or imaginary one, but a real heavenly one," which the Lord built, (pitched,) and not man ;" and it is yet in the heavens, and into it Jesus, our great High Priest, has entered for us. John, in the Apocalypse, says: "And after that I looked, and behold the temple (or holiest place) of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened." After describing the consummation of the terrible day of judgement, he says, (ch. xxi. 3,) "And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with man, and he shall dwell with them in the new heaven and the new earth." This true tabernacle, then, of which the earthly one about to be made at Mount Sinai was a copy and figure, will be the centre of worship and communication with God and the Lamb, when their kingdom shall be established among men on the earth, after the general resurrection and final judgement.

When Moses was thoroughly possessed of the "pattern," and the precious materials were collected, God inspired the hearts of various men and women with wisdom and skill to commence the work under his direction. Chief among these were Bezaleel and Aholiab. But others wrought also, both men and women, with great skill and industry. Some shaped the beams, planks, and pillars of wood; others overlaid them with gold, and ornamented them with chased silver. Some cast the sockets of silver to receive the tenons; others formed the hooks and eyes of brass to fasten the outer coverings, and of gold for the embroidered vails. Some of the women spun and wove cloth; others embroidered the rich curtains of fine-twined linen. For ten months they plied their work in the immediate presence of God, who dwelt in the "true tabernacle," which rested on the Mount, enveloped in fiery clouds and thick darkness.

At length, the first day of the second year of their departure from Egypt came, when each piece was complete and ready to be put into its place. The time for "the setting up of the tabernacle in the

wilderness" had come. So perfect had been the work, that every part fell into its place as if instinct with reason, and but an hour sufficed to "set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation."

First, the court of the tabernacle was set up in the midst of the encampment. It was a parallelogram, one hundred and fifty feet long on the north and south sides, and seventy-five feet wide on the west and east ends. Twenty pillars, seven and a half feet high and ornamented with silver work, formed each side, and ten each end. From the summits of these were suspended curtains of fine twined linen, whose edges were fastened together with hooks and eyes. In the centre of the east end a space of twenty cubits, or thirty feet, was occupied by loose curtains, beautifully embroidered, and suspended from four of the pillars plated over with gold. This was the entrance into the Court. Within the Court, and near to the entrance at the cast end stood the altar of burnt offerings, on which was made the daily morning and evening sacrifice of a lamb. A little distance west of this, and near the door of the tabernacle, stood the brazen laver in which the priests washed their hands and feet before entering into the sanctuary.

Next, they set up the "tent of the tabernacle," which was placed within the court, near to the west end. It was a parallelogram, the north and south sides being forty-five feet, and the east and west ends fifteen feet; and the height was fifteen feet. It was made of acacia, or shittim wood boards, fifteen feet long, and entirely overlaid with gold. These were placed perpendicularly, and the lower end of each board had two tenons which fit into two silver sockets, sunk into foundation beams of timber. The whole was covered with four several curtains, each made up of several separate pieces joined together by hooks and eyes. The first, or inner curtain, was of fine twined linen, richly embroidered with cherubim. This covered the structure entirely at the top, and fell down in

It was a chest made of acacia (or shittim) wood, three feet nine inches long, two feet three inches high, and two feet three inches wide, and overlaid with pure gold within and without. It was, therefore, simply a golden coffer, and was finished with a massive border of gold round the top. Resting upon this border was a massive

In the engraving this vail is seen partly drawn up.

plate of pure gold, which served at once as a cover to the ark, and as the "mercy seat," upon which God would sit and dispense his blessings to the people. Upon each end of this mercy seat was placed a golden cherub in a kneeling posture, and inclining gently forward, with the face towards the centre of the ark, and the wings extended forward, so that the wings of the one overlapped the wings of the other, and thus formed a canopy over the mercy seat. Under their wings upon the mercy seat, the divine Shechinah took up his abode. Hence the Psalmist says, "Thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth." Within the ark were the tables of the covenant, a golden pot of manna, and Aaron's rod that budded. The apostle Paul says, the "golden censer" was at the foot of the ark before the face of Jehovah. (Heb. ix. 4.)

Thus, on the first day of the first month of the second year after their departure from Egypt, the tabernacle was set up, every thing placed in order, and Aaron and his sons, bathed, anointed, and perfumed, were in their places; the candles were lighted, the incense was sending up its white, sweet, curling clouds, and the altar of burnt offering was smoking with the victim; while all the people stood in silence, looking now upon the holy Mount enveloped in cloud and fire, and now upon the tabernacle, within whose court Moses and Aaron were hidden from their view. Suddenly, the holy Mount trembled; the thunder uttered its voice; and the divine cloud that had rested on the mountain, and witnessed the building of the holy tent, descended and "covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." God himself had taken up his abode in "the holiest of all," upon the mercy seat, under the wings of the cherubim. (Exod. xl. 34.) From this hour "the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys." (Exod. xl. 38.)

It remains to notice an incident at the crucifixion of our Saviour. It will be remembered that the inner sanctuary was shut in by the second vail within the tabernacle; hence, "the way into the holiest of all, was not yet made manifest;" (Heb. ix. 8,) and the divine presence was enclosed from the people, and was only accessible to the high priest, and to him but once a year, on the great day of the atonement. At the crucifixion of our Saviour, this "vail was rent in twain from top to bottom," signifying thereby, that the way into the presence of God was now made manifest unto all people, and that each person of a lowly, obedient, and penitent heart might come to God, "by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the vail, that is to say, HIS FLESH." (Heb. x. 20.) The priesthood, in the old sacerdotal sense, was abolished, and a divinely called ministry established in its place, whose

duty it is to lead the people to God by this new and living way, through this new and precious vail of our Saviour's flesh: for "we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all." (Heb. x. 10.) Hence, we see the typical meaning of the Levitical tabernacle, and that, having fulfilled its mission, it has long since ceased to be; not a fragment of it remains on earth. It has passed away with its priesthood and services, and the heavenly tabernacle has taken its place, in which Jesus our

great High Priest appears a living sacrifice and mediator before God for us. "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities: but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb. iv. 14-16.)