The Earthly Sanctuary

The tabernacle was made according to the commandment of God. The Lord raised up craftsmen and qualified them with more than natural abilities to perform the most demanding work. Neither Moses nor those workmen were left to plan the form and workmanship of the building. God Himself devised the plan and gave it to Moses, with particular directions for its size and form and the materials to be used, and He specified every article of furniture that was to be in it. He showed Moses a miniature model of the heavenly sanctuary and commanded him to make everything according to the pattern shown him on the mountain. Moses wrote all the directions in a book and read them to the most influential people.SH 44.2

Then the Lord required the people to bring a free-will offering for making Him a sanctuary, so that He could dwell among them. “And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lords offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. They came, both men and women, as many as had a willing heart, and brought earrings and nose rings, rings and necklaces, all jewelry of gold, that is, every man who made an offering of gold to the Lord.”SH 45.1

Great and expensive preparations were necessary. Rare and costly materials must be collected. But the Lord accepted only the free-will offerings. The first requirements in preparing a place for God were devotion to the work of God and sacrifice from the heart. And while the building of the sanctuary was going on and the people were bringing their offerings to Moses, and he was presenting them to the workmen, all the wise men who labored in the work examined the gifts and decided that the people had brought enough, and even more than they could use. And Moses announced throughout the camp, saying, ” ‘Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.’ And the people were restrained from bringing.”SH 45.2

Recorded for Later Generations—The repeated complaints of the Israelites and the punishments of God’s wrath because of their transgressions are recorded in sacred history for the benefit of God’s people who would afterward live on the earth. Even more so, they were to provide a warning to those who would live near the close of time. In addition, their acts of devotion and their energy and liberality in bringing their free-will offerings to Moses are recorded for the benefit of the people of God. Their cheerful preparing of material for the tabernacle is an example for all who truly love the worship of God. When preparing a building for Him to meet with them, those who prize the blessing of Gods sacred presence should show greater interest and energy in the sacred work in proportion to how they value their heavenly blessings more highly than their earthly comforts. They should realize that they are preparing a house for God.SH 45.3

It is important that a building prepared expressly for God to meet with His people should be arranged with care—made comfortable, neat, and convenient, for they are to dedicate it to God and present it to Him, asking Him to abide in that house and make it sacred by His holy presence. They should give enough willingly to the Lord to accomplish the work liberally, and then the workmen should be able to say, Bring no more offerings.SH 46.1

According to the Pattern—After they completed building the tabernacle, Moses examined all the work, comparing it with the pattern and with directions he had received from God. He saw that every part of it agreed with the pattern, and he blessed the people.SH 46.2

God gave a pattern of the ark to Moses, with special directions how to make it. The ark was built to contain the tablets of stone on which God engraved the Ten Commandments with His own finger. It was shaped like a chest and was overlaid with pure gold inside and out. It was ornamented with crowns of gold around the top. The cover of this sacred chest was called the mercy seat, and it was made of solid gold. Attached on each end of the mercy seat was a cherub of pure, solid gold. Their faces were turned toward each other and were looking reverently downward toward the mercy seat. This represented all the heavenly angels looking with interest and reverence on the law of God deposited in the ark in the heavenly sanctuary. These cherubs had wings. One wing of each angel was stretched out above, while the other wing of each angel covered his body. The ark of the earthly sanctuary was patterned after the true ark in heaven. There, beside the heavenly ark, stand living angels, at either end of the ark, each with one wing overshadowing the mercy seat, and stretching out above it, while the other wings are folded over their forms in an expression of reverence and humility.SH 46.3

Moses was required to place the tablets of stone in the earthly ark. These were called the tablets of the testimony, and the ark was called the ark of the testimony, because they contained Gods testimony in the Ten Commandments.SH 47.1

