and He will do this through His people. The call is to arise and shine for your light has come to usher in the glory of the presence of the living God for heaven to be revealed on earth. Even in the midst of the greatest darkness, God will raise up a remnant that shines with the light of His glory that will pierce the darkness and displace demonic forces. (Is. 60:1-3).
Go Ye Therefore
Jesus prayer to the Father was for the same glory that the Father had given to Him would also be given to His people “that we may be one even as we are one” (John 17:22). Think of it! The entire splendor of heaven is our inheritance in Christ. It is His glory – the realm of the Kingdom which comes in His presence. The territory that God has assigned to you is your domain that you have the authority to rule as a Royal priesthood to occupy, prevail and prosper. It is within your sphere of influence that the divine nature of heaven itself and all of its splendor and glory be realized on earth as it is in heaven..
Jesus declared, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore….” (Mt. 28:18-19) Jesus redeemed the original plan that God established that man gave away to Satan when he fell due to sin. Jesus took it back this authority as the second Adam and now proclaims, “Go and take your territory for you were created to rule with dominion under the authority of Christ your King!”It is from the throne of triumph that Jesus declared that your inheritance as citizen of His Kingdom is to go forth and reclaim the land and prevail for “we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Ro. 8:37).
Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the fragrance of His knowledge by us in every place” (2 Cor. 2:14).
It is the call of every believer to rule as a joint heir with Jesus to have dominion in the territory that God has assigned to them. Whatever your mountain is, whether it is the family, business, property or investments, you have been called to prosper, be fruitful and multiply, to subdue and rule with dominion as a citizen of the Kingdom.
The Release of Kingdom Keys
Christ is giving keys to the mother and fathers of the faith to unlock the Kingdom of God in others that will enable them to make a great advance. These are the Lions and Lioness emerging with the authority to protect the Lord’s own and take the prey. God desires to unlock the Kingdom in His people to bring forth the Kingdom of heaven through His people. The keys that God is releasing will bring about change in leadership and church structure as well as the realignment of relationships. It will also unlock the true identity of His people that will lead to new realms of glory and victory. Change will take place as God’s people are established in their true identity to posses their ordained inheritance as sons and daughters of the King. As citizens of His Kingdom rather than being the prey they will be the victor taking the prey.
These keys unlock prison doors that hold people captive to walk in the spirit of freedom and liberty. The apostle Paul tells us “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty (2 Cor. 3:17). When you received the gift of salvation you received the spirit of Christ into your heart! Does not the scripture declare that the Spirit bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God and joint-heirs with Christ? (See Ro. 8:15-16) What is coming is a revelation of our inheritance as the saints in light as citizens of the Kingdom of Christ.
Giving thanks unto the Father, which has made us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son” (Col. 1: 12-13).
Heart to Heart – Spirit to Spirit Communication
It was the prayer of the apostle Paul for the Holy Spirit to enlighten our heart that we may see the things of God to know Him and the hope of His calling. Jesus wants you to know the riches of the glory of His inheritance that He has ordained for you. To know His mighty power given to those that believe. (See Ephesians 1:17-18). It is only when the eyes of our hearts see the things of the Kingdom of God that our minds can comprehend the riches of our inheritance that is ours in Christ. As Jesus said, “Unless a man be born again He cannot see the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:3 & 6).
We see the things of the Kingdom of God with our spirit. You were created with a spirit by God for “God is a Spirit” (John 4:24). Because it is with the heart that man believes unto righteousness, we must have an open heart to see with our spirit the things of God. When our hearts are open to see then the understanding comes to our mind. This is why God does not speak to our intellect but to our hearts.
Our heart is the throne where Christ is seated. The heart lies at the epicenter of our temple where the authority, government and rule of God’s kingdom is seated. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is within you. As His temple, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit and Christ is seated on the throne of your heart, you are seated with Christ in heaven. This is the “heart to heart” connection that works by love that never fails. It is this “heart to heart” connection in spirit that keeps the line of communication between your spirit and His open. It is the life line where the authority, power, anointing and divine nature flows as a new creation in Christ. God speaks to our heart so that our spirit can see the things of God.
