Exodus 26:1-6

"Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim the work of the skilled workman shalt thou make them. The length of each curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits: all the curtains shall have one measure. Five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and the other five curtains shall be coupled one to another. And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the second coupling. Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the second coupling; the loops shall be opposite one to another. And thou shalt make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to another with the clasps: and the tabernacle shall be one whole."

It is apparent that the making of this tabernacle was to be an exceedingly costly thing. The candlestick alone, mentioned at the end of the last chapter would require "one talent of gold." "That is about 60 kilograms of gold!"[13] This amounts to more than 1,200 ounces, Troy weight; and at the current price of gold, the sum comes to more than $400,000.00. The "fifty clasps of gold" mentioned here as holding together only two curtains suggest that an immense sum was also expended on this inner curtain. The finest linens, skillfully tapestried in three colors of blue, purple, and scarlet, involving the most expensive dyes on earth were also used. The meaning is that only the most desirable and costly things that men knew were capable of being used as symbols of such things as the presence of God, the heaven of heavens, the holy Church that in time would appear, the Word of God, and other realities depicted.

The curtain was decorated extensively with cherubim, suggesting God's presence and the obedience of all created things to his holy will. The use of ten boards, in multiples, such as 20 or 30, since ten is a perfect number, is a suggestion of the multiplied thousands and millions of persons who will ultimately benefit from God's revelation.