Exodus 27 - Outline of Exodus (Book Notes menu page)
Refer to the Diagram of the Tabernacle (opens in a new window or tab) in this study.
 
   The Brazen Altar (v.1-8) -
27:1 And thou shalt make an altar [of] shittim wood,
five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare:
and the height thereof [shall be] three cubits.
27:2 And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof:
his horns shall be of the same
{ie., of shittim wood}:
and thou shalt overlay it with brass.
27:3 And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes,
and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans:
all the vessels thereof thou shalt make [of] brass.
27:4 And thou shalt make for it a grate of network [of] brass;
and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof.
27:5 And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath,
that the net may be even to the midst of the altar.
27:6 And thou shalt make staves for the altar,
staves [of] shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.
27:7 And the staves shall be put into the rings,
and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it.
27:8 Hollow with boards shalt thou make it:
as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make [it].
The Brazen Altar of Sacrifice was...
  • made of wood overlaid with brass.-
    The furniture of the Holy Places was overlaid with gold.
    The furniture of the outer court was overlaid with brass.
    Both speak of Christ (cp. Rev 1:13,15)...
    • The acacia wood speaks of His human nature without corruption.
    • The gold speaks of His deity in glorious holiness.
    • The brass speaks of His deity in righteous judgment (cp. Num 21:9; Joh 3:14; 12:31-33).
  • located just inside the Gate.-
    Sin must be judged and purged, before a man can have access to the holy God.
    No man can approach...
    1. on the basis of good works or self-righteousness (Isa 64:6).
      The altar had no steps for self-improvement (Ex 20:26).
    2. on the basis of the Law:
      All are condemned. Rom 3:10-20
      God's righteous judgment must be satisfied. Ezek 18:4; Rom 6:23(a)
      But no sinner can survive the payment of that penalty.
    The only way to be accepted before God is...
    • on the basis of Grace:
      A substitute bears the sentence of death for the sinner,
      to whom righteousness is imputed by faith. Joh 1:29; 3:14-18; Rom 3:21-26
      • The blood, that made atonement at the Mercy-seat, must first be shed at the Brazen Altar.
      • The "horns" of the Altar (v.2) speak of the power of this salvation. cp. Rom 1:16-18
    In the Brazen Altar, Christ is depicted as...
    1. the Sacrifice for sin - who took upon Himself the sinner's guilt and penalty, to satisfy God's righteous judgment. 1Pet 1:18,19; 2:24
      • [Note: Additional aspects, of our Lord's offering of Himself, are depicted in several distinct types of sacrifices (described in Leviticus ch.1-7, and explained briefly in the separate study: Christ in the Tabernacle, Chapter 5 - The Offerings).]
    2. the Altar of Brass - in whom the consuming fire of God's wrath destroyed the power of sin and death. Only the God-man could endure that heat. Isa 33:14; Heb 12:2,29; 1:3 2:14; Joh 12:31
   The Court of the Tabernacle (v.9-19) -
27:9 And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle:
for the south side southward [there shall be] hangings for the court [of] fine twined linen
of an hundred cubits long for one side:
27:10 And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets [shall be of] brass;
the hooks of the pillars and their fillets [shall be of] silver.
27:11 And likewise for the north side in length
[there shall be] hangings of an hundred [cubits] long,
and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets [of] brass;
the hooks of the pillars and their fillets [of] silver.
27:12 And [for] the breadth of the court on the west side [shall be] hangings of fifty cubits:
their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.
27:13 And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward [shall be] fifty cubits.
27:14 The hangings of one side [of the gate shall be] fifteen cubits:
their pillars three, and their sockets three.
27:15 And on the other side [shall be] hangings fifteen [cubits]:
their pillars three, and their sockets three.
27:16 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 needlework:
[and] their pillars [shall be] four, and their sockets four.
27:17 All the pillars round about the court [shall be] filleted with silver;
their hooks [shall be of] silver, and their sockets [of] brass.
27:18 The length of the court [shall be] an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where,
and the height five cubits [of] fine twined linen, and their sockets [of] brass.
27:19 All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof,
and all the pins of the court, [shall be of] brass.
The Court and its Gate -
  • It's design -
    The court surrounding the Tabernacle was separated from the outside world by a fence (about eight feet high) made of white linen curtains.
    The curtains of the Gate, on the east end of the court, provided the only entrance.
  • It's materials -
    • Fine twined linen... brass pillars - These speak of God's righteousness and judgment.
      We cannot enter into His presence and live, because we cannot meet His righteous requirements. cp. Luk 10:25-28; Rom 7:18,19
    • Silver clasps, and fillets {ornamentation on the pillar tops} hint that redemption is possible.
    • The sockets of silver on which the boards of the Tabernacle stand, spoke of our salvation (see the Book Notes at Ex 26:15-30).
      The price of redemption is not beyond the reach of any man, for it has been paid by Another (1Pet 1:18,19).
  • The Gate -
    • Its colors speak of Christ. It hung upon four pillars (corresponding to the four Gospels).
      - Blue - the Heavenly One, the Son of God (the theme of John's gospel).
      - Purple - the Royal One, the King of Israel (the theme of Matthew's gospel).
      - Scarlet - the Suffering One, the Man of Sorrows (the theme of Luke's gospel).
      - Fine Linen - the Righteous One, the Faithful Servant (the theme of Mark's gospel).
    • Provided the one way of access.
      All who would enter God's presence, must come by way of the Gate. Joh 10:9; 14:6
      Whoever would enter is immediately confronted with the Brazen Altar, where sin must be confessed and judged.
   The Oil for the Lamp (v.20-21) -
27:20 And thou shalt command the children of Israel,
that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light,
to cause the lamp to burn always.
27:21 In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail,
which [is] before the testimony
{ie., the Ark of the Covenant},
Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD:
[it shall be] a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.
pure olive oil beaten {or, crushed} for the light -
It is more than coincidental that 'pure oil from crushed olives' is mentioned in context with the Gate and the Altar of Sacrifice. It speaks of Gethsemane {lit., 'the olive press'} and of Jesus' agony as He prepared to make the Way for us, through offering Himself on the cross. Mat 26:36-42; Luke 22:42-44; Joh 12:27; cp. 14:1-6

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