sembling, the tent of the testimony (Numb. 9: 15), habitation. It was there that Jehovah met with Israel, dwelt in Israel, and testified concerning both his holiness and his grace; the tabernacle is, consequently, an image of the kingdom of God in Israel, a type of the Christian Church ( 201. 2, OBS.). The court is the symbolical habitation of the people, while the sanctuary is the habitation of God in their midst. The people dwell in the court; notwithstanding their priestly vocation, they are not yet permitted to approach God in a direct manner, but may merely draw nigh to the gate of his house; they still need priestly mediators, who enter as the representatives of the people, hold communion with God in their place, bring their gifts to him, and receive in return the revelations of divine grace for the people. The division of the habitation into the sanctuary and the holy of holies, or holiest of all (Heb. 9:3), declared that in the relation subsisting between God and his people, two grades still remained, from one of which even the priest was excluded, and which the high-priest alone, as the head of the entire priesthood, was permitted to approach, only once every year, and even then only in an enveloping cloud of the incense of prayer, and with the atoning blood of the offering. The great day of atonement (Lev. ch. 16) was the most solemn and important of all the Jewish festival seasons, and represented the fulness of all time; the circumstance that on this one day of the year, one individual, at least, of the people, that is, he who represented the great idea of a priestly nation as fully as the deficiencies of the times allowed, enjoyed the privilege of approaching both the higher and the highest grade of the divine gracious presence, conveyed a valuable lesson- for it taught that the approach to the inmost abode of God, and the unveiled vision of his glory, should not be unconditionally and eternally denied to the priest and the priestly nation. To this ascent in the relation which God sustains to his people, from the sanctuary to the holiest of all, a correspondence is found in the ascent, in the relation sustained by the people to God, by which faith rises and is completed in sight or vision. The impress of perfection is stamped on the holiest of all by its perfect cubic form; the darkness which prevails in it implies that IIE dwells therein whom no man hath seen, nor can see, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto (1 Tim. 6: 16), a light before which the feeble eyes of the earth-born child of man grows blind.

The holiest of all contains the mercy-seat, the throne of Jehovah. Although God appears here as Jehovah, in condescension, grace and mercy, his glory remains so great, even in his condescension, that no

mortal eye is able to endure it, and his holiness is so overpowering, that no sinful man can support it-even the high-priest can approach only in a cloud of incense and with the blood of the offering. The mercy-seat is placed on the ark containing the testimony or covenant (the two tables); the secure position of the latter indicates that the covenant or its record is the most precious treasure of Israel, worthy of being most carefully guarded; the covering, which is the mercyseat, declares that the dwelling of God among the people is made possible by the covenant, depends on it, and is sustained by it. That mercy-seat is propitiatory; the throne becomes an altar in the most exalted sense; and here the highest and most perfect act of expiation in the Old Testament service is completed. The cloud, the symbol of the presence of Jehovah, descended between the wings of the Cherubim, and these (Exod. 25: 20) look in adoration on the mystery at their feet (which things the angels desire to look into." 1 Pet. 1:12). (See ? 12, 3. OBS. 1, and ? 14. OBS. 3.)

The people offer in the sanctuary to their divine King the gifts which conform to the covenant, and establish it; hence the altar of incense, the candlestick and the table of shew-bread, are placed there. The act of burning incense is a symbol of prayer (Ps. 141: 2; Rev. 5 : 8 and 8 : 3, 4; compare Isa. 6 : 3, 4; Luke 1: 10; Lev. 16: 12, 13; Num. 16: 46, 47); Israel, the covenant-people, is, consequently, a people of prayer. In the candlestick, with its light, an image is presented, according to Zechariah (ch. 4, and Rev. 1: 20), of the people clothed with spiritual knowledge. Twelve loaves, evidently referring to the twelve tribes, lie on the table of shewbread, and are renewed every Sabbath. It appears from John 6; 27, and 4: 32, 34, that, according to the symbolical conceptions of Hebrew antiquity, the faithful performance of the duties of any calling that proceeded from God, was regarded as labor performed for spiritual food. The loaves of bread are, literally, the fruits of bodily labor performed on the field, in the land assigned to the people by the Lord; when they are regarded in a symbolical aspect, they are the fruits of spiritual labor in the field of the kingdom of God, in the vineyard of the Lord, the fruits of sanctification, and good works. When the people of Israel are faithful to the covenant, they, accordingly, appear before their God as a people of prayer, of light, and of good works.

The people are sinful, but are appointed to be cleansed; in contradistinction to the priests, they abide in the court surrounding the tabernacle, and hence the altar of burnt-offering, on which atoning sacrifices are offered, is placed in this court.

§ 46. The Priests and the Levites. (Office and Garments.)

1. The Lord chose the whole tribe of Levi for himself and for the service of the tabernacle, instead of the first-born in all the tribes, who belonged to him (Num. 3: 12, 13); these were afterwards presented at the tabernacle, and then redeemed (Num. 18:16). It was the office of the whole tribe, to take charge of the Law and the revelations of God, to communicate these to the people, and to pronounce judgment in accordance with them. The family of Aaron was chosen from the whole tribe of Levi, for the purpose of performing the duties of the priesthood, which belonged to them exclusively. The other Levites, including the descendants of Moses, were merely the assistants or ministers of the priests, in performing the service of the tabernacle. The High-priest was the head of the whole tribe, and his office was hereditary.

