THE TABERNACLE OF ISRAEL

PREFACE

In 1921, as an educational project in the Bryn Athyn Elementary School, we undertook the task of building a model of the tabernacle of Israel. As part of the course in religious instruction we were called upon to teach the Book of Exodus. We found the Scriptural account of the tabernacle, and of its construction, far too technical and too confusing in the multitude of its details to produce a clear picture in the minds of the children. Even adults find it difficult to understand. In many respects the literal statements are obscure. How then could anyone hope to grasp the deeper meaning contained within these chapters of the Word as now revealed in the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg? It became obvious to us that a scale model of the building, in which the materials, the prescribed dimensions and modes of construction were faithfully followed, would be of permanent value, not only to children, but also to teachers and ministers, and indeed to anyone seeking Divine instruction from this portion of the Word of God. Furthermore, we were convinced that the children who took part in building such a model would find it an experience of high educational, artistic, and religious value.

With the cooperation of the principal and the faculty of the school it was arranged that the boys of the seventh and eighth grades should undertake the woodwork in their manual training class, while the girls, under the direction of the women teachers, would make the curtains and veils, and the garments of the priests and Levites.

As assistant pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church, we delivered a series of addresses at children's services devoted to a general description of the history, the construction, and the spiritual significance of the tabernacle. The offering at these services was used to finance the project. In addition, the children were asked to make an offering of gold or silver, consisting of discarded jewelry and other objects which their parents were willing to donate for this purpose. In this way all the children in the school re-enacted the offering given by the sons of Israel at the command of Moses for the construction of the tabernacle. (Exodus 25:1-9)

After having made a preliminary study, the necessary drawings and specifications were prepared and the actual work was begun. A donation of fifteen dollars was received to cover the preliminary cost of materials. Later we proceeded as rapidly as the offering at the children's services would provide the needed funds. Within a period of three years the children made the table on which the model of the tabernacle was to stand. They also made the boards and the stakes, covering them, wherever required, with gold leaf. They had to have the help of a skilled cabinetmaker for the construction of the furniture, and of an expert goldsmith to make the lampstand, the censer, and the vessels for the table of shewbread. Later, the shovels and tongs, the fire pans and ash receptacles of copper were added, as well as figures to represent the priests and Levites. These were hand-carved in wood. The first curtains and veils which were made by the children had to be supplanted by others made by the teachers. The linen material woven in the four colors blue, purple, scarlet and white, with gold cherubim inwoven on the loom was made in Stockholm, Sweden, by a company that provided altar-cloths for the Lutheran Church.

The task throughout has been fraught with difficulties which Jewish and Christian scholarship combined have failed to solve. The fact is that the Hebrew text is in many points obscure, translations vary, and interpreters are legion. Such a writer as T. O. Paine, LL.D., whose monumental work on Solomon's Temple includes a treatment of the tabernacle, has provided a valuable collection of original material which was of great assistance to us, although we were unable to accept many of his deductions. William Brown, E. E. Atwater, G. W. Colton, E. M. Epstein and others, all have afforded helpful suggestions, though the plans they adopted differ radically in many respects. The whole problem of the tabernacle construction, as prescribed in Exodus, seemed to be lost in a maze of unsupported conjecture. But the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg threw an entirely new light upon it. The Rev. Dr. E. E. lungerich, in a short article published in the Academy Journal of Education for 1916 (Vol. 15, p. 135), brought together the new interpretations suggested by Swedenborg, especially those in the Word Explained (Adversaria). These provided a reasonable solution of several questions which had vexed the scholars. Further search of Swedenborg's Writings afforded valuable suggestions in regard to modes of construction, as well as an explanation of the spiritual significance of the many details. There were still certain problems for which we could find no assured solution, and in regard to these we had to hazard suggestions of our own. Whatever errors may be discovered in the future, I think it may justly be said that the modes of construction we adopted are on the whole more historically probable, and lend themselves more readily to the illustration of the spiritual teaching given in Swedenborg's Writings, than those adopted by other scholars. Our hope is that the present work may prove to be a step in the right direction over which the scholars of the future may pass to more accurate conjectures, and to deeper perceptions of the Divine significance of the tabernacle.

We would acknowledge our indebtedness to all those who gave so willingly of their skill, their time and their energy to promote this project, especially to Mr. Wilfred Howard, the instructor in manual training; Miss Erna Sellner, Miss Venita Roschman, and Miss Elizabeth Ashby, who directed the work of the girls; Mr. Fred J. Cooper, who supervised the construction of the metal work, and identified the precious stones of the breastplate; also Mr. Thorsten Sigstedt, who carved the figures to represent the priests and Levites; and Mr. William R. Cooper, who for many years has taken care of the model, photographed its many parts and furnishings, and kept it in excellent repair.

George de Charms

INTRODUCTION

If the tabernacle of Israel be regarded merely as a tent erected in the wilderness of Sinai thousands of years ago by a small and obscure tribe of people, to serve for a time as the center of their national worship, and then to crumble into dust and disappear except for the record preserved in the Scripture, why, we may well ask, would any one consider it important to study such a record?

The building is indeed architecturally unique. We find no temples that can be compared to it in the annals of any other nation.

For this reason it is regarded by historians as a strange anomaly. The account of the tabernacle has been preserved for a period of approximately thirty-five hundred years as part of the Divine Word. According to this account it differs from all other buildings ever erected in historic times in that its plan of construction was dictated from heaven. The only exception is the temple of Solomon which succeeded it. We also know that the tabernacle exerted a tremendous influence over the tribes of Israel. It served to change them from a horde of slaves into a strong nation, bound together by mutual love, by pride, and by fear. As a united people they were destined to fulfill a use to the race out of all proportion to their size, their political strength, or their international importance.

All this may stir in us a general interest in the tabernacle, but it could hardly induce any one to study the carefully prescribed details as to the dimensions of all the parts, the materials to be used, and colors to be employed in its construction, so minutely set forth in the book of Exodus. Even these specifications are not complete enough to provide for the actual building of the tabernacle. The sons of Israel must by some means have been able to understand them better than can the Biblical scholars of modern times. What value can there be, then, to the average reader, in studying them?

The answer does not lie in the mere fact that the tabernacle is symbolic. This is well known to Christian scholars, and many allegorical interpretations of its meaning are available. The answer lies rather in the fact that this symbolism has now been Divinely explained, so that men may know, not only that it is, but also what it is. In the light of this revelation, the tabernacle together with all its details is found to be of great practical value to man's understanding of religious life. It cannot be rightly understood without an accurate knowledge of the minute specifications recorded in the Scripture.

In general we are taught that the tabernacle represents the dwelling-place of God with man, and the medium of his conjunction with the Divine. It illustrates the way in which the Lord seeks to lead every human being in the path of regeneration. From it one may derive practical instruction as to how religion may exert a truly vital and saving influence over his life. This is possible because the tabernacle represents the human mind built according to Divine plan that it may serve as a "tent of meeting" where man may enquire of the Lord and receive Divine answers to guide him in the way of true happiness and peace. Surely it is important that we should learn the truth concerning that marvelous organism which is called the human mind. Here is the whole world of our conscious life. Yet it lies in large part beyond our ken and beyond the reach of scientific exploration. Its deeper mysteries can be discovered only by Divine revelation. They are contained in the account of the tabernacle as explained in the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, from which they may be derived by careful study.

There we may learn that the tabernacle represents, not only the mind of man, where resides that "kingdom of God" which is "within you" as we read in the Gospels, but also the church, or the kingdom of God as an organized body of worshipers. From it counsel may be derived as to how such an ecclesiastical organization should be formed. According to what principles should it be governed in order that its worship may be vital? What will protect it against the eventual decline and fall which have come to every church body in the past? These are important and highly practical questions upon which Divine light is thrown by a study of the tabernacle.

Furthermore, just as this sacred building represents the church on earth, so also does it represent the kingdom of God in the heavens. From it we may learn the nature of life in heaven, and how it differs from life on earth. We may gain some accurate idea of how the angels live, and of what they do. We may learn how they affect the lives of men, and how in turn men exert an important influence over them.

