The commentary is based mostly on the LXX, with frequent reference to the MT.

1 And thou shalt make the tabernacle, ten curtains of fine linen spun, and blue and purple, and scarlet spun [with] cherubs; thou shalt make them with work of a weaver.

The tabernacle is the entire tent that surrounds the ark and the holy of holies, and the holy place in front of this with its table for bread/wine and candelabra. In other words, it is the Church with the Eucharist front-in-center at the altar. The Church in Greek merely means “people,” which is why the tabernacle is made of the blue, purple, and red threads with angels. The different colors represent the male and female laity (blue and red). Purple may be a reference to a “royal priesthood,” as Christians together make up the priesthood of all believers. (1 Pet 2:6, 9) The significance of the cherubs is that with believers at all times are the angels, though they are unseen.

Secondarily, the typological humanity of the tabernacle represents the womb of the Theotokos. Within her was the incarnate God and she similarly is typologically constituted of all three colored threads.

3 And the five curtains shall be joined one to another, and [the other] five curtains shall be closely connected the one with the other. 4 And thou shalt make for them loops of blue on the edge of one curtain, on one side for the coupling, and so shalt thou make on the edge of the outer curtain for the second coupling. 5 Fifty loops shalt thou make for one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make on the part of the curtain answering to the coupling of the second, opposite [each other], corresponding to each other at each point. 6 And thou shalt make fifty golden rings; and thou shalt join the curtains to each other with the rings, and it shall be one tabernacle.

There is much here I do not understand, particularly the numbers. Perhaps the total of 10 curtains pertains to perfection, its division by two of five curtains each representing fullness. The rings are similar numbers with equivalent meaning, but multiplied by ten. Their gold construction indicates that they represent God’s grace. In effect, Christians are upheld by grace, as the curtains are upheld by golden rings.

7 And thou shalt make for a covering of the tabernacle skins with the hair on, thou shalt make them eleven skins. 8 The length of one skin thirty cubits, and the breadth of one skin four cubits: there shall be the same measure to the eleven skins. 9 And thou shalt join the five skins together, and the six skins together; and thou shalt double the sixth skin in front of the tabernacle.

The skins are the roof of the tabernacle, for they represent the blood of Christ and the martyrs that in effect cover the Church (Heb 10:22, Rev 7:14, Rev 6:10, Lev 16:14).  The skins are an uneven number, because the larger number (six) must be red (representing Christ’s blood) and the that of the martyrs blue (being the lesser number).  They are joined together because they are necessarily linked. (Col 1:24)

The length and width suggests a cuboid tabernacle, again pointing to this being a mere shadow and not the perfect fulfillment.

10 And thou shalt make fifty loops on the border of one skin, which is in the midst for the joinings; and thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the second skin that joins it. 11 And thou shalt make fifty brazen [bronze] rings; and thou shalt join the rings by the loops, and thou shalt join the skins, and they shall be one.

The equivalent number of rings shows the similar function of the martyrs (the Church in heaven) represented by the roof of the tabernacle and the outer curtain (the Church on earth). The rings are bronze, because the effect of martyrdom is that it perfectly purifies a Christian—all of which have a fallen tropos. While the bronze ring seems inferior to the gold ring, it is not here in its intended typological purpose. Rather, it extols the literal and metaphorical height that God’s grace has risen fallen man through Christ’s death and resurrection (hence it being the tabernacle’s ceiling).

12 And thou shalt fix at the end that which is over in the skins of the tabernacle; the half of the skin that is left shalt thou fold over, according to the overplus of the skins of the tabernacle; thou shalt fold it over behind the tabernacle. 13 A cubit on this side, and a cubit on that side of that which remains of the skins, of the length of the skins of the tabernacle: it shall be folding over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and that side, that it may cover it. 14 And thou shalt make for a covering of the tabernacle rams’ skins dyed red, and blue skins as coverings above.

It is revealed here the precise colors of the skins. The Masoretic Text is more cryptic in Ex 26:14. It mentions only the color red. It also includes an additional animal skin instead of a ram—a porpoise (sometimes rendered badger). While the ram is extremely important, as it is a type for Christ in Gen 22:13 MT, the badger has no such importance and is missing from the LXX. However, the same rendering is also found in the Dead Sea Scroll (DSS) 4Q22. If this is the most reliable rendering, I can only guess at the typological importance in this event, especially in light of the porpoise skins. All that comes to mind is Rom 10:6-7: “‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”

As for the overlapping curtains, the skins making the roof fold over the curtain, this typologically pertains to how living Christians are being watched over by the martyrs and God Himself. In other words, the saints and the Lord make intercession respectively, the former in prayer and the latter by answering the prayers and imparting grace to the saints. Indeed, Christ’s mediation for mankind is in addition atoning, (1 Tim 2:5-6) which goes beyond the spiritual mediation offered by the saints.

15 And thou shalt make the posts of the tabernacle of incorruptible wood. 16 Of ten cubits shalt thou make one post, and the breadth of one post of a cubit and a half.

The posts which hold up the curtains are acacia wood, as those who are Christians within the Church are righteous. This includes the martyrs and Christ, who all share human nature and righteousness/blamelessness—the former by grace and the latter by default. The fraction in the width of the post speaks to the imperfect nature of the type.

Secondarily, the acacia wood represents the blameless virginity of the Theotokos’ womb.

17 Two joints shalt thou make in one post, answering the one to the other: so shalt thou do to all the posts of the tabernacle.

