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Shadow and Substance. 
 
 An Exposition of the Tabernacle Types. 
 
 ^EO. C. NEEDHAM. 
 
 Life," "Conflic 
 the Ages," etc. 
 
 Author of " The Spiritual Life," "Conflict and Conquest," "Plan of 
 
 MMT1 ism ! *~x. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA : j//^ / ' 
 
 AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY, 
 
 1420 Chestnut Street. 
 
 1896. 
 

 Copyright 1896 by the 
 American Baptist Publication Society. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 I. Design, 7 
 
 II. Descriptive Titles, 16 
 
 III. Position, 22 
 
 IV. Materials, 28 
 
 V. Arrangement, 37 
 
 VI. The Brazen Altar, 46 
 
 VII. Brazen Altar and Vessels, . . . . 58 
 
 VIII. The Laver, 64 
 
 IX. Holy and Most Holy, 71 
 
 X. Table of Shewbread, 78 
 
 XI. The Golden Lamp-stand, 87 
 
 XII. The Altar of Incense, 96 
 
 XIII. The Ark of the Covenant, .... 104 
 
 XIV. The Mercy-seat, 113 
 
 XV. The Cherubim, 120 
 
 5 
 
6 CONTENTS. 
 
 XVI. History of the Ark 128 
 
 XVII. The Vail, 138 
 
 XVIII. The Friendly Cloud, 151 
 
 XIX. Priesthood, 167 
 
 XX. Priestly Garments, ....... 177 
 
 XXI. Priestly Offices, . . . . „ . . . 190 
 
I. 
 
 Design. 
 
 IN former years much study was given to 
 the typology of Scripture. The fear of 
 extremes has led to its comparative dis- 
 use. In our day students of theology leave 
 these fruitful fields to glean elsewhere. The 
 gospel of Moses is little known ; the teaching 
 of Moses little understood. Yet, he who 
 knows not Moses, can never fully know Christ. 
 A fascinating but fatal rationalism has been 
 subverting the foundation laws of true Bible 
 study. Prophetic symbolism and prophetic 
 teaching are accounted nothing worthy of 
 inquiry, while airy sentimentalities and novel 
 philosophies have been the chief pursuit of 
 religious teachers. How little can we make 
 of the Bible, and how much can we re- 
 duce it to a merely human composition, has 
 been the irreverent motive impelling many in 
 their damaging work of Scripture mutilation. 
 Nevertheless there are still left some old- 
 fashioned believers who cling to the Bible as 
 the revealed will of God, divinely inspired in 
 (7) 
 
8 Tabernacle; Types. 
 
 all its parts and particles. Where shall we 
 look for infallibility if not to the word of 
 God ? The church has it not : her voice is 
 fallible, her judgment imperfect. Reason has 
 it not ; that poor, darkened, and deformed 
 power, which we call understanding, beclouded 
 by sin, is only rational when brought into sub- 
 jection unto the obedience of Christ. God has 
 given us a revelation of Himself which is 
 super-human, infallible and conclusive. There- 
 fore no part of it is non-essential, no part of it 
 should be treated with negligence or in- 
 difference. 
 
 The typical portions of Scripture are su- 
 premely important, and as a study vastly inter- 
 esting. Types are shadows, Shadows imply 
 substance. A type has its lesson. It was the de- 
 sign of Jehovah to express v His great thought of 
 redemption to His people Israel in a typical, or 
 symbolic manner. By laws, ceremonies, insti- 
 tutions, persons and incidents He sought to 
 keep alive in their hearts the hope of a coming 
 Redeemer. Christ is therefore the key to 
 Moses' gospel. This then is our advantage, 
 that we can minutely compare type and anti- 
 type, and thereby learn the lesson of grace 
 which bringeth salvation. 
 
DESIGN. 9 
 
 The design of redemption is fully disclosed 
 in the Typical Tabernacle. The world-sanc- 
 tuary, that which was earthly and temporary, 
 foreshadowed Christ the real and True Taber- 
 nacle. Apart from its typical signification, 
 viewed alone as the dwelling-place of Jehovah, 
 where He dwelt and walked in the midst of a 
 redeemed nation, the Typical Tabernacle ought 
 surely to command our earnest and reverential 
 study. 
 
 The vast creation, this house of our habita- 
 tion, calls out the study of astronomers and 
 geologists, yet but one "chapter of Genesis is 
 occupied with the details of creation, while 
 fifteen chapters in Exodus are required to re- 
 cord the details of the sacred building and its 
 solemn uses. Great and marvelous as is crea- 
 tion with its mysteries and its wonders, greater 
 still is redemption with its sublime ideas, and 
 its far-reaching results. Redemption invests 
 the Tabernacle with peculiar interest ; we 
 should therefore study its design. 
 
 Pyramids and mausoleums possess historic 
 and artistic interest, their grandeur and beauty 
 call out the glowing admiration of delighted 
 visitors. Idol- temples are objects of perpetual 
 interest ; many have gone to the ends of the 
 
io Tabernacle Types. 
 
 earth to behold them and wonder. But the 
 Tabernacle of Jehovah, although a building 
 of inferior proportions, gathers around itself a 
 charm, and a claim unknown to any building 
 ever erected by the hands of men. 
 
 The Tabernacle was the first palace of 
 Divine Royalty within whose gilded walls 
 dwelt the awful Shekinah, the manifested 
 glory of the living God ; the visible expression 
 of His attributes of Holiness, Righteousness, 
 Mercy and Truth. 
 
 The history of Abraham's posterity com- 
 prising the nation of Israel, and the history of 
 the Typical Tabernacle are closely interwoven. 
 It was their place of worship : the meeting- 
 place between them and their covenant God. 
 For this reason also, the subject is worthy of 
 thoughtful study ; nor is it a proof of scholar- 
 ship, or saintship, to relegate it to the obscurity 
 of the mythical and legendary. 
 
 The Tabernacle itself, as a material building, 
 like all other types has passed away, but the 
 realities prefigured by them continue. The 
 person of Immanuel in His incarnation and 
 redemptive work is the substance of every 
 type. In the Tabernacle but faintly, while in 
 Christ more fully do we behold the grace of 
 
Design. ii 
 
 God revealed and the glory of God reflected. 
 The patient study which traces out the lines 
 of truth radiating from the Tabernacle, and 
 converging in Christ will lead to greater dis- 
 coveries of Him who is indeed God manifest 
 in flesh ; whose glory we behold — glory as of 
 the only begotten of the Father, in whom 
 dwelleth, as Shekinah dwelt in the Tabernacle, 
 the fullness of the Godhead bodily. 
 
 The following reasons are of sufficient value 
 to every believer for giving prayerful study to 
 the Tabernacle and its spiritual signification : 
 
 I. Its design. 
 
 It was appointed as Jehovah's dwelling- 
 place in the midst of His covenant-people. 
 1 ' And let them make me a sanctuary that I 
 may dwell among them." Ex. xxv. 8. 
 
 II. God's mode of revealing Himself. 
 From the beginning God revealed Himself 
 
 to man in divers ways, each successive revela- 
 tion becoming a clearer manifestation of His 
 nature and character. At sundry times to 
 Noah, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and to 
 Moses He made His ways known. Now in 
 the Tabernacle He condescended to unfold His 
 purposes more specifically. ' ' And they shall 
 know ' that I am the I^ord their God that 
 
12 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 brought them forth out of the land of Egypt." 
 (Ex. xxix. 46.) 
 
 III. That man may know God' s great plan of 
 redemption. 
 
 There are specially three features of redemp- 
 tion foreshadowed in the Tabernacle ritual : 
 
 (1) Purification from sin. Hence the law 
 of sacrifice and the use of water. 
 
 (2) Acceptance with God. This thought is 
 connected with priestly garments and mitre. 
 
 (3) Worship. Priestly intercession with the 
 offering of incense typified this aspect of truth. 
 In the more amplified exposition later on these 
 several points will receive due attention. 
 
 IV. Through the Tabernacle and its services 
 we become acquainted with God^s method of 
 teaching. 
 
 He taught through symbol. The truth was 
 in the type mystically ; the truth was beyond 
 the type spiritually. There were three ele- 
 ments of types : 
 
 (1) Natural objects, as the Rock. "For 
 they drank of a spiritual rock that followed 
 them ; and the rock was Christ. ' ' 1 Cor. x.- 4. 
 
 (2) Heavenly objects, as the Manna. ' ' Your 
 fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and 
 died. This is the bread which cometh down 
 
Design. 13 
 
 out of heaven, that a man may eat thereof and 
 not die." Johnvi. 49-50. [Note, type and 
 antitype are frequently in contrast.] 
 
 (3) Artificial objects, as the Brazen Serpent. 
 * ' And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the 
 wilderness, even so must the Son of man be 
 lifted up ; that whosoever belie veth may in 
 him have eternal life." John iii. 14-15. 
 
 V. To know that God establishes communion 
 between man and Himselj. 
 
 Through sin communion between Creator 
 and creature was interrupted. Through grace 
 communion is again restored. ' ' And thou 
 shalt make a mercy-seat of pure gold. . . 
 And there I will meet with thee and commune 
 with thee from above the mercy-seat." Ex. 
 xxv. 17-22. 
 
 This communion with God includes co- 
 operation with Him in the prosecution of His 
 great plans. 
 
 1 ' See the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel, 
 the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of 
 Judah. . . . And Bezaleel and Oholiab 
 shall work, and every wise-hearted man, in 
 whom the Lord hath put wisdom and under- 
 standing to know how to work all the work 
 for the service of the sanctuary, according to 
 
14 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 all that the Lord hath commanded." Ex. 
 xxxv. 30; xxxvi. 1. 
 
 VI. Through the study of the Tabernacle we 
 are led to a right understanding of New Testa- 
 ment doctrine. 
 
 No student of the sacred Scriptures can have 
 a right understanding of New Testament doc- 
 trine until the light of the Old Testament 
 shines thereupon. So also the New illumines 
 the Old. In the Tabernacle and its ritual we 
 meet with the very terms and germs of New 
 Testament doctrine. As for instance : Access 
 to God, Atonement, Holiness, Intercession, 
 Propitiation, Priesthood, Remission, Recon- 
 ciliation, Redemption, Righteousness, Wor- 
 ship. 
 
 VII. By the study of the Tabernacle in con- 
 nection with Israel we get the prophetic outline of 
 Israel's future. 
 
 Israel in the past foreshadowed Israel to 
 come. Their form of government was a pure 
 theocracy, as it again shall be. They were 
 then, as they shall be hereafter, a nation, 
 separated, consecrated and honored with high 
 distinctions, with the Glory of God in their 
 midst. 
 
Design. 15 
 
 VIII. The study of this subject will greatly 
 enlarge and enrich our Christian experience. 
 
 What is Christian experience ? Is it not 
 putting truth to the test by its personal appli- 
 cation to, ourselves ? We prove the reality of 
 spiritual phenomena by experiment. We 
 thereby grow in knowledge, and knowledge 
 begets experience. For there is a knowledge 
 which doth not puff up, but the rather buildeth 
 up. Grace and peace come from the knowl- 
 edge of God and of Jesus Christ our L,ord. 
 
 IX. Attrition to this subject will also restore 
 the true method of Bible study itself. 
 
 The books of Moses are occupied with the 
 services of the Tabernacle in relation to the 
 people of Israel, Divers washings for purifi- 
 cation, sacrifices offered for atonement, reli- 
 gious feasts for the promotion of worship, all of 
 these pointed to Christ in relation to His 
 church and to ages thereafter. Through these 
 typical institutions Moses wrote of Jesus. 
 They were therefore to be observed until He 
 came to put away sin by the sacrifice of 
 Himself. 
 
II. 
 
 Descriptive Titles. 
 
 THE variety of names given to the Taber- 
 nacle indicates its importance. 
 
 I. A Sanctuary. 
 
 "And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may 
 dwell among them." Ex. xxv. 8. 
 
 This name calls attention to the character of 
 the sacred building as a holy place. It was 
 designed to be a palace for the great King, 
 where His Glory through the Shekinah should 
 become visible to man. 
 
 II. Tabernacle. 
 
 1 ' According to all that I shew thee, the pattern of 
 the Tabernacle, and the pattern of all the furniture 
 thereof, even so shall ye make it." Ex. xxv. 9. 
 
 This word from its Latin origin means 
 simply ' ' tent, ' ' but from its Hebrew deriva- 
 tion means ' ' dwelling-place. ' ' The thought 
 is : to settle down. From the day when sin 
 entered into the world God had no dwelling- 
 place amid mankind. He saw them in their 
 misery. He heard the groans of His people 
 in Egypt. He came down and visited them, 
 (16) 
 
Descriptive Titles. 17 
 
 but not until they became a separate nation, 
 redeemed by blood, and. by power, did He con- 
 descend to dwell with them. In a more real 
 sense, and with greater manifestation of His 
 presence, He tabernacled with men through 
 The Word made flesh. John i. 1 ; 14. 
 
 The phrase "dwelt among us," is literally 
 tabernacled. This is a great mystery, how He 
 the infinite God should limit Himself to a 
 material structure, and afterwards dwell within 
 a human body. 
 
 III. Tent. 
 
 " On the first day of the first month shalt thou rear 
 up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. ' ' — Ex. xl. 2. 
 
 From the use of the word tent, in its con- 
 nections and associations, I conclude that the 
 goat's hair covering was thereby specified. I 
 suggest this explanation : The Sanctuary com- 
 prised the boards of the building, and spe- 
 cially the inner room. The Tabernacle was the 
 cherubic covering which formed the ceiling. 
 It was beneath this glorious canopy the She- 
 kinah rested. The ram skins, dyed red, with 
 the outermost protection, in our version called 
 badger skins, formed the coverings over all. 
 With this plan in mind read carefully in the 
 revised version. Kx. xxxix. 33-43. 
 
18 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 IV. House of God. 
 
 " So they set them up Micah's graven image which 
 he had made, all the time that the house of God was 
 in Shiloh." Judges xviii. 31. 
 
 I do not find this name given to the Taber- 
 nacle during its wilderness journey in gs. Only 
 when in the land is it so called. The idea is 
 that of fixity, or constant habitation. It was 
 indeed Jehovah's dwelling-place, but in the 
 land it had evidently undergone some altera- 
 tions, and was not subject to constant move- 
 ment. It lost, in a measure, its pilgrim char- 
 acter at this period. 
 
 V. Temple of the Lord. 
 
 1 ' Samuel was laid down to sleep in the temple of 
 the Lord, where the ark of God was." — 1 Sam. iii. 3. 
 
 From this record we conclude the Tabernacle 
 had been enlarged. Originally there was no 
 provision for a sleeping chamber. As it was 
 the fore-runner of the Temple, so the change 
 in its construction may make it a more impos- 
 ing building, and thus receive its new name. 
 Also in contrast to the idol temples which 
 abounded, this building was specified as Jeho- 
 vah's Temple, having within its precincts the 
 ark of God. 
 
Descriptive Titi.es. 19 
 
 VI. Tabernacle of the Congregation. 
 
 "And they shall be joined with thee, and keep the 
 charge of the tent of meeting for all the service of 
 the tent." — Numb, xviii. 4. 
 
 The expression ' ( Tent of Meeting, " is in 
 the old version ' ■ Tabernacle of the Congrega- 
 tion. ' ' The sacred building and its constant 
 ritual was the point of meeting between God 
 and His people. Thither they brought their 
 offerings, while around its court the tribes 
 assembled. Here their representative, the 
 priest, made atonement and offered incense. 
 Here also the tribes gathered for mutual wor- 
 ship and social fellowship. 
 
 VII. Tent of Testimony. 
 
 "And on the day that the Tabernacle was reared up 
 the cloud covered the Tabernacle, even the tent of the 
 testimony." — Numb. ix. 15. 
 
 The ark was the chief article in the Taber- 
 nacle. The court, coverings and structure were 
 made in relation to it. Within this sacred 
 chest the law of testimony lay hidden, and 
 from its seat of mercy issued commandments 
 and directions to Moses Ex. xxv. 16- The 
 whole arrangement was a testimony to divine 
 holiness, to man's sinfulness, and to the effi- 
 cacy of atonement by sacrifice. 
 
20 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 VIII. A World Sanctuary. 
 
 "Now even the first Tabernacle had ordinances of 
 divine service and its sanctuary, a sanctuary of this 
 world." — Heb. ix. i. 
 
 Not ' ' worldly ' ' in the sense of being carnal, 
 but a ' ' world sanctuary ' ' because material and 
 temporary. The Tabernacle belonged to a 
 dispensation of typical ceremonies, foreshadow- 
 ing an age to follow when worship would be 
 more spiritual and service for God less burden- 
 some. The ' ' yoke of bondage ' ' would eventu- 
 ally give way to the law of Jesus whose ' ' yoke 
 is easy," and whose " burden is light." 
 
 The Tabernacle was specially a type of 
 Christ in this three-fold manner : 
 
 i. A meeting place, 
 
 * ' But all things are of God who hath recon- 
 ciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ." 2 Cor. 
 v. 18. Through sin man was alienated from 
 God, through Christ he is again restored and 
 reconciled. In Christ God and man meet to- 
 gether in precious fellowship. 
 
 2. A dwelling place. 
 
 " For in Him (Christ) dwelleth all the ful- 
 ness of the Godhead bodily." Col. ii. 9. 
 
Descriptive Titles. 21 
 
 Within the holy temple of our Lord's body- 
 dwelt the God of glory with the Spirit of power. 
 This sacred building, the humanity of Jesus, 
 erected on earth has been transferred to heaven, 
 in whom the Godhead abides forever. 
 
 3. A revealing place. 
 
 1 ' No man hath seen God at any time ; the 
 only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of 
 the Father, He hath declared Him." (John i. 
 18.) Through the Tabernacle Jehovah revealed 
 His character and declared His purposes of 
 love and redemption. There also devouring 
 holiness and righteous indignation against sin 
 declared the fact that God was just, even while 
 He justified. But more glorious in His holi- 
 ness, more inflexible in His justice and more 
 ineffably gracious do we behold the ever blessed 
 God in the face of Jesus Christ. "Just, and 
 the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus." 
 (Rom. iii. 26.) 
 
III. 
 
 Position. 
 
 THE mighty Lord who is holy could find 
 no place of rest in Egypt, a land defiled 
 with idols. Yet there He visited His 
 people ; saw their afflictions, heard their groan- 
 ings, knew their sorrows. According to prom- 
 ise He eventually came down to deliver them. 
 
 At Sinai, God who is righteous revealed Him- 
 self in flame and spoke in the mighty thunder. 
 None dared approach that awful summit; save 
 Moses their leader. (Ex. xxiv.) 
 
 God in grace came down to dwell amid His 
 people and was accessible to them, as their 
 priestly representative approached the seat of 
 Mercy. The relations of Jehovah to His cove- 
 nant people are manifested through the position 
 His dwelling place occupied. He is in their 
 midst. Nearness of communion, readiness of 
 access, closeness of fellowship and assured pro- 
 tection are the blessings flowing therefrom. 
 
 Spreading out in every direction, east, west, 
 north and south, lay the thousands of Israel. 
 The first line of tents belonged to the Invites. 
 
 (22) 
 
Position. 23 
 
 That tribe was chosen for the special services 
 of the Tabernacle, and out from it arose the 
 family of ministering Priests. The tents of 
 Moses and of the Priests were pitched before 
 the gate, at the east side, though at a consider- 
 able distance, from it. On the south side were 
 the tents of the Kohathites, one branch of the 
 Levite tribe. They had charge of all the 
 furniture ; the Ark, Altars, Table of Shew 
 Bread, Golden Candlestick and Laver, with all 
 their holy vessels. These they carried on their 
 shoulders. Numb. iii. 29-32. On the north 
 side were pitched the tents of the Merarites, 
 who had charge of the heavy framework, 
 pillars, bars, sockets and pins. To convey all 
 this material, they employed four wagons, 
 drawn by eight oxen. Numb. iii. 36-38. On 
 the west side were the tents of the Gershonites. 
 Their charge included all the curtains, cover- 
 ings, vails and hangings of the court. They 
 made use of two wagons, drawn by four oxen, 
 for transportation. Numb. iii. 25, 26. The 
 tribe of I^evi furnished 8580 males above the 
 age of thirty, who were the guardians of the 
 Holy Tent and its belongings. They were 
 ministers of the sanctuary, assisting the priests 
 in their sacred duties Numb. iii. 9 ; workers to 
 
24 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 take apart or erect the Tabernacle and transport 
 it across the untrodden desert. Numb. i. 51. 
 
 Still further outside the Levitical line of 
 tents, stretching into the distance on either 
 side, were the tents of the twelve tribes. When 
 Levi was chosen to be relatively near the Lord 
 in priestly service, the tribe of Joseph was 
 divided into two, called after the names of his 
 sons, Kphraim and Manasseh. Thus, as before, 
 there were twelve tribes. These tribes were 
 formed into four large companies, each company 
 embracing three tribes, with their chiefs, 
 captains and standards. 
 
 On the east was the camp of Judah, contain- 
 ing the tribes of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. 
 The camp of Reuben occupied the south, in- 
 cluding the tribes of Reuben, Simeon and Gad. 
 On the west lay the tents of Ephraim's camp, 
 which was composed of the three tribes of 
 Bphraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. The tribes 
 Dan, Naphtali and Asher, formed the camp of 
 Dan, and pitched their tents at the north side. 
 There were, therefore, four great camps on 
 each side of the Tabernacle, including in their 
 population 603,550 adult males, who consti- 
 tuted the standing army of Israel. Numb % ii. 
 See whole chap. 
 
Position. 
 
 25 
 
 The cloud which assumed a pillar-like shape 
 resting on the Tabernacle, spread over the 
 heavens above it, and covered the whole en- 
 campment, thus shielding it from the scorching 
 rays of the desert sun. * ' He spread a cloud 
 for a covering. ' ' At night it became brilliantly 
 illuminated as a cloud of fire, to give light to 
 the people. Ps. cv. 39. 
 
 Surely in all this careful arrangement of 
 detail there was something in the divine mind 
 beyond temporary accommodation, or love of 
 order. We need but glance at the following 
 Scriptures to recall again to our minds the say- 
 ing of Jesus : " Moses wrote of Me." 
 
 I. The promise of Jesus : 
 
 1 ' For where two or three are gathered to- 
 gether in my name, there am I in the midst 
 
 OFTHKM." 
 
 II. The literal fulfillment of the promise. 
 "On the first day of the week, when the 
 
 doors were shut where the disciples were, for 
 fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in 
 The midst." "And after eight days again 
 his disciples were within, and Thomas with 
 them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, 
 
 AND STOOD IN THK MIDST." 
 
26 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 III. The revelation in Patmos. 
 
 * ' And I turned to see the voice that spake 
 
 with me. And having turned I saw seven 
 
 golden candlesticks, and in The midst of the 
 
 candlesticks one like unto the Son of man. ' ' 
 
 Rev. i. 12, 13. 
 
 IV. The heavenly vision. 
 
 "And I saw in the midst of the throne, 
 and of the four living creatures, and of the 
 elders, a Lamb, standing, as though it had 
 been slain." Rev. v. 6. 
 
 V. A prophecy regarding Israel in the future. 
 1 ' Sing O daughter of Zion ; shout O Israel ; 
 
 be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O 
 daughter of Jerusalem * * * the King of 
 Israel, even the Lord is in the midst of 
 THEE. * * * The Lord thy God is in The 
 midst OF THEE, thou shalt not fear evil any- 
 more. " Zephaniah iii. 14-16. 
 
 Thus we see, that the attitude of Jesus is the 
 same, whether towards the church on earth, 
 the saints in heaven, or the restored Jewish 
 nation during the millennial kingdom, it is 
 always JKSUS IN THE MIDST. 
 
 The Typical Tabernacle was the first earthly 
 house which Jehovah consecrated to Himself 
 
Position. 27 
 
 by His indwelling presence. He was His own 
 designer; His own architect. This structure 
 was a display of His own unique taste. The 
 description and charges given to Moses prove 
 the Iyord to be a God of order, a charac- 
 teristic of the Creator which had been already 
 fully expressed in every part of His great 
 universe. Moreover He gave skill to every 
 artisan to fashion each part so that when all 
 parts were co-joined there was solidity and 
 unity; the house of the L,ord in the midst of 
 His people. 
 
IV. 
 
 Materials. 
 
 THE materials for the construction of the 
 Tabernacle were the gifts of a willing- 
 hearted people. Great was their joy in 
 hearing that their King would dwell among 
 them, for whose honor they were to build a 
 sanctuary. Correspondingly great was their 
 self-denial. 
 
 There were three kinds of metal employed 
 for the construction of the Tabernacle and the 
 many vessels connected with it. These metals 
 were gold, silver, and brass. There were three 
 kinds of dyes employed in the curtains and 
 vails and coverings; blue, purple, and scarlet. 
 Two kinds of woven fabrics were used. These 
 were spun from linen and goat' s hair. There 
 were two kinds of skins for the outer coverings, 
 viz.: rams' skins dyed red, and those commonly 
 called badgers' skins. Besides the above, the 
 people brought wood, oil, spices, and precious 
 stones. As in Nehemiah's day the walls were 
 builded, for "the people had a mind to work," 
 so now the people were zealous for Jehovah. 
 (28) 
 
Materiaj^s. 29 
 
 The value of all the materials may be ap- 
 proximated from the weight given of the 
 several metals in Ex. xxxviii. 24-31. 
 
 1. Gold, 29 talents and 730 shekels, or 
 about 43 , 000 ounces. At $20 per ounce the gold 
 would be equivalent to $860,000. 
 
 2. Silver, 100 talents and 1775 shekels, 
 equal to 150,000 ounces, which at $1.33 per 
 ounce would equal $199,500. 
 
 3. Brass or copper, 106,000 ounces, at 3 cents 
 per ounce, would amount to $3180. Accord- 
 ing to this estimated value of the metals we 
 have in them alone represented the sum of 
 $1,062,680. 
 
 Having no estimate on which to base an 
 exact calculation, I place, as the value of 
 the wood, fabrics, skins, oil, dyes, and precious 
 stones, the added sum of $437,320. The cost 
 of the Tabernacle would, therefore, reach about 
 one million and a half of dollars. Many scholars 
 who have entered minutely into the matter 
 place the relative value of the Tabernacle, 
 from one million to a million and a half of our 
 money. 
 
 Sufficient, however, is known in order to 
 appreciate the liberality of the people. There 
 was neither compulsion nor coercion used to 
 
30 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 induce any to give of his means to this work 
 of the Lord. ' ' The Lord spake unto Moses 
 saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, say- 
 ing that they take for me an offering of 
 every man whose heart maketh him willing 
 ye shall take my offering." Ex. xxv. i, 
 2. The response to this appeal was so prompt 
 and so generous that we read : ' ' And Moses 
 gave commandment, and they caused it to 
 be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, 
 Let neither man nor woman make any more 
 work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the 
 people were restrained from bringing. For the 
 stuff they had was sufficient for all the work 
 to make it, and too much." Ex. xxxvi. 6, 7. 
 Thus we see that not only were the gifts of the 
 people voluntary and given with the whole 
 heart, a ' ' heave offering ' ' unto the Lord, but 
 that, acting on this principle of giving, there 
 was enough and to spare. 
 
