“And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it. And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it. And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubim shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.” (Exod. 25:10-22; see also Exod. 37:1-9)

“And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony … And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.” (Exod. 26:33,34)

“And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the LORD commanded.” (Exod. 40:21)

“Beyond the ‘Vail,’ in the ‘Most Holy,’ there was but one piece of furniture—the ‘Ark.’ It was a rectangular box made of wood overlaid with gold, having a lid or cover of pure gold called the Propitiatory or ‘Mercy Seat.’ Upon it (and of the same piece), were two cherubs of gold— beaten work. Within this ‘Ark’ (under the Propitiatory) were placed the golden bowl of manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the two Tables of the Law. (Heb. 9:4) Upon the Propitiatory a supernatural light appeared, shining out between the cherubim, representing the Divine presence. This was the only light in the ‘Most Holy.’ ” (T17)

“The Ark of the Covenant or ‘Ark of the Testimony’ was the only article of furniture in the Most Holy. (Heb. 9:2-4 Diaglott footnote) Its name suggests that it illustrated the embodiment of Jehovah’s plan, which he had purposed in himself, before the beginning of the creation of God—before the minutest development of his plan had taken place. It represented the eternal purpose of God—his foreordained arrangement of riches of grace for mankind in the Christ (Head and Body)—‘the hidden mystery.’ It therefore represents Christ Jesus and his Bride, the ‘little flock,’ to be partakers of the divine nature, and to be imbued with the power and great glory—the prize of our high calling—the joy set before our Lord, and all the members of his Body.

“As before stated, it was a rectangular box overlaid with gold, representing the divine nature granted to the glorified Church.” (T121)

“In the golden Ark, was represented the glory to be revealed in the divine Christ: in the budded rod, God’s chosen priesthood; in the tables of the Law, the righteous Judge; in the incorruptible manna in the golden bowl, immortality, the divine nature.” (T123)

“The value … attributed to the decalogue results from its being a testimony of God, revealing not merely, as perhaps we have been accustomed to think, what he wills, but what he is. The ‘ten words’ inscribed on these tablets do, indeed, contain commandments; but first of all they testify that God is a deliverer. The inscription commences, ‘I am Jehovah thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.’ (Exod. 20:2) By its requirements and prohibitions, the document testified that Jehovah was holy, and required holiness of his people. Because of this witness which the inscription bore concerning Jehovah, it was called the testimony; and because its Author had propounded it as the basis of the covenant he wished to make with the Hebrews, and they had formally and solemnly consented to receive it as such, it was also called the covenant. For corresponding reasons the ark was sometimes termed the ark of the testimony and sometimes the ark of the covenant.” (Atwater, The Sacred Tabernacle of the Hebrews, p. 309)

“And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.” (Exod. 25:16) “And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony.” (Exod. 40:3)

“And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them.” (Num. 10:33)

The ark was made by Bezaleel (Exod. 37:1) in accordance with instructions received by Moses in the Mount. (Exod. 25:9,40; Heb. 8:5) It was made to preserve the two tables of stone on which the Covenant between God and his people was engraved. (Exod. 25:16) In due time it contained also “the golden pot that had manna” (Exod. 16:32-34; Heb. 9:4) and “Aaron’s rod that budded.” (Num. 17:10; Heb. 9:4)

When the Tabernacle was first erected “on the first day of the first month” (Exod. 40:2) “in the second year” (Exod. 40:17) after Israel’s departure from Egypt, the ark was “brought” into the Tabernacle (Exod. 40:21)—into the Most Holy (Exod. 26:33,34), and was there consecrated and dedicated to the service of God by way of an anointing with the holy anointing oil. (Exod. 30:26; 40:9)

During Israel’s march toward Canaan, its place seems to have been in the midst of the Camp (Num. 10:21); though there were times when it moved in advance—i.e., in front of the Camp, the host of Israel (Num. 10:33), or as when crossing the Jordan. (Josh. 3:6)

When it traveled, it was covered with the vail, a seal-skin covering, and a cloth of blue (Num. 4:5,6), and was carried on the shoulders of the Kohathite Levites (Num. 3:30,31; 4:4,15; Deut. 10:8; 1 Chron. 15:2,15), and on special occasions by the priests. (Josh. 3:6,14; 6:6)

“And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.” (Num. 3:31)

“But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders.” (Num. 7:9; see also Num. 4:15)

“And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.” (Josh. 3:6)

“It was not the business of the priests at all to transfer the ark, although they ranked high in the Lord’s services; it was the Levites who were com- missioned to bear the ark by its staves on their shoulders.” (R4259:4)

Probably the Kohathite Levites were under the direct supervision of Eleazer (an underpriest and successor to Aaron in due course), for we read:

“And to the office of Eleazer, the son of Aaron the priest, pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof.” (Num. 4:16)

After reaching Canaan, the Tabernacle was erected at Shiloh (Josh. 18:1) with the ark set up in its proper place. It was later taken into battle against the Philistines at Ebenezer (1 Sam. 4:2-5) and was captured by them. (1 Sam. 4:10,11) The Philistines brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod, into the house of Dagon. (1 Sam. 5:2) Ill befell this god in the presence of the ark (1 Sam. 5:2,4), his priests (1 Sam. 5:5) and the people (1 Sam. 5:5,6,9,12). The Philistines then moved it to Ekron (1 Sam. 5:10,11) from whence they returned it to Israel by way of Bethshemesh. (1 Sam. 6:12) The ark had been with the Philistines for seven months. (1 Sam. 6:1) It had been desecrated by the Philistines; but, what was worse, it was now desecrated by the Israelites of Bethshemesh and these latter were smitten for their audacity. (1 Sam. 6:19)

“The method chosen for the conveyance of the Ark to Jerusalem was not, however, according to the Law which prescribed that it should be reverently borne by the Levites, but patterning after the example of the Philistines in returning it to Kirjath-jearim they set it upon a new cart drawn (probably) by oxen. While God tolerated the ignorance and inability of the Philistines, who were not his people, to comply with the requirements of his law in this matter he did not so regard the forgetfulness or carelessness of Israel, but gave them a severe reminder of his displeasure. In the midst of the general joy and rejoicing with music of many voices and all kinds of instruments the sudden jostling of the cart seemed to endanger the position of the ark so that Uzzah put forth his hand to steady it, when instantly he was stricken down dead.” (R2003)

The ark was then moved from Bethshemesh to Kirjath-jearim (1 Sam. 7:1), and remained here at the house of Abinadab for twenty years. (1 Sam. 7:1, 2; 2 Sam. 6:4) An endeavor was made to move it to Jerusalem on an oxcart, when Uzzah is smitten for his effort to steady it (2 Sam. 6:6,7); thus the ark remained at the house of Obed-edom, the Gittite, for three months. His household was blessed. (2 Sam. 6:10,11)

“King David’s spiritual nature, so marked and represented in his Psalms, began to assert itself in respect to the government of Israel. It was not sufficient that idolatry should not be tolerated amongst God’s covenant people. The symbols of God’s presence should be honored once more. The Tabernacle at Nob had fallen into disuse when King Saul destroyed the priests because they gave comfort to David; and King Saul had had the Tabernacle removed to Gibeon; but the ark was not in the Tabernacle, and had not been for a long time.

“We recall that the wicked sons of Eli had taken the ark with them into battle with the Philistines; that in the defeat it was captured by the Philistines; that in its presence, Dagon, the Philistine idol, fell down broken and that in whatever city the ark rested, there were chastisements from the Lord until the Philistines returned it to Kirjath-Jearim. There it had remained for seventy years1 until the events now noticed. King David made the transfer of the ark to its new tent, or Tabernacle, a very important affair, sending word to various parts of the nation, assembling some thirty thousand warriors and multitudes of people of deep religious inclination who desired to be witnesses to this great new religious movement, which all hoped would mean the bringing of God’s blessing back to the nation, as of old.

“King David, intent upon honoring God, nevertheless neglected to look particularly into the divine law regulating the ark and its movement—who would touch it, etc. Divine providence now gave him a great lesson in respect to reverence for the Almighty and carelessness in respect to the laws. He had esteemed the ark, but not highly enough. Really, it was the most important of all the various furniture of the Tabernacle.

“The divine direction was that the priests should cover the ark in a particular manner, symbolical of certain things; and that then only the Levites should have the care of it, to bear it upon their shoulders. Neglecting these matters, the king had a new cart made and oxen to draw the cart, as though this would be a more dignified way to bring it than any other thought of. But it was not God’s way; and a lesson of reverence for God and for the ark, which symbolized his character and his mercy-seat, must be given.

¹Although this article reads “seventy years,” this seems to be an error (typographical or otherwise), for 1 Sam. 7:2 says, “And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.”

“The appropriate time came when the oxen, drawing the cart over a smooth, sloping, stone surface, allowed it to tilt a little. Then it was that Uzzah stretched forth his hand to steady the ark, and was immediately smitten dead with a bolt of lightning. This evidence of divine displeasure with the procedure brought all the festivities to a sudden termination; and King David feared to bring it too near him, lest it should do other injury. The procession stopped; turning aside, the ark was delivered to the home of Obed-edom the Levite, possibly a priest.

“The whole people thus learned the lesson of reverence—a lesson, by the way, which seems to be as much needed today as at any time. Irreverence is frequently manifested by the world; but this does not astound us as much as when we find irreverence manifested by those who profess to be the Lord’s consecrated people, his royal priesthood. It is sometimes irreverence of manner, sometimes irreverence of language, sometimes the making of jokes on religious things or on passages of Scripture. Everything of the kind is surely injurious to the individual, as well as to his influence with others.

“We are not to forget that Uzzah was not sent to eternal torment; but that he merely fell asleep in death, and that his mistake, which taught a good lesson in his time, will not inure to his disadvantage in the future. Mean- time, another lesson was taught; for the ark at the home of Obed-edom began to bring blessings, of just what character we are not informed, but blessings of such a nature that they attracted the attention of many. Among them King David noticed. Again his heart turned to the original thought that Jerusalem should be not only the City of David, but the City of God, God’s dwelling place, as represented by the presence of the ark and the Shekinah-light which shown between the two cherubim, as indicating the presence of God with his people, Israel.” (R5679:3)

Finally David does bring it to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:12-17); but it was re- moved from there by Zadok, the priest, during the revolt of Absalom, but on David’s directions was returned. (2 Sam. 15:24-29) In due course it was transferred to Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 8:6-9; 2 Chron. 5:2-9; 35:3), where it seems to have remained until the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, for Jer. 3:16 proves that the Israelites felt they were in possession of the ark up to this time.

It is of interest to note that when the ark was transferred to its rightful place in the Temple of Solomon and the staves were drawn out—as if to say its traveling days were now over—it no longer contained tables of stone—the Law. (1 Kings 8:8,9)

Speaking of the Ark and its contents, Conybeare & Howson in The Life and Epistles of St. Paul (p. 804, Heb. 9:6, note 8), say “… (all which had been burnt by Nebuchadnezzar with Solomon’s Temple).” We have been unable to find the historical basis for this statement, unless it be 2 Chron. 36:19, which we believe has reference to the vessels of the palaces of Jerusalem and not to the Temple’s vessels. Would it not be reasonable to sup- pose that the Ark was among the vessels of the Temple which Nebuchadnezzar had removed to Babylon (2 Chron. 36:18) and which Cyrus, in due course had returned to Jerusalem (Ezra 5:13-15)?

