What were the tabernacle furnishings made of, and which one was different?
The tabernacle furnishings were made of wood covered with gold, except the mercy seat, which was made of pure beaten gold. That mercy seat sat above the Ark of the Covenant, with cherubim overshadowing it. So the common material was wood overlaid with gold, while the mercy seat alone was solid gold.
Les teaches that the various furnishings were all made of wood covered with gold, with the exception of the mercy seat. The mercy seat sat behind the veil, above the Ark of the Covenant, and was made of pure beaten gold, not wood overlaid with gold. Its cherubim overshadowed the Ark, and it became the mercy seat. The veil itself was blue, purple, and scarlet with fine twine linen and cherubim, hung on four acacia wood pillars overlaid with gold, with gold hooks and silver sockets.