271 "And you shall make the altar of acacia wood , five cubits long and five cubits wide ; the altar shall be square , and its height shall be three cubits . 2 "You shall make its horns on its four corners ; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze . 3 "You shall make its pails for removing its ashes , and its shovels and its basins and its forks and its firepans ; you shall make all its utensils of bronze . 4 "You shall make for it a grating of network of bronze , and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners . 5 "You shall put it beneath , under the ledge of the altar , so that the net will reach halfway up the altar . 6 "You shall make poles for the altar , poles of acacia wood , and overlay them with bronze . 7 "Its poles shall be inserted into the rings , so that the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar when it is carried . 8 "You shall make it hollow with planks ; as it was shown to you in the mountain , so they shall make it.
9 "You shall make the court of the tabernacle . On the south e side there shall be hangings for the court of fine twisted linen one hundred cubits long for one side ; 10 and its pillars shall be twenty , with their twenty sockets of bronze ; the hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be of silver . 11 "Likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings one hundred cubits long , and its twenty pillars with their twenty sockets of bronze ; the hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be of silver . 12 "For the width of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits with their ten pillars and their ten sockets . 13 "The width of the court on the east side shall be fifty cubits . 14 "The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen e cubits with their three pillars and their three sockets . 15 "And for the other side shall be hangings of fifteen e cubits with their three pillars and their three sockets . 16 "For the gate of the court there shall be a screen of twenty cubits , of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen , the work of a weaver , with their four pillars and their four sockets . 17 "All the pillars around the court shall be furnished with silver bands with their hooks of silver and their sockets of bronze . 18 "The length of the court shall be one hundred cubits , and the width fifty throughout, and the height five cubits of fine twisted linen , and their sockets of bronze . 19 "All the utensils of the tabernacle used in all its service , and all its pegs , and all the pegs of the court , shall be of bronze .
20 "You shall charge the sons of Israel , that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light , to make a lamp burn continually . 21 "In the tent of meeting , outside e the veil which is before the testimony , Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the Lord ; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout their generations for the sons of Israel .
281 "Then bring near to yourself Aaron your brother , and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel , to minister as priest to Me-Aaron , Nadab and Abihu , Eleazar and Ithamar , Aaron's sons . 2 "You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother , for glory and for beauty . 3 "You shall speak to all the skillful e persons e whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom , that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me. 4 "These are the garments which they shall make : a breastpiece and an ephod and a robe and a tunic of checkered work , a turban and a sash , and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons , that he may minister as priest to Me. 5 "They shall take the gold and the blue and the purple and the scarlet material and the fine linen .
6 "They shall also make the ephod of gold , of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen , the work of the skillful workman . 7 "It shall have two shoulder pieces joined to its two ends , that it may be joined . 8 "The skillfully woven band , which is on it, shall be like its workmanship , of the same material: of gold , of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen . 9 "You shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel , 10 six of their names on the one stone and the names of the remaining six on the other stone , according to their birth . 11 "As a jeweler e engraves a signet , you shall engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel ; you shall set e them in filigree settings of gold . 12 "You shall put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod , as stones of memorial for the sons of Israel , and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for a memorial . 13 " You shall make filigree settings of gold , 14 and two chains of pure gold ; you shall make them of twisted cordage work , and you shall put the corded chains on the filigree settings.
15 " You shall make a breastpiece of judgment , the work of a skillful workman ; like the work of the ephod you shall make it: of gold , of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen you shall make it. 16 "It shall be square and folded double , a span in length and a span in width . 17 "You shall mount e on it four rows of stones ; the first row shall be a row of ruby , topaz and emerald ; 18 and the second row a turquoise , a sapphire and a diamond ; 19 and the third row a jacinth , an agate and an amethyst ; 20 and the fourth row a beryl and an onyx and a jasper ; they shall be set in gold filigree . 21 "The stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel : twelve e , according to their names ; they shall be like the engravings of a seal , each according to his name for the twelve e tribes . 22 "You shall make on the breastpiece chains of twisted cordage work in pure gold . 23 "You shall make on the breastpiece two rings of gold , and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece . 24 "You shall put the two cords of gold on the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece . 25 "You shall put the other two ends of the two cords on the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod , at the front of it. 26 "You shall make two rings of gold and shall place them on the two ends of the breastpiece , on the edge of it, which is toward the inner side of the ephod . 27 "You shall make two rings of gold and put them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod , on the front of it close to the place where it is joined , above e the skillfully woven band of the ephod . 28 "They shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord , so that it will be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod , and that the breastpiece will not come loose from the ephod . 29 "Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually . 30 " You shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the Urim and the Thummim , and they shall be over Aaron's heart when he goes in before the Lord ; and Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually .
