Sanctuary: God’s Dwelling Place in Israel
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Just before the veil separating the holy place from the most holy
and the immediate presence of God stood the golden altar of incense.
Upon this altar the priest was to burn incense every morning and
evening; its horns were touched with the blood of the sin offering and
sprinkled with blood upon the great Day of Atonement. The fire on
this altar was kindled by God Himself. Day and night the holy incense
diffused its fragrance throughout the sacred apartments and far around
the tabernacle.
Beyond the inner veil was the holy of holies, where centered the
symbolic service of atonement and intercession, the connecting link
between heaven and earth. In this apartment was the ark, overlaid
within and without with gold, a depository for the tables of stone, the
Ten Commandments. It was called the ark of God’s testament, the ark
of the covenant, since the Ten Commandments were the basis of the
covenant made between God and Israel.
The cover of the chest was called the mercy seat. This was wrought
of one solid piece of gold, surmounted by golden cherubim on each
end. The position of the cherubim, with their faces turned toward each
other and looking reverently downward toward the ark, represented
the reverence with which the heavenly host regard the law of God and
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their interest in the plan of redemption.
Above the mercy seat was the Shekinah, the manifestation of the
divine Presence. Divine messages were sometimes communicated to
the high priest by a voice from the cloud.
The law of God within the ark was the great rule of righteousness
and judgment. That law pronounced death upon the transgressor; but
above the law was the mercy seat. By virtue of the atonement, pardon
was granted to the repentant sinner. “Mercy and truth are met together;
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”
Psalm 85:10
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A Dim Reflection of Heavenly Glory
No language can describe the glory within the sanctuary. The gold-
plated walls reflecting light from the golden candlestick; the table, and
altar of incense, glittering with gold; beyond the second veil the sacred
ark, and above it the holy Shekinah, the manifestation of Jehovah’s
presence—all were but a dim reflection of the glories of the temple of
God in heaven, the great center of the work for man’s redemption.