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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And Bezaleel maketh the ark of shittim wood, two cubits and a half its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height; |
Made the ark – It represented the eternal purpose of God for mankind in The Christ, Head and Body. T121
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| 2 and he overlayeth it with pure gold within and without, and maketh for it a wreath of gold round about; |
With pure gold – Representing the divine nature. T18, T20
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| 3 and he casteth for it four rings of gold, on its four feet, even two rings on its one side, and two rings on its second side; |
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| 4 and he maketh staves of shittim wood, and overlayeth them with gold, |
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| 5 and he bringeth in the staves into the rings, by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. |
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| 6 And he maketh a mercy-seat of pure gold, two cubits and a half its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth; |
The mercy seat – Representing the underlying principle of Jehovah's character-justice. T124
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| 7 and he maketh two cherubs of gold, of beaten work he hath made them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat; |
He made two cherubims – Representing divine love and power. T125
Out of one piece – All the divine attributes are in perfect harmony. T125
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| 8 one cherub at the end on this [side], and one cherub at the end on that, out of the mercy-seat he hath made the cherubs, at its two ends; |
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| 9 and the cherubs are spreading out wings on high, covering over the mercy-seat with their wings, and their faces [are] one towards another; towards the mercy-seat have the faces of the cherubs been. |
Mercy seatward – Neither love nor power can be exercised until justice is fully satisfied; hence they look inward towards justice to know when to move. T125
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| 10 And he maketh the table of shittim wood; two cubits its length, and a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height, |
Made the table – Representