The gate of the tabernacle, also known as the gate of repentance,
provided entrance into the Outer Court.
"On the east side, where the
entrance is, the enclosure is also to be 25 yards wide. On each
side of the entrance there are to be 7 1/2 yards of curtains, with
three posts and three bases. For the entrance itself there is
to be a curtain 10 yards long made of fine linen woven with blue,
purple, and red wool, and decorated with embroidery. It is to be
supported by four posts in four bases." (Exo 27:16)
Jesus is
the Gate into the tabernacle of life.
By entering into Him, we enter the gate of
life.
So Jesus said again, "I am
telling you the truth: I am the gate for the sheep. (Joh
10:7)
"I am the gate. Those who
come in by me will be saved; they will come in and go out and find
pasture. The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy.
I have come in order that you might have life---life in all its
fullness." (Joh 10:9-10)
"Go in through the narrow
gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to
it is easy, and there are many who travel it. But the gate to life
is narrow and the way that leads to it is hard, and there are few
people who find it." (Mat 7:13-14)
The gate
was the only way into the courtyard of
the Tabernacle - signifying that Jesus is the only way
to the promise.
Jesus said, "I am telling you
the truth: the man who does not enter the sheep pen
by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a
robber." (Joh 10:1)
Jesus answered him, "I am the
way, the truth, and the life;
no one goes to the Father except by me. (Joh 14:6)
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The Bible
tells us of people who tried to function as Christians without
going through the gate of repentance. Ouch!
"God was performing unusual
miracles through Paul. Even handkerchiefs and aprons he had used
were taken to the sick, and their diseases were driven away, and
the evil spirits would go out of them.
"Some Jews who traveled
around and drove out evil spirits also tried to use the name of the
Lord Jesus to do this. They said to the evil spirits, "I command
you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches." Seven brothers, who
were the sons of a Jewish High Priest named Sceva, were doing
this."
"But the evil spirit said to
them, "I know Jesus, and I know about Paul; but you---who are you?"
The man who had the evil spirit in him attacked them with such
violence that he overpowered them all. They ran away from his
house, wounded and with their clothes torn off." (Act
19:11-16)
- Pieter de
Waal
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The gate into the courtyard of the tabernacle
was very wide and accessible.
The
Entrance Curtain, unlike the hangings at the sides and back of the
Outer Court
of the Tabernacle of Moses, could be drawn up, or aside, at
pleasure.
Everyone is welcome to enter
into the Tabernacle Outer Court. The Gate into the outer Court of
the Tabernacle was normally closed, but not locked. All you had to
do is to reach out your hand and push the curtain aside. It is just
as easy to enter into Jesus. Simply ask.
The
quality of the curtains of the Gate was much finer and richer
than
those of the rest of the Outer Court of the Tabernacle of
Moses.
The curtains of the Gate
leading to the Outer Court of the Tabernacle was of blue,
purple,
scarlet, and fine twined linen. It was wrought with needle work and
was of the same quality
as the hangings for the door of the holy place.
The
four colors of the gate curtains leading to the tabernacle tell us
more about Jesus.
Purple
- The color of kings.
Speaks of Jesus as the King of kings |
Scarlet
- The color of blood.
Speaks of Jesus as our Redeemer |
White - The color
associated with purity.
Speaks of the holy character of Jesus. |
Blue -
The color of heaven and of divinity.
Speaks of Jesus as the son of God. |
The four
pillars of the gate into the tabernacle courtyard and the four
colors of
its curtains also refer to the four Gospel writers with their four
unique messages.
| Matthew |
|
|
Portrays Jesus
as our King and writes about His Kingdom. |
| Mark |
|
|
Portrays Jesus
as full of Good Deeds, our Savior. |
| Luke |
|
|
Portrays Jesus
as the Holy Son of Man. |
| John |
|
|
Portrays Jesus
as the Son of God. |
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Jesus is
the gate into the tabernacle of life and He
holds the keys to
all the gates of the enemy.
"I'm Alive. I died, but I
came to life, and my life is now forever. See these keys in my
hand? They open and lock Death's doors, they open and lock
Hell's gates." (Rev 1:18 The Message)
Before His
death, He promised the keys of the gate to Peter.
And now I'm going to tell you
who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on
which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with
energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it
out. "And that's not all. You will have complete and free
access to God's kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no
more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on
earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven." (Mat
16:18-19 The Message)
Twice, on
occasion, Peter proved that he had the gate keys.
"They arrested the apostles
and put them in the public jail. But that night an angel of the
Lord opened the prison gate, led the apostles out, and said to
them, "Go and stand in the Temple, and tell the people all about
this new life." (Act 5:18-20)
"Suddenly an angel of the
Lord stood there, and a light shone in the cell. The angel shook
Peter by the shoulder, woke him up, and said, "Hurry! Get up!"
At once the chains fell off Peter's hands. (Act
12:7)
They passed by the first
guard station and then the second, and came at last to the iron
gate that opens into the city. The gate opened for them by
itself, and they went out. They walked down a street, and
suddenly the angel left Peter."
(Act 12:8-10)
The use of
the gate keys is not restricted to Peter. The apostle
Paul proved that he also held the keys to the tabernacle of
life.
"About midnight Paul and
Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other
prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a violent
earthquake, which shook the prison to its foundations. At once
all the doors opened, and the chains fell off all the
prisoners." (Act 16:25-26)
- Pieter de
Waal
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The gate
into the tabernacle also depicts intimacy with God.
"One day spent in your Temple
is better than a thousand anywhere else; I would rather
stand at the gate of the house of my God than live in the homes of
the wicked." (Psa 84:10)
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