266. The Tabernacle Furnishings and Their Spiritual Significance

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

The Ark of the Covenant #

• Contents: Tables of the law, rod of Aaron that flowered, and a golden urn containing manna
• Position: Situated between two cherubim who look at each other, with the propitiatory (mercy seat) as a table above it
• Symbolic Function: The ark represents God’s seat and contains the “reasons of all things” perfected in the world
• Three Things Signified:
  • Wisdom (tables of law)
  • Power of rule (rod of Aaron)
  • Life/goodness (manna)

The Propitiatory (Mercy Seat) #

• Physical Description: A table carried by cherubim, placed upon the ark
• Literal Function: Serves as seat of God in the tabernacle
• Figurative Meaning: Signifies Christ as our propitiation for sins
• Cherubim Significance: Represent the multitude of angels in concord with one another; their mutual regard designates angelic agreement

The Candelabra (Seven-Branched Lampstand) #

• Position: Placed on the southern side of the tabernacle
• Literal Reason: Instituted for the honoring and illumination of the tabernacle; magnificence of a dwelling requires proper lighting
• Seven Branches: Joseph noted this number; signifies the seven visible planets (whose influence illuminates the whole world)
• Figurative Meaning: Designates wisdom expressed through understandable words

The Table of Showbread #

• Position: Placed on the northern side of the tabernacle
• Physical Contents: Twelve loaves of bread in memory of the twelve tribes
• Access: Only priests were permitted to eat from it
• Literal Reason: Provided sustenance for priests serving the temple
• Placement Rationale: Not placed directly before the propitiatory to exclude idolatry (Gentiles placed tables before moon idols)
• Figurative Meaning: Signifies spiritual nourishment; represents common/gross nourishment (contrasted with the more sweet and subtle manna)

The Altar of Incense #

• Position: Placed directly against the ark
• Literal Functions:
  • Caused fume of good odor to honor the tabernacle
  • Remedied the fetid smell from blood effusion and animal remains
• Symbolic Significance: Signifies the office of priests who mediate between God and people
• Meaning in Figurative Terms: Represents the priestly dignity and mediation; priests direct people to God through divine power and offer the sanctity of the people to God as incense

The Exterior Tabernacle (Sancta) vs. Interior Tabernacle (Sancta Sanctorum) #

• Holy of Holies (Interior): Accessible only to the high priest once per year; signifies the higher spiritual world of angels and God’s transcendence; figures the celestial glory or spiritual status of the new law
• Holy Place (Exterior): Priests enter daily; signifies the bodily/material world; represents the status of the old law
• The Veil: Distinguished by four colors representing the four elements as impediment to understanding corporeal substances

The Atrium (Outer Court) #

• Contents: Altar of holocausts (burnt offerings)
• Access: Open to the people
• Figurative Meaning: Represents external bodily worship; people perceive only bodily sacrifices while wise persons can attain interior reasons

Key Arguments #

Why Specific Furnishings Were Required #

• Reverence Through Distinction: Just as royal vestments command reverence through their excellence, special vessels and furnishings in the tabernacle elevate human affection toward divine worship
• Sensible Signs for Spiritual Realities: The reasons of all things (divine wisdom, power, and goodness) are contained in the ark through sensible signs that human minds can grasp
• Exclusion of Idolatry: Specific placement and arrangement deliberately avoided pagan practices (e.g., table not before propitiatory because Gentiles placed tables before moon idols)

The Trinity in the Furnishings #

• The three things in the ark correspond to three divine attributes: wisdom, power, and goodness
• These are “appropriated” to the three Divine Persons:
  • Power: Appropriated to the Father (as beginning of all things)
  • Wisdom: Appropriated to the Son (proceeds as the Word)
  • Goodness: Appropriated to the Holy Spirit (proceeds by way of love; goodness is the object of love)
• Note: These attributes belong to all three Persons; appropriation indicates symbolic connection rather than exclusive possession

The Tabernacle as Prefiguration of Christ #

• Propitiatory: Christ himself as propitiation for our sins
• Ark: Christ’s body, made of pure materials (wood = pure members, gold = wisdom and charity)
• Cherubim: Angels attending and serving God and Christ
• Rod of Aaron: Christ’s priestly power (“made a priest forever” in Psalms)
• Manna: The fullness of divinity dwelling in Christ
• Tables: Christ as giver of the law

Important Definitions #

Propitiatory (Latin: propitiatorium) #

• The mercy seat or table placed upon the ark between the cherubim
• Not merely a physical object but a “seat” representing God’s dwelling and the place where divine mercy is extended
• Derives from the concept of propitiation—the satisfaction made to God for sins

