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Sanctuary
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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 upon the
mercy seat and filled the most holy place and was visible in the holy
place, and the glory often so filled both apartments that the priest
was unable to officiate and was obliged to stand at the door of the
tabernacle.
The priest in the holy place, directing his prayer by faith to the
mercy seat, which he could not see, represents the people of God
directing their prayers to Christ before the mercy seat in the heavenly
sanctuary. They cannot behold their Mediator with the natural eye,
but with the eye of faith they see Christ before the mercy seat and
direct their prayers to Him, and with assurance claim the benefits of
His mediation.
These sacred apartments had no windows to admit light. The
candlestick was made of purest gold and was kept burning night and
day, and gave light to both apartments. The light of the lamps upon
the candlestick reflected upon the boards plated with gold, at the
sides of the building, and upon the sacred furniture and upon the
curtains of beautiful colors with cherubim wrought with threads of
gold and silver, which appearance was glorious beyond description.
No language can describe the beauty and 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.
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
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that apartment, because it was the especial dwelling place of God’s
visible glory. The high priest always entered it with trembling, while
the people waited his return with solemn silence. Their earnest
desires were to God for His blessing. Before the mercy seat God
conversed with the high priest. If he remained an unusual time in
the most holy, the people were often terrified, fearing that because
of their sins or some sin of the priest, the glory of the Lord had
slain him. But when the sound of the tinkling of the bells upon his