Mercy Seat

The slab which covered the Ark of the Covenant was called the “Mercy Seat” or Propitiatory (Exod. 25:17; Exod. 37:6); and yet it represented more particularly that most basic and fundamental attribute of Jehovah’s character—one that can know no mercy, Justice. (See T124.)

It was here that Israel’s high priests had once each year to sprinkle the blood of atonement, to satisfy the demands of a violated Justice. Only then could the high priest come forth as the administrator of God’s mercy, to bless the people with forgiveness and peace.

In the New Testament, our Lord Jesus is referred to as both the propitiation (hilasmos)—1 John 2:2; 4:10—and propitiatory (hilasterion)—Rom. 3:25, Rotherham, Fenton, Wilson. The former of these expressions means “satisfaction” whereas the latter means “the place of satisfaction”—i.e., the place where satisfaction is made; hilasterion has been so translated in He- brews 9:5. (See also E442.)

Putting first things first, we see that God’s Mercy (an essential element of his love) could not act on behalf of sinners until Justice had been satisfied. How beautifully this also is illustrated in the position of the two cherubim representing Love and Power upon the “Mercy Seat.”

“Neither Love nor Power can be exercised until Justice is fully satisfied. Then they fly to help, to lift up and to bless. They were on the wing, ready, waiting; looking inward toward the ‘Mercy Seat’ toward Justice, to know when to move.” (T125)

Over yonder is the stream of God’s Mercy, dammed up by Justice. In the dam, however, is a sluice gate, representing that God intended to find a way in which he could remain just and yet justify the sinner who would believe. The sluice gate would permit the waters to pass beyond the dam if someone would only open it. This is just what Jesus did by way of his ransom sacrifice, so that the gate which once was an integral part of the dam of God’s Justice, now becomes the channel of blessing. It is just so that the cover of the ark first of all represents God’s Justice, but after the sprinkling of the blood of atonement upon it, it becomes the “Mercy Seat” or channel by way of which God’s Mercy flows manward.

“Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness [by extension: the realm of truth] and peace [by extension: the realm of mercy and love] have kissed each other.” (Psa. 85:10)

In the Ark of the Covenant were placed by Divine command an omer of manna and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the two tables of the Law.

“Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD.” (Deut. 31:26)

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels.” (Num. 17:10)

“And after the second vail … the ark of the covenant … wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant.” (Heb. 9:3,4)

“It contained the two Tables of the Law (Deut. 31:26), Aaron’s Rod that budded (Num. 17:8), and the Golden Pot of Manna (Exod. 16:32). The Law showed how the Christ would meet in full all the requirements of God’s perfect Law, and also that legal authority would be vested in him as the Law-executor.

“The righteousness of the Law was actually fulfilled in our Head, and it is also reckonedly fulfilled in all the new creatures in Christ, ‘who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit’; i.e., who walk in obedience to the new mind. (Rom. 8:1) The infirmities of the old nature which we are daily crucifying, once covered by our ransom-price, are not again charged to us as new creatures—so long as we abide in Christ.

“When it is written that ‘the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us,’ it signifies that the end of our course (perfection) is reckoned to us, because we are walking after or toward that actual perfection which, when reached, will be the condition in the ‘Most Holy,’ represented by the Ark of the Covenant.

“ ‘Aaron’s Rod that budded’ showed the elect character of all the Body of Christ as members of the ‘Royal Priesthood.’ By reading Numbers 17, the meaning of the budded rod will be seen to be Jehovah’s acceptance of Aaron and his sons—the typical priesthood, representatives of Christ and the Church—as the only ones who might perform the priest’s office of mediator. That rod, therefore, represented the acceptableness of the ‘Royal Priesthood’—the Christ, Head and Body. The rod budded and brought forth almonds. A peculiarity about the almond tree is that the fruit-buds appear before the leaves. So with the ‘Royal Priesthood:’ they sacrifice or begin to bring forth fruit before the leaves of professions are seen. (The leaves of profession cannot come first.)

“The Golden Pot of Manna represented immortality as being one of the possessions of the Christ of God. Our Lord Jesus doubtless refers to this when he says: ‘To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna.’ (Rev. 2:17)

“Manna was the bread which came down from heaven as a life-sustainer for Israel. It represented the living bread, supplied to the world by God through Christ. But as the Israelites needed to gather this supply of manna daily or else want and starve, so it will be necessary for the world ever to seek supplies of life and grace if they would live everlastingly.

“But to those who become Christ’s joint-heirs, members of the Anointed Body, God makes a special offer of a peculiar sort of manna, the same and yet different from that given to others—‘the hidden manna.’ One peculiarity of this pot of manna was that it was incorruptible; hence it well illustrates the immortal, incorruptible condition promised to all members of the ‘Seed’—which is the Church. The manna or life-support fed to Israel was not incorruptible, and must therefore be gathered daily. So all the obedient of mankind who shall by and by be recognized as Israelites indeed, will be provided with life everlasting, but conditional, supplied and renewed life; while the ‘little flock,’ who under present unfavorable conditions are faithful ‘over- comers,’ will be given an incorruptible portion—immortality.—Rev. 2:17

“Here, then, in the golden Ark, was represented the glory to be revealed in the divine Christ: in the budded rod, God’s chosen priesthood; in the tables of the Law, the righteous Judge; in the incorruptible manna in the golden bowl, immortality, the divine nature.” (T121-123)

“To spiritual Israelites there is a lesson in connection with the manna also: it is Scripturally called the ‘bread of angels,’ and again, the ‘bread of the mighty,’ and again, the ‘bread of heaven.’ (Psa. 78:25) It was a food supplied by the Lord’s providence. Our Lord Jesus tells us that he was the antitype of this bread—that it typified the life-giving qualities which he possessed and which he sacrificed on our behalf; that all the dying race might profit through his death and obtain a right to life eternal. Thank God that some of us have had the eyes of our understanding opened to hear the message of good tidings respecting its value. More than this, some of us have already tasted that the Lord is gracious, and we have already fed on this bread from heaven, rejoicing the while that it is not only for the first-born but for all Israel—for all who eventually shall desire to come into accord with our God. It was some of this manna that by divine direction was put into the golden pot which was hidden in the ark with the scroll of the Law under the golden mercy seat, typifying, illustrating, the immortality which the Lord has provided for the church of the first-born, to whom he has sent the message, ‘To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna.’ (Rev. 2:17) That incorruptible hidden manna in the golden pot represents the grace of God in the church of the first-born, and teaches what is elsewhere plainly stated in the Scriptures, that the ‘little flock’ shall enjoy the incorruptible life, immortality.” (R4011)

“Our Lord declared himself to be the Bread from heaven . . . They failed to see that our Lord personified the truth, the great plan of God which centered in him . . . As we partake of our Lord’s qualities they become ours, as we feed upon him in our hearts we become strong in faith and in all the graces of his spirit.” (R4012)

While Israel was still in the wilderness of Sin—they had not yet reached Sinai where the Law was given to them and where the great Tabernacle was first set up—we read:

“And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.” (Exod. 16:33,34)

“Come near before the Lord—This has been supposed to refer to some particular place where the Lord manifested his presence. The great tabernacle was not yet built, but there appears to have been a small tabernacle or tent called the Tabernacle of the Congregation which, after the sin of the golden calf, was always placed without the camp; see chap. 33:7ff. ‘And Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it without the camp, and called it The Tabernacle of the Congregation; and it came to pass that every one that sought the Lord went out unto the Tabernacle of the Congregation, which was without the camp.’ This could not be that portable temple which is described in chapter 26 etc., which was not yet set up till the first day of the first month of the second year, after their departure from Egypt (chapter 40) which was upwards of ten months after the time mentioned in this chapter; and not-withstanding this, the Israelites are commanded (verse 34) to lay up an omer of manna before the testimony, which certainly refers to an ark, tabernacle, or some such portable shrine already in existence. If the great tabernacle be intended, the whole account of laying up the manna must be introduced here by anticipation, Moses finishing the account of what was afterwards done, because the commencement of those circumstances which comprehend the reasons of the fact itself took place now.” (Clarke, Commentary, Exod. 16:9)

George M. Lamsa’s translation of Exod. 16:33,34 from the ancient Peshitta (Syriac) is interesting:

“And Moses said to Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up as a testimony, to be kept.”

“Our Lord’s body was … supernaturally removed from the tomb because had it remained there it would have been an insurmountable obstacle to the faith of the disciples who were not yet instructed in spiritual things—for ‘the spirit was not yet given.’ (John 7:39) We know nothing about what became of it except that it did not decay or corrupt. (Acts 2:27,31) Whether it was dissolved into gases or whether it still is preserved somewhere as a grand memorial of God’s love, of Christ’s obedience, and of our redemption, no one knows;—nor is such knowledge necessary. That God did miraculously hide the body of Moses, we are assured (Deut. 34:6; Jude 9); and that as a memorial God did miraculously preserve from corruption the manna in the golden bowl, which was placed in the Ark under the Mercy Seat in the Tabernacle, and that it was a symbol of our Lord’s flesh, the bread from heaven, we know (Exod. 16:20,33; Heb. 9:4; John 6:51-58). Hence it will not surprise us if, in the Kingdom, God will show the world the body of flesh, crucified for all in giving the ransom on their behalf—not permitted to corrupt, but preserved as an everlasting testimony of infinite love and perfect obedience. It is at least possible that John 19:37 and Zech. 12:10 may have such a fulfillment. Those who cried, ‘Crucify him!’ may yet as witnesses, identify the very body pierced by the spear and torn by the nails and thorns.” (B129)

“Possibly it is preserved incorruptible as a great object lesson for the future, that men may actually look upon him whom they have pierced, actually see the remains of him who died for them.” (R3387:1)

“And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.” (John 19:37)

“And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (Zech. 12:10)

“The slab of gold called the ‘Mercy Seat’ (or more properly the Propitiatory, because on it the Priest offered the blood of the sacrifices which propitiated or satisfied the demands of divine justice) represented the underlying principle of Jehovah’s character—justice. God’s throne is based or established upon Justice. ‘Righteousness and justice are the foundation of thy throne.’— Psa. 89:14; Job 36:17; Job 37:23; Isa. 56:1; Rev. 15:3.

“The Apostle Paul uses the Greek word for Mercy Seat or Propitiatory (hilasterion) when referring to our Lord Jesus, saying,—‘Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiatory1 (or Mercy Seat) … to declare his righteousness… that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.’

¹ By some means the translators of the Common Version Bible mistranslated hilasterion “propitiation.” The word hilasmos , signifying satisfaction, is properly translated “propitiation” in 1 John 2:2 and 4:10. [T124, footnote]

(Rom. 3:25,26) The Justice, the Wisdom, the Love and the Power are God’s own as well as the plan by which all these cooperate in human salvation: but it pleased God that in his well-beloved Son, our Lord Jesus, all of his own fullness should dwell, and be represented to mankind. Thus in the type the High Priest, coming forth from the Most Holy, was the living representative of Jehovah’s Justice, Wisdom, Love and Power to men—the living representative of divine mercy, forgiveness, appeasement. Although the divine being is veiled, hidden from human sight, his divine attributes are to be displayed to all men by our great High Priest, who, as the living Mercy Seat, will at the close of this age draw nigh to mankind and make all to understand the riches of divine grace.

