The Court and Oil

You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side. Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. And likewise for its length on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, its pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. And for the breadth of the court on the west side there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases. The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits. (Exodus 27: 9 to 13)

God commanded the people of Israel to make the tabernacle court with hanging linen on pillars. The bronze bases for the pillars symbolized judgement and purification. So, the court was emphasized on separation not protection, to separate God's holiness with the outside world. Even though God decided to live in their midst, God wanted the Israelites to live a transcendent life as described by apostle Paul below.

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” (Second Corinthians 6: 14 to 18)

The gate of the court was described as below.

For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases. (Exodus 27: 16)

Like the inner curtain of the tabernacle, the screen was using the same blue, purple and scarlet to represent Jesus Christ. In other words, to enter the court, we need to go through Jesus Christ as described by himself below.

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10: 7 to 10)

The last but not the lease was the oil for the lamp as God commanded below.

You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel. (Exodus 27: 20 21)

Not only the lamp needed to be fuel by pure beaten olive oil but to be tended by Aaron and sons from dusk to dawn. Because the lamp was standing outside the veil to witness God's presence. Now, Jesus Christ represented the light as described below. 

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8: 12)

Not only that Christ was the light but he would also send us the Holy Sprit to continuously witness God's presence through his words as described below.

These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14: 25 26)

So, with Jesus Christ as the light, all of the believers who are saved by grace could enter the tabernacle court to worship and witness God's presence as described below.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (First Peter 2: 9 10)

Even though the tabernacle was built for Israelites, God's presence and mercy was opened to all who are willing to accept Jesus Christ as the savior. Immanuel.

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