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copy. God placed his Spirit upon the builders of the earthly sanctuary.
The artistic skill displayed in its construction was a manifestation
[414]
of divine wisdom. The walls had the appearance of massive gold,
reflecting in every direction the light of the seven lamps of the golden
candlestick. The table of show-bread and the altar of incense glittered
like burnished gold. The gorgeous curtain which formed the ceiling,
inwrought with figures of angels in blue and purple and scarlet, added
to the beauty of the scene. And beyond the second veil was the holy
shekinah, the visible manifestation of God’s glory, before which none
but the high priest could enter and live. The matchless splendor of
the earthly tabernacle reflected to human vision the glories of that
heavenly temple where Christ our forerunner ministers for us before
the throne of God. The abiding-place of the King of kings, where
thousand thousands minister unto him, and ten thousand times ten
thousand stand before him; [
Daniel 7:10
.] that temple, filled with the
glory of the eternal throne, where seraphim, its shining guardians, veil
their faces in adoration, could find, in the most magnificent structure
ever reared by human hands, but a faint reflection of its vastness and
glory. Yet important truths concerning the heavenly sanctuary and the
great work there carried forward for man’s redemption, were taught
by the earthly sanctuary and its services.
The holy places of the sanctuary in Heaven are represented by the
two apartments in the sanctuary on earth. As in vision the apostle John
was granted a view of the temple of God in Heaven, he beheld there
“seven lamps of fire burning before the throne.” [
Revelation 4:5
.] He
saw an angel “having a golden censer; and there was given unto him
much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon
the golden altar which was before the throne.” [
Revelation 8:3
.] Here
the prophet was permitted to behold the first apartment of the sanctuary
in Heaven; and he saw there the “seven lamps of fire” and the “golden
altar” represented by the golden candlestick and the altar of incense
in the sanctuary on earth. Again, “the temple of God was opened,”
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[
Revelation 11:19
.] and he looked within the inner veil, upon the holy
of holies. Here he beheld “the ark of His testament,” represented by
the sacred chest constructed by Moses to contain the law of God.
Thus those who were studying the subject found indisputable proof
of the existence of a sanctuary in Heaven. Moses made the earthly
sanctuary after a pattern which was shown him. Paul declares that that