 It is well to have Scriptural views of this 
 form of ministry. 
 
 1. The act of Christian benevolence is the 
 test of subjection to the Gospel of Christ. 
 ' ' Seeing that by the proving of you through 
 this ministration they glorify God for the 
 obedience of your confession unto the Gospel 
 
Material. 3 1 
 
 of Christ, and for the liberality of your contri- 
 bution unto them all." 2 Cor. ix. 13. 
 
 2. It is a sacrifice well pleasing unto God. 
 1 ' But to do good and to communicate forget 
 not, for with such sacrifices God is well 
 pleased." Heb. xiii. 16. 
 
 3. It is connected with the profoundest 
 doctrine of Scripture. 
 
 At the close of Paul's great dissertation on 
 the resurrection and personal second coming 
 of the JUord Jesus, he exhorts the Christian 
 believers to be ' * steadfast, unmovable, always 
 abounding in the work of the Lord," and then 
 adds, - ' Now, concerning the collection for the 
 saints, as I gave order to the churches of 
 Galatia, so also do ye." 1 Cor. xv. 58 ; 
 xvi. 1. 
 
 4. It is an expression of personal gratitude 
 for grace bestowed, and a ministry which will 
 secure its own reward. "He that soweth 
 sparingly shall reap also sparingly ; and he 
 that soweth bountifully shall reap also bounti- 
 fully. Let each man do according as he hath 
 purposed in his heart ; not grudgingly, or of 
 necessity : for God loveth a cheerful giver. ' ' 
 (2 Cor. ix. 6, 7.) "In all things I gave you 
 an example, how that so laboring ye ought to 
 
32 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 help the weak, and to remember the words of 
 the I/)rd Jesus, how He Himself said, It is 
 more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 
 xx. 35. 
 
 The Tabernacle was a type of no other 
 material building ; it was the forerunner of the 
 Temple, but it foreshadowed spiritual realities. 
 In this dispensation of the Holy Spirit our 
 gifts must not, therefore, be wasted on elabo- 
 rate works of art, or needless decorations, but 
 be directed to send the Word of I^ife to the 
 nations of the earth, and thus hasten the 
 Kingdom of God. Hereby do we help to 
 build up the spiritual house, which is the 
 Church of God in Jesus Christ. 
 
 It is interesting to notice that every king- 
 dom in nature supplied its share toward 
 building and enriching the dwelling-place of 
 Jehovah. The mineral kingdom gave forth 
 its metals and its precious stones ; the vege- 
 table kingdom gave its wood, linen, oil and 
 spices, while the animal kingdom furnished 
 important skins and goats' -hair cloth, in addi- 
 tion to the multitude of sacrifices constantly 
 required. 
 
 Another item worthy of remark is that of 
 the universality of donors. From the richest 
 
Materials. 33 
 
 prince to the poorest peasant the offerings 
 came. Those who could not give precious 
 stones gave fragrant spices. Men and women 
 alike contributed with gladness of heart and 
 with unstinted generosity. How pleased was 
 their King with this proof of love. How closely 
 this act of worship united both. How con- 
 descending was their God to so arrange the 
 scheme in order that all the people should be 
 more closely brought into filial relations with 
 Himself. Nor will He allow His people to 
 lack who devise liberal things for His service. 
 Soon as the offerings had been received and 
 the materials for the building were at hand, 
 workmen were chosen upon whom the Spirit 
 of God came to give them wisdom in the execu- 
 tion of the divine plan. And Moses said unto 
 the children of Israel, ''See, the L,ord hath 
 called by name Bezaleel, the son of Huri, the 
 son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and He hath 
 filled him with the spirit of God in wisdom, in 
 understanding and in knowledge, and in all 
 manner of workmanship. " " And Moses called 
 Bezaleel and Oholiab, and EvKRY wise- 
 hearted man, even every one whose heart 
 stirred him up to come unto the work to do 
 it." Ex. xxxv. 30; xxxvi. 2. Thus we 
 
34 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 find that not only were gifts lavished, but 
 workers volunteered to aid in the erection of 
 the Tabernacle. Heart and hand were in 
 unison. What a complete illustration of 
 scriptural consecration. Nothing said about 
 the lip, or the profession of the tongue; nothing 
 recorded of the head or its wisdom. Brain 
 and tongue, without heait and hand, are little 
 worth in the work of the Lord. The thoughts 
 of the worldly wise are lighter than vanity, 
 while the wise in heart, those made wise by 
 the Spirit of God, shall understand. They 
 that be wise toward God shall hereafter shine 
 as the brightness of the firmament. 
 
 Would that the wise heart and the liberal 
 hand belonged to every believer. Money 
 would then flow into the treasury, and neither 
 be wasted nor misdirected. Work would also 
 be accomplished when all of the redeemed 
 came to the help of the Lord. 
 
 Before passing from this phase of the subject 
 I would remind the reader of the Lord's inde- 
 pendent method in fulfilling His purposes. 
 He takes from among a degraded and humble 
 people crude artisans, and fills them with 
 divine knowledge for the execution of the 
 finest work. So in the building of the spiritual 
 
Materia^. 35 
 
 temple He makes choice of unlearned fisher- 
 men, unskilled in the arts of rhetoric and 
 oratory, who, when taught of God, so speak 
 that enemies are confounded, sinners are con- 
 verted, while believers take courage to push 
 the battle to the gates. Independent of human 
 greatness, yet doth He condescend to use 
 human weakness. Not many mighty, not 
 many noble, are callers. l ' Thus saith the 
 Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his 
 wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in 
 his might, let not the rich man glory in his 
 riches ; but let him that glorieth glory in this, 
 that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I 
 am the Lord, which exercise loving-kindness, 
 judgment and righteousness in the earth : for 
 in these things I delight, saith the Lord." 
 (Jer. ix. 23, 24.) 
 
 Honorable mention is made in the sacred 
 record of the devoted women who were not a 
 whit behind in gift or service. ' ' And they 
 came, both men and women, as many as were 
 willing-hearted, and brought brooches and 
 signet rings and armlets — all jewels of gold 
 
 * * # * And all the women that were 
 wise-hearted did spin with their hands, and 
 brought that which they had spun, the blue, 
 
36 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 and the purple, the scarlet and the fine linen. 
 And all the women whose heart stirred thern 
 up in wisdom spun the goats' hair." Ex. 
 xxxv. 21-26. The Hebrew women had never 
 been degraded to the place of inferiority occu- 
 pied by those of heathen nations. The family 
 was sacred ; the wife and mother honored and 
 protected. Israel's prosperity in the face of 
 adversity ; their unity as a race in spite of 
 dispersion, and their exaltation among the 
 people of the world in the face of ostracism 
 and confiscations, is largely due to the recogni- 
 tion of woman as man's helpmate and com- 
 panion. But this trait, which became a Hebrew 
 characteristic, was their recognition of God's 
 law, and their obedience to divine precept. 
 Therefore, when opportunity is given, even 
 when the nation was at its lowest ebb, the 
 pious women were prompt to strip themselves 
 of needless jewels, and swift to spin the needed 
 material. Again do we see the willing heart 
 and the ready hand consecrated to Jehovah. It 
 was a sight enough to move angels in witnessing 
 these whole-hearted women rising above per- 
 sonal vanity, and love of ease, to give, and to 
 labor, with becoming cheerfulness. And the 
 Spirit of God inspired Moses to write the deeds 
 of these earnest workers. 
 
V. 
 Arrangement. 
 
 LOOKING down upon the Tabernacle sur- 
 rounded by its well- denned Court, with 
 the smoke from the Altar of sacrifice as- 
 cending, while the bright cloud descended; with 
 its silver-topped pillars, I^eviticai tents, and far- 
 reaching encampment surrounding the sacred 
 edifice, the stranger, not knowing of its exist- 
 ence, nor understanding its mystic meaning, 
 must have been struck with wonder and held 
 spell-bound with amazement. Such a view of 
 the holy sanctuary was given to Balaam, the 
 son of Beor, when he was constrained to utter 
 his parable : 
 
 " For from the tops of the rocks I see him, 
 and from the hills I behold him : lo, it is a 
 people that dwell alone, and shall not be 
 reckoned among the nations. 
 
 "Who can count the dust of Jacob, or 
 number the fourth part of Israel? L,et me 
 die the death of the righteous, and let my last 
 end be like his. " — Numbers xxiii. 9, 10. 
 (37) 
 
38 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 But a nearer view is needed, if we would ex- 
 amine this typical building. We now approach, 
 the eastern side and at closer range inspect 
 the sacred enclosure. 
 
 I. The Court. Ex. xxvii : g-iy. 
 
 The Court was fenced around by a linen 
 wall suspended from pillars. It was in form a 
 parallelogram or double square, one hundred 
 cubits long and fifty cubits wide. The cubit 
 was originally the length of the arm from 
 elbow-joint to finger-tip. It contained two 
 spans or six palms. We are left in obscurity 
 as to the exact length of the Hebrew cubit. 
 The Egyptian cubit taken from the Nilometer 
 in the Island of Rhoda is twenty-one and 
 seven-eighteenth inches. Different nations 
 using the cubit measure adopted different 
 lengths. We can only approximate the 
 Hebrew cubit to eighteen inches of our 
 measurement. This limit is however chiefly 
 adopted by scholars and critics for the sake 
 of simplicity and convenience of calculation. 
 According then to the eighteen inches theory 
 the Court of the Tabernacle would measuie 
 from east to west one hundred and fifty feet ; 
 from north to south seventy-five feet. The 
 
Arrangement. 39 
 
 width was half the length, containing about 
 three-eighths of an English acre. 
 
 Sixty pillars standing upright in their sock- 
 ets of brass formed the boundary of the Court. 
 There were twenty on each side, north and 
 south, and ten on each end east and west. 
 The tops of the pillars were furnished with 
 silver chapiters, or capitals, with their hooks 
 also of silver, from which hung the linen 
 curtains forming the wall or fence of the Court. 
 There were also silver fillets, but these are not 
 sufficiently explicit, so that we can only sur- 
 mise at best that they were silver rods con- 
 necting the pillars together at their capitals. 
 These rods would give additional support to 
 the linen curtains, that there be neither sagging 
 nor trailing. 
 
 I find no reason for adopting the theory 
 generally accepted, that these linen curtains 
 were of open net-work in order to give the 
 worshipers opportunity of witnessing the 
 ceremonies connected with Altar and Laver. 
 I am inclined to think a more durable fabric 
 was needed. The Gate of the Court was the 
 proper point of observation for the pious 
 Israelites, who served at the Tabernacle. Be- 
 sides, the typical import excludes the idea of 
 
40 Tabernaci/s Types. 
 
 net- work. The linen wall was surely God's 
 expression of righteousness. "Holiness be- 
 cometh thine house, O L,ord, forever. ' ' Sacred- 
 ness, solemnity and reverence characterized 
 every feature of this typical building. Not 
 even spiritually can the eye discern what 
 transpires within until by faith we stand be- 
 fore the gate-way which is Christ. 
 
 The gateway was at the eastern end of the 
 Court, twenty cubits wide, allowing fifteen 
 cubits of linen wall on either side of the gate, 
 which completed the measurement across from 
 north to south pillars. The gate itself was 
 made of flue- twined linen heavily embroid- 
 ered, with the living colors of blue, purple and 
 scarlet. It was a barrier shutting out the 
 unclean ; but an open way for all who sought 
 reconciliation with God through the blood of 
 sacrifice. "Enter into His gates with thanks- 
 giving (with a thank offering), and into 
 His Courts with praise : Give thanks unto 
 Him, and bless His name." Ps. c. 4. 
 
 From Court and Gate come the figures 
 "walls of salvation and gates of praise. " In 
 Solomon's Temple the gates of Zion were of 
 brass ; in the New Jerusalem there will be 
 gates of pearl. 
 
Arrangement. 41 
 
 II. The Brazen Altar. Ex. xxvii : i-g. 
 
 As with unshod feet and uncovered head we 
 enter through the gateway our eyes first fall 
 upon the Brazen Altar. It stands on its firm 
 base facing the gate of Court. 
 
 This piece of furniture was made of shittim, 
 or acacia wood, covered with plates of brass. 
 It was five cubits long, five cubits broad and 
 three cubits high. There were horns on the 
 four corners ; and a net-work of brass within 
 the hollow enclosure, forming a foundation for 
 the fire on which the sacrifices were laid. 
 This was the grate of the altar. There were 
 rings placed on its sides, through which staves 
 were passed. Animals were constantly burned 
 on this altar for sacrifice, and its fire was never 
 suffered to go out. When the Israelites jour- 
 neyed, the fire was probably placed in a fire- 
 pan or preserved in some other way. A 
 purple cloth was then spread on the top of the 
 altar, on which the bowls, basins, flesh-hooks, 
 shovels, and other utensils accompanying it, 
 were placed. Over all was thrown a covering 
 of badger's skins, and thus it was conveyed 
 from place to place, the staves resting on the 
 shoulders of men appointed for that purpose. 
 
42 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 III. The Laver. Ex. xxx. 17-22. 
 
 The material of which this vessel was formed 
 was the gift of the noble army of holy women 
 who voluntarily offered their brazen mirrors to 
 the work of the Tabernacle. It stood between 
 the Brazen Altar and door of the Tabernacle. 
 The use of the Laver was very suggestive. It 
 was the receptacle which held clean water for 
 the purification of the priests, and therefore a 
 constant visible symbol of spiritual purity. 
 The priests washed thereat before ministering 
 at the altar. Hence the purpose of the Psalm- 
 ist, "I will wash my hands in innocency, so 
 will I compass thine altars, O Lord of Hosts." 
 
 The reader will bear in mind we are now 
 rapidly glancing at the Tabernacle and its 
 accompaniments ; hereafter we enter upon a 
 more minute examination of their uses and 
 typical import, 
 
 IV. The sacred building. Ex. xxvi. 15-30 ; 
 Ex. xxxvi. 20-24.. 
 
 Further in the Court, beyond the Laver, stood 
 the sacred edifice, occupying its western end. 
 It was a building of wood ; its walls made of 
 upright boards, with mortised ends falling into 
 sockets of silver. These sockets were em- 
 bedded in the desert sand and formed the 
 
Arrangement. 43 
 
 foundation of the sacred house. Twenty 
 boards formed the north wall, twenty boards 
 formed the south wall and eight boards com- 
 pleted the western end. The east side was 
 un walled, leaving room for the door- way. All 
 of the boards were overlaid wdth gold. They 
 were held together by sets of bars running 
 from end to end, thereby giving unity and 
 compactness to the whole. Five pillars guarded 
 the east end, standing erect on sockets of brass, 
 from the top of which hung a beautiful curtain 
 of fine linen, similar to the gate-curtain, richly 
 embroidered with the strong colors of blue, 
 purple and scarlet. 
 
 The length of the Tabernacle was thirty 
 cubits, or forty-five feet. Its width is not easily 
 ascertained, as we are not informed how the 
 corner boards were adjusted. It is, however, 
 generally admitted that the Tabernacle build- 
 ing was ten cubits, or fifteen feet wdde. 
 
 The structure was divided within by a veil 
 suspended from the tops of pillars, the first 
 room being twice larger than the second. The 
 outside room was the " Holy Place," measur- 
 ing twenty cubits by ten ; the inside room was 
 the " Holiest of All," or the "Most Holy 
 Place, ' ' and was ten cubits each way. 
 
44 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 The first room contained the Golden Lamp- 
 stand, the Table of Shew-bread and the Altar 
 of Incense. The second room held the sacred 
 Ark, with its Mercy-seat and Cherubim. Be- 
 tween these golden representations on the 
 Mercy-seat, abode the Shekinah light, visible 
 symbol of the very God for whose honor and 
 majesty the Tabernacle was erected. 
 
 The ceiling and roof of the holy house were 
 formed of curtains and coverings. Those 
 within were rich and beautiful ; those without 
 strong and durable. 
 
 We have now seen within the Court, (i) 
 The Brazen Altar of sacrifice, (2) The Brazen 
 Leaver of purification, (3) The Sacred Building 
 with its walls of gilded boards, and its cover- 
 ings of cloth and skins, resting firmly on its 
 solid foundation of silver. 
 
 The Tabernacle suited a dispensation of 
 suggestion and preparation. It was but a 
 temporary building, and finally passed away 
 with all that belonged to it. Even the more 
 substantial and gorgeous Temple survived 
 only as long as shadows and types were needed. 
 A more enduring dispensation has arrived ; 
 one that is essentially spiritual. But, alas, all 
 who profess spiritual relationship to Christ are 
 
Arrangement. 45 
 
 not spiritually minded. So therefore Judaism 
 is dragged from its grave, and many of its 
 legal ordinances revived. Grace is not under- 
 stood. Ritualism appeals to the senses, and 
 sensuous worship fascinates the carnal mind. 
 This is the dispensation of the Spirit, not of 
 legal ceremonies. Yet in process of time this 
 age must also pass away and make room for a 
 greater, when He who came at its beginning in 
 lowly guise as Redeemer will at its close appear 
 again as Restorer. For the Scriptures declare 
 that He will make all things new, and the 
 Tabernacle of God will be with men. 
 
VI. 
 
 The Brazen Altar. 
 
 WK are now prepared after a general sur- 
 vey of the Tabernacle and its appoint- 
 ments to examine in greater detail the 
 important vessels connected therewith, the first 
 being THE brazen altar. 
 
 There were two Altars connected with the 
 Tabernacle. Both were made of wood but 
 covered with different metals. One was with- 
 out the building in the Court, the other was 
 within the building in the first room of entrance 
 standing before the beautiful curtain, called 
 The Veil. These Altars were closely connected, 
 yet served different uses. Their characteristic 
 names indicate their utility. The first was 
 "The Altar of Sacrifice," the second "The 
 Altar of Incense. ' ' The first was called The 
 Altar by way of pre-eminence ; it was also 
 called The Brazen Altar, for although made of 
 wood, it was heavily covered with plates of 
 copper called in our English translations 
 "brass." It was also designated The Altar 
 of Burnt Offering, because on it the sacrifices 
 (46) 
 
The Brazen Altai?. 47 
 
 were laid which were consumed by fire. The 
 following particulars may now be considered. 
 
 I. Its Position. 
 
 On entering through the gate-way of the 
 Court, the Great Altar faced the ministering 
 priests. There it stood a massive strong article 
 seven and a half feet square (five cubits), four 
 and a half feet high (three cubits), with its 
 sacred fire guarding the way into the holy 
 building. The fire was ever burning there ; 
 victims were newly slain by its sides ; blood 
 was everywhere upon it and around it. De- 
 vouring fire, and appeasing sacrifices were its 
 constant exhibitions. If it guarded the way 
 into the Holy Places where the Eternal Jehovah 
 condescended to manifest Himself in splendid 
 Shekinah, the Altar of Sacrifice also pointed 
 out- that way and entitled every obedient 
 Israelite to worship God with due reverence, 
 and with assured acceptance. 
 
 That Altar clearly typified the cross of Cal- 
 vary; those offerings foretold and fore- 
 shadowed the great and abiding atonement of 
 Christ's death, who offered Himself without 
 spot, unto God, the unblemished Lamb who 
 taketh away thereby the sin of the world. 
 
48 Tabernacle; Types. 
 
 The imperishable fact typified at the Altar 
 before the Gate is the great fact around which 
 revolve the ages, viz : ' ' Christ died for our 
 sins. ' ' By His blood the obedient believer is 
 entitled to approach the dwelling-place of God. 
 Fire symbolizes the holiness of God revealed 
 from heaven in wrath, against sin. To this 
 dread wrath the sinner is exposed. He has 
 sinned, and " the wages of sin is death." But 
 lo ! Christ becomes man's substitute, and bears 
 our sins upon His own body on the tree. He 
 is "stricken, smitten of God and afflicted." 
 The holy fire falls upon Him. His life was 
 taken from the earth. " The life of the flesh 
 is in the blood. ' ' His life was poured out, and 
 His blood, the token, is seen by the eye of 
 faith, as the only atonement for sin. There is 
 therefore no other way of approach to God 
 than by Jesus Christ. " No man cometh unto 
 the Father but by Me." (John xiv. 6.) 
 ' ' There is none other name under heaven given 
 among men, whereby we must be saved." 
 (Acts iv. 12.) 
 
 When King Uzziah dared approach the Gol- 
 den Altar to burn incense thereon, he was 
 severely punished for his presumption. He 
 took the place of a worshiper, but passed by 
 
Thk Brazen Ai,tar. 49 
 
 the Brazen Altar, the scene of death and blood. 
 He assumed the role of priest, despised the 
 atoning sacrifice, insulted the divine Majesty 
 with unbecoming haste and received in himself 
 the due reward of his unholy deed. 2 Chron. 
 xxvi. 16-21. 
 
 It is ever a solemn matter to despise God's 
 revealed order. Believers are the only appointed 
 priests. They are entitled to approach by way 
 of the Altar to worship the Father. Having 
 the spirit of sonship they are qualified to wor- 
 ship Him in spirit and in truth. Uzziah rep- 
 resents the natural man, who, presuming to 
 take the place of a priest unto God, brings 
 upon himself a swift and terrible judgment. 
 Even in the type, God guards with jealous care 
 His holy throne, and testifies to His own esti- 
 mation of THK blood ! 
 
 There were many sacrifices brought to the 
 Altar, and minute directions are given concern- 
 ing each of them. We cannot now examine in 
 detail. Bach, and all, however, foreshadowed 
 Christ. His sacrifice was many-sided. He 
 became ' ' a sin-offering, ' ' as well as ' ' a sweet 
 savour-offering. ' ' He suffered under the heavy 
 pressure of God's wrath as the sin-bearer, and 
 He gave infinite satisfaction to God as the 
 
50 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 whole burnt-offering. By Him the believer is 
 justified from all things ; in Him the believer 
 is also presented acceptable in righteousness to 
 God. These rich mines of precious Gospel 
 teaching we shall explore more fully in the 
 pursuit of our study. 
 
 II. Form of the Altar. 
 
 The altar was four square, its length and 
 breadth being equal. It was parallel in all 
 its sides with the arrangements of the tribes, 
 which formed the encampment. Three of the 
 tribes were encamped eastward, three encamped 
 westward, three on the south side, and three 
 en the north. One face of the altar would 
 therefore look toward one quarter of the peo- 
 ple, another face toward another quarter, and 
 so on every side. I only remark that there is 
 at least a very blessed truth suggested by the 
 position of the altar in relation to all the 
 people. 
 
 The Gospel of the Son of God in its procla- 
 mation, is not restricted to one class of sinners. 
 The thrilling story of salvation through His 
 blood, even the forgiveness of sins must be 
 preached world-wide. I4ke the notes of the 
 jubilee trumpet, its sound goes forth preach- 
 
The Brazen Ai/tar. 51 
 
 ing deliverance to the captive, pardon to the 
 criminal, and rest to the weary. A radiance 
 of glory emanates from the cross, spreading all 
 around, giving light to those who sit in dark- 
 ness, and in the shadow of death, guiding 
 their feet into the way of peace. That all do 
 not see that light is, alas ! too true. And why ? 
 "The god of this world hath blinded the 
 minds of them that believe not, lest the light 
 of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the 
 image of God, should shine unto them." 2 
 Cor. iv. 4. 
 
 On the day of Pentecost the gospel of the 
 altar was heard by the representatives of all 
 nations. The great sin-offering was the sub- 
 ject and substance of the Apostles' preaching. 
 Christ was lifted up that all might see Him. 
 His cross was lifted up that all might behold 
 it. ' ' Parthians and Medes, and Blamites, and 
 the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, 
 and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia, Phrygia, 
 and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of 
 Iyibya about Cyrene and strangers of Rome, 
 Jews and Proselytes, Cretes and Arabians" 
 heard in their own tongues "the wonderful 
 works of God. ' ' Thus, through the crucified 
 and risen Jesus, salvation was proclaimed to 
 
52 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 all nations. Oh! that we too may both hear 
 and receive this heaven-sent message. ' ' For 
 God so loved the world that He gave His only 
 begotten Son, that whosoever belie veth on Him 
 should not perish but have everlasting life." 
 (John iii. 16.) 
 
 The sacrifice of Christ, meeting to the fullest 
 extent all the just claims of God's holy law, is 
 the foundation of man's salvation from sin and 
 death. The benefits and blessings resulting 
 therefrom are possessed by him that believeth. 
 Thus we read in Rom. v. i: "Therefore 
 being justified by faith we have peace with 
 God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ' ' And in 
 Rom. viii. i : "There is therefore now no 
 condemnation to them which are in Christ 
 Jesus." 
 
 III. Relation of Altar to the Mercy Seat. 
 
 The brazen altar was hollow, but on the 
 inside, was a grating or net-work of brass 
 upon which the fire was kindled, and on 
 which the sacrifices were laid. It is very 
 interesting to notice, that this grating was 
 elevated to the exact height of the Mercy- 
 seat, namely one cubit and a half, or three 
 English feet. The Mercy-seat was placed 
 
The Brazen Altar. 53 
 
 within the vail, and upon it the blood ol the 
 sin-offering was sprinkled on the Day of 
 Atonement. Here also the bright light called 
 the Shekinah rested, the outward symbol of 
 the Divine Presence. From this Mercy-throne 
 Jehovah communed with the High Priest, and 
 ministered mercy to the people. Is this a 
 coincidence merely? Or was it not Divinely 
 planned to teach the lesson that Mercy is co- 
 ordinate with sacrifice ? That there can be no 
 mercy ministered to us apart from sacrifice is 
 taught throughout the Word of God. God's 
 mercy is boundless as the sea, blessed be His 
 name. It is far reaching as is East from 
 West ; it is a height that knows no summit, 
 a depth most profound. The sacrifice is infi- 
 nite, and the vilest sinner approaching the 
 Mercy-seat now shall obtain mercy. But 
 what of those who scorn the "Blood The- 
 ology" and reject it as unpalatable to the 
 refinement and philosophy of this age? 
 What a terrible delusion has fallen upon 
 them ! The teaching of the Altar they 
 reject. Christ's sacrifice for sin they deny. 
 Arraigning the Word and Wisdom of God at 
 the bar of intellectual pride, they condemn 
 both, and evolve a plan of salvation out of 
 
54 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 the conceit of their own perverted reason. 
 But the superstructure which the}' raise 
 tumbles into ruins before one word of Scrip- 
 ture. The testimony of God is this : ' ' With- 
 out shedding of blood there is no remission." 
 (Heb. ix. 24.) Oh, reader, whatever reproach 
 may be laid at your door by the advocates of a 
 humanitarian creed through your faithfulness 
 in exalting the vicarious Atonement of Christ, 
 bear it gladly, since, through that Atonement 
 alone your own salvation is eternally secured. 
 L,et ' 'the Blood' ' be still your plea; seek to real- 
 ize more fully its sheltering, cleansing efficacy, 
 and joyfully cling with greater tenacity to 
 these fundamental doctrines of the Christian 
 faith. 
 
