If you look at any visual representation of the Tabernacle, you’ll probably notice that it looks like a gigantic tent. This makes sense; if the Levites are to carry this for forty years in the desert (eventually), it needs to be somewhat lightweight and mobile.
A quick glance through Exodus 26 reveals quite the opposite. Instead of a single layer of heavy curtains, God’s plan for the Tabernacle actually reveals five different levels: boards made out of acacia wood (Exodus 26:15-30), two outer coverings made of “fine twisted linen” (Exodus 26:1-6), and two inner layers of curtains (Exodus 26:7-14).
There’s zero doubt this type of structure would be incredibly heavy, but that’s also the point. If holiness and intimacy with God are involved inside the Tabernacle, it needs to be as insulated as possible. Can’t have a stray child lifting up one of the sheets to the Holy of Holies, after all.
If you want to dive into the symbolism of all these various layers, be my guest. There are no shortage of commentaries and online bloggers who have claimed that the various layers all point to Christ—an argument I’m not necessarily against considering the symbolic depth discussed in the book of Hebrews.
What I would challenge you to do instead is to notice the specificity of the components. If God was so emphatic that every detail be made “according to the pattern shown on the mountain” (Exodus 26:30), He certainly didn’t make it easy on them. Every part has an exact measurement and material specification.
In Exodus 36, Bezalel—a skilled craftsman in the camp—creates the Tabernacle to match that pattern perfectly. No stone is left unturned. Every detail is covered. Just as God commanded Moses, the Tabernacle was built according to that very pattern.
The Tabernacle (and the multitude of curtains in the Tabernacle) were most certainly beautiful, but what they represented was even better. Hebrews 8:5 says that the priests served a “shadow” of the things found in Heaven. If that’s true, then what priests stood in while ministering to God was not just a piece of art, but the closest thing to the throne room of God that humans can create with their own hands.
“Following the pattern” represents our desire to meet God where He is, in the way that He described, instead of arrogantly forcing God to meet us on our terms. Be honest, where would we rather spend eternity? With God in His Kingdom, or here on earth in ours?
Your answer will determine how closely you follow the pattern in Scripture He’s given to us.
