THE SUPERIORITY OF THE HOLY OF HOLIES

THE SUPERIORITY OF THE HOLY OF HOLIES

We have chosen the above heading for the purpose of hanging on it a few remarks on some points we would not like altogether to pass over. Such points as the variety in value of different parts of the structure and of the holy vessels, the shape of places, the numbers that are prominent in the court and in the tabernacle, and the bearing which these and some other things have on the relative sacredness and importance of the court, the holy place, and the holy of holies. The superiority of the holy of holies shown by the door pillars.—The gate pillars were overlaid with brass, and stood on brazen sockets; those of the doors of the holy place were superior, for they were overlaid with gold though they stood in brazen sockets; those, however, of the veil or door of the holy of holies were superior to both, not only being overlaid with gold, but having silver sockets to rest on. Thus, the nearer the door pillars approached the holy of holies they increased in beauty and in value. The superiority of the holy of holies shown by the door hangings.—The hanging for the door or gate of the court was made of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; that of the door of the holy place, although made of the same material, being four-square, was superior in shape to that of the gate; the veil or door of the holy of holies, however, was superior to both, for besides being four-square and variegated by the same bright colors as the others, it was of cunning work, having cherubim figures interwoven.

Thus, the nearer the door hangings approached the holy of holies they increased in beauty and in richness. The superiority of the holy of holies as shown by the curtains.—The curtains which with the pillars formed the court wall were made of fine twined linen; those for the holy place were superior, being manufactured of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, and, with the exception of those for the east side, had figures of cherubim interwoven; those of the holy of holies, as a whole, were superior to those of the holy place, for all its sides—the roof, and the south, north, east, and west walls—shone replen- dently with the lovely cherubim figures. Thus the nearer the curtains approached the holy of holies they increased in beauty, in richness, and in splendor. The superiority of the holy of holies shown by the disposition of the coverings and curtains.—Outermost was the covering of badger or sealskins; next, below them the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, probably considered finer than the former; next, and below the rams’ skins, the fine white silky goat-hair curtains, being finer than the skin coverings; and lastly, and undercoats, and finest of all, and visible in the interior of the house, while the others were not, the splendid cherubim curtains. Thus, the nearer the coverings and curtains came to the interior of the divine dwelling, they increased in fineness, in richness, and in beauty. A striking indication of the cherubim curtains being deemed superior to the goat-hair curtains is the circumstance that, while the two grand divisions of the latter were united by means of loops of blue and clasps of brass, the clasps in the case of the former were of gold. These gold clasps or taches appearing right above and down the sides of the entrance to the holy of holies indicates the superiority of this sacred chamber to the holy place. Thus, the curtains were so disposed that the nearer they came to the holy of holies they increased in richness, and in beauty, and in splendor. The superiority of the holy of holies shown by the furniture.—In the court stood the altar of burnt offerings, overlaid with brass, and between it and the tabernacle, the laver made of finer brass, each of the serving women’s mirrors. The furniture of the holy place was superior to that of the court, the shewbread table and the incense-altar being overlaid with gold, while the splendid lamp-stand was made of the precious metal itself; the furniture, however, of the holy of holies was superior to both of the other two places, the ark of the covenant being not only overlaid without like that of the table of shewbread and the altar of incense of the holy place, but also within with gold, and its cover, the mercy seat, and the cherubim of glory, of solid gold. Moreover, resting in this golden throne, and filling the space between the mercy seat and the overarching wings of the two cherubims, was the luminous shekinah cloud—the symbol of the divine presence. Thus, the nearer articles of furniture approached the holy of holies and the symbol of God’s presence they increased in value, in beauty, and in significance. The superiority of the holy of holies shown by persons.—Common people, when bringing sacrifices, and Levites, as servants of the priests, had access to the court; only priests had access to the holy place, indicating its greater sacredness and its superiority to the court; none, however, save the high priest, had access to the holy of holies, indicating its greater sacredness and its superiority to the other two places. Thus, the nearer persons came to the holy of holies and the symbol of God’s presence they increased in dignity. The superiority of the holy of holies shown by the shape of places.—The court was a double square, and open to the heavens; the holy place was superior to it as a place, for although likewise a double square, it was less incomplete as a place, being covered over; the holy of holies was superior to both of the other places, for besides being covered over it was four- square, and not only so, but formed a perfect cube, its six sides—floor, roof, north, south, east, and west walls—-each measuring 10 cubits by 10. Thus, the nearer places were situated to the holy of holies and the symbol of the divine presence they became more complete as places. The superiority of the holy of holies shown by numbers.—Four, five, seven, ten, and one hundred are numbers occurring in the tabernacle, and are frequently mentioned in the Scripture. With the exception of five, they are regarded as symbolic numbers of perfection or completeness. Five is deemed by many the number of imperfection. We prefer, however, viewing it rather as a less significant number of perfection than ten.

Court number.—The court was one hundred cubits long. There were four colors in the gate hanging. The brazen altar was four-square, and had four horns and four rings. Five was the most prominent court number. Its pillars were five cubits high, and were spaced at a distance of five cubits (Exodus 27:18). The brazen altar was five cubits long and five broad. Both the length of the court—-one hundred cubits—and its breadth—fifty—were multiples of five. The five pillars from which the sanctuary door was suspended stood not in the holy place, but in the court, in the same way as the four pillars for the veil of the holy of holies stood not in that innermost chamber, but in the holy place, as a glance at the woodcut, p. 18 will show. Although the bars around the sides of the tabernacle cannot be said to belong to the court, yet they were on the outside of the sacred structure, and seen only in the court, and in this sense were identified with it. There were five of these bars along each of the sides of the tabernacle.