 IV. The Altar an Instrument of Power. 
 
 The ministry of Christ's sacrifice is further 
 symbolized by the horns of the Altar, A horn 
 in Scripture represents power, strength, dig- 
 nity. There were four horns, one at each cor- 
 ner of the altar, and to these horns victims 
 were bound when brought for sacrifice. Hence 
 the allusion in Ps. cxviii. 27: ' 'Bind the sacrifice 
 with cords, even unto the horns of the Altar." 
 Transgressors were wont to flee to the 
 
The Brazen Altar. 55 
 
 Altar, taking hold of its horns for pro- 
 tection. It did not always however pro- 
 tect those who fled to it for safety. 
 
 Adonijah fled there from the wrath of Solo- 
 mon, and according to the understood law re- 
 ceived its protection. 'And Adonijah feared 
 because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and 
 caught hold on the horns of the altar. ' ' 1 
 Kings, i. 50, 
 
 This had the desired effect, and Adonijah 
 received the King's pardon. It was different 
 however with Joab. 
 
 "And Joab fled unto the Tabernacle of the 
 L,ord, and caught hold on the horns of the 
 altar. And it was told King Solomon that 
 Joab was fled unto the Tabernacle of the 
 Lord ; and behold he is by the altar. Then 
 Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada 
 saying, Go, fall upon him . . So Benaiah 
 the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon 
 him and slew him : and he was buried in his 
 own house in the wilderness. ' ' 1 Kings, ii. 
 28-34. 
 
 The altar at this time afforded no protection, 
 and we are led by contrast, to exult in the 
 superior excellency and protecting power of 
 the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, which as a 
 
56 Tabernaci/eo Types. 
 
 refuge never fails. To that cross the sinner is 
 invited to flee for safety. He lays hold upon 
 it by faith. Its strength and power avail for 
 him. There he is safe from the avenger of 
 blood. There he beholds the sheathed sword, 
 and reads his eternal pardon in the glittering 
 types of Omnipotent love. He hears the voice 
 from Mercy's throne, "Thy sins and thine 
 iniquities I will remember no more." 
 
 V. The Altar Accessible. 
 
 The altar was placed on the ground. It had 
 no prepared flooring. No steps were to be 
 added, although it is probable that a sloping 
 ascent was made which gave the priests an 
 elevation needful to accomplish with ease the 
 services which it embraced. It is very sugges- 
 tive that there was no climbing of steps to 
 reach the place of sacrifice. ' ' Neither shalt 
 thou go up by steps to mine altar that thy 
 nakedness be not discovered thereon." Kx. 
 xx. 26. Probably we have here set forth the 
 fact that the sinner cannot attempt to reach 
 the cross by human righteousness without ex- 
 posing himself, in his natural vileness, to the 
 righteous judgment of God. Moreover his 
 climbing is of no avail. ' ' Not by works of 
 
The Brazen Altar. 57 
 
 righteousness "which we have done, but accord- 
 ing to His mercy He saved us." Titus iii. 5. 
 
 The dinmisions of the altar show how much 
 larger it was than any other vessel connected 
 with the Tabernacle. It was the pivotal vessel 
 upon which the whole ceremonial worship of 
 Israel balanced. Pardon, cleansing, worship, 
 ministry, and all other parts of priestly privi- 
 lege and national blessing were closely con- 
 nected with, and dependent upon it. To this 
 vessel were brought the daily lambs. Each 
 morning and evening they were offered for the 
 sins of the entire people. 
 
 " Now this is that which thou shalt offer 
 upon the altar ; two lambs of the first }'ear, 
 day by day continually. The one lamb thou 
 shalt offer in the morning ; and the other lamb 
 thou shalt offer at even." Ex. xxix. 38, 39. 
 
 These lambs comprised the continual burnt 
 offering ever ascending for Israel's acceptance. 
 In like manner the perpetuity of Christ's sacri- 
 fice in all its intrinsic value is remembered by 
 God, and its eternal fragrance ascends to Him 
 evermore on our behalf. 
 
VII. 
 Brazen Altar and Vessels. 
 
 THE Gospel of the Brazen Altar is of para- 
 mount importance. It is related to the 
 whole rangeof Christian truth, norcan the 
 truth be known apart from the vicarious atone- 
 ment of Jesus Christ : His actual substitution 
 of Himself for the sinner, to bear the penalty 
 of sin in His own body on the cross, made sin 
 for us, that we might become righteous in 
 Him. There were utensils connected with 
 the great Altar for their special uses. "And 
 thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, 
 and his shovels, and his basins, and his 
 flesh-hooks, and his fire-pans ; all the ves- 
 sels thereof shalt thou make of brass." (Ex. 
 xxvii. 3.) 
 
 The necessary vessels were five in number. 
 
 I. The Pans. 
 
 These were employed in receiving the ashes 
 
 of the burnt- offering and in removing them to 
 
 their appointed place. (Lev. vi. 10-11.) The 
 
 ashes were a testimony to the thoroughness of 
 
 (58) 
 
Brazen Altar and Vessels. 59 
 
 the work done by the fire in having wholly 
 consumed the offering. It also signified the 
 acceptance of the offering on behalf of the 
 offerer, and was to him the evidence, or token, 
 of his pardon and acceptance before Jehovah. 
 A very striking allusion is made to the re- 
 duction of the sacrifice to ashes by the inspired 
 Psalmist. " The Lord hear thee in the day of 
 trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend 
 thee. Send thee help from the Sanctuary and 
 strengthen thee out of Zion. Remember all 
 thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifices." 
 The word ' ' accept ' ' reads in the margin 
 1 ' turn to ashes. ' ' The plea of the Psalmist 
 therefore, is ' ' The L,ord turn to ashes thy burnt 
 sacrifice." In view of this ceremonial act, 
 what a depth of meaning lies in the Redeem- 
 er' s triumphant shout, " It is finished. " The 
 sacrifice was verily consumed till nothing but 
 the ashes was left. Pathetically does quaint 
 Charles Quarles exclaim : 
 
 1 ' Oh, groundless deeps, oh ! love beyond degree, 
 The Offended dies to set the Offender free." 
 
 II. The) Shovki<s. 
 
 We have no special particulars given us re- 
 garding the use of the shovels. We assume 
 
6o Tabernacle Types. 
 
 however, they were employed about the fire, 
 collecting the broken embers, filling the censers 
 with burning coals from off the altar when the 
 fire was needed for the Golden Altar of incense 
 in the Holy Place. They were essential to the 
 Brazen Altar, and suggest the thought that 
 any minute particular connected with the 
 atonement of our I^ord cannot be dismissed 
 as ' ' non-essential. ' ' When the Holy Spirit in- 
 troduces new expressions in the Divine Word 
 they should be carefully and prayerfully 
 examined. For as every Scripture is God- 
 breathed, so every vessel serves its purpose, 
 having in addition its typical signification. 
 
 III. Thb Basins. 
 
 These utensils were used to receive the blood 
 and to convey it to each place of sprinkling. 
 "And Moses took half of the blood and put 
 it in basins. ' ' Ex. xxiv. 6 . Almost all things 
 ceremonial were purified with ceremonial blood, 
 the basins would therefore be put into frequent 
 requisition. We read " Moses took the blood 
 of the calves and the goats, with water and 
 scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the 
 book itself and all the people. ' ' * * * More- 
 over the tabernacle and all the vessels of the 
 
Brazen Altar and Vessels. 6i 
 
 ministry he sprinkled in like manner with 
 blood." Heb. ix. 19-22. 
 
 The blood sprinkled in this profuse manner 
 not only indicated that defilement was general 
 through man's defiling touch, but that full 
 atonement had been made whereby all that was 
 unclean should be purified. Keeping in mind 
 the foundation meaning of atonement, namely, 
 that of covering, we can readily perceive this 
 use of the blood, with its attendant results. 
 " Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, 
 whose sin is covered." Through the atoning 
 blood of Christ our sins and iniquities are 
 blotted out so that they shall not come into 
 judgment any more. 
 
 IV. The: Ei,esh- Hooks. 
 
 These were employed to arrange the pieces 
 of sacrifice on the fire of the altar. The use 
 of this instrument was grossly perverted by the 
 wicked sons of old Eli. "And the priest's 
 custom with the people was, that when any 
 man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came 
 while the flesh was in seething, with a flesh- 
 hook of three teeth in his hand, and he struck 
 it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot ; 
 all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest 
 
62 Tabernacle; Types. 
 
 took for himself.' ' i Sam. ii. 13-14. The 
 flesh-hook, divinely appointed for its special 
 use in adjusting the sacrifice to the fire, till all 
 was consumed, was used to minister to the 
 fleshly appetites of the carnal priests. What 
 a proof of the charge that they were ' ' sons of 
 Belial.' ' How daringly presumptuous for any 
 professing minister of Christ to pervert the 
 office into a means of gain for himself. 
 The sin of "simony" is not confined to those 
 who sell ' ' livings, ' ' and we fear there are many 
 who make a gain of Godliness. Are there not 
 those among us who claim priestly relationship 
 with God and membership in the Church who 
 use their religious standing for selfish purposes ? 
 Obtruding themselves into the so-called min- 
 istry of the Church, they turn the grace of God 
 into channels for personal preferment. But 
 judgment overtakes them in the end. Eli's 
 wicked sons did not escape. 
 
 V. Thk Firk-Pans. 
 
 These vessels were the ' 'censers ' ' connected 
 both with the Altar of Sacrifice and the Altar 
 of Incense. They thus formed a link between 
 the two Altars, carrying the fire which had 
 consumed the sacrifice from the Brazen Altar 
 
Brazen Ai/tar and Vessels. 63 
 
 to set free the ingredients which composed the 
 incense on the Golden Altar. They were also 
 doubtless used to preserve the sacred fire when 
 marching from one place of encampment to the 
 other, for that fire was never suffered to go out. 
 The holiness of God was symbolized by that 
 fire, while the grace of God was exemplified 
 in the sacrifice. Both fire and blood were 
 essential throughout every dispensation where 
 true worship was given to Jehovah, Patriarchal 
 or Jewish. The Gospel in this age reveals the 
 holiness of God with its righteous demands, 
 as also the grace of God, with its abundant 
 provisions. The Gospel proclaims the advent 
 of Grace and Truth through Jesus Christ, 
 while beneath the shadow of His cross ' ' Mercy 
 and Truth have met together, Righteousness 
 and Peace have kissed each other. ' ' In Christ 
 all the attributes of God sweetly harmonize, 
 and in Him also the believer obtains ' ' right- 
 eousness, sanctification and redemption. ' ' Iyike 
 the useful censers, He connects both Sacrifice 
 and Incense, for He Himself is both an offering 
 for sin, and a sweet savor unto God. 
 
VIII. 
 The Laver. 
 
 THE leaver had a peculiarity of its own. 
 It was different from the other vessels in 
 this respect that it had no specified form 
 or measurement. This designed omission gives 
 additional interest to the study. The spiritual 
 teaching suggested by the omission will be con- 
 sidered later on. 
 
 i. Design of the laver. 
 
 Its purpose is clearly announced. "For 
 Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and 
 their feet thereat." Ex. xxx. 19. Purity was 
 an essential requirement demanded of Israel's 
 priests. Ceremonial defilement must be imme- 
 diately removed. The ministering priests 
 walked with unshod feet from altar to taber- 
 nacle. Their hands prepared the sacrifices. 
 They slew and skinned and dissected. Before 
 and after every offering they must wash. 
 Hands and feet were therefore often immersed 
 in the waters of the laver. Negligence of this 
 ceremonial received merited punishment. 
 Death was the penalty. Ex. xxx. 20. 
 (64) 
 
The Laver. 65 
 
 2. Manufacture of the laver. 
 
 Pious women provided the material. " And 
 he made the laver of brass and the foot of it 
 of brass, of the looking-glasses of the women 
 assembled at the door of the congregation." 
 Kx. xxxviii. 8. The mirrors brought from 
 Egypt were of highly polished copper. Their 
 power of reflection was great. They were 
 needed, and employed not necessarily for self- 
 admiration. The mirror has its legitimate use. 
 It was therefore an act of self-denial to part 
 with it. These godly women were possessed 
 of lofty motives. They responded to Moses' 
 appeal for material wherewith to build a house 
 for Jehovah. They were an elect company- 
 The Revised Version reads, "the serving 
 women which served." Certain ones assem- 
 bled before the tent of Moses to minister. 
 Their consecration reminds us of that other 
 company of select ladies who attached them- 
 selves to Jesus and ministered to Him of their 
 substance. A true test of piety is not giving 
 much, but giving all. That impoverishment 
 of self which enriches the Master is the true 
 standard of giving. And He is our example 
 in this respect also. 2 Cor. viii. 9. 
 
 The laver fashioned out of mirrors was an 
 
66 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 important vessel in the court. No priest would 
 dare slight it. By the application of its waters 
 he was made clean. This gift of devoted 
 women suggests the fact that to Christian 
 women is committed a sacred trust. Where 
 Christ abides in woman's heart, by her minis- 
 try of self-abnegation she can make her sur- 
 roundings pure and sweet. She need not step 
 beyond her divinely bounded province to serve 
 her generation. The serving women could 
 not reform the Canaanites, but they could suc- 
 ceed in making provision for priestly purity. 
 And priestly purity secured the presence of 
 God. No attempts at improving morals could 
 compensate for loss of His power. An absent 
 God meant a depraved people. Washing the 
 shell does not arrest decay in the egg. The 
 ministry of shallow reform has ever ended in 
 folly. Nevertheless misguided women will 
 waste their energies in the impossible task of 
 washing the Ethiopian white. Results rise no 
 higher than their source. Political contention 
 does not minister to priestly consecration. If 
 the forces of heart and brain misspent on a 
 Canaanite world were yielded to God in spirit- 
 ual work, what precious fruitage would have 
 appeared. Of Mary's lofty service to Jesus 
 
The Laver. 67 
 
 He approved and graciously commended. 
 Mark xiv. 9. Her memorial will outlast the 
 hills. In the day when individual work is 
 tested that service which is rendered for the 
 glory of the Master will abide and win rewards, 
 while the rubbish heap of works prompted 
 by temporary fame or world-mending policy 
 will be reduced to ashes. Then will appear 
 infinitesimally small the scornful flings of 
 the progressive woman at the teaching and 
 principles of God's Word ; that Word so madly 
 opposed in these days of moral hysteria. 
 
 3. The laver s symbolical meaning. 
 
 The laver stood between the court gate and 
 tabernacle door. It was closely related to the 
 altar of sacrifice. The altar was identified 
 with blood, the laver with water. One was 
 for expiation, the other for purification. Both 
 were essential to a complete ceremonial ritual. 
 
 It had no recorded measurements. This 
 characteristic, in addition to its use, indicates 
 its typical meaning. It foreshadowed the 
 Holy Spirit of Christ in an important feature 
 of His ministry. It was said by our I^ord's 
 forerunner that the Father giveth not the 
 Spirit by measure unto Him. John iii. 35. But 
 
68 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 the words ' ' unto Him ' ' are not in the text. 
 The Revised Version properly omits them. 
 Here then is a great fact stated, namely, the 
 Holy Spirit is God's immeasurable gift. The 
 infinite Spirit given to Christ is an unmeasured 
 personality. Thus also is He given to be- 
 lievers. All other vessels of the tabernacle 
 had form and size. They specially typified the 
 Son of God in flesh. Jesus had human form ; 
 was seen, heard, handled. Outlined in veri- 
 table body the great and gracious L,ord 
 stood before men. But that other Comforter, 
 though as real in personal being, is without 
 visible tangibility. He hath not flesh and 
 blood though He dwelleth therein. For the 
 believer's body is His temple, and His 
 presence is known by manifestations. John 
 iii. 8. 
 
 Again, the use of the laver would favor this 
 application of the typical vessel. Its water 
 was for purification. The laver held the water. 
 It received it ; possessed it ; gave it ; was 
 therefore identified with it. Preparation for 
 priestly worship resulted from the constant 
 application of water to hands and feet. 
 Several Scripture texts disclose the meaning 
 of this symbolical water. ' ' Christ loved the 
 
The Laver. 69 
 
 Church and gave Himself for it, that He might 
 sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of 
 water by the Word." Eph. v. 25, 26. "Now 
 are ye clean through the Word which I 
 have spoken unto you." John xv. 3. The 
 Christian believer who becomes a priest unto 
 God from the moment he first reaches the altar, 
 and by faith accepts Christ's atoning death as 
 the ground of his justification, is yet in a 
 world of defilement. He needs therefore con- 
 stant preparation of heart to qualify him for 
 acceptable worship. In order to meet this 
 need of his life the Word of cleansing is given. 
 The Holy Spirit ministering that Word in 
 power to the inner man moulds the judgment, 
 purifies thought, displaces lust, imparts motive. 
 Holiness is promoted by the Word. We are 
 sanctified by it. It rebukes self-complaisance 
 and exposes the folly of self-perfection. The 
 Word is a discerner of the thoughts and in- 
 tents of the heart ; it is that light which makes 
 manifest. To deny our need of cleansing is 
 equivalent to shutting out the sun. The Word 
 is that living stream which having entrance 
 purifieth the soul. The Blood cleanseth, the 
 Word cleanseth, the Spirit cleanseth, and 
 these three agree in one. 
 
70 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 Allusions are made to the laver of purifica- 
 tion and preparation in the words, ' ' Who shall 
 ascend unto the hill of the Lord ? or who shall 
 stand in His holy place ? He that hath clean 
 hands, and a pure heart." Ps. xxiv. 3, 4. 
 And yet again, ' ' I will wash my hands in 
 innocency ; so will I compass thine altar, O 
 Lord." Ps. xxvi. 6. 
 
 The laver in Solomon's Temple was called a 
 sea. 2 Chron. iv. 2. Its dimensions were ten 
 cubits from brim to brim, upheld by oxen cast 
 for its base. The victorious redeemed are seen 
 in heaven standing on a sea of glass. Rev. xv. 
 2. They no longer wash therein but are ever 
 reminded of the source of their purity. They 
 stand on the sea and sing of the Lamb. Altar 
 and laver never forgotten. The altar bears 
 witness, ( 'Without shedding of blood there is no 
 remission of sins.' ' The laver testifies, "Without 
 holiness no man shall see the Lord." In other 
 words, the work of Christ is for justification, 
 and the ministry of the Spirit for sanctification. 
 "The laver stands. If earth defiled, 
 
 Go, wash thy hands, thy feet ; 
 And simply as a pardoned child, 
 
 Approach the mercy-seat ; 
 Within the veil thy censer bring, 
 And burn sweet incense to the King." 
 
IX. 
 
 Holy and Most Holy. 
 
 THE first house built for the worship of 
 Jehovah consisted of two rooms called 
 respectively the Holy Place and the 
 Most Holy. The building was not so beauti- 
 ful in outward appearance as in interior fur- 
 nishing. Within, the brilliancy of the gold, 
 the brightness of the light, the beauty of the 
 curtains, and the fragrance of the incense, must 
 have excited admiration and reverence. So 
 our IyOrd Christ exhibited no outward glory to 
 those who had eyes only for the visible and 
 material. The men of His day saw not The 
 Wonderful, as yet, unrevealed to the world. 
 Their lack of appreciation was no disappoint- 
 ment to Him, for He knew what had been 
 written of Him whose visage was marred and 
 whose form was uncomely. Not that Jesus 
 was personally unlovely, but that in His 
 great humiliation He became the Man of Sor- 
 rows. Yet, even then, there were those who 
 had clearness of vision to whom He had become 
 altogether lovely. 
 
 (7i) 
 
72 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 The inner walls of the Tabernacle made of 
 wood were covered with gold, thereby fore- 
 showing the incorruptible nature of His hu- 
 manity in close relation to the splendors of His 
 divinity. And herein is that saying true, 
 1 ' We beheld His glory — glory as of the Only- 
 begotten. ' ' John i. 14. Occasionally that glory 
 shone out with brightness above the sun, as 
 when the disciples saw Him on the holy mount 
 and heard the divine ratification of His super- 
 natural Sonship. There can be but two 
 answers to the question, Whose Son is HE? 
 The answer given still divides the world. In 
 view of Judgment impending the question is 
 most pertinent, What think you of Christ ? 
 
 The Tabernacle was the dwelling place of 
 God. All who sought His face approached 
 Him there through sacrifice. Herein again is 
 Christ foreseen, in whom " dwelleth all the ful- 
 ness of the Godhead bodily." God is in 
 Christ, and all who come to God must come 
 through Him. Hear His own imperishable 
 utterance, " No man cometh to the Father but 
 by Me." Those then who acknowledge the 
 Fatherhood of God while yet repudiating 
 Christ, the medium through whom alone 
 Fatherhood can be known, are sadly ignorant 
 
Holy and Most Holy. 73 
 
 of the teaching of Old Testament types and of 
 the New Testament gospel. It is a serious 
 matter to array oneself against the divine 
 Teacher and assume responsibility in denying 
 the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Jehovah 
 dwelt within curtains in visible symbol. The 
 reality of His presence and glory is in the per- 
 son of His Son, "the true Tabernacle which 
 the Lord pitched and not man. ' ' 
 
 In imagination let us now stand within the 
 Holy Place. At the east and west sides are 
 two beautiful curtains, the door and vail. 
 Through the gate-curtain, when drawn aside, 
 there was access to the court ; through the 
 door, into the first room ; through the vail, into 
 the innermost chamber. Bach one of these 
 represented Christ. John x. 9; Heb. x. 20; 
 John xiv. 6. 
 
 We now turn our eyes northward and south- 
 ward. The golden boards form the back- 
 ground of Lamp-stand and Shew-bread table. 
 The Altar of incense, westward, stands before 
 the gorgeous vail. Beneath is the desert sand, 
 the floor of the sacred building. Overhead 
 stretches the woven ceiling of fine linen, re- 
 splendent in colors of blue, purple and scarlet, 
 while figures of cherubim with outstretched 
 
74 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 wings impart additional sanctity and solemn 
 beauty. The mellow light of the lamp-stand 
 falling upon each vessel and curtain made the 
 Holy Place a room of unearthly splendor cal- 
 culated to incite a spirit of reverential worship. 
 Shall we now step inside the vail ? Within 
 this sacred place made peculiarly solemn by 
 the symbolic Presence of the glorious Lord, 
 no foot of man could tread save only on the 
 day of Atonement. Alone the High priest 
 entered there. Half the size of the first room, 
 or ten cubits square, it was not an imposing 
 chamber in dimensions, but no apartment of 
 kingly palace or princely mansion ever erected 
 by hands of man, could compare with this little 
 four-square room for importance and historic 
 interest. Connected with eternal things, it 
 had its message and mission for all time. 
 Gilded boards formed three of its sides with 
 richly embroided vail its fourth. Above, the 
 decorated ceiling ; beneath, the solid earth. 
 No light of sun or moon illumined this cham- 
 ber, nor ray from golden lamp-stand pene- 
 trated through the vail, yet a light of unclouded 
 brightness filled its sacred precincts. Within 
 the walls of this terrestrial sanctuary there 
 shone a celestial light. Heaven and earth 
 
Holy and Most Hoi,y. 75 
 
 were therein conjoined. For not the light of 
 nature, genius, or art, made luminous the 
 Most H0I} 7 . The dazzling Shekinah which 
 flamed at Eden found there its temporary rest- 
 ing-place. Symbol and manifestation of the 
 divine Presence, the light between the Cheru- 
 bim proclaimed that God is Brightness and in 
 Him is no darkness at all. 
 
 A peculiar sacredness attaches to the Most 
 Holy because of its typical character. It 
 represented the heaven of heavens, the blessed 
 place where dwelleth the only true God. Heb. 
 ix. 24. Into this more glorious sanctuary we 
 enter now in spirit, even as we shall come there 
 eventually when removed to that home upon 
 which no shadows fall. Heb. x. 19. 
 
 Observe, from the gate without to the inner 
 chamber there is progress . Strikingly does this 
 advancement represent the onward movement 
 of the christian life, from the starting-point of 
 pardon to the goal of completest saintship. 
 At the altar of sacrifice sin is judged and put 
 away ; at the laver purification is effected ; 
 the Holy Place provides food and light ; while 
 the Holiest of All reveals the glory of the 
 enthroned King to whom the worshiper has 
 freedom of access. This divine program is 
 
76 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 clearly marked in the supplication, "O send 
 out thy light and thy truth, let them lead me ; 
 let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to 
 thy tabernacles. Then will I go* to the altar 
 of God, unto God my exceeding joy. ' ' Ps. xliii. 
 3, 4. The light of the cloud led to the Taber- 
 nacle whose open gateway gave access to the 
 altar. The altar upheld the sacrifice which 
 gave right of approach to the Most Holy. 
 Hence the order, " I will go unto the altar," 
 thereafter "unto God my exceeding joy." 
 This is the gospel of symbol fitting into the gos- 
 pel of actuality. Those who know their sins 
 forgiven are little children, but fathers know 
 Him who is from the beginning. The chris- 
 tian comes out from the world into the assembly 
 of the Firstborn. He knows his sin merits 
 death, but he sees that deserved sentence exe- 
 cuted upon an innocent victim. Guilt is there- 
 by removed. He then advances in divine 
 knowledge. Laver truth shows him the defile- 
 ment of sin washed away. Further on he finds 
 bread for his soul and light for his understand- 
 ing. Bread strengthens him ; oils makes his 
 face to shine . and worship like the fragrant 
 incense ascends from his heart. Still beyond 
 he stands before his Father enveloped in 
 
Holy and Most Holy. 77 
 
 the glory of the Son in whom He is made 
 an object of divine favor. Thus the christian 
 life has its stages. Its pathway becomes 
 brighter. Every point reached has its peculiar 
 enjoyment. An altar of wood, a laver of brass, 
 a mercy seat of gold. The world's progress 
 is deterioration. Its kingdoms show the down- 
 grade from gold to silver ; silver to brass ; 
 brass to iron and clay. How immature in 
 christian experience is he who reaches the 
 laver, receives a second blessing and there 
 abides, while a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, 
 a seventh, await him. Blessed indeed is he 
 whose life is modeled after the Tabernacle and 
 moulded by the doctrines into which we have 
 been delivered. But the place of richest grace 
 is the Mercy-throne. There are depths and 
 heights and sublimities of experiences now, 
 but the condition of sinlessness is unknown 
 till we reach the heavenly sanctuary and enter 
 upon the joys of that ' ( far more exceeding and 
 eternal weight of glory. ' ' 
 
X. 
 
