Exodus 25

Willing offerings for the sanctuary 1
Instructions for constructing the ark of the testament 10
For the table of showbread 23
For the lampstand 31
After the pattern shown 40


Text
Comments
 1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
.2  Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
.3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, 
 4  And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
.5  And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,
.6  Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,
 7  Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.
.8  And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
.9  According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
   2 - Offering from the willing A principle for supporting our places of worship. The children of Israel had received valuable items from the Egyptians for whom they had worked as slaves. Purposes for the offerings are explained.
   4 - Blue 1.4 ounces (40 g.) of this die requires 12,000 murex snails.
   8 - Make me a sanctuary God wants to be close to us. This is a key text for understanding how the sanctuary represents how He related to the people then and He relates now. This relationship is more than a happy feeling as some assert.
   9 - According to the pattern God was specific. This was not an opportunity for human creativity, at least not in the major specifications. God had also given specific instructions for the construction of the ark ge0614.
.10 ¶ And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
 11  And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
 12  And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.
   10 - Ark This piece of furniture was the most important — first to be described.
.13  And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
 14  And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.
.15  The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
.16  And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
.17  And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
   15 - Staves to stay in the rings Perhaps they were removed at a later time in history, but here you can understand the reason for them to stay.
.18  And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
 19  And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
 20  And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
.21  And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
.22  And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
   18 - Two cherubim Notice their relationship to the mercy seat which was apparently a cover or lid. The word does not need an s to be plural. The word is from the Greek khwe-oo-beem. In Hebrew it is keroob. Two cherubim were guardians of the gate of Eden after sin, ge0324. Compare ez0111.
   22 - And inside, the testimony The tables of stone were to go in the heart of the ark covered by the mercy seat on top. Justice and mercy characterize God's throne in heaven ps08914, ex3118.
.23 ¶ Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
 24  And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.
 25  And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.
 26  And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.
 27  Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.
.28  And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.
 29  And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.
.30  And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.
  30 - Shewbread Literally "bread of presence." It stayed on the table for a week and was then eaten by the priests. See le2405ff , jn0635.
.31 ¶ And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
 32  And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:
 33  Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.
 34  And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
 35  And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.
 36  Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
.37  And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
.38  And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
 39  Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.
.40  And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.
  31 - Candlestick Better translated as "lampstand." Trimmed morning and evening, ex2720f. The lamps were not all extinguished at the same time le2402ff.
  31 - Knops Or "knobs" in modern English.

  33 - Almonds ... flower The almond tree was the first to bloom in the spring.

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Background copyrighted
The sanctuary system

The sanctuary services represent our plan of Salvation. They are seen in two parts. Both are essential.
 

No place for the holy place? 

Some argue that Christ went directly into the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary when He ascended after the resurrection. They use Hebrews 9:12 to support their idea. “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place (or "holy place," NASB, RSV) once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” (NKJV). The proposed logic follows that Christ's sacrifice on the cross brings us salvation without further appeal. If already redeemed, why pray? Notice that the Hebrew Christians living after the cross as we do were saved only by appeal to their heavenly High Priest: “But He [Jesus], because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Heb. 7:24, 25), Also 8:1.

The argument eliminates a preadvent period of time for judgment because if already redeemed at the cross, we would have no need for judgment. The sacrifice of Christ is indeed complete. He has paid the full price for our sins, but as in the verses quoted above, we are saved only by personally coming to God in prayer through Him. We must ask for and continually depend on His power to live in righteousness by faith. The argument of  Christ’s entering the Most Holy Place directly after the cross is based on the sanctuary system of the Old Testament which describes the complete plan of salvation. But if we deny the Holy Place ministry, we have denied the whole system including Christ’s redemption for us as expressed in Hebrews 9:12.

The two-part ministry in the Holy and Most Holy places is seen in Leviticus. Ordinary priests representing Christ, throughout the year before the Day of Atonement would take the blood of the animal slain by the repentant sinner and sprinkle it in the Holy Place before the veil separating the two rooms. The sinner would then be forgiven by God by trusting the Lamb of God to come. (Lev. 4:27-31; John 1:29). On the Day of Atonement the high priest, also representing Christ, would minister in the Most Holy Place. During this second and final period of time (Lev. 16), the sanctuary was cleansed or vindicated. Notice verse 16: “thus he [the high priest] shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel, and because of their transgressions, all their sins [may also be translated ‘sin offerings’]; and so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which abides with them in the midst of their uncleannesses.” (RSV). We can see that the sanctuary was cleansed in recognition of the sacrificial offerings made throughout the year and the repentant people were cleansed (verses 29, 30).

In summary, the two parts of tabernacle ministry represent  the year before the Day of Atonement and  the one Day of Atonement and the ordinary priests and the high priest. ministry in the Holy Place and in the Most Holy Place,  forgiveness and cleansing, and justification and sanctification. 

This two-part ministry is also seen in Dan. 7:13. The verse is accurately translated only in the (KJV). “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.” A cloud of angels took Jesus to heaven (Acts. 1:9-11). They took Him first to the Holy Place. It is the first room entered going into the tabernacle from the courtyard where the altar of sacrifice was. It represented the sacrifice of Christ. Then they (the cloud) took Him into the closer presence before the Father (Ancient of Days), that is, into the Most Holy Place. Thus He ministered in the first part of the heavenly sanctuary until the end time represented by the Day of Atonement, then in the second part. The first of this two-part ministry cannot be ignored.

A simple understandingChrist did go to heaven after the cross. Do you remember the experience of Mary Magdlene near the tomb? See John 20:17He was inaugurated in heaven at the time of Pentecost. Then He sent the Holy Spirit as His representative John 14:16
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How do we understand “having obtained eternal redemption” while there is still opportunity to lose it? The passage is accurately translated. We recognize that, in a special sense, God’s promises are present assurance of a future reality. “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13). Many people have died after the apostle’s inspired statement. Their immortality and ours, however, is still future (1 Thess. 4:16, 17; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; Heb. 11:8-10; 39, 40).

To confirm our understanding of divine promises Consider other inspired statements that describe a future fulfillment as if it were a present reality. Here are Jesus’ words: "But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living" (Matt. 22:32). The patriarchs had been literally dead for some 300 years before the Lord originally identified Himself to Moses in these terms. (Ex. 3:15). Jesus was speaking to the Sadducees who denied the resurrection of the dead. Looking forward to the time of the resurrection, Jesus could see these patriarchs raised to life (John 5:26). He would then be God of the living. Jesus’ statement expressed a future event as a present reality.

ConclusionHeb. 9:12 pictures Christ's inauguration after the cross and before His ministry in the Holy Place of the sanctuary of heaven began. The preadvent judgment is still an integral part of our salvation as pictured by the sanctuary services.
Praise God!