This Sabbath’s Torah Reading—#64—from the Triennial Reading Cycle is contained in Exodus 26:31-27:19.

We find in this passage instructions for the construction of the inner and outer veil of the Tabernacle; the Altar of Burnt Offering; the Tabernacle Court and its hangings.

As with everything having to do with Torah, the construction and exacting work of the Tabernacle foreshadows Mashiyach. Every aspect in one form or another describes either a role, function, purpose, or Person of Mashiyach. The ancients when led to construct the Tabernacle along with her implements, had no clue that their labor of love pointed directly to Mashiyach.

So in today’s post, we will examine these cited Tabernacle elements and see if we can make sense of them from a Messianic/Hebrew Roots Perspective.

The Second Veil Leading to the Holy of Holies

26:31,32–The Second Veil–The blue, purple, scarlet veil made of fine twined linen. This veil would be specified as the inner veil that separated the holy place from the Holy of Holies. Remember, there was an outer veil that separated the outer court to the holy place. The Holy Place the writer of Hebrews called the sanctuary (Heb. 9:2) Cherubim were worked into the veil. (Question: how would Moshe and the workers know what a Cherubim looked like in the first place?) The veil was to be hung from 4-pillars of acacia wood that would be overlaid with gold. The veil would be suspended by golden hooks that connected to 4-silver sockets.

The Tabernacle in the Wilderness foreshadowed the Mashiyach in every aspect of its construction and function. Praise YHVH.

The Holy of Holies

26:33, 34–The Holy of Holies–The Ark of the Covenant would be placed within the veil, specifically into the Holy of Holies. The Mercy Seat would fit atop the Ark of the Testimony (aka Ark of the Covenant). The Holy of Holies was referred to as the Tabernacle by the writer of Hebrews, 9:3. 

The word veil means simply to “separate.” It was exceptionally sacred. Only the Cohen Gadol (aka, The Levitical High Priest) was the only human in the world who was permitted to actually touch it. And in the Cohen Gadol’s touching of this veil, was he permitted to do so but once a year on Yom Kippur (aka, the Day of Atonement as noted in Leviticus 16:2).

The Messianic Typology of the Veil 

The Messianic typology of Tabernacle’s most holy veil should be readily apparent. It clearly represents Mashiyach–Yahoshua–who is the doorway to YHVH, our Elohim.

It was actually at Hanukkah in the Acceptable Time of Yeshua’s ministry that He proclaimed and described Himself as THE DOOR (which could very easily be viewed as He being The Veil). Master stated:

“Truth I speak to you. I am the door of the sheepfold! All those that came before Me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them (the them being the self-appointed religious leaders that took over the Temple). I am the door: if any man enter in through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” (Joh. 10:7-9; Rood’s Chronology).

Now this analogy of Mashiyach being the “door” may be interpreted a few other ways that may or may not relate to the holy veil of the Tabernacle. However, just as a door serves to separate one section of a room or a group of people from another room or another group of people, so our Master served as the only means by which one may have full access to the One True Elohim. And it was Yahoshua, through His sacrifice, that opened the door (or in this sense the veil) unto Elohim’s elect so that they may have full access to their God; full access to the holy of holies.

Indeed, the veil of the Temple was rent in two at Yahoshua’s crucifixion. Thus, it was Yeshua, the door to YHVH, that gave Himself for us so that we may have direct access to the holy of holies, and thus direct access to YHVH Himself. Yahoshua’s body, in the likeness of the Temple veil, was broken and torn so that we may have that access to YHVH.

The writer of Hebrews wrote prolifically of this fact in Hebrews 10:19-22:

“So brothers, we have confidence to use the way into the Holiest Place opened by the blood of Yeshua. He inaugurated it for us as a new and living way through the parokhet (aka, the veil), by means of His flesh. We also have a great cohen over Yah’s household. Therefore, let us approach the Holiest Place with a sincere heart, in the full assurance that comes from trusting–with our hearts sprinkled clean from a bad conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (CJB).

Thus, the veil of the Tabernacle in the wilderness would foreshadow Yeshua HaMashiyach becoming our access to Yah’s presence. Halleluyah.

The Elements of the Holy Place

26:35–The Elements of the Sanctuary–Interesting enough, the Qumran manuscripts of this verse go into a whole lot of detail that the other English Translations of the verse do not. I will endeavor to summarize the QBE translation since it is the oldest translation we have available to us today.