 Table of Shew bread. 
 
 IN the Holy Place were three vessels con- 
 nected with the ritual of the sanctuary. 
 Skilled workmen were chosen whom the 
 Spirit of God made wise for the construction 
 of every piece of sacred furniture. Bezaleel 
 and Aholiab were masters of art, for the Holy 
 Spirit taught them and their fellow-craftsmen 
 how to execute. Ex. xxxi. 1-6. Thus the 
 Tabernacle was designed and superintended by 
 Jehovah. He graciously called Israel into His 
 fellowship. He received their offerings and 
 qualified their artisans. And this divine- 
 human fellowship is shown forth in symbol by 
 the uses of the vessels under consideration. 
 
 I. The Shew-bread Tabee. 
 
 The directions given to Moses for the con- 
 struction of the Table are found in Exodus 
 xxv. 23-30. The altar of Incense was placed 
 at the western end of the room adjacent to the 
 vail which divided between the Holy and Most 
 Holy, facing the east. At its right or southern 
 side stood the golden lamp-stand facing the 
 (78) 
 
Table oe Shew-bread. 79 
 
 Table on the north side and pouring upon it 
 the full mellow light from its seven bowls of oil. 
 
 The Shew-bread Table was made of acacia 
 wood and covered with plates of gold. A 
 crown or rim of gold was placed on its edge 
 around its four sides, acting as a guard to pro- 
 tect the materials placed upon it. The border 
 beneath the crown would give the Table com- 
 pactness and durability, besides imparting to 
 it a more imposing appearance. Rings were 
 placed on the four legs through which staves 
 passed ; the staves projecting beyond each end 
 of the Table. By the use of these staves the 
 L,evites carried the Table. Golden vessels 
 were made for its service, including dishes, 
 spoons, bowls, and covers. Bach article had 
 its distinctive use, containing frankincense, 
 salt, and wine, which were connected with the 
 twelve loaves of unleavened bread. 
 
 The Table, with all of its appliances, was 
 called a pwe table, not only because of its 
 material of pure gold, but that also it was con- 
 secrated to a noble and holy purpose. It was 
 two cubits in length, one cubit wide and a 
 cubit and a half high. 
 
 A Table suggests supply. It is the symbol 
 of food. It is the place of fellowship. Around 
 
80 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 the table gather the family, parents and chil- 
 dren, in union and communion, giving oppor- 
 tunity for mutual intercourse. 
 
 II. A Glance at Other Tables. 
 
 God has provided many tables to meet the 
 physical and spiritual need of His people. 
 
 1. His table of providence. 
 
 Having created life, the creator has made 
 provision for its sustenance. Both to man and 
 beast He hath appointed their portion. The 
 herb of the field and fruit of the tree He or- 
 dained for meat. Gen. i. 29, 30. This provi- 
 dential care over His creatures has been 
 recognized by the devout in all ages. The 
 roaring lion and the humming bee, the great 
 fishes and minute insects, are alike His 
 beneficiaries. He openeth His hand "and 
 satisfieth the desire of every living thing." 
 Ps. cxlv. 16. So also His people are kept in 
 continual remembrance. Jesus counseled His 
 disciples to take no thought for meat or cloth- 
 ing. He who fed ravens and clothed lilies 
 would not forget. Luke xii. 22-31. 
 
 2. His table of salvation. 
 
 Provision made for the hungry soul is set 
 
Table oe Shew-bread. 8i 
 
 forth in parable. Jesus described the marriage 
 feast from which some turned away. But 
 others, whose poverty was their plea, accepted 
 the bounty. They were made partakers of the 
 banquet. Matt. xxii. 1-16. In like manner 
 the hungry sinner is fed. For the prodigal 
 who starves by the swine -trough there is bread 
 in the Father's house. For such the fatted calf 
 is prepared. Blessed are they that hunger, for 
 they are invited to the feast. 
 
 j. His table for nourishing spiritual life. 
 
 The sinner who accepts Christ as Saviour 
 and Lord is made a partaker of spiritual life. 
 That life is not a principle nor a program. It 
 is a nature; the divine nature. 2 Pet. i. 4. And 
 as life it requires sustenance . The young chris- 
 tian and the maturer christian — the babe and 
 the full grown man — have their portion ap- 
 pointed them. 1 Pet. ii. 1, 2; Heb. iv. 12. 
 For the sheep the great Shepherd provideth a 
 supply. He spreads a table in the wilderness 
 in the presence of vanquished enemies. Ps. 
 xxiii. 5. They feast as conquerors. 
 
 4.. His table of memorial. 
 This is a long table stretching from the Holy 
 Spirit's advent at Pentecost to the church's 
 
82 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 rapture at the Parousia. It is broad as the 
 globe. Believers in every land surround it. 
 Bread and wine are the emblems of our Lord's 
 body and blood. At the Table He is the ob- 
 ject of our worship, the subject of our thoughts, 
 and the food of our souls. It is a table of 
 fellowship. There the saints and their Lord 
 commune and there fellow- believers embrace 
 in fellowship. It is a table of thanksgiving 
 where redeemed sinners give thanks to God 
 for the gift of His Son. It is a table of testi- 
 mony. There we bear witness to the sacrificial 
 death of our Lord Christ through which sin is 
 forever put away. It is a table of expectation. 
 We commemorate and we anticipate. For He 
 who died and rose again is coming to consum< 
 mate the salvation of His people. The table 
 had its beginning; it will also have its ending. 
 And the ordinance loses its full significance if 
 not connected with this blessed hope. "As 
 often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup 
 ye do shew the Lord's death Tiu, He come.''* 
 
 III. The Twelve Loaves. 
 
 The shew-bread was made of "fine flour." 
 This meant possibly that it was made of the 
 finest wheat. The best wood, the costliest 
 
Table of Shew-bread, 83 
 
 minerals, the richest fabrics, were employed in 
 the construction of the Tabernacle. Nor was 
 there any physical blemish in the animals sacri- 
 ficed. And thus was symbolized the spiritual- 
 ity of worship, which, in this dispensation, is 
 independent of art. Heart worship is alone 
 acceptable. They who worship God "must 
 worship Him in spirit and in truth." John iv. 
 24. God requires the best, and the best we 
 can give, is the whole-hearted surrender of our 
 entire being; our whole spirit and soul and 
 body. 1 Thess. v. 23. 
 
 The loaves were twelve in number, corres- 
 ponding to the twelve tribes, as the stones on 
 the priest's breastplate. This symbolic repre- 
 sentation was interwoven with the religious life 
 of the nation. When they had crossed the 
 Jordan, Joshua bade twelve men to take twelve 
 stones from the bed of Jordan and erect them 
 at Gilgal, as a memorial of Israel coming over 
 to the place of their possession on dry land. 
 Twelve rough stones at Gilgal, twelve precious 
 stones on the breastplate, twelve loaves of bread 
 on the table, were memorials of experiences 
 and relationships of Jehovah's covenant people. 
 
 The shew-bread on the table might have been 
 translated "presence-bread" or "face-bread." 
 
84 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 It was also called the "continual bread." 
 Numb. iv. 7. The use of the bread, for Jeho- 
 vah, and for the priests, would warrant the 
 name of communion bread. Lev. xxiv. 9. 
 The marvelous fact that Jehovah condescended 
 to receive into fellowship with Himself, the 
 people of his choice, is mirrored in every fea- 
 ture of Tabernacle ritual. They were always 
 before Him, on the priestly mitre, breastplate, 
 and shoulder-stones, and on the shew-bread 
 table. And surely this Old Testament sym- 
 bolism finds its prophetic complement in New 
 Testament fact, for by its revelation believers 
 are said to be presented faultless in the pres- 
 ence of His glory, unreprovable, unrebukable, 
 in His sight. Col. L 22. 
 
 The shew-bread pictures forth the equality of 
 all believers in acceptance. Our reception in 
 Christ, and our representation by Him, before 
 the Father, admits of no degrees. The twelve 
 loaves stood for all the tribes. On that Table, 
 the tribe of Benjamin the lesser, was co-equal 
 with Manasseh, and the tribe of Reuben, of 
 ignoble parentage, stood in the same grace as 
 Judah. In tribal standing the people were 
 equally the same in covenant relations. They 
 were the same in ?iearness to God as repre- 
 
Tabi/e of Shew-bread. 85 
 
 sented in the loaves. They were the same also 
 in continual acceptance. The same salt for sea- 
 soning, the same wine for drink-offering, the 
 same frankincense for sweet savor for all the 
 loaves. 
 
 An undimmed vision of the Christian's per- 
 fect righteousness in Christ is essential for 
 power to walk worthy of this high calling. 
 Gratitude for such highly exalted privileges 
 will tend to profound humility through a deep 
 and abiding sense of utter personal unworthi- 
 ness. In self, ruined, condemned, abased : In 
 Christ, restored, justified, exalted. Therefore 
 Christ is All. 1 Cor. i. 30. 
 
 The twelve loaves were to be a memorial, an 
 offering and food. Lev. xxiv. 7-9. Doubtless 
 they were also typical. Bread corn is bruised. 
 Isa. xxviii. 28. It is also baked. The pro- 
 cesses through which the grain passes, grind- 
 ing in the mill, worked into dough, baked in 
 hot ovens, suggest the experiences of our Lord 
 in becoming for us the Bread of Life. His 
 blood shelters; His flesh nourishes. 
 
 Again, the loaves were unleavened. Leaven, 
 or yeast, is a corrupt and corrupting element. 
 It symbolizes evil. Matt. xvi. 12; Mark viii. 
 15; 1 Cor. v. 6-8. The nature of Jesus was 
 
86 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 essentially pure. He took that nature out of 
 the domain of death uncontaminated. His 
 holy flesh is our food. 
 
 None but priests must eat the shew-bread. 
 Every Sabbath fresh loaves were placed upon 
 the Table, while in the Holy Place, enveloped 
 with sacred incense, and clothed with light, the 
 priests ate the old loaves. The presence- bread 
 was for God and for the priests. So Christ 
 now, the continual Presence-Bread, satisfies 
 His Father's heart and nourishes our priestly 
 life. But only in the place of retirement, of 
 separation, and in moments of heavenly expe- 
 riences, can we partake of this Bread. Not in 
 the coarse places of the world, nor with carnal 
 appetites, can we feed on Jesus. The Bread of 
 God is for the godly. 
 
XI. 
 
 The Golden Lamp-stand. 
 
 THE most strikingly suggestive and multi- 
 form natural illustration of spiritual 
 realities is that of Light. It is the 
 peculiar physical emblem which most repre- 
 sents God in His nature and revelation. It is 
 an emblem of each person of the Godhead in 
 their essence and official ministry. It is the 
 chosen emblem of the Scriptures enlightening 
 the world; of the church in its witness- bear- 
 ing; and of the individual believer in his life. 
 It is the type of all spiritual phenomena of 
 which God is centre and source. To trace out 
 this beautiful emblem in our Bible and note its 
 uses and application is a study worthy of our 
 earnest pursuit. But we must here confine 
 ourselves to the Golden Lamp-stand in its ser- 
 vice and symbolism. 
 
 The Tabernacle declared one great fact, viz. : 
 God is Light. Outside the sun gave light by 
 day, and the pillar of fire by night; in the 
 Holy Place the seven-branched lamp-stand 
 was always burning, while in the Most Holy 
 (87) 
 
88 Tabernaci,k Types. 
 
 flamed the Shekinah, the outward symbol of 
 the real Presence in their midst 
 
 I. Material and Workmanship. 
 
 The description given of this most elaborate 
 and costly vessel is found in Ex. xxv. 31-36. 
 "And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure 
 gold: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, 
 his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the 
 same. . . . And the tongs thereof, and the 
 snuff-dishes thereof shall be of pure gold. Of 
 a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all 
 these vessels. And look that thou make them 
 after their pattern, which was shewed thee in 
 the Mount." 
 
 All through God was very jealous of His 
 own designs. "Make them after the pattern 
 shewed thee," was His constant reminder to 
 Moses. Likewise He has a plan for His re- 
 deemed that they be conformed to the image of 
 His Son. For He who is the image of the 
 Invisible God is the pattern before Him from 
 the beginning, and in working out the plan of 
 the ages He has this momentous issue in view. 
 In the resurrection we shall take on this celes- 
 tial form. We shall be like Him, ' ' for we shall 
 see Him as He is." Rom. viii. 29; 1 John iii. 2. 
 
The Golden Lamp-stand. #9 
 
 Within the Holy Place the Golden Lamp- 
 stand stood on the sonth side facing the 
 Shew-bread Table. Both it, and the vessels 
 connected with it, were made out of a talent 
 of pure gold. The skilled workmen wrought 
 upon the ductile metal with their hammers, 
 and with sublime genius shaped it into beau- 
 tiful symmetrical form. The central shaft and 
 its six curved branches were ornamented with 
 fruits and flowers, each holding on its top the 
 golden lamp filled with pure olive oil. What 
 consummate skill showed itself in evolving 
 from a solid talent of gold this richly orna- 
 mented vessel with base, shaft, and branches, in 
 consistent proportions! Wherein lay the secret 
 of this matchless handiwork ? In the endow- 
 ment of the Spirit of God. Ex. xxxi. 6. 
 
 II. Its Designed Ministry. 
 
 Primarily to give light. Thus we read: 
 11 Command the children of Israel, that they 
 bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the 
 light, to cause the lamps to burn continually." 
 What an imposing article of furniture was this 
 seven-branched lamp ! Graceful in shape, 
 elaborately ornamented, of pure gold, giving out 
 its soft mellowed light and reflecting that light 
 
90 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 upon itself, upon the Table, and incense altar. 
 It was a vessel for use and an object of splendor. 
 
 The serving priests supplied the golden 
 bowls with pure oil continually. With golden 
 snuffers they removed the charred wick, and 
 with golden tray removed all refuse. 
 
 The people also participated in the rich min- 
 istry of the Lamp-stand. They gathered the 
 olives, they pressed the fruit, they supplied 
 the oil. This unity of participation between 
 Jehovah, the priests, and the people, finds its 
 expression in the service of this matchless 
 Illuminator. 
 
 The value of the Golden Lamp- stand and its 
 accompanying vessels, apart from the work- 
 manship, would easily reach the sum of fifty 
 thousand dollars. What a noble monument 
 to a willing hearted people ! 
 
 III. Its Typical Foreshadowings. 
 
 There is a wealth of spiritual teaching radi- 
 ating from the Lamp- stand, luminous as its 
 own light, precious as its gold, clear as its 
 pure oil. 
 
 i. It is a type of Christ. 
 
 As a light it testifies of Him. He is the 
 true light in contradistinction to all natural 
 
The Gou>en Lamp-stand. 91 
 
 and artificial light. Not true in contrast to 
 false, but true as real and abiding, in contrast 
 to that which is ceremonial and temporary. 
 Christ is the " light of men," John i. 4; "the 
 light to lighten the Gentiles," Luke ii. 32; the 
 light of Israel, Isa. lx. 1-3; "the light of the 
 world," John viii. 12; and the glowing light 
 of the predicted millennial age and of the New 
 Jerusalem. ' : The Lamb is the light thereof. ' ' 
 Rev. xxi. 23. 
 
 2. A type of Christ and the Church. 
 
 First, in their essential unity. He, the cen- 
 tral shaft; the}', the branches beaten out of the 
 shaft. It was one Lamp-stand. This organic 
 unity of life between Christ and His people 
 is set forth under the figure of the vine. ' ' I 
 am the vine, ye are the branches." John xv. 5. 
 Also, in oneness of light. All the lamps were 
 made partakers of one oil. Even so Christ 
 and the Church upon whom came one and the 
 same Spirit. Therefore Christ is the light, and 
 the Church is the light, for it is by and through 
 the Church His light shineth. Other types 
 and figures of this union are found in the 
 Scriptures, viz: Adam and Eve; the human 
 body; a temple; husband and wife. 
 
92 Tabkrnact.e Types. 
 
 5. A type of the Word. 
 
 Eor the Word is light. " The command- 
 ment is a lamp." The Spirit upon the Word 
 causeth the flame to ascend. Countless results 
 have followed the shining of this clear light. 
 In the days of Josiah the copy of the law found 
 by Hilkiah in the temple produced repentance 
 in monarch and subjects. So the reformation 
 which changed Europe resulted from the dis- 
 covery of the Book by Luther in the monastery 
 of Erfurth. Satan's persistent effort is to blind 
 the minds of men "lest the light of the glori- 
 ous gospel of Christ should shine unto them." 
 2 Cor. iii. 4. And were it not that the God of 
 all grace in His sovereign electing love com- 
 mands the light to shine into our hearts, giving 
 14 the light of the knowledge of the glory of 
 God in the face of Jesus Christ," we would 
 have continued in the darkness of unbelief 
 forever. 2 Cor. iv. 6. 
 
 ^. A type of the Churches. 
 
 In the first chapter of Revelation John de- 
 scribes a vision which he saw of the Son of 
 Man in priestly attire walking in the midst of 
 seven golden candlesticks. In v. 20, he is 
 made to understand that the seven candlesticks 
 
The Golden Lamp-stand. 9g 
 
 are seven churches. One of these churches, 
 that of Kphesus, to whom the light of the gos- 
 pel was committed, left her first love. The 
 light of holy zeal was quenched. There was 
 much to commend in the church, but the light 
 of flaming earnestness went out. Therefore 
 the exhortation ( ' Repent ... or else I will 
 come unto thee quickl3< , and will remove thy 
 candlestick out of his place, except thou re- 
 pent." Rev. ii. 5. 
 
 A lamp-stand without light may be a pretty 
 ornament, but it fails to serve the purpose of 
 its creation. Even so, the assembly, or the 
 individual, whose light is dim, who fails to 
 hold forth the word of life, as light-bearers, 
 who is covered by the bushel, symbol of com- 
 merce, or enwrapt with bedding, symbol of 
 sloth, assuredly perverts the plan of their life 
 and prostitutes their noble calling to ignoble 
 ends. And because of this fatal tendency in 
 christian life to grow cold in the service of 
 God, the exhortation needs to be sounded with 
 clarion ring, "Work out 3^our own salvation 
 . . . that ye may be blameless and harmless, 
 children of God without blemish in the midst 
 of a crooked and perverse generation, among 
 whom ye are seen as luminaries in the world, 
 
94 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 holding forth the word of life." Phil. ii. 
 12-16. 
 
 Of John the Baptist it was said, "he was a 
 burning and a shining lamp." John v. 35. 
 Glowing eulogy divinely bestowed ! The gra- 
 cious Master withholds not the commendation 
 so richly merited. 
 
 The branches of the Lamp-stand were alike 
 in form and ornamentation, suggestive, at least, 
 of the equality of all who are sons of God and 
 fellow-members of the body as light-bearers. 
 The light was continual; the bread was con- 
 tinual; the incense was continual; the offer- 
 ings were continual: indicating the fact that 
 though connected with temporary ceremonies 
 their antitypical realities were to abide. The 
 varied use of light is worthy of our thought 
 in this connection. Light reveals; it is pleas- 
 ant; it is purifying; it is healing; it is needful 
 for life and growth. 
 
 The priest trimmed the lamps to cause them 
 to burn more brightly. Trimming is a delicate 
 though needed work. The snuffers are, alas, 
 too frequently needed. The smoky, ill-smell- 
 ing substance must be removed in order to 
 purify the flame. But there is more than a 
 hint in the quality of snuffers and snuff-dish; 
 
The Golden IvAmp-stand. 95 
 
 both were of pure gold. ' ' If a man be over- 
 taken in any trespass, ye which are spiritual 
 restore such a one in a spirit of meekness." 
 Gal. vi. 1. 
 
 In connection with the study of the Taber- 
 nacle Iyamp-stand the fourth chapter of Zecha- 
 riah should be carefully read and contrasts 
 noted. While one had reference in its spiritual 
 import to the Church in this age chiefly, the 
 other has reference to a future age when the 
 Spirit will be more gloriously manifested. 
 There will be no need for daily filling of the 
 bowls, for they will be under the abundant 
 flow from the olive trees through the golden 
 pipes. The scene is Jewish, but the light will 
 radiate throughout the whole earth. 
 
XII. 
 
 The Altar of Incense. 
 
 THE) materials used in the construction of 
 this piece of Tabernacle furniture were 
 acacia wood and pure gold. It was 
 made four-square, its length and breadth being 
 a cubit in measure. Its height was two cubits. 
 It upheld a golden censer on which burning 
 coals were placed. The fire called out the 
 fragrance of the incense laid thereon. It had 
 horns like unto the brazen altar projecting 
 from its four corners, and a heavy moulding of 
 gold surrounded its four top edges, giving to it 
 additional strength and beauty. There were 
 two staves connected with it for transport, 
 which passed through rings placed at opposite 
 angles beneath the golden crown or border. 
 This altar stood in front of the rail dividing 
 between the two rooms. On either side, 
 North and South, were the Golden Lamp- 
 stand and Shew-bread Table. These were the 
 essential furniture of the outer room into which 
 the priests came daily in the fulfillment of their 
 office. 
 
 (96) 
 
The Altar of Incense. 97 
 
 I. The Incense. 
 
 As the brazen altar without was made for 
 sacrifice, so the golden altar within was made 
 for incense. Both altars were related. Blood 
 from the altar of sacrifice was placed upon the 
 altar of incense, and burning coals were trans- 
 ferred from the one to the other. Ex. xxx. 10; 
 Lev. xvi. 12. Thus two great doctrines of 
 redemption had their foreshadowing in cere- 
 monies connected with both these altars; the 
 doctrines of atonement and intercession. This 
 order of truth is never reversed in the gospel. 
 First, atonement by sacrifice, and next, inter- 
 cession. Moreover, intercession is only effica- 
 cious whe natonement is its basis. This also 
 is the true mould of christian experience. 
 
 The ingredients which composed the sacred 
 incense and its preparation are carefully 
 specified. Ex. xxx. 34, 35. The incense must 
 have been a very odoriferous compound. It 
 was pure, it was sweet, it was holy. Elaborate 
 expositions have been given by many writers 
 of the exact nature of each particular ingre- 
 dient. They are interesting, although measur- 
 ably speculative, nor is it necessary to be 
 assured of their respective origin in order to 
 enter upon the typical meaning of their 
 
98 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 composite. Stacte is generally supposed to have 
 been a resinous gum called, in after years, the 
 balm of Jericho. Onycha is thought to have 
 come from a species of shell- fish. Galbanum 
 is said to have been the sap of a Syrian plant, 
 while Frankincense was an exudation from an 
 eastern tree. When the four elements were 
 compounded after the art of the apothecary, 
 salt was added, doubtless to check any tend- 
 ency toward acridity or putrefaction. When 
 fully prepared the incense was beaten small 
 and placed on the burning coals of the golden 
 censer, then immediately the sacred room 
 was filled with a refreshing and agreeable 
 odor. 
 
 The incense was to be kept sacredly for 
 Tabernacle service, and he who manufactured 
 from the receipt for personal or family use 
 must pay the penalty of death for his act of 
 presumption. And none but priests of the 
 seed of Aaron were allowed to handle it. 
 When King Uzziah attempted to usurp the 
 priest's office and daringly challenged the 
 holy Lord God in presuming to burn incense, 
 his impiety was severely punished. Even 
 royalty must bow in abasement before Jeho- 
 vah. Uzziah was rebellious and angry ; his 
 
The Ai/tar of Incense. 99 
 
 punishment was swift and terrible. 2 Chron. 
 xxvi. 16-23. 
 
 2. Its typical import. 
 
 We may now inquire, What was the spir- 
 itual teaching foreshown by the use of incense ? 
 
 First, and chiefly, it typified the precious 
 excelleyicies of our Lord' s intercession, now in 
 the presence of God for us. His holy person- 
 ality, His obedience unto death, His love, His 
 devotion to the Father, His essential holiness, 
 His gracious words and deeds were the ingre- 
 dients which now make His priestly mediation 
 a sweet savor unto God. This is the incense 
 which is pure and perpetual, which is sweet 
 and sacred. 
 
 The subject of Christ's intercession needs 
 to be guarded in two essential particulars. 
 Firstly, that it be not ignored as an unneces- 
 sary ministry ; and, secondly, that it be not 
 overloaded with additions and conditions to 
 which it is in nowise subject. Intercession is 
 not for the completeness of the believer's 
 justification, for that view would militate with 
 the absoluteness of the atonement. Through 
 Christ's death the believing sinner is perfected 
 forever; <l justified from all things." Heb. ix. 
 12; x. 12-15; Acts xiii. 38, 39. By His 
 
ioo Tabkrnacle Types. 
 
 resurrection the believer's justification is estab- 
 lished. Intercession does not complete it, but 
 crowns it with glory and honor. In our 
 Lord's intercessory prayer, in which he anti- 
 cipated the end of His earthly mission, He 
 assumes the justification of His people. He 
 therefore prays for all who believe that they 
 may be kept, sanctified, united, glorified. John 
 xvii. chap. Those three parts of His work 
 which are closely inter- related are yet distinct. 
 He died for our sins; He rose for our justifica- 
 tion; He ascended to the place of intercession. 
 "It is Christ that died; yea, rather, that is 
 risen again, who is even at the right hand of 
 God, who also maketh intercession for us." 
 Rom. viii. 34. 
 
 A superficial and unscriptural theory 
 thoughtlessly advocated is, that Christ is now 
 in heaven praying for sinners; therefore will 
 they be justified. The opposite is taught in 
 Heb. vii. 24, 25 (see R. V.). 
 
 Though the believer is justified, the precious 
 incense of our Lord's priestly intercession 
 gives him a place of fullest acceptance as a 
 sweet savor unto God. It is not without 
 spiritual meaning that directions were not 
 given for the construction of the golden altar 
 
The Ai/tar oe Incense. ioi 
 
 until after the priestly office and priestly gar- 
 ments were instituted. From Exodus, twenty- 
 fifth chapter to the twenty-ninth, the various 
 vessels of the sanctuary, with priestly ministry, 
 are introduced. In chapter thirty directions 
 are given concerning the altar of incense. 
 The priest ministering at the brazen altar 
 making atonement for sin, typified the work of 
 Christ on earth; the priest offering incense 
 from the golden altar represented His work in 
 heaven. 
 
 But again, incense is a recognized type of 
 the believer's worship; prayer, adoration and 
 tha?iksgivi?ig : David seemed to understand 
 the relation between the type and its anti- 
 typical meaning. Thus he uttered such mem- 
 orable words as these : ' ' Let my prayer be set 
 forth before thee as incense, and the lifting up 
 of my hands as the evening sacrifice." Ps. 
 cxli . 2 . The time of offering incense naturally 
 became the hour of prayer. Hence we read 
 when Zacharias was priest, "According to the 
 custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn 
 incense when he went into the temple of the 
 Lord. And the whole multitude of the people 
 were praying without, at the time of incense." 
 Luke i. 9, 10. 
 
