The Shadow and the Substance

The Shadow and the Substance THE SHADOW AND THE SUBSTANCE
By H. L. Calhoun The subject of this lecture is, “The Shadow and the Substance.” It is based upon the first verse of the tenth chapter of Hebrews which reads thus: “The law, having a shadow of good things to come.” The law here mentioned is the law of Moses. This no Bible scholar denies, and the statement is made that this law of Moses had a shadow of good things to come. Christ nailed the law of Moses to the cross and took it out of the way, as Paul tells us; and that which came to take its place was the gospel, which means ‘good tidings,” “good news,” “good things.” The statement that the law of Moses contained a shadow of good things to come; that is, of the gospel which came to take the place of the law is in harmony with Paul’s teaching in Galatians 3:24, where he says1: the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ; but Christ being come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster. The same thought is here presented that Christ, that is the gospel of Christ, lhaving come, we are not any longer under the law of Moses, but under the gospel of Christ to which our schoolmaster brought us. This teaching is found also in Hebrews 9:24, where we are told that Christ entered not the holy places made with hands, but into the heavenly places of which the holy places made with hands were figures. These scriptures taken together make it very plain that God’s word teaches that the law of Moses had a shadow of the gospel; and it is our purpose in this lecture to develop both the shadow and the substance, so that all may see how beautifully they correspond with each other.

Some one might ask, “Why preach about the law if it is done away?” The statement that the law had a shadow of the gospel is interesting. God made the law, the shadow; and God made the gospel, the substance; and it goes without saying that the shadow of the gospel will bo like the gospel. The shadow of any object is always like the object. The shadow of a man is like a man; the shadow of a horse is like a horse; the shadow of a tree is like a tree, but the shadow is not the sub-stance. We do know the shadow is not equal to the substance. No sensible woman would be willing to mar-ry a man’s shadow. She wants a sure enough man. So the shadow of the gospel is not as good as the gospel; but as every part of the substance is represented in the shadow, so every important part of the gospel will stand out clearly in the law. It is a well known fact that there are many conflicting voices today, each one claiming to preach the gospel. In the United States we are said to have two hundred and fifty-seven varieties in the preaching of the so-called gospel of Christ. How is one to know in all this babel of voices which one is true? Is it not clear that if the law of Moses contains a shadow of the gospel, that the gospel which is true will correspond in every important feature to its shadow as represented in the law of Moses? And thus if I preach a gospel that is not clearly shadowed in the law of Moses, there is something wrong with my gospel. Hence the law and the gospel serve as a check each upon the other. According to the statement of our text, it is well known that the Jewish religion carried on under the law of Moses centered around the tabernacle from Sinai, on till Solomon’s time, and from that day on, around the temple, that the worshin in both tabernacle and temple was the same as that taught by the law given by Moses at Sinai. The entire worship ac-cording to the Mosaic law centered around the taber-nacle, and later around the temple. So of course, if we are to find a shadow of the gospel of Christ, we shall find it in the law of Moses governing the worship car-ried on in the tabernacle; and later in the temple. In order that we may see the correspondence between the two, let us first study the shadow as found in the tabernacle worship. We shall study the apartments, and they are three in number, the court, the holy place, and the most holy place. The court was what we call the yard around the building. They called it court; we call it yard; the dictionary calls it courtyard. This court, surrounding the tabernacle, was one hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide; reckoning the cubit to be eighteen inches, the court was about one hundred and fifty feet long by seventy-five feet wide. It was surrounded by a fence made, not of wood or iron, every five cubits, that is, seven and a half feet, there was planted in the ground a brazen post, near the top of which was a silver hook and a white linen curtain five cubits broad, that is, seven and a half feet broad, and hung on these silver hooks, reaching from the top of the post to the ground, making a fence around the tabernacle seven and one half feet high. These posts were made secure by tent cords and tent pins stretched tight one on one side and one on the other of the posts; and the posts were held in place by silver railings or connecting rods called fillets.