The Table of Shewbread

The Table upon which the shewbread would be placed each Shabbat would be placed in the Sanctuary (aka the Holy Place), situated against the north wall. To the entering cohens (aka, the priests) servicing the Tabernacle, this element of the Holy Place would be to their right. It’s dimensions were 3-feet by 1-1/2-feet, standing just 2-1/4-feet tall. It’s description was formerly given in Exodus 25:23-30.

The Table would hold the 12-sacred cakes–one for each of the 12-Tribes of Israel (Lev. 24:8).

In some ancient writings, the Table of Shewbread was also referred to as the Table of the Presence.

We can easily associate Mashiyach being the bread of life. It was Yeshua who proclaimed and described Himself as the “Bread of Life.” And any who would eat of Him–who would take Him in and follow Him as their one and only Mashiyach–would never die. He then becomes, like physical bread, the sustainer of life for us. But in this particular case, Yahoshua becomes our spiritual sustainer which is life eternal.

The Table itself, however, apart from it holding the 12-loaves of Shewbread, served as the center-piece of fellowship and communion with YHVH. Recall, the Table was also described as the Table of the Presence. Thus the Table foreshadowed the role Yahoshua would play as the facilitator of our communion and fellowship with the Only Wise Elohim–the Almighty–The Eternal. He thus stands as the mediator of a better covenant between YHVH and any who would come to Him.

The Menorah

The Menorah would also be placed in the Sanctuary (aka the Holy Place), situated against the southern wall. Also in the Holy Place would be an altar to burn incense.

Also referred to throughout various writings as the Golden Lampstand, the introduction of the Menorah was first given in Exodus 25:31-40. Besides the Ark of the Covenant, it was probably the most intricate element of the Tabernacle. It was made of one piece of gold, fashioned and molded and hammered into the likeness of the lampstand in the heavenly Tabernacle that the Apostle John saw and wrote about in the Book of the Revelation.

Indeed, because of the exclusivity and enclosed nature of the Holy Place–that is, there being no windows or embedded structure in the tent to allow outside light in–the Menorah would serve as that space’s ONLY light source. It would stand to the left of the attending Levitical Priest entering the Tent of Meeting.

It has been estimated by some that the Menorah weighed some 100 lbs (i.e., 43 kg.).

The 7-oil lamps that rested in the flower petals served as small bowls. And a linen wick would be placed in each bowl where pure, beaten olive oil would serve as the fuel for the candle’s flame (Exo. 30:7). The menorah was attended twice each day (i.e., morning and evening) by the attending Levitical Priest (Aharon and sons) such that provided the Holy Place light continually (Exo. 27:20, 21). More precisely, it was the responsibility of the Levitical Cohen Gadol to trim and dress the Menorah each day (Lev. 24:3). The light of the Menorah shone prominently upon the Table of the Presence or the Table of the Shewbread.

The constancy of the Menorah’s light–never to be extinguished regardless if a Priest was present in the Sanctuary or not–was a clear reminder that God was forever with His people.

Since the Menorah illuminated the Table of Shewbread most prominently in the Holy Place, it symbolized the simple fact that YHVH illuminates His people in the midst of a darkened, evil world. It is the Spirit of the Almighty that illuminates the minds of His people to His Way of Life. And it becomes abundantly clear that Yahoshua is that light of YHVH (John 1) that came to light The True Way to His Father, YHVH.

Clearly, the Menorah is a foreshadow and complete representation of Mashiyach. In fact, our Master described and proclaimed Himself to be the Light of the world (Joh. 9:5). In fact, this aspect of our Master being the Light of the world is either directly or indirectly alluded to throughout the Tanakh and the Brit haDashah. So the inference of what the Menorah represented in terms of Mashiyach is undeniable.

The Altar of Burnt Incense

The Altar of Burnt Incense would be made also of acacia wood. It would be a square as it related to its length and width (1 cubit by 1 cubit which translates into roughly 1-1/2 feet), while its height would be 2-cubits (or roughly 3-feet). It would have horns attached to each corner at the top. The altar was to be overlaid with gold. Two golden rings would be attached to the altar’s ribs, situated under the altar’s border. These would serve as staves with which to carry the altar during times the camp were to move and transit to a new place. The staves themselves would be made of acacia wood, overlaid with gold. This golden altar of incense would be placed just before the veil, outside the Holy of Holies. It would be upon this altar that Aaron would burn sweet incense of sweet spices upon it each morning he went in to trim the wicks of the Menorah. The Menorah would be lit every evening at twilight and he would burn incense continually before YHVH throughout the nation’s generations.

Father was specific that no unauthorized incense; no burnt offerings; no grain offerings; no libation offerings would be offered upon the golden altar of incense. And each year Aaron (i.e., the line of High Priests) would smear the blood of the sin offering of atonement upon it on Yom Kippur.