Finally, the tabernacle represents the Human of the Lord, the temple of His body. We may learn how God descended to assume a Human from the Virgin Mary, and how that Human was glorified and at last fully united In the Infinite Divine above the heavens. The Lord Jesus Christ, during His life on earth, fulfilled all the Law and the Prophets. He fulfilled the prophecy concealed in the building of the tabernacle. He came "a light into the world" and became the "Way," the "Truth" and the "Life" because He traversed the stages of progress ordained for all men who would come into heaven. So doing, He provided for the salvation of the whole human race.

The truth involved in the building of the tabernacle is infinite in scope. As now revealed it performs a miracle no less astonishing than that which is described in the thirty-seventh chapter of Ezekiel. Not only the chapters in Exodus which contain such endless, uninteresting, and seemingly useless specifications of the tabernacle, but the entire Word of both Testaments suddenly takes on surprising new life and character. What had appeared as a "valley full of bones" upon which we looked and "lo they were very dry," becomes a place of human habitation. As the Lord, speaking in the Heavenly Doctrine, prophesied over thete "bones," there spiritually was heard "a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone." "The sinews and flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above . . . and the breath came into them and they lived and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army." (Ezekiel 37: 2, 7-10) The "bones" referred to by Ezekiel are said to mean "the whole house of Israel," that is, the entire story of Israel as given in the Old Testament. This has become dry bones because its inner meaning is not understood. The Divine truth revealed in the Writings infuses it with new life, and the description of the tabernacle becomes a source of spiritual instruction and enlightenment of surpassing value to all mankind.

This is what gives such absorbing interest to our study of the tabernacle. It is the reason why we undertook the task of making an accurate model of the original. To convey to the reader some glimpse of the wonderful truth it symbolizes is the purpose of the present volume. We have attempted to pursue only one phase of its spiritual representation, namely, that which concerns the formation of the human mind during the process of man's regeneration. To this end we have undertaken to explain the model, to illustrate it by photographic reproductions, and to make clear the important details of its construction. In order best to accomplish our main purpose we have followed the order of description given in Exodus. If we were considering only the historical aspects of the subject, this would not appear to be the most natural mode of procedure. We would then treat first of the general aspect of the building, of the court that surrounds it, and pass from this to a description of the walls, the foundation, the curtains, and how all these were used in the construction of the building. Last of all we would treat of the furniture, and of the worship that was performed by the priests and Levites. There is an important reason, however, why in the Scripture, this order is reversed. There the description starts with that which is inmost, and proceeds thence to the circumference. After mentioning the materials that were offered for the building of the tabernacle, the sacred account describes the construction of the ark, which was to be placed in the holy of holies. Then the narrative proceeds to the table of shewbread, the lampstand, and the altar of incense, and describes how they were to be situated in the holy place. Next are described the curtains and veils that belong to the holy place, and finally the altar of burnt offering, the laver, the posts, hangings and stakes of the court. This is the true order when the matter is viewed from a spiritual standpoint. All creation begins from the inmost and proceeds to the circumference because it begins from the Lord, who is the only Creator. Of this we will speak in a later chapter. Here only we would note that we have followed this essential order because we are primarily interested in the spiritual meaning involved in it. We have added a description of the priests and Levites, noting their tribal divisions, their respective garments, and the duties assigned to each. Also we shall give some account of the sacrifices offered in the tabernacle, and their spiritual representation. And finally we shall describe the camp of Israel, the order of encampment and of the march, all of which are profoundly significant.

That the text may read easily, and not become too involved for the nontechnical student, matters requiring particular analysis or tabulation have been relegated to appendices, to which suitable references are given.

PART I THE TABERNACLE AS A WHOLE

A general view of the tabernacle, as its original form is reproduced in the model, gives an impression of extreme simplicity. There is nothing imposing or architecturally attractive in its design. An oblong boxlike building with a flat roof, standing within a rectangular court marked off by a fence of plain white linen is all that appears. The outer covering of the building is of white kidskin. The only touch of color is found in the linen hanging at the gate of the court, and a similar hanging at the door of the tabernacle. These alone give promise of the richness and beauty that lie concealed under a very unprepossessing exterior.

Closer examination, however, brings to light a surprising costliness of construction. If we remove the two veils we find the interior of the tabernacle gorgeously colorful. It is not impressively large, its inside measurements being 10 cubits in width, 10 cubits in height, and 30 cubits in length.¹ Three of the walls are formed by means of boards set up on end, fastened together by means of rods which, passing through a gold ring in the center of each board, extend the entire length of the building. There are five of these rods on each wall, the center one being engaged with the center rod of the end wall, thus joining the three walls into a solid unit. There are forty-eight boards, twenty on each side, six on the west end, with two called "twinned boards" forming the corners. Each board is of shittim wood 1¹/₂ cubits wide, ¹/₆ cubit thick, and 10 cubits long, with two tenons extending from the lower end. Each tenon passes through a block or base of silver, by which the end of the board is protected, and is then driven into the ground to hold the board firmly in place. The boards and rods are all covered with thin plates of gold, while the bases form a foundation of silver. The ceiling is of linen colored in transverse stripes of blue, purple, scarlet and white, with an inwoven pattern of cherubim in gold thread.

¹ The cubit is an ancient unit of measure representing the length of the forearm from the elbow to the end of the middle finger. The standard of this measure used in different nations of antiquity was various and we have no exact knowledge as to which of these was adopted by the Israelites. We have arbitrarily chosen 18 inches as the most probable and convenient standard for our purposes. The model is constructed to a scale of 1 inch to the cubit.

At a point 10 cubits from the west end,² there is a line of four pillars extending to the ceiling. Upon these is hung a veil of material and workmanship similar to that of the ceiling. The tabernacle is thus divided into two apartments. Each pillar is of shittim wood covered with gold. It is furnished with a capital of gold and rests upon a base of silver similar to those under the boards. Another line of pillars is placed two cubits from the east end of the building. These differ in only two particulars from those already described. There are five of them instead of four, and their bases are of copper instead of silver. On these is hung the hanging of the door, similar in every respect to the veil, except that the cherubim in this case are not inwoven but are embroidered in gold thread. The room behind the veil is the inmost sanctuary called the holy of holies. It is cubical in shape, measuring 10 cubits in its three dimensions. It is shrouded in darkness, there being no provision for light either natural or artificial. It contains but one article of furniture, namely, the ark, in which the tables of the law were kept.

² The gate of the court and the door of the tabernacle were toward the east. This placement was the general custom with all temples prior to the Christian era. No specific statement as to the reason for this is given, but an explanation offered by Bishop W. F. Pendleton has been widely accepted. According to his theory, before the Lord's Advent, the sanctuary was placed in the west and the entrance in the east because the perception of the Divine was then in obscurity, while all religious symbolism pointed toward a tremendous enlightenment to result from the coming of the Messiah. After the Advent, when the Divine Human had been made manifest, men turned to Him in worship and placed the sanctuary in the east. The change in custom in this matter may be compared to the similar reversal with regard to the sabbath. Before the incarnation the holy day was the seventh, the last day of the week and the day on which Jehovah rested from the work of creation. After that event it was the first of the week, the day of the resurrection, which was consecrated to the worship of the Lord.

The ark was a box of shittim wood, 2¹/₂ cubits long, 1¹/₂ cubits broad, and 1¹/₂ cubits deep. It was covered within and without with gold. Over it, and forming a lid held in place by a band or crown of gold, was a solid golden plate called the mercy seat. On each end of this mercy seat was a winged human figure of beaten gold. These cherubin were kneeling, looking toward one another and toward the mercy seat, their wings outstretched and touching over their heads. (Exodus 25:19, 20) At each corner of the box, just below the crown, was an orb of gold through which were passed the wooden rods with which the ark was carried. When in position, the ark was in the center of the holy of holies, its longer dimension running east and west.

The outer room of the tabernacle, between the veil and the hanging of the door, was called the holy place. Its height and width were both 10 cubits, but it was 20 cubits in length. Here were three articles of furniture, the altar of incense, placed immediately in front of the veil and equidistant from the two side walls; the table of shewbread against the north wall halfway between the two hangings; and directly opposite it against the south wall, stood the seven-branched candlestick (more properly to be called a lampstand).

