The first layer of the covering, the ten curtains of fine linen, typifies Christ’s fine humanity. We may also say that it typifies Christ as a fine and perfect man.
The number ten in the Bible signifies human perfection and completion, a completion without defect. Our ten fingers illustrate this human completion and perfection. If we had four fingers on one hand and five on the other, there would be a defect instead of completion. Furthermore, God gave man the Ten Commandments. These commandments were given for man’s completion and perfection. It is significant that God did not give nine commandments or eleven, but gave ten in order to signify human perfection.
Furthermore, the number ten is composed of five times two. Five is the number of responsibility, and two is the number of testimony. Thus, five times two signifies two times of responsibility for a testimony. As we have pointed out, the number five is composed of four plus one. The number four signifies the creature, and one signifies God, the unique Creator. Hence, God plus man equals five, the number of responsibility.
The ten curtains typify Christ as a man, a man who is perfect and complete. With Him there is no defect or bias. As typified by the ten curtains, Christ is a perfect and complete man.
We have seen that with the tabernacle there was an overflow of curtains on each side. No doubt, this overflow was balanced; it was the same on both sides. This balanced overflow can be illustrated by the parts of our physical body which are arranged in twos. We have two eyes, ears, shoulders, arms, hands, legs, and feet. In all that we do, seeing, hearing, sitting, standing, and walking, there must be two. For example, if we had only one foot, we could not walk properly. Instead of walking step by step, we would need to hop on one foot. Likewise, if we had only one ear, hearing would be difficult. As a perfect and complete man, Christ has a balanced overflow, an equal overflow on both sides.
We have pointed out that the linen sheet draped over each side a length of nine cubits. We have also seen that the number nine signifies the Triune God in resurrection. The Lord Jesus is a true man, but His overflow is the Triune God in resurrection. Furthermore, this overflow is not unbalanced or one-sided; on the contrary, it is even and balanced in every way.
We must remember that the ten linen curtains signify Christ’s humanity and that the overflow signifies the Triune God in resurrection. This reveals that in His humanity Christ expresses the Triune God in resurrection. The four Gospels record that during the course of His life on earth, the Lord Jesus was a perfect and complete man with a balanced overflow. Even His overflow reveals that He is a man, but a man expressing the Triune God in resurrection. As a man, the Lord is the number ten, but His overflow is number nine. This means that He is a man overflowing with the Triune God in resurrection.
The ten curtains were made of fine linen. According to Revelation 19:8, fine linen signifies righteous conduct. Exodus 26:1 says that the linen was not only fine, but was also twined. Fine signifies evenness, and twined indicates that the linen was not loose in any way. Christ’s conduct was never coarse; rather, it was always fine. However, our conduct is often coarse, rough, or tough. Christ’s conduct was also twined; that is, it was never loose. Our conduct, on the contrary, is often loose; it has not been properly dealt with to make it twined.
The more we consider the Person of Christ revealed in the four Gospels, a Person who is fine and perfect in every way, the more we realize that the Gospels were written according to divine inspiration. Nevertheless, some unbelievers have argued that it is not possible for a person such as the One described in the Gospels to have ever lived. A certain French philosopher once said in response to this charge that if the Gospels were not true and trustworthy writings, that is, if they did not describe a person who actually lived, then the writer of the Gospels is qualified to be this person. The human mind is not capable of composing writings such as the Gospels, for in these writings we see portrayed a man who is fine, perfect, and complete. The human mind could never conceive of such a person. Furthermore, the mind of man does not have the wisdom to compose the Gospels.
The Gospels reveal that the Lord Jesus is very fine and does everything in a meaningful way. He is never unbalanced, but is always restricted and controlled. It is impossible to find the slightest trace of coarseness with Him. No one can compare with the Lord Jesus in His fineness. Paul was very good, but there were times when he was somewhat coarse. For example, in 1 Corinthians 4:21 he says, “What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of meekness?” It seems to me that Paul’s expression here is a little coarse. I doubt whether the Lord Jesus would ever utter such a word. Although the sayings of the apostles are quite fine, on occasion they are coarse. The words of the Lord Jesus, however, are always fine. If you compare the sayings of the Lord recorded in the Gospels with those of Paul recorded in the Acts and Epistles, you will see that the Lord Jesus was always fine and that Paul, at least on certain occasions, was a little coarse.