Verse 3 says, “Five curtains shall be joined one to another, and the other five curtains joined one to another.” Thus, there were two sets of five curtains each. Five is the number of responsibility. Five curtains joined one to another signify a continuous life. These sets signify the responsibility shown in the continuous life. A set was not composed of just one curtain, but was made up of five curtains, with each continuing the other. This portrays that the life of the Lord Jesus as revealed in the four Gospels was a continuous life. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all agree that in the life of the Lord there were not any gaps. Furthermore, two groups of five curtains indicate a testimony of a continuous life, testifying that the Lord Jesus is a complete and perfect man.
Verses 4 and 5 tell us that on the edge of the outermost curtain in each set, there were fifty loops of blue. Loops signify availability for joining, and the color blue points to that which is heavenly. The fact that these loops were on the edge of the outermost curtain on each set indicates that they were the issue of the life of responsibility for a testimony.
These loops apply to our spiritual experience. For example, a certain brother may have the virtues of boldness and stability. However, there may be a gap between these virtues which makes it difficult to connect them. But with the Lord Jesus boldness is connected with humility, humility with patience, and patience with kindness. All the virtues of the Lord Jesus are connected; there are no gaps between them. However, because there are gaps between our virtues, it is difficult for us to be joined to others. If there is no connection between a brother’s boldness and stability, it will be difficult for him to be joined to others.
There were fifty loops at the edge of each set of curtains. Fifty is composed of ten times five and denotes a complete responsibility. Ten is the number of human completion, and five is the number of responsibility. Therefore, fifty composed of ten times five means complete responsibility. Furthermore, since there were fifty loops on each set of curtains, there was a total of one hundred loops, indicating a full testimony of the complete responsibility. This reveals that the life of Jesus satisfied the requirement of the Ten Commandments ten times.
According to verse 5, the loops on each set were opposite to one another. This signifies confirmation for testimony. In the humanity of the Lord Jesus there is much confirmation. All His virtues—His kindness, His righteousness, His patience—are confirmed. This confirmation is for the testimony.
Exodus 26:6 says, “And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and join the curtains to one another with the clasps, and the tabernacle shall become one.” Clasps of gold signify the joining power of the divine nature. The number fifty here signifies full responsibility. The joining of the curtains to each other makes the tabernacle one, signifying that it makes the testimony one.
The joining power of Jesus’ humanity is of His divine nature. Likewise, in the church life today we have the joining power only in the divine nature; we do not possess it according to our human life.
The four Gospels reveal that all the virtues of the Lord Jesus form one testimony. This is the significance of the joining of the curtains that makes the tabernacle one. As a result of this joining, there is one perfect, complete, and whole testimony.
In light of all the points covered in this message, I would like to say a word concerning our need to know the Lord Jesus in His humanity. From the time we were very young, many of us heard about the Lord Jesus. However, because we are familiar with the stories in the Bible about Christ, we should not think that we have a proper and adequate knowledge of Him. If you consider all the matters signified in 26:1-6, you will realize that you actually have very little knowledge of the Lord Jesus. In these verses we see a detailed portrait of the complete and perfect humanity of the Lord. Because many aspects of Christ’s humanity are indescribable, we need the portrait afforded by these verses. We need to see the picture of the Lord’s humanity portrayed by the first covering of the tabernacle. Although we do not have words to describe the details of Christ’s humanity, we can gain some understanding of them by praying over these verses. The more we consider the significance of the details here, the more we shall realize what a wonderful Person the Lord is in His humanity. We see Him in the fine twined linen, in the colors of blue, purple, and scarlet, in the cherubim, and in all the loops and clasps. We all need to know the Lord Jesus in such a detailed way.
As we consider the first layer of the covering of the tabernacle, we shall see that the curtains clasped together are not simply a covering, but are a protective covering. This covering protects everything underneath it. The tent, the tabernacle, is not simply a dwelling place; it is also a container. It contains the ark, the table, the lampstand, and the incense altar, and it covers all the standing boards. Since we are typified by the boards and the boards are covered by the curtains, we may say that the first layer of covering covers and protects us. This covering also embraces us. Thus, the humanity of the Lord Jesus covers us, protects us, and embraces us. Daily I am under the covering of God’s tent and protected by it. Furthermore, I am embraced by this covering and even contained within it. Here, under the covering, protection, and embrace of the Lord Jesus, I enjoy Christ as the ark, as the table with the bread, and as the lampstand.
We do not gain an adequate understanding of Christ by reading only the Gospels and the Epistles in the New Testament. We also need the types, the pictures, in the Old Testament, especially the types related to the tabernacle. I hope that all the saints will come to appreciate the fine points of the Lord’s humanity signified by these types. When we come into the tabernacle, we see that the ceiling, the first of the coverings, is the inward expression of the Lord Jesus in His humanity. The linen, the blue, the purple, and scarlet, the cherubim, the loops, and the clasps are all parts of this expression. Those who have not come into Christ cannot behold Him in such beauty and glory. As we shall see in the next message, outwardly Christ has the appearance of tough porpoise skin, something which can withstand all the storms and weather all the elements. But when we see Christ from within, we know that He is heavenly, He is kingly, He is the redeeming One, and He is glorious. Praise the Lord for the portrait of Christ in the first covering of the tabernacle!