Topical Bible: Tabernacle: had a Court Round About

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Tabernacle, as described in the Old Testament, was a portable sanctuary that served as the dwelling place of God among the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness. It was a central element of worship and a precursor to the Temple in Jerusalem. The Tabernacle was meticulously designed according to divine instructions given to Moses on Mount Sinai, as recorded in the Book of Exodus.

Structure and Design

The Tabernacle itself was an elaborate tent, but it was surrounded by a larger enclosure known as the court. This court was an integral part of the Tabernacle complex, providing a designated area for the congregation of Israel to gather and participate in worship and sacrificial rituals.

Dimensions and Materials

The court of the Tabernacle was rectangular, measuring 100 cubits in length and 50 cubits in width (approximately 150 feet by 75 feet). The perimeter of the court was enclosed by a fence made of fine twisted linen, supported by pillars of bronze with silver hooks and bands. The entrance to the court was on the east side, marked by a screen of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen, embroidered with artistic designs.

Biblical Reference

The detailed instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle and its court are found in Exodus 27:9-19. The Berean Standard Bible provides a clear account of these instructions: "You are to construct the courtyard for the tabernacle. On the south side, the courtyard shall have curtains of finely spun linen, a hundred cubits long on one side, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and with silver hooks and bands on the posts" (Exodus 27:9-10).

Function and Significance

The court served several important functions in the religious life of the Israelites. It was the area where the altar of burnt offering was located, allowing the priests to perform sacrifices on behalf of the people. The court also contained the bronze basin, used by the priests for ceremonial washing before entering the Tabernacle itself.

The court symbolized the separation between the holy presence of God and the common world. Only the priests and Levites were permitted to enter the Tabernacle, while the people could gather in the court to present their offerings and witness the sacrificial rites. This arrangement underscored the holiness of God and the need for mediation between God and humanity.

Theological Implications

The court of the Tabernacle, with its carefully prescribed dimensions and materials, reflects the order and holiness that God required of His people. It served as a constant reminder of God's presence among the Israelites and His desire for a covenant relationship with them. The court's design and function foreshadowed the coming of Christ, who would fulfill the sacrificial system and provide direct access to God for all believers.

In summary, the court round about the Tabernacle was a vital component of Israel's worship, embodying the principles of holiness, separation, and divine order. It provided a space for communal worship and sacrifice, while also pointing forward to the ultimate reconciliation between God and humanity through Jesus Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 40:8
And you shall set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Concerning the Tabernacle which Moses Built in the Wilderness for ...
... and when he had measured the open court, fifty cubits ... behind; every one of the pillars
also had a ring ... into the floor, and would keep the tabernacle from being ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 6 concerning the tabernacle.htm

The Copies of Things in the Heavens
... Other nations had temples, like the solemn structures of ... saying, Behold, the tabernacle
of God is with men ... The threefold division into court of the worshippers ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the copies of things in.htm

Exodus
... by Jehovah upon the people whom He had redeemed, xix ... the four-fold covering for the
tabernacle, the wood ... the door (xxvi.), the altar, the court round about the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/exodus.htm

The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Furniture.
... VI."The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its ... indicating by the various symbols,
which had reference to ... to enter, and the external court which surrounded ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter vi the mystic meaning of.htm

At the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple.
... to which the making of the Tabernacle had been completed ... formed the principal entrance
into the Court of the ... literally barring His Way - came round about' Him. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xiv at the feast.htm

The Day of Atonement
... out into the other divisions of the Tabernacle; and first ... altar of burnt offering
in the outer court, are in ... this annual atonement for sins which had all been ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the day of atonement.htm

The Altar of Incense
... The Jewish Tabernacle, and subsequently the Temple, were arranged ... altar came first,
and the sacrifice had to be ... the priest came into the inner court with the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the altar of incense.htm

The First Sermon in the Tabernacle
... The First Sermon in the Tabernacle. ... To the court of heaven a man may appeal if the
sentence of the ... of Richard III, who is said by history to have had a hump ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/the first sermon in the.htm

The Annunciation
... the women must remain in the outer court and may ... The Most High has sanctified His
own tabernacle; God is ... They had been wakened by a strange commotion in nature ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/viii the annunciation.htm

Carried Captive into Babylon
... behalf, and had him again removed to the court of the ... hath Thy soul loathed Zion?"
and he had made bold to ... were pleasant to the eye in the tabernacle of the ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 37 carried captive into.htm