The Altar and the Courtyard
Background and printed text: Exodus 27
Exodus 27:1 And thou shalt make the altar trees of acacia 5 forearms length and 5 forearms breadth. The altar shall be a revolution. And 3 forearms is his standing. 2And thou shalt make his horns upon four of his corners. His horns shall be from him! And thou shalt observe him: copper.
3And thou shalt make his searers to his fat, and his shovels, and his sprinkling-basins, and his forks, and his seizers. Thou shalt make copper to all his utensils.
4And thou shalt make to him a grate, doing of a copper net. And thou shalt make upon the net four sunk-impressions of copper upon four of his edges. 5And thou shalt give her under, as a chariot of the altar from beneath. And she shall be the net unto half of the altar.
6And thou shalt give members to the altar—members of trees of acacia. And thou shalt observe them: copper. 7And he shall be brought with his members into the sunk-impressions. And they shall be the members upon two of the sides of the altar when carrying him.
8Emptied, thou shalt make him slates. Established: they shall make just-as He showed thee in the mountain!
9And thou shalt make a courtyard of the Abode to a corner southward, rightward. Slings are to the courtyard: twisted byssus—100 via a forearm, length, to a corner of the one. 10And his standings are 20. And their lords are 20: copper. Hooks of the standings and their attachments are silver. 11And established to the north corner via length of slings 100 length and his standing 20 and their lords 20: copper. Hooks of the standing and their attachments are silver.
12 And the breadth of the courtyard is to the corner of the sea. 50 slings: a forearm; their standings are 10, and their lords are 10. 13And the breadth of the courtyard to a corner eastward sunriseward is 50 forearm. 14And slings are 15: a forearm to the shoulder. Their standings are 3 and their lords are 3. 15And 15 are slings to the second shoulder. Their standings are 3 and their lords are 3.
16And to the gate of the courtyard is a camouflage 20 forearm blue and purple and earthworm crimson and byssus of the groping of a stranger, doing of variegation. Their standings are 4 and their lords are 4. 17All standings of the courtyard around: silver is from their attachments! Their hooks are silver and their lords are copper.
18Length of the courtyard is 100 via a forearm and breadth is 50 via 50 and height is 5 forearms byssus of the groping of a stranger.
And their lords are copper 19to every utensil of the Abode via all his service and all his nails! And every nail of the courtyard is copper.
20And thou: Thou shalt command the children of Israel. And they shall take unto thee pure beaten olive oil for a light-emanator to make-ascend a lamp of continuance. 21Aharon and his sons shall arrange him to the faces of Yehovah from evening unto morning in the Tent of Appointment from outside to the veil that is upon the Testimonies, a statute of Hider to their generations from with children of Israel!
I. The Copper-Clad Altar (verses 1-2)
Yehovah commanded Moshe to make an acacia tree altar, 5 by 5 forearms. The altar will be a revolution. It is 3 forearms tall.
Horns made from the altar itself will be upon four of his corners.
When Moshe looks at the altar, it will be copper.
Questions
1. What are the dimensions of the altar in feet?
2. Why would an altar that has fire in it be made of acacia?
3. What does acacia typify?
4. If the above is true, what would acacia have to do with the altar?
5. What does “The altar shall be a revolution” mean?
6. What is a standing?
7. What does the number 3 typify?
8. What does the number 5 typify?
9. What does “3 forearms is his standing” typify?
10. What is a horn, and what does it typify?
11. Why must the horns be on the four corners?
12. What does “His horns shall be from him” mean, and why?
13. The text states, “And thou shalt observe him: copper.” What does this mean and signify?
II. Copper Utensils (verse 3)
The altar’s utensils (items for handling the sacrifices and other parts of the altar) include:
- Searers
- Shovels
- Sprinkling-basins
- Forks
- Seizers
All the utensils must be made of copper.
