23. Religious Institutions

Religious Institutions The Tabernacle

l. The Tabernacle, erected by Moses in the wilderness, was not only the temple of God, but his palace—the place of his presence and residence as king of the Hebrew nation; and this two-fold character was preserved in its furniture, utensils, and ministers. It was of an oblong rectangular figure, 55 feet in length, 18 in breadth, and 18 in height. The inside was divided into two rooms by a veil or curtain hung upon four pillars. This curtain was made of rich stuff, curiously embroidered with figures of cherubim, and other ornaments. In the inner and smaller room, called the “Holy of Holies,” was placed the ark, which was an oblong chest of wood, overlaid with gold, and surmounted by two golden figures of cherubim with outstretched wings. Above them appeared a mysterious resplendence, which symbolized the presence of the Divine King.

Ark Representation

Ark Representation

Golden Altar

In the ark were kept the tables of stone on which the ten commandments were written. Beside the ark were laid up for memorial a quantity of manna in a vase of gold, the rod of Aaron that budded, and a copy of the book of the law (Exo 25:1-22; Deu 31:26; Heb 9:4). In the anteroom were placed, 3, The golden altar on which incense was burnt daily (Exo 30:1-10); 2, The massive and highly ornamented seven-branched golden “candlestick” or lamp stand (Exo 25:31-39); 3, The table of wood, overlaid with gold, called the table of show-bread, from the bread which was always kept upon it, and renewed every week (Exo 25:23-30).

2. Around the Tabernacle was an extensive area or court, formed by curtains of fine twined linen, hung upon pillars, which were set in bases of brass, and filleted with silver. Of these pillars there were twenty on each side, and ten at each end, five cubits apart (Exo 27:9-19). In this court all the public services of religion were performed, all sacrifices were offered, and all offerings made. It contained the great brazen altar for burnt-offerings, which was five cubits square, and three in height, with prominences at the corners, called “horns” (Exo 27:1-8; Psa 118:27). On this altar the sacrifices were consumed by fire which was miraculously kindled at first, and was always preserved afterwards (Lev 9:24). In the court of the Tabernacle also stood the large brazen laver, at which the priests were to perform their ablutions before they approached the altar (Exo 30:15-21).

3. The Temple of Solomon was built on the same plan as the Tabernacle, and contained the same furniture and utensils; but it was much larger, the materials were more costly and durable, and the workmanship was more elaborate.

Golden Candlestick

From the arch of Titus at Rome, in which the spoils of the Temple are represented. The base is supposed to have been added, or ornamented with the figures it is here seen to bear.

Brazen Altar

Instead of one court there were three, the innermost of which corresponded to the court of the Tabernacle; and the curtained enclosure was supplied by walls and colonnades.

4. It does not appear that there were in the towns any synagogues, or places of religious meeting, before the Captivity; but under the Hasmonean princes they became common. They were plain and unpretending buildings, in which the Jews assembled on the Sabbath to offer prayers, to hear the sacred books read, and to receive instruction. They are often mentioned in the New Testament (Mat 4:23; Acts 6:3; Acts 9:2; Acts 13:5, etc.)

5. As the Tabernacle was not only the Temple of God, but the palace of the Divine King; so the priests and Levites were not only sacerdotal ministers, but were at the same time his officers of state and the guards of his palace. The circumstances under which the tribe of Levi was set apart to this service, and one family of that tribe, the family of Aaron, specially consecrated to the priestly office, will claim to be noticed in the ensuing history. Aaron was consecrated by Moses as the first high priest, and his sons officiated as priests under him (Leviticus 8). Their duties were to offer sacrifices, to burn incense, and to bless the people; and it was death for any others to perform these offices (Num 16:10; 2Ch 26:16-21); although we read of some of the prophets in distant places, and on extraordinary occasions, offering sacrifices (1Sa 13:8-14; 1Sa 16:1-5; 1Ki 18:21-40). The inner chamber of the Tabernacle, containing the ark, was never entered but by the high priest, and even by him only once in the year, when he made a ceremonial atonement for the sins of the nation. This was called the “day of atonement” (Leviticus 16).

