North American Bible Study Meeting, 2006Images of Jesus to Be Found in the TabernacleDecember 29th, 2006 Evening LectureNow may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.  Hebrews 13:20-21The Significance of the Curtains of Goats’ Hair and the Bronze Used in the Tabernacle Previously, we examined Exodus chapter 25 what God said about the furnishings that were to be placed inside the tabernacle as he showed Moses the designs for the tabernacle and told him how he was to build it.As we read on, in Exodus chapter 26 we find an explanation of the pillars—that is, the walls—of the tabernacle, and the coverings that were to go over them, in other words, the roof. Then we read about the veil. The priest had to pass behind the entrance curtain, which had the role of a front door, in order to enter the Holy Place, and then he had to pass behind another curtain, referred to as the veil, to enter the Most Holy Place beyond that. Exodus chapter 27 talks about the court surrounding the sanctuary, and the altar that first came into view when you opened the gate and went into the court.Let’s take a closer look at all this. Let’s turn to Exodus chapter 26 verse 1. Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them.The bottommost curtain covered the tabernacle like a blanket. It was made of finely twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet yarns. God said they were to use these threads to skilfully work in images of cherubim. Let me explain this once we have read a little more from the Bible. The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall be the same size. Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set. Likewise you shall make loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. Fifty loops you shall make on the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall make on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite one another. And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to the other with the clasps, so that the tabernacle may be a single whole.  Exodus 26:2-6God said they were to make ten curtains, join them in fives, and then put loops along one edge of each of these two larger curtains by which they were to be joined to one another. In this way one large curtain was made to complete the tabernacle. This large curtain provided the ceiling for the sanctuary, covering its walls. This colorful curtain was the bottommost covering of the tabernacle.This curtain was made in the same way as the other furnishings inside the tabernacle. So from the outside, the tabernacle appeared shabby like a temporary construction with a covering of leather, but everything inside the sanctuary shone with golden light. This is because inside, the furnishings were overlaid with gold, and light shone from the lampstand made of pure gold. The veil that covered the entrance to the Most Holy Place was woven with images of cherubim, and threads of various colors were also used to weave images of cherubim into the curtain that covered the sanctuary. All of this explains in advance exactly who Jesus is. You shall also make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; eleven curtains shall you make. The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains shall be the same size. You shall couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and the sixth curtain you shall double over at the front of the tent.  Exodus 26:7-9Over the bottommost covering, which was embroidered with cherubim, there was a covering made of goats’ hair. In Exodus chapter 16, we find that one goat would be offered as a sin offering, and the high priest would lay both his hands on the head of the other goat, which would then be sent away into the wilderness. Through scenes such as this, we can see images of Jesus as he came into this world. Within Jesus, there was an image of tremendous glory, but what image do we have of him when he came to this world to stand before man, having left his glory behind? We can see these things reflected in the coverings of the tabernacle.You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set. You shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together that it may be a single whole.  Exodus 26:10-11What were the clasps made of that joined the curtains woven with images of cherubim? Verse 6 tells us they were “clasps of gold.” Yet, the clasps that connected the curtains of goats’ hair were made of bronze. This is really strange. You would think they might as well have used gold for all the clasps, but some were made of gold, and others bronze. Yet, the fact that different metals were used for the clasps in this way is precisely as it should be.Jesus was in the form of man, but the life of God was within him, as the Bible says, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3). The glory that belonged to God when he created this world appeared in the sanctuary, and when the curtains woven with images of cherubim revealing this glory were connected, clasps of gold were used. Yet, above this curtain, there was a curtain made of goats’ hair. Clasps of bronze were used to connect the curtain of goats’ hair, revealing Jesus Christ who came to this world and suffered and died in the image of a sinner.Let’s turn to Ezekiel chapter 24 and read from verse 3.And utter a parable to the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: “Set on the pot, set it on; pour in water also; put in it the pieces of meat, all the good pieces, the thigh and the shoulder; fill it with choice bones. Take the choicest one of the flock; pile the logs under it; boil it well; seethe also its bones in it. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice. For the blood she has shed is in her midst; she put it on the bare rock; she did not pour it out on the ground to cover it with dust. To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance, I have set on the bare rock the blood she has shed, that it may not be covered. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great. Heap on the logs, kindle the fire, boil the meat well, mix in the spices, and let the bones be burned up. Then set it empty upon the coals, that it may become hot, and its copper may burn, that its uncleanness may be melted in it, its corrosion consumed. She has wearied herself with toil; its abundant corrosion does not go out of it. Into the fire with its corrosion! On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, you shall not be cleansed anymore till I have satisfied my fury upon you.  verses 3-13These words were spoken by Lord when the King of Babylon was approaching Jerusalem. In this passage recorded during the process of Babylon destroying Jerusalem, God outlined the corruptness of the Israelites. He told them to take a pot of bronze and boil some meat and bones in it, letting them boil on the fire until the bronze in the pot had corroded. But God said that even if they did this, their filth would remain.In this passage, God expresses his feelings to the Israelites when they abandoned him, committing idolatry and acts of lewdness, even though they lived with the knowledge that the law was their law of life. Since they could not get rid of their filth no matter what they did, God had no choice but to send his Son to mankind. This is one of the passages that was recorded as the world waited for the coming of Jesus Christ, who was to appear in this world as a prophet who would suffer.I am the Lord. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord God.  Ezekiel 24:14Among the passages that foreshadow the dreadful judgment that will take place in the course of history as a result of sin, is the verse that says to warm up the pot that its copper may burn and its uncleanness be melted away (see Ezekiel 24:11). Through verses like this, we can see mankind will face sufferings because of the sins they have committed. Jesus said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (John 3:14). Long ago, when the Israelites came out of Egypt and were heading for the land of Canaan, they became tired and worn out, so they complained against God, whereupon he sent fiery serpents among them and the serpents bit them. At that time, God said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. Then the Bible says, “If a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.” (see Numbers 21:5-9)The bronze serpent on the pole and the covering of goats’ hair that was connected by means of bronze clasps commemorate the One who was the Son of God and yet he appeared in this world in the image of a sinner for the sake of us sinners. The bronze serpent was set up on a pole, and all those who looked to it lived. When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Jesus came to this world in the image of the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world, but he also appeared in the image of the goat that is representative of us as sinners. The image of Jesus dying on the cross, a completely righteous man, mingles with that of Jesus as he died in the image of us sinners. One apostle who spread the gospel with this truth in his heart wrote the following. That is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  2 Corinthians 5:19Where does it say God was? It says God was in Christ. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5:20-21Jesus came to this world a righteous man, but he died on the cross in the image of the bronze serpent; he was put to death, bearing in his body all your sins. In other words, Jesus’ body became your sin, and he was nailed to the cross. The image of Jesus being crucified is an image of none other than you. The image of you committing sins as easily as drinking water in the course of your life in this world was shown clearly through the torn body of Jesus. Jesus came as a pure lamb, but he also died in the image of the goat which presents an image of us sinners. It is as John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”We find in the book of Leviticus in the Old Testament that when the Israelites offered sacrifices, at times it was a lamb that was sacrificed and at times it was a goat. On the cross, Jesus presented simultaneously an image of the sinner and an image of the righteous man. The curtain of goats’ hair joined together with bronze clasps to cover the tabernacle was to reveal this image of Jesus and the work he would carry out in this world. Would it have been right, if God had told them to make the clasps of gold? The

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