We must now direct attention to the door of God’s dwelling place. It stretched across the whole of the east side. The door was formed of the same material as the hangings of the Court, of the gate, of the veil, and of the Tabernacle curtains, namely, fine linen, emblematic of the personal purity of Christ―His righteous character before men (the Court), and in presence of God (the veil). The colors, blue, purple, and scarlet, were not wrought in the hangings of the Court, but were in the gate, door, veil, and beautiful curtains. Cherubic figures were skillfully wrought into the texture of the linen (in addition to the colors) in the veil, and in the Tabernacle curtains, but omitted in the gate, and door, and hangings of the Court. The moral supports of God’s throne as justice and judgment (Ps. 89:14) ―judicial authority — are seen in that which specially presents Christ in the presence of God. The Cherubim whether on the Ark, in the curtains, or in the veil could only be seen inside.
The five pillars of shittim-wood overlaid with gold (the union of the Divine and Human natures in the Person of our Lord), were to support the display of needle work wrought in the pure linen. What a tale that door unfolds! We are satisfied that the shittim-wood in the Altar, in the pillars here, in the staves, and in the Ark can only set forth the perfect human nature of our Lord―holy and incorruptible. It is not a gain but loss to force the shittim-wood to utter any name but that of Christ. In the five pillars there may be an allusion to the five Christ-given ministries of Eph. 4:1111And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (Ephesians 4:11). Surely the only business of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher is in their several spheres to point to the curtained door, containing in hieroglyphic characters the history of Christ as righteous, as heavenly, in death, and on the throne, all wrapped up in the mystery of His Being as One.
The beautiful hangings were of needlework. The variegated glories of Christ were, so to speak, wrought into the very texture of that marvelous holy life. These glories are inseparably attached to His Person, as the hangings to the pillar) by hooks of gold. Divine righteousness linked and secured all together. Gold, too, adorned the chapiters, or ornamental upper parts of the pillars. Five brass sockets at the base maintained the pillars immovable in their position, As you are about to enter the Tabernacle solemnly remember that you can only do so on the ground that Divine righteousness has judged sin in “the place called Calvary.” The gold at the top of the pillars signifies Divine righteousness in itself; while the brass at the base of the pillars chews the inflexibility of Divine righteousness judging sin. The Court-pillars had silver above and brass beneath; here we have gold above and brass beneath.