Jesus is the Word of God and when He speaks, His resurrection life is contained in His word. Jesus is Life. When you hear His voice life comes to your spirit through your heart to heart communication with God. God created mankind with a spirit for fellowship that we may experience Him in spirit and in truth to know His ways. This is why it is written in proverbs to “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life? (Proverbs 4:23). Jesus said that the Father seeks those who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Thus, in order to know His truth, we must know Him “in Spirit.”
The intellect cannot know God until God reveals Himself to the heart through the Spirit. It is this spirit communication with man that enlightens the mind of men in the true knowledge of Him. It is the truth that is in the person of Jesus that brings understanding to our spirit that renews the spirit of our mind “As the truth is in Jesus” (Eph. 4:21). Jesus said, “It is the Spirit that quickens (makes alive) the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life” (John 6:63).
Jesus wants us to hear His voice that we may have His life, for the words that He speaks are Spirit. Because of their source- Christ who is the resurrection and the life, His Words impart life to us. His Word has power to transform lives with the truth that makes men free. It is His Spirit that speaks to our spirit that brings light to our hearts and thus understanding to our minds. When we see with the eyes of our heart and our mind comes into agreement, faith emerges as our heart and mind become one in agreement. It is this mind shift that creates a unity between our heart and mind that creates a kingdom mindset that lines up with the reality of heaven. It is also this alignment that by faith gives our spirit access to the Kingdom of heaven. (Ro. 5:2)
This is the faith that pleases God that enables us to walk in an open heaven before the throne of God. Being in unity with God and His ways is one of the keys to accessing the blessings of heaven that is ours in Christ Jesus. When our spirit abides in Him, we withdraw from the resources of heaven that which we need to fulfill our purpose. God does not meet our needs; He supplies what we need according to His riches in glory in order to fulfill our ordained purpose and destiny in Christ “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).
Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things unseen. (He. 11:1) A heart that does not see is blind and a mind that relies on its intellect and understanding cannot perceive the things of God because the things of the Spirit of God are spiritually discerned.
Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. But the natural man cannot receive the things of God; for they are foolishness unto him: nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:12 & 14).
When the mindset shifts to that of the Kingdom, the awareness of God’s Kingdom begins to be perceived in the spirit of a person, even in the spirit of your mind. The Kingdom of God comes in the reality of God’s presence. Your heart, emotions and intellect was created by God to perceive (see) the things of heaven. When your entire being is in alignment with heaven, you will become a lightning rod that attracts the presence of God to walk in His light. Because heaven comes in the presence of Christ, you will release the Kingdom of heaven on earth. What you are conscious of and that which you are walking in, is what you will release into the atmosphere around you.
Jesus said that the Kingdom of God comes without observation and will be in you! Jesus also said that if a man will serve Him and follow Him, we will be where He is stating “Where I am there will my servant be also…” (John 12:26). If the Kingdom of God is in heaven and the Kingdom of heaven is in you, then how can you be in two places at once? Easy! When you abide in His presence, your spirit is in union with His, then you will be where He is for “He that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit” ( 1 Cor. 6:17). There is no distance between the reality of His presence and your life in Him. Because you were created as a spirit and God is a Spirit, you can be in His presence. I refer to this as “being in the river.” When you are joined to Him the power of His presence takes you forward. The Spirit of God is like a river as it is always moving. Thus, as you respond to His voice and follow His leading, you will always be growing in power, light, love and life. Change is a natural part of the supernatural life in Christ that takes us from glory to glory. It was the prayer of Jesus for the Father to give you the same glory (His Spirit) that the Father gave to Him to His people you may be one in them (John 17:22).
As you abide in Christ you will be where He is. To be one doesn’t refer to believing the same doctrine, but being of the same Spirit – His and yours as one. It is His presence that makes us one. Because heaven comes in the presence of Christ, wherever He is there is the divine nature of heaven and where the divine nature of heaven is, there is Christ. When Jesus said to let our light shine, He wasn’t referring to our good deeds and works, but the light of His living presence for “The Spirit of man is the candle of the Lord…” (Psalms 20:27). It is His presence in you, the Kingdom of heaven that is the light of God that is to shine through you that reveals His glory. Like the face of Moses that shone with God’s glory, your spirit is created to shine with the light of God’s presence that clothes you in His glory.