The Altar of Burnt Incense, also referred to as the Golden Altar in several pieces of literature, stood directly in front of the entering, attending Levitical Priest. It of course stood before the inner veil and it held the holy incense that would be burned unto YHVH in the Holy Place perpetually. Like the Menorah, it was attended to twice each day by the Levitical Priests.

From a Mashiyach perspective, the Golden Altar of Incense foreshadowed the ministry of our Master Yahoshua. How? Well, it foreshadowed His mediator role. He serves as our intercessor before YHVH and His prayers never cease on our behalf (Heb. 7:25; 1 Joh. 2:1; Rom. 8:26, 27, 34). Some have likened the four horns that were attached to each corner of the altar as representing the 4-corners of the earth. It would suggest that Mashiyach’s ministry extends throughout the entire earth.

The Tabernacle Screen

26:36,37–Now, the Veil (aka the screen) that separated the outer court from the sanctuary (aka Holy Place) would be made of blue, purple, and scarlet embroidered fine linen. The screen would hang from 5 acacia wood pillars overlaid with gold; golden hooks and silver brass sockets.

The Screen or the outer Veil has also been referred to as the Door of the Tabernacle in various pieces of literature. And it should be reiterated here that only the Levitical Priests were permitted to enter through this door or screen. And in order for the attending priests to enter the Holy Place, he had to purify himself in the water of the Brazen Laver. Clearly, this door certified the holiness of YHVH by virtue of the cherubim that were embroidered into the linen.

Again, like the inner veil or door that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, the Tabernacle screen or door foreshadows Mashiyach being the only way–the door if you will–to YHVH’s presence in the disciple’s life. In fact, it is by virtue of this absolute fact that we can approached our Heavenly Father at anytime. It was Yeshua’s sacrifice and ministry that afforded us the means by which we may be clean and pure before a Holy and Righteous Elohim. Reference John 10:7-9; 14:6; 2 Peter 1:11.

Altar of Burnt Offering

27:1,2,4-8–The Altar of Burnt Offering would be made of acacia wood. It’s dimensions would be 5-cubits by 5-cubits, and stand at 3-cubits. (This would approximate a dimension of some 7-1/2 feet wide and long; and 4-1/2 feet high.) Like the Altar of Incense, it would have horns affixed to each corner. The entire altar would be overlaid by bronze. (Note that the LXX refers to the element overlaying the altar as brass, while in the LEE the element is copper.) A brazen mesh or grate or net would be placed upon the altar, held in place by 4-brazen rings at the corners.

Like the Altar of Incense, carrying poles of acacia wood would be constructed, overlaid with bronze. These transporting poles would be put through attached rings.

The Altar of Burnt Offering is popularly referred to as the Bronze or Brazen Altar in various pieces of literature. It would facilitate the animal sacrifices (Lev. 1:9). It would be at this element of the Tabernacle that the blood of sacrifices would be shed for sin. In fact, one could not approach the Almighty without first having to work through the appointed sacrifices that would be laid upon this altar.

Clearly the Altar of Burnt Offering foreshadows Mashiyach. First to begin with, it was our Master who bore the wrath of YHVH for the sins of all humanity on the execution stake. Yahoshua became a sin offering on our behalf.

However, there is more that fundamental Christianity fails to attribute to the Messianic typology aspects of the Brazen Altar. Although Yahoshua atoned for our sins on the execution stake and thus righteousness and justification was imputed to any who would follow Yeshua as their Master, every disciple continues to sin throughout their life. Thus, the brazen altar serves as a reminder to us that we must always seek forgiveness of sins when we commit them. And that forgiveness of sins is facilitated through the sacrifice and perpetual mediation of Yeshua Mashiyach.

It was along these very lines that I did a teaching at the Sukkot celebration we attended this year in Maryland. I entitled the teaching: “Stuck in the Outer Court.” And in that teaching, I spoke to the issue of seeking an intimate relationship with the Almighty, but being stuck at the place symbolized by the Altar of Burnt Offering and the Brazen Laver, seeking forgiveness of sins that we continue to commit over and over throughout out lives.

27:3–The Implements of the Altar of Burnt Offering:

• Brazen Pots
• Brazen Shovels
• Brazen Basins
• Brazen Flesh-hooks
• Brazen Firepans.