“The two Cherubim represented two other elements of Jehovah’s character as revealed in his Word, viz., divine Love and divine Power. These attributes, Justice, the foundation principle, and Love and Power of the same quality or essence and lifted up out of it, are in perfect harmony. They are all made of one piece: they are thoroughly one. Neither Love nor Power can be experienced until Justice is fully satisfied. Then they fly to help, to lift up and to bless. They were on the wing, ready, but waiting; looking inward to- ward the ‘Mercy Seat,’ toward Justice, to know when to move.

“The High Priest, as he approached with the blood of the Atonement sacrifices, did not put it upon the Cherubim. No: neither divine Power nor divine Love independently required the sacrifice; hence the High Priest need not sprinkle the Cherubim. It is the Justice quality or attribute of God that will by no means clear the guilty, as it was Justice that said: ‘The wages of sin is death.’ When, therefore, the High Priest would give a ransom for sinners, it is to Justice it must be paid. Hence the appropriateness of the ceremony of sprinkling the blood upon the ‘Mercy Seat’—the Propitiatory.

“Love led the whole redemptive plan. It was because God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son to redeem it by paying to Justice the ransom price. So Love has been active, preparing for the redemption ever since sin entered; yes, from ‘before the foundation of the world.’—1 Pet. 1:20.

“ ‘Love first contrived the way to save rebellious man.’ When the Atonement Day sacrifices (bullock and goat) are complete, Love tarries to see the results of its plan. When the blood is sprinkled Justice cries, It is enough; it is finished. Then comes the moment when Love and Power may act, and swiftly they wing their flight to bless the ransomed race. When Justice is satisfied, Power starts upon its errand, which is co-extensive with that of Love, using the same agency—Christ, the Ark or safe depository of divine favors.” (See T124-126)

“ ‘The Mercy Seat’—a slab of solid gold, on the two ends of which, and of the same piece of metal, were formed two cherubim, with wings uplifted as if ready to fly, their faces looking inward toward the center of the plate on which they stood. Between the cherubim, on the ‘Mercy Seat,’ a bright light represented Jehovah’s presence.

“As the Ark represented the Christ, so the ‘Mercy Seat,’ Glory-light and Cherubim together represented Jehovah God—‘the head of Christ is God.’ (1 Cor. 11:3) As with Christ, so with Jehovah, he is here represented by things which illustrate attributes of his character. The light, called the ‘Shekinah glory,’ represented Jehovah himself as the Light of the universe, as Christ is the Light of the world. This is abundantly testified by many scriptures. ‘Thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth.’—Psa. 80:1;1 Sam. 4:4; 2 Sam. 6:2; Isa. 37:16.” (T123)

“The relationship and oneness of the divine family—the Son and his Bride, represented by the Ark, in harmony and oneness with the Father, represented by the Cover—was shown in the fact that the ‘Mercy Seat’ was the Lid of the Ark, and hence a part—the top or head of it. As the head of the Church is Christ Jesus, so the head of the entire Christ is God. (1 Cor. 11:3) This is the oneness for which Jesus prayed, saying, ‘I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me’—‘that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may (then) believe.’—John 17:9,21.” (T126)

“As soon as man violated the divine law, Justice stepped forward, pronouncing him a rebel, who had come under the sentence of death, and drove him from Eden, from the source of subsistence previously arranged for him, and delivered him over to Satan to be buffeted by evil circumstances, and to the intent that the full penalty of the violated law might be inflicted—‘Dying thou shalt die.’ While this element of the divine character (Justice) was dealing with man, the Love element was not indifferent, but it was powerless, for two reasons: First, it could not oppose Justice, could not hinder the execution of the sentence, could not deliver man from the power of Justice, because it is the very foundation of the divine government; secondly, Love could not at that time interfere to relieve man, by paying the ransom-sacrifice for sin, because that would have been in opposition to the plan already marked out by infinite Wisdom. Thus divine Love and divine Power were held for the time, unable to relieve mankind, and compelled to assent to the Justice of his execution and to the Wisdom which permitted it to proceed through six thousand years of groanings, tribulation—death. In harmony with this, Love did not move to man’s release, except to encourage and instruct him through promises and typical sacrifices, foreshadowing the method by which Love eventually, in Wisdom’s due time, would accomplish man’s rescue. Thus Love waited patiently for the auspicious moment when, under Wisdom’s direction, it might act, and later might call to its aid divine Power.” (E451)

“All the power, all the justice, all the wisdom of God must be used in accordance with his own character, which is love. It will therefore be loving wisdom, loving justice, which will be used toward all creation in the exercise of his loving power for their good.” (R5210)

“The true accent of the Gospel is love. Nowhere in the Bible is it declared that God is justice, or righteousness, or wisdom, but only that ‘God is love.’ Love is not one of His attributes, it is all of them. The light of the sun is white, but when it falls upon the prism, it is broken up into all the colours of the rainbow. The light which streams from God is love, and all His moral attributes are but the inflections and reflections of His love.” (Edwin Lincoln House, The Drama of the Face—The Psychology of Love, p. 74)

“ ‘God is love.’ He has other qualities; but this quality of love is the especially predominating, the overruling quality of his character. God’s justice operates in conjunction with his love, and his wisdom would not attempt to carry out any plans that love would not approve.” (R5978:3)

“The Scriptures everywhere represent that in God’s estimation love is the principal thing. Neither justice nor other qualities, other virtues, are ignored; but this quality is placed at the very top of the list of Christian graces.” (R5757:1)

Even the Law (i.e., the ten commandments given to Israel at Sinai—see Exod. 20:1-17; Deut. 5:6-21) was epitomized by Jesus (and by Moses before him—see Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18) as love:

“The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength, this is the first commandment, and the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)

The term “mercy seat” in the Old Testament, as a translation of the Hebrew capporeth, is peculiar to the KJV and its revisions. Actually, and perhaps most literally, the Hebrew word means “cover.” However, it is interesting to note the following comments:

“Mercy Seat: This appears to have been the lid of the Ark of the Covenant, not another surface affixed thereto. It was that whereon the blood of the yearly atonement was sprinkled by the high priest; and in this relation it is doubtful whether the sense of the word in Hebrew is based on the material fact of its ‘covering’ the Ark, or derived from this notion of its reference to the ‘covering’ (i.e., atonement) of sin.” (Smith, Dictionary of the Bible)

“A mercy seat, capporeth from caphar, to cover or overspread; because of an act of pardon sins are represented as being covered, so that they no longer appear in the eye of Divine justice to displease, irritate, and call for punishment.” (Clarke, Commentary, Exod. 25:17)

One of the texts in which this Hebrew word occurs is Exod. 25:17, and this, in the KJV, reads: “And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold; two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.” Note, however how various versions and translations have rendered this identical term, in the identical passage:

In the New Testament, the term “mercy seat” occurs but once in the KJV (Heb. 9:5), and it is there the translation of the Greek word hilasterion. This same Greek word does occur once more in the manuscripts in Romans 3:25, and here the KJV has incorrectly rendered it propitiation instead of propitiatory. (T124)

This is how the various versions and translations have rendered hilasterion in Hebrews 9:5:

“In the Greek Version of the Septuagint the word hilasterion is used, which signifies a propitiatory, and is the same name used by the apostle in Hebrews 9:5 … As the word hilasterion, propitiatory or mercy seat, is applied to Christ, Romans 3:25, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation1 through faith in his blood—for the remission of sins that are past; hence we learn that Christ was the true mercy seat, the thing signified by the capporeth, to the ancient believers.” (Clarke, Commentary, Exod. 25:17)

“The Hebrew name for this solid gold slab is kapporeth, which is best rendered in English as ‘propitiatory.’ The paraphrase ‘mercy seat’ by Tyndale was adopted from Luther’s rendering ‘Gnadensthul.’ Martin North suggests that Luther did this on the basis of the Greek and Latin translation of the Hebrew.” (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, v. 4, p. 190)

“Two Greek words are rendered ‘propitiation.’ Hilasmos is correctly rendered ‘propitiation’ in two texts (1 John 2:2; 4:10), but hilasterion is incorrectly rendered ‘propitiation’ in Rom. 3:25; it signifies propitiatory, i.e., place of satisfaction or propitiation. The ‘Mercy Seat’ or covering of the Ark of the Covenant was the place of making satisfaction—the propitiatory or hilasterion; but the Priest in sprinkling the blood of atonement, the blood of The Hebrew word kapporeth occurs in Exod. 25:17,18,19,20,21,22; 26:34; 30:6; 31:7; 35:12; 37:6,7,8,9; 39:35; 40:20; Lev. 16:2,13,14,15; Num. 7:89; 1 Chron. 28:11. In each instance in the KJV it has been rendered “mercy seat.” According to Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, the mean- ing of the Hebrew word is “a lid, place of covering (sin).”

¹ Note: It would have been more correct for Dr. Adam Clarke to have used the word “propitiatory” here. the sin-offering, on the hilasterion accomplished hilasmos, i.e., he made sat- isfaction or propitiation for the sins of the people.” (E442, footnote)

Perhaps it would not be amiss to say that this slab of gold was merely a lid to the Ark of the Covenant until it was sprinkled with the blood of the sin offerings for atonement when it became, as it were, the “Mercy Seat.”

“And without shedding of blood is no remission [covering for sin].” (Heb. 9:22)

“Whom God hath set forth as a propitiatory covering, through faith in his blood.” (Rom. 3:25, Rotherham)

“The Two Cherubim represented two other elements of Jehovah’s character, as revealed in his Word, viz., divine Love and divine Power. These attributes, Justice, the foundation principle, and Love and Power of the same quality and essence, and lifted up out of it, are in perfect harmony. They were all made of one piece: they are thoroughly one. Neither Love nor Power can be exercised until Justice is fully satisfied.” (T125)

While Bro. Russell has not said it in so many words, he seems to have implied that the “Glory-light,” the “Shekinah glory,” represented the fourth element (i.e., cardinal element) of God’s character—Wisdom.

“He is never confused, bewildered, perplexed, anxious or careworn, nor in the least fearful that his plan will miscarry or his purposes fail; because all power and wisdom inhere in him. The scope of his mighty intellect reaches to the utmost bounds of possibility, comprehends all causes and discerns with precision all effects; consequently he knows the end from the beginning, and that, not only upon philosophical principles, but also by intuition. As the Creator of all things and the originator of all law, he is thoroughly acquainted with all the intricate subtleties of physical, moral and intellectual law, so that no problem could arise the results of which are not mani- fest to his mind. ‘God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.’—1 John 1:5” (R1832)

“Light is peculiarly expressive of the character of God and of his people. ‘God is light,’ says the beloved John. James calls him the ‘Father of lights with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.’ ” (R243)

“In the Scriptures light is used as a symbol of the illuminating power of the holy Spirit.” (R5129)

“The holy Spirit … in the true believers, causes the illumination of the sanctified in Christ Jesus.” (R1491)

“Everywhere throughout the Scriptures light is used to represent God. His truth, His Righteousness, His servants and their messages; and contrariwise, darkness is the synonym for Satan, the Prince of Darkness, and all his deluded followers, the children of darkness, and the wickedness with which he is identified, the works of darkness.” (SM240)

“God is light and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)

While it is true that the Israel of old seeking enlightenment from God—as to the course they should or should not follow—had to rely upon the High Priest and his Urim and Thummim to determine this for them, in the ultimate it was not the Priest nor his Urim and Thummim but God himself by way of the Shekinah presence in the Most Holy who gave the necessary illumination in these matters.

