Exodus — Chapter 26

The Tabernacle itself—ten curtains of fine twisted linen, and violet, and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, with cherubim—typifies the Church. Lapide follows Hugh of St. Victor (De Sacr. I, vi) in detail: the fine linen signifies the purity of the Church's doctrine; the violet signifies heavenly contemplation; the purple signifies the blood of martyrdom; the scarlet signifies burning charity; the cherubim signify the four Evangelists (as in Ezekiel 1 and Apoc. 4). The Tabernacle's outer covering of ram skins dyed red signifies Christ's humanity, ruddy with His own Blood.

Thou shalt make also a veil of violet and purple and scarlet twice dyed and twisted linen, wrought with embroidered work and goodly variety. The veil of the Temple separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies is a figure of the veil of Christ's flesh separating the human from the divine, and of death separating the pilgrim Church from the heavenly Jerusalem. Lapide cites Hebrews 10:20: Christ opened a new and living way through the veil of His flesh—His death on the Cross tore the veil (Mt. 27:51), opening direct access to the Father for all believers.

And the veil shall be hung before the rings, and into it thou shalt bring the ark of the testimony: and the veil shall separate the holy place from the Holy of Holies. Lapide explains the two-room structure of the Tabernacle theologically: the outer Holy Place is accessible to priests and represents the present life of faith and sacramental grace; the inner Holy of Holies, entered once a year by the High Priest alone, represents the beatific vision accessible only through death or rapture. The High Priest's annual entry on Yom Kippur prefigures Christ's entry into the heavenly sanctuary through His own blood (Heb. 9:11-12).