There was only one entrance to the court; it was on the east side; it was twenty cubits wide, that is, thirty feet in width; it was closed by a richly embroidered curtain; the figures upon this curtain worked in blue, scarlet and purple,, and fine white linen. Every one who entered the court must pass in at this door. There was no back door nor side door nor place to climb over or crawl under. Who could enter this court? Everyone, regarless of race,*color, or condition. God’s house has always been a house of prayer for all nations. Solomon teaches this in his prayer of dedication as well as Isaiah in his prophecies. So we have three points about the court—its name, the court; it had one doorway; and every one who desired could enter, the court and offer a sacrifice upon the altar that stood therein. The priests must always be present to officiate in every offering. The next place or apartment was the holy place, the front room of the tabernacle proper. The walls of the tabernacle were made of acacia wood boards twenty-seven inches broad and fifteen feet or ten cubits high. These boards stood on end upon silver sockets as a foundation, two sockets of silver each weighing ninety-six pounds under each board; and its bottom end had two teeth which fitted into the holes of the same size and shape in the tops of the silver sockets. These boards were held in place by long rods running through golden rings fastened at' equal distances from top and bottom and running full length, three rows. Over the top of the entire tabernacle were heavy tent coverings protecting the rooms below from all wind and weather, the tent coverings held in place by tent cords made tight by tent pins. The front room of the tabernacle was twenty cubits long, ten cubits wide, and ten cubits high; thirty by fifteen by fifteen feet in length, breadth, and height. The front end of this room was closed by a heavy veil or curtain quite thick so as to exclude all light from the outside, making it quite dark within. There were no windows nor other doors nor skylights. This front room was separated from the back room by a heavy veil quite thick; and the back room was a perfect cube ten cubits by ten cubits by ten cubits, that is, fifteen feet long, fifteen feet wide, and fifteen feet high. The front room was called the holy place. In it stood the golden candlestick made of one solid piece of gold beaten out. It had seven branches, each branch with a hollow bowl on top, this bowl filled with pure olive oil and containing a wick. These lamps were kept burning constantly in the holy place; they must never be allowed to go out day or night any time. We would raise the question, Why seven? Perhaps you know that with the Jews seven was a perfect number. This light representing something that was perfect naturally had the seven branches.

There were also in this holy place the altar of incense, sometimes called the golden altar. It was made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. On this sweet incense was burned each morning at nine o’clock and each afternoon at three o’clock by a priest who must get the fire with which to burn this incense from the altar out in the court. The other piece of furniture in the holy place was the table of shewbread standing on the north side of the holy place just opposite the golden candlestick which was on the south side of the holy place, and the altar of incense was immediately in front of the veil separating the holy place from the most holy place. On this table was bread and wine and incense. Into this holy place there was one door leading, and only one; there was no other way to get into the holy place. It was by this door that all the priests could come into the holy place, and were expected to do so, carrying on the worship inside the holy place every day. Nobody but a priest was allowed to come into this holy place.

Separating the holy place from the most holy place was the heavy veil already mentioned, completely excluding the two, the one from the other. In this most holy place was the ark of the covenant, a hollow box, the lid of which was covered with pure gold. On top of this lid were the cherub1 m kneeling as they faced each other one on each end of the lid. and each cherub with its wings raised above its head so that the tips of the four wings met just over the center of the mercy seat. Within this ark of the covenant was placed a copy of the law of Moses, a not of manna upon w hich God fed Israel for forty years, and Aaron’s rod that budded. There was only one door leading into the most holy place, and there was no other means of entrance. And into this most holy place went the high priest alone, and he only once each year on the tenth day of the seventh month, taking with him blood which besprinkled on the mercy seat to make atonement for his own sins and for the sins of the people, which atonement lasted only one year. The furniture in the court consisted of two pieces: first, the altar of burnt' offering, a hollow box made of acacia wood with a heavy post in each corner, each post projecting above the corner, and these projecting corner posts were called the horns of the altar; and the hollow box of the altar was filled with earth and unhewn stones and on this altar w~as a fire, kept con-tinually burning. This fire was kindled at first by the Lord, and it must be kept always burning; for God’s altar must be ready at all times to receive the offerings which men would make to him. Between this altar and the door of the holy place- stood the laver, a large vessel made of the mirrors which the women gave for that purpose, an exhibition on their part of a splendid spirit of self-denial.

We have now given the names of the three divisions of the tabernacle—the court, the holy place, and the most holy place; and we have named and described the pieces of furniture in each—in the court the altar of burnt offering and the laver; in the holy place, the golden candlestick, the altar of incense, the table of shewbread; in the most holy place, the ark of the covenant overshadowed by the mercy seat1. Over this entire tabernacle-—court, holy place, and most holy place—presided, th'e; high priest, that is, the head priest. It was his business to see that all the worship and service of God was conducted according to the will of God as expressed in the law of Moses.