The Spirit of prophecy which is the testimony of Jesus is now imparting greater grace to open the eyes of His people that they may see Him, hear His voice more clearly, and follow Him. The times require that we hear His voice more clearly with the wisdom to navigate through the days ahead. The call is to:
”Arise and shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For, behold darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people, but the Lord shall arise upon you and His glory shall be seen upon you (Isaiah 60:1-3).
Unlocking Destiny
The eye of the Father is upon His people to reveal to them their true identity that will unlock them to become who they are created to be. The Kingdom of heaven is our home and our inheritance that is to be revealed on earth. We have witnessed the power of transformation by some basic teaching that we give in regards to the truth that we are a spirit with a body created by God who is a Spirit. Those who realize who they really are – a spirit created in His image, have a whole new mindset that enables them to experience the reality of God’s presence. We were created with a spirit that is able to soar in heavenly places while our soul lives in our bodies here on earth.
The Lord has blessed us with the grace to release the spirit of a person from the natural realm to the spiritual realm. During these times people find a new found freedom that is often expresses like an eagle that is soaring on the wind of the Spirit. Many report o of Jesus the Lord and others visions of the heavenly realm. We often witness in the eyes of these people a beam of the Lord’s light radiating in their heats. I believe that this is His love that has filled their heart. Some will also receive an impartation of fire that sets them ablaze with His glory while others that of great peace and joy. Joy seems to be the most common impartation for in His presence there is fullness of joy that breaks out. Even the most serious dogmatic realist breaks out with a new found freedom as the joy of the Lord overtakes them. All of a sudden they begin to experience the spiritual life they knew existed, but didn’t know the pathway that enabled them to dwell in His presence.
When the spirit of a man connects with His creator who is a Spirit, the spirit of a person comes alive with the Spirit of God. It doesn’t matter how long they have been a Christian, this experience “shifts” them from the natural to the supernatural realm before your very eyes. As their spirit is released to the throne of God, the light, life, and glory of God touches them and awakens them to their destiny. This experience is life changing. What takes place is an infusion of the light, life and love of God that remains within them. You can see the light come into their eyes as their countenance changes. In other words, they own it and as they walk in His light, His glory becomes their spiritual reality not just a Biblical theology.
God is raising up mothers and fathers with the key to awaken hearts that will enable them to see who they really are so they can, from their place of true identity, step into the place of their purpose with Kingdom authority. The door of your destiny will open to you as you are spiritually aligned and postured in Christ. It is only when the eyes of our hearts are opened to see how God created us in His image and positioned us as citizens of the Kingdom that we can understand who we really are. Our true identity is not in what we do but in our being! Earth is our assignment while heaven is our home.
The eyes that see the Lord will have their heart full of love for God is love. As the apostle John declared God is love and He that abides in love abides in God and God in Him. (1 John 4:16) Abiding in the love of God is the major key that transition us from the hallway of who we think we are and that which we are created to be. It is the power of His love that moves us from glory to glory. Love is the divine nature of God. The apostle John also states that as He is in heaven so are we on this earth! (1 John 4:17). That means that you were created to be recipients of God’s love until you become as He is – full of His divine love. It is this love that enables us to know His heart and thus our own.
There were three entrances in the Tabernacle arrangement which include:-
- the “gate” to the “outer court” (Exodus 27:16-19).
- the “door” to the “holy place” (Exodus 26:36-37; 36:37-38).
- the “vail” to the “holy of holies.” (i.e. “Most Holy”) (Exodus 26:31-33).
All three entrances were made of the same material: a fine white woven linen with blue, purple and scarlet threads running through the material (Exodus 38:18).
All three entrances had the the same dimensions as regards their area, that is, they were all 100 square cubits — a number representing Christ Jesus:
- The gate was 20 cubits long x 5 cubits high (Exodus 38:18);
- The door and the veil were 10 x 10 cubits — SQUARE — a symbol of PERFECTION (equality on every side)!