“It was into the ‘Most Holy’ that the High Priest went whenever he inquired of Jehovah for Israel’s welfare, etc., using the breastplate of judgment, the Urim and Thummim.” (T91)

“And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.” (Exod. 25:22)

The “crown” was in no way attached to the lid, but to the container or box below it, undoubtedly at its upper edge, extending just far enough above it to form, as it were, a rectangular retainer for the lid. Thus the final purpose of God for the Church is that throughout all the ages of eternity, she shall ever be holding Christ to be her “head.” (Eph. 1:22,23; Col. 1:18)

“And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof.” (Exod. 25:12)

The Hebrew word pa’am translated “corners” in the KJV means, according to Young’s Concordance, “tread; feet,” has in the Revised Standard, Rotherham, Jewish Publication Society, New International, J.P. Green, and others, been rendered “feet.” Of course the Ark of the Covenant was, like the palanquin (rendered “chariot” in Song of Solomon 3:9, KJV), to have no feet upon which to stand. It was to be carried.

While the ark was identified with the typical Tabernacle as it moved from place to place upon the earth, it was to find thereon no resting place, for it represented a spirit-born condition to be attained by the consecrated only after their earthly sojourn would be over. Thus, while all the other fur- nishments of the typical Tabernacle representing the Church while still in the flesh, could find resting places here—as is borne out by the fact that the staves of these were drawn out at each station—it was not so with the Ark. (Exod. 25:15) Its staves were not drawn out until the Ark reached its final resting place in the Most Holy of Solomon’s Temple which repre- sented, then, the “glorified” Church—a partaker of the Divine Nature! (1 Kings 8:8)

Perhaps the reason for using the term pa’am—meaning “feet”—was to indicate that so long as the Ark was identified with the Tabernacle (representing an earthly condition) it was carried on the shoulders of the priestly Levites who themselves represented those who during the Gospel age would, as antitypical priestly Levites, be carrying the antitypical Ark, and who themselves, though still sojourning in the flesh, in this world, nevertheless really were not of it either. (John 17:14)

Shekinah

“… a word, though not occurring in the Bible, that is employed by some Jews and by Christians to describe the visible presence of Jehovah. It is al- luded to in such places as Isa. 60:2 by the phrase ‘his glory’ and in Rom. 9:4 by the phrase ‘the glory.’ ” (Pictorial Bible Dictionary—Zondervan)

“… a word not found in the Bible, but used by the later Jews, and borrowed by Christians from them, to express the visible majesty of the Divine Pres- ence, especially when resting or dwelling between the cherubim on the mercy-seat in the Tabernacle and in the Temple of Solomon; but not in Zerubbabel’s temple, for it was one of the five particulars which the Jews reckon to have been wanting in the second Temple (Castell, Lexic. x.v.; Prideaux, Connect. i, 138).” (McClintock & Strong, Cyclopedia)

The prophet Isaiah declared: “Verily thou art a God that hideth thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.” (Isa. 45:15) The reason for this is quite clear, for as Jehovah told Moses of old, no man can see God and live. (Exod. 33:20)

“What did our Lord wish us to understand by his words, ‘He that hath seen me hath seen the Father’? We answer, he meant us to understand that it is impossible for man (a fleshy, earthly being) to see God, a spirit being … He meant them to understand what the Lord declared to Moses, ‘No man can see my face and live’; hence that if the Father would show himself to humanity, it could only be either by miraculously opening man’s eyes to dis- cern the spiritual glory (thus exposing man to death), or else by God’s manifesting himself in a body of flesh—in such a manner that men could discern something of his character by contact and intercourse.” (E76)

“The perfect man is a perfect image of the invisible God, and hence, the best conception or illustration that could be present.” (E77)

In the days before Jesus came, and in fact during his days, God hid himself by way of “shekinahs,” generally the “cloud.” On the mount of transfiguration with Jesus, Peter, James and John, there was a “bright cloud” that overshadowed them, from whence came a voice (that of God) which said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him.” (See Matt. 17:1-9) That too, was a “shekinah”!

The term “shekinah” does not appear anywhere in the Scriptures. It does, however, appear in the Targums and in the Talmud, both of which originated in the early centuries of the Christian era. Since then it has been used by both Jews and Christians to represent the presence of the invisible God! The “Glory-light” (T123) which appeared between the cherubim atop the Mercy Seat, in the Most Holy of the Tabernacle, served also as a “cloud” for God himself said to Moses, “Speak unto Aaron … that he come not at all times into the holy [Most Holy] within the vail before the Mercy Seat, which is upon the Ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.” (Lev. 16:2) The Psalmist seems to have sensed this for he says, “thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.” (Psa. 80:1)

The presence of God was indicated by a cloud which appeared above the Tabernacle (Exod. 40:34), and in Lev. 16:2 we are told that God would appear in the cloud upon the Mercy Seat. The association of “light” with the cloud probably stems from the fact that the cloud over the Tabernacle during the day became a fiery pillar at night, as when it had first appeared at the time of their exodus from Egypt as they neared the Red Sea. (Exod. 13:21) Bro. Russell said this about the Shekinah:

“The Israelites remained at Mt. Sinai about a year. This was a time of prep- aration. The people were learning important lessons, as a result of their new conditions, so different from those of Egypt. The component parts of the Tabernacle were prepared, and it was set up as a meeting place between God and the people. God was represented in it by the pillar of cloud, which rested upon the top of the Tabernacle, and which at night had a flame like a torch at its top.

“God’s presence on the inside of the Tabernacle was seen only by Moses and Aaron, in conjunction with their privileged services. He was represented by the glorious Shekinah brightness, which rested upon the Mercy Seat.” (R5306:1)

When we remember that there was no other light in the Most Holy of the Tabernacle, it seems logical that there should be light and brightness to that which represented God’s presence. In 1 John 1:5 He is identified with Light!

“The thought is that as God in olden times was represented in the taberna- cle by the Shekinah glory of the Most Holy, and was also represented in the literal temple of Jerusalem, so he is represented now in all those who are begotten of his holy Spirit, and will be represented further by all who walk in harmony with their spirit-begetting and continue to abide in the Lord’s love.” (R5831)

“Everywhere throughout the Scriptures light is used to represent God, His truth, His righteousness, His servants and their messages.” (SM240)

“It was the transgression of God’s law by Adam that brought separation from Eden and from God’s favor, and a sentence of death, resulting in the mental, moral and physical decay and death of himself and his race, under Sin, his new master. And God’s way, by which his love operated to rescue us from the control of Sin and death was, first, by payment of the legal penalty or sentence against Adam and his race, under which Sin and death held power or authority; and secondly, as a result of this redemption from the dominion of Sin and death by the Lord Jesus’ death, he shall restore to physical perfection all of the class described, who with their minds serve the law of God, and who desire full deliverance from the control of Sin and death.” (R1224:4)

Aaron’s Rod that Budded

“‘Aaron’s Rod that budded’ … brought forth almonds. A peculiarity about the almond tree is that the fruit-buds appear before the leaves. So with the ‘Royal Priesthood’: they sacrifice or begin to bring forth fruit before the leaves of professions are seen.” (T122)

The expression “leaves of professions” applies to the present experiences of the saints and not to those which are to be theirs when they have passed “beyond the Vail.” The fruit-bearing and professing must all be done here and now as a witness to those who in due time will be called upon to recognize the elect character of those who once lived among them; yea, the testimony concerning the saints which the world of mankind is some day to give is that such and such an one was born in Zion. (Psa. 87:3,5,6) Even so did Aaron’s rod bud, blossom and bear fruit as a witness to the people ere it was placed within the Ark of the Covenant for a perpetual memorial. Surely, the fact of its having been placed there after it bore its fruitage is mute testimony to the effect that after we shall have borne our testimony before men we shall be glorified in the Christ beyond the Vail.

The bearing of the fruit ere the leaves of professions appear—so beautifully characteristic of the almond tree—seems to signify that before we even bear testimony by word of mouth, our lives manifest the fruitage of the indwelling Spirit—the spirit or power of God. Only this power could cause a dead stick, so long separated from the living tree, to again show forth signs of life, and this independent of the tree (Adam, himself) now long dead and therefore incapable of begetting life in any of its branches.

“The rationalist may sneer at it, and raise a thousand questions. Faith gazes on the fruit-bearing rod, and sees in it a lovely figure of the new creation in which all things are of God. Infidelity may argue on the ground of the apparent impossibility of a dry stick budding, blossoming, and bearing fruit in the course of one night. But to whom does it appear impossible? To the infidel—the rationalist—the skeptic. And why? Because he always shuts out God. Let us remember this. Infidelity invariably shuts out God. Its reasonings are carried on and its conclusions reached in midnight darkness. There is not so much as a single ray of true light in the whole sphere in which infidelity operates. It excludes the only source of light, and leaves the soul wrapped in the shades and deep gloom of a darkness that may be felt.” (C.H.M., Notes on Numbers, p. 305)

To further corroborate the suggestion that the expression “leaves of professions” has reference to the present and not to the future experiences of the Christ, Head and Body, the following is presented:

“The declaration that there was nothing in the Ark save the tables of stone on which was inscribed the law, seems at first to be in conflict with the Apostle’s statement in Heb. 9:4, where he mentions also the golden pot of manna and Aaron’s rod that budded. We are to remember, however, that this description related to the Tabernacle and not to the Temple. The golden bowl of manna which did not corrupt was a type or illustration of the immortality or incorruptibility which the Lord has provided for the royal priesthood, and the budded rod was a reminder that the blessing and fruitfulness and privilege of service belong to the antitypical Levite, but as types both of these will end in the present dispensation. They met with the Tabernacle conditions; they will not be needed in the future conditions of glory, honor, and immortality represented by the Temple, because there the glorious things (there) typified by these will have been fully entered into by the overcomers of the church. But the law will still be an integral part of the divine covenant. As the Apostle explains the fulfilling of the law is love, and love never faileth. It will always be the divine requirement and essential to participation in any of the blessings connected with the divine favor represented in the Ark of the Covenant.” (R3283:1)

“[The almond tree] often blossoms in February, and this early activity is repeatedly alluded to in the Bible. Jeremiah opens his heavy visions thus: ‘The word of the LORD came unto me saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? and I said, I see the rod of an almond tree. Then said the LORD, Thou hast well seen, for I will hasten my word to perform it’—just as this tree hastens to bud long before any other has begun to wake out of the repose of winter, and before it has put forth its own leaves.

“This same thing is implied, according to the general economy of miracles, in the selection of rods from this tree by Moses to be laid up in the tabernacle, in order to settle the controversy in regard to the family that should be clothed with the priestly office: ‘And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.’ [Num. 17:8] This was miraculous rapidity certainly, but a rod was selected for the purpose from the tree which, in its natural development is the most expeditious of all; and not only do the blossoms appear on it suddenly, but the fruit sets at once, and appears even while the flowers are yet on the tree—buds, blossoms, and almonds together on the same branch, as on this rod of Moses.