Questions
1. What is a searer?
2. Why will shovels be necessary?
3. What is a sprinkling-basin?
4. For what will a fork be used?
5. What is a seizer?
6. What does a searer typify?
7. What does a shovel typify?
8. What does a sprinkling-basin typify?
9. What does a fork of this kind typify?
10. What does a seizer typify?
11. Why must all the utensils be made of copper?
III. Copper Net Grate (verses 4-5)
Moshe must make a grate to the altar; it must be a copper net (a copper screen).
This copper net must have four copper sunk-impressions upon four of his edges.
He must give the copper net grate under the dug-out-extenguisher of the altar, underneath. This will be the net unto the half-way-point of the altar.
Questions
1. What is a grate?
2. What do the grate and net typify?
3. What do sunk-impressions typify?
4. Why must they be on four of his edges?
5. What is this chariot?
6. Identify the object of the pronoun she in, “And she shall be the net unto half of the altar”:
7. Why is this net only unto half of the altar?
IV. Acacia Members to the Altar (verses 6-7)
Moshe must give members to the altar made of acacia trees. When observing them, they will be copper.
Both Moshe and his members must be brought into the sunk-impressions of the altar. They will be the members upon two of the sides of the altar when carrying the altar.
Questions
1. Why must these members be given to the altar?
2. What does acacia typify?
3. What must be done if they are to be observed copper?
4. What does the copper covering of the acacia wood typify?
5. Again, what are these members that must be given to the altar?
6. What are these sunk-impressions?
7. Who is he in, “And he shall be brought with his members into the sunk-impressions”?
8. Explain what will occur in, “And they shall be the members upon two of the sides of the altar when carrying him”:
V. Slates (verse 8)
Moshe must make slates for the altar. They shall be made exactly as Yehovah showed Moshe in the mountain!
Questions
1. What are slates?
2. How many slates must he make?
3. Why must the altar be emptied before making these slates?
4. The text then states, “Established: they shall make just-as He showed thee in the mountain!” How were they made in the mountain?
5. Who are they in, “Established: they shall make just-as He showed thee in the mountain”?
6. What shall they make?
VI. The Courtyard (verses 9-11)
Moshe must construct the courtyard of the Abode to a corner southward, rightward.
The courtyard will have slings made of byssus of the groping of a stranger. The length will be 100 via a forearm (cubit), to the corner of one.
There are 20 standings that support the byssus slings. The lords are twenty, and are made of copper. The hooks of the standings and the attachments of the standings are silver.
This is also established to the north corner; the length of the slings is 100 via the forearm. There are also 20 standings and twenty lords of copper. The hooks of the standing and their attachments are silver!
Questions
1. What will be the purpose of the courtyard of the Abode?
2. What does the courtyard typify?
3. Why must the courtyard of the Abode be specifically to a corner southward, rightward?
4. What are these slings?
5. Of what will these slings be made?
6. Explain again about the groping of a stranger.
7. How many groups will there be?
8. What are these standings?
9. In previous texts, the lords were always double the cuttings. In this text, the lords are the same number as the standings. Why?
10. What are these hooks?
11. Why are the hooks made of silver?
12. What are these attachments, and what do they typify?
13. What does “And established to the north corner” tell readers?
14. What does “via length of slings” tell readers?
15. What does “100 length” mean?
16. What does “his standing 20 and their lords 20: copper” mean?
17. Why does the text repeat, “Hooks of the standing and their attachments are silver”?
VII. The Breadth of the Courtyard (verses 12-15)
The breadth of the courtyard to the corner of the sea and to the corner of the slings is 50 forearm(s). There are 10 standings, and there are 10 lords.
The breadth of the courtyard to the corner eastward—sunriseward—is 50 forearm(s). There are 10 standings, and there are 10 lords.
The slings are 15 forearm(s) to the shoulder. Their standings are 3 and their lords are 3.
The slings to the second shoulder are 15; their standings are 3 and their lords are 3.
