The following are the instructions Moses received for the constructing of the gate to the courtyard. "And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needle work: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four" (Ex. 27:16). The important facts’ concerning the gate are the width and the number of post. The width of the gate is obtained from the hanging or the curtain that was used as a covering for the gate.
The four pillars for the gate represent Levi and his three sons, Geshon, Kohath, and Merari (1 Ch. 6:1). These are the seeds of Abraham that posses the gate of the enemy. The tribe of Levi was appointed over the Priesthood and the priest and the ministers are referred to as pillars. The apostle Paul refereed to James, Cephas, and John, as the pillars of the church when he went up to meet with them at Jerusalem (Ga. 2:9).
Four pillars equally space will produce three spaces. Twenty cubits divided by three will produce three spaces of 6.66 cubits (20/3 = 6.66) for the gate. The number six hundred three score and six identify the beast as the enemy described in the promise given to Abraham. Six hundred three score and six (666) is the number of his name, and his name is the enemy. The decimal in the number is insignificant, only the three sixes are important. No dimensions were given for the post therefore the dimensions for the pillars were not considered in the spacing. What’s more, the congregation under the Levitical priesthood never obtained righteousness under the law and they were also included among the enemy.
The Door of the Tabernacle
The door to the Tabernacle will further support the principles surrounding the Gate to the courtyard. The following are the specifications Moses received for the construction of the door. "And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent of Blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought in needlework.
And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with Gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them" (Ex. 26:36-37).
In the above scripture the dimension for the door is not given only the five pillars are given. When the dimensions of the second open is not given it is taken from the first opening where the dimensions are given. The five pillars for the door was spaced over the complete twenty cubits on the front side of the tabernacle.
The five pillars’ represent Aaron and his four sons Nadab, Abihue, Eleazar, and Ithamar (Ex. 28:1). Aaron was appointed the first high priest and his son were divided into four courses (1 Co.23:6) by king David, and each course was subdivided into groups to perform specific services to the tabernacle. They could be considered the founders of the priesthood under the direction of God and Moses. Five pillar equally spaced would produce four spaces. Twenty divided by four would equal five (20/4=5). The two in the twenty represents the second covenant, five represent the law and four represent purification or the fulfillment of the law. The dimensions of the pillars were not given, therefore, they were not considered in the spacing.
Two of Aaron’s son’s; Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the Lord, which God commanded them not to do. And the Lord devoured them with fire, and they died before the lord (Le. 10:1-2). Nadab and Abihu were not replaced, because they had no children (1 Ch. 24:2), symbolically only three posts were left. Three post equally spaced would produce two spaces, ten cubits each. Twenty divided by two equal ten (20/2=10). The ten represent the Ten Commandments and the two represent the law under the second covenant. God destroyed Nadab and Abahue because of disobedience and this have an allegorical parallel. Israel of the flesh never obtained righteousness because of disobedience, and Christ came to fulfill the law through remission of sin. There was no physical changes made in the number of post, but the change is symbolic and spiritually discerned.
The Four Pillars In The Most Holy
The vail of the tabernacle separated the holy place from the Holy of Holiest. In the Most Holy were the Ark of the Covenant with its contents, the Mercy seat, and the two Cherubim’s. The following are the instructions Moses received for the construction of the vail: "And thou shall make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with Cheribims shall it be made:
And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver" (Ex. 26:31-32).
At this point we are only concerned with the four pillars that was used to erect the vail. They covered the twenty cubit width of the tabernacle. Four pillars would produce three spaces. Twenty cubits divided by three equal six point sixty six (20/3=6.66). This is the same number we received for the spacing of the pillars at the gate and the number that identifies the enemy.
The four pillars in the Holy of Holiest represent the everlasting priesthood. Christ identified the pillars himself by saying: "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comet down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name" (Re. 3:12). Remember Christ said, "For the son of man is come to save that which was lost (Ma. 18:11). The four post that separated the Tabernacle of congregation from the Most Holy represent those who where lost and were saved.
The ark of the covenant and the Mercy seat was in the Most holy. When Christ died the Vail was torn from top to bottom, implying that the Mercy of God had been manifested. The four post that represent the enemy was allowed to exist in the Most holy because of Gods Mercy. The three sixes found in the gate of the courtyard and in the four post in the Most Holy reveal that God is able to save the enemy or the beast. Remember Christ said, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne" (Re. 3:21). The four pillars represent the everlasting priesthood, and the number Six hundred and sixty-six (666) represent the way to salvation for the enemy who was reconciled to God.
The tabernacle was twenty cubits wide and forty cubits long. It had two rooms and each room was twenty cubits square (1 Ki. 6:15-20). The dimensions used by Solomon to construct the temple were taken from the specifications given to Moses. Solomon altered some of the specification given to Moses but the dimension of the two rooms called the tabernacle of congregation and the most Holy was unchanged.
The two in the twenty cubic dimensions given for the gate, the door of the tabernacle and the Vail and post that separated the tabernacle of congregation from the Most Holy represent the second covenant. Twenty by twenty was the dimensions of each room of the Tabernacle. Twenty squared will give us the area of each room in square cubits, twenty times twenty equal four