The very first thing that Israelite worshipers would see as they came to the beautiful Tabernacle
was the large white linen fence of the courtyard and the beautiful and colorful gate.
The Tabernacle was the place where Israel learned of the importance of repentance,
atonement, and sacrifice and could symbolically reenter the presence of God through the priests.
Learning of the gate and courtyard can help us better understand that
it is only through the Savior that we can return to the presence of the Lord.
Before we can understand the gate of the Tabernacle, we first must understand the
importance of gates in ancient times. The city gate was a place of protection and strength.
Its fortified towers were one of the safest places of any ancient city.
The excavated gates at Megiddo and Tel Dan are excellent examples of this with their
massive fortified structures and flanking chambers. During an attack on the city,
these chambers could be used to protect soldiers from invaders.
Ancient gates were also a place to perform covenants and contractual agreements.
After the death of Sarah, Abraham stood at the city gate to negotiate and purchase the
tomb where Sarah would be buried. When Ruth was to be married to Boaz, under the levirate law,
he likewise did this at the city gate. Being at the gate,
allowed all the city to witness the covenant or contract, becoming witnesses to the agreement.
The Law of Moses also prescribed that those who had been accused of sin should be brought
to the gate, making it a place of judgment. In fact, ancient city gates often even included an
elevated seat, such as the one discovered at Tel Dan. Here the king or ruler would come and sit in
judgment and hear the cases brought forward by his people. Because so many people entered and
exited the city gate, it was also an excellent place to market goods and services. With the
high amount of traffic, ancient prophets also found it an ideal place to preach to the people.
Jeremiah stood at the gates when he called the people to repentance, proclaiming that Jerusalem
would be destroyed if they did not repent. Thus, the ancient gate was seen as a place
of protection, covenant-making, judgment, and a place where the word of God could be heard.
Similarly, the Tabernacle gate had many of these same characteristics.
As sinners, we all must come to the house of the Lord and seek protection and refuge through the
grace of Christ. The Tabernacle and later temples in Jerusalem were also a place of covenant-making,
where Israel could promise to obey the Lord. It also is a place of judgment,
where Israel was to bring their sins to the Lord, and symbolically have them placed on the altar
through the death of an innocent animal. The Tabernacle gate was
also a place where Israel could hear the word of the Lord, proclaimed by prophets.
With this background, let’s now examine the construction of the Tabernacle gate
and courtyard. Unlike ancient cities with their towering gates and walls of protection,
the Tabernacle courtyard had only a linen fabric wall that separated the world from the sacred.
This of course was largely because Israel needed the Tabernacle to be
a portable structure that could move with them as they traveled in the wilderness.
This outer fence was made from white fine linen, the same fabric used in the clothing
of the priests. John the Revelator wrote that “the fine linen is the righteousness of
saints.” In ancient times the color white in fabric was very difficult to produce,
having to go through a laborious process of bleaching or fulling. This would make it uncommon
to see white fabrics used except for the wealthy and elite. These white fine linen walls would also
stand in stark contrast to the thousands of black coarse goat-hair tents. The white linen creates
beautiful symbolism of a sacred space that is set apart from the contrasting surroundings.
This outer linen fence was hung on 60 wooden pillars.
Unlike the inner sanctuary walls that rested on a foundation of silver bases,
these outer pillars rested on bronze bases. These different metals show the levels of gradation of
holiness. The outer courtyard is least sacred so bronze is used for most of the items,
including the bases of the pillars. As you progress towards more sacred areas, silver and
gold are used more prominently to show the symbolic progression of holiness. This outer linen
fence was about 7.5 feet or just over 2 meters tall. Being above eye level would create a visible
barrier that separated the profane from the sacred, blocking the view of those on the outside.
This would mean that the only way to see inside was to enter through the colorful gate.
The Tabernacle gate itself was made of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric woven into white
linen. The colorful gate was surprisingly wide at about 35 feet or over 10 meters,
perhaps symbolically showing how despite the fact that there is only one way to enter God’s
presence, it is wide enough to allow all who desire to enter. The Psalms gives us
the requirement for entering by saying: “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or
who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart.”
The gate was located on the east side of the courtyard. This meant that as an Israelite entered
the courtyard they went in a westward direction. When Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit
and were cast out of the presence of the Lord, we are told that they went in an eastward direction.
This means that to reenter the garden, they would have to turn around and then go westward,
passing the cherubim who guarded the tree of life. Ancient Jews saw the similarities
between the Garden of Eden and how the High Priest, who represented all of Israel,
reversed the steps of Adam and Eve, bringing Israel back into the presence of the Lord.
Beautiful symbolism can be found in both the outer fence and gate of the Tabernacle that
point us to the Lord Jesus Christ. As we draw closer to the Savior, one of the first things
that often will catch our eye is His purity and perfection (symbolized by the white linen fence).
In many ways, we may want to turn away because of our own lack of cleanliness,
but the Lord beckons us forward, showing us how we can become pure like He is pure. The fine linen
used for the outer fence may also remind us of the fine linen strips that were used to wrap the
lifeless body of Christ at his burial. The colors of the outer gate could symbolize the perfection
and attributes of the Savior. The color blue in ancient times often symbolized heaven,
the color purple royalty, and the color red death, blood, mortality and sacrifice. These same colors
will be replicated throughout the Tabernacle, in the beautiful garments of the High Priest
(himself a type of Christ), and the veils of the Tabernacle.
While teaching in the Temple at Jerusalem, Jesus taught: “I am the gate; whoever enters through me
will be saved,” teaching us that to return to God, the very first thing we must do is pass through
the Savior. It is as if the Savior (represented by the beautiful colors) as the Great High Priest,
stands at each of the main areas of division, the gate of the courtyard, the door of the Tabernacle,
and the veil going into the Holy of Holies. From the very beginning to the very end of our journey
back to God, the Savior stands beckoning us to enter through Him. As we pass from one point
to the next on our journey back to God, it is always through Him and because of His infinite
sacrifice and resurrection that we can progress back into the presence of the Lord!