The altar of incense was a hollow box of wood covered with gold, 1 cubit square and 2 cubits high. Its upper surface was flush with the top of the sides and bound round by a band or crown of gold. In the middle of the north and south sides, just under the crown, was an orb of gold through which rods were passed by which the altar was carried. The table of shewbread was of wood covered with gold, 2 cubits in length, 1 cubit in breadth, and 1¹/₂ cubits in height. It was supported on four legs. The top was a plain gold-covered board under which, and flush with its edges, was a skirt of similar material to give strength to the legs. This was ¹/₄ of a cubit in width. Around the top of the table, and extending a palm-breadth or 4 inches above its upper surface, was a crown of gold; and a similar crown ¹/₆ of a cubit in width bound the skirt at its lower edge to the legs. The lampstand was of pure beaten gold. It consisted of a central standard rising out of a hexagonal base to the height of 4¹/₂ cubits. From each side of the standard sprang three curved branches terminated at the same height as the standard. On each branch were three ornaments of gold, each consisting of a pomegranate resting in the hollow of a partly opened almond shell, with the petals as of a flower proceeding out of the pomegranate from its upper side. On the standard there were four similar ornaments, one under each of the branches and one between the upper branch and the top. The top of the standard and of each branch was terminated by a cup-shaped depression in which a lamp rested. The lamps were detached from the candlestick itself and could be removed. In design they were flat bowls with a handle and a covered lip through which a wick was passed to draw up the olive oil with which the lamps were supplied. The coverings of the tabernacle were four in number. The first was of linen, with alternate stripes of blue, purple, scarlet and white, and with inwoven cherubim in gold, as described above. It was made in ten strips, each measuring 4 cubits in width and 28 cubits in length. Five of these strips were sewed together to make a curtain measuring 20 by 28 cubits. The same was done with the other five. At one of the longer edges were placed fifty loops of blue. This curtain was thrown over the tops of the boards, forming the ceiling, and falling over the sides to within 1 cubit of the ground. The point of juncture where the two edges of loops came together fell 20 cubits from the east end and 10 cubits from the west end, or at the dividing line between the holy of holies and the holy place, immediately over the pillars from which the veil was suspended. The two curtains were joined by means of s-shaped hooks or taches of gold passed through the loops of blue and serving at the same time as supports for the veil. On the west side this curtain extended all the way to the ground. Over this was thrown a second covering of wool. It was made in eleven strips, each 4 cubits wide and 30 cubits long. Five strips were sewed together and six strips were sewed together, and the two curtains thus formed were joined by fifty loops of white and fifty taches or hooks of copper. It was so placed over the linen curtain that the sixth strip extended 2 cubits beyond the east end of the tabernacle, and these 2 cubits were folded under the linen curtain, forming thus the ceiling of that portion of the tabernacle which lay outside the hanging of the door. This arrangement brought the seams of the wool curtain in the middle of each strip of the linen curtain, so that at no point did they coincide; and it brought the juncture of the two unequal halves 2 cubits west of the veil. The wool curtain extended to the ground on both sides, and the last 2 cubits lay upon the ground at the west end. Over this again was a covering of rams' skins dyed red. Its dimensions are not specifically given, but it probably reached the ground on all sides, giving complete protection to the first two curtains. The final covering was of kidskins (called badgers' skins in the Scripture; see Chapter VII) and was smaller than that of rams' skins, leaving exposed to view around the bottom of the wall a strip, the width of which is not indicated. Ropes of linen fastened to pins in the tops of the boards which passed through the four coverings served to stretch the ceiling taut, while by means of cords and stakes the sides were stretched tightly down against the base of the wall.³

3. It has been objected that a flat roof of skins would not be practical as a means of shedding the water, and for this reason many scholars have thought it necessary to provide a ridge-pole. There is, however, no provision for this in the Scripture, and to attempt it, as T. O. Paine has done, necessitates radical changes in the dimensions of the curtains. We reflect that there was little rainfall in the Sinai peninsula, and we recall the fact that many of the arab tents especially the larger ones have at least a partially flat roof. It is the custom to this day to remove from them any water that may collect there by the simple method of poking them up from below with a pole. At any rate this practical difficulty is not a serious one when compared to the consequences of introducing a ridge pole and a sloping roof, by which the whole contour of the building would be changed.

This same objection to altering the prescribed and representative shape of the building prevents us from adopting the method employed by most scholars of stretching out the curtains at an angle. They must be held perpendicularly against the walls.

Turning now to the court, we note that it was rectangular in shape, measuring 100 cubits in length and 50 cubits in breadth. The tabernacle was placed in it at a point equidistant from the two sides, and with its eastern end marking the median line between the gate and the western wall.⁴ Its wall of white linen was supported upon sixty pillars of shittim wood, not covered with gold. They were placed 5 cubits apart, twenty on each side and ten on each end. The hanging for the gate was of linen in the four colors, embroidered in gold in some indefinite design other than cherubim (it is thought by some to have been floral or folioform in conventional pattern). It was 20 cubits long and was hung from the four central pillars of the east end. Each pillar had a capital of silver and a base of copper, and was supported by linen cords and stakes of copper, after the manner of a tent pole. In this court there were two articles of furniture, the altar of burnt offering and the laver.

4. That the eastern end of the tabernacle was 50 cubits from either end of the court is the generally accepted view of the scholars, although there is not the slightest trace of evidence, either for or against it. Nothing is said in the Scripture as to the position of the tabernacle in the court, and there is no traditional testimony on the subject known to us. This situation, however, has been adopted on theoretical grounds as most probable. It provides for a large space in front of the tabernacle where the ceremonies were performed. It makes the distance from the west wall 20 cubits, and that from each of the side walls 15 cubits, which would seem to be in accord with the requirements of symmetry. Also it renders all the measurements in relation to the court and the tabernacle to be multiples of five, and thus gives them a just basis of correspondence. No other placement that we could suggest would meet so well these three requirements.

The altar was placed in the center near the gate. It was 5 cubits square and 3 cubits high. Its four sides were made of shittim wood covered with copper. The top of the altar was formed by means of a copper grate, which was folded down at right angles to cover the upper half of the sides. From the four corners extended horns of wood covered with copper. Binding the grate to the altar was a band of copper called the compass, ¹/₃ of a cubit wide, and bent at right angles along its median line. It was so placed about the top of the altar that its horizontal side covered the upper edge of the boards, and its vertical side covered their outer surface to a depth of ¹/₆ of a cubit minus the thickness of the grate. At the four corners, just under the compass and on the two lateral sides, were orbs of copper to hold the rods with which the altar was carried. On three sides the ground was mounded up around the altar to form a gradual incline of ascent for the officiating priest. On the east side the ground was hollowed out to permit the removal of the ashes that fell down through the grate when the sacrifices were burnt.

Between the altar and the tabernacle was placed the laver. Its shape and dimensions are not given. Our conception of it is that of a large shallow bowl supported on a central standard which rises out of a saucer-like base. Water was poured into the bowl, which served as a reservoir, and was drained into the base by means of taps in the standard. The ceremonial washings were performed in the base, and possibly (according to the universal custom of the ancients) in running water as it was drawn from the taps. However, much in connection with the laver is pure speculation, as very little information is available concerning it. Without specific Scriptural warrant we have placed it a little south of the center line and halfway between the altar and the tabernacle.⁵

⁵ With reference to this there is difference of opinion. On purely correspondential grounds it is held by some that the laver should be toward the north. It is said of the molten sea, however, in Solomon's temple (which has, of course, a similar signification) that "he set it on the right side of the house eastward over against the south" (1 Kings 7:39). This has seemed to us to give the most reliable clue to the probable position of the laver.

This cursory survey of the tabernacle and its furniture reveals how astonishingly costly were the appointments of this apparently simple structure. The expense involved in the reproduction at this day of a full-sized model, faithful to all the details of material and workmanship, is estimated at not less than $1,500,000. Our own model, in which time and labor costs have virtually been eliminated, represents an expenditure of approximately $1,500. To bring it within this figure it has been necessary to substitute brass in certain places where gold is called for. The rings, for instance, through which are passed the rods connecting the boards, are of brass instead of gold, not only because the cost of the more precious metal was prohibitive, but because gold would not be sufficiently strong in so small a model to withstand the strain at these points.

