Seeing God's Spiritual Building in Exodus 26 - Part 1 of 2

    The pictures in the Old Testament parallel the teachings in the New Testament.  There are 185 chapters in the Life-Study of Exodus, and probably half of them are all on the details with the building of the tabernacle.  So as I’ve been read through this part of the Life-Study,  it’s helped me see more about the spiritual building that God is after today.   I’ll give you a quick overview of what I’ve picked up.

A friend of mine made a model of the tabernacle with 

her husband when they were doing a Bible study

on Exodus.  She let me take pictures of it. This only shows

 three layers. 

   First, the description of the tabernacle in Exodus 26 begins with the four different layers that make up the roof.  The first layer was made of fine linen with golden cherubim, the second of goats' hair, the third was made from rams' skins dyed red, and the fourth layer was constructed of porpoise skins.  When I read these chapters they grabbed my attention because the typology here was amazing to me.  

    Let's see if I can put this part in my own words.  In the Gospels we see Christ portrayed as the fine linen that the priest could see while serving. This curtain was composed of fine linen which represents Christ's pure humanity.  On it cherubim were embroidered with different colors of thread that symbolize different aspects of Christ's humanity. The  blue thread  represents Christ's heavenliness, the gold thread His divinity, the purple thread is kingliness, and the scarlet thread that He is our Redeemer. 

    The next layer was made of goat's hair and this represents that Lord came to the earth to die for our sins (John 1:29).  After that came the layer of rams' skins dyed red, and this clearly portrays Christ's redemption on our behalf.  The porpoise skins might be a little hard to get, but in chapter 96 Witness Lee points out that porpoise skins are impenetrable.  They signify that Christ is able to withstand any of Satan's attacks. 

   Witness Lee shares that most people describe a building from the foundation up, but God  in Exodus 26 starts from the top. On pages 1131-1132 he explains why He did that.

Top view of the tabernacle

Therefore the fact that the covering comes before the boards indicates that the redemption of Christ must come first. This reveals that our Christian experience begins with the top, with the roof, not with the bottom. If Christ had not become a man to die on the cross for our sins in order to accomplish redemption, fulfill God's requirements, and withstand the attacks of the enemy, there would be no way for us to be God's people. The gospel is actually Christ typified by the four-layered covering of the tabernacle....When we heard the gospel and believed into Christ, our Christian life began from above, with the roof....Before we were regenerated, the roof, the four-layered Christ, was already in existence....When we believed in the Lord, and received Him, we immediately found ourselves under the roof, under the covering (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Exodus. Living Stream Ministry: Anaheim, 1981, Print).  

 Every day we can appreciate the fact that God has put us underneath the covering and protection of this Christ! Satan can't touch us here!  In the next post we will look at the boards of the tabernacle.

 

You can listen to excerpts of this life training and some outstanding commentary by listening to Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee on Exodus.

Other Posts on the Life-Study of Exodus:

Why Did God Use So Many Women in Exodus 1 & 2?Taking a Closer Look at the Conflict Between God and Pharaoh in Exodus 5
What Does the Name Jehovah Mean in Exodus 6:2?
Why Did God Really Send the Manna in Exodus 6?
What is the Meaning of the Bitter Waters at Marah in Exodus 15:23?
How are the 10 Commandments Like God's Engagement Covenant in Exodus 20?
How Can You Keep the 10 Commandments?
Why Did the Israelites Build a Tabernacle in Exodus 25:8?
Taking Another Look at the Priesthood of the Believers in Exodus 19:6
Seeing God's Spiritual Building in Exodus 26 - Part 1 of 1
Seeing God's Spiritual Building in Exodus 26 - Part 2 of 2
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus 25 - The Ark
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus 25 - The Showbread Table & the Lampstand
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus 27 & 30 - The Bronze Altar & Laver
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus - The Golden Incense Altar

 

Other posts on God's Building:

From the Life-Study of Matthew:
What is the Significance of the Parables on the Treasure & the Pearl of Great Value in Matthew 13:44-46?

From the Life-Study of Acts:
What Does the Early Church Look Like in the Book of Acts?
How Did the Lord Spread the Gospel in Acts 8?
What Vision Did Saul Have at His Conversion in Acts 9:3-8?
How Does the Gospel Reach the Gentiles in Acts 10?

From the Life-Study of Romans:
What is the Focus of Romans 12?
What Does Romans 14 Say About Receiving Believers & Why Does It Matter?
Have You Seen the Practical Church Life in Romans 16?

From the Life-Study of 1 Corinthians:
What is God Building in 1 Corinthians 3:9?
What Does it Mean to Build in 1 Corinthians 3:12 With Gold, Silver, & Precious Stones?
What is the Apostle Paul's View of the Body in 1 Corinthians 12?
How Did the Early Believers Meet in 1 Corinthians 14:26?

From the Life-Study of Ephesians:
What is the Subject of Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians?
What is the Mystery of God's Will Revealed in Ephesians 1:9?
What is the One New Man in Ephesians 2:15?
What are the Seven Aspects of the Church Seen in Ephesians?
Why Did God Abolish the Ordinances in Ephesians 2:15? 

From the Life-Study of Colossians:
What is the Mystery of God in Colossians 2:2? (Part 1)
What is the Mystery of Christ in Ephesians 5:32?   (Part 2)
What is the Greatest Mystery?
How Does God Get the One New Man in Colossians 3:10?


From the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus & Philemon:
Looking at the Church's Decline in 2 Timothy
From the Life-Study of 2 Timothy - How Did Paul Inoculate the Church Against Decline?

From the Life-Study of 1 Peter:
How Does God Get the Living Stones in 1 Peter 2:5?


From the Life-Study of Revelation:
What is the Controlling Vision of he Bible Seen in the Book of Revelation?

From the Life-Study of Genesis:
Seeing Life & Building in the Book of Genesis
Why Did Jacob Dream About a Ladder in Genesis 28:12?
What is the Meaning of the Two Altars in Genesis 33 & 35?

From the Life-Study of Exodus:
Why did the Israelites Build the Tabernacle in Exodus 25:8?
Seeing God's Spiritual Building in Exodus 26 - Part 1 of 1
Seeing God's Spiritual Building in Exodus 26 - Part 2 of 2