The Tabernacle: The Court and The Gate

The Court and The Gate

The Court And The Gate: 
Exodus 27: 9-19. Exodus 38: 9-20

Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! Ps. 24:7

The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwelling places of Jacob. Ps. 87:2

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. Ps. 84:10

Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. Ps. 100:4

Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous will enter through it. Ps. 118: 19-20

Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. Ps. 122:2

Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, The one that remains faithful. Is. 26:2

The Court
~The court surrounded the tabernacle.
~It was made of white linen curtains-the Bride of Christ will be clothed in white linen

He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. Rev. 3:5
To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified… I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Is. 61:3, 10

~It had 60 bronze pillars; twenty on each side
~ten on each end
~each pillar was set into bronze sockets buried
in the sand as a foundation, and topped with a capital overlaid with silver
~This along with the gate of blue purple and scarlet made a complete enclosure
~bronze represents judgment, and silver is redemption.
~ 172 ft. long 86 ft. wide 8ft6in tall

The Purpose Of The Court
~it was a barrier- prevented unlawful approach;
~it was a line of separation-
~It created a way of approach.
~The white linen stood for
~The court is a picture of the Word of God.
~sin is judged and put under foot (bronze sockets).
~It holds up its head (silver capitals) the redemptive work of Christ
~displays on every hand the righteousness of God.

The Gate- the Way of Approach

Names given for the Gate-
~ The Gate Ex. 27:16
~The curtain for the door of the court Num. 3:26
~The Door of the court Num. 3:26

~Everyone can enter, but they had to do it God’s way
There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12 (KJV).

~The gate was wide, 35 feet wide. It could accommodate everyone. God desires that all men be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim. 2:4 KJV)

~The only way through to the court was the gate.

~The gate was supported well. It was hung on four pillars.

~The gate faced East.

~The gate was a veil, woven with white, blue, purple, scarlet.

Luke-The perfect man from heaven- white.
John- the Lamb-of God blue.
Matthew- Christ as King- purple.
Mark-Christ a suffering servant man- red.

~The Gate was Beautiful.
~for in Him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col. 1:19, 2:9; Jn. 3:34 KJV)

List of resources:
Conner, Kevin J. The Tabernacle Of Moses. Portland: City Bible Publishing, 1976.
Snelling, C.W. Made According To Pattern. Ft. Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1999.

This work, including all poems is material protected by copyright.
All Scripture unless otherwise noted is the New American Standard.

A Journey In The Wilderness: A Woman’s Walk Through The Tabernacle
By Piper Green © 2003-2015. All Rights reserved.
Chapter 1 The Tabernacle:

The Court and the Gate Exodus 27: 9-19; Exodus 38: 9-20

Awakened by the rustling of the herds outside, Sarah peers out her tent; the men in the camp are stirring as they venture out to gather the day’s portion of manna; she thanks the Lord for a brand new day. Sarah is grateful to be out of Egypt, but still unsure of her future. The journey to the Promise Land is long in the hot wilderness, and it seems it will take an eternity to arrive there. The camp has moved many times; the Israelites follow the Pillar of Fire by night and the Cloud by day; permitted only to move at the direction of God. Packing and un-packing grows tedious; she is war weary. However, she trusts God, and believes He holds them in His hand. Emerging from the tent she sees her father; he is making his way to the Tabernacle with his sacrifice.

Sarah is fascinated by the Tabernacle, it stirs her imagination; she is drawn to it. She does not fully understand it or everything it represents; she does not grasp that God’s redemption plan is intricately woven in the instructions for this tent in the desert. Sarah is not a priest or a man, so entering the Tabernacle is only a fleeting dream. However, the mystery surrounding it keeps calling her; she daydreams about it. What does it look like? Why can’t I enter? Why can’t I see the Glory of God? These questions dance through her thoughts, as she can only imagine the beauty that awaits those who enter.

As night descends on the desert, Sarah enjoys one last glimpse of the Tabernacle, the pure white linen curtains dancing in the cool, evening breeze. The white linen is a most welcomed sight; beautiful compared to the black dusty tent in which she lives. As she lays on her bed, she whispers one last prayer into the dark to see the glory of God. She catches glimpses of Him when she gathers with her family at the door of the congregation to celebrate the festivals. But something is calling her deeper. She is sleepy from the hot day, and loses the struggle to stay awake.

As she drifts to sleep, she hears a voice calling her. She doesn't recognize the voice, yet at the same time it seems familiar to her. Careful not to wake her sleeping family, she lifts the door to her tent; to her surprise she finds herself face to face with a man patiently waiting. “Come Sarah, I want to show you something.” She wonders if she is dreaming, but cannot believe what is happening! Who is this man? She considers waking her father, but decides otherwise; she is intrigued. He speaks again, “Come.” He leads her toward the court, the bronze pillars reflecting in the moonlight. She remains apprehensive, but his voice is soothing and inviting; she trusts it. Her heart begins to race as they near the white linen court. As they approach, the man disappears from her sight, and she begins to anxiously search for the entrance. Her eyes hunt aimlessly for him in the dark. She hopes the moonlight will show her the way, but it offers little aid. She is overwhelmed and feels lost and forsaken. Why would he invite her only to discourage her? His voice interrupts her panic, “Sarah, do not despair; I will show you the way for there is only one entrance. Many would try to enter by this corner or that corner; they are only thieves. He takes her by the hand and she gazes into his face, and though she has not seen him before this night, he seems more familiar. A peace rests in his face, and it comforts her; she longs to have that peace.

He leads her through the court to the gate. The light from the moon draws her attention to the blue, purple, and scarlet linen, hanging so beautifully before them. She is captivated at the stunning needlework, and she runs her hand along the fine linen. She suddenly becomes aware of her surroundings, and she blurts out to him, “I can’t enter here!” He comforts her with his reply, “All who want to may enter Sarah, I invite every man, woman and child. If you want to enter come with me.” 

He leads her through the curtain-gate and into the outer court. Sarah keeps her eyes closed; she is afraid of what might happen; yet she is full of anticipation. “Open your eyes…open your eyes,” she repeats to herself as she takes a deep breath and opens her eyes to the enormous, shiny, Bronze Altar before her. She covers her face with her veil; the air is full of smoke from the wonder before her. Cracking embers interrupts the stillness, and the red, hot coals glow in the dark. Sarah, aware the fire of the altar is never to go out, waits for the priest to attend the fire. 

As she waits, his voice interrupts her thoughts, “Before we go any further, I must explain the gate, it is very precious and the colors have been purposefully chosen.” She attempts to take it all in. He continues, “The white linen is to remind you that God is righteous, and holy. The blue is to remind you of heaven; like when you stare up at the sky, and you try to imagine what heaven looks like, just as you have tried to imagine what the tabernacle looks like.” She is amazed at how he reads her thoughts, “How did you know that I do that?” she asks. He smiles at her. “The purple is to signify God’s Kingship, His royalty. The scarlet is the color of blood, for the life is in the blood. Sarah, without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin, God requires a sacrifice for sin; He is a holy God.” 

He again takes her hand as they approach the Bronze Altar that has been captured in the light the moon.

By Piper Green © 2003-2015. All Rights reserved.