I have some things to remark in the materials used in the tabernacle, etc. In the tabernacle itself, or tent of the tabernacle, there was linen, blue, purple, scarlet, cherubim, but no gold. The veil (v. 31), purple, scarlet, linen (only linen last here), and cherubim-no gold. The ephod was gold, blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, and the curious girdle the same-no cherubim. The pomegranates were blue, purple, scarlet only; there were bells of gold.
Gold I apprehend, was divine righteousness.
Fine linen, perfectly pure nature—here man's.
Cherubim, as everywhere, judicial authority-but divine.
Blue—heavenly.
Purple—regal.
Scarlet—earthly honor and glory.
Now in the tent and veil there was no gold-it was Christ as Man; but all was gold inside either, and cherubim were on them—as Christ, as such, had the judicial authority, but wielding God's judgment committed to Him.
In the ephod and girdle, which is of course priesthood, there is not Aaronic or judicial throne, but there must be divine righteousness, though girded for service. In the heavenly character, which was under, and appeared below the ephod, there were the three colors, which give the triple character of the fruit, which belongs to the heavenly character- what was heavenly, royal, and glorious. These were manifested as belonging to the heavenly man; but the priesthood was really a higher character, it belonged to what went within- the righteousness of God—not merely what was the consequence for him who went in.
The curtains were 40 cubits by 28, the tabernacle 30 long by to high and 9 wide. Thus the curtains not only hung down the sides, but the back; and only on the sides the ends were half a cubit from the ground. The goats' hair curtains reached a cubit beyond the lower end of them, and were half a cubit on the ground on either side, and as there were II curtains instead of 10, there was (v. 12) a superfluity, se-rakh ha-odeph (portion that remaineth), was divided between the back and front. Then I apprehend, not as once I thought, that the corners were doubled to strengthen them, not cut off so as to destroy the square inside, and make it to cubits wide, or more; but thus the six boards giving the breadth unchanged.
Note.-There was gold in the high priest's ephod and girdle, but none in the veil, verse 31; chapter 28:6; chap. 39: 1-3, and elsewhere; while there were cherubim on the veil, not on the ephod. The veil was Christ's flesh, behind which Godhead was hidden. The perfect effect was there in Man, divine grace in a pure human nature, but in going in the divine righteousness had its place, for He was before God. It was not merely efficacy of work, and so judicial. He is the propitiation for our sins; but Jesus Christ the righteous was there. It is in Him what perfectly meets God's mind, because it is divine—nothing else could be in itself. In John it is intrinsic in the way of nature, it is so spoken of, as 1 John 2:2929If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. (1 John 2:29); then it is the judicial question, as 1 John 4:1717Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17); but it is intrinsic in Him, in order to appear for us—the divine perfection in righteousness in itself. It is not that He is changed of course, but it had to appear before God in heaven; purity, and every grace to us outside. But then it is not merely He is our righteousness, but One is there who, having accomplished that work is Himself there—appears in the presence of God for us—and such that all God's positive delight from His very nature must go out towards Him. This is a blessed place to stand in—Jesus Christ the righteous is there.