The Gate, The Door, The Vail, The Ephod

From the Pastor: Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.

The gate, the door, the vail, and the ephod shall be “made of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen” (this is a fine white linen). (Exodus 36:35,37; 38:18; 39:2)

If one would look at the layout of the tabernacle God gave to Moses, he would readily see the progression of going into the court yard through the gate, then going into the Holy place through the door, then into the Holy of Holies through the vail, and then notice the ephod of the High Priest who went in beyond the vail to bring the atoning blood before the Mercy Seat of God. There is only one of each and they all are made of blue, purple, scarlet, and white linen. Each color reveals a noteworthy shadow of the mind of God.

Blue: “…bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: … That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.” (Read: Num. 15:38-40) Blue reminds us of the law of God and that is required of us to perfectly fulfill His commandments.

Scarlet: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Is. 1:18) Then, of course, the blood that our Savior poured out for our salvation was also scarlet. Scarlet represents the sin of man, which separates him from God, and the penalty for sin requires the shedding of blood.

Purple: “…and they put on him a purple robe, And said, Hail King of the Jews! …” (Jn. 19:2-3) Jesus as King of kings reconciles man to God through the shedding of His royal blood as the Sacrificial Lamb of God. Purple is made up of the manhood and Godhood of Jesus Christ, yet, without sin and with perfect deity.

White: “And to her (the Lamb’s wife) was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.” (Rev. 19:8) From whom comes this righteousness? “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;” (Rom.4:24) Christ’s righteousness is assigned to His purchased sheep.

The colored ephod is worn by the High Priest to carry the sacrificial blood beyond the vail to sprinkle upon the mercy seat.