6. The priests, when not engaged in their sacerdotal duties, dressed like other men; but when they were so employed, their tunics, drawers, girdles, and turbans, were all of white linen (Exo 39:27-28). The high priest wore this dress only on the day he entered the most holy place; but his regular official dress was very splendid. Over the white tunic he wore a blue woollen robe, affixed to the hem of which were small golden bells, separated by artificial pomegranates (Exo 28:31-34). Over this was a short sleeveless garment, called an “ephod,” of fine twisted linen, inwrought with purple and gold, and hi ring on each shoulder-strap a precious stone, engraven with the names of the twelve tribes (Exo 28:5-12). The “breast-plate of judgment” was the greatest ornament of the dress. It was a span square, and was composed of twelve precious stones, set in a doubled piece of the same rich cloth which composed the ephod. The High Priest

On each stone was graven the name of one of the twelve tribes (Exo 28:15-21). On his head the high priest wore a kind of mitre, to the front of which was fastened a plate of gold, inscribed with Hebrew words, meaning, “Holiness unto the Lord” (Exo 28:36-38). To the breast-plate belonged the Urim and Thummim, by which the priest was enabled to ascertain the will of the Divine King on any matter submitted to him; but in what manner the response was given has not been very satisfactorily determined. Some think that when the high priest, wearing the breast-plats, appeared in the holy place with his face turned towards the ark, he became officially qualified to receive an oral answer to such questions as he uttered. Others presume that, as the twelve stones of the breast-plate bore the names of the twelve tribes, the letters composing the response were in some way or other supernaturally distinguished from the rest.

7. The priests had become so numerous in the time of David, that they could not all be employed at the same time in their sacred duties; and therefore the king divided the whole body into twenty-four companies or courses, which served in weekly rotation (1 Chronicles 24). Each course had its own head or chief; and these are supposed to be the “chief priests” so often mentioned in the New Testament. The tribe of Levi had originally been divided into three classes, according to their descent from Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the three sons of Levi. The office of the Levites was to assist the priests, by slaughtering the victims, and by providing and preparing whatever was necessary for the sacred services. They commenced their service at the age of twenty-five, and retired at fifty (Num 8:5-26). In the wilderness they encamped with the priests around the Tabernacle, and formed its guard. They also set it up, took it down, and conveyed it from place to place (Num 4:1-20). In later times, David divided the whole body into three classes, each of which was subdivided into twenty-four courses, which attended in weekly rotation. The first class attended upon the priests in their services; the second formed the choir of singers in the Temple; and the third acted as porters and guards in the Temple, and at its gates (1Ch 24:20-30; 1 Chronicles 25; 1 Chronicles 26).

8. As the tribe of Levi, in order that it might be more completely detached from secular employments, received no share in the distribution of the land, it was necessary to provide in some other way for its maintenance. In addition, therefore, to the produce of the belt of land around the forty-eight cities assigned for their residence, the Levites received from the other tribes the tenth, or tithe, of all the produce of the country, including live stock (Lev 27:30; Num 18:20-24; Num 35:1-8). A tenth of this tithe was the share of the priests, who had also thirteen of the forty-eight cities.

There was another tithe, the produce of which the people were themselves to expend in feast-offerings, to which the Levites were to be invited (Deu 14:22-27).

9. The sacrifices which the law required the Israelites to offer to God, were divided into four kinds—1. The Burnt-offering, which was wholly consumed upon the altar (Leviticus 1); 2. The Sin-offering, which was a sacrifice offered in ceremonial expiation of sins of ignorance, and of legal pollution. Of this class of offerings, only certain fat portions were consumed on the altar, the rest belonging to the priests (Leviticus 4); 3. The Trespass-offering, which is not clearly distinguishable from the former, but is supposed by some to refer to sins of omission; the sin-offering referring to sins of commission (Leviticus 5); 4. The Peace (or Feast)-offering which was eaten by the offerer and his friends, after the fat parts had been burnt on the altar, and a small portion given to the priests (Leviticus 3). All these sacrifices were only occasional: but there were others regular and national; such as the daily sacrifice of two lambs as burnt-offerings, one in the morning and the other in the evening, with each of which was offered a bread-offering, and a drink-offering of strong wine (Exo 29:38; Exo 29:41). This sacrifice was doubled on the Sabbath-day (Num 28:9-10). There were also large and extraordinary sacrifices at the new moons, and at the annual recurrence of the great festivals.

