Skip to content

Exodus 27

Chapter Text

The Altar of Burnt Offering

The Court of the Tabernacle

Oil for the Lampstand

Summary

God commands the construction of the inner veil of blue, purple, and scarlet fine linen with embroidered cherubim, hung on four gold-overlaid pillars in silver sockets. This veil separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. The Ark is placed behind the veil, with the table and lampstand in the Holy Place. An outer screen hangs at the entrance. Instructions follow for the brazen altar of burnt offering: acacia wood overlaid with bronze, with horns at each corner, grating, and utensils. The court of the Tabernacle is described: fine linen hangings on bronze pillars in bronze sockets, enclosing a space one hundred cubits by fifty.

Meaning

The veil separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place is among Scripture's most significant symbols. It represented the barrier between God and humanity caused by sin. When Christ died, this veil was torn from top to bottom, signifying that His sacrifice opened direct access to God.

The brazen altar at the entrance established that approach to God requires sacrifice. Its position as the first object encountered teaches that the cross stands at the threshold of all relationship with God. No one passes to the interior furnishings without first encountering the place of blood atonement.

Background

The court surrounded the Tabernacle and was the only area accessible to ordinary Israelites. The white linen hangings symbolized righteousness, creating a boundary between sacred space and the wilderness.

The brazen altar's horns at each corner were places of refuge — a person grasping them appealed for mercy. This practice is referenced in the accounts of Adonijah and Joab in First Kings.

Chapter Outline

  1. vv. 1-2The Bronze Altar: Dimensions and Horns
  2. vv. 3-5Utensils and Grating for the Altar
  3. vv. 6-8Carrying Staves and the Heavenly Pattern
  4. vv. 9-15Hangings and Pillars of the Court
  5. vv. 16The Gate of the Court
  6. vv. 17-19Dimensions and Materials of the Court
  7. vv. 20-21Oil for the Perpetual Lamp

Key Verses

“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.”— 27:1

This verse introduces the bronze altar of burnt offering, the first object encountered upon entering the tabernacle court. It stands as the central place of sacrifice, prefiguring the cross where atonement would ultimately be made.

“Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.”— 27:8

This verse reiterates the divine origin of the tabernacle design. Every detail follows a heavenly pattern shown to Moses, underscoring that true worship must conform to God's revelation, not human invention.

“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.”— 27:20

The command for perpetual light in the tabernacle symbolizes God's unceasing presence among His people. The beaten olive oil, produced through crushing, has long been seen as a type of Christ and the Holy Spirit's illuminating work.

“In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, 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.”— 27:21

This closing verse establishes the perpetual priestly duty of tending the lampstand, linking priestly service to the covenantal relationship between God and Israel across all generations.

People & Places

People

  • Moses — The implied recipient of God's instructions, commanded to oversee the construction of the altar and court.
  • Aaron — Israel's high priest, charged along with his sons to tend the lampstand in the tabernacle from evening to morning.

Places

  • The Tabernacle — The portable sanctuary where God's presence dwelt among Israel during the wilderness journey.
  • The Court of the Tabernacle — The enclosed outer area surrounding the tabernacle, measuring one hundred by fifty cubits, bounded by linen hangings.
  • The Mount — Mount Sinai, where God revealed the heavenly pattern for the tabernacle to Moses.

Prophecy & Fulfillment

The bronze altar of burnt offering foreshadows the cross of Christ, where the ultimate sacrifice for sin would be made once for all (Hebrews 10:10). Its position at the entrance of the court teaches that access to God begins with atoning sacrifice. The perpetual lamp burning pure beaten olive oil (vv. 20–21) prefigures Christ as the Light of the World (John 8:12) and the Holy Spirit's continuous illumination in the life of believers. The brazen material of the altar, associated throughout Scripture with judgment, points to the judgment Christ bore on behalf of sinners.

Devotional

The bronze altar stood at the threshold of God's dwelling — a solemn reminder that there is no approach to the Holy One without sacrifice. Before beauty, before light, before the ark itself, there was the altar. This order still speaks: genuine worship begins with acknowledging our need for atonement.

The beaten olive oil for the perpetual lamp required effort and offering from the whole community. God's light does not sustain itself through neglect. Faithfulness in small, daily acts of devotion — tending the flame of prayer, service, and obedience — keeps the light burning in our lives and in our households.

Literary Style

This chapter is prescriptive cultic legislation, part of the extended divine speech giving tabernacle blueprints (Exodus 25–31). It employs repetitive, formulaic construction commands ('thou shalt make') characteristic of ancient Near Eastern building accounts. The closing shift from architectural detail to liturgical practice (vv. 20–21) transitions from structure to ongoing worship.