NOTE: For the door, we do not have an explicit text for its measurements however the boards were 10 cubits high (Exodus 26:16). As to the width, we infer from the 20 cubits of Solomon’s Temple that the Tabernacle was half the size (1 Kings 6:2) — thus, 10 cubits wide. The back of the Tabernacle was defined by 6 board of a cubit and a half, so 9 cubits interior — the two sides, if each 1/2 cubit thick, would constitute 10 cubits outside dimension of the Tabernacle. If the door was sufficient to cover this, then it was 10 cubits wide.
This teaches us that the same truthseems therefore to be embodied in each of these typical curtains. The same Jesus is portrayed in each. There could be no access to God, of any kind, whether of comparatively distant worship, or of closest intimacy, but through the one door, the Lord Jesus. “I am the door” (John 10:7).
The value of 100 also “beautifully correlates to the “redemption price”of the “firstborns” which was five shekels at 20 gerahs per shekel: 100 gerahs (also representing Christ Jesus)! (Numbers 3:46,47; 18:15,16)” (Notes on the Tabernacle, page 100).
Jesus is our entry into:
- justification (the gate into the court),
- sanctification (the door into the Holy) and
- glorification (the vail into the Most Holy).
(1) THE GATE
The gate was the only way into the court and represents our Lord Jesuswho said of himself, “I am the door. Whoever enters through me, will be saved” (John 10:9, NIV).
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, NIV).
“By faith in Christ’s ransom sacrifice, represented in the Brazen altar, we enter the ‘gate’ to the ‘Court’ — the vail of unbelief and sin is passed” (Tabernacle Shadows, page 22).
The gate was wider than any of the other entrances, enabling all Israelites to enter the court. The width of the entrance shows that God makes grace available to manyfor “many are called but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14).
In Exodus 40:33 we read, “And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.”
The root word of “gate” from Exodus 40:33 is shâʻar, shaw-ar’ and means, to split or open, reason out, estimate… and the Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon writes: “to set free… to set a price” and Jesus most certainly did “set free” every human from the curse of sin.
The gate, (as also the door and the vail) was really a “hanging.” (See Exodus 27:9, 16; 26:31,32, 36).
All three entrances were suspended by way of metal (silver or gold) hooks from the pillars which supported them (Exodus 38:19; 26:32,37). (See Study 4 of “Beauties of the Tabernacle.”) There were no curtain rods nor any other device by way of which these “hangings” could be raised up or pulled to one side.
To enter the court, and thus, in order to pass “beneath” the “hangings,” one had to lift the bottom of the curtain and stoop down and go under the curtain. This bowing to enter shows a right attitude of heart, for when we come to Christ we come humbly in need of a Saviour. The man who will not bow his knee and his heart to Christ, cannot enter in (Psalm 99:5,Ephesians 3:14, Matthew 19:24).
We can only approach Jehovah God, by recognizing Jesus’ merit and through the eyes of a New Creation mind — the mind that was also in our Lord Jesus.
There were no cherubiminterwoven into this outdoor screen surrounding the court area and the gate, unlike that of the vail. (We discuss about the cherubim a little later in this Study.)
The tribe of Judah, the kingly tribe, camped outside the Eastern Gate. The name Judah means “praise,”and Jesus was descended from this tribe (Hebrews 7:14).
The Four Posts at the Gate
There were FOUR posts at the Gate (Exodus 27:16-19).
Perhaps FOUR here, could represent the four authors of the Gospels of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) who most conspicuously held up Christ’s character before the world and who are the instruments used to build our faith into Christ — by studying about Jesus and getting to know who he is and thus how to become like him, and learning about what he taught to likewise follow his teachings and spread the lessons to all who have a listening ear.
(2) THE DOOR
The “door” was the one entrance into the Holy (which represents the spirit begotten condition of the “little flock” class — see Study 3 of the “Beauties of the Tabernacle”series of posts on this website).
The door of the Tabernacle is of finely twisted linen (Exodus 26:36) because Jesus has completely satisfied the justice of God.
It is white to express the purity and righteousness of Jesus’ character. Jesus was the one without sin and without stain or blemish (1 Peter 1:19).
As was the gate and veil, this door was made of “blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer”(Exodus 36:37).