Cherubim (Hebrew: kerûbîm) #

• Spiritual beings representing the multitude of angels
• Their mutual regard (looking at each other) signifies concord among the heavenly hosts
• Described by Dionysius as beyond all number in multitude

Sancta Sanctorum (Holy of Holies) #

• The innermost chamber of the tabernacle accessible only to the high priest once yearly
• Represents the higher world of spiritual substances (angels) and the transcendent nature of God

Sancta (Holy Place) #

• The outer chamber of the tabernacle accessible to priests
• Represents the bodily/material world and the status of the old law

Atrium (Outer Court) #

• The courtyard before the tabernacle where the altar of holocausts stood
• Accessible to the people; represents external bodily worship

Examples & Illustrations #

Reverence and Beautiful Objects #

• Chalices on the altar inspire greater reverence than plain vessels
• Beautiful churches (like St. John’s Church in Clinton) correlate with increased vocations to priesthood; the Diocese of Worcester reports more vocations from this parish than any other due to its beautiful art and representation
• Children naturally imitate prayer postures when seeing statues (example of children at Fatima shrine imitating prayer postures without instruction)
• Contrast: Non-representational windows (shafts of light) do not impress children or inspire the same devotion as churches with beautiful figurative art
• Anecdote: Berquist’s daughter insisted on being married in the cathedral downtown, saying “I want to get married in a real church,” indicating how architectural beauty affects perception of sacredness

The High Priest’s Entry into the Holy of Holies #

• Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies
• Entry occurred once per year
• A rope was tied to the high priest in case he died inside, since no one else could enter to retrieve his body

Practical Example of Priestly Access #

• Priests entered the exterior tabernacle (Sancta) daily to perform sacrificial duties
• People could only access the courtyard (Atrium) and perceive the bodily sacrifices
• This hierarchy of access corresponded to spiritual understanding: people grasped bodily realities; priests grasped interior spiritual reasons

Notable Quotes #

“Now, it’s necessary that there be something determined that through which something is ought to be, what, figured or signified, right? That it represents some likeness of that thing, right? And, therefore, it’s necessary for some special things to be observed in those things which pertain to the cult of God.”

“So it’s not an account of God that we have the church, right? To contain them, you know, a place to put them, it’s a place to put us, right? And so we went with more reverence, right, huh?”

“Man is the most imitator of the animals, right? And at first we learn by imitation, right? So it’s not to put God someplace, but to put us in a place where we’re more devout, right? And where the building itself is going to lead us to think about things.”

Questions Addressed #

Why Were Furnishings Placed in Specific Locations? #

• Candelabra on the South: The southern side is the right side of the world and the path of the planets; the candelabra’s light follows the celestial motion that illuminates the world
• Table on the North: The northern side represents the left/sinister side; temporal nourishment is placed there as the lesser good, distinguished from spiritual wisdom
• Holy of Holies to the West: The interior tabernacle faced west to ensure worship directed toward the west, excluding pagan sun worship (which oriented toward the rising sun in the east). Figuratively, the west represents Christ’s going down (death) and descent

What Do the Three Things in the Ark Represent? #

• Tables of Law: Wisdom and divine commandments
• Rod of Aaron: Power of rule and priestly authority
• Manna: Life and the goodness of God sustaining the people
• These correspond to the three most potent things in human affairs: wisdom, power, and life

Why the Four Colors of the Veil? #

• Linen (white): Arises from the earth
• Purple: Comes from shells found in the sea (signifies water)
• Hyacinth: Signifies fire (called “twice-tinted” or kako)
• Twice-dyed (air): Represents the air element
• Overall Meaning: The four elements represent matter as an impediment that veils us from understanding corporeal substances directly; they separate the exterior chamber from the interior holy of holies

Why Must the Cherubim Look at Each Other? #

• The mutual regard of the two cherubim signifies concord among the angels
• Alludes to Job 25: “Who makes concord in the sublime ones”
• Two cherubim ensure designation of the multitude of celestial spirits (not just one, which would suggest isolation rather than community)

Pedagogical Notes #

• Berquist explicitly warns that the details of tabernacle furnishings and their meanings will appear on the examination
• He emphasizes that understanding these Old Testament ceremonies enriches and motivates deeper reading of Scripture
• The lecture employs the Scholastic objection-and-reply method, addressing specific questions systematically
• Berquist notes that Thomas Aquinas provides both literal and figurative reasons for each element, demonstrating theological thoroughness