All the common priests were subject to the high priest. In order to become a priest certain conditions had to be complied with, not one of which could be omitted, if the person should ever be permitted to hold the priestly office. First, the priest must be a believer. Without faith it has always been impossible to please God, and “He that cometh to God must believe.” Next, the priest must turn away from every other line of work and be only a priest. He could not be a priest and a lawyer, or a farmer or a shepherd; he must be nothing but a priest. Thirdly, some one who was already a priest must bring him to the laver and wash him all over with water. He did not wash himself, nor did the person who washed him wash only a little of his person, but the entire body must be washed with water. After the washing there were then put upon him the garments of the common priests. They were first, the white linen breeches; second, the white linen coat, reaching- from neck to ankles, with his sleeves coming down to his wrists. This coat was very much like a lady’s wrapper.

Around the waist of the priest was tied a white linen girdle, or belt; and on his head was placed a white linen cap or mitre. When dressed in the priestly garments, the priest must have looked immaculately clean, for linen freshly laund'pred Sfe the whitest of all cloth. After being dressed the one becoming a priest must be anointed with the holy oil and sprinkled with the blood. When these five things had been done, he might enter upon any duties as a priest; and these duties were daily and weekly. The daily service consisted in keeping the golden candle-stick lamps trimmed and burning always day and night. They must never be allowed to go out. And the priest1 walked and worked in the light of this golden candlestick with it$ seven branches; every step must be taken in the light of the golden candlestick.' Other daily service was to burn incense on the golden altar at nine o’clock in the morning and three o’clock in the afternoon. This incense was a sweet perfume; and since there were no doors nor windows nor open spaces when the incense was burnt in the holy place twice, each day, it kept this holy place sweet with incense all the time. So the priest had not only to walk in the light of the golden candlestick and do every piece of work in its light, but he must also work in an atmosphere laden with sweet incense all the time. There was another piece of furniture the table, in the holy place; and the service of the table came once a week. Every seven days the priest must come to this table and eat and drink what was on it—and there was on it bread, and among the vessels named was a decanter, which is a wine jar, so that on the table was bread and wine which the priest must take every seven days. They were not supposed to take a vacation and go away and let the daily and weekly service go unattended.

Now as briefly as we could we have gone over the shadow, showing the apartments of the tabernacle, the furniture of the tabernacle, the priest who officiated in the tabernacle, the manner of their daily and weekly service. It will be our privilege next to point out the substance corresponding to the shadow presented in the first half of this lecture.

Having looked at the shadow, we turn now to a consideration of the substance casting this shadow; and in deciding what the different places and pieces of furniture mean and the priests, we do not wish to be governed by guess work or opinion, but by the word of God. In considering the places, we spoke of the court; then we spoke of the holy place and the most holy place; and we spoke of the high priest as having control of the entire worship, the service being governed of course by the law of God as given through Moses. Whom did this high priest represent? Does the Bible tell us? Remember Hebrews 10:1 says: “The law had a shadow of good things to come,” and it was by the law that they had a high priest. In Hebrews 9:11, we are taught, “Christ being come, a high priest of good things.” Here is again the statement that Jesus is the high priest of the good things to cOme, and the law was the shadow of .the good things to come. And we have found that the good things that came taking the place of the law made up the gospel. So this language tells us that Jesus was the high priest under the gospel dispensation—and this is not my say so nor yours,
but the declaration of God’s word. In Hebrews 9:24, we are told that Christ entered not into the holy places made with hands which are figures, that is shadows, of truth, but into heaven itself where he made eternal atonement for us. The high priest under the law entered into the most holy place and made atonement or obtained redemption for sins. Our high priest entered into heaven and obtained eternal redemption or atonement for us all. It1 is clear that the most holy place into which their high priest entered was a shadow of heaven into which Jesus, our high priest, entered. It follows of necessity that the blood which the high priest offered upon the mercy seat was a shadow of Jesus’ blood which he offered upon the mercy seat in heaven. The atonement which their high priest made lasted only for a year; the atonement which our high priest made lasted forever. Thus it becomes manifest that their high priest was a shadow of Jesus, our high priest; and the most holy place was a shadow of heaven. Of course, our high priest was better than theirs—God’s word says so. Our high priest had no sin, did not make atonement for his own sins because he had none. Their high priest had sins, and the law tells us that he made atonement of his own sins. The blood which our high priest offered was a great deal better than the blood theirs offered. The blood of animals could never take away sins, but the blood of Jesus Christ could take away sins so that God would never remember them any more forever; but the high priest and the blood which he offered could be a shadow of our high priest and the blood which he offered, for a shadow is not expected to be as good as the substance. And the most holy place could be a shadow of heaven, the most holy place of which we have ever heard; in fact, because it was a shadow of heaven was the reason why it was called the most holy place.