If we reflect that there were in the twelve tribes a total of 603,550 fighting men (Numbers 1:46), and that this implies a congregation of not less than 2,500,000 souls, the size of the tabernacle may seem to be altogether inadequate. We must remember, however, that it was not used as a place in which the people gathered, as is the custom with Christian churches. It was merely a place in which the rites and ceremonies of worship were performed by the priests, and, aside from the officiating Levites, none were permitted to enter through the gate of the court except such as came to offer some sacrifice to the Lord. Even the Levites were not allowed to enter the holy place; and none but the high priest passed through the inner veil into the holy of holies. This he did once a year, on the great day of atonement.

In all respects we find the tabernacle ingeniously adapted to the needs of a nomadic people. Held in place by cords and stakes, it could quickly be taken down, transported from place to place, and set up again. To this service the Levites were appointed, their three families: the Merarites, the Gershonites, and the Kohathites each being assigned to special duties later to be described.

There are a few principles of construction which are here to be mentioned because of their importance. First, all the lines of the tabernacle were straight, and all its divisions were rectangular. Its pillars were not round but square. Its roof was not sloping but flat. Its sides were perpendicular. Second, it was so constructed that all its parts were visible from some point. This principle determines the construction in various respects concerning which there is divergence of view among scholars. And third, its dimensions were for the most part multiples of five. The reason why these seemingly trivial matters are of vital concern will be pointed out in the following chapters, where we shall develop the relation of the structural characteristics of the building to the Divine function assigned to it among the Israelites.

chapter II HISTORIC BACKGROUND

the origin of the tabernacle may be traced to the very beginning of human society. The tradition of a "golden age" that existed in pre-historic times, survives in many parts of the world, and is pictured in the folk-lore and fable of many nations. Those who lived in that primal era dwelt in tents, leading a nomadic life. They were not congregated in cities, but lived apart in families or tribes. They were extremely simple, almost like animals in some respects; but they had none of the savage characteristics that are ascribed to pre-historic men by the advocates of scientific evolution. Swedenborg describes them as being "in the order of their life." From the very beginning, he says, man was created to perceive spiritual things, that is, the things that belong to heaven, because he was destined to live in heaven after the death of the body. The period of his sojourn upon the earth was intended merely as a necessary preparation for his eternal life. For this reason he was created to love spiritual things, and to take a spontaneous delight in learning about them. Of course these primitive human beings were born into complete ignorance, just as men are at the present day. But the greatest joy of their life was to perceive, within the objects in their environment, the immediate presence of God, and His merciful providence. Children were taught by their parents. The father of the family was both the priest and the king. From him they received instruction in all things of life. In addition to this, all adults enjoyed open communication with spirits and angels, and through these God appeared to them and taught them directly, even as He did later by means of the prophets of His Word.¹ They are said, indeed, to have spoken with God face to face.²

Because of their inborn nature, even from childhood their interest was centered upon spiritual things, and all the material objects of nature appeared to them as the symbols of heavenly truth and good. Mountains and plains, rivers and seas, all the forms of vegetable and animal life, spoke to them continually of God, and of His love and wisdom. No one at that time had the slightest interest in scientific knowledge. Nature was to them the "Word" of God. It was an open book, from which, as they advanced in knowledge and experience, they were imbued with heavenly wisdom.

The center of their life was the tent which was their home. Here they not only found protection from the elements, but the sense of security that comes from a perception of the immediate presence of God. Their daily life was devoted to the worship of the Deity, expressing their gratitude and thanks for every Divine blessing in all the activities of their life rather than in formal rituals. Therefore, the tent in which they lived was the place where they communed with God, and the place of His perpetual indwelling with them.³

1. A.C. 241, 2144, 2722, 3394, 3686, 8118.
2. A.E. 412¹⁶. A.C. 125.
3. A.C. 1102, 3312. C.L. 75.

We learn from the Sacred Scripture that this state of pristine innocence declined with the passage of time because men immersed themselves more and more in the delights of the body and the material world. As they did so their perception of spiritual truth was dimmed, and the world around them ceased to convey any Divine message. Holding their eyes fixed upon the earth, they no longer saw the wonders of heaven. Their communication with the angels was cut off, and they lost all knowledge of God. The symbols remained, but their significance was no longer understood. The outer appearance was mistaken for the inner reality, and the worship of the living God was turned into the worship of man-made idols.

In order that genuine faith should not perish from the earth, the Lord raised up a new church, spoken of in Genesis as being established with Noah and with his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. To this church was given a written Word, formed at first from the oral traditions preserved and passed on from one generation to another, through the gradual decline of the "Most Ancient Ghurch." To these traditions were added new revelations, imparted by means of visions and dreams to prophets, who wrote down their spiritual experiences under immediate Divine inspiration. By this means the men of the "Ancient Church" were instructed in the "science of correspondences," and acquired, by conscious effort, some slight understanding of those heavenly truths which their forefathers had perceived spontaneously, and in great abundance. Gradually they were brought back into an order receptive of influx from heaven.⁴ The slow process of this return, and the labor and suffering it involved, is referred to in the Scriptural story by that which was said concerning Adam when he was cast out of the garden of Eden: "Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return." (Genesis 3:17-19)⁵

By means of the judgment of the Most Ancient Church which is represented by the "flood" the state of the human race was radically changed. Men on earth no longer enjoyed celestial perception. Their communication with heaven could be maintained only by means of formal worship according to correspondential rituals. These were Divinely ordained by means of the prophets and the written Word. Those who had belonged to the Most Ancient Church still lived in the spiritual world, and at the time of the "flood" they were organized by the Lord into the celestial heaven. Through this heaven the Lord could be present with the men of the Ancient Church, to teach, to lead, and to save. He appeared to the prophets as the "Angel of Jehovah" and established a truly representative church on earth. This mode of Divine government was possible, however, only so long as men were willing to listen to the teaching of the prophets, and to obey the Word given through them. In the course of time, this reliance upon Divine teaching declined. More and more men insisted upon directing their lives by their own will, and according to their own judgment. Again they turned away from the contemplation of spiritual things to the pursuit of worldly wealth and power. Religion was used to promote selfish ambitions, and to subject the simple to the domination of the learned and astute. Once more, genuine worship became idolatrous. The knowledge of correspondences was lost, and rituals became corrupt. They then could no longer form the basis of influx and inspiration from heaven.

⁵ A.C. 370-398.

Lest all true faith and worship perish, and the human race be cut off completely from Divine guidance, it was imperative that somewhere in the world, truly representative worship should be restored. This was the reason for the establishment of the Israelitish Church. To this end Abraham was called out of Haran, to become the founder of a nation pledged to the worship of Jehovah. Abraham was an idolater. He worshiped the god Shaddai as a tribal deity. In fact when he heard the voice of Jehovah, he thought Shaddai was speaking, because he knew no other god. Nevertheless, he followed the Divine command and journeyed to the land of Canaan. There he prospered, and the promise was given that his descendants would become a great nation, to whom this land would be given as a Divine inheritance. There follows the familiar story of Isaac, of Jacob, and of Joseph, as recorded in Genesis. Joseph was sold by his brethren into Egypt. Thither he brought his father and his brethren to dwell in the land of Goshen. In the course of time their descendants were reduced to slavery, and Moses was raised up to deliver them. When they escaped from their oppressors, they were led into the wilderness, and at last to Mount Sinai, where Jehovah appeared to Moses in the midst of a fiery cloud, before the eyes of all the people. There Jehovah gave the Ten Commandments, written on two tables of stone with the finger of God. There also Moses saw in heaven the vision of a sacred tabernacle which the sons of Israel were commanded to build, as a shrine for their worship.

