Tabernacle and Its Services
301
place twelve cakes, arranged in two piles, and sprinkled with frankin-
cense. The loaves that were removed, being accounted holy, were to be
eaten by the priests. On the south was the seven-branched candlestick,
with its seven lamps. Its branches were ornamented with exquisitely
wrought flowers, resembling lilies, and the whole was made from one
solid piece of gold. There being no windows in the tabernacle, the
lamps were never all extinguished at one time, but shed their light by
day and by night. 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 it was sprinkled with blood upon the great Day of
Atonement. The fire upon this altar was kindled by God Himself and
was sacredly cherished. Day and night the holy incense diffused its
fragrance throughout the sacred apartments, and without, far around
the tabernacle.
Beyond the inner veil was the holy of holies, where centered the
symbolic service of atonement and intercession, and which formed
the connecting link between heaven and earth. In this apartment was
the ark, a chest of acacia wood, overlaid within and without with gold,
and having a crown of gold about the top. It was made as a depository
for the tables of stone, upon which God Himself had inscribed the Ten
Commandments. Hence it was called the ark of God’s testament, or
the ark of the covenant, since the Ten Commandments were the basis
of the covenant made between God and Israel.
The cover of the sacred chest was called the mercy seat. This was
wrought of one solid piece of gold, and was surmounted by golden
cherubim, one standing on each end. One wing of each angel was
stretched forth on high, while the other was folded over the body (see
Ezekiel 1:11
) in token of reverence and humility. The position of
the cherubim, with their faces turned toward each other, and looking
[349]
reverently downward toward the ark, represented the reverence with
which the heavenly host regard the law of God and their interest in the
plan of redemption.
Above the mercy seat was the Shekinah, the manifestation of the
divine Presence; and from between the cherubim, God made known
His will. Divine messages were sometimes communicated to the high
priest by a voice from the cloud. Sometimes a light fell upon the angel