“In that affecting picture of the rapid and inevitable approach of old age drawn by the royal preacher, it is said that ‘the almond tree shall flourish or blossom!’ [Eccl. 12:5] The point of the figure is doubtless that fact that the white blossoms completely cover the whole tree, without any mixture of green leaves, for these do not appear until some time after. It is the expressive type of old age, whose hair is white as wool, unrelieved with any other colour.” (Thomson, The Land and the Book, p. 299)

“Crowns”

It is unfortunate that the KJV should have rendered the Hebrew word zer by the English word “crown” in Exod. 25:11,25; 30:3,4; 37:2,11,12,26,27. The word most certainly does not mean crown in the commonly accepted sense of that word. Rather, it signifies a bit of “ornamental molding” having the utilitarian purpose of circumscribing a specific area for a particular purpose. Some of the earlier and most of the more modern translations reflect this thought:

It seems that we may gather from these translations the fact that the table’s outside edge (its perimeter all around) bore a “crown” (i.e., a molding or wreath) and that the “handbreadth” referred to would thus have a “crown” (molding or wreath) not only on the outside border, but on the inside border as well: thus making the two “crowns” atop the Table just a “handbreadth” apart.

It should be noted that these “crowns” were not made of shittim wood overlaid with gold, but merely of gold, as were also the Candlestick and the lid of the Ark of the Covenant. This is significant inasmuch as the furnishments of the Tabernacle that represented the Church were, with one exception, made of shittim wood overlaid with gold. The one exception was the Golden Candlestick; and this was an exception probably because it represented not only the Church as a light-bearer (T115) but also the Bible—“God’s Word” (T22).

Accordingly, these “crowns” could not in any sense represent the Church, per se. They were symbols of certain divine, specific purposes, ordained for accomplishment at certain definite stages of the Church’s development. These purposes involve both time and place. The time features are suggested by the placement of the furnishments to which the “crowns” were attached.

The “crowns” on the Table of the Shewbread and the Incense Altar represent divine purposes to be accomplished upon the Church while she is still in the “Holy”—the spirit-begotten condition “this side the Vail.” That on the Ark of the Covenant represent the divine purpose to be accomplished upon the Church in glory—the spirit-born condition “beyond the Vail.”

The fact that the Table of the Shewbread was opposite the Golden Candlestick, whereas the Incense Altar was farther on, just in front of the Vail, seems to imply that the Church as an antitypical priesthood, must first be “enlightened by the ‘Golden Candlestick’ (God’s Word) respecting spiritual things—‘the deep things of God,’” and “refreshed and strengthened daily with the truth, as represented in the ‘shewbread,’ lawful for only the Priests to eat (Matt. 12:4),” ere it can offer sweet incense at the Golden Altar. (T22)

There is also in this lesson on the progressive development and achieve- ment of the Church, the suggestion that he that girdeth on his harness ought not to boast as he that is ready to put it off. (1 Kings 20:11)

There were but three pieces of furniture belonging to the ancient Tabernacle that had such “crowns.” These were the Ark of the Covenant (Exod. 25:11; 37:2), the Altar of Incense (Exod. 30:3,4; 37:26,27), and the Table of the Shewbread (Exod. 25:24,25; 37:11,12).

First, upon entering the Holy, the priest approached the Table of the Shewbread. This stood on the north side (Exod. 40:22) of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, opposite the Golden Candlestick. It represented the Church (T115) while the shewbread itself represented the Truth, God’s Word (T22). The fact that the shewbread was upon the table in an area circumscribed by two “crowns,” an handbreadth apart, seems to suggest the two-fold purpose of God concerning the Church, with regard to the “Word of Life.” The table had first to “receive” the bread ere it could hold it forth. So God has decreed it is His purpose that at this stage of the Church’s progressive development she shall have become not only the recipient of the Truth but a dispenser of the same as well. Yea, before we can feed others any item of Truth, we must first have appropriated it unto ourselves— made it our own. Is not this what the Apostle Paul implied when writing to the early Church he declared that he had been a nursing mother unto them? (1 Thess. 2:7—Rotherham, Weymouth, Emphatic Diaglott)

The “handbreadth” which separated the two “crowns” seems to be a symbol of service, bespeaking the fact that the “hand” which appropriates the Word is the same as the one which holds it forth. It is thus but a single service, for it follows that we must appropriate the deeper aspects of divine Truth if we would feed and strengthen others thereby.

In passing, it is interesting to note that in Psalm 39:5 in the KJV, the Hebrew word tephach has been rendered “handbreadth”: “Behold thou hast made my days as an handbreadth.” The two “crowns” of the Table of the Shewbread were an “handbreadth” (Hebrew: tophach) apart. (Exod. 25:25; 37:12) Perhaps the “handbreadth” represents “a span of life.” In that event, the two golden “crowns” which circumscribed the space of an handbreadth may have been intended to signify that the “life span” of the consecrated, spirit-begotten saint of God is to be marked as a period in which he receives the Word of God. Also, it would mark the period in which by way of service he holds forth that Word of Life as food unto others of the anointed priesthood living within the confines of the antitypical “Tabernacle of the Congregation”—the “Holy.”

The next furnishment to bear a “crown” was the Altar of Incense which stood in front of the Vail (Exod. 30:6) and which also represented the Church (T120) “this side the Vail.” Its “crown” circumscribed the area wherein the copper censer was to be placed when, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest offered incense before entering the Most Holy. The censer—when thus in use—could not be left upon the floor, placed upon the Table, nor hung from the branches of the Candlestick. No; there was but one place for it—the restricted area atop of the Altar of Incense.

The offering of the incense at this golden Altar was the last function per- formed by the priest in the Holy, the one which finally determined his worthiness of entrance into the Most Holy. (Lev. 16:13) We suggest, therefore, that the “crown” attached to the Altar of Incense here represented God’s purpose, to the effect that in the Church’s progressive development “this side the Vail” there shall be a time when, and a place where, each member shall have proved his worthiness of identification with Jesus in the glory “beyond the Vail.”

The fact that the ancient High Priest had offered himself in the sacrifice for the people, though necessary (Lev. 16:2,3), was not sufficient. Sweet and acceptable incense had to precede him (Lev. 16:13) ere he could enter the Most Holy, there to present the merit of his sacrifice—the blood— “upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat.” (Lev. 16:14)

“‘Thus shall Aaron come into the Holy [and Most Holy] with a young bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering. And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin-offering which is for [represents] himself, and make an atonement for himself [the members of his body—the underpriests] and for his house [all believers, the entire ‘household of faith’—the Levites]. And he shall kill the bullock of the sin-offering which is for [represents] himself. And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small [pow- dered], and bring it within the vail [the first vail or ‘door’]. And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD [the censer of coals of fire was set into the top of the golden altar in the ‘Holy,’ and the incense crumbled over it gradually yielded a smoke of sweet perfume], that the cloud of the incense [penetrating beyond the second vail] may cover the mercy seat, that is upon [covers] the testimony [the Law], that he die not [by infracting these conditions, upon which alone he may come into the divine presence acceptably].— Lev. 16:3,6, 11-13.” (T55)

“A text directly connected with our subject, as is evident from its context, yet one more frequently misapplied, misunderstood, than perhaps any other in the Bible, reads, ‘And as it is appointed unto men [Aaron and his successors, who were merely types of the High Priest of the new creation] once to die [typically, as represented in the animal slain], and after this [following as a result of those sacrifices] the judgment [of God, approving or disapproving of the sacrifice], so Christ was once offered [never will it be repeated] to bear the sins of many [‘every man’]; and unto them that look for him he shall appear the second time, without sin [neither blemished by the sins borne, nor to repeat the sin-offering, but] unto salvation’—to give the ever- lasting life to all who desire it upon God’s conditions of faith and obedience.—Heb. 9:27,28.” (T87)

“Moreover, since the typical Priest represented the ‘body’ as well as the ‘head’ of the antitypical Priest, the Christ, it follows that each member of the Church must pass this ‘judgment’—that although many have been called none will be chosen as finally acceptable ‘members’ of the Christ Body, branches of the Vine, except as they shall be ‘overcomers’—faithful unto death. (Rev. 3:21)” (T89)

The third and last furnishment to bear a “crown” was the Ark of the Covenant. This stood in the Most Holy (Exod. 26:33) and also represented the Church, but this time in glory—“beyond the Vail.” The “crown” was in no way attached to the lid, but to the container or box below it—undoubtedly at its upper edge, extending just far enough above it to form a rectangular retainer for the lid. Thus, the final purpose of God for the Church is that throughout all the ages of eternity, she shall ever be holding Christ to be her “head.” (Eph. 1:22,23; Col. 1:18)

As a frame (molding) sets apart and glorifies the picture within it, just so is the Church set apart, sanctified and glorified as the divine decrees and purposes are accomplished in and upon her.

The decrees or purposes of God, as suggested by these “crowns” are:

• On the Table—that the Church not only “receive” the Word of Life, but that she also hold it forth to others.
• On the Altar—that the Church within a specified time develop a crystallized character likeness unto Jesus. (Rom. 8:29)
• On the Ark—that throughout all the ages of eternity, the Church shall “hold” Christ Jesus to be her “head.”

Although the Hebrew zer has in this connection been arbitrarily rendered “crowns,” the reference is in reality to something like a molding or framework. However, were we to retain the thought of “crowns” as such, we would suggest that they represented, for those who are striving for joint-heirship in the Kingdom, their hope of “glory, honor and immortality.” (Rom. 2:7)

Thus, one of the crowns of the Table of the Shewbread represents the “crown of life”—immortality (James 1:12; Rev. 2:10); and the other represents the “crown of office”—“glory” and “honor” (Rom. 2:7) to which the Christ is eventually to be exalted. It will have been noted that the two crowns were just an handbreadth apart. (Exod. 25:25; 37:12) This “handbreadth” represents a difference in time. And, is it not true that there is a period of time between the attainment of the divine nature and the ultimate exaltation to the office of Prophet, Priest and King, in joint-heirship with Jesus? It seems to us that Bro. Russell must have had something like this in mind when designing the Chart of the Ages, for on it there appear two planes, L and K, which reflect this thought.

“But there is a still further step to be taken beyond a perfection of spiritual being, viz., the ‘glory that shall follow’—plane K. We do not here refer to a glory of person, but to a glory of power or office. The reaching of plane L brings full personal glory; i.e., glorious being, like unto Christ. But after we are thus perfected, and made entirely like our Lord and Head, we are to be associated with him in the ‘glory’ of power and office—to sit with him in the throne, even as he, after being perfected at his resurrection, was exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on high. Thus shall we enter everlasting glory, plane K.” (A227)

In line with this, it is further suggested that the “crown” on the Altar of Incense represents that same hope—the crowning hope of those engaged in the offering of the sweet incense at the golden altar. (T22) They purify themselves (1 John 3:3) to assure their access into the “Most Holy.” Let us call it “The crown of righteousness.” (2 Tim. 4:8)

Then, finally, the “crown” on the Ark of the Covenant represents the crowning fruition of hope for those who have been faithful unto death—the acquisition of the “crown of life” (Rev. 2:10)—and the “glory” and “honor” of that office for which they had so faithfully striven. (Rom. 2:7)

The foundation of Solomon’s Temple was laid in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, and the Temple was completed in the eleventh year of the same. (1 Kings 6:37,38) Thus was the Temple seven years in its building. It should be noted, however, that it was dedicated a month before it was finished. (1 Kings 8:2) Bro. Russell, commenting on this fact, had this to say:

“It was dedicated about a month before it was completed. Doubtless this contains some important typical lesson which we may some day more fully understand.” (R5713:2)

Could it be that God intended this to reflect that time period which the complete church, already on the plane of immortality, will have to wait ere being exalted to the ultimate of glory and power and dominion as the bride of the Heavenly Bridegroom! Bro. Russell also wrote:

“Those of this overcoming class who ‘sleep’ will be raised spirit beings, plane L, and those of the same class who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord will be ‘changed’ to the same plane of spirit being, and will not sleep, though the ‘change’ will necessitate the dissolution of the earthen vessel. No longer weak, earthly, mortal, corruptible beings, these will then be fully born of the spirit—heavenly, spiritual, incorruptible, immortal beings. —1 Cor. 15:44,52.

