The Animals

I.             Goats hair Symbolizes the following:

A. A Sin Offering – Leviticus 9:15; Hebrews 10:10, 14; Leviticus 4:22 – 29; Leviticus 16:15 – 16.

B. A Sin Bearer – Leviticus 16:9 – 10; Hebrews 9:28

II.            Rams Skins Died Red Symbolizes the following:

A. The substitutionary sacrifice of Christ – Genesis 22:13

B. Connected to the ministry of the priest – Exodus 29:1, 15 – 35

C. Connected to the burnt offering (Leviticus 9:2 ) the trespass offering (Leviticus 19:21) the peace offering (Leviticus 9:4) and the atonement itself (Leviticus 19:22)

D. “Skins dyed red ” of course represents the blood atonement of Christ which brought justification and redemption. Ephesians 1:7; Romans 5:9 – 11.

III.           Badgers skins Symbolizes the following:

A. The badger is an animal that lives in the ground(The Earth). The badger is the animal used to represent the sinless humanity of Christ. (1 Timothy 3:16) and shows us that God clothed Himself in a human body and partook of our humanity. The badgers skins are used to clothe the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:5; Exodus 26:14;Revelation 21:3), the shewbread (Numbers 4:7 – 8;John 6:33), the Ark of Testimony (Numbers 4:5 – 6; John 20:12), the altar (Numbers 4:11;Hebrews 13:10), the candlestick (Numbers 4:9 – 10; John9:5). All these represent Christ and give us a picture that he was clothed in humanity for our redemption.

B. The badger skins also covered the lamps, tongs, snuff dishes, oil vessels, the instruments  of ministry, the censors, the fleshhooks, the shovels, the basins, and all the vessels of the altar. These all represent different aspects of the Body of Christ the church. The badger skins clothe them as well  representing their vile bodies being changed like unto the glorious body of Jesus Christ at the Rapture of the church and being clothed with a body like His.

Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2 – 3; 1 Thessalonians 4:4; 2 Timothy 2:20 – 21; 2 Corinthians 4:7; 1 Corinthians 15:35 – 58; 1 Thessalonians 4:15 – 18. One more point needs to be made here. The badger skins were not very appealing to look at referring us back to Isaiah 52:14 and Isaiah 53:1 – 3 concerning Christ. His true beauty was behind the external.

Appendix

IV.          The Shittim Wood: This wood had a fragrant smell to it. It was insect proof and very hard. Jesus body did not see corruption (insect proof) though it laid in a grave for 3 days (Acts 2:31). Jesus is also the Lily of the Valley and Rose of Sharon thus producing a fragrant Smell (Song of Solomon 2:1) .Also Shittim Wood has scourging thorns which also is a reference to Jesus Christ in  Song of Solomon 2:2 and the scourging he suffered at the hand of the Roman soldiers ( Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1;and the father loved Jesus so he scourged him Hebrews 12:6) and also refers to the crown of the thorns placed on his head (John 19:2, 5). The shittim wood is used to build the altar which we will look at later in more details and that altar is covered in gold (Deity of Christ) and badger skins are placed over it (sinless humanity of Christ) and the altar is seen again in Heaven in Revelation 6:9 – 11. The souls of them who were martyred are hid under the altar and told to rest for a season. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 that when we come to Jesus he would give us rest. This altar is a type of Christ! (Hebrews 13:10)

V.            Oil For The Light This oil is described in Scriptures as:

1. Oil of holy ointment, holy anointing oil. (Exodus 30:25) ointment being used in biblical times was for medical purposes (James 5:14-15).

2. Also could be applied to the head (Psalm 23:5)

3. Used to make one’s face to shine (Psalm 10 4:15; Matthew 17:2; 2 Corinthians 4:6)

it is used to anoint the following: A. Priests (Exodus 29:7), B. Kings (1 Samuel 10:1), C. Apostles (2 Corinthians 1:21) Jesus Christ operated in all these offices. 1. As King (1 Timothy 1:17; 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16) 2. As Priest (Hebrews 3:1; Hebrews 7:17, 21; Hebrews 8:1)

3. As Apostle (Hebrews 3:1)

The oil was representative of the Holy Spirit who anointed Jesus (Acts 10:38; Hebrews 1:9). All the furniture, materials, and those operating in the office of priest were anointed with oil as a type of Christ being anointed with the Holy Ghost (Luke 4:18 – 19) and that same anointing abides in every born again believer (1 John 2:27). This oil is used for light which represents God Himself in the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:9; John 8:12; John 9:5; 1 John 1:5) .When this oil is poured inside of us at conversion that light because it abides in us causes us to become lights for the Lord (Matthew 5:14 – 16; John 12:36; Romans 13:12; Ephesians 5:8). The spices are connected with the fruit of the Spirit  that is produced as a result of our love for Christ and a direct result of him blowing (a type of the Spirit John 3:8) on us (Song of Solomon 4:16). The spices come from the face of Jesus Christ (his cheeks) Song of Solomon 5:13. The spices were brought at Jesus burial (Luke 23:56; Luke 24:1; John 19:40) showing we must die to self for the spices to come forth in our walk with God. The spices are described again in Exodus 30:22 – 38. The spices are used to make sweet incense which is directly connected to our prayers being offered up to God (Psalms 141:2; Revelation 5:8; 1 Timothy 2:8; Luke 1:9 – 10; Philippians 4:18; Revelation 8:3 – 4).

VI.          The Stones The stones are mentioned here and again in Exodus 28:17 – 21. They are set in the Ephod (an inner garment and the breastplate which is near/next to the heart (Colossians 2:3; Colossians 3:3).

The stones represent:

A .The 12 tribes of Israel in the Old Testament (Exodus 28:21)

B. The 12 apostles in the New Testament with their stones make making up the foundations of the wall of the city (Revelation 21:14, 17 – 20)

C. New Testament believers (1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 2:17; Proverbs 17:8)

D. The works of believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:9 – 17.)

Christ as our high priest wears the ephod and breastplate with the stones set in them. This is part of the glory Christ had before the foundation of the world (John 17:24) and this breastplate is next to the heart of  the high priest (Exodus 28:29).The names of the 12 tribes of Israel are engraved in the ephod and  breastplate putting them close to the heart of the high priest. In the New Testament we see this played out in John 13:25 showing Christ as the high priest of the new covenant and placing us his church close to his own heart. We will research the garments of the high priest in more detail in a later series.