2. It was the special office of the priests to be mediators between Jehovah and the people, to make atonement to God for them, and to perform, in shadows and types, that work which, in the fulness of the time, Christ should accomplish in very deed and in truth. The functions, privileges and general duties of the priests, contradistinguished from those of the people, as well as of the Levites, are thus set forth by the Lord himself on a certain occasion: "The Lord will show who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him." (Num. 16:5; § 54. 2.) The duty of the priests, accordingly, consisted chiefly in offering sacrifice (§ 48), as a symbol of atonement-in burning incense, as a symbol of intercession—and in blessing the people, as the fruit of the former acts.

OBS. 1.—The characteristic features of the priesthood, which indicate its nature and design, according to Numb. 16:5 (to be his, to be holy, to be chosen, to come near unto Jehovah), already occur in Exodus 19:6 ( 43. 1), as those of the whole people. In the latter case, however, the people are contrasted with Pagans, while, in the former, the priests are contrasted with the people of Israel themselves. The calling of Israel, in its relation to other nations, illustrates the calling of the priest, in its relation to the holy nation - he

is the priest of the priestly nation. The office of the priest did not derive its origin from any act of man, but from the choice and appointment of God, and the circumstance that the priesthood was made hereditary, permanently excluded from it all human influence and control, and rendered a personal choice or decision impossible.

1

OBS. 2.-The blessing which the priests were directed to pronounce is recorded in Numb. 6: 23-27: "On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them: The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: - The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace! And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them." This formula of benediction already contains the whole mystery of the divine Trinity and of the redemption which was to be accomplished by it, in an undeveloped form, or like a germ; it was, undoubtedly, designed to aid effectually in connecting with the religious knowledge of the people a certain consciousness (to be afterwards rendered more distinct) of the personality of the one God unfolded in three persons, and operating in a three-fold manner in the progress of the work of man's salvation. The name of. Jehovah is put upon the people thrice — it is connected with the face or countenance of Jehovah twice (the face is the visible, manifested part, the indication of that which is invisible and concealed within). In the first member of the formula, prayer is offered for the blessing and protection of Jehovah, the eternal, invisible and original source of all blessings, of salvation and of life. In the second, a petition occurs for the light and grace of the face of Jehovah, the God who is revealed, who is the "true Light which lighteth every man" (John: 9); "of whose fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." (John 1:16.) In the third, supplication is made for the peace of the countenance (face) of Jehovah, the God who is made known to us by the communication and appropriation of salvation, by which he conveys true peace to our hearts. ( 2. 2).

3. The garments of the priests, which designated their office (Exodus, ch. 28), were not worn by the Levites. The priestly garments were very simple; the chief article was a tunic made with sleeves, and extending from the neck to the ankles; the material and the color (white linen) were symbols of purity and holiness. In addition to this official garment, the high-priest wore a blue robe or coat, adorned on the hem with pomegranates and bells of gold; of these, the former were symbols of the Word

(Prov. 25:11), and the bell was a symbol of proclamation. He also wore an ephod attached to the shoulders, made of costly materials, and embroidered with various colors; the breast-plate was attached to it in front, by means of rings and chains made of gold. This breast-plate was adorned with twelve precious stones, on which the names of the twelve tribes were engraved; it was a memorial, implying that the high-priest, as the highest mediator of the old covenant, should always bear the people upon his heart (Exodus, 28:29). The Urim and the Thummim (that is, lights and perfections, or perfect light), placed either within or upon the breast-plate, were the oracle of the high-priest; through them he obtained an immediate decision of Jehovah the King, in all theocratic questions — the mode is unknown. A small plate of gold was, besides, attached to the priestly mitre, bearing the inscription: "Holiness to the Lord."

§ 47. Continuation (Dwellings - Consecration of the Priests and Levites.)

1. The Lord announced to the whole tribe of Levi: "Thou shalt have no inheritance in the land I am thine inheritance." (Numb. 18:20.) Jehovah was the Lord and proprietor of the whole soil; each occupant accordingly brought a tribute consisting of the first-fruits and the tenth of his whole income to the house of the Lord; from these the support of the Levites and the priests was derived; additional portions, taken from the sacrificial offerings, were, besides, granted to the latter. Forty-eight cities, in different parts of the country, were appropriated to the residence of the whole tribe; thirteen of these were assigned to the priests (Joshua 21 : 19); six of these cities were also appointed to be cities of refuge (Numb. ch. 35), namely, Kedesh, Shechem, and Hebron, on the western side of Jordan; and Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan, on the eastern side. (Joshua 20 : 7, 8.)

OBS.-It was the object of the provision by which particular places of refuge were appointed (to which the altar in the court of the tabernacle belonged), to correct certain gross abuses connected with an ancient custom, as far as possible, by the controlling power of the law: the acts of the avenger of blood were sanctioned by the estab