Questions
1. What is a breadth?
2. What sea is this?
3. What does “50 slings: a forearm” tell the reader?
4. Whose standings are 10?
5. Why are both eastward and sunriseward used to show direction when they are the same?
6. What is this shoulder, and what does it typify?
7. What does “slings are 15: a forearm to the shoulder” mean?
8. If the above is true, what does “Their standings are 3 and their lords are 3” tell the reader?
9. Explain the type(s) behind “And 15 are slings to the second shoulder”:
10. Thus, explain “Their standings are 3 and their lords are 3”:
VIII. The Camouflage (verses 16-17)
There is a camouflage to the gate of the courtyard; it is 20 forearm(s), and is blue and purple and earthworm crimson and byssus of the groping of a stranger. It is the doing of variegation!
Their standings are 4 and their lords are 4. All standings of the courtyard around: silver is from their attachments!
Their hooks are silver and their lords are copper!
Questions
1. Why does the gate of the courtyard need a camouflage?
2. Identify this gate:
3. Explain the “20 forearm”:
4. Next, explain “a camouflage 20 forearm blue and purple and earthworm crimson and byssus of the groping of a stranger, doing of variegation”:
5. Explain “Their standings are 4 and their lords are 4”:
6. Why does the text so emphasize that silver is from the attachments of all the standings of the courtyard?
7. The text again states, “Their hooks are silver and their lords are copper.” Why?
IX. Length of the Courtyard (verse 18)
The courtyard’s length is 100 via a forearm. The breadth is 50 by 50, and the height is 5 forearms, made of byssus of the groping of a stranger.
Questions
1. What does the courtyard’s length being 100 via a forearm tell the reader?
2. Explain this strange wording, “and breadth is 50 via 50”:
3. What does “and breadth is 50 via 50” typify?
4. The next part describes the height: “and height is 5 forearms byssus of the groping of a stranger.” What do the height and the rest of the statement typify?
5. This text section mentions length, breadth and height. There is another dimension not mentioned here. What is that, and what do these dimensions signify?
X. Copper (verses 18-19)
Their lords are copper to every utensil of the Abode by means of all his service and all his nails! Every nail of the courtyard is copper!
Questions
1. Why are the lords of every utensil of the Abode and all the abode’s nails copper?
2. Of what are all the utensils of the Abode made?
3. What does “every utensil of the Abode via all his service” mean?
4. Who is his in, “and all his nails”?
5. What are these nails, and what do they typify?
XI. The Lamp of Continuance (verses 20-21)
Moshe must command the children of Israel. They will take unto Moshe pure cut olive oil for a light emanator to make-ascend a lamp of continuance.
Aharon and his sons must arrange the light emanator to the faces of Yehovah from evening unto morning in the Tent of Appointment. That light emanator is located just outside of the veil that is upon the Testimonies. This is a statute of Hider to their generations; this is from with the children of Israel!
Questions
1. Why did Yehovah make such a direct command to Moshe, saying, “And thou: Thou shalt command the children of Israel”?
2. The text continues, “And they shall take unto thee pure cut olive oil…” Why must this olive oil be taken specifically unto Moshe?
3. What is beaten olive oil?
4. What does this type of oil typify?
5. Explain pure as it is used here:
6. What is a light emanator?
7. What is a lamp of continuance?
8. Why would a lamp of continuance necessarily ascend?
9. What does this lamp of continuance typify?
10. If the above answer is correct, why does it need to be supplied with olive oil?
11. Why must Aharon and his sons arrange this Menorah (this light emanator)?
12. Why must Aharon and his sons arrange the Menorah to the faces of Yehovah?
13. What was the appearance of this Menorah?
14. Why must Aharon and his sons arrange the Menorah from evening unto morning?
15. Why must this arrangement be done in the Tent of Appointment? Why couldn’t they carry it out and arrange it in the courtyard?
16. Why must this arrangement be done specifically “from outside to the veil that is upon the Testimonies”?
17. Is the veil upon the Testimonies?
18. What is a statute?
19. What is Hider?
20. What is a statute of Hider?
21. To whom does their refer in, “to their generations”?
22. What does “from with children of Israel” mean, and why is it placed here in this text?