102 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 Prayer symbolized by incense becomes effi- 
 cacious in this particular, that it is presented in 
 the name of, and through the merits of, our 
 glorious Lord. The incense was laid on the 
 censer full of burning coals which was upheld 
 by the altar. And surely this is the spiritual 
 teaching. " Through Him, then, let us offer 
 up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, 
 that is, the fruit of lips which make confession 
 toHisName.' > Heb. xiii. 15. 
 
 Service to our fellow- chrisiiaji is also com- 
 parable to incense, if indeed it be the unselfish 
 service of the heart, and of the hand, such as 
 the Philippian converts rendered to their dear 
 brother Paul. How charmingly he acknowl- 
 edged their love ; "I am filled, having re- 
 ceived from Epaphroditus the things that came 
 from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice 
 acceptable, well-pleasing to God." Phil. iv. 18. 
 
 Prayer and service which are official, or 
 formal, a purely imitative exercise adopted as 
 worship, is a fleshly product ; a counterfeit of 
 the true which will bring upon itself just con- 
 demnation. The presumption which would 
 imitate spiritual worship is no less evil than 
 that self-will which would dare Jehovah's 
 command and imitate the holy perfume. 
 
The Altar of Incense. 103 
 
 Real prayer is the expression of desire, the 
 outpouring of the soul in which the Holy- 
 Spirit dwells. For it is He who creates the 
 desire, who shapes the petition, who gives 
 fervency of utterance, and who makes it a 
 spiritual offering. True worship is to ' ' worship 
 God in the Spirit;" true prayer is "praying 
 in the Holy Ghost." 
 
XIII. 
 The Ark of the Covenant. 
 
 WITHIN THE VAIL! Abundant reve- 
 lations await us there ; revelations of 
 righteousness, of grace, of redemption! 
 Within the vail! Immediately comes to our 
 mind its solemn and sacrificial import; "Jesus 
 also, that He might sanctify the people with 
 His own blood, suffered without the gate. . . 
 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter 
 into the holiest by the blood of Jesus . 
 let us draw near." Heb. xiii. 12; x. 19-22. 
 We have now reached in our progress from the 
 brazen altar the very sanctum sajictorum. Else- 
 where we have called attention to the increas- 
 ing value of the sacred vessels along the line 
 of advancement. It is likewise worthy of note 
 that the various curtains grow richer in design 
 and embellishment, the inner vail being the 
 costliest and most elaborate. Again, there is 
 an increase of light from that which is artificial 
 in the first room to that which is celestial in 
 the second. The journey takes us from sin to 
 grace, and from grace to glory. Such is the 
 (104) 
 
The Ark of the Covenant. 105 
 
 program of christian doctrine, and such also 
 should be our experimental knowledge of it. 
 "The path of the just is as the shining light 
 which shineth more and more unto the perfect 
 day." Prov. iv. 18. The figure employed 
 here is that of the light of dawn which in- 
 creases in volume until the splendor of me- 
 ridian arrives. 
 
 Within the vail finds us in a room whose 
 length, breadth, and height, are equal. It was 
 ten cubits each way. The mathematical cube 
 is the symbol of perfection. The walls and 
 ceiling are awe-inspiring with figures of cher- 
 ubim wrought into the curtains, while the 
 reflection of pure gold makes the place flash 
 with splendor. For the light which glows 
 within is neither natural nor artificial. It is 
 the light of the Glory of God. We are 
 now within the King's throne-room. In the 
 western end and facing eastward, sufficiently 
 removed from the vail to give the high priest 
 the fullest opportunity for the performance of 
 his duties, stood the throne op God. And 
 upon the throne, flaming out in awful bright- 
 ness, rested that holy Shekinah which lighted 
 the silent chamber, and was the manifested 
 Presence of the holy, holy, holy, Lord God, in 
 
106 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 the midst of His people. There the divine 
 attributes were displayed in perfect reconcilia- 
 tion; mercy and truth met together, righteous- 
 ness and peace kissed each other. For into 
 that secret place entered once a year Israel's 
 priestly representative sprinkling the blood of 
 atonement, and enveloped in a cloud of fragrant 
 incense, to make reconciliation for the sins of 
 the people. And according to Jehovah's 
 promise, " There will I meet with thee, and I 
 will commune with thee from off the Mercy- 
 seat," the covenant-keeping God took His seat 
 on that throne of grace as Israel's propitiated 
 King. This piece of furniture of such distin- 
 guished notoriety, so exalted above every 
 mechanical device ever framed, was composed 
 of three distinct parts. Three and yet one: 
 the Ark, the Mercy-seat, and the Cherubim. 
 
 In this brief examination and exposition we 
 will consider the material, importance, and 
 design, of the wonderful Ark. Ex. xxv. 10-16. 
 
 1. Its material. 
 
 It was a chest in form, made of acacia wood, 
 two and a half cubits in length, one cubit and 
 a half in breadth, and one cubit and a half in 
 height. It was heavily plated with gold within 
 
The Ark oe the Covenant. 107 
 
 and without. A golden crown or border was 
 
 placed around its outward rim or edge. This 
 addition enriched the sacred vessel, strength- 
 ened it, and held the golden cover in its place. 
 On the sides rings were fastened, through 
 which strong staves were thrust for carrying it 
 onward. These staves were never to be re- 
 moved while the Tabernacle lasted. Ex. xxv. 
 15. When, however, the Ark found a resting 
 place in the Temple the staves were withdrawn. 
 1 Kings viii. 8. This was in keeping with the 
 typical character of the Temple foreshadowing 
 a future age when God in very deed shall 
 dwell with men once again by visible symbol. 
 
 2. Its importance. 
 
 When God gave directions to Moses con- 
 cerning the building of the Tabernacle He 
 spake first of the Ark. Ex. xxv. 10. It was 
 first in order because first in importance. Be- 
 fore any description was given of the sanctuary 
 or its court, minute directions were given 
 regarding the Ark. Take the Ark away and 
 the whole ritual of the Tabernacle would have 
 been valueless and unmeaning. It was the 
 object to which the brazen altar pointed ; the 
 sacrifice giving right of access to the worshiper, 
 
108 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 who came to the Ark representatively in the 
 priest. It was pre-eminent above all the ves- 
 sels, and the only one transferred from the 
 Tabernacle to the Temple more than four hun- 
 dred years after it was first made. 
 
 j. Its design. 
 
 During those wonderful forty days which 
 Moses spent on the mountain with God he 
 received from Him the Ten Words graven on 
 tables of stone. "And Moses turned and went 
 down from the mount, and the two tables of 
 testimony were in his hand, . . and it 
 came to pass as soon as he came nigh unto the 
 camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing: 
 and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the 
 tables out of his hands, and brake them be- 
 neath the mount." Ex. xxxii. 16-20. The 
 sin of the people was a flagrant violation of 
 the first command of the decalogue. What 
 hope, then, had Moses that they would keep a 
 law which they were now deliberately break- 
 ing? In despair for them, and in anger toward 
 their mad rebellion, Moses cast the tablets from 
 him. Thus were they literally, as well as 
 morally, broken. A second time Moses was 
 ordered to the mountain and commanded to 
 
The Ark oe the Covenant. 109 
 
 bring with, him two tables of stone like unto 
 the first. Then did Jehovah write again the 
 Ten Words which Moses received, and he de- 
 posited them in the Ark. Deiit. x. 1-5. This 
 was its original design. The Ark was made for 
 the I,aw. Ex. xxv. 16. As "the ministration 
 of death," Law cannot impart life, nor show 
 leniency to the transgressor. It clearly reveals 
 man's duty toward God, and to his neighbor, 
 but it cannot assist him in the performance of 
 that duty ; and when man fails to fulfill its 
 requirements it leaves him unpitied and un- 
 aided. The Law is holy, just, and good, but 
 no transgressor can escape its penalty. 
 "Cursed is every one that continueth not in 
 all things written in the book of the law to do 
 them." The Law was not given to make men 
 holy, but to show them their unholiness. The 
 mirror reveals but does not reform. " The 
 Law never saved a sinner; if it did it would 
 be no longer a law. If it softened and yielded 
 at any point it were absolutely annulled. • If 
 any sin, or any sinner is allowed to pass, where 
 is the justice of punishing any sin or any sin- 
 ner? To bend any Commandment for the 
 accommodation of a defaulter is to blot out the 
 Law. The Law, by its very nature, can have 
 
no Tabernacle Types. 
 
 no partialities and no compunctions. It never 
 saves those who transgress, and never weeps 
 for those who perish."* 
 
 ^. Its typical meaning. 
 
 The Ark was very manifestly a type of 
 Christ. In its incorruptible wood and pure 
 gold it expressed His dual nature; in its guar- 
 dianship of the Law it foreshadowed His holy 
 life. By the hands of man the tables of stone 
 were broken: within the Ark they received no 
 damage. Thus is unfolded the sad fact that 
 every man born of woman has broken God's 
 holy law; "there is none righteous, no, not 
 one," save the man Christ Jesus. Hear Him 
 joyfully exclaim "I delight to do thy will, O 
 my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." 
 Ps. xl. 7, 8. Jesus kept the law in its entirety, 
 having fulfilled all its requirements. He loved 
 the Lord His God with all His heart, and He 
 loved His neighbor as Himself. The precepts 
 of the Law He obeyed perfectly. The Law of 
 His God was in His heart. He was therefore 
 j ustified through His own righteousness. And 
 " He is the end of the law for righteousness to 
 every one that belie veth." We are free from 
 * The late Dr. Arnot. 
 
'.The Ark of the Covenant. hi 
 
 the Law of condemnation through the imputa- 
 tion of His righteousness. For righteousness 
 " is unto all and upon all them that believe." 
 Rom. iii. 22. The obedience of the holy Jesus 
 is reckoned as our obedience; His unsullied 
 righteousness is imputed to us, and through 
 His atoning death the full blessing of Justifi- 
 cation is secured. "For as through the one 
 man's disobedience, the many were made sin- 
 ners, so through the obedience of the one shall 
 the many be made righteous/' Rom. v. 19. 
 
 The golden pot of manna was placed in the 
 Ark as a memorial of God's care for His peo- 
 ple during their desert journey ings. Ex. xvi. 33. 
 This preservation of the manna was a standing 
 miracle. Ordinarily if kept one day after it 
 had fallen it would have decomposed. Refer- 
 ence is made to its preservation in the Ark in 
 the reward promised to the church of Perga- 
 mos. ' ' To him that overcometh will I give 
 of the hidden manna." Rev. ii. 17. 
 
 Aaron's priestly rod, which in budding 
 proved his rightful claim to the priesthood, 
 was also placed within the Ark. Life from the 
 dead is the characteristic of God's royal priest- 
 hood in Jesus Christ. He is the fulfiller of the 
 law; /the hidden manna; the budding and 
 
ii2 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 fruitful priest whose ministry has the divine 
 sanction. Never has royal casket contained 
 such jewels; though material in themselves, 
 they were symbolic of eternal verities, and 
 although they have passed away, the spiritual 
 facts they foreshadowed abide for evermore. 
 The names of the Ark having been divinely 
 given are more than suggestive. 
 
 i. The Ark of the Testimony. Ex. xxv. 22. 
 
 2. The Ark of the Covenant. Numb. x. 33. 
 
 3. The Ark of the Lord God. 1 Kings ii. 26. 
 
 4. The Ark of God. 1 Sam. iii. 3. 
 
 5. The holy Ark. 2 Chron. xxxv. 3. 
 
 6. The Ark of thy Strength. Ps. cxxxii. 8. 
 
 7. The Ark of Jehovah, the Lord of all the 
 earth. Joshua iii. 13. 
 
XIV. 
 The Mercy- skat. 
 
 DIRECTIONS for the construction of the 
 Mercy-seat, its use, and its relation to 
 the Ark, will be found in Exodus 
 twenty fifth chapter, seventeenth to twenty- 
 second verse. Although closely connected 
 with the Ark, it was also regarded with pecu- 
 liar sanctity by itself. It was a solid slab of 
 pure gold, the same length and breadth as the 
 Ark. It was made to fit the Ark as a cover- 
 ing, and adjusted according to exact measure- 
 ments so ' ' that its very points of contact were 
 hidden by the golden crown encircling it." 
 
 i. Name and design. 
 
 The Hebrew name for Mercy-seat is literally 
 "Covering." It was not only the material 
 covering for the Ark, but it proclaimed in a 
 figure how transgression is forgiven and sin 
 is covered. On the ends of the Mercy-seat 
 stood those mystic and mysterious forms called 
 Cherubim. They were beaten out of the 
 same piece of gold, and were therefore an 
 8 (113) 
 
ii4 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 integral part of the Mercy-seat. Between the 
 Cherubim, on the golden lid of the Ark, 
 abode the dazzling Shekinah. This was the 
 one hallowed spot on earth which Jehovah had 
 chosen as His dwelling place. It was the alone 
 point of meeting between God and the repre- 
 sentative of His people. From there He heard 
 their confessions; there He beheld the token 
 of their admission that they deserved j udgment 
 unto death in the blood of their substituted 
 sacrifices; and from there He commanded His 
 blessings to fall upon them. The divine direc- 
 tion, and the divine design was this: ''And 
 thou shalt put the Mercy-seat above upon the 
 Ark. . . . And there I will meet with 
 thee, and I will commune with thee from above 
 the Mercy-seat, from between the two Cheru- 
 bim, of all things which I will give thee in 
 commandment to the children of Israel." 
 Doubtless His presence there was manifested 
 in the highest form of symbol, and in that 
 most consistent with His nature, for " God is 
 Light." David, when addressing the majesty 
 of God, pleads, " Thou that dwellest between 
 the Cherubim shine forth." Ps. lxxx. i. 
 
 There was no seat in the Tabernacle for the 
 priests. They performed their duties while 
 
The Mercy-seat. 115 
 
 standing. But Jehovah had His throne-seat to 
 which the high priest drew near on the great 
 day of Atonement, with the blood of the sin- 
 offering to make reconciliation for the sins of 
 the people. 
 
 The New Testament name for Mercy-seat is 
 "Propitiation." It was not therefore merely 
 a mechanical arrangement to cover the Ark, 
 but a designed type of our blessed Lord who is 
 the Mercy-seat for our sins. 1 John ii. 2. The 
 Mercy-seat of pure gold was held perpet- 
 ually in its place by the golden border of the 
 Ark. So in the great scheme of redemption 
 which the Tabernacle and all its appointments 
 designedly typify, the propitiatory covering is 
 a fixture. It was ordered in all things and 
 made sure. 
 
 2. Its spiritual signification. 
 
 The typical import of the Mercy-seat intro- 
 duces us to the very heart of the Gospel. The 
 Law is against us because we are against the 
 Law. ' ' Now we know that what things soever 
 the law saith, it saith to them who are under the 
 law: that every mouth may be stopped and all 
 the world may become guilty before God. 
 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall 
 
n6 Tabernaci,e Types. 
 
 no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the 
 law is the knowledge of sin." Rom. iii. 19, 20. 
 We are not able of our own resources either 
 to fulfill the demands of Law, or in our mad 
 rebellion to set aside its authority. " For as 
 many as are of the works of the law are under 
 the curse ; for it is written, Cursed is every 
 one that continueth not in all things which are 
 written in the book of the law to do them. But 
 that no man is justified by the law in the sight 
 of God it is evident : for, The just shall live 
 by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The 
 man that doeth them shall live in them." Gal. 
 iii. 10-12. 
 
 The Holy Spirit has revealed in the Scrip- 
 tures these two facts: that he who continueth 
 not in all things specified in the Law is under 
 its curse, and that no man is justified by law 
 and able to stand before God as personally 
 righteous. And the same blessed Spirit has 
 further revealed by type, and by teaching, that 
 the condemning voice of the Law is hushed, 
 and the execution of the dread penalty is 
 arrested. And wherefore ? Because "Christ 
 redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having 
 become a curse for us." Gal. iii. 13. The 
 same Spirit, through Paul, announces the full 
 
The Mercy-seat. 117 
 
 meaning of the Mercy-seat: " Being justified 
 freely by His grace through the redemption 
 that is in Christ Jesus : whom God set forth to 
 be A propitiation (Mercy-seat) through faith 
 by His blood . . . that He might be just, 
 and the justifier of him that hath faith in 
 Jesus." Roin. iii. 25, 26. 
 
 Christ hath made atonement: He entered 
 heaven with His own blood: it is sprinkled 
 there. God is seated on His throne of grace. 
 All who come to Him through Christ may 
 realize the blessedness of ' ' the man whose 
 transgression is forgiven, whose sin is COV- 
 ERED." Ps. xxxii. 1. 
 
 A publican sued for mercy on the ground 
 of sacrifice. Luke xviii. 10-15. The prayer, 
 " God be merciful to me the sinner," is liter- 
 ally "God be propitious (Mercy- seated) to 
 me." What a prayer was this! With a keen 
 apprehension of the nature of atonement his 
 prayer expressed his faith. This was its sub- 
 stance ; smiting his breast, the seat of cor- 
 ruption, as much as to say, "Oh, God, do not 
 look at me, the sinner, but look at the Mercy- 
 seat; the blood is there atoning for my sin." 
 There was confession, there was humiliation, 
 there was repentance, there was faith, and 
 
n8 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 "that man went down to his house justified. " 
 He abased himself and magnified the atone- 
 ment. He sought mercy through sacrifice. 
 
 The pharisee, a student of Scripture, and an 
 advocate of the ceremonial law, was blinded 
 by a delusive self-righteousness, so that he saw 
 not his naked shame. Otherwise he would not 
 presume to present any self -merit before God as 
 a reason why he should be justified. But even 
 as he spurned the publican, God spurned him. 
 His supreme egotism closed the door of mem- 
 ory: he had forgotten the ceremonies of the 
 day of Atonement. L,ev. 16th chapter. 
 
 The Mercy-seat proclaims the remission of 
 sins, but in their remission no violence shall be 
 done to the justice of God. Grace must reign 
 through righteousness, and redemption must 
 stand the test of Law. '■ It is God that justi- 
 fieth: who then shall condemn?" But in jus- 
 tifying the sinner through the blood and righ- 
 teousness of Christ, He lessens not by a hair's 
 breadth the slightest particle of His moral 
 government. He could be no partner in modi- 
 fying the demands of the Law or in mitigating 
 its dread punishment. And therefore it is that 
 the Cross, where Christ made atonement for 
 sin, doth shine out most illustriously. Wisdom 
 
The Mercy-seat. 119 
 
 hath devised the lofty plan of the sinner's Jus- 
 tification ; Power hath executed it ; Righteous- 
 ness is its foundation; Justice hath not been 
 dishonored; Truth is witness to the terms and 
 execution of the transaction; Law demands 
 no more, and Mercy, sweet Mercy, rich Mercy, 
 boundless, overflowing, compassionate Mercy, 
 ministers through precious Blood abundant 
 pardon and completed justification to aw, who 
 beueve on the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
XV. 
 
 The Cherubim. 
 
 THERK are many things which can be 
 said concerning the Cherubim without in 
 the least indulging in fanciful interpreta- 
 tions. Their early mention in Genesis, and 
 the frequent references made to them in other 
 books; their attitude in Bden after Adam's 
 transgression and expulsion from the garden, 
 and their posture on the Mercy- seat; their close 
 connection with the Shekinah, and their inti- 
 mate relations with the manifestations of the 
 Lord Jehovah, invest them with an absorbing 
 interest. Nevertheless we cannot express 
 sympathy with dogmatic views too frequently 
 asserted. While reverent scholars cautiously 
 express themselves, superficial students assume 
 a superior wisdom, and voice their utterances 
 with unbecoming assurance. No one has had 
 private revelations on the meaning of the 
 Cherubim, notwithstanding the impression 
 some teachers make that they are so favored. 
 Not a few good men have hindered their use- 
 fulness by this assumption; and because of 
 (120) 
 
The Cherubim. 121 
 
 their authoritative declarations regarding the 
 unknown their opinions are of little worth on 
 doctrines more clearly revealed. Pastor Frank 
 White, who is a careful and conscientious stu- 
 dent of the Tabernacle types, and is favorably 
 known as a safe teacher, modestly declares: 
 " Concerning the typical import of the golden 
 Cherubim, I scarcely venture a remark." 
 With becoming humility he offers his opinion 
 in his most worthy book on ' ' Christ in the 
 Tabernacle." 
 
 Rather than indulge in any speculations of 
 my own regarding the mysterious figures which 
 stood on either end of the Mercy-seat, I will 
 quote the words of a distinguished scholar who 
 has given considerable attention to the study 
 of the subject. Dr. Baylee, in his course of 
 Biblical and Theological instruction, explains 
 the Cherubim as follows : 
 
 ' ' When Moses was commanded to make the 
 Cherubim, he was to make them ' of the Mercy- 
 seat.' The words are remarkable, ' from out 
 of the Mercy-seat shall ye make the Cherubim. ' 
 Kx. xxv. 19. They were therefore of the 
 Mercy-seat. Christ is humanity glorified ; 
 therefore the Cherubim are humanity glorified. 
 
122 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 "In this, then, we have the fundamental 
 idea of the Cherubim, so far as regards their 
 nature. 
 
 11 In Ezek. xxviii. n-15, the king of Tyrus 
 is symbolized as ' the anointed cherub that 
 covereth.' Here the prophet employs the 
 same word which Moses did to describe the 
 covering wings of the Cherubim over the 
 Mercy-seat. 
 
 "A cherub therefore symbolizes the regal 
 dignity of glorified humanity. It is not 
 humanity in its natural state as derived from 
 Adam, but in its supernatural condition as de- 
 rived from Jesus Christ: ' We are members of 
 His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.' 
 Eph. v. 30. 
 
 ' ' The Cherubim at the east of Eden were 
 accompanied by ' a flaming sword which 
 turned every way. ' The exact words are ' and 
 the flame of the sword,' i. e. (I think), a 
 sword-like flame, equivalent to a devouring 
 flame; for a sword is the symbol of devouring 
 or destroying. 
 
 1 ' ' Turning every way ' is ' turning upon it- 
 self.' It expresses that peculiar force of fire 
 by which it exhibits a continual turning in- 
 wards. 
 
The Cherubim. 123 
 
 "This was the divine Glory between the 
 Cherubim, which afterward dwelt between 
 the Mosaic Cherubim, and which was realized 
 in faith by the believing Psalmist: ' O Thou 
 that dwellest between the Cherubim,' or rather 
 'inhabiting the Cherubim. ' The Church is to be 
 ' a habitation of God. ' Ps. lxxx. 1; Eph. ii. 22. 
 
 * ' The Cherubim at the east of the garden of 
 Kden were, then, the symbolic representations 
 of glorified humanity as a habitation of God. 
 
 "They were permanently there, as is taught 
 by the words ' and He caused to dwell.' The 
 Rabbins formed the word Shekinah, or dwell- 
 ing-place of God, from this verb. 
 
 ' ' This was that ' presence of the Lord ' from 
 which Cain went out. Gen. iv. 16. It was 
 thither that he and Abel had brought their 
 offerings. It was from the fire between the 
 Cherubim that Abel's sacrifice was consumed, 
 and Cain's was not. The Lord had thus ' re- 
 spect unto Abel and to his offering.' 
 
 11 ' To keep the way of the tree of life,' or 
 rather 'lives,' means to keep or preserve the 
 knowledge of the way, and to observe it so as 
 to walk in it. 
 
 "Adam and Eve, clothed with the skins of 
 their burnt offerings (Lev. vii. 8), making an 
 
124 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 offering at the east of the garden, and therefore 
 looking westward, i. e., symbolically to the 
 death of ' the Sun of Righteousness,' yet hav- 
 ing before them the symbols of glorified 
 humanity, exhibit to us the whole gospel of 
 Christ from grace to glory. They teach us also 
 that we shall not obtain our full blessedness in 
 the paradise of God until we attain to resur- 
 rection humanity." 
 
 There are difficulties in connection with this 
 interpretation, as with others. Because there 
 are phases of doctrine, and aspects of truth, 
 illustrated by this exposition, which are in 
 keeping with the gospel of the grace of God, 
 does not prove it conclusive. The Cherubim 
 were formed of pure gold, and of one piece 
 with the Mercy-seat, beaten out of it. So far 
 we have an illustration of a fact afterward re- 
 vealed, concerning the union of Christ and His 
 people, who are "members of His body, of His 
 flesh, and of His bones;" "partakers of the 
 divine nature." They also are one with each 
 other by virtue of their union with Him. The 
 Cherubim stood upon either end of the Mercy- 
 seat, and looked down upon it. Likewise, even 
 in heaven, the believer will turn his eyes toward 
 
The Cherubim, 125 
 
 the blood of sprinkling and sing the song of 
 redemption. 
 
 This view, that the Cherubim refer to the 
 church glorified, seems to me to come short in 
 one special particular. Animal creation is left 
 out, and yet the form of the Cherubim would 
 surely imply that this part of God's creation 
 are to be made partakers of the glory yet to be 
 revealed. The lion, the ox, and the eagle, 
 must have some reference to the animal king- 
 dom which they represent. Allowing that 
 man, as symbolized by the human face, is pre- 
 eminent, yet he is not exclusively the inheritor 
 of future blessedness. Moreover, the human 
 face of the Cherubim would have a more univer- 
 sal application than to the church distinctively. 
 For w T e, of the church age, are too apt to regard 
 ourselves as the only part of redeemed human- 
 ity who shall occupy nearness to the Throne. 
 There has been rather much fantastical inter- 
 pretation and foolish controversy concerning 
 the church's place here and hereafter. 
 
 Some worthy writers consider the Cherubim 
 to symbolize the attributes and perfections of 
 Deity. This is a lofty thought. But while 
 elsewhere the reconciliation of the glorious 
 attributes of the God-head is taught, I think 
 
126 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 we cannot form that line of teaching from the 
 attitude of the Cherubim. Again not a few- 
 scholarly authors declare they are representa- 
 tives of angels who are so depicted as constant 
 attendants on the Almighty — the ministers of 
 His throne. That they represent the ministers 
 of the gospel who preach the message of recon- 
 ciliation find 3 many supporters among writers 
 of the last century, while yet others say they 
 symbolize priestly ministry and reverential 
 worship. The thought finds favor with many 
 that they symbolize the glorious qualities and 
 attributes of Christ as the Saviour of men. 
 The early fathers applied the faces of the 
 Cherubim to the different aspects of Christ as 
 presented in the four gospels. Others say they 
 represented the twelve tribes in their acceptance 
 before God, and foreshadowed the great multi- 
 tude of the redeemed , w T hich no m an can number. 
 To those interested we would suggest: Care- 
 fully compare the description of the Cherubim 
 in Eden with that given of the Tabernacle 
 Cherubim. With these portrayals in mind 
 read Isaiah's vision of the Seraphim (chapter 
 vi.), Kzekiel's vision (chapter i.) and John's 
 vision (Rev. iv. v.). In Revelation they are 
 distinguished from angels, and from the elders 
 
The Cherubim. 127 
 
 who represented the redeemed company. "I 
 heard the voice of many angels round about 
 the throne, and the living creatures, and the 
 elders." Rev. v. 11-14. 
 