The door would have been thick enough to block light and it was in the Holy Place where the golden lampstand was (which stood directly opposite the table on the south side) and it was to burn continuously both night and day (Exodus 27:20-21).
The Materials Used for the Fabric of the Sanctuary
Flax and goat’s hair were the materials used for the fabrics of the sanctuary. According to Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers, “the flax was dyed before it was spun into thread.”
Here is an image of two Israelite women moving the “weavers beam” forward on a large vertical loom as they make fine twisted linen.In Exodus 35:25 we read, “And all thewomen that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. 26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats’ hair.”
In the above verse, “wise-hearted”women refers to all who had sufficient skill. Although both men and women of ancient Egypt spun thread, spinning seems to have been done primarily by the Hebrew women. It was effected in early times by means of a wheel and spindle, with or without a distaff. (Reference: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200000994).
Jesus Christ referred to spinning when he urged his disciples, not to be unduly anxious about clothing, but to trust in God to clothe them. Jesus said: “Mark well how the lilies grow; they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, Not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these.” (Luke 12:27, 28; Matthew 6:28-30).
“Of fine linen” — Rather, of white. Most of the Egyptian linen is of a yellowish white, being made from flax imperfectly blanched.
Note: It is described in the English version as the linen being wrought with the needle, or embroidered; but the word rendered “needle-work” is now believed to denote a striped or checked pattern produced by the loom. Hence the curtain of the gate and door had a blue, scarlet and purple colour appear in them in stripes or checks, instead of being wrought into figures of cherubs, as on the curtain of the vail.
The Colours of the Linen Curtains
- White
White linen was used for garments for royalty and persons of rank and has been found in the tombs of the Pharaohs. White linen always speaks of purity and righteousness:
Revelation 15:6 — “And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands.”
Revelation 3:5 — “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”
Revelation 19:14 — “And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.”
The fine-twined, white linen speaks of righteousness and typifies Jesus, the Son of Man, spotless, pure, and sinless.
1 John 3:3-5 — “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure…and you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.”
- Blue
The interwoven thread of blue seems to speak the fact that Jesus remained completely loyal and trueto his heavenly Father; that he faithfully maintained his righteousness and purity at all costs.
Blue is the colour of the sky without clouds and so it is also known to be a symbol of what is heavenly.
Blue is also the colour of nobility.We recognize those qualities in our Lord Jesus. He came from heaven, he then returned there as a divine soul. “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you” (1 Peter 1:20, ESV).
We read that Jesus came and being found in the appearance of a man humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-11).
- Scarlet
Scarlet represents Christ’s blood shed for all — his sufferings and death on the cross. Our Lord’s loyalty and faithfulness were put to the severest tests, tests in which obedience to the will of God resulted in his sacrificial death on Calvary’s cross.
The Apostle Peter captures the thought here in saying “it was not with …. silver and gold you were redeemed… but with the precious blood of Christ“ (1 Peter 1:17-23).
It is Christ’s blood which gives life and purifies.
- Purple
Purple represents Jesus’ royalty; he was of the royal line of David, Lord of the earth, and the inheritor of all the promises of God. Our Lord Jesus became King of kings and Lord of lords since Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18, NIV).
Jesus is king of a kingdom not of this world (John 18:33-39).
Because of Christ’s faithfulness unto death, God indeed did highly exalt him to the royalty of the kingdom, as was prophesied many centuries in advance:
“Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death; and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).
The Five Posts at the Door
There were FIVE posts (pillars) that supported the first vail (the door) of the Holy (Exodus 26:37; Exodus 36:38). The number 5 in the Biblerepresents the New Creature in Christ. (See Study 3 of “Beauties of the Tabernacle”.)
These posts were constructed of shittim wood overlaid with gold, and they were set in sockets of copper — representing perfect (or justified) human nature, and therefore, the spirit-begotten condition of the church. How beautifully this reflects that the saints still in the flesh (in the Holy — representative of the “in part” condition (1 Corinthians 13:9) have their “treasure” of the Spirit (gold) in “earthen vessels” (copper) as we read of in 2 Corinthians 4:7 (ASV):
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.”