“We know not how long it will be after their ‘change’ or perfecting as spirit beings (plane L), before they, as a full and complete company, will be glorified (plane K) with the Lord, united with him in power and great glory. This unifying and full glorification of the entire body of Christ with the Head we understand to be the ‘marriage of the Lamb’ to his Bride, when she shall fully enter into the joys of her Lord.” (A234, 235)

“Plane ‘L’ represents the personal glory of our Lord and the church by the power of the first resurrection, from human nature to divine nature. We understand that all the members of the elect church will experience such a change from mortal to immortal conditions, from human to divine nature, from weakness to power, from dishonor to glory, from animal to spirit conditions (1 Cor. 15:44) before being ushered into the glory of power and dominion represented by plane ‘K’ which will come when the heavenly Bridegroom shall present his bride, complete, without fault or blame, before the Heavenly Father as pictured in the 45th Psalm.” (R5060:3)

Ark in the Temple

That the ark contained only the tables of stone when it was finally placed within the Temple may also have an application to natural Israel. At least, to them—out of respect to the covenant made with their father Abraham— had been first granted the opportunity and privilege of becoming the “royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people,” through whom God would ultimately bless all the families of the earth.

“Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” (Exod. 19:5,6)

That this privilege was first granted to Israel is suggested in the parable of our Lord in Luke 14:16-24. Bro. Russell comments upon it:

“As the parable refers to Jehovah’s invitation to the blessings of the kingdom, so those in the parable who originally were bidden, but who began to make excuse, were the Jews. To them God had given notice respecting the coming feast. They as a nation had declared that they would be very glad to accept the high honor which he had conferred upon them in bidding them first to the special favors and privileges of the kingdom. The feast had been in preparation for more than eighteen centuries from its first announcement. Our Lord with the apostles was the servant of Jehovah to inform his chosen people that all things were now ready, to come in prepared condition of heart to enter into the kingdom, to enjoy its bounteous feast of rich blessings in their own hearts and lives, to be changed, begotten of the Spirit, that they might become new creatures and heirs of God and joint-heirs with Messiah in that kingdom. What a wonderful offer! How we should have expected that the whole people of Israel would have joyously hailed the message, and cried Hosanna to God in the highest! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of Jehovah—the Messiah.” (R3833:5)

To this end God gave the Law (represented in the “tables of stone”); it made known his will concerning them. It was to lead them to Christ (Gal. 3:24), and through him into the spiritual phase of the kingdom, wherein, through the development of the elect character of the “royal priesthood” (represented in “Aaron’s rod that budded”), they would become heirs of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4), inheriting the crown of life, immortality (repre- sented in the “golden bowl of manna”).

That Israel of old was not rightly exercised by the Law is evident from the fact that only a very small remnant received Jesus when he “came to his own.” How clearly this truth is brought out in the parable.

“The parable represents that the entire company of those who were bidden refused—failed to hearken to the servant or to come to the feast. Those who did receive our Lord and his message were so few, as compared with the entire Jewish nation, as to leave them almost unworthy of being mentioned, but, additionally, those who received Jesus were in large proportion the publicans and sinners, who in their day were considered rather as moral and social outcasts, and not at all recognized as the ones eligible to the king- dom which God had promised to the holy. The Scribes and Pharisees counted themselves the holy people, and claimed for themselves the blessings, the invitation to the feast. Practically none of these received the Lord or came to the feast.” (R3833:6)

The height of Israel’s unbelief and disobedience was already suggested when in an earlier day they removed the Ark from its place at Shiloh to be used as a talisman or charm in the carnage of battle with the Philistines. (1 Sam. 4:3,4) Not only was Israel smitten, but the Ark was lost to them for some time. When the Ark was eventually returned to them by the Philistines it seems no longer to have contained either “Aaron’s rod that budded” or the “golden bowl of manna,” but only the “tables of stone.”

“There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb.” (1 Kings 8:9)

And so it appears that when Israel undervalued Jesus as their Messiah, to the extent of rejecting him in whom the righteousness of their Law was fulfilled, they everlastingly cut themselves off from the blessings of joint-heirship in the spiritual phase of the kingdom and the privileges of becoming the “royal priesthood,” the “holy nation,” of God, inheritors of the divine nature—the crown of life and immortality. However, as when the Ark was finally transferred to the Temple, it still contained for Israel the “tables of stone”—the Law—so will the Jews when the Christ, Head and Body is glorified, still have the blessing of life-everlasting which the Law under the (New) Law covenant will bring them (Jer. 31:27-34), conditioned, of course, on their recognition of the Ark—the glorified Christ (Head and Body) beyond the vail.

“The Ark, representing typically the divine covenant with Abraham, the ful- fillment of which centered in the Christ, must be transferred from the Tabernacle to the Temple, that thus the latter might supersede the former as the meeting place between God and his covenant people … The Great King, antitypical Solomon, has about finished the Temple construction and has sent forth the invitation of the heads, the chiefs of spiritual Israel, to attend and share in the great dedication. These chiefs are not the great of this world, but the Lord’s very elect. From the four quarters of the spiritual heavens they are gathering, the procession has already commenced; but as the Temple was not complete until the Ark, its most important part, was placed in position, so the glorious Temple will not really be finished until every member of the body of Christ has been changed from the Tabernacle condition to the Temple or permanent condition in the first resurrection.” (R3282)

“Spiritual Israel, thank God, has inherited the realities which were thus typified. Christ is the Ark of the Covenant. In him the law has full satisfaction. In him is vested the priestly office, represented by Aaron’s rod, and in him is provided the heavenly manna. All these things are made ours by the Mercy Seat, and we have access to and are accepted before the Mercy Seat as members of the High Priest’s body, by virtue of the blood of atonement shed by our Redeemer as a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (R3252)

“As the ark represented Christ, in whom are hidden all the wisdom and power of God and in whom center all of God’s blessings for men, so the bringing of the ark into the city corresponded in a measure to our receiving of Christ.” (R5680)

“The ark in the Tabernacle near to David’s home represented not its glorious resting place, but its present dwelling. The condition of the church in glory is represented by the Temple of Solomon.” (R4260:4)

“The ark of the covenant … represented the divine promise under which they [Israel] had left Egypt, and were hoping for grand results.” (R5345:1)

“The Bible in some respects represents the Lord to us, as the Ark represented him to natural Israel. To it we go for the settlement of our questions. From it we hear the message of the Lord speaking peace to our souls, the forgiveness of sins, etc. The Bible has been in many homes in Christendom for more than seventy years without bringing any special blessing to those homes; yet to some even in a few months it has brought inestimable favors. What is the difference? We reply that very much depends upon the genuineness of the Israelite and the degree of reverence he has for the Lord and his Word and his carefulness to consult that Word in respect to all his affairs, and the affairs of his home. Those who have the blessing of the Lord’s Word and especially those who have any light upon its pages in this dawning of the Millennial morning, if they are not receiving great blessing from it in their own hearts, peace, joy, comfort, courage, strength, and finding such blessings also upon the members of their households, have reason to inquire to what extent they are responsible for their failure to profit thus.” (R3253)

“The Record tells that, besides the thousands of warriors who acted as a guard and gave dignity to the procession, and the multitudes of people who met the ark at various villages on the way, there were trumpeters, rattlers, and players on stringed instruments, who made joyful manifestations of appreciation of the great event of God’s return to the nation as represented in the ark’s return. Another arrangement was that of having the Levites chant, one to the other, the different portions of a certain Psalm which King David had composed for this very occasion … Psalm 24.

“King David joined with the others in his manifestation of delight, and danced before the Lord. It would appear that this custom of a dignified rhythmic moving of the feet in harmony with music is a common form even today in far Eastern countries. Mr. Clark tells us how there was such a dance at a gathering of the Christian Endeavorers at one of their meetings in India, and how dignified and beautiful it appeared.” (R5680:4)

We note that the Hebrew word ’aron, meaning “ark, chest, coffin” according to Young’s Concordance, is the same word as is used in the Hebrew Scriptures for the Ark of the Testimony or Covenant! (Exod. 25:10,14-16, 21,22; 26:33,34; etc.) It is the word “coffin” that makes me think of the “sar- cophagus” in the King’s Chamber of the great pyramid of Gizeh. Of course the King’s Chamber of the great pyramid corresponds to the Most Holy of the Tabernacle and the Temple, and the sarcophagus of the pyramid corre- sponds to the Ark of the Covenant in the Tabernacle and Temple. (C355)

“Sarcophagus is the name given to a coffin in stone which on account of its caustic qualities, according to Pliny (H.N.XXXVI,27) consumed the body in 40 days.” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1914 ed., v. 19, p. 992)

Is this not the testimony of the empty sarcophagus in the pyramid corresponding beautifully with the testimony given in Mark’s gospel:

“And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun … And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were frighted. And he said unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified; HE IS RISEN. He is not here; behold the place where they laid him.” (Mark 16:1-6)

An empty tomb like the empty sarcophagus! Thus did the empty tomb, like the sarcophagus, testify to the resurrection of Jesus. So is it also the testimony of the Ark of the Covenant. Those represented by it are forever beyond the reach of death and the grave—partakers of immortality! (Rev. 2:11; 20:6) They who have really been baptized into Jesus’ death will also share in his resurrection to glory, honor, and immortality.