The Tabernacle Courtyard

27:9-19–The Tabernacle’s Courtyard would be enclosed in a fine linen curtain, extending roughly 150-feet on its southern and northern sides. The curtain would be suspended from 20-posts that would sit in 20-bases; then from bronze sockets and silver hooks and bands. The western curtain would extend some 75-feet in length. These curtains would be suspended from 10 pillars and brazen sockets.

Now, the entrance to the courtyard would be on the eastern side. It would be consist of a curtain roughly 22-1/2 feet in length, either side. These would be suspended by 3-pillars each and their bases.

The Gate would consist of a 45-foot (aka 20-cubit) screen of blue, purple and scarlet embroidered fine linen, suspended from 4-pillars sitting upon their bases.

The pillars of the Tabernacle court would be banded about with silver and their hooks would be made of silver and their bases of bronze.

Additionally, the height of the courtyard curtain would be 5-cubits (aka 7.5-feet).

The one thing we should never forget is that the Tabernacle (aka, the Tent of Meeting) was portable. Unlike it’s ultimate successor, Solomon’s Temple, Father factored into the various elements of the Tabernacle, provisions for its transport.

But going back to the courtyard, or the outer court, the Tabernacle itself would be erected in the western half of the rectangle. Essentially, the Tabernacle as a whole would be situated from East to West. The Entrance to the Tabernacle Court faced East.

Now, any Hebrew was permitted to enter the Tabernacle courts. However, as mentioned previously, only the Levitical Priests would be permitted access into the Tabernacle (aka, the Tent of Meeting) proper–specifically the Holy Place. Beyond the Holy Place, aka, the Holy of Holies, only the Cohen Gadol (i.e., the High Priest) would be permitted access once per year on Yom Kippur (aka, The Day of Atonement).

Father, in His eternal and infinite grace and wisdom, established, through the Tabernacle complex, a system of worship that would permit every Hebrew a certain amount of access to Him. The Tabernacle worship system would be very specific in how Hebrews would be permitted access to YHVH. The worship system was founded primarily upon the Creator’s holiness. Thus, the Tabernacle system made provision for sinful Hebrews to come into the Creator’s presence and fellowship and commune with Him. This all foreshadowed the Great Redemption, Salvation and Restoration Plan of YHVH through the work and sacrifice of Yahoshua Mashiyach.

More than anything, the Tabernacle system made Hebrews, and later on, the world, aware of sin and its impact on the human race’s relationship with YHVH our Elohim. Thus, like an elementary school system, the Tabernacle worship system taught the willing and obedient Hebrew the steps and mindset and heart needed in order for him and her to fellowship and commune with the Almighty. Thus Yah provided the means; the place; the timing; and the foundational teaching that would keep the nation in a state of peace with Him.

An interesting aside to understanding the Outer Court. Because the Hebrews had been redeemed out of Babylonian sun god Worship in Mitsrayim (aka, Egypt), YHVH wanted to ensure that He was the focus of the Hebrew’s worship. So any opportunity that Father saw to push back on the false gods of the region, He did so. In the case of the Tabernacle: any Hebrew who would come to worship YHVH (i.e., through the sacrificial system), would have to enter through the only gate. This of course foreshadows Mashiyach being the only way to YHVH. But friends there’s more.

Sun god worship typically involved the pagan worshiper paying homage to their god(s), laying prostrate, facing the East. However, the Hebrew, upon entering the Tabernacle’s Outer Court, would naturally have their backs turned towards the East. This would come as a natural affront to the pagan gods. YHVH indeed, was showing the false gods who had enslaved the rest of the world’s population, that the Hebrews belonged exclusively to Him. And the Hebrews when they would come to worship Him, at the place and time and purpose that He so chose; in a precise manner in which He meticulously revealed to Moshe and Aharon; would throughout each day insult the false gods by their simple act of obedience to and worship of YHVH. 

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This week’s Haftarah Reading is found in Ezekiel 16:10-19

Here Father beautifully hearkens back to a time when we were brought out of Mitsrayim (aka, Egypt). We were a scraggly, unsightly “bride.” Yet Father overlooked our scraggly and unsightly appearance and made us “exceedingly beautiful and advanced us to royalty” (16:13). We—Ancient Yisrael–became renown among the nations because of our exceeding beauty and advanced royalty (16:14).

We see evidence of this in at least a couple places in the Tanakh:

(1) Lamentations 2:15 where YHVH says: “All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty? The joy of the whole earth'” (KJV)?

(2) 1 Kings 10:24 where the historian records: “And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which YHVH had put in his heart” (KJV).

(3) Ezekiel 5:5 where YHVH says to the nation: “This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her” (KJV).