 May we not conclude that the Cherubim 
 shadowed forth the ultimate design of redemp- 
 tion! Surely in ages to come, every form of 
 creature life will share with redeemed man the 
 exalted privilege of participatin gin the blessings 
 of Jehovah-Jesus, and shall dwell in the light 
 of His glory when it will enfold the world in 
 its wide embrace. And " when we have gath- 
 ered in one all the highest excellencies of the 
 broad creation — of the field, the forest and the 
 air; the wings, the strength, the speed, the 
 keenness of vision, the intelligence, the pa- 
 tience, the endurance, the dominion — we have 
 not God, but the creatures of God. From Him 
 they came, by Him and for Him they live; 
 above them in grandeur incomprehensible and 
 glory inconceivable, veiled in clouds, and 
 dwelling in light unapproachable, Jehovah 
 plants His throne. He is over and above all, 
 among all His works, His will sovereign, and 
 all unite to reverence and glorify His name !" * 
 
 *The Tabernacle in Sinai, by Dr. Randall. 
 
XVI. 
 History of the Ark. 
 
 MIRACLES attended the movements of 
 this triune vessel — Ark, Mercy-seat 
 and Cherubim; miracles of mercy and 
 of judgment. The mystic Shekinah moved 
 onward in majestic sovereignty. While the 
 people remained faithful to their God, and 
 kept themselves from the defilement of the 
 land, the Ark defended them and destroyed 
 their foes. But alas for Israel! Their national 
 deterioration caused the Shekinah to withdraw 
 until " Ichabod'' was written on their walls — 
 "the glory is departed." Graphic picture of 
 the whole human race ! God would fain dwell 
 with man; He came unto His own world and 
 His own people received Him not. The Ark 
 of His power has come to us also, but we have 
 only intermittent flashes therefrom, for we too 
 have refused our Lord His rightful place among 
 us. The world knows Him not; it is still the 
 world, — an opposer of the church, a hater of 
 Christ, in alliance with the devil, a seducer of 
 the flesh, unreformable, ungodly, doomed. 
 (128) 
 
History of the Ark. 129 
 
 1. The Ark and Jordan. 
 
 When the hosts of Israel reached the border 
 of the promised land, a portion of the people 
 found room for settlement on the wilderness 
 side of the Jordan. Reuben, Simeon and half 
 the tribe of Manasseh accepted an inheritance 
 there, but their fighting men were called upon 
 to join the remaining tribes, cross the Jordan, 
 and co-operate with them in subduing their 
 enemies. In the progress of their march the 
 Israelites find themselves encamped by the 
 Jordan. It was in the harvest season, when 
 the river had overflown its banks. A wide 
 expanse of water, with its bold current, swept 
 onward, and beyond lay the goodly land flow- 
 ing with milk and honey. "And the L,ord 
 said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to 
 magnify thee in the sight of all Israel . . . 
 and thou shalt command the priests that bare 
 the Ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are 
 come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye 
 shall stand still in Jordan." Josh. iii. 7, 8. 
 
 As the Red Sea parted before the host, so 
 now Jordan must give way. ' 'And as they that 
 bare the Ark were come unto Jordan, and the 
 feet of the priests that bare the Ark were 
 dipped in the brim of the water, . . . that 
 9 
 
130 Tabernaci/s Types. 
 
 the waters which came down from above stood 
 and rose up upon a heap . . . and the 
 people passed over right against Jericho. And 
 the prests that bare the Ark of the covenant 
 of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the 
 midst of Jordan." Josh. iii. 15-18. 
 
 The reader should note the frequency with 
 which ' ' the Ark of the covenant ' ' is men- 
 tioned throughout this chapter, for the Ark 
 with its accompanying Mercy-seat was a type 
 of Christ. Jor-Dan is the river of ' ' judgment ' ' 
 and of " death." Into this cold swirling river 
 Jesus entered and dried its bed. Very sug- 
 gestive are the words "from the city Adam" 
 (Joshua iii. 16), for by them we are reminded 
 that Christ opened the way from death to life 
 for the human race, dating from Adam and 
 including him. Canaan, with its unholy inhab- 
 itants, with its constant warrings, and with its 
 historic backslidings of Israel, is surely no 
 picture of the future abode of the redeemed. 
 But it does foreshadow with accurate delinea- 
 tion the place of our present possession in 
 heavenly experiences. Believers who have 
 realized their co- crucifixion with Christ and 
 their joint-resurrection with Him, have already 
 crossed the river of judgment. " There is 
 
History of the Ark. 131 
 
 therefore now no judgment to them that are in 
 Christ Jesus." We now possess as much of 
 Canaan-life as our faith apprehends. But war- 
 fare continues while foes remain unsubdued. 
 The metaphor may be allowed that Jordan 
 represents death, for that dread enemy has also 
 been overcome. Christ in the grave despoiled 
 the grim monster. The river is now dry for 
 our feet. ' 4 Though I walk through the valley 
 of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for 
 Thou art with me. ' ' 
 
 2. The Ark and Jericho. 
 
 There is other work for the Ark to accom- 
 plish. The people are now encamped before 
 Jericho. It is the first Canaanitish city which 
 lies athwart their pathway. How shall it be 
 conquered? And Joshua said: " Take up the 
 Ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear 
 seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Ark 
 of the Iyord." Joshua vi. 6. 
 
 The blowing of rams' horns on the seventh 
 day was the signal for the concerted shout. 
 Power was connected with the Ark. " So the 
 Ark of the Lord compassed the city. . . . 
 And it came to pass, when the people heard the 
 sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted 
 
132 TabkrnacIvE Types. 
 
 with a great shout that the wall fell down flat, 
 so that the people went up into the city every 
 man straight before him and they took the 
 city." Joshua vi. 11-20. 
 
 Again, we suggest that power was not in the 
 trumpets, nor yet in the shouting, but in the 
 fact that a blood-stained Mercy-seat preceded 
 them, and therefore God bore witness to its 
 efficacy, as we read : ' ' Ity faith the walls of 
 Jericho fell down, after they were compassed 
 about seven days." Heb. xi. 30. The faith 
 of the people was in a present God, their God, 
 who had accepted them through sacrifice. The 
 idolatry of the inhabitants provoked Him 
 against the people of the land. 
 
 3. The Ark and Defeat. 
 
 After a time of unsettledness pending the 
 extirpation of the enemy, the Tabernacle was 
 erected at Shiloh. The Ark was occasionally 
 used, as when the blessings and cursings were 
 pronounced at Ebal and Gerizim for obedience 
 and disobedience, but when it was again taber- 
 nacled behind the curtains of the Holiest place 
 it found rest at Shiloh for three hundred years. 
 
 Once, indeed, it proved a failure. The 
 Philistines had prevailed in battle over the 
 
History of the Are. 133 
 
 Israelites, and the latter, thinking of other days 
 when their forefathers were victorious, fetched 
 the Ark of God and brought it to Ebenezer. 
 "And when the Ark of the covenant of the 
 Lord came into the camp all Israel shouted so 
 that the earth rang again." 1 Sam. iv. 5. 
 Vain was that shout; " The Philistines fought 
 and Israel was smitten. . . . There fell of 
 Israel thirty thousand footmen." Verse 10. And 
 why this overwhelming defeat? Had they not 
 the Ark in their midst! True, indeed, but bad 
 men accompanied it. Hophni and Phinehas, 
 degenerate sons of Eli, attended the Ark of 
 the covenant. The priestly channel was denied 
 and God would not use it. The people may 
 die in thousands, but while sin is in the camp 
 God refuses partnership with His people. 
 They have the Ark; the instrument is there, 
 but, alas ! it is only a tool, an inert vessel, an 
 inanimate piece of furniture which is carted 
 from the field as the Philistines' trophy of vic- 
 tory. Yet they had shouted. What an un- 
 meaning shout, empty, pretentious ! Alas, 
 alas! And yet we are slow to learn the lesson 
 thatecclesiasticism, orthodox, correct, formerly 
 connected with divine power, may become a 
 travesty of religion, a cold, helpless tool, 
 
134 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 deadened through associations forced upon it 
 by men of the baser sort. Oh, when will the 
 church learn, when will each one of us learn, 
 that purity precedes and accompanies power ? 
 A train of evils followed the departure of the 
 Ark ; Eli's death, and the wife of Phinehas 
 also dying, after she called her babe "Icha- 
 bod." i Sam. iv. 18-21. 
 
 4.. The Ark a?id Dagon. 
 
 After Israel's shameful defeat, beginning 
 with a shout of self-confidence and ending in 
 melancholy humiliation, the Philistines carried 
 the Ark into their country. They lodged it 
 the first night in their great temple, and set it 
 by the side of Dagon, their national god. In 
 the morning the priests found Dagon fallen on 
 the ground before the Ark, but supposing the 
 mishap merely accidental, they set the idol in 
 his place again. Next day Dagon was found 
 face downward, with his head and hands decap- 
 itated . In both instances it should be observed 
 that Dagon was fallen on his face to the earth 
 " before the Ark of the Lord." Have we not 
 here something more than a prophetic hint of 
 that future day when all idols will be flung 
 aside and Christ shall be recognized as the 
 
History of the Ark. 135 
 
 supreme object of universal worship? Do we 
 invite Christ into our heart now, into the 
 temple where His Spirit comes to abide ? Then 
 every Dagon must be cast down. Do we sin- 
 cerely subscribe, Even so, Amen ? 
 
 5. The Ark and Bethshemesh. 
 
 Noting the downfall of Dagon and the sud- 
 den visitation of a strange disease among the 
 people, the Philistines decided to send the Ark 
 away, fearing its presence would call down 
 further judgments upon them. On its journey 
 to Gath and to Ekron additional disasters befell 
 the inhabitants, until finally, after seven 
 months of perplexity, they placed it on a new 
 cart, which was drawn by two cows. Without 
 driver or guide the kine took the road to Beth- 
 shemesh. Once more the sacred vessel has 
 come to its own people, who gave it a welcome, 
 offering the kine as a burnt offering before the 
 Lord upon the wood of the cart. Yet here 
 also a strange occurrence took place. The 
 men of Bethshemesh looked into the Ark. 
 This they could not do without removing the 
 Mercy-cover ; that blood-stained Mercy-seat. 
 What was the result? Fifty thousand three 
 score and ten men were slain. The astonished 
 
136 Tabernaci,3 Types. 
 
 cry of those spared was ' ' Who can stand before 
 this holy Iyord God?" Who, indeed? The 
 uncovered law, that " ministration of death," 
 will surely condemn. Yet notwithstanding these 
 examples there are in our day impious hands 
 at work removing the Mercy-seat and refusing 
 to believe that the Blood of Jesus Christ is the 
 ground of reconciliation with God. The word 
 of warning has been faithfully given. ' ' For if 
 we sin wilfully after that we have received the 
 knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no 
 more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful 
 expectation of judgment and a fierceness of fire 
 which shall devour the adversaries." 1 Sam. 
 v., vi. ; Heb. x. 26, 27. 
 
 We cannot within the limits of this book 
 follow the Ark in all of its wanderings. When 
 Solomon finished the Temple this interesting 
 relic of the Tabernacle found a place of rest 
 beneath its folds. What happened it years 
 afterward no man knoweth to this day. There 
 are traditions concerning its removal and burial, 
 but where Scripture is silent we must not pre- 
 sume. The most striking report of its loss we 
 find in the Apocrypha, where it is said that 
 Jeremiah hid it in a cave and sealed the 
 door, and that it will abide there until Israel 
 
History of the Ark. 137 
 
 is nationally and spiritually restored. Who 
 knoweth but that Ark shall yet be the centre 
 of worship when in that Age to come, the Jew- 
 ish people shall have received the full knowl- 
 edge of its great antitype Jesus Messiah. 
 
XVII. 
 The Vail, and the Vail Rent. 
 
 WHILE the Vail remained unrent there 
 could be no freedom of access into 
 the immediate presence of God. He 
 occupied this holy room Himself, until the 
 time of His purpose should be fulfilled, when 
 every barrier would be removed, and the 
 worshiper could draw nigh with liberty to the 
 throne of grace. 
 
 The Most Holy place was a type of heaven. 
 There God dwelleth. This does not mean that 
 there is any local limitation to His infinite 
 Majesty. The heaven of heavens cannot con- 
 tain Him, yet His throne is there. There 
 angels bow before Him, adoring Him unceas- 
 ingly. Yet this glorious Lord God condescends 
 to dwell with men. It was declared in past 
 dispensations, ' ' Verily thou art a God that 
 hidest thyself." No more shall it be so said, 
 for now the Vail is rent, and we have unhin- 
 dered access by faith into the heavenly sanctu- 
 ary, where He receives us graciously and 
 bestows upon His worshiping people the bless- 
 ings of pardon and of purity. 
 (138) 
 
The VaiIv, and the Vaii, Rent. 139 
 
 1. Material and type. 
 
 The Vail divided the Holy place from the 
 Most Holy. The material which composed it 
 was fine linen, with colors of blue, purple and 
 scarlet interblended upon it. The antitype of 
 the Vail is Christ Jesus. The Apostle speaks 
 of the Vail as "His flesh." Heb. x. 19, 20. 
 This is our warrant for the application. The 
 ' ' fine linen ' ' denotes righteousness. Concern- 
 ing the glorified church we read ' ' To her was 
 granted fine linen, clean and white ; for the 
 fine linen is the righteousness of saints. ' ' Rev. 
 xix. 8. This righteousness of saints is not of 
 their own creation. Our righteousness, that 
 of our own acquirement, is the opposite of 
 "clean and white." God estimates it as 
 "filthy rags." And yet the saints are seen 
 clothed in spotlessness and purity. From 
 whence is their clothing derived ? We reply 
 from God Himself, of whom Christ is made 
 unto us, righteousness. Jesus is the perfec- 
 tion of humanity. The Vail typifies His flesh; 
 that He is man : the fine linen declares Him a 
 righteous man. Heaven bore testimony to His 
 essential purity. The Father said of Him, 
 "My beloved Son in whom I am well 
 pleased " Earth's witnesses agree in their 
 
140 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 verdict concerning Him. 
 fault in Him." Pilate's wife spoke of Him as 
 "a just man." Judas said His blood was 
 1 * innocent. ' ' Paul declared Him ' ' undefiled. ' ' 
 Satan could find nothing in Him. 
 
 2, Colors and suggestion. 
 
 There were colors on the Vail, with Cheru- 
 bim. Doubtless these colors, blue, purple and 
 scarlet, have their spiritual signification. The 
 blue, which is a heavenly color, would at least 
 suggest the heavenly character of this pure and 
 perfect man. The scarlet indicates His earthly 
 origin. It is an earthly color, finding its sphere 
 in nature which it arrays in brilliant gorgeous- 
 ness and marked beauty. The purple is the 
 royal color, and may possibly refer to the regal 
 aspect of Christ and His relation to the throne 
 of David. Though David's Lord, He was 
 David's Son, and therefore in His human life 
 of royal descent. In these particulars we 
 would not dogmatize, but there may be in the 
 theories suggested material for thought and 
 devout contemplation of Him whose name is 
 ' ' Wonderful. ' ' While Jesus lived, free access 
 to God, for the sinner, was not established. He 
 had right of entrance because of His inherent 
 
The Vaii,, and the Vaii, Rent. 141 
 
 perfection. Noue else were found worthy. " 
 Weighed in the true balance of God's holy de- 
 mands, all others were found wanting. In fact, 
 the life and purity of Christ declares the utter 
 insignificance of all human attainments. The 
 very display of His righteousness brings the 
 greater condemnation upon every man. Are 
 we all then forever shut out from God's holy 
 heaven ? Nay ! blessed be His name! He hath 
 devised means whereby His banished creatures 
 may draw near, in the full assurance of wel- 
 come. The Vail is rent and we are invited to 
 come boldly unto the throne of Grace. 
 
 3. Rending of the Vail. 
 
 The Vail unrent concealed; the Vail rent 
 revealed. The rending of the Vail was simul- 
 taneous with Christ's death : — 
 
 1 ' Now from the sixth hour there was dark- 
 ness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 
 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a 
 loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani ? 
 that is to say, My God, my God, why hast 
 thou forsaken me ? Some of them that stood 
 there, when they heard that, said, This man 
 calleth for Elias. And straightway one of 
 them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with 
 
142 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave Him to 
 drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether 
 Elias will come to save Him. Jesus when He 
 had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up 
 the ghost. And behold, the Vail of the tem- 
 ple was rent in twain from the top to the bot- 
 tom : and the earth did quake, and the rocks 
 rent." Matt, xxvii. 45-52. 
 
 The moment Jesus said ' ( It is finished, ' ' the 
 Vail was smitten by an unseen hand and rent 
 4 ' from the top to the bottom. ' ' But it was the 
 same hand which had fallen heavily upon the 
 suffering substitute. Christ, the just One, 
 without sin, was made sin for us. He, in our 
 nature stood under our condemnation, and 
 was "stricken, smitten of God and afflicted." 
 Did the Father love His only begotten Son the 
 less in this awful moment of sin bearing? A 
 thousand times no! His ocean of love lost not 
 a particle of its fullness. But God's love has 
 in it the element of justice. And His justice 
 is inviolable. Hence the dread element in the 
 cup of judgment drank to the dregs, by our 
 blessed Lord. ' ' It pleased Jehovah to bruise 
 Him; He hath put Him to grief." God hav- 
 ing transferred our sin to our surety, justice 
 exacts from Him the uttermost farthing. 
 
The Vaii,, and the Vail Rent. 143 
 
 "The wages of sin is death.'' Jesus paid sin's 
 wages on our behalf. Justice is again displayed 
 in its righteous character, for when all that 
 needed to be accomplished had transpired, and 
 atonement was fully made through the death 
 of Christ, " the Vail of the temple was rent in 
 twain." Not one moment more is the sinner 
 debarred, who through Christ's blood would 
 seek the Father's face. Instantly was that 
 blow given which indicated to all that the way 
 into the holiest, closed for centuries, was made 
 manifest. We have now the right to draw 
 near and worship. Christ as a teacher, an 
 example, a benefactor, gives no door of access 
 to God. Again, I repeat it, His holy example, 
 because of our signal failures and shortcom- 
 ings, only drives us the further away. But by 
 His death we are brought nigh. Not the act 
 of death disconnected from His righteous life, 
 but the completed act of that great work given 
 Him to do, to* which that life was consecrated. 
 
 4.. Rent from the top. 
 
 No human hand engaged in that transaction. 
 It was done rapidly, suddenly. How deliberate 
 is God in His creative work! How earnest- 
 ly He expedites redemption ! When Isaiah 
 
144 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 confessed his uncleanness in the presence of the 
 throne, God sent a heavenly messenger with a 
 coal from the altar of sacrifice to purge away 
 his uncleanness. The peculiarity of the action 
 is delightfully suggestive. " Then FLKW one 
 of the seraphims unto me. ' ' The same thought 
 occurs in connection with, the attitude of the 
 father toward the returning prodigal. ' ' His 
 Father saw him, and had compassion, and 
 ran, and fell upon his neck and kissed him." 
 Luke xv. 20. Truly God "willeth not the 
 death of the sinner." When the last drop of 
 crimson blood from the body of Jesus fell upon 
 the scale and turned it, God proclaimed this 
 sign "It is enough," when He rent the Vail 
 " from the top to the bottom." 
 
 5. Rent to the bottom. 
 
 In making atonement, nothing is left to man. 
 The sinner is invited to enter the sanctuary, 
 but only because every jot and tittle of atoning 
 work is already accomplished. We here reach 
 the most deeply essential feature of our salva- 
 tion. The Scriptures never teach that Christ 
 and the sinner are in partnership preparing the 
 way of eternal life for man. Christ alone en- 
 dured the cross; Christ alone bore the wrath; 
 
The Vail, and the Vaii, Rent. 145 
 
 Christ alone suffered the penalty; Christ alone 
 was smitten for us; Christ alone paid the debt; 
 Christ alone made satisfaction for sin; Christ 
 alone said " It is finished," and God in justice 
 to the great transaction rent the Vail from top 
 to bottom. No part left unrent; not an inch 
 untorn. In this tremendous undertaking there 
 were two — Christ and God. The third party, 
 the sinner, now receives the benefit. The 
 Gospel for the sinner is: Cease your doing; 
 renounce your merit; quit your works. For 
 "to him that worketh not, but believeth on 
 Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is 
 reckoned for righteousness. " Rom. iv. 5. 
 
 6. Rent in the mz'dst. 
 
 The exactness of Scripture proves its divine 
 origin. In its minuteness we find perfection. 
 Its details are masterpieces of wondrous skill. 
 What is omitted by some of the writers is sup- 
 plied by another, and in this system of omission 
 and supply we trace the operations of the divine 
 Spirit, author and finisher of all Scripture. 
 "And it was about the sixth hour, and there 
 was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth 
 hour. And the sun was darkened, and the 
 Vail of the temple was rent in the midst. And 
 
146 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 when Jesus~had cried with a loud voice He said, 
 Father into thy hands I commend my spirit: 
 and having said this, He gave up the ghost." 
 Luke xxiii. 44-46. 
 
 There is much meaning in the fact that the 
 Vail was rent * ' in the midst, "when we remem- 
 ber that the Mercy-seat in the Most Holy place 
 was directly before the Vail. The rending of 
 the Vail would therefore reveal the Mercy -seat, 
 with its atoning blood, as well as give direct 
 access to the place of communion with God. 
 What a contrast between the sinner's devices 
 and God's design of salvation ? What rounds, 
 journeys, and endless manoeuvres; what pen- 
 ances and punishments; what religious obser- 
 vances, fastings and prayers are practiced with 
 a view of appeasing God and effecting an 
 entrance into His presence! Oh! that vain 
 man would consider how every such effort, with 
 foolish notions about character or culture 
 meriting salvation, ignores the rent Vail and 
 denies the absolute sufficiency of Christ's 
 death. God's way of salvation is easily com- 
 prehended. The superstition of man would 
 shroud it with mystery, but the Word of reve- 
 lation makes it divinely simple. Faith accepts 
 the Gospel message and rests on the finished 
 
The Vaii,, and the Vaii, Rent. 147 
 
 work of Calvary . ' ' Having therefore, brethren, 
 boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood 
 of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He 
 hath consecrated for us, through the Vail, that 
 is to say His flesh; and having an High-priest 
 over the house. of God, let us draw near with 
 a true heart in the full assurance of faith." 
 
 It is well to bear in mind that though the 
 Vail of the Temple was the one rent, that Vail 
 served a similar purpose to the Vail of the 
 Tabernacle. 2 Chron. iii. 14. It was made of 
 the same materials, yet of so durable a texture 
 that, according to a Jewish writer, it would 
 have required the strength of a yoke of oxen 
 pulling in opposite directions to rend it apart. 
 The rending therefore was not accidental. Nor 
 did it take place by human interference. No; 
 God smote it; His hand did it. "Salvation 
 is of the Lord." " In this was manifested the 
 love of God toward us, because that God sent 
 His only begotten Son into the world, that we 
 might live through Him." 1 John iv. 9. 
 
 7. The Rending a Protest. 
 
 The rending of the Vail was, no doubt, a 
 rebuke to the carnal practices of Jewish priests 
 and worshipers. The purpose of the ritual 
 
148 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 given them had been shamefully perverted in 
 their hands. They had ceased to understand 
 its spiritual meaning. There were pious indi- 
 viduals amongst them, but nationally they 
 had sadly departed from the living God. 
 Their backsliding displeased Him; their idol- 
 atries grieved His loving heart. Notwith- 
 standing, they still kept up the appearance of 
 religion, even increasing forms, adding cere- 
 monies, and multiplying traditions of men. 
 This conduct was condemned of God by the 
 mouth of His prophets. Hear what He thinks 
 of every attempt to serve Him in a like spirit. 
 "To what purpose is the multitude of your 
 sacrifices unto me ? saith the Lord : I am full 
 of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of 
 fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of 
 bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When 
 ye come to appear before me, who hath re- 
 quired this at your hand, to tread my courts ? 
 Bring no more vain oblations ; incense is an 
 abomination unto me ; the new moons and 
 sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot 
 away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn 
 meeting. Your new moons and your appointed 
 feasts my soul hateth ; they are a trouble unto 
 me ; I am weary to bear them. And when ye 
 
The Vaii,, and The Vail Rent. 149 
 
 spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes 
 ^from you : yea, when ye make many prayers, 
 I will not hear : your hands are full of blood." 
 Isa. i. 11-15. 
 
 To what purpose is religion without heart ? 
 It is always obnoxious to God. He looks not 
 at the outward appearance. Drapery, embel- 
 lishment, and mere sensuous practices, as a 
 substitute for spiritual religion, His soul 
 hateth. Will- worship and affected humility, 
 when the heart is in rebellion against His 
 grace, He utterly abhors. His presence had 
 therefore departed from the Temple and its 
 worship. The rending of the Vail discovered 
 the absence of the Shekinah glory. He no 
 longer dwelt there between the Cherubim. 
 "The true tabernacle" enshrined that 
 glory in His own sacred Person. To the eye 
 of faith only, however, was it manifest. When 
 the word became flesh, and tabernacled 
 with men, believing worshipers "beheld His 
 glory, the glory as of the Only begotten of the 
 Father." The One greater than the Temple 
 had come. All acceptable worship is now pre- 
 sented to the Father through Him. The act 
 of rending the Vail was heaven's grand verdict 
 of disapproval passed on empty ceremonialism, 
 
150 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 even as the smiting of the body of Jesus on 
 the cross was the end of ceremonialism itself. 
 " God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him 
 must worship Him in spirit and in truth." 
 John iv. 24. 
 
 It is deeply interesting to remember that 
 when the Vail was rent the graves were opened. 
 The atonement made by our L,ord opened the 
 way for the sinner from the deepest gulf into 
 which sin had plunged us up to the highest 
 heaven where grace hath placed us. Besides it 
 embraces in its wide scope our final salvation in 
 resurrection. The bodies of those saints which 
 arose after the resurrection of Christ assure us 
 of the bodily resurrection of all who sleep in 
 Jesus. Then only will our salvation be con- 
 summated, when in the power of an endless 
 life we are brought up from our graves, in the 
 completeness of glorified humanity, to be " for 
 ever with the Lord." The path from earth to 
 heaven; from man to God; from sin to holi- 
 ness; from death to life; from corruption to 
 incorruption; from the grave to the glory, is 
 by and through the blessed Saviour's work of 
 substitutionary death, symbolized in the won- 
 derful phenomenon of the rent Vail. 
 