The joints are bronze (as we shall find out later in Ex 38:21 LXX), because the Church in heaven and earth has a purified tropos. The significance of this is that heaven is an eternal experience of a corrected tropos, eternally acting according to God’s good design for mankind. If any part of the Church, apart from Christ Himself, was of a different “nature” (such as the Theotokos, the Roman Catholics teaching the heresy of her immaculate conception), then Christ would have done less in saving her. This is not the case. Everyone is saved in the same way from the same thing, whether the committed sins or not, as all are in need of salvation due to the inheritance of a disordered tropos.

The secondary type for the tabernacle, the Theotokos, is imputed original sin at her conception by this passage.

The red ram skins making up the ceiling of the tabernacle speaks to Christ being the Head of the Church. The MT, only mentioning the color red for the roof, makes this even clearer. The LXX rendering can retain this as the majority of the roof is red.

18 And thou shalt make posts to the tabernacle, twenty posts on the north side. 19 And thou shalt make to the twenty posts forty silver sockets; two sockets to one post on both its sides, and two sockets to the other post on both its sides. 20 And for the next side, toward the south, twenty posts, 21 and their forty silver sockets: two sockets to one post on both its sides, and two sockets to the other post on both its sides. 22 And on the back of the tabernacle at the part which is toward the [west] thou shalt make six posts. 23 And thou shalt make two posts on the corners of the tabernacle behind. 24 And it shall be equal below, they shall be equal toward the same part from the heads to one joining; so shalt thou make to both the two corners, let them be equal. 25 And there shall be eight posts, and their sixteen silver sockets; two sockets to one post on both its sides, and two sockets to the other post.

The posts (made of acacia wood) are 20 (north) x 20 (south) x 6 (west) x 2 (“behind,” east?). I infer that the east side needed less because this was the entrance. Christians pray towards the east traditionally. This implies an inverse relationship between the shadow and the fulfillment in the Church.

The curtains are held to the posts using silver sockets, because silver represents the natural goodness of humanity. The Church has redeemed people whose nature has always been intact. Such an anthropology underlies the whole process of salvation, which literally holds the curtains of the Church and her theology together. This is why there are double the sockets than posts (other than practical purposes).

The unequal proportions, again, points to the imperfection of the type.

26 And thou shalt make bars of incorruptible wood; five to one post on one side of the tabernacle, 27 and five bars to one post on the second side of the tabernacle, and five bars to the hinder posts, on the side of the tabernacle toward the sea. 28 And let the bar in the middle between the posts go through from the one side to the other side. 29 And thou shalt gild the posts with gold; and thou shalt make golden rings, into which thou shalt introduce the bars, and thou shalt gild the bars with gold.

The bars here fill the practical function of helping hold everything up. Clearly, righteousness fulfills this function spiritually in the Church. This is why poor morals among clergy and laity greatly deform the Christian and the Church. The fact these posts are gilded shows that the righteousness of the Christian is by grace: “not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.” (Phil 3:9)

30 And thou shalt set up the tabernacle according to the pattern shewed thee in the mount. 31 And thou shalt make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet woven, and fine linen spun: thou shalt make it cherubs [in] woven work. 32 And thou shalt set it upon four posts of incorruptible wood overlaid with gold; and their tops [shall be] gold, and their four sockets [shall be] of silver. 33 And thou shalt put the veil on the posts, and thou shalt carry in thither within the veil the ark of the testimony; and the veil shall make a separation for you between the holy and the holy of holies. 34 And thou shalt screen with the veil the ark of the testimony in the holy of holies.

The re-emphasis on “the pattern shown to thee” emphasizes the typological importance of what God is asking to have made. The “veil” is an altar screen “of blue and purple and scarlet…linen” with “cherubs.” They represent the saints and angels which serve God before the heavenly throne in Rev 5:6-7. This implies that outside of the tabernacle are the living saints and the veil are those in heaven. There can be no doubt that this is the typological meaning due to the location of the veil between the holy and holy of holies, the latter being where the ark is located.

35 And thou shalt set the table outside the veil, and the candlestick opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle; and thou shalt put the table on the north side of the tabernacle.

The table with the showbread (altar with Eucharist) and the candelabra (Holy Spirit) being outside the Holy of Holies emphasizes the existence of the eternal in the temporal realm in Christian worship. In fact, it indicates that worship in the temporal realm is a window into the heavenly eternal realm.

36 And thou shalt make a screen for the door of the tabernacle of blue, and purple, and spun scarlet and fine linen spun, the work of the embroiderer. 37 And thou shalt make for the veil five posts, and thou shalt gild them with gold; and their chapiters shall be gold; and thou shalt cast for them five brazen sockets.

The screen door maintains the colors indicative of humanity, implying Christians have entrance into the heavenly realm through worship. Five posts for the veil indicates the completeness of those in heaven. The MT makes clear they are made of acacia wood, both traditions maintain the gold gilding these posts. Again, this speaks to the righteousness and grace that constitute Christians in heaven. The chaptiers/hooks being gold emphasizes the role of grace in holding everything together, or more likely, are here a type for the angels who are intermediaries of grace. The bronze sockets indicates the purified tropos of saved humanity–there is not a single person in heaven whose tropos has not been purified. The emphasis of sockets and hooks indicates the two different kinds of righteous intelligences in heaven, human and angelic. The key emphasis is on the human, due to Christ’s incarnation.