LESSON 5.—MAY 4.—THE SANCTUARY AND ITS COVERINGS.
[Note to the Student.—These lessons are not designed to be exhaustive, but suggestive. In references to the “Desire of Ages,” in the lessons, the subscription edition is referred to. Those who have only the trade edition will find the matter in chapters 1, 4, 11, 27, 71, 77, 78; also read “Patriarchs and Prophets,” chapters 5 and 30. “Christ Our Advocate,” Bible Students’ Library, No. 129 (price, 10 cents), and “Looking unto Jesus” (price, $1.00) will be found a great help. The SIGNS OF THE TIMES will have an article on the subject of each lesson this quarter by J. O. Corliss. Read these articles in connection with the study of the lesson. We have not space to print all the scriptures. Let the student study them carefully from the Bible. Those printed are from the Revised Version.] 1. WHERE do we find God’s way revealed? “Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is a great god like unto God?” Ps. 77:13. 2. Of what were the sides of the tabernacle made? “And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up.” “And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars; and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold.” Ex. 26:15, 29. 3. How many boards were used? What were their dimensions? “Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each board.” “And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side southward.” “And for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, twenty boards.” “And for the hinder part of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards.” “And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the hinder part.” “And there shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.” Verses 16, 18, 20, 22, 23, 25. 4. Of what was the ceiling or roof of the tabernacle made? “Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine-twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim the work of the cunning workman shalt thou make them. The length of each curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall have one measure. Five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and the other five curtains shall be coupled one to another. And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvage in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second coupling. Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the second coupling; the loops shall be opposite one to another. And thou shalt make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to another with the clasps; and the tabernacle shall be one.” Ex. 26:1–6. Note 1. 5. What was used to cover the tabernacle? “And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; eleven curtains shalt thou make them. The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains shall have one measure. And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double over the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tent. And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outermost in the coupling, and fifty loops upon the edge of the curtain which is outermost in the second coupling. And thou shalt make fifty clasps of brass, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one. And the overhanging part that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle.” Verses 7–13. Note 2. 6. What other coverings were made for the tabernacle? “And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of sealskins above.” Verse 14. Note 3. 1. THE linen curtain which formed the ceiling of the sanctuary was a beautiful symbol of the fine linen which is said to be the righteousness of saints. Rev. 19:8. This is obtained by faith in Christ, the Antitype of the goat that was slain for a sin-offering, of which the goats’ hair curtain would be a constant reminder. 2. THE first covering was of goats’ hair. The goat in the type was the sin-offering whose blood cleansed the people and the sanctuary. It was a type of Christ, the true Sin-offering, whose blood actually takes away sin. 3. THE second covering was made of rams’ skins dyed red. Our sins are said to be “red like crimson.” Isa. 1:18. The wages of sin is death. Sin forfeits the life, it demands the shedding of blood, for “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Heb. 9:22), that is, no remission of sin. The blood is the life. The rams’ skins “dyed red” would be emblematic of the sinner, whose sins require the shedding of blood. The outer covering was made of badger skins or sealskins, as most Bible expositors teach. The words in the original seem to indicate that they were sealskins or something similar. From this we conclude that this outer curtain was for the purpose of protection from the elements.