“So many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death . . . for if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” (Rom. 6:3,5)

“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Col. 3:4)
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Cor. 15:55)

“What became of the ark when the Temple was plundered by the Babylonians is not known, and all conjecture is useless. It was probably taken away or destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Esdras 10:22). The Jews believe that it was concealed from the spoilers, and account it among the hidden things which the Messiah is to reveal. … It is certain, however, from the consent of all Jewish writers, that the old ark was not contained in the sec- ond Temple, and there is no evidence that any new one was made, indeed, the absence of the ark is one of the important particulars in which this Temple was held to be inferior to that of Solomon. The most holy place is therefore generally considered to have been empty in the second Temple (as Josephus states, WAR, v, 14), or at most (as the rabbins allege, Mishna, Yoma, v, 2) to have contained only a stone to mark the place which the ark should have occupied (comp. Tacit, Hist. v, 9). The silence of Ezra, Nehemiah, the Maccabees, and Josephus, who repeatedly mention all other sacred utensils, but never the ark, seems conclusive on the subject.” (McClintock & Strong, Cyclopedia, v. 1, p. 403)

“The Ark of God was taken, and the Sanctuary lost its glory; and the Tabernacle, though it did not perish, never again recovered it (1 Sam. 4:22). Samuel treats it as an abandoned shrine, and sacrifices elsewhere, at Mizpeh (1 Sam. 7:9), at Ramah (9:12; 10:3), at Gilgal (10:8; 11:15). It probably became once again a movable sanctuary. For a time it seems, under Saul, to have been settled at Nob (1 Sam. 21:1-6). The massacre of the priests and the flight of Abiathar must, however, have robbed it yet further of its glory. It had before lost the Ark; it now lost the presence of the high-priest (1 Sam. 22:20; 23:6). What change of fortune then followed we do not know. In some way or other, it found its way to Gibeon (1 Chron. 16:39). The anomalous separation of the two things which, in the original order, had been joined, brought about yet greater anomalies; and while the Ark remained at Kir- jath-jearim, the Tabernacle at Gibeon connected itself with the worship of the high places (1 Kings 3:4). The capture of Jerusalem, and the erection there of a new Tabernacle [2 Sam. 7:2] with the Ark, of which the old had been deprived (2 Sam. 6:17; 1 Chron. 15:1), left it little more than a traditional, historical sanctity. It retained only the old altar of burnt-offering (1 Chron. 21:9). Such as it was, however, neither king nor people could bring themselves to sweep it away. The double service went on; Zadok, as high- priest, officiated at Gibeon (1 Chron. 16:39); the more recent, more prophetic service of psalms and hymns, under Asaph, gathered round about the Tabernacle at Jerusalem (1 Chron. 16:4,37). The divided worship continued all the days of David. The sanctity of both places was recognized by Solomon on his accession (1 Kings 3:15; 2 Chron. 1:3).” (Smith, Dictionary of the Bible, p. 929)

Ark and Numerology

The exterior of the Most Holy measured 10 x 10 x 10 = 1000 cubic cubits. Its base, as that of any cube, was a perfect square—the symbol of perfection. Because of the thickness of the boards (½ cubit—a measurement not specifically given), the interior measurement of the Most Holy was a square of 9 x 9 cubits (81 square cubits). The Most Holy having no floor except the ground itself, and no ceiling save the Tabernacle curtains which lay over the top of the boards, the height of the Most Holy’s interior was the same as that of the exterior, 10 cubits. Thus, theoretically, the interior of the Most Holy measured 9 x 9 x 10 cubits = 810 cubic cubits.

The measurements of the Ark of the Covenant were specifically given as 1½ x 1½ x 2½ cubits = 55/8 cubic cubits. (Exod. 25:10) Since the Ark of the Covenant represented the glorified Christ (T121), it is interesting to note that the Ark of the Covenant could have been contained within the Most Holy just 144 times (810 ÷ 55/8 = 144). And, multiplying this number (144) by 1000, the number of the Most Holy (God’s number, which is also the cubic measurement of the Most Holy by its exterior measurements), we arrive at the number of the very elect: 144,000.

Figure 38: The Most Holy’s Dimensions

The question then quite naturally arises, “Where in this picture do we find Jesus?” It will be recalled that Jesus’ number is 100; and, since each of the six faces of the cube which constitutes the Most Holy measured 10 x 10 cubits (100 square cubits), the Tabernacle seems to suggest that the 144,000 are all “in (within) Christ.”

Whatever else the specific measurements of the Ark of the Covenant may signify, it is interesting to note that the perimeter of the top of the Ark (1½ cu. + 2½ cu. + 1½ cu. + 2½ cu.—see Exod. 25:10) measured 8 linear cubits. Eight is identified with the resurrection “on the morrow after the sabbath” (Lev. 23:11; Mark 16:1); and those who are represented in the Ark of the Covenant beyond the Second Veil—the glorified Christ (T121)—are, indeed, fully partakers of the resurrection life.

Among the symbolisms of the ancient Tabernacle, geometric configurations seem to have an important place. The square, because all of its sides are equal, is a most apt symbol for that which is perfect; and, by the same token, the oblong (rectangular figure) is also an apt symbol for that which is not yet perfect but “in part.”

The Court, which measured 50 x 100 cubits (Exod. 27:18), was not a square. For the “called” (Eph. 4:4) it represents justification (either tentative or vitalized)—i.e., not the ultimate to be attained—thus, an “in part” condition. The Holy, which measured 10 x 20 cubits, was not a square either. For the “called” it represents the spirit-begotten—not the ultimate to be attained, but an “in part” condition. The Most Holy, which measured 10 x 10 cubits, was a square. For the “called,” it represents the spirit-born condition—the ultimate to be attained—that “which is perfect” (1 Cor. 13:10), the state of glory, honor and immortality.

It will have been noted that the three furnishments of the Tabernacle that were specifically involved in its reconciliation (Lev. 16:16-19; Exod. 30:10) did not all have square bases. Only the Altar of Burnt-Offering, whose base measured 5 x 5 cubits (Exod. 27:1; 38:1) and stood in the Court, and the Altar of Incense, whose base measured 1 x 1 cubits (Exod. 30:2) and stood in the Holy, had square bases. Thus did these altars testify to the perfection of the things which they represented: the Altar of Burnt- Offering, the Ransom Sacrifice (T22); and the Altar of Incense, the Church this side of the Vail (T120). The Ark of the Covenant, whose base mea- sured 1½ x 2½ cubits (Exod. 25:10; 37:1) and which stood in the Most Holy, did not have a square base despite the fact that it represented “perfection,” and this to the utmost degree—the condition attained by the glorified Christ beyond the Vail. (T121)

Since the Ark of the Covenant represented the ultimate of perfection, one might reasonably have expected its base also to be square. But such is not the case. Evidently, Jehovah intended it to reflect yet other features of his purposes, in the Christ of glory. In resolving this matter, we do well to remember the significance of the Vail which separated the two compartments of the Sanctuary. In Tabernacle Shadows, page 22, it is suggested that it represents “death.”

In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) symbolic “death” is made to indicate a complete cross-over, a reversal of the conditions which had previously prevailed. (“Hell” booklet, p. 139) The Rich Man, representing the two tribes, Benjamin and Judah, thereafter was poor insofar as the grace and favor of God was concerned; but Lazarus, the beggar, representing the Gentiles, was thereafter rich in that grace and favor. (Compare Matt. 10:5-8 with 23:38; 24:14.)

In the Tabernacle, the Vail is the “signpost” bespeaking the complete changeover or reversal of the conditions and circumstances of what preceded to that which followed it. In the Court and the Holy (before the Vail) perfection was represented in the square-based altars standing in areas that represented “un-perfect” (Psa. 139:16) or “in part” conditions. In the Most Holy (beyond the Vail) perfection is represented by the Ark of the Covenant which did not have a square base but stood in the square area that represented “that which is perfect” as having come. (1 Cor. 13:10)

God was very particular about this Ark of the Covenant, and was most specific in the giving of the directions concerning it. Its measurements are given in Exodus 25:10 and 37:1. From these it will be noted that, while it had two square ends, its base, top and two sides were not squares, but rectangular oblongs, of which the perimeter of each measured 1½ + 2½ + 1½ + 2½ = 8 cubits. When one recalls that eight is the symbol for the resurrection-life (Jesus was resurrected on the morrow after the Sabbath, thus on an eighth day—Mark 16:1-6) it will be seen that the Ark of the Covenant thus shows forth the fact that the “called” who were faithful unto death—who once possessed the treasure of the resurrection-life (be- fore the Vail) “in an earthen vessel” (Col. 3:1; 2 Cor. 4:7)—now possess it in verity and in truth—i.e., in its fullness as partakers of the divine nature (beyond the Vail).

Perhaps the square ends of the Ark of the Covenant were intended to be- speak the resurrection-life of the glorified Christ, for the number of sides to the two squares is eight, the symbol of this resurrection-life.

Then, too, the perimeters of these two squares is 2 x (1½ + 1½ + 1½ + 1½) = 12 cubits, the number of the tribes of the spiritual Israel of God constituting the “very elect.”1 Multiplying this number 12 by the number of the chamber in which the Ark of the Covenant stood—Jehovah’s number (1000), we arrive at the number of individuals constituting each of those tribes—i.e., 12 x 1000 = 12,000. By extension, since each of the twelve tribes consisted of 12,000 members, these two squares (ends) of the Ark of the Covenant testify, not only to the perfection of all of these, but also to the very number of them: 144,000. (Rev. 7:4-8; 14:1)

When these two squares (ends) are laid side by side or end to end, the configuration is exactly that of the Court and the Holy of the Tabernacle—an area twice as long as it is wide: the Court, 50 x 100 cubits; the Holy, 10 x 20 cubits. It is suggested that the significance of this is that those who were once identified with the “in part” conditions—justification and spirit-begettal—because of their faithfulness unto “death” (represented by the Vail), have now attained unto that which is “perfect” (1 Cor. 13:10)—the spirit-born condition and membership in the 12 tribes (the 144,000) constituting the spiritual Israel of God, the “very elect” who could not be deceived. (Matt. 24:24; Rev. 7:5-8; 14:1)

There were four sides (top, bottom, east, and west) and two ends to the Ark of the Covenant. Each side had a perimeter of 1½ + 2½ + 1½ + 2½ = 8 cubits, making the total for all four sides 4 x 8 = 32 cubits. The two ends on the North and South sides had each of them a perimeter of 1½ + 1½ + 1½ + 1½ = 6 cubits, making the total for both ends 2 x 6 = 12 cubits.

These two figures (32 and 12) when added together total 44; and if there be added to this Jesus’ number (100), the total then will be 144. Multiplying this by Jehovah’s number (1000), the final total is then 144,000, the number of the “very elect” who are represented in the Ark of the Covenant (a suggestion we received from Eldad Weeks).

“When the work of reconciliation is complete, God will recognize the world of mankind, and place his sanctuary among men. Then will be fulfilled that which was written: ‘The Tabernacle of God (God’s dwelling, the glorified Church) is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be (become) his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things (the reign of Satan, sin and death) are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.’—Rev. 21:3-5” (T76)

¹ The fact that each of these squares individually had a perimeter of only six cubits reminds one of the fact that the two shoulder-pieces of the High Priest’s Ephod, had each of them the names of only six of the tribes engraved upon them, making the total for the two shoulder-pieces just 12. (Exod. 28:9-11)

The Church glorified, i.e., the 144,000 partakers of the divine nature, are suggested and represented as being in the Most Holy of the Tabernacle:

“The ‘Most Holy’ represented the perfect condition of those new creatures who, faithful unto death, gain the prize of our high calling through a share in the first resurrection (Rev. 20:6).” (T21)

In the symbolisms of the Revelation, these glorified saints are designated, “the holy city, New Jerusalem,” and are likened to a “bride adorned for her husband.” (Rev. 21:2)

“And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride for her husband. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth … The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.” (Rev. 21:2,16)

“The New Jerusalem represents the Gospel Church in glory and Kingdom power, spiritual, and invisible to men, yet all powerful. Its descent to earth (Rev. 21:2) marks the fulfillment of that petition of our Lord’s prayer which says, ‘Thy Kingdom come’; and its ‘coming’ will be gradual, and not sudden. … The New Jerusalem and the New Heavens are synonymous, signifying the new spiritual ruling power.” (C258)

“The ‘city’ referred to is not a literal city, but the symbolical one mentioned in Rev. 21:2,9-27. In symbol a city signifies a government, and this city which comes down from God out of heaven symbolizes the kingdom of God, his rule or government, which will be established in all the earth.” (R2231:1)

It is interesting to note that in the description given in the Revelation, this “city” is foursquare; and is also a perfect cube (Rev. 21:16), paralleling, if you please, the ancient Tabernacle’s Most Holy which was also foursquare, measuring ten cubits in length, and ten cubits in breadth; and it was also a perfect cube, measuring externally, ten cubits by ten cubits by ten cubits; in other words, “the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal”!