XVIII. 
 The Friendly Cloud. 
 
 THE first year of Israel's national existence 
 was fraught with new and strange expe- 
 riences. Redemption, pilgrimage, dis- 
 cipline, miracles, deliverances, had come to 
 them. The year ended with overwhelming 
 proof of God's great goodness to the people of 
 His choice. The New Year opens with the 
 erection of the Tabernacle and the presence o 1 
 God in Glory coming to abide in their midst. 
 How will they receive this Royal guest ? How 
 will they treat Him in the years to come? 
 His presence was enwrapt in the Cloud and 
 enfolded in the Shekinah. ' ( So Moses finished 
 the work. Then a Cloud covered the tent of 
 the congregation, and the glory of the Lord 
 filled the Tabernacle." Ex. xl. 33, 34. 
 
 1, The Cloud their Leader. 
 
 The Cloud of Glory was an indispensable 
 companion of the people, serving them in 
 various ways. It first became their Guide. 
 
 "And they took their journey from Succoth, 
 (151) 
 
152 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the 
 wilderness. And the I^ord went before them by- 
 day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the 
 way ; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give 
 them light ; to go by day and night : He took 
 not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the 
 pillar of fire by night, from before the people." 
 Ex. xiii. 20-22. 
 
 The Clould like a shepherd went before 
 them, directing their march. Encamped on 
 the edge of the wilderness, all alike ignorant 
 of the great sea and trackless desert lying 
 on their way, they are of necessity shut up to 
 the leadership of God their Redeemer. He 
 promised to bring them up out of the affliction 
 of Egypt, and to bring them unto a land flow- 
 ing with milk and honey. Ex. iii. 17. 
 
 Ever ready to fulfil His word, He now 
 appears ' ' in the Cloud ' ' to show them the 
 way. Blind themselves, they gladly accept 
 His leadership. 
 
 But previously another relationship was 
 established between Jehovah and His people. 
 He had sheltered them by the blood of the 
 lamb from the judgment sword. He thus be- 
 came their Saviour. This is the gospel order; 
 redemption first, then guidance. Salvation 
 
The Friendly Cloud. 153 
 
 to begin with, afterward those things which 
 accompany salvation. 
 
 Concerning their redemption we read: " For 
 I will pass through the land of Egypt this 
 night, and will smite all the first-born in the 
 land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against 
 all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: 
 I am the Lord. And the bloo'd shall be to 
 you for a token upon the houses where ye are: 
 and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, 
 and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy 
 you, when I smite the land of Egypt." Ex. 
 xii. 12, 13. 
 
 Trrs is only one phase of redemption, that 
 which is negative. Its positive aspect is thus 
 described : "And it came to pass at the end of 
 the four hundred and thirty years, even the 
 selfsame day it came to pass that all the hosts 
 of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 
 It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord 
 for bringing them out from the land of Egypt : 
 this is that night of the Lord to be observed 
 of all the children of Israel in their genera- 
 tions." Ex. xii. 41, 42. 
 
 The application of this truth to believers 
 now is very precious. The blood of the anti- 
 typical Lamb has sheltered us from the wrath 
 
154 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 of God revealed from heaven against sin. 
 "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not 
 redeemed with silver and gold, . . . but 
 with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb 
 without blemish and without spot." i Pet. 
 i. 1 8, 19. So much regarding our redemption 
 is indeed blessed. This is not all, however. 
 Christ died ' ' that He might deliver us from 
 this present evil world, ' ' and ' ' that He might 
 bring us unto God." Gal. i. 4; 1 Pet. iii. 18. 
 As redeemed Israel sang their song of thanks- 
 giving, so do we gladly unite in "giving 
 thanks unto the Father . . . who hath 
 delivered us from the power of darkness, and 
 hath translated us into the kingdom of His 
 dear Son." Col. i. 12, 13. There are also 
 other aspects of this truth, including "the 
 redemption of the body," which we cannot 
 enter upon here. 
 
 Still keeping before us the history of the 
 Israelites, let us not forget that their pilgrim 
 life followed redemption. As pilgrims and 
 strangers, marching onward through a desert 
 not trodden by us before, we also need a guide. 
 And Christ is our Guide. He guides with 
 His eye, Ps. xxxii. 8; by His Spirit, John xvi. 
 13; by His Word, Ps. cxix. 105. When brought 
 
The Friendly Ceoud. 155 
 
 face to face with difficulties we need but cr3' to 
 Him, and from the guide-book of revelation 
 we shall hear His voice in response, "This is 
 the way, walk ye in it." The Lord Jesus is a 
 sufficient guide. We need no other. All 
 others mislead. The heart is a deceitful guide; 
 the man who trusts in it is a fool. A human 
 leader is an unstable guide: "Cursed be the 
 man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his 
 arm." Jeremiah xvii. 5. The world is a false 
 guide, alluring our footsteps into forbidden 
 places. The devil, as an angel of light, con- 
 trives to employ himself in the capacity of 
 leader, but he " goeth about seeking whom he 
 may- devour." Him we are to "resist, stead- 
 fast in the faith." False teachers, themselves 
 blind, become leaders of the blind; from such 
 we are to turn away. Besides (alas, that it 
 must be spoken), we who would be teachers, 
 whose hearts are loyal to Christ, are so poorly 
 instructed in the things of God, and so un- 
 evenly balanced in judgment, that we too 
 (though undesignedly) lead many into by-paths 
 of error. 
 
 Blest are we in our Shepherd-leader. Let 
 us therefore keep our eye upon His guiding 
 hand. He is our Pillar of Cloud, to show us 
 
156 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 the way. Shall we not follow His leadership? 
 Israel watched their Cloud and prepared to 
 follow it by night or day, thus recognizing 
 God's will supreme — God's purpose sovereign. 
 It becomes our duty, surrounded as we are by 
 increasing dangers, to guard scrupulously 
 against every element that would come between 
 our souls and our heavenly leader. Cultivating 
 intimacy with His word we shall soon readily 
 distinguish His voice from the voice of stran- 
 gers. The path of implicit obedience is the 
 only path of safety; it is the path of God's 
 approval. May we therefore secure this com- 
 mendation, as we seek to follow no man save 
 "Jesus only." 
 
 2. The Cloud their Shield. 
 
 It protected them against the power of Pha- 
 raoh. From the shore of the Red Sea, whither 
 the Cloud had led them, they beheld the 
 Egyptian army following in hot pursuit. 
 Hemmed in by mountains, and arrested on 
 their onward march by the waters of the sea, 
 they cry to the L,ord for help. Then does He 
 appear in the cloud on their behalf. ' 'And the 
 Angel of God which went before the camp of 
 Israel, removed and went behind them and the 
 
The Friendly Ci.oud. 157 
 
 pillar of the cloud went from before their face 
 and stood behind them; and it came between 
 the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of 
 Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, 
 but it gave light by night to these so that the 
 one came not near the other all the night." 
 Ex. xiv. 19, 20. 
 
 The promise that God made to Abraham — 
 " Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield "—He ful- 
 fils to his children and His children's children. 
 The Lord God was their "sun and shield." 
 No Egyptian could smite them. Protected by 
 the presence of their Leader, their fears are 
 hushed, and their foes defeated. 
 
 Thus the sheltering power of our God sur- 
 rounding His believing ones is illustrated by 
 the Tabernacle Cloud. Paul counsels the 
 Ephesian converts to ( ( put on the whole armor 
 of God," and adds, "Above all taking the 
 shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to 
 quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." 
 Eph. vi! 16. 
 
 The shield is not here represented as superior 
 to other parts of the armor. "Above all," is 
 simply " over all," as the great defensive cov- 
 ering which can be changed to any position, 
 and so protect the whole body. God in Christ 
 
158 Tabkrnac^e Types. 
 
 is the shield, whose protection faith alone can 
 use. Blind reason can see no defence in Him, 
 but faith places God between the soul and 
 every foe, exulting in security. Thus is He 
 the shield of faith. What triumph, fellow- 
 believer, is ours! Our life hid in God! Oh, 
 what rest of soul do we experience, when faith 
 claims safety from the Lord. " The name of 
 the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run- 
 neth into it, and is safe." Prov. xviii. 10. 
 
 3. The Cloud their Shade. 
 
 The Glory-cloud served the people in this 
 new relation; "The cloud of the Lord was 
 upon them by day." Numb. x. 34. "Thy 
 cloud standeth over them." Numb. xiv. 14. 
 " He spread a cloud for a covering." Ps. cv. 
 39. Descending on the Tabernacle over the 
 Most Holy place, it assumed a pillar-like shape, 
 while its body spread in every direction, com- 
 pletely sheltering the whole encampment from 
 the oppressive heat of the sun. Thus did the 
 Cloud overshadow them, refreshing them with 
 its cooling shade like " a great rock in aweary 
 land." What blessed provision! What a kind 
 and gracious Sovereign ! It is sweet consolation 
 to remember that Jesus, "having loved His 
 
The Friendly Cloud. 159 
 
 own which are in the world, loves them unto 
 the end." He is our shade upon our right 
 hand, never absent, never indifferent. Tem- 
 pering every burning ray by the interposition 
 of His presence, it falls mildly upon His 
 beloved people. Abiding beneath His shadow, 
 realizing His love, our souls are filled with 
 great delight. Beneath His outstretched wings 
 of tenderest care we are safe from every devour- 
 ing element. His mercy covereth us and His 
 goodness extendeth over all. "I sat down 
 under His shadow with great delight, and His 
 fruit was sweet to nry taste." Cant. ii. 3. 
 
 ^. The Cloud their Avenger. 
 
 The ways of Jehovah were exemplified in 
 redemption and retribution. While we rightly 
 magnify the goodness of the Lord we dare not 
 minimize His severity. Rom.xi. 22. Accord- 
 ingly we read: "And it came to pass, that in 
 the morning watch the L,ord looked unto the 
 host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire 
 and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the 
 Egyptians, and took off their chariot wheels 
 that they drove heavily . . and the Eord 
 overthrew the Egyptians in 'the midst of the 
 sea." Ex. xiv. 24-28. The battle was not 
 
i6o Tabernacle Types. 
 
 Israel's but God's. They stood still and saw 
 His salvation ; they marched forward, and He 
 wrought victory. ' ' Then sang Moses and the 
 children of Israel this song unto the Lord and 
 spake saying, I will sing unto the Lord for He 
 hath triumphed gloriousl}-, the horse and his 
 rider hath He thrown into the sea. ' ' Ex. xv. I. 
 Herein again do we rejoice, for is it not 
 written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith 
 the Lord " ? Our day of triumph is at hand, 
 and in anticipation we may celebrate the vic- 
 tory by holy song. '' ' The God of peace shall 
 bruise Satan under your feet shortly." Rom. 
 xvi. 20. Already, He who hath redeemed us 
 by His blood, has spoiled principalities and 
 powers, making a show of them openly and 
 triumphing over them in Himself. He will 
 continue to push the battle to the gate, until 
 death the last enemy shall be destroyed, and it 
 will be said again of both His foes and ours, 
 " there remained not so much as one of them." 
 Ex. xiv. 28. 
 
 5. The Cloud their Light. 
 
 The people were never in darkness during 
 their wilderness sojournings. ' ' The Lord went 
 before them . . by night in a pillar of 
 
The Friendly Cloud. i6r 
 
 fire to give them light . . He took not 
 away the pillar of fire by night from before the 
 people." Ex. xiii. 20, 21. The light of the 
 Cloud sufficed for the whole encampment, and 
 as it moved it illumined their pathway. The 
 night also became luminous about them. The 
 Cloud was indeed a lamp to their feet and a 
 light to their path. Ps. cxix. 105. 
 
 Christ is the light of the church : the 
 church is the light of the world. The church, 
 like the moon, shines by borrowed light. 
 When she faces the sun light will flood her 
 life, but when the world comes between the 
 light is darkened. It is sadly marred testimony 
 when the light of Christ is thus eclipsed. 
 
 "Truly the light is sweet and a pleasant 
 thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun," but 
 there is a light whose rays illumine the dark- 
 ness of the mind, and brings healing to the 
 wounded soul. "God who* commanded the 
 light to shine out of darkness, hath shiued in 
 our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge 
 of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 
 2 Cor. iv. 6. That light illumines the pilgrim's 
 pathway, chasing away the darkness and mak- 
 ing plain the way in which he should walk. 
 ' ' God is light, and in Him is no darkness at 
 11 
 
162 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 all." Believers are introduced into the pres- 
 ence of God to have communion there with 
 Him. "But if we say we have fellowship 
 with Him, and walk in darkness we lie, and 
 do not the truth." i John i. 6. The Jews of 
 old could only stumble in darkness when wil- 
 fully shutting their eyes to the light of the 
 Cloud or when engaged in pursuits beyond the 
 encampment. How sad that any now should 
 bring darkness upon themselves while bright 
 beams of Scripture radiate with undimmed 
 power, filling the eye of faith with their pre- 
 cious light. Unbelief excludes that light, and 
 brings darkness into the soul. Christ shining 
 out in His Word is our bright Cloud of glory. 
 His face is our Shekinah. What a heaven to 
 look upon! What clear noonday light is ours! 
 
 6. It was their Holy Oracle. 
 
 It revealed God's will to Israel and regulated 
 all their movements during their long march. 
 
 ' 'And when the cloud was taken from the 
 Tabernacle, then after that the children of 
 Israel journeyed: and in the place where the 
 cloud abode there the children of Israel pitched 
 their tents." Numb. ix. 17. How many were 
 its precious relationships to the people! How 
 
The Friendly Ci,oud. 163 
 
 deeply interesting its history! How important 
 its typical features! The promise of God to 
 His people was very precious: "And there I 
 will meet with the children of Israel, and the 
 tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. 
 And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the con- 
 gregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also 
 both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in 
 the priest's office. And I will dwell among 
 the children of Israel, and will be their God. 
 And they shall know that I am the Lord 
 their God, that brought them forth out of the 
 land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: 
 I am the Lord their God." Kx. xxix. 43-46. 
 
 How glorious must have been the fulfillment 
 of this promise ! It was indeed fully realized. 
 
 ' ' So Moses finished the work. Then a cloud 
 covered the tent of the congregation, and the 
 glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And 
 Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the 
 congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, 
 and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 
 And when the cloud was taken up from over 
 ihe tabernacle, the children of Israel went on- 
 ward in all their journeys. But if the cloud 
 was not taken up, then they journeyed not till 
 the day that it was taken up. For the cloud 
 
164 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, 
 and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all 
 the house of Israel throughout all their jour- 
 neys." Ex. xl. 33-38. 
 
 When the Tabernacle gave place to a more 
 permanent house, the presence of the Lord in 
 the Cloud likewise consecrated the Temple. 
 "And it came to pass, when the priests were 
 come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled 
 the house of the Lord, so that the priests 
 could not stand to minister because of the 
 cloud : for the glory of the Lord had filled the 
 house of the Lord." 1 Kings viii. 10, 11. 
 
 We have noticed the several relations of the 
 Cloud to the people, and the various ways in 
 which it served them. It was a guide, a 
 defence, a shade, a light, an avenger, an oracle 
 by which God communicated His most just 
 and righteous will. We have also remarked 
 how sweetly illustrative it is of our Father's 
 loving care, and how He ordains what is right 
 for His children. Happy the soul that can 
 quietly wait on Him, fully conscious that His 
 will is best, and His purposes only good. 
 
 Through the sin of Israel this beautiful 
 friendly Cloud departed from the earth, and 
 free intercourse was interrupted between man 
 
The Friendly Cloud. 165 
 
 and God. At intervals only it visited our world 
 in connection with the fulfillment o His prom- 
 ises or the ratification of His will. Finally it 
 disappeared, until, after a lapse of ages, it was 
 seen again, resting upon Christ, the true 
 tabernacle, when on the holy Mount. Then 
 heaven came down to earth; " and there came 
 a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my 
 beloved Son; hear Him." Luke ix. 34. Its 
 last appearance was at the ascension of Jesus, 
 when " a cloud received Him out of their 
 sight." Actsi. 9. But in prophecy it is decreed: 
 "And the Lord will create upon every dwelling- 
 place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, 
 a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of 
 a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory 
 shall be a defence." Isa. iv. 5. The Cloud 
 shall become visible once more. When the 
 earth is purified, and made meet for God's 
 dwelling-place, and Israel is restored to their 
 own land; when Christ reigns over them as 
 King in His holy hill of Zion; when righteous- 
 ness and peace are established by His personal 
 Presence, then shall He dwell in their midst 
 and throughout the land the Shekinah token 
 will be seen, when ' '' the glory of the Lord shall 
 be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; 
 
166 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." 
 Isa. xl. 5. Israel shall again rejoice in her 
 King, when the days of her mourning and 
 desolation shall be ended. To them also shall 
 the promise be fulfilled, ' ' The sun shall be no 
 more thy light by day; neither for brightness 
 shall the moon give light unto thee; but the 
 Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light 
 and thy God thy Glory." Isa. lx. 19. 
 
XIX. 
 
 PRIKSTHOOD. 
 
 THE subject of Priesthood is so intimately 
 connected with the whole scheme of 
 salvation that it constitutes its very warp 
 and woof. It is the substance of all gospel 
 doctrine, the sum of all its symbolism, and the 
 foundation of all christian faith and hope. It 
 brings the person of the Son of God directly 
 before us for our study; a study from which 
 the devout believer will not be readily turned 
 aside. Every blessing which comes to us from 
 a loving Father's hand is through Him who 
 glorified not Himself to be made a high priest, 
 but was called of God to the office, as was 
 Aaron. Heb. v. 4. 
 
 That another must mediate with God on our 
 behalf is the innate conviction of the human 
 heart. The sinner universally recognizes that 
 he cannot come to God of himself, and treat 
 directly with Him. He has no assurance of 
 fitness in himself. Hence, in the numerous 
 religions of all ages we find the Priesthood the 
 most essential feature. The only refuge for the 
 (167) 
 
168 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 soul trembling under the knowledge of God's 
 wrath against sin is in mediation. And it is 
 significant, though there is no evidence that 
 this idea of Priesthood reached certain nations 
 through Scripture or tradition, that their crude 
 worship centres in the priest. The very neces- 
 sity of their fallen nature adopted a scheme 
 which in its higher sphere is of divine origin. 
 
 i. Perversion of Priesthood. 
 
 In nearly all systems of religious worship 
 Priesthood in some form constitutes an essential 
 element. Even pagan nations, recognizing the 
 facts of holiness and sin, notwithstanding their 
 shocking practices, seek refuge in sacrifice. 
 The great underlying principle of one for others 
 is the only hope of salvation. The correct 
 application of this principle is the essence of 
 the Gospel. That this glorious plan of God 
 for our salvation through the Priesthood of 
 Christ has been grossly perverted, we need 
 only revert to the groves of Baal, the inhuman 
 rites of Moloch, and the frenzied votaries of 
 Juggernaut. Besides, so-called christian sys- 
 tems have leavened the truth with their cor- 
 ruptions, and their priesthood is but a base 
 imitation of the divine model. In this respect 
 
Priesthood. 169 
 
 Rome has shamefully excelled. The iniquities 
 of her confessional; her assumptions and pre- 
 tensions; her mimicry of Judaistic ceremony 
 and sacrifice, only prove what Christless deeds 
 are done in Christ' s holy name. O ther churches 
 have copied Rome in thus subverting the truth. 
 Instead of proclaiming Christ they point to 
 their human priests; in place of the great sac- 
 rifice of Calvary, they present unbloody and 
 repeated sacrifices : with them it is no longer 
 Justification by faith, but Justification through 
 the sensuous display and unmeaning symbol 
 of a childish Ritualism. What mockery are 
 such mummeries to an awakened conscience 
 seeking relief from the guilt of sin, or to the 
 helpless sinner struggling against its power! 
 Likewise Rationalistic teachers, who glory in 
 their creedless non-belief, with irreverent con- 
 ceit assume the role of priests. ' ' Priests of 
 science/' forsooth, they claim to be. Their 
 immodesty is as consistent as their ignorance, 
 the very appellation appropriated by them 
 being a contradiction in itself. The import of 
 the title ' ' Priest ' ' is that of ' ' sacrificer. ' ' The 
 essential idea is mediation. The office involves 
 a service to be rendered to God, and a sacrifice 
 to be presented, from which certain results 
 
170 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 must flow to the parties for whom this ministry 
 is fulfilled.* "For every high priest, being 
 taken from among men, is appointed for men 
 in things pertaining to God, that he may offer 
 both gifts and sacrifices for sins: who can bear 
 gently with the ignorant and erring, for that 
 he himself also is compassed with infirmity; 
 and by reason thereof is bound as for the peo- 
 ple so also for himself to offer for sins. And 
 no man taketh the honor unto himself but 
 when he is called of God, even as was Aaron." 
 Heb. v. 1-5. 
 
 The Priesthood of Christ being the object of 
 Satan's deadly hatred, he therefore supplies 
 through human agency, base imitations, coun- 
 terfeits and substitutes. What a delusion is a 
 sham priesthood! The divine plan from the 
 beginning was that man should be saved by 
 priestly mediation. So when the link snapped 
 which had bound Creator and creature together 
 in harmony, that plan was unfolded in the first 
 promise. In the fulness of time the promise 
 
 * "The idea of priesthood belongs to the realm of grace. I 
 would as soon think of transferring the language of Geometry 
 and Algebra to Botany and talk of the hypotheneuse of a flower, 
 or the square root of a tree, or the differential co-efficient of a 
 convolvolus, as to speak of the priesthood of nature, or of let- 
 ters, or of science." — Hugh Martin. 
 
Priesthood. 171 
 
 was made good and Jesus Christ came to weld 
 again the broken chain, having effected recon- 
 ciliation through death, and opened the way 
 of access to God for the alienated sinner by 
 the sacrifice of Himself. ' ' Having therefore, 
 brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place 
 by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he 
 dedicated for us, a new and living way, through 
 the vail, that is to say, his flesh: and having a 
 great Priest over the house of God; let us draw 
 near with a true heart in fulness of faith." 
 Heb. x. 19-22. 
 
 2. Object of Priesthood. 
 
 In type, symbol, ceremony, and prophecy, the 
 cause, results, and consummation of the Priest- 
 hood is the theme. From Eden to Sinai; from 
 Sinai to Calvary; from Calvary to the Second 
 Advent; throughout the days of the millennial 
 Kingdom, and, in the Eternal State, the words, 
 acts, triumphs, and glories, of our great High 
 Priest form the basis of worship, the song of 
 redemption, and the theme of eternal praise. 
 
 The grace of God brought Salvation toman. 
 Like the light in its dawning, when bold peaks 
 and lofty summits are first illuminated, the 
 coats of skins, Abel's lamb, Noah's sacrifice, 
 
172 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 Abraham's altar, and the wilderness Tabernacle 
 caught the early beams of salvation and reflected 
 the light of grace. In later days the prophets 
 watched, as light and shadow alternated. • For 
 a time there was an eclipse, when the Anti- 
 typical Offerer presented to the sacred fire a 
 sacrifice of divine and unspeakable value, even 
 Himsei/f. But soon the darkness of that awful 
 hour rolled away, and the great High Priest 
 passed into the presence of God for us, having 
 purged our sins by His own blood, and sprink- 
 ling it on the throne of Mercy in the presence 
 of vindicated Justice, cried, ' ' Behold the token 
 of my death on behalf of my people; this blood 
 is their ransom: Mercy, hasten forth and bind 
 their wounds, heal their diseases, purify their 
 hearts, and proclaim my Priestly work as their 
 plea for eternal salvation/' And thus does 
 Mercy fulfill her sweet mission in the glad 
 announcement: ' ' Christ entered not into a holy 
 place made with hands, like in pattern to the 
 true; but into heaven itself, now to appear 
 before the face of God for us: nor yet that he 
 should offer himself often; as the high priest 
 entereth into the holy place year by year with 
 blood not his own; else must he often have 
 suffered since the foundation of the world: but 
 
Priesthood. 173 
 
 now once at the end of the ages hath he been 
 manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of 
 himself." Heb. ix. 24-27. Blessed Priest! 
 Blessed ministry of Mercy ! Blessed salvation ! 
 4 ' Let us therefore draw near with boldness 
 unto the throne of grace, that we may receive 
 mercy, and may find grace to help us in time 
 of need." Heb. iv. 16. 
 
 Thus, then, this part of Christ's priestly min- 
 istry is completed, in that He made atonement 
 for sin, "for this He did once for all when He 
 offered up Himself." Heb. vii. 27. "And 
 every priest indeed standeth day by day minis- 
 tering and offering oftentimes the same sacri- 
 fices, the which can never take away sins: but 
 He, when He had offered one sacrifice for sins 
 forever, sat down on the right hand of God. ' ' 
 Heb. x. n, 12. A seated priest in heaven 
 denotes a completed work. By His own blood 
 He put sin away; therefore is forgiveness of 
 sins preached in His name. And "where 
 remission of these is there is no more offering 
 for sin." Heb. x. 18. 
 
 3 . Necessity of Priesthood. 
 
 Of what importance is the Priesthood of 
 Christ to the believer beyond the forgiveness 
 
174 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 of his sins ? We reply, of immense importance. 
 " For if while we were enemies, we were recon- 
 ciled to God through the death of his Son, 
 much more being reconciled, we shall be saved 
 by his life." Rom. v. 10. Because He lives 
 we shall live; nay, more, thereby we live in 
 full acceptableness before the Father of glory, 
 to whom our worship ascends as sweet fra- 
 grance from the golden censer in the hands of 
 our great High Priest. Likewise, daily defile- 
 ment is washed away by His priestly ministra- 
 tions on our behalf, and communion with God 
 becomes not only possible but continuous. 
 Through Him we have access by one Spirit, 
 unto the Father. Kph. ii. 18. Priesthood can 
 only be fully appreciated in its manifold rela- 
 tions, of which atonement is the foundation. 
 It includes intercession, and is perpetual; 
 atonement is finished: intercession is carried 
 on in heaven; atonement was made at the cross: 
 intercession is exercised within the vail; atone- 
 ment was completed outside the camp in burn- 
 ing to ashes the sin-offering (the blood, token of 
 sacrificed life, is ever presented in the heavenly 
 sanctuary): intercession is for the saint; atone- 
 ment is for the sinner (who on believing 
 become the subject of priestly advocacy and 
 
Priesthood. 175 
 
 intercession) : atonement was made through 
 death; intercession is ministered in life : atone- 
 ment delivers from the curse of sin, but interces- 
 sion entitles us to the possession of holiness. 
 Nor is the measure of that holiness according 
 to the vigor of our faith, or the intensity of our 
 feeling, or the earnestness of our devotions, 
 but according to God's high estimate of the 
 work, righteousness, and dignity of His beloved 
 Son. ''Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers 
 of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and 
 High Priest of our confession, even Jesus." 
 Heb. iii. 1. 
 
