NOTES by M. C. W.

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 1, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 13.

NOTES.

By M. C. W.

"SANCTUARY" means, according to Young, a "place set apart." So when the Lord said in Ex. 25:8: "Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them," he meant that a place should be built, separated unto his worship, holy unto the Lord. As sanctifying the Sabbath was setting it apart to the worship of God, so the sanctuary denotes a place set apart for service unto the Lord. This building of the sanctuary had been predicted by Moses in his inspired song of triumph, recorded in Ex. 15. He says, "I will prepare Him a habitation;" that was the design of the sanctuary,—a dwelling-place for the presence of the Lord.

THE size of the sanctuary was, in English measurement, reckoning one and one-half feet to the cubit, forty-five feet long, fifteen feet wide, and fifteen feet high, making its length three times its breadth. It was divided into two compartments,—the "holy place," fifteen feet wide by thirty long, and the "most holy place," fifteen feet square. This latter apartment formed a perfect cube. The sides and the west end of the sanctuary were formed of upright boards of acacia wood overlaid with gold, the top was covered with a curtain of fine-twined linen, wrought with cherubs, that is, the images of cherubs, an order of angels, was woven or wrought into the cloth; these represented the angels round about God's throne in Heaven. Rev. 5:11. The entrance to the tabernacle was through a curtain, or veil, of fine linen, and a similar veil separated the holy from the most holy place.

THE first set of curtains, of fine-twined linen, rested upon the tabernacle itself, forming a surpassingly beautiful ceiling (Ex. 26:1-6), the ends of the curtains hanging down the sides to within three feet of the ground. The other curtains, of goats' hair, rams' skins, and badgers' skins (seal-skin), were not laid down flat upon the tabernacle, but were the coverings of a tent over the tabernacle. There are two words translated tabernacle in our version, one referring to the tabernacle, or sanctuary, the other to the tent over the sanctuary. In the Revised Version, Ex. 26:7 reads: "And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle." And this was covered with ram-skins, and that with seal-skins, rendering the tent impervious to water. The term translated in our version "badgers-skins" is translated in the Revised Version "seal-skins," with "porpoise-skins" in the margin.

THE entrance to the sanctuary, when the building was erected, was always toward the east. The court surrounding it was one hundred and fifty feet wide by three hundred feet long, the tabernacle being placed in the center as regards the sides, but at a less distance from the west end than from the east, the open space at the west being thirty feet, and at the east end, or front, seventy-five feet. In this open space of seventy-five by one hundred feet, was the altar of burnt-offerings, and here also were brought the beasts and other articles to be offered.

IN the first, or most holy, compartment of the tabernacle, were the seven-branched candle-stick (on the south side), the table of shewbread (on the north side), and the altar of incense (on the west end, just before the second vail). In the most holy place was the ark of the covenant, within which was the law, over which was the mercy-seat; upon the mercy-seat rested the glorious shekinah, the visible symbol of God's presence.

AROUND this glorious and consecrated center, Israel encamped under the standards of four tribes, three tribes under each standard. The standard of Judah was on the east, Reuben on the south, Ephraim on the west, Dan on the north (see Numbers 2), while between these and the tabernacle were the Levites. Arrayed in perfect order, with the glory of God in the center, no language could more fittingly describe the encampment of the people of God than that which the Lord put in the mouth of Balaam: "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters." Num. 24:5, 6.

ANOTHER thought as regards the position of the tabernacle, as contrasted with the Catholic churches and those fashioned after them. The entrance of the tabernacle, as before stated, was toward the east. The priest, therefore, in burning incense on the altar, or as he stood before the mercy-seat, worshiped and performed service with his face to the west. If rendering service either before the candlestick or table of shewbread, his face was either toward the north or south. But it was never toward the east in all his worship while in the presence of the Lord.

WHY this contrast? Evidently to emphasize the fact that the worship of Jehovah could have nothing in common with "the oldest . . . of all the forms of idolatry known to man,"—sun-worship. The "eastward position," as it is called, is heathen in its origin; it is, like Sunday, a venerated relic of sun-worship. Worshiping toward the east was a sign of the grossest of idolatry, as it was the most offensive in the sight of God. For a divine comment on this custom, read the climax of sins as shown to Ezekiel the prophet (chap. 8:15, 16):—

"Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the sun toward the east."

ONE fact, among others, is made prominent in this lesson,—a fact which always ought to be borne in mind,—and that is, God is very particular. All things were to be made like the divine pattern showed to Moses (Ex. 25:9), and this injunction was twice repeated (verse 40, and chap. 26:30). It manifested in type God's wisdom, glory, goodness, and mercy in the plan of salvation. It was connected with his holy law, the transgression of which is sin. While the thought of how particular the Lord is concerning his precepts may well cause us to tremble, we can gain equal courage in knowing that he whose precepts fail not, will not fail in his promises.