There is, however, yet another way in which Christ Jesus may be found in this picture by considering, as Bro. Russell does, the “Mercy Seat” (propitiatory) as representing the heavenly Bridegroom, to his Bride represented by the box part of the Ark of the Covenant. (See T126)

The Mercy Seat (Exod. 25:17; 37:6) which, as a lid, covered the Ark of the Covenant and represented Christ Jesus as the Head over the Church (T126), had the identical measurements as the Ark of the Covenant (Exod. 25:10; 37:1) and thus also a perimeter of eight linear cubits. What is the significance of this? Ah, it is this! The foreordained purpose of God is met in the glorified Church inasmuch as every member thereof is conformed to the image of God’s dear Son (Rom. 8:29) even to the sharing of his resurrection, glory, and honor. (2 Pet. 1:4; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rom. 8:17)

Though they will be one in the sense that any husband and wife ought to be one, yet as individuals Christ and his Church will continue to be separate entities throughout all eternity. Thus Christ Jesus, the heavenly Bridegroom, is one; so also the Church, his Bride, will be one. Together as Bridegroom and Bride they are two to whom Jehovah God has decreed the divine nature. The Bride is to consist of 144,000 individual “members.” (Rev. 7:4-8; 14:1) Their inheritance, of course, will be based upon their participation in the first resurrection. They are most beautifully represented in the box part of the Ark of the Covenant which, beyond the Second Vail, graced the ancient Tabernacle’s Most Holy. The lid, or Mercy Seat, represented Christ Jesus himself as the Head of the Church (see T126).

Since in this way Christ Jesus and his Church may thus be symbolized by the figure two, and being ordained of God to become sharers of the divine nature by way of the first resurrection—the latter being symbolized by the number eight—we carry two to its eighth power which produces 256. When this number is multiplied by the cubic capacity of the Ark of the Covenant (2½ x 1½ x 1½ = 55/8 according to Exod. 25:10), we arrive at 256 x 55/8 = 1440. When this number is multiplied by Jesus’ number (100)— required since there could be no Church, no Bride of Christ, no Lamb’s Wife without Jesus—the final figure is 1440 x 100 = 144,000, the number of the “very elect”! How amazingly wonderful! And how beautifully does the Ark of the Covenant also reflect that this “woman”—the Church glorified (see T121) —will evermore recognize Christ Jesus, the heavenly Bridegroom, to be her Head (as represented in the lid) throughout all eternity—she will always reverence her husband! (Eph. 5:33)

The 48 boards, each measuring 1½ x 10 x ½ = 7½ cubic cubits total 360 cubic cubits or as many cubic cubits as there are degrees in a circle (360). Since a circle is a most apt symbol for endlessness and, by extension, the divine or immortal nature, this seems to say that the 144,000 (represented in the surface area of the 48 boards—1440 multiplied by Jesus’ number 100) will be partakers of the divine, immortal nature.

The Great Pyramid of Gizeh has four triangular sides resting upon one square base. Geometrically each of triangular sides has 180°, or 720° for all four. Adding the 360° of the square base produces a total of 1080° for all the angles of the pyramid’s five sides, a number which is three times 360°. In this way does the Great Pyramid—whose interior chambers and passageways fully corroborate the Divine Plan of the Ages—testify to the fact that there will be but three—the Father, His son Christ Jesus, and His son’s bride, the Lamb’s wife—who will share the divine, immortal nature!

Incidentally, if the cubic measurement of the Altar of Burnt-offering (5 x 5 x 3 = 75—see Exod. 27:1) be squared, we get 75 x 75 = 5625. When the Ark of the Covenant’s cubic measurement (2½ x 1½ x 1½ = 55/8—see Exod. 25:10) is multiplied by Jehovah’s number (1000), we arrive at the number 5625.

Thus it is that by the will of Jehovah (i.e., by His ordination), the Altar of Burnt-offering and the Ark of the Covenant are in a sweet relationship with each other! It will be only they who suffer with Christ Jesus, the death depicted by the Altar of Burnt-offering, who will share the exaltation of Jesus to the divine nature so beautifully depicted by the Ark of the Covenant. (Rom. 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:12; 1 Pet. 4:13) Bear in mind that the Altar of Burnt-offering was made of copper (symbolic of the human nature) whereas the Ark of the Covenant was made with gold (symbolic of the divine nature)!

The Gate measured 5 x 20 cubits (Exod. 38:18) which is an area of 100 square cubits. The Door measured 10 x 10 cubits (inferred from Exod. 26:16) which is also an area of 100 square cubits. Christ Jesus is the “Gate” and the “Door” and 100 is his number.

The Gate represents Christ Jesus (T19), but the one entering the Court into the tentatively justified condition has not yet made Christ Jesus his “all in all.” He is only “in part” what Christ Jesus could be to him! Thus the gate, though containing 100 square cubits, was not a square.

The Door represents Christ Jesus (T20). He who enters the Holy of the antitypical Tabernacle into the spirit-begotten condition has made Christ Jesus his “all in all.” Thus the door containing 100 square cubits was a square, a symbol of that which is perfect, full, and complete!

The fact is remarkably noteworthy that the walls of the King’s Chamber in the Great Pyramid were made of exactly 100 stones!
“The four walls are built of exactly one hundred stones.” (Edgar, Great Pyramid Passages, v. 1, p. 73)1

Surely this is corroborative of the fact that the glorified Church—the Very Elect—will all be “in [within] Christ”!

“The King’s Chamber, the grandest and highest room of the Pyramid, becomes the symbol of the perfection of the divine nature to be gained by the ‘little flock,’ the few overcomers chosen out of the ‘many called’ (whose calling is symbolized by the Grand Gallery) who pass through self-sacrifice and trial (symbolized by the Ante-Chamber and the low passages into and from it).” (C352)

“The King’s Chamber, which can be reached only by way of the Grand Gallery and the Ante-Chamber, is in every way the highest and noblest apartment in the Great Pyramid, and fitly symbolizes the divine nature.” (C355)

“The only thing this chamber contains is an empty (granite) coffer (or stone box) without a lid; and it is worthy of notice that this coffer corresponds with the sacred ark of the Mosaic Tabernacle in capacity.”2 (H.F. Gordon, quoted in C355)

Ark Moses Built

“At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood. And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark. And I made an ark of shittim wood and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in my hand. And he wrote on the tables according to the first writing, the ten commandments … And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me.” (Deut. 10:1-5)

¹ The King’s Chamber well represents the same state or condition as is represented by the Most Holy (C356), viz., the spirit-born condition of “honor, glory, and immortality”—the divine nature to which the Elect of God shall attain.

² We do not understand how Gordon is able to say this since there is no way to determine the capacity of the interior of the Ark. Presumably it is a conjecture on his part.

The only difficulty arises from the fact that Jehovah in Exod. 25:16 (bearing, of course, on the new Tabernacle’s ark—the one made by Bezaleel, see Exod. 37:1) says, “And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee” (as though it had not already been given him, by the tables of stone in the first ark which was in the tent of Moses—the first Tabernacle of the Congregation, see Exod. 33:7). However, it must not be overlooked that what Moses had received at that time was only a part of the testimony, for after the tables of the Law had been transferred to the second Tabernacle, two other bits of testimony were added: Aaron’s rod that budded (Num. 17:10) and the golden bowl of manna (Exod. 16:33,34). Consequently the ark in the second Tabernacle contained thus three testimonies, two of which had not been placed in the first ark!

Has the Ark Been Found?

“It is a matter of tradition in Abyssinia and of belief in the scientific world of Europe that the original Jewish Ark of the Covenant, containing the Mosaical stone of Tables of Law and all the other treasures of the Temple of Solomon, which disappeared from Jerusalem at the time of the so-called Jewish captivity, were dispatched by the Jewish high priests for safety to Abyssinia. It is generally believed that the Ark of Covenant along with all the other relics contained in the holy of holies of the Temple of Solomon will be found in some of these monastery islands of Lake Zonai.” (R3450:5)

The apocryphal writing in Maccabees 2:4-8 (English Revised Version, 1896) reads as follows:

“The prophet [Jeremiah] being warned of God, commanded that the tabernacle and the ark should follow with him, when he went forth into the mountain [Pisgah] where Moses went up and beheld the heritage of God. And Jeremiah came and found a chamber in the rock, and there he brought the tabernacle, and the ark, and the altar of incense; and he made fast the door. And some of those who followed with him came there that they might mark the way, and could not find it. But when Jeremiah perceived it, he blamed them, saying, Yea, and the place shall be unknown until God gather the people together, and mercy come; and then shall the Lord disclose these things, and the glory of the Lord shall be seen, and the Lord shall be seen, and the cloud.”

On the basis of this text an American explorer, Antonio Futterer, in the 1920s visited Mt. Nebo in Jordan in search of the Ark of the Covenant. His description of the site where it was to be found inspired another American explorer, Tom Crotser of Winfield, Kansas, to continue the search. This latter explorer claims to have found it, measured it, and have taken pictures of it (i.e., of the box-like part of it). His figures for the measurements are as follows: 62″ for the length, 37″ for the width, and 37″ for the height. An article on this appeared in the Biblical Archaeology Review of May/June 1983, pages 66-69, the last paragraph of which reads:

“In the meantime, we still cannot report what it was Tom Crotser photographed at 2:00 a.m. on the night of October 31st, 1981. As soon as we find out, we’ll let you know. But rest assured, it was not the Ark of the Covenant.”

Not much credence can be given to the apocryphal writings since neither Jesus nor any of the inspired apostles ever quoted from them. Nor is it even vaguely possible that either of these explorers actually saw the original Ark of the Covenant. As for the measurements given by Tom Crotser, they were evidently based upon the measurements given in Exodus 25:10 where they are given as 2½ cubits for its length, 1½ cubits for its breadth, and 1½ cubits for its height. All that Tom Crotser needed to do to have the figures commensurate with those of the Exodus account was to take an arbitrary figure for the length of the cubit and multiply that by the dimensions stated in cubits found in Exodus. Then he would have something very proportionate to the measurements given in the biblical account. It seems that he used 24.7″ as the length of a cubit. This is the way that Tom Crotser arrived at the figures he has given:

If 24.7″ to the cubit is accepted, then the boards of the tabernacle which measured ten cubits in length (Exod. 25:16) would have been over 20 feet long, surely not the measurement for a portable structure.

The length of the ancient tabernacle cubit commonly used by most authorities is 18″. Yet this also is but a conjecture—too large for a portable structure. According to J.H. Dummelow in his one volume Bible Commentary, there were three different biblical cubits as follows:

small cubit 13.33″
building cubit 16.00″
large cubit 18.66″

Here is what others have said:

“Reliable data for the exact evaluation of the Hebrew cubit do not exist.” (Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible)

“The actual data for determining the length of the Mosaic cubit involve peculiar difficulties; and absolute certainty seems unattainable.” (Smith, Dictionary of the Bible)

“No absolute and invariable standard presents itself.” (McClintock & Strong,Cyclopedia)