Indeed, Abba kept His end of the covenantal bargain and despite Israel’s refusal to keep her end of the bargain, made her a great nation, even in the eyes of a corrupt and pagan world. Indeed, Father calls the nation on her squandering of the greatness that He lavished upon her. Israel, instead of embracing her royal status and remaining above the filth and evil of the nations of the world, played the whore with the nations of the world by pursuing their Ways. Israel stopped pursuing the Ways of the Almighty for the ways of the nations of the world (16:15). It is through the Prophet Isaiah that Father expounds upon Israel’s corrupt ways:

“Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it” (Isaiah 57:8; KJV).

Ezekiel goes even further to describe what royal Israel had done to sully her royal position among the nations of the world:

“Thou has built thy high place at every head of the way (i.e., places to worship pagan gods scattered throughout the countryside), and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms” (Ezekiel 16:25; KJV).

In other words: Israel opened herself to being the gateway to the world’s ways. Instead of shuttering herself from the ways of the world, she opened herself up to the world’s ways. Have we not witnessed this with the modern nation of Israel today? Has she not opened herself to the ways of the world and all but rejected the ways of YHVH? The modern nation of Israel today is as secular and corrupt and pagan-based as any nation of the 21st century world today.

• Rampant homosexuality
• Unbridled government corruption
• A lawless (i.e., without Torah) general population
• Bigotry
• Legalized abortions
• Drug trafficking
• Sex slave trafficking of women
• Illicit gambling
• Pirating
• Real estate corruption
• Extortion 

Indeed, the once royal and beautiful nation that was Israel of old, took to fully engaging in the ways of pagan worship and culture. According to Ezekiel’s writings, she took to adorning places of worship (i.e., shrines) with the people’s colorful clothes and engaged in pagan temples-style prostitution as was common to Ba’al of Peor worship (Eze. 16:16).

Israeli history verifies this in 2 Kings 23:7, where the historian writes: “And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of YHVH, where the women wove hangings for the grove” (KJV).

In fact, the very gold and silver (primarily jewelry) that Father gave Israel as part of their inheritance in the Land, the people melted down and formed unto themselves graven images which they happily worshiped (16:17). The elements that the people used to make their gods and the focus of much of their worship, Father lavished upon the nation to contribute to her greatness among the nations.

Moshe reminded Israel at the terminus of her 40-year sojourn in the wilderness that YHVH purchased Yisrael. And that it was YHVH that made Yisrael and established her to prominence in the world (Deu. 32:6).

Indeed, it stands to reason that the very sacred oil and incense that was supposed to be used for the exclusive worship of YHVH, the people chose to use it to honor their pagan false gods (16:18). In fact, the very elements that were used to make the shewbread for the Temple worship were used and set before these false gods for purposes of enhancing the people’s false god worship and honoring of their gods (16:19).

Indeed, what does that say to us today? Well, quite a lot I’m afraid.

That which Abba has blessed us with in life, which actually belongs to Him, do we not readily squander upon the wickedness of this world? The talents that we have, do we not lend them to the worship and furtherance of evil and paganality in the world? We freely give the moneys that Father has blessed us with on everything other than what Father would ask us to spend the moneys on. Companies and organizations that freely support evil and lawless agendas we’re quick to give God’s money to such as entertainment companies; the movie industry; the secular music industry; stores and warehouses that turn around and give that money we give them to organizations and agendas that are ungodly. And the list goes on and on.

YHVH is calling us on our fall from grace. He purchased us; He established us; He adopted us as His own and made us royalty in the world, yet we squander the resources of that royalty and position on things that are not of YHVH. Many of us, like ancient Israel, are playing the whore in the world today. Is it not time that we wake up and straighten this thing out before it’s too late? Father is giving us a chance to make this right. All we need to do is return to Him and take up His Ways once again and not play the whore to the world around us. To remain unsullied and in a state of royal purity and renown among the peoples of the world. Indeed, He’s waiting and watching to see what we’re going to do.

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This week’s Brit haDashah Reading is found in Hebrews 8:1-6.

Here, the writer of Hebrews reveals to us the high priest role of Yahoshua our Master, who He describes as being seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven (8:1). And despite our Master having been resurrected and exalted to such an lofty place in the heavenlies, His full-time job remains that of a minister in the holy place–a priest in the Tabernacle in heaven (8:2). 

As High Priest, our Master is the mediator of a better covenant (8:3-6). In fact, it was Paul who highlighted our Master’s mediator role when he wrote to Timothy:

“For there is one God, AND one mediator between God and men: the man Christ Jesus (Mashiyach Yeshua)” (1 Tim. 2:5).