Every detail of this heavenly tabernacle was representative of things heavenly, that is, of the truth concerning God and concerning His kingdom in the hearts of men. The sons of Israel, who, under the direction of Moses, built the tabernacle, and later worshiped in it, perceived nothing of its deep symbolism. Yet because it was constructed in accord with the Divine law of correspondences, it could serve as the basis of influx from heaven, and could become the true dwelling-place of God with men. When the Israelites looked upon this tent, regarding it as holy, and as the veritable abode of Deity, the angels could be present and in their thought of it could perceive the spiritual meaning of all its details. It brought back to the angels the memory of the tents in which they had dwelt during their life on earth, and together with this the joy of their worship. This their joy was then perceived vaguely by the sons of Israel as a sense of awe, and profound reverence.

This explains the secret of the tremendous power which the tabernacle worship exerted over the congregation of Israel, and over every individual within it. This is why the tabernacle could become in very truth a House of God, where Jehovah might be present with His people, and might communicate with Moses and with Aaron from behind the veil of the holy of holies.

Now, the point we would emphasize is this: as to every detail the tabernacle represented the mind of man, which is designed to be a living temple, for the eternal indwelling of God. The building is significant of the life of religion by which man's mind is re-formed, under the immediate guidance of the Lord that He may establish His abode within it. Man's regeneration is therefore the real subject of our study. The human mind is the most wonderful, and the most complex of God's creations. The mode by which it is formed into a living temple contains infinite depths of Divine wisdom. This is why the account of the tabernacle has been so meticulously preserved, and why the record of it in the Scripture is of so great importance to a genuine understanding of religion, of man's relation to God, and of the Divinely ordained way of human salvation.

chapter III THE USE OF THE TABERNACLE TO THE JEWS

God is the infinite Creator of the universe. He is the Source of all life, of all activity and motion. He is present everywhere, perpetually creating new things, and perpetually preserving in existence things created. It cannot be otherwise because He is the only Substance, the All in all things, both great and small. He governs the movements of the stars in their appointed orbits, and with absolute precision, moves with unimaginable speed the protons and electrons of which the seemingly dead atoms of matter are composed. Such a cosmic conception of the Divine Omnipresence will admit of no limitation. Wherever anything exists, there God must be. It is this that is so poetically expressed by the Psalmist in the words, "Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend into heaven Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me." (Psalm 139:7-10)

We encounter an intellectual difficulty therefore in thinking of the tabernacle as a special or peculiar dwelling place of God. Solomon, at the dedication of the temple, gives expression to it: "Will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold the heaven, and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house that I have builded." (1 Kings 8:27) How then can a tent be a dwelling place of God?

The Hebrews certainly conceived of the tabernacle as the localized abode of deity. Indeed, the idea of God as abiding in a specific place is found in all ancient religions. There are traces in every primitive race of the belief in a supreme Being, the Ruler of all the gods, Infinite, Uncreate and Omnipresent. But at the time of Moses this Being was unknown. He was thought of as invisible, intangible, remote, and inaccessible to men. He was not a Being to be worshiped or invoked. It was the lesser divinities, of whom there were many, who took an active part in human affairs, whose favor could be secured through ritualistic observances, and whose wrath could be averted by propitiatory sacrifices. Those with whom practical religion was associated, were idols conceived as local gods, restricted in operation to some specific country or place. Each was claimed as the special protector of a particular family or nation. Each must be sought out in his own favorite haunt if communication with him were to be effectively established, and there he must be approached by the formularies dictated by age-old religious custom. Such places became sacred by virtue of some miraculous manifestation of Divine power or some supernatural appearance of the god. The place itself, by its familiar surroundings, recalled to mind the god who had made himself visible there. The rituals with which he was invoked had their origin in a representation of the deity, or of his special qualities and attributes by which his presence could be invoked as if by the association of ideas. Here we have the origin of the oracles and shrines recorded in ancient history. Perhaps it was a mountain, a tree or a grove, in which the local god had taken his abode. If there were no natural marks by which the spot where he had appeared could unmistakably be known, perhaps a pillar was erected there to his memory, or in later times a temple might be built and dedicated to him. But in any case, wherever the god had chosen to reveal himself, there was his natural abode, and this was the only place where he could properly be worshiped.

Because the Infinite God cannot be limited in space, to ascribe to Him a particular place would seem to be entirely unwarranted. For this reason, supposed appearances of God have been ascribed by Biblical scholars to the superstitious imagination of primitive peoples. They are said to have had their origin in the fact that men, unable to fathom the secret operation of natural law, ascribed supernatural powers to any object or event which seemed wonderful, strange, or awe-inspiring. Men must have passed frequently through experiences which were bewildering and terrifying, before they had acquired sufficient scientific knowledge or rational philosophy to provide a reasonable explanation for such things. It is only to be expected that they should attach to these remarkable experiences undue importance and imagine them to be Divine manifestations. Therefore this worship of local gods is supposed to have no basis in fact, but to represent merely the first groping after religious truth by people struggling up from the abysmal darkness of savagery.

However, if such a theory is accepted, it must be applied to the Jews as well as to other nations. It would discredit the whole story of the appearance of Jehovah to Moses on Mount Sinai, on the supposition that that story had been written at a much later date, based on traditions that were entirely unfounded. But if this were the case, how can the unique development of religion among the sons of Israel be explained? There is nothing in their historic background to account for it. Certainly, the exalted utterances ascribed to Moses, and later to such great prophets as Isaiah and Jeremiah, bear testimony to a concept of God and of religion far in advance of anything to be found among contemporary peoples. It is true that in many respects the sons of Israel also were idolators. They conceived of Jehovah as a local or national God who had appeared to Moses, had given him the stone tables of the Decalogue, and had made a covenant with them as His chosen people. The tables of stone were the perpetual token of this appearance, and a perpetual reminder of the covenant. The tabernacle was built to serve as a sacred repository of the Law. The only difference between this and the shrines of other nations was that the tables of the Decalogue could be moved from place to place, and still provide access to Jehovah.

That the worship performed in the tabernacle was not regarded as different in kind from that of other nations, is evident from the fact that the sons of Israel repeatedly fell into the idolatrous customs of the surrounding countries. Only by repeated punishments could they be induced to maintain the purity of their own worship.

Nevertheless it cannot be denied that the Jewish people did develop a theology incomparably superior to that of other nations. From what source was this derived, if not from Divine revelation? There is nothing inherent in the Hebrew character to account for it. As a people they were far less cultured than were the Egyptians, the Persians, the Greeks, or the Romans. For two hundred and fifty years they had been slaves, treated with contempt, and deprived of every advantage of education. Their wanderings in the wilderness were not conducive to intellectual development. They demonstrated no outstanding creative ability, and no inventive genius. A less auspicious material out of which to build a strong and aggressive nation, can hardly be imagined. How they could produce unaided, so remarkable a building as the tabernacle, or such exalted literature as is found in the prophesies of Isaiah, is almost beyond belief.

The Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, however, explain this strange phenomenon by establishing the actual appearance of Jehovah to Moses as an historic fact. They teach that religion did not arise out of superstitious imaginings of ignorant primitive people. There actually is a God, and He does reveal Himself to men. He did so from the beginning of time. He made His presence manifest in specific places, and thereby established shrines, at which His further presence could be invoked. He actually abode with men in groves, in caves, upon mountains, or at pillars and altars of stone erected by men. But how can this be understood?

God is indeed present everywhere in creation; but His presence in nature is not seen. Where He is not seen, He is, as it were absent. Where He is seen, he is said to be present in a special sense.¹ Man alone can see God. Only by the human mind can He be consciously perceived, and there alone can He be worshiped. In ancient times God revealed Himself to men in visions and dreams, and these were associated with places. Such places were regarded as holy, and men returned to them in the hope that communication with God might be repeated. They invoked such a presence by prayers and rituals of worship. The memories connected with such a holy place invited Divine influx and presence. Is this not still true? Do not church buildings, dedicated to worship and hallowed by the sphere of worship oft repeated, open the mind to the perception of spiritual truth?

¹ A.C. 10146, 10645. H.H. 121, 147. S.S. 78. D.P. 326.