 Physical purity and freedom from all bodily 
 blemishes of priests under the law, their moral 
 qualities, their ordination and consecration to 
 the office, and their symbolic robes, represented 
 the perfections, graces, and unsullied holiness 
 of our Lord as Priest over His own house. 
 1 ' For such a high priest became us, holy, 
 guileless, vmdefiled, separated from sinners, 
 and made higher than the heavens." Heb. 
 vii. 26. Now, by faith, believers have access 
 into heavenly regions enrobed in the untarnished 
 lustrous righteousness of the perfect Man in 
 whom we are graced. (See Gr. Col. i. 6.) 
 
 The measure of Israel's acceptance was the 
 
176 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 measure of their priests' acceptance. How 
 much more glorious our acceptance in our 
 greater representative, ' ' the Beloved. ' ' It 
 bodes no comfort to inquire what am I in my 
 best estate; it brings no grief to know what I 
 am in Christ. 
 
 "And this I do find, 
 
 We two are so joined, 
 
 He'll not live in glory 
 
 And leave me behind." 
 
 The tendency of our nature is towards intro- 
 spection, an exercise fraught with the highest 
 danger, leading to a presumptuous •self-com- 
 placency, in painful contrast to a healthful soul 
 which, renouncing self as utterly unworthy of 
 trust, becomes satisfied wholly and only 
 with Christ. 
 
XX. 
 
 Prikstly Garments. 
 
 THK duties of Israel's High Priest were 
 manifold. He offered sacrifice, and 
 
 made atonement for sins, Lev. xvi.; he 
 burned incense, Lev. xvi. 12, 13; he examined 
 diseases, Lev. xiii. 2; he declared the will of 
 God to the people, Numb, xxvii. 21; Deut. 
 xxxiii. 8; he decided controversies, and solved 
 tribal and family difficulties, Deut. xvii. 8-12; 
 xix. 17; xxi. 5; he presented to Jehovah the 
 names of the tribes on the shoulder-stones, and 
 breast-plate, Kx. xxviii. 9-29; and he blest the 
 people in the name of the Lord, Numb. vi. 
 23-27. 
 
 Called to the office of priesthood, holy- 
 harmless and undefiled in person and character, 
 overflowing with compassion, tender, thought- 
 ful, and just toward God and Man, the Son of 
 God entered upon His mediatorial work en- 
 dowed with all necessary qualifications. In 
 the heavenly sanctuary He now represents His 
 people, Heb. ix. 24; for them He intercedes, 
 Heb. vii. 25; to them He declares the will of 
 
 12 (177) 
 
178 Tabernaci,K Types. 
 
 God by His word, Heb. i. 1 ; He rebukes their 
 evil, Rev. ii.; He judges their thoughts and 
 ways, Heb. iv. 13, and He will appear a sec- 
 ond time to bless them with an everlasting 
 benediction. Heb. ix. 28. 
 
 We may now consider the high priestly gar- 
 ments, and their spiritual application. There 
 were two sets of clothing, one of fine linen, 
 comprising breeches, robe, and girdle, and the 
 other including ephod, robe of ephod, curious 
 girdle, mitre, and crown. The latter were called 
 1 ' garments of beauty and glory. ' ' Ex . xxviii. 
 2-4. Our great High Priest being clothed 
 with purity and glory, needed no material rai- 
 ment of costly fabric for personal adornment. 
 In all things He has the pre-eminence. To the 
 eye of faith He ever appears " altogether 
 lovely." 
 
 1. The inner garment. 
 
 A fine linen coat covered the priest's body 
 from neck to feet. It might be called his per- 
 sonal raiment, even as the beautiful garments 
 were his official raiment. 
 
 Fine linen was recognized as the emblem of 
 purity. Hence : ' ' L,et thy priests be clothed 
 
Prikstxy Garments. 179 
 
 with righteousness." Every high priest of 
 Israel was personally a sinful man. Therefore 
 was he washed with water, clothed with linen, 
 and offered sacrifice for himself. His cere- 
 monial purity set forth in figure the personal 
 purity of Jesus, who was spotless, guileless, 
 sinless. And now we as priests unto God are 
 called a holy priesthood through His cleansing 
 blood and sanctifying grace. 
 
 2. The Girdle. 
 
 This article of dress denoted preparedness 
 for service. Doubtless this is its typical sig- 
 nification. There were two girdles, one of pure 
 white linen, the other richly embroidered with 
 the deep colors of blue, purple and scarlet. 
 The priest w T as a servant. likewise the Son 
 of Man came not to be ministered unto but to 
 minister. He took upon Himself the form of 
 a servant. " Righteousness is the girdle of 
 His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His 
 reins." Isa. xi. 5. He took a towel and girded 
 Himself, then poured water into a basin and 
 washed the disciples' feet. John xii. 4, 5. Anon 
 He stands in the midst of His Church girt 
 about the paps with a golden girdle, ready to 
 serve His people, in searching out with His 
 
180 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 eyes of flame the hidden evil which brings to 
 them spiritual damage. Thus in detecting sin, 
 as the Investigating Priest, and in washing 
 away sin, as the Atoning Priest, our blessed 
 I^ord stands girded, ever ready to serve us. 
 Come, then, tempted, troubled, defiled, failing 
 disciple, and permit the Master to serve you, heal 
 you, and cleanse you. Come and receive the 
 benefit, and worship at His feet. " Unto Him 
 that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by 
 His own blood . . to Him be the glory and 
 the dominion for ever and ever." Rev. i. 5, 6. 
 Believers are also ministering priests. It is 
 their privilege to wear the badge of service, to 
 gird up the loins of their mind, and occupy as 
 , men who wait for their L,ord. 
 
 3. The Blue Robe. 
 
 Worn over the fine linen coat, this long loose 
 garment was called "the robe of the ephod." 
 It was of woven work, and complete in one 
 piece, with openings for the head and arms. 
 One purpose of this article of dress was to sup- 
 port the pomegranates and bells on its border. 
 The color of the robe was blue, and around its 
 hem was an ornamental fringe from which 
 depended "a golden bell and a pomegranate 
 
Priestly Garments. 181 
 
 all around the hem of the robe." The golden 
 bell gave forth its sweet music, rich in melody, 
 for the ear of the great king; the pomegranate 
 was a fruit, and both told out that testimony 
 and fruitfulness were results of priestly minis- 
 try. Jehovah's ear heard the clear golden 
 notes, and His eye saw the pattern of heavenly 
 fruit which so strikingly illustrated the bless- 
 edness of Christ's ministry, as worthy service 
 to God. The sound of His activities on our 
 behalf is heard within the vail, and the fruit- 
 fulness of His work is seen ' ' in bringing many 
 sons unto glory." What golden utterances 
 ascend from his lips, as words of intercession 
 and advocacy, and praise to the Righteous 
 Father are heard on high. Figurately, we 
 may say, that in uttering the great prayer 
 recorded in the seventeenth chapter of John, 
 He is arrayed in the blue robe, with golden 
 bells and pomegranates. He is the corn of 
 wheat not abiding alone, but yielding through 
 death a great increase. By His precious blood 
 an innumerable multitude will be redeemed 
 unto God as the fruit of His toil. 
 
 Speech, seasoned with salt, and the rich fruit 
 of the Spirit should characterize every one born 
 of God. Sound and fruit: as much of one as 
 
182 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 of the other; preaching and practice in equal 
 parts. What a life is this! 
 
 4.. The Ephod. 
 
 The material which composed this costly- 
 garment was fine linen, interwoven with gold 
 wire: blue, purple and scarlet colors were 
 artistically interblended upon it, making it a 
 robe of brilliancy and splendor. The garment 
 consisted of two parts, one covering the front, 
 the other the back, of the priest. Both parts 
 were fastened at the shoulders by golden clasps 
 which formed the setting for the onyx stones. 
 The pieces were brought together beneath the 
 arms by the girdle which bound them together 
 to the person, thus making of two parts one, 
 complete garment. The Ephod served to sup- 
 port the breastplate and shoulder stones, with 
 which the twelve tribes were identified. Thus 
 the High Priest became the burden-bearer of 
 the whole nation. Their names were on his 
 shoulders; they rested on him and were the 
 objects of his intercession. It was his duty to 
 care for them and seek their welfare. They 
 dwelt safely on the place of power and security. 
 Isa. ix. 6. What a matchless picture of the 
 Church in her place of safety ! Our High Priest 
 
Priestly Garments. 183 
 
 is omnipotent in power; His strength never fails; 
 therefore are we ever safe. Hence it is not our 
 strength, but His; not our perseverence, but 
 His; not our victory, but His. He will safely 
 bring us through. Ard herein is comfort for 
 the weak and weary ; the Good Shepherd will 
 care for the sheep, and bear them 
 
 "on a shoulder 
 Which upholds the government of worlds." 
 
 The names of the twelve tribes were engraved 
 upon those precious onyx stones, exalted in 
 their glory, and enriched in their value. In 
 like manner all the wealth, all the glory, all 
 the blessedness of the believer, is derived from 
 Christ, to whom belongs the preciousness of 
 absolute Godhead and perfect Manhood — a 
 unique Person of unsurpassed excellence. 
 
 5. The Breastplate. 
 
 This beautiful and costly article was inti- 
 mately connected with the Kphod. It was 
 made of the same material, woven two spans 
 long and one broad, then doubled in order to 
 give it strength and firmness, so that it could 
 bear up the weight of the twelve precious 
 stones. These stones were placed in settings 
 
184 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 of gold, arranged in rows. All were precious, 
 though differing in value and brilliancy. On 
 these stones were engraved the names of the 
 tribes, each tribe on its own separate stone. 
 The Breastplate was suspended from the shoul- 
 ders by golden chains connected with the onyx 
 stones, and from gold rings in the lower cor- 
 ners it was fastened to the girdle of the Ephod 
 by a lace of blue. Thus it was kept firmly 
 secured over the heart of Israel's priest. The 
 nation was then doubly represented — first upon 
 his shoulders, the seat of strength; and next 
 upon his heart, the seat of love. What a pic- 
 ture of Jesus in His present ministry exercising 
 His power to uphold His people, and His deep, 
 tender, unchangeable love embracing them, 
 holding them always close to His heart, and 
 presenting them before the Father in the glory 
 and preciousness of the splendor with which 
 He is invested. 
 
 The precious stones suggest much that is 
 very rich in doctrine and experience. 
 
 The divine power of Christ's priesthood in 
 raising up His people to a place of safety may 
 be illustrated by the onyx stones on the shoul- 
 ders. He is a ransomiiig Priest, rescuing from 
 death, and a life-giving priest, raising up and 
 
Priestly Garments. 185 
 
 seating in such heavenly places the subjects of 
 His care. Gal. iii. 13; Heb. ii. 14; Eph. ii. 6. 
 
 The perfect knowledge of our Lord regarding 
 each disciple is intimated in the individualizing 
 of the tribes on the precious stones on the 
 Breastplate. "The Lord knoweth them that 
 are His." "He calleth His own sheep by- 
 name." Such is the infinite knowledge of our 
 great High Priest, to whom all our wants are 
 known, and from whom no secrets are hid. 
 
 The durability of the precious stones surely 
 symbolizes that salvation procured for sinners, 
 which the Holy Spirit expressly declares as 
 "eternal." And the eternity of our salvation 
 is dependent on the perpetuity of the priest- 
 hood. Both Christ's continual priesthood and 
 our continued salvation are linked together in 
 the divine purpose. 
 
 The value of the precious stones would serve 
 to remind us of the dearness of the christian 
 to his Lord. 
 
 ' ' So dear, so very dear to God, 
 More dear I cannot be; 
 The love wherewith He loves the Son, 
 Such is His love to me. ' ' 
 
 When we can comprehend the unfathomable love 
 of the Everlasting Father for the Eternal Son, 
 
186 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 then shall we fathom His love for His redeemed 
 sons. But shall we ever fully know ? The fact 
 is for us now to believe, and the belief of the 
 fact will transform us into holy, humble, devout 
 worshipers. John xvii. 23. 
 
 The color and brilliancy of the jewels on the 
 Breastplate, and the onyx stones on the shoul- 
 ders, will bring to remembrance the thought of 
 the glory awaiting the children of God. Our 
 Priest will consummate His work in ' ' bringing 
 many sons unto glory," — a sphere of such 
 holiness, and splendor, and exaltation, with all 
 necessary preparation, and adaptation, as befits 
 Himself, and which He would not enjoy alone. 
 "And the glory which thou hast given me I 
 have given unto them; that they may be one, 
 even as we are one." John xvii. 22. 
 
 "Jesus, in thee our eyes behold 
 A thousand glories more, 
 Than the rich gems and polish 'd gold 
 The Sons of Aaron wore." 
 
 Both Urint and Thummim were connected 
 with the Breastplate. The words mean 
 1 ' lights ' ' and ' { perfections. ' ' By these the 
 priest discovered the mind of God, and so he 
 became the people's counselor in times of 
 
Priestly Garments. 187 
 
 perplexity. Many fanciful speculations have 
 been indulged in by various writers regarding 
 the interpretation of Urim and Thummim. 
 With this we are for the present satisfied, that 
 while this temporary appendix of an earthly 
 priesthood has passed away, there abideth for 
 ever our holy, wise, instructing, and guiding 
 Priest by whose Spirit we shall be led and 
 instructed in the right way. 
 
 6. The Hallowed Mitre. 
 
 This article was a bonnet or covering for the 
 head, made of fine white linen. A golden 
 plate on its forefront was fastened with a blue 
 ribbon. The important object of this remark- 
 able head-dress is clearly specified. "And 
 thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave 
 upon it like the engravings of a signet, HOLI- 
 NESS TO THE LORD. And thou shalt put 
 it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; 
 upon the forefront of the mitre shall it be. And 
 it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron 
 may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which 
 the children of Israel shall hallow in their holy 
 gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, 
 that they may be accepted before the Lord," 
 Ex. xxviii. 36-39. 
 
188 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 The fact emphasized and specially to be 
 noted, is, that the golden plate with its hallowed 
 inscription, must be always upon Aaron's fore- 
 head, in order that the people whom he repre- 
 sented may be always in acceptance before the 
 Lord. There were two conditions, either one 
 of which must be true: the people were accepted 
 or disowned. Now not only would their sins 
 cause them to be rejected, but the iniquity of 
 their holy things would bring them under con- 
 demnation. If therefore they can stand per- 
 petually in acceptance it must be in their high 
 priest, who is arrayed in fine linen and person- 
 ally acceptable. The golden crown ever kept 
 them in remembrance of Jehovah's absolute 
 holiness; this must never be out of mind. 
 Holy, holy, holy, is the I^ord our God. There- 
 fore in the burning rays of His holiness we 
 would be consumed. There is no holiness 
 inherent in us, none wrought out by us, that 
 could abide the scrutiny of His searching light, 
 but the holiness of our Priest covereth us even 
 as His blood cleanseth us. Believers are in 
 Christ, and Christ is for them. All that He 
 has done is for them; all that He is doing is 
 for their salvation; all that He has is given to 
 them, and all that He is in royal splendor, 
 
Priestly Garments. 189 
 
 clothed and crowned, He shares with them. 
 " The glory that thou gavest me I have given 
 them." There is no other possible method 
 whereby it can be said of any, ' ' accepted before 
 the Lord." 
 
 Nor must I leave this radical doctrine with- 
 out testifying to its potential influence on our 
 daily life. It is by the constant knowledge of 
 the fact of our vital spiritual union with Christ 
 that we become conformed to the image of His 
 holy personally. And it is the practical denial 
 of this truth and indifference toward it which 
 leads to legal striving after a sanctity of the 
 natural man which can never purge away the 
 iniquity of our holy things, or place us without 
 condemnation in the august presence of the 
 holy Lord God. And forever perish the shams 
 and cant of any whose lives are full of shame- 
 ful deeds and unholy associations, who still 
 blasphemously assert their heavenly standing; 
 who sin and repent, and sin again, when it 
 accords with the uncertain moods of an evil 
 heart and a corrupt mind. The assumptions of 
 bold hypocrisy or a glib tongue does not pass 
 current w ith men ; how then dare we hope for 
 approval in the courts above where insincerity 
 is readily discovered and resolutely impeached ! 
 
XXI. 
 
 Priestly Offices. 
 
 TYPES foreshadow not only by similarity, 
 but also by contrast. Accordingly we 
 find Aaron and Jesus contrasted, and 
 here, as in all things, our Lord has pre-emi- 
 nence. He is greater than Aaron in His per- 
 sonal perfection; in the value of His sacrifice; 
 in the scene of His ministry ; in the regal aspect 
 of His priesthood; in the more perfect presen- 
 tation of the worshiper, and in the fuller 
 benediction He is able to impart. 
 
 The office of priesthood includes several 
 departments. It is a multifarious work, em- 
 bracing the whole scheme of redemption, com- 
 prising mediation, advocacy, and intercession. 
 / 
 i. Mediation. 
 
 A mediator is one who interposes between 
 parties at variance in order to effect a reconcili- 
 ation. Job felt his need of such a one when 
 he cried out for a Daysman who could lay His 
 hands on both, and bring his discordant soul 
 into harmony with an essentially righteous 
 (190) 
 
Priestly Offices. 191 
 
 God. Who then can take this place ? Who is 
 sufficiently qualified as arbitrator ? He must 
 be at oneness with God, and unswervingly up- 
 hold His majesty. And he must be allied with 
 man, understanding his needs and helplessness, 
 in order to represent his side of the case with- 
 out abatement, so as to win for him the fullness 
 of reconciliation required. Surely none but 
 "God our Saviour," the "Man Christ Jesus " 
 alone is duly qualified. So there is a mediator 
 between God and man who has opened the 
 way of access to the inner sanctuary; who has 
 vindicated the righteous claims of unyielding 
 justice and lifted the gates of holiness in order 
 that mercy may flow unhindered from the heart 
 of God to the sons of men. Blessed be our 
 Daysman, this river of health is flowing un- 
 ceasingly, its healing waters bringing life to 
 the dead. Our great High Priest, as mediator, 
 not only has effected reconciliation between 
 God and man, but also reconciled the divine 
 attributes, so that mercy and peace are in agree- 
 ment with righteousness and truth. Love now 
 reigns triumphantly, acting out its own nature 
 in forgiveness and salvation. Love lavishes, 
 but not at the expense of any attribute or per- 
 fection of Godhead. Love ! Not the sentiment 
 
192 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 of the humanitarian which winks at sin and 
 calls evil good; not the charity of the agnostic, 
 which, in the overthrow of laws and penalties, 
 logically would annihilate human courts and 
 give loose rein to every criminal. Its gospel 
 is, ' ' You do not mean to do wrong, your crime 
 is purely accidental, your noble nature will 
 come into play and lift you above your baser 
 passions, and as God commiserates all and 
 punishes none, there must be no jails, no con- 
 demnation, no punishment." Let every mur- 
 derer, every assassin, every thief, every drunk- 
 ard, every evil-doer, believe and practice this 
 gospel of license, and soon the fires of hell will 
 rage on earth, and the ground reek with human 
 blood. In temporal relations men are not such 
 fools. However much divine law may be ig- 
 nored, human laws, of justice, government, and 
 protection, are based upon them. The Gospel of 
 God sets none of His laws aside, but upholds 
 them all with dignity and honor. Yet Love, 
 His Love, possessing every element of justice, 
 righteousness, and truth, comes with pardon, 
 life, and hope, to every criminal who is led to 
 accept reconciliation with God through the 
 work of the Mediator. Our Lord Jesus, as 
 Mediator, not only secured entrance for His 
 
Priestly Offices. 193 
 
 believing people into the immediate presence 
 of God, but keeps the way still open for all 
 who would draw nigh. No man cometh to the 
 Father but through Him, and whosoever be- 
 lieveth on Him is already on the way. All 
 who believe on Him are said to be in Him, 
 therefore are they in the way, for He is the 
 Way, the Door, the Title, the Saviour. 
 
 2. Intercession. 
 
 Let it be remembered that intercession is on 
 behalf of believers ; those who have come to 
 God through our Lord Jesus Christ. By Him 
 all are remembered; none are forgotten. Jesus 
 prayed that Peter's faith would not fail, hence 
 though Peter fell, he arose again; his faith 
 failed not. Our Lord in His pleadings there- 
 fore remembereth the weaknesses of His peo- 
 ple; His prayers arise for them: for their salva- 
 tion from all enemies; for the bestowment of 
 all blessings upon them; for their enjoyment 
 of eternal glory ; for their union and unity, their 
 sanctiflcation, their preservation from sin, their 
 growth in grace and holiness, and all spiritual 
 mercies with which are coupled those precious 
 blessings relating to time and to the body. 
 
 The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, were 
 
 13 
 
194 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 ended, but the prayers of David's greater Son 
 in His priestly ministry continue. Nor will 
 trie Father deny such pleadings. We may 
 therefore be assured in the strongest confidence 
 that all the blessings our great High Priest 
 desires for His people will be given them. 
 
 j. Advocacy. 
 
 In this relation Christ is helper and com- 
 forter. He is ever near at the call of the help- 
 less, ever prepared to minister consolation and 
 impart hope. While He intercedes, He also 
 meets the accusations of Satan, who accuses 
 the saints before God. It is then Jesus pre- 
 sents His pierced body and demands, ' ' Who 
 shall lay anything to the charge of God's 
 elect ? " Not only in heaven's court of equity 
 does He silence the adversary, but also in the 
 court of conscience. There Satan would make 
 havoc of our experiences if He were not nigh. 
 But His Spirit is ever present with us, pro- 
 claiming to us full justification, and hushing 
 to quiet the disturbances wrought by the en- 
 emy in ministering to us the assurance that 
 ' ' the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from 
 all sin. ' ' Therefore is it written : ' ' If any man 
 sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus 
 
Priestly Offices. 195 
 
 Christ, the righteous." The Holy Spirit as 
 that other advocate helpeth our infirmities 
 when He brings to our remembrance the value 
 of Christ's advocacy before the Father. 
 
 As we are overpowered at times with a 
 sense of unworthiness as children, and unfitness 
 as worshipers, it is indeed our privilege to rise 
 into the knowledge of conscious acceptableness 
 before our God through our ever interceding 
 Priest. And when the fears of a defective and 
 sadly marred experience check the flow of joy 
 in our souls, it is our privilege again to remem- 
 ber that not on our personal character does the 
 eye of God turn for a resting-place, but to 
 Jesus, who, in His robes of beauty and glory, 
 bears us on His shoulders, on His heart, on 
 His head; His power, love, and wisdom exalt- 
 ing us in the holy Sanctuary above, and envel- 
 oping us in His Shekinah-cloud until we are 
 hidden in His infinite perfections and manifold 
 glories. Then does our God, viewing us in 
 Christ, break forth in rapturous exclamation, 
 "Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot 
 in thee." 
 
 ^. Associate Priests. 
 
 The sons of Aaron were associated with him 
 
196 Tabernacle Types. 
 
 and served under him. Their duties were many 
 and important. They slew the victims (possi- 
 bly assisted by the L,evites), presented the sa- 
 crifice, sprinkled the blood, had charge of the 
 brazen altar, attended to its fires, prepared the 
 shew-bread, compounded the incense, and in 
 other ministrations participated in the services 
 of the Tabernacle. 
 
 All believers, chosen, redeemed, in- dwelt by 
 the Spirit, are identified with Christ, the great 
 High Priest. They have their special priestly 
 duties. Peter declares of all christians: * ' Ye 
 are a chosen generation — A royai, priest- 
 hood." Again, "Ye are built up a spiritual 
 house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spir- 
 itual sacrifices." 
 
 The way into the office of priesthood now, 
 as of old, is by birth. None but sons of God 
 in this age are priests unto God. No human 
 power can confer this right; no ecclesiastical 
 hierarchy can impart to any being privileges 
 which come only through birth. Kvery believer 
 is entitled to minister as a priest, but only 
 those upon whom gifts are conferred by the 
 Head of the Church are qualified for office in 
 the Church. These are pastors, evangelists, 
 teachers, helps, and governments. Kph. iv. 1 1, 
 
Priestly Offices. 197 
 
 12. The office of priest now does not imply 
 the presentation of an atoning sacrifice. Our 
 part is to offer the sacrifice of praise to God, 
 and do good to men, ' ' for with such sacrifices 
 God is well-pleased. " Heb. xiii. 15, 16. 
 
 Atonement has been effectually rendered by 
 the great High Priest, and Intercession is based 
 upon its acceptance. To assume that any man, 
 be he "Anglican" or "Roman," because of 
 his ecclesiastical standing, can offer a propitia- 
 tory sacrifice for sin, is to dishonor Christ's 
 atoning work and trample under foot His 
 precious blood. The New Testament term 
 "priest," as applied to believers, does not 
 designate any particular class of christians. 
 All are entitled to worship, although there may 
 be various degrees of intelligence among the 
 worshipers. But the qualifications for worship 
 are the inheritance of all who love, our I^ord 
 Christ. They are regeneration by the Holy 
 Spirit; redemption by the blood of Jesus; the 
 in-dwelling of the Spirit in our hearts, and 
 oneness with the royal High Priest in life and 
 ministry. 
 
 And now we must bring our book to a close. 
 We have journeyed together, both writer and 
 
198 Tabernacle Typks. 
 
 reader, over this holy ground of Scripture. 
 We have seen how skillfully Old Testament 
 types and New Testament doctrines harmonize 
 and are closely inter-related. We have sur- 
 veyed that only which lieth on the surface; 
 beneath lie hidden treasures. Dig deep and you 
 shall find. Earnest study of the Word will 
 secure great reward. * ' For whatsoever things 
 were written aforetime were written for our 
 learning, that through patience and through 
 comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope. ' ' 
 Rom. xv. 4. 
 
 Having become somewhat acquainted, may 
 I not be bold enough to enquire of you, my 
 reader, concerning your spiritual welfare? 
 Have you been born again ? Are you safe for 
 eternity ? These are deeply serious questions. 
 How does your conscience reply, as in the 
 presence of God? If not yet saved, tki?ik 
 upon these things, I entreat you. And not only 
 think, but dkcidk. Flee to Christ now. He 
 is a present Saviour. Look to Him ; believe 
 He is your Saviour and your Priest. Confess 
 your sins before Him and receive His absolu- 
 tion. And oh, fellow-christian, the time is 
 short for service here ; the end hasteneth ; 
 the coming of the I^ord draweth nigh. May 
 
Priestly Offices. 199 
 
 we not only be instructed in divine things, but 
 be consecrated for divine service. May the 
 study of these Tabernacle Types lead us to grasp 
 more firmly their hkavkni^y realities, that 
 we may proclaim Christ, the Way, the Truth, 
 the Life, in whom dwelleth all the fullness of 
 the Godhead, faithfully, persistently, continu- 
 ously, witnessing to His atonement, His priest- 
 hood, and His personal return in Glory. 
 
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