Tabernacle (“dwelling”) numbers.—The very significant symbolic number of perfection, “ten,” is prominent in the sacred dwelling, and contrasts with the prominent court number five, which, as already noticed, is deemed the imperfect number; but which we, as already mentioned, prefer regarding as a less significant number of perfection than “ten.” The tabernacle internally was ten cubits high and broad. There were ten cherub curtains, and also ten goat-hair curtains, for although there was another of these goat-hair curtains, it was used entirely on the outside (p. 35). “One hundred” occurs in the tabernacle as well as in the court, that being the number of its silver sockets. Four, another of the numbers of perfection, occurs in the tabernacle, and more prominently than in the court. The doors were each four-square, the roof was four-fold, four colors appeared both in the door- hangings and in the cherubim curtains. Both forty-eight, the number of the boards, and ninety-six, the number of sockets they rested on, were multiples of four. The tabernacle (dwelling) was thus, as far as symbolic numbers indicated, a superior place to the court, or if we may so speak, indicated that it was a place nearer perfection than the court.

Holy place numbers.—In this apartment was the golden altar, which was four-square, and had four rings and four horns. Here also stood the shewbread table, which had four rings; and in this sacred chamber the most significant of all symbolic numbers occurs, for here stood the splendid golden candlestick with its seven lamps and its seven-fold light. As far as numbers indicate, it is apparent that the “holy” as a place was superior to the court. The most holy place numbers.—Here seven occurs as well as in the holy place, the blood of the sin offerings on the great day of atonement being sprinkled seven times on and before the mercy seat. Here, also, four and ten occur, and far more prominently than in the holy place. The holy place was a double square, but the holy of holies was four-square. The tops or surfaces of the brazen altar and the golden altar were four-square, but the innermost chamber of the tabernacle itself, like the same apartment in the temple, and like the New Jerusalem which John saw in vision (Revelation 21:16), was a perfect square or cube. “The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.” The holy place was ten cubits high, ten wide, and twenty long; but the holy of holies was ten cubits high, ten wide, and ten long, and every one of its sides—the roof, the floor, and the north, south, east, and west walls—was ten cubits square. Thus the holy of holies was not only a perfect square, but it was a cube formed of the very significant symbolic number of perfection, “ten.” The outside of the ark of the covenant which stood in the innermost chamber does not seem to be particularly associated with any of the numbers of perfection save its four rings; but withdraw the lid and look in, and what do you behold? The tables of stone with the ten commandments written on them with God’s own finger. The holy of holies it is evident, as far as its numbers indicate, was the most sacred and important place of the tabernacle, and bore the most distinct marks of perfection. Let us not forget, however, in speaking of indications of greater or lesser relatively; for both the court and the holy place were planned by Jehovah Himself, and were perfectly adapted for the purposes for which they were intended. In numbers, as well as in pillars, veils, hangings, curtains, holy vessels, persons, shape of places, we have clear and unmistakable indications that the holy of holies was superior to both the court and the holy place. The nearer, as we have seen, that parts of the sacred structure, holy vessels, persons, places and numbers were situated to, or the more closely they were associated with, the symbol of the presence of the all-perfect Jehovah, they were the more valuable, beautiful, dignified, perfect in form, or significant of completeness. In this way they all distinctly pointed to the innermost apartment of the tabernacle as the region of pre-eminent beauty, perfection, and glory.

Yet this glorious throne room, and the bright shekinah cloud, were but faint types of the inconceivable and transcendent glories of the heavenly sanctuary, and of Him who there dwelleth in the light that is inaccessible and full of glory. How shall we, who are sinful dust and ashes, have access to the heavenly sanctuary, and appear before its transcendently glorious throne, when none but priests were permitted to enter even the first apartment of the tabernacle, and none but the high priest had access to the innermost chamber. Blessed be God, genuine believers are a royal priesthood, and the way of access for them into the holiest of all is open, since Christ, by His atoning death, has rent the veil in twain. No court, no brazen altar, no laver, no holy place, no golden altar, and no dividing veil now come between God’s redeemed people and the heavenly throne. All that was typified by the brazen altar and the court, and by the golden altar and the holy place, are to be found in the true holy of holies. There is the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world, and there is the great Intercessor, interceding for those who have believed on His name, and pleading on their behalf the efficacy of the blood which He shed for them on Calvary. Not on one day of the year, but on every day and at all times we may enter into the “holiest by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way He hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh,” and there obtain mercy to pardon, and find grace to help in time of need. And while we have thus the privilege, even now, of entering the heavenly sanctuary by faith, let us be cheered by the blessed hope of its becoming hereafter the dwelling-place of our immortal souls. May every step in our earthly pilgrimage be one nearer to this happy abode, and to our Father in heaven, and one that will find us not only nearer to God but increased in meetness to stand in His presence and to serve Him day and night in His holy temple for ever and ever.

Then let the way appear Steps unto heaven;
All that Thou sendest me In mercy given;
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to Thee— Nearer to Thee.