31 " You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue . 32 "There shall be an opening at its top in the middle of it; around its opening there shall be a binding of woven work , as like the opening of a coat of mail , so that it will not be torn . 33 "You shall make on its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material, all around on its hem , and bells of gold between them all around : 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate , a golden bell and a pomegranate , all around on the hem of the robe . 35 "It shall be on Aaron when he ministers ; and its tinkling shall be heard when he enters and leaves the holy place before the Lord , so that he will not die . 36 "You shall also make a plate of pure gold and shall engrave on it, like the engravings of a seal , ' Holy to the Lord .' 37 "You shall fasten it on a blue cord , and it shall be on the turban ; it shall be at the front of the turban . 38 "It shall be on Aaron's forehead , and Aaron shall take away the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate , with regard to all their holy gifts ; and it shall always be on his forehead , that they may be accepted before the Lord . 39 "You shall weave the tunic of checkered work of fine linen , and shall make a turban of fine linen , and you shall make a sash , the work of a weaver .
40 "For Aaron's sons you shall make tunics ; you shall also make sashes for them, and you shall make caps for them, for glory and for beauty . 41 "You shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him; and you shall anoint them and ordain e them and consecrate them, that they may serve Me as priests . 42 "You shall make for them linen breeches to cover their bare flesh ; they shall reach from the loins even to the thighs . 43 "They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the tent of meeting , or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not incur guilt and die . It shall be a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him.
211 When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage , at the Mount of Olives , then Jesus sent two disciples , 2 saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. 3 "If anyone says anything to you, you shall say , 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them." 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet : 5 " SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION , 'BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE , AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY , EVEN ON A COLT , THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN .' " 6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, 7 and brought the donkey and the colt , and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats . 8 Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road , and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road . 9 The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed , were shouting , "Hosanna to the Son of David ; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE Lord ; Hosanna in the highest !" 10 When He had entered Jerusalem , all the city was stirred , saying , "Who is this ?" 11 And the crowds were saying , "This is the prophet Jesus , from Nazareth in Galilee ."
12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple , and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves . 13 And He said to them, "It is written , ' MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER '; but you are making it a ROBBERS' DEN ." 14 And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple , and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done , and the children who were shouting in the temple , "Hosanna to the Son of David ," they became indignant 16 and said to Him, "Do You hear what these children are saying ?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes ; have you never read , ' OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF'?" 17 And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany , and spent the night there .
18 Now in the morning , when He was returning to the city , He became hungry . 19 Seeing a lone fig tree by the road , He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only ; and He said to it, "No longer shall there ever e be any fruit from you." And at once the fig tree withered . 20 Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked , "How did the fig tree wither all at once ?" 21 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt , you will not only do what was done to the fig tree , but even if you say to this mountain , 'Be taken up and cast into the sea ,' it will happen . 22 "And all things you ask in prayer , believing , you will receive ."
(Read Matthew 21:1-11)
This coming of Christ was described by the prophet Zechariah, Zechariah 9:9. When Christ would appear in his glory, it is in his meekness, not in his majesty, in mercy to work salvation. As meekness and outward poverty were fully seen in Zion's King, and marked his triumphal entrance to Jerusalem, how wrong covetousness, ambition, and the pride of life must be in Zion's citizens! They brought the ass, but Jesus did not use it without the owner's consent. The trappings were such as came to hand. We must not think the clothes on our backs too dear to part with for the service of Christ. The chief priests and the elders afterwards joined with the multitude that abused him upon the cross; but none of them joined the multitude that did him honour. Those that take Christ for their King, must lay their all under his feet. Hosanna signifies, Save now, we beseech thee! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord! But of how little value is the applause of the people! The changing multitude join the cry of the day, whether it be Hosanna, or Crucify him. Multitudes often seem to approve the gospel, but few become consistent disciples. When Jesus was come into Jerusalem all the city was moved; some perhaps were moved with joy, who waited for the Consolation of Israel; others, of the Pharisees, were moved with envy. So various are the motions in the minds of men upon the approach of Christ's kingdom.
(Read Matthew 21:12-17)
Christ found some of the courts of the temple turned into a market for cattle and things used in the sacrifices, and partly occupied by the money-changers. Our Lord drove them from the place, as he had done at his entering upon his ministry, John 2:13-17. His works testified of him more than the hosannas; and his healing in the temple was the fulfilling the promise, that the glory of the latter house should be greater than the glory of the former. If Christ came now into many parts of his visible church, how many secret evils he would discover and cleanse! And how many things daily practised under the cloak of religion, would he show to be more suitable to a den of thieves than to a house of prayer!
(Read Matthew 21:18-22)
This cursing of the barren fig-tree represents the state of hypocrites in general, and so teaches us that Christ looks for the power of religion in those who profess it, and the savour of it from those that have the show of it. His just expectations from flourishing professors are often disappointed; he comes to many, seeking fruit, and finds leaves only. A false profession commonly withers in this world, and it is the effect of Christ's curse. The fig-tree that had no fruit, soon lost its leaves. This represents the state of the nation and people of the Jews in particular. Our Lord Jesus found among them nothing but leaves. And after they rejected Christ, blindness and hardness grew upon them, till they were undone, and their place and nation rooted up. The Lord was righteous in it. Let us greatly fear the doom denounced on the barren fig-tree.