God can reveal Himself to man only if man is willing to seek His presence. Love is the light of the mind, and only those in whom is the love of God, can see God. This is plainly taught by the Lord Himself in the Book of Revelation: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 3:20) Only so long as men were willing to seek the Lord's presence could He reveal Himself. When they turned their hearts and their minds away from Him to the things of self and the world, He was hidden from their view. The key to His presence was man's willingness to see Him, to know Him, and to obey His will; and a state conducive to His appearance could be induced by an appropriate environment.²

2. Note the teaching of the Writings on this subject, A.C. 4580, 1925, 10208, et al. The fact is recognized in Christian ritual in the Holy Supper, recalling as it does the Lord's crucifixion and resurrection. Concerning this the Lord Himself said, "This do in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19)

This explains how Jehovah could have appeared to Moses, at the burning bush (Exodus Chapter 3) and later on Mount Sinai. But this was at a time when all men had turned away from God, and when the ancient oracles had been used to deceive the people, and induce them to believe that a god had appeared. If He were to appear to the sons of Israel, they must be inspired to seek His presence, and to become subject to His will. To this end they were led into Egypt, reduced to bondage, and held in ignorance for many generations. Only when they had been reduced into a state receptive of Divine guidance could they be delivered by miraculous power, and brought to Sinai. There they saw the fiery cloud, and heard the thunder, and were filled with awe. Although they were not capable of spiritual vision, they could then be led by the fear of punishment, and the hope of reward, to obey with meticulous care, the commands of Jehovah given through Moses. They could be brought to accept the covenant by which Jehovah promised to lead them, protect them, and give them victory over their enemies, if only they would obey His Law. When all this preparation had been made, a new, truly representative worship would be instituted among them. The tabernacle was actually seen by Moses in spiritual vision, and was built according to specifications received from heaven. The tables of the Law were placed in the holy of holies, and served as the medium of Divine communication because they testified to the appearance of Jehovah on Mount Sinai. So long then as the sons of Israel obeyed the covenant, and by their worship invited the Lord to enter, He could communicate with Moses and Aaron from behind the veil. The camp of Israel, ordered by Divine command, with the tabernacle in its center, became the "place," the natural environment, that conditioned the minds of the congregation to receive the Divine presence. For the time being, the tabernacle became in reality the dwelling place of God, the one place on earth where He was truly present with men, although even there He was not seen, but spoke out of the darkness of the holy of holies.

chapter IV THE PRESENT USE OF THE TABERNACLE

To the sons of Israel the tabernacle was a localized abode of Deity. It was the only place in the world where the voice of Jehovah could be heard. Only there could they be assured of Divine protection and guidance. Around it their whole national life revolved. Nevertheless, its use was temporary. When they had been settled in the land of Canaan, it was no longer needed, and in time it was abandoned. Only the Ark remained in use as the instrument of communication with Jehovah, and this was brought to Jerusalem by King David. (2 Samuel Chapter 6) In the reign of Solomon the temple was built to take the place of the tabernacle. It was a magnificent building of stone, designed to provide for the far more elaborate worship that was required by the greatly increased numbers of the Jewish people. This temple also served only for a time. It was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar when the Jews were taken captive to Babylon. Another temple was built by Ezra and Nehemiah after the years of captivity, but this was destroyed by the Greek rulers of Syria. When Herod was appointed king of the Jews by the Roman emperor, he restored the temple, and worship according to the ancient rites was performed there until seventy A.D. when this last abode of God was razed to the ground by the Roman army in the reign of the Emperor Vespasian. However, its use as a national shrine had been fulfilled, and it was no longer needed. The representative of a church, of which it had been the center, was replaced, at the advent of the Lord, by a truly spiritual church, dedicated to the worship of Jesus Christ, risen and glorified. Thenceforth, God was to be seen, not in a local building, but in His Word. Especially was He to be seen in the Gospels, where the life-story of Jesus Christ was faithfully recorded by the Evangelists. There also, by the Sermon on the Mount, and by other teachings, the Lord began to unveil the inner meaning of the Old Testament Word, which had been concealed from the Jews. He revealed a new vision of God, and imparted to men a new concept of the Divine Will, on which the Christian Church was founded. He taught that the worship of God was no longer to be confined to a specific place, because He would thenceforth be present wherever His Word was known and understood, and reverently obeyed. Thus when the woman of Samaria spoke to Jesus Christ at Jacob's well saying: "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say that Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus said unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:20-24) Jesus Christ could openly declare only the broad generals of religious truth, during His life in the world. That further revelation would be necessary He plainly foretold, saying: "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me, for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you." (John 16:12-15)

This prophecy was fulfilled at the time of the Lord's second coming, when, through His servant Emanuel Swedenborg, the spiritual truth contained in the Word of both Testaments, was made known in great abundance. It was explained in rational terms in great detail. It is contained in some thirty-five volumes, all of which taken together are called "the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem." On this revelation a New Christian Church is now being established. Here, in the work entitled the Arcana Coelestia we find a spiritual exposition in great detail of those chapters in the book of Exodus that describe the construction of the tabernacle.

We have pointed out that, although God is present everywhere in the universe, He can be consciously present only in the human mind. The human mind is an instrument Divinely created to become aware of God's presence, to perceive His Divine qualities of love and wisdom, that He may be loved in return, and worshiped from the heart. This is now the real tabernacle of God, the place of His indwelling with man.

However, in order that God may dwell in the human mind, it must be formed and built into a tabernacle. It is not so formed from man's birth, but during childhood, it is built out of sense impressions derived from the material world. On these all man's ideas are based. Only at adult age, after these worldly materials have been provided, can the process of constructing the tabernacle out of these materials be begun. This is because, during the years of minority, every one is dependent upon the external control and guidance of parents and teachers. He has not yet acquired the ability to think and judge for himself. His mind is patterned by others, through instruction and education. If it is to become a tabernacle for the indwelling of God with him, it must be reformed in accord with his own will and personal choice. Only by his own free election can his mind be opened to receive the Lord as his own individual God, the object of His individual love and worship.

This re-ordering of the human mind by a gradual process of regeneration, is what is specifically meant by the building of the tabernacle as described in Exodus. It can be accomplished only according to the Divine laws of life which are revealed in the Heavenly Doctrine. They are explained in connection with all the details of the account recorded by Moses.

It is important in the first place to note that the tabernacle was built of materials that were given by the sons of Israel as a free-will offering to the Lord. "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, speak unto the children of Israel that they bring to Me an offering: of every man that giveth willingly with his heart ye shall take My offering." (Exodus 25:1, 2) This is the first essential of a spiritual religion. It must be free. Man must sacrifice his own will in order to obey the will of God. What he must sacrifice, is not any material possession, but things of the spirit. They must be selfish loves, and self-centered goals that are contrary to the Divine will. These must be disciplined, and made subject to the love of service to others, and charity toward the neighbor. In no other way can the mind be opened to receive heavenly love and wisdom from the Lord.

But what does this have to do with the minute details of the tabernacle? Is this not recognized as true by those of every religion in the world? In spite of all their differences as to doctrine and religious life, do not all religions require of man that he live a life of use to others? Do they not all acknowledge the Ten Commandments as laws to be observed? What else does God require of any one than that which is so simply expressed by the prophet Micah: "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:6-8)

The law of religion, thus stated, is very simple; but human life is very complex. This becomes evident when we attempt to understand the laws of nature, and to use them for the benefit of human society. The field of scientific knowledge is beyond all limits. Its details are so numerous, that even in a life-time of devoted research, only a very small portion of them can be mastered. Yet only so far as these details are known and understood can anyone succeed in producing succesful mechanical inventions for the service of men. The same is true of spiritual things. Men think of them as abstract formulas of theology, but in reality they are the laws of spiritual life according to which alone man can achieve true and lasting happiness. They must be learned from Divine revelation, even as natural laws must be learned from nature. That they may be learned is the whole purpose for which the Word of God has been given. They must be seen in the Word, not as abstract formulas, but as vital principles of human thought, and love, and conduct. And they must be understood in application to all the complex conditions of life with which everyone is confronted daily. This is the reason why so many books have been written to explain the Ten Commandments. Why else should the Old Testament have been given, including the five books of Moses, the historical books from Joshua to Kings, and all the Prophets? And why else should it be necessary to add all the volumes that are included in the Heavenly Doctrine? All of these Scriptures contain treasures of Divine wisdom that are necessary for the establishment of the Lord's kingdom among men, and for the salvation of the human race.