Two Apartments—The tabernacle was composed of two apartments, or rooms, separated by a curtain. All the furniture of the tabernacle was made of solid gold or was plated with gold. The curtains of the tabernacle were of various colors, most beautifully arranged, and in these curtains cherubim were woven, using threads of gold and silver. These were to represent the myriads of angels, who are connected with the work of the heavenly sanctuary and who are ministering angels to Gods people on the earth.SH 47.2

Within the second curtain, or veil, was placed the ark of the testimony, and the beautiful, rich curtain was drawn in front of the sacred ark. This curtain did not reach to the top of the building. The glory of God, which was above the mercy seat, could be seen from both apartments, but in a much less degree from the first apartment.SH 47.3

Directly in front of the ark, but separated from it by the curtain, was the golden altar of incense. The Lord Himself had kindled the fire on this altar, and it was sacredly cherished by feeding it with holy incense, which filled the sanctuary with its fragrant cloud day and night. Its fragrance extended for miles around the tabernacle. When the priest offered the incense before the Lord, he looked to the mercy seat. Although he could not see it, he knew it was there, and as the incense arose like a cloud, the glory of the Lord descended on the mercy seat and filled the most holy place and was visible in the holy place. The glory often so completely filled both apartments that the priest was unable to officiate and had to stand at the door of the tabernacle.SH 48.1

The priest in the holy place, directing his prayer by faith to the mercy seat that he could not see, represents the people of God directing their prayers to Christ at the mercy seat in the heavenly sanctuary. They cannot see their Mediator with the natural eye, but with the eye of faith they see Christ standing at the mercy seat. They direct their prayers to Him, and with assurance they claim the benefits of His mediation.SH 48.2

These sacred apartments had no windows to admit light. The candlestick, or lampstand, was made of purest gold and was kept burning night and day, giving light to both apartments. The light of the lamps on the candlestick reflected on the gold-plated boards at the sides of the building and on the sacred furniture and the beautifully colored curtains with cherubim woven with threads of gold and silver. The appearance was glorious beyond description. No language can describe the beauty, loveliness, and sacred glory which these apartments presented. The gold in the sanctuary reflected the colors of the curtains, which appeared like the different colors of the rainbow.SH 48.3

Only once a year could the high priest enter into the most holy place, after the most careful and solemn preparation. No mortal eye but that of the high priest could look upon the sacred grandeur of that apartment, because it was the special dwelling place of God s visible glory. The high priest always entered it with trembling, while the people waited in solemn silence for his return. Earnestly they asked God for His blessing. At the mercy seat God conversed with the high priest. If he remained an unusually long time in the most holy place, the people were often terrified, fearing that the glory of the Lord had killed him because of their sins or some sin of the priest. But when they heard the tinkling sound of the bells on his garments, they were greatly relieved. He then came out and blessed the people.SH 48.4

After the work of the tabernacle was finished, “the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” For “the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.”SH 49.1

The tabernacle was made to be taken apart and carried with them in all their journeying.SH 49.2

The Guiding Cloud—The Lord directed the Israelites in all their travels through the wilderness. When it was for the good of the people and the glory of God for them to pitch their tents in a certain place and stay there, God indicated His will to them by having the pillar of cloud rest low directly over the tabernacle. And there it remained until God wanted them to journey again. Then the cloud of glory was lifted up high above the tabernacle, and then they traveled on.SH 49.3

In all their journeyings they maintained perfect order. Every tribe carried a standard—a flag or banner—with the sign of their fathers family on it, and every tribe was commanded to pitch their tents by their own standard. And when they traveled, the different tribes marched in order, every tribe under their own standard. When they rested from their journeyings, the tabernacle was erected, and then the different tribes pitched their tents in order, in just such a position as God commanded, around the tabernacle, at a distance from it.SH 49.4

When the people journeyed, the ark of the covenant was carried in front of them. “And the cloud of the Lord was above them by day when they went out from the camp.SH 50.1

“So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: ‘Rise up, O Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You/ And when it rested, he said: ‘Return, O Lord, to the many thousands of Israel.’ ”SH 50.2