10. Sacrifices were limited to three kinds of cattle—oxen, sheep, and goats; but all clean birds were allowed, although, practically, doves only appear to have been offered (Lev 14:4-7). To ensure unity of worship, sacrifices could only be offered on the one altar at the Tabernacle, and afterwards at the Temple, whither all gifts and oblations were to be brought (Lev 17:8-9); but before the Captivity this regulation was much neglected, even in the best, times.

11. The festivals of the Israelites were weekly, monthly, and annual. The weekly festival was the Sabbath, on which they rested from all labor, and double sacrifices were offered (Exo 20:8-11). After the Captivity, when Synagogues were built in the several towns, the people assembled in them on the Sabbath-clay to hear the sacred books read and expounded (Luk 4:16; Acts 13:15). The monthly festival was that cf the new moon, which was proclaimed by the sound of trumpets, and at which additional sacrifices were offered. The great annual festivals prescribed by the law were three, each of them of a week’s continuance; and at their celebration all the adult males in Israel were required to appear at the place of the Sanctuary (Exo 23:14-17). 1. The Passover was kept in remembrance of the departure from Egypt. It began on the eve of the fourteenth day of the first month, with the eating of the Paschal Lamb, and was continued through the week, during which no leavened bread was to be eaten. On the sixteenth day, the first ripe ears of corn were offered, and till that was done the early harvest could not be commenced (Exo 12:1-27; Lev 23:9-14). 2. Seven weeks after the commencement of the Passover, when the labors of the harvest were usually completed, was the feast of Pentecost, which also continued for seven days. This was, properly, the harvest festival, in which the nation offered thanks to God for the bounties of the season, and presented the first-fruits, in bread baked of the new corn (Lev 23:15-21). 3. In autumn was the feast of Tabernacles or of Booths, which commenced on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. It celebrated the sojourn of the Israelites in the wilderness; and was also a festival of thanks for the fruits of autumn, whence it was called the Feast of Ingathering. During this festival the people dwelt in booths, formed of green boughs interwoven; they also carried green boughs in their hands, and the rejoicing was very great (Lev 23:34-43).

12. The only other periodical celebrations prescribed by the Mosaical Law, were the Feast, of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. The first was held on the first and second days of the month Tisri, and celebrated the commencement of the civil year, which was ushered in by the blowing of the sacerdotal trumpets with unusual solemnity; and hence the name of the feast (Lev 23:23-25). The Day of Atonement was the only periodical fast prescribed by the law. It occurred on the tenth day of the same month, between the feast of trumpets and that of tabernacles. It was a strict fast, when the people bewailed the sins of the past year, and a ceremonial expiation was made by the High Priest, who, on that day only, entered the most holy place, where he sprinkled the blood of a goat which had been sacrificed. This goat was one of two, which were appointed by lot to their several destinations. The other, after the sins of the people had been confessed over it, and laid upon its head, was sent away alive to be lost in the wilderness (Lev 16:7-10; Lev 16:15; Lev 16:20-22).

13. There were two other feasts, which, although not appointed by the law, or belonging to the more ancient times, became of considerable note. The Feast of Purim, which is still observed in two clays of rejoicing, was instituted to celebrate the overthrow of Haman’s plot for the extirpation of the Jews (Est 9:20-32). The other was the Feast of Dedication, instituted by Judas Maccabaeus, to celebrate the re establishment of public worship at Jerusalem, after Antiochus Epiphanes had been vanquished and the Temple purified (1Ma 4:59; John 10:22).

Altars

(3, 2, 3, Greek. 4, Egyptian. 5, Babylonian. 6, Roman. 7, 8, Persian.)