(3) THE VAIL
The entrance to the Most Holy is called “the vail” (or in Hebrew, paroketh) of the Tabernacle and which the Apostle Paul in the New Testament designates “the second vail” (Hebrew 9:3).
It was only through the vail (which represents Christ’s flesh, R.4746) that one could enter into the Most Holy — the spirit-born condition of glory, honor and immortality to which the faithful over-comers of this age became heirs. (See Study 3 of “Beauties of the Tabernacle.)
For a certain period of time the door to the High Calling of the Church stands ajar during the 6000 years of permission of evil which has been allowed since 33 AD. Jesus opened up this new way of life through the veil; that is to say, his flesh—his sacrifice.
“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us,through the vail, that is to say, his flesh” (Hebrews 10:19, 20).
The Rending of the Vail
The rending of the Temple vail (in Jerusalem) took place at the same time as the earthquake at the moment of our Lord’s death — his crucifixion — which we read about, in Matthew 27:51 and Luke 23:45.
Interestingly, this great vail was torn, not from the bottom toward the top, as would be the expectation if it were the result of wear, but from the top to the bottom, as indicating it was a manifestation of divine power.
The rending of this curtain represents symbolically the opening of the narrow entrance way into the High Calling — an opening between heaven itself and the heavenly condition of those living in the Gospel Age (now spanning nearly 2000 years since 33 AD) by Christ through the sacrifice of his flesh.
Through that rent vail we may see into the things beyond and be ready to pass into the Most Holy (R.4746).
Passing through this second vailinto the Most Holy, involves “the death of the HUMAN body”(Tabernacle Shadows, page 22).
Both the fleshly mind and fleshly body must be left behind before we can enter into the “holiest of all.” We will then be in the spirit realm, for flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:50).
True believers are represented as being associated with Jesus as priests in the Holy, (the outer apartment of the two) where they have fellowship with God through the light of the golden candlestick, through the bread of the golden table, and through the incense that we are permitted to offer on the golden altar. It is from this standpoint we can now by faith see beyond the vail — catch glimpses at least of the heavenly estate which God hath in reservation for them who love him, for the called ones according to his purpose, for the Christ, head and body (R.3371:2).
The Cherubim
Unlike the curtain for the gate and the door, the linen curtain of the vailwas embroidered with cherubim,(as were the walls of the Tabernacle proper — due to cherubim embroidered on the first of the Tabernacle’s coverings). Any cherubim in the vail would presumably have been depicted in a different way than the two golden cherubim over the ark of the covenant — these being described in Exodus 25:20:-
“And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, coveringthe mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.”
Here is one artist’s impression of what the vail pattern may have resembled:
Cherubim being heavenly (angelic) creatures suggests that those passing beyond this vail enter into the heavenly condition — life on the spirit plane — partakers of the Divine Nature.The ancient Jews said this later veil of the temple was as wide as four fingers, so that no one could possibly see into the Most Holyplace (David Guzik).
The vail divided the Tabernacle into two, the Holy place at the front — 20 x10 cubits — and the Most Holyplace that became a room 10 cubits long x 10 cubits wide x 10 cubits high.
Only the high priest was permitted to go beyond the vail. This occurred once a year, on the Day of Atonement.When it came to moving from place to place, the vail was taken down from its hanging position and draped over the ark of the covenant (in which case, there was no “most holy” at that point, the vail defining the most holy having been taken down).
“(5) And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it: (6) And shall put thereon the covering of badgers’ skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof” (Numbers 4:5-6).
Hence there was sufficient meansby which the Levitical priests could carry out God’s requirements of not entering the most holy nor seeing the ark of the covenant exposed and thus not inflicting death on themselves or others. For whomever would touch the ark of the covenant (other than the High Priest on the Day of Atonement) would die, such as in the case of Uzzah (Exodus 25:14-15).
Is this not a wonderful reassurancethat a consecrated child of God should not fear failing in their vows of consecration until death or fear second death! Why? Because the Heavenly Father provides enough immunity against the evils that surround when, one’s fear of reverence to the Father through Christ (Proverbs 1:7) helps one seek for God’s wisdom, help and comfort in every time of need and trial(Psalm 46:1). This reverential fear of doing wrong in the eyes of God is a blessing in disguise! — helping the consecrated Christian overcome (Romans 8:37) all the testings and temptations as did our Lord Jesus when he was on earth.
