The beautiful veil of which we have spoken separated between the holy place and the most holy. In the most holy place there were only two things — the ark and the mercy seat on top of it. In the holy place there were three things: the table of showbread, the candlestick, and the altar of incense (although this has not yet been mentioned). Now, since the veil has been rent, we as believers can enjoy them all, in perfect liberty as purged worshipers.
There was also a hanging for the door of the tabernacle, made of the same materials as the veil, except that there were no cherubim embroidered on it. It was held up by five pillars instead of four (as the veil inside the tabernacle had been), and these pillars stood in sockets of brass instead of silver.
Proclaiming His Praises
It is as holy priests that we draw near in worship (1 Peter 2:55Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)). As royal priests we serve the Lord (1 Peter 2:99But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Peter 2:9)). Just as these five pillars held up the outer hanging of the tabernacle which met the eye of those outside, so it is our privilege of service to “show forth the praises of Him who hath called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light.” We praise Him in confessed weakness, like the five pillars. However our praise should always be in the sense and joy of our place in Christ, for the pillars were overlaid with gold. Then too, just as these pillars stood in sockets of brass, we need to have the sentence of death in ourselves (2 Corinthians 1:99But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: (2 Corinthians 1:9)), for brass speaks of the judgment of sin as seen at the brazen altar (for us at the cross).
Speak of Christ’s Glories
These five pillars, though they symbolized weakness, held up that beautiful hanging. May this be a lesson for any of us who preach the gospel, and for all, whether young or old, who try to point others to Christ. Let us not speak of ourselves, or even be occupied with expounding deep truth to the unsaved. Let us “hold up the veil” by speaking of the beauties and glories of Christ and working to attract sinners to Him. This is what is needed today. There is nothing sweeter than a powerful message in which Christ is presented to the lost from a full heart. Remember the woman at Sychar’s well: her message was “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did” (John 4:2929Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? (John 4:29)). The blind man whose eyes were opened at the pool of Siloam said, “Will ye also be His disciples?” (John 9:2727He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? (John 9:27)). Philip, the evangelist, preached Christ to the Samaritans, and Paul was determined to know nothing among the Corinthians “save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:22For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:2)). Oh, for more of this in our Sunday schools, from our platforms, and in our conversation with our friends. Let us always present Christ to the lost.
We have noticed that this hanging did not have cherubim [judgment] embroidered upon it, for the Lord Jesus did not come to condemn the world — He came to save. Some day He will appear as the Judge, but He came first as the Saviour, and this is still the day of His grace. While we must warn of coming judgment, let us extol the precious name of Christ as Saviour, remembering that the Scripture tells us that “the goodness of God leadeth ... to repentance” (Rom. 2:44Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Romans 2:4)).
Further Meditation
1. What do the pillars teach us about preaching about Christ?
2. If there were five pillars mentioned here then why were there only two at the entrance to the temple?
3. The royal and holy priesthoods of a believer were mentioned in passing here. The subject is a rich one and worth our attention. Kings and Priests by W. Kelly does a much more complete job of presenting the subject.