We have found according to the teaching of God’s word what the high priest represented under the law and what the most holy place represented or was a shadow of under the law. We shall seek next' to find whom the common priests were shadows of and of what the holy place was a shadow. In Revelation 1 chapter verses 5 and 6 the Apostle John says, speaking of Jesus: “He washed us from our sins in his own blood and made us kings and priests unto God.” the “us” here means Christians, those who have been washed from their sins by the blood of Jesus; so that when he says “Jesus made us priests unto God,” it becomes evident that the priests back there under the law were shadows of Christians under the gospel. In 1 Peter 2 - chapter and 5 verse, Peter says: “As living stones, you are built up a holy priesthood; and the “you” means Christians. Peter joins John in calling Christians priests and in the 9th verse of that chapter, Peter again calls Christians “A royal priesthood.” There are other places in the Bible where Christians are called priests, so that we see in God’s word the priests under the law were shadows of Christians under Christ or the Gospel. This is not my say so nor yours, but the declaration of God’s word.

Now, the priests under the law were the only ones allowed to enter the holy place. There they carried on their daily worship and service, and the very name shows it to be a holy place. Of what was it the shadow? Since the priests back there were shadows of Christians, then the place where the priests worked and worshipped, a holy place, must be the shadow of the place where Christians work and worship, that is the church. No one bat a Ghrisl jan can get into the church just as no one but a priest could enter the holy place. In the second chapter of Acts we are told that God added to the church daily those being saved. Hence, we find it very clear that the holy place in the law represents the church and that the priests under the law represent Christians. In regard to the court we need to notice this fact: everybody who desired to do so could enter the court. This is the place into -which anybody and everybody comes and in which stands the church. The only place answering to this court is the world where everybody comes and in which the church stands. There was just one door nto the court, and there’s just one door into the world; every one who came into the court1 entered by the same door, and every one who comes into the world enters by the same door, natural birth.

There was just one door to the holy place and every one who entered the holy place entered by that one door; and so there is just one door to the church. Jesus said you must be born again and except a man be born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. In Matthew 16 th chapter, Jesus called the “church” in the same breath the “kingdom,” so that we see the scriptural confirmation of this point as the others. There was just one door into the most holy place, and everyone who entered it entered by this door. Having seen that the most holy place rep resents heaven, we are justified in saying there, is just one door into heaven. We are told of Jesus that he was the first box’n from, the dead; that is, he was the first person wrapped up in human flesh who ever rose from the dead to die no more.

Others have been raised from the dead, but they all sooner or later died again; but Jesus rose from the dead to die no more. And after his death he was received into heaven where he is sitting at the right hand of God. How beautifully and scripturally the persons and places correspond. The most holy place represented heaven the holy place must have represented the church, and the court' represented the world. Jesus Christ was represented by their high priest, Christians were represented by the common priests, and sinners were represented by all the people who entered the court. Could it be possible that all this perfect correspondence just happened? No; for God’s word says that the law had a shadow of good things to come.

Now, if the priests represented Christians, the way to become a priest will be a shadow of the way to become a Christian. What was the first step taken by one who was to become a priest? First, he must be a believer. God has never been willing to accept the service of an infidel. “He that believeth not shall be damned,” and “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe.” The second step taken by one who was to become a priest was that he must give up his old line of life, no matter what it had been, and be nothing but a priest. He could not be a priest and a lawyer or a doctor or a farmer. If he was going to be a priest, he must be that and nothing else. The third step taken by one to become a priest was some one who was already a priest brought him to the laver and washed him all over in.water—not just his hands nor his feet nor his head, but his entire body was washed in water. He did not wash himself, but was washed by some one else already a priest, and any priest could do the washing. The fourth step taken by the one becoming a priest was to be clad in the priestly garments. They were four in number: first, the white linen breeches; second, the white linen coat, reaching from the neck down to the ankles, having sleeves reaching to the waists; the third was a white linen girdle or belt around the waist; and the fourth piece was a mitre or cap of white linen. When the common priest was thus dressed, he must have looked very pure and clean. The final step taken in becoming a priest was that the person must be sprinkled with blood and anointed with holy anointing oil; without both blood and oil he never could become a priest.