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
The vail (“katapetasma”) means “to hide or conceal”, hide from view the “ark of the covenant” and the “mercy seat.”
It also acted as a barrier between God and man because while we are in the flesh, in the Holy condition as the developing embryonic New Creations in Christ, God is in the Most Holy, thus the vail separates the two of us.
The FOUR POSTS at the VAIL
The FOUR posts (Exodus 26:32; 36:36) supporting the vail into the Most Holy are set in sockets of silver.
Silver is a general symbol of Truth — the knowledge of which the justified believer holds on to the righteousness of Christ. (See Study 4 of the “Beauties of the Tabernacle”Series of posts on this website, regarding details about silver.)
The posts here, represent the spirit-birth (gold) condition as an actuality (silver), where one’s treasure is obtained in the fullest sense by carrying out one’s sacrificewillingly and with great joy in the Spirit, unto death. Thus, the posts into the Most Holy no longer had sockets of copper as in at the gate and door entrance ways and this signifies that those entering the Most Holy place (Divine Realm) areno longer in the flesh.
The vail was hung from golden hooks from off the 4 posts (not from the 50 golden clasps which joined the two parts of the linen covering, although, the vail was located approximately under these clasps.) Refer to Study 8 of “Beauties of the Tabernacle.” It was probably a unified drapery on the backside of the posts.
As were the golden hooks and covering of the pillars of the holy and most holy — so are our hopes, aspirations, and calling — these all concern with things divine (Exodus 26:32-37).
The Number FOUR — In the Bible
The number four in the Bible refers to the concept of trial, testing, probation, judgment.
Thus here at the entrance of the most holy of the Tabernacle, the time of judgment of the church may be reflected in the four posts.
Here are some other examples of four in the Bible (as explained in an article titled “Symbolic Numbers”by Br. David Rice in The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom Magazine, Nov./Dec. 2004):
- At the second feeding of the multitudes by Jesus — representing the time of harvest and judgment closing the Gospel age, the number reported was four thousand.
- The forty years in the wilderness (Numbers 32:13) — representing the Gospel age period of testing, trial, development.
- The same is represented in the four hundred years of Genesis 15:13 — which describes the period of the affliction of the seed of Abraham, beginning with the mocking of Isaac, at the age of five, by Ishmael — a picture of the early affliction of the Church by the Jewish authorities and ends at the Exodus — a picture of the deliverance of God’s chosen at the end of the Gospel Age.
When multiplying these 400 years by the 360 days in a prophetic year, we yield 144,000, the number of the church in Revelation — showing the fruitage to be developed during the testing period of the Gospel age.
The different orders of magnitude of the number four (i.e. 4, 40, 400 and 4,000) also expressing the symbol.
[It is interesting to also note: “Of thedated visions of Jeremiah in chapters25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 36, three are dated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, and three in the fourth year of Zedekiah — all six judgments are in a year four.
When the seven times of punishment on Israel was represented in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the expression “seven times” appeared four times in the narrative, and four times in the warning by Moses (Daniel 4; Leviticus 26).
These judgments were fulfilled by four Gentile kingdoms dominating Israel during the 2,520 years of their national punishment.] (Symbolic Numbers, The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom, Nov./Dec. 2004)
The colours embroidered on the white linen of the vail are the same here as for the entrance into the Holy. The presence of these three colours on the white linen vail is echoed in Revelation:
“Be thou faithful(blue) unto death (scarlet) and I will give thee a crown (purple) of life” (Revelation 2:10).
Psalm 100:2-5 (NLT)
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.References
- Br. Charles T. Russell — “Tabernacle Shadows.”
[R= Reprints of the Original Watchtower and Herald of Christ’s Presence – Charles Russell]
- Br. Frey — “Notes on the Tabernacle“.
- Atwater— “The Sacred Tabernacle of the Hebrews.”
- Br. David Rice — “Symbolic Numbers,” The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom , Nov./ Dec. 2004.
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