Passing from the "holy of holies" into the "holy place," the first thing one would meet would be the golden altar of incense, but no mention is made of it here. As it was a vessel of approach unto God, the account of it is not given until after the priesthood is established. The ark, the mercy seat, and other pieces of furniture yet to be considered, manifest God's character, and because of this have been called by some, "vessels of manifestation." Other pieces, instead of specially showing forth His holiness and righteousness, speak of how He may be approached, and these have been called "vessels of approach."
Before God manifested Himself in Christ, and Christ became the way of approach, the people had to approach Him through the mediation of the priesthood. We can thus understand the choosing and consecration of the priests being described before the vessels of approach are taken up. This is not confusion; the perfect order that governs God in all His ways may be seen in it.
The table of showbread is now described (vv. 23-30). Its materials being the same as those of the ark, we have Christ in type brought before us again. Christ in His varied perfections and glories may be seen at every point when God's dwelling place with man is viewed in connection with the tabernacle; this it is that makes its beauty and its blessedness. The "border of a handbreadth" crowned with gold (v. 25) was doubtless, in its natural use, to hold the loaves of bread in their position on the table.
Does not this speak of the One who is holding His own secure, and out of whose hand no power can pluck them? "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." John 10:2828And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28). Eternally secure! That hand of power, actuated by that heart of love, holding His ransomed ones until He has them safe home with Himself, beyond the reach of every foe.
The loaves which were placed upon the table may be viewed in two ways: first, as a type of Christ who is food for His people, as the loaves were food for the priests in the sanctuary—next, as a type of God's people accepted in Christ in all His perfection before God. Thus the loaves represented God's earthly people, Israel, who in turn were a type of Christians, God's heavenly people.
Leaven, always a type of evil in Scripture, was excluded from all the offerings "made by fire" (Lev. 2:1111No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the Lord, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the Lord made by fire. (Leviticus 2:11)). The fittingness of no leaven in the loaves can readily be seen, for thought of evil cannot be connected with Christ who is "the bread of life," and who is the food for His people.
The priests were to eat the bread in the sanctuary; now the believer feeds upon Christ in the sanctuary of God's presence. He cannot enjoy both Christ and the world. If Christ is the object of his heart, he has lost his relish for the world with its unsatisfying pleasures and vanities. If he seeks enjoyment in the world, the sanctuary is not his place; Christ in whom he professes to believe does not satisfy the heart.
The loaves were twelve in number, placed in two rows of six each. In this connection we can see how they were used as a type of Israel. The twelve tribes were represented in the twelve loaves, and being held, and that securely, by the table which was a type of Christ, their acceptance before God stands out to our admiring gaze; and this is seen again in the "pure frankincense" which was to be poured on each row, for this speaks of the sweet fragrance of Christ to God. How blessed it all is! "Accepted in the beloved"—loved as He is loved! Dear reader, do you know what it is to have the "pure frankincense" poured upon you, and can you rejoice in that word, "As He is, so are we in this world"? (1 John 4:1717Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17).)
The Candlestick
The candlestick comes next in order (vv. 31-40). Like the mercy seat, it was made of pure gold, having no wood in its composition, so that nothing human, only that which is divine is symbolized through it. Its seven branches would speak of perfection, the number seven in Scripture indicating completeness or perfection, whether in good or in evil. The light was furnished by oil, which is a type of the Spirit of God. (In olden days, kings and prophets were anointed with oil. In the present day, believers are anointed with the Spirit of God. See 2 Cor. 1:2121Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; (2 Corinthians 1:21), and 1 John 2:20, 2720But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. (1 John 2:20)
27But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. (1 John 2:27).) In the words of another,
"Putting therefore these three things together in their typical meanings—the number seven, the gold, and the oil—the result is that the significance of the candlestick is divine light in its perfection in the power of the Spirit. It is God giving the light of Holy Ghost, and this is displayed in its sevenfold perfection." The priests who moved about in the holy place could see the beauty of all that was there, as this sevenfold light was thrown upon the golden furniture and walls and reflected back their brightness and fell upon the handsome curtains with their varied hues. Even so now the Spirit of God presents Christ in His loveliness to the soul. "He will guide you into all truth"; "He shall glorify Me." And as this blessed One is unfolded to our hearts, we can say, Yes, altogether lovely! It is in the sanctuary that the light is shining; there it is the beauties are displayed. So it is that we learn Christ in God's presence, as taught of Him by the Spirit. Is there no light outside? Is all lying in darkness? Gross, moral darkness would have filled the scene when Christ, "the light of the world," went up on high, had not God made gracious provision to preserve them from such a calamity. He left a people, in whom He had put His Spirit, in the world, that they might reflect Christ and thus "shine as lights" in the dark scene (Phil. 2:1515That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; (Philippians 2:15)). This we get in the seven candlesticks of Rev. 1:2020The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:20). There it is not the sevenfold power of the Spirit of God in the sanctuary, but the seven churches in the world. Christ is seen in His majesty in the midst of the candlesticks, trying the ways of His people, and noting whether or not they are giving forth light for Him. How great then is the responsibility of the Christian to learn Christ in the sanctuary, and to go forth and reflect Him in the world. May each of His own seek to allow nothing in word or deed that would hinder the Spirit to take of "the things that are Christ's" and show them unto him. And may each be a light in the world, reflecting Christ until He comes.