Now, since the common priests were shadows of Christians, the way to become a priest will furnish the way to become a Christian. To become a priest one must be a believer; to become a Christian one must be a believer. “He that believeth not God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him,” so that the first point corresponds with the first point in becoming a priest, a person must give up his old life and be nothing but a priest. The second step in becoming a Christian one must give up his old life of sin, no matter what it has been, and be nothing but a Christian. If he has been a liar, he must give up lying; if he has been a thief, he must give up stealing. Whatever his life of sin has been, he must give it up, and be nothing but' a Christian; that is, to become a Christian one must repent. The third step in becoming a priest was that the person becoming a priest must be washed all over with water by some one already a priest; and the third step taken by one becoming a Christian is that he must be washed all over in baptism by some one already a Christian. Could there be a closer correspond-ence between shadow and substance? The fourth point in becoming a priest was that the person was dressed in white from head to foot. Now white has always been considered a symbol of purity and cleanliness; and the person becoming a Christian, before he becomes such, must be washed in the waters of baptism, and then he is promised salvation, or the cleansing from sin. The Bible speaks of those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. The fifth step in becoming a priest was that the person must be sprinkled with blood and anointed with oil; and the fifth step in becoming a Christian one must be sprinkled with the blood of Christ and anointed with the Holy Spirit. Not one of these five could be omitted by one becoming a priest; and not one of the five points foreshadowed by the process of becoming a priest can be omitted by one’s becoming a Christian. To become a priest one must believe, give up his old life, be washed with water from head to foot, be dressed in white robes, and be sprinkled with blood and anointed with oil; to become a Christian one must be a believer, he must repent, be washed in the waters of baptism. He is then promised salvation, and he must be sprinkled with the blood of Christ and anointed with the Holy Spirit. Was there ever a shadow that corresponded more perfectly than the way to become a priest corresponds with the way to become a Christian?

Further, since the way to become a priest, is a shadow of the way to become a Christian, then the work of a priest must be a shadow of the work of a Christian. Some of this work of a priest must be done every day and some came only every seven days. Let us examine these works and see how beautifully they correspond to the works of the Christian. The priest must walk in the light of the golden candlestick every day; every step taken in the holy place was taken in the light of this golden candlestick. This golden candlestick was a light shining in a dark place with its seven branches typifying perfection because it gave all the light that was needed in the holy place.

Referring to this light of the golden candlestick, Peter says: “We (Christians) have a more sure word of prophecy (that is, the Bible) unto which we do well to take heed as of a light shining in a dark place.” And Paul says: “All scripture is sufficient to perfect a man and thoroughly furnish him in all good works.” Certainly no stronger statements could be found that the golden candlestick with its seven branches was a shadow of the teaching of the Holy Spirit found in the Holy Scripture, which is sufficient to perfect the man. The priest must burn incense on the golden altar twice a day, and then walk and work and worship in the atmosphere filled with the perfume of the incense all through the day. What did this incense foreshadow? It is good we do not have to guess here. In Revelation 5:8, it is called “the prayers of the saints;” and just as the common priests walk all the time in an atmosphere sweet with incense so the Christians must walk every day in an atmosphere sweet with prayer, for Jesus said, “Men ought always to pray.” The Holy Spirit through Paul said, “Pray without ceasing.” A fish could live out of water or a bird out of the at-mosphere fully as long as a Christian could live out of the atmosphere of prayer.

There was another piece of work which the priest must do every seven days; that is, he must come to the table in the holy place and eat the bread and drink of the wine that was upon it, having previously offered the incense representing prayer. Could a shadow of the Lord’s table be more complete? That table stood in the holy place, representing the church where the Lord’s table stands. That table had on it bread and wine and the prayers of thanksgiving. To that table all the priests come once a week; to the Lord’s table all Christians should come once a week. Could a shadow be more perfect than this ? So we can see in becoming a priest and in assuming the priestly life we have a perfect shadow of the way to become a Christian and of the life one should live and worship as a Christian.

Please note that the laver at which one becoming a priest was washed stood in the court, and the court represented the world; so that baptism which is done for the one becoming a Christian is something done before he gets into the church. It cannot therefore be properly called a church ordinance. It is an ordinance of God, but it comes before one gets into the church. Indeed all religious bodies that practice water baptism refuse to allow any one to become a member of their church in full fellowship and good standing until after baptism. In this position they are right, although some of them do not follow the shadow in having the body of one to be baptized washed. Could the sprinkling or pouring of a little water upon the head of a person be truthfully called a shadow of the washing of the entire person in water?

Note please that the priest was not expected to offer sacrifice for sins any more than he was expected to eat of the table and drink of the wine found on it. It was no more the duty of a person becoming a priest to be washed with water than it was his duty after he became a priest to come to the table once a week. I appeal, friends, to every one of you personally. Could, if be possible* to have a more perfect correspondence between shadow and substance than we have here between the law and the gospel? Of course we have just fairly begun the study of the correspondence between shadow and substance, but in conclusion it may be said there is not an element or point anywhere under the gospel of Christ that is not clearly and definitely foreshadowed under the law of Moses. God help us all today to live under the gospel of Christ, to accept without change not the shadow, but the gospel of Christ in its fullness of which the law is the shadow.