From the construction of the tabernacle, therefore, and from all its specifications, spiritual knowledge and understanding may be derived that is of surpassing value to mankind. Whether the present study can succeed in transmitting to the reader some idea of how these things may be related to the practical problems of religious life, is doubtful; but if it does so in some small degree, it will have achieved its paramount purpose.

PART II MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION

chapter V GOLD AND SILVER

the materials offered by the Sons of Israel for the construction of the tabernacle represent those spiritual things of which the Church or the Kingdom of God is formed in the human mind. It is significant that they were twelve in number, for everywhere in the Word the number twelve signifies all things of the Church in one complex.¹

¹ A.C. 575, 1925, 2089, 9863. A.E. 430.

One of the indications of how minute was the operation of the Divine Providence in providing a purely representative building is that exactly twelve different materials were employed in its construction. The gifts brought by the children of Israel at the command of Moses were gold, silver, copper, linen, wool, rams' skins, badgers' skins, shittim wood, oil, spices, onyx stones, and stones for the breastplate of Aaron. Each of these represents some spiritual constituent of the Church. But they especially represent those spiritual things which are provided by the Lord during the period of childhood and youth, before regeneration begins, as the necessary means by which it may be inaugurated. They represent remains stored in the mind, without which spiritual faith and a genuine religion in adult age would be impossible of attainment. No man could receive spiritual blessings nor enter upon the life of religion which leads to heaven after death, unless during childhood the Lord prepared the way arid secretly provided the necessary means. For this reason heavenly affections are insinuated before any one can be aware of their nature, or of their great importance. "For so He giveth His beloved in sleep." (Psalm 127:2) Indeed, regeneration is a Divine miracle which the Lord must perform individually for every man. We are born into complete ignorance; we live by means of knowledges which come from without through the senses of the body. By this gateway we have touch only with the material world. Manifest sensations of spiritual things cannot be granted during childhood. How then can any knowledge or acknowledgment of God and of heaven be imparted? It is true that children can be taught about spiritual things, but such teaching merely enters the memory and is there retained without being understood. Whatever a child may learn from others is imposed upon him without any choice of his own. Only that which he acquires for himself by his own experience, and confirms by individual reflection becomes part of his life. When one becomes adult, and for the first time begins to think for himself, he inevitably interprets what he has been taught in the light of his personal experience. He then selects and retains from earlier teaching those things that appear to him to be true, and either ignores, or rejects the rest. Because he is primarily interested at that time in achieving some worldly ambition, the truths of religion seem visionary, like the fairies, the goblins, and the sprites of childhood's fancy. They may be remembered with tolerant affection, but they appear to have no important bearing upon the serious concerns of adult life. It is to some such state as this that every man would come unless the Lord provided him with the materials out of which a living faith and worship could be built. Such materials are actual sensations, living perceptions, as real and as inherently convincing as are the sight and hearing and touch of material objects. Yet they are sensations of what is spiritual, derived not from nature nor from other people but from direct contact with the spiritual world.²

² A.C. 561, 661, 1050, 1906, 2636, 3528, 5937.

Here is an apparent contradiction which must be explained if we would come to realize the wonder of the Lord's operation for the salvation of men. We said that children can have no understanding except that which comes from sense experience, and now we say that the Lord provides throughout childhood internal sensations from the spiritual world, and that without these it would be impossible to establish a spiritual faith in adult age. Nor is the contradiction avoided by saying that these internal sensations are not to be so called because children are unaware of their source. What can possibly be meant by this? Surely to be unconscious is to be without sensation; and to feel sensation is to be conscious. Yet it is a universal teaching of the Writings that all sensation is both natural and spiritual. Although it comes from the world of nature it affects the mind or spirit, and this affection is not only determined by the bodily senses but also, and more potently, by what we call the state of mind. That is, by the things that are felt from within. Man is actually living in two worlds. He has not only a material environment on earth, but also a spiritual environment, and he is in living touch with both of theseat all times. Nothing can be consciously sensed in the world of nature without presenting before the mind an idea, a mental picture; and at once into this mental picture there inflows from the spiritual world an affection, an emotion or desire that is not inherent in the material object, but is imposed by the spirits who are present with the man. This affection is actually a spiritual sensation although it appears to be a part of the material touch. Psychology reveals that every material sensation is qualified by a man's state of mind. The same object may be felt as delightful in one state, and as unpleasant and repulsive in another. We can have no conscious mental life that does not involve both a material sensation and a state of mind. Consciousness arises only when two forces meet, one from the material world, and the other from the spiritual world. Children, however, do not reflect upon their mental states. They naturally attribute all that they feel to the material objects from which the sensation comes. So far as they are aware, the only world is the material world, and yet without realizing it, together with bodily sensations, they are experiencing a continual touch with spiritual things and this makes a deep impression upon their mind. From this arises the delight which they feel in physical sensation. All such delights are stored up in the memory as part and parcel of their actual experience, and by means of them spiritual things later can be felt and perceived as real. These are what are called in the Writings, "remains." They are derived from angels and spirits and by means of them every one at adult age is inaugurated into the beginnings of spiritual life. Whenever there is a sphere of worship present; when the Word is read, and its stories are impressed on the mind as holy; or when the Lord's Prayer is repeated with reverence, angels draw near. A state of mind is induced which fills these external forms with the affections of heaven, with delights which the child does not understand but which he remembers, and to which he later seeks to return. All such states taken together serve to open to man a perception of things Divine and heavenly when the mind has been prepared by growth to receive it.

All these "remains" are represented by the twelve materials offered for the building of the tabernacle. The state of childhood in which they are unconsciously received and stored up is represented in the sacred story by the period of bondage in Egypt. It is a state of dependence upon parents and teachers, and therefore of obedience to external control. Strange as it may seem only by learning obedience can anyone be prepared for a state of freedom. This is because, only by obeying the law of the Lord can anyone be truly free. While they were in bondage to the Egyptians, the sons of Israel increased in numbers enormously. Although they received no material reward for their labor, they were nevertheless enriched in a way that was wholly unsuspected. By obedience to their taskmasters they were prepared to obey the commandments of Jehovah. On this their whole future as a nation depended. It was represented by the "jewels of silver and the jewels of gold" that the sons of Israel borrowed from the Egyptians on the eve of their departure for the land of Canaan. This borrowed wealth was later offered for the building of the tabernacle. So also, the "remains" of childhood constitute a fund of spiritual wealth without which a dwelling place of the Lord could not be established in the human mind.

The first gift brought as a free-will offering was gold.

It represents the delight of love to the Lord,³ insinuated, as above explained, during infancy and childhood: This love is the universal and all-embracing affection that reigns in heaven. Children cannot see the Lord and cannot know Him in any interior sense, for the knowledge of God is wisdom, and to this they have not yet attained. But in all their states of innocence angels are present who are in wisdom, and whose delight is love to the Lord, and in their presence the children feel their delight as if it were their own. Especially do they feel it in connection with all things that are holy, with the Word, with prayer, with the externals of ritual and of worship. Because children are in innocence, and because as yet the evils present with them by heredity lie dormant, the effect of these holy things is more powerful with them than it is with adults. When thinking of the Lord as their Heavenly Father, they innocently acknowledge His many blessings with a sense of childish gratitude. This is most powerful in early infancy, and becomes less constant and less effective in its appeal as they grow older. And yet the delight remains beneath all the shifting states through which they pass, and it moves the mind at adult age toward the acknowledgment of the Lord and the reception of faith in Him. This unconscious leading of the Divine is involved in the words of the Lord with reference to little children: "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones, for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 18:10)

³ A.C. 1551, 8369, 9464. W.E. 4667.

The second material offered was silver, and this represents the truth or the spiritual light which results from love to the Lord. For love is like a flame from which light radiates. The quality of the truth which man perceives is determined by the quality of the love that is active in his mind. Truth is but the form by which love expresses itself. It is the means by which love accomplishes its end. The truth which appears as a light radiating from the flame of love to the Lord is the truth of heaven, the law of spiritual life, especially as contained in the Divine Word. No one would be able to see this truth unless love to the Lord were insinuated during childhood. When the mind becomes mature, and when a sufficient store of knowledge and experience has been acquired, the light of spiritual truth first dawns.⁶ It has been present before, but it was enwrapped by ideas of space and time, and material qualities. As these are removed, especially by reading and reflection upon the teaching of the Word, the hidden truth comes into view. At first it is perceived only in faint glimmerings; but these inspire further study, which leads to the building of the tabernacle. Such is the meaning of the silver offering.

⁶ A.C. 1525, 1551, 4453. A.E. 176.

This opening of the spiritual mind cannot begin before adult age is reached because although knowledge can be learned from others, truth cannot. It can come only from the Lord to each one. It can be derived only from the Word. Each one must seek it there for himself.

The letter of the Word is of course learned during childhood, and its stories may then be remembered with delight. But their spiritual significance will not be seen. There are, of course, certain truths that lie open even in the letter. These are compared to the hands and face, which are bare when the rest of the body is clothed. That there is a God; that He is One; that He is wise, and merciful, and all-powerful; that He has given commandments that must be obeyed, these and many similar truths can be understood by children. From them a childish conscience can be formed. But they will be understood only in relation to external things, to physical acts, and outward behavior. Their spiritual implications will not be perceived. Nevertheless, they are the means of preparing children and young people to search for a deeper understanding, when adult age is reached. They represent what was called "the price of redemption."⁷ Every man among the sons of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, was required to give a bekah, or half a shekel of silver (in value about $.33) as a "ransome for his soul." (Exodus 38:26) The rich were not to give more, and the poor were not to give less. This was to be given for the service of the tabernacle. Because there were 603,550 fighting men in the congregation at the time the tabernacle was built, and because there were 3000 shekels of silver in a talent, the total amount of this metal was 100 talents and 1775 shekels. In modern money this would be worth about $195,146.54.⁸

⁷ Genesis 23:16. A.C. 2966.
⁸ A talent of silver was worth $1940; 1940 x 100.591 = $195,146.54.

chapter VI COPPER AND LINEN

the twelve materials offered for the construction of the tabernacle are to be divided into three groups of four each, according to their spiritual significance. In each group the first two materials mentioned in the list recorded in Exodus have reference to the internal mind, and the last two to the external. The gold and the silver, being the first in order represent respectively, the will and the understanding of the internal mind, while the brass and the linen represent the will and the understanding of the external mind.

Wherever brass is mentioned in the Sacred Scripture it is said to represent "natural good" (A.C. 9465) By this is meant the love of justice and uprightness, of honesty and fair-dealing, of honor and all the moral virtues. However, the meaning of the Hebrew word which is translated as "brass" in the Authorized Version of the Bible is not known. In Deuteronomy 8:7, 9 the same word obviously denotes copper: "For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land ... a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass." Of course the native metal is meant here, and not a man-made alloy. There is no historic record to show that brass was known at the time of Moses. It is an alloy of copper and zinc. We know that bronze, the alloy of copper and tin, was used as early as 2000 b.c. because tools, weapons, and knives made of that metal have been found belonging to that era. It is probable, however that copper rather than bronze was used in the building of the tabernacle because it was more practical. This applies especially to the construction of the altar of burnt offering, copper being more resistant to heat than is bronze.

Gold was used only in the tabernacle itself, while copper was used in the court. The gold boards of the tabernacle walls could indeed be seen from the court, because they extended 2 cubits beyond the hanging of the door, forming a sort of porch at the entrance to the holy place. The bases of the pillars supporting the outer veil were of copper, although they were inside the holy place. In both cases something is represented that is intermediate between the court and the holy place. This is indicated by the fact that the court not only provided a protective space around the tent of meeting, but also afforded a way of entrance into it.

The laver was made entirely of copper, the altar of burnt offering was lined with copper, and the bases of the pillars in the court, together with their stakes, were of the same metal.

Religion is of life. It is a life according to the law of God, which is the spiritual truth of the Word. That truth must, of course be known, and in some measure understood. But faith in abstract doctrines, by itself, is not sufficient for man's salvation. It must be applied to life; that is, to the solution of the practical problems with which everyone is confronted each day of his life. Medieval ascetics sought the good life by separating themselves from the world because they regarded all earthly things as evil and fled from them into a world of prayer and religious meditation. In modern times many Christians have gone to the opposite extreme, considering that religion requires no more of man than to meet the responsibilities of every-day life here on earth. If he does this, they believe, the life after death will take care of itself. Neither of these concepts of religion is correct. The medieval church might be compared to a tabernacle divested of its outer coverings and of its surrounding court, while the Christian Church, based on what has been called "the social gospel" may be compared to the court alone, without the tent of meeting with its holy place and its holy of holies.

If it is to have saving power, religion must find expression in the performance of useful services to the neighbor. Yet these services must be performed according to true principles derived from the teaching of the Word. Every act must be governed by the dictates of a conscience based on spiritual truth, and thus on the law of God. It must be an act of obedience to Divine command rather than one of mere conformity with the demands of society. Only when this is the case does a life in accord with the laws of civil justice, and of moral probity, become a life of religion.

Both the civil and the moral law are of Divine origin. Without them society could not exist. Without them the order on which all human freedom rests could not be maintained; and without freedom of action and of thought, there could be no religion. They are provided by the Lord, therefore, as a necessary protection to the church and to the life of religion, and also as a mode of approach to the true worship of God. For this reason they represent the court of the tabernacle.

Religion must pervade all things of man's life. It must govern not only his faith and his inmost love, but also his thought, his speech, and his action in the performance of his business and his profession. By inherited nature every man tends to love himself, and to strive for worldly wealth, power, and prestige, as the most important goals to be achieved. Such worldly ambition may be purely selfish, but if it is subject to the spiritual teaching of the Word, it may be inspired by love to the Lord and by the love of use to others without thought of personal reward. Such a love of use is not innate with man. It is a gift from God. It is insinuated from heaven during infancy and childhood, and man is made consciously aware of it in adult age by means of the Word. No one can achieve it by his own power. Yet everyone can perceive it as an ideal to be attained by willing obedience to the spiritual principles of religion. The will to do this, and the determination to persist in it through every temptation, is what is represented by the copper that was offered for the construction of the tabernacle.¹

¹ The value of the copper offering was 70 talents 2400 shekels. (Exodus 38:29) This equals 70 8/10 talents = 7646 4/10 lbs. avoir. = 122,342 4/10 ounces = 58,724,352 grains. One grain of copper = ¹/₄ of a cent. Therefore the total value was $146,810.88; dividing this by 603,550 men in the congregation, we get $.243, the average contribution per man in copper. The average contribution per man in all the metals for the building of the tabernacle was $.323 + 1.41 + .243 = $1.976. The total offering in gold, silver, and copper was worth $1,192,490.07.

The linen of the court was related to the copper as the gold of the tabernacle was related to the silver, the first representing the will and the second the understanding. The curtains of the court were made of plain white linen. Only the gate was embroidered in the four sacred colors. This linen, when presented to Moses as an offering, represents the teaching of religion received in childhood with affection and unquestioning faith. It is stored in the mind in the form of knowledges, which are however understood only in a childish way. Loyal acceptance of parental teaching is the only means of introduction to a religious faith. However, any religious belief, whether true or false, may be imparted in this way to the next generation. By this means many of the religions of the world have been perpetuated for countless ages. If human errors are ever to be corrected, each individual at adult age, must approach the Word for himself, and seek direct instruction from the Lord. This is possible only if a reverence for the Word has been instilled in childhood, and a desire to investigate and discover spiritual truth by personal reading of the Word and reflection upon its teachings. This spiritual curiosity is what is meant by the gift of linen for the tabernacle.

be valued above all other knowledges. As it is recalled at adult age it inspires one to seek instruction from the Lord. This is what protects the inner life of religion and invites the Lord to enter each individual mind, there to build a tabernacle for Himself. It provides throughout life a protecting wall, guarding from injury the inner loves and thoughts of man's internal mind.²

² See A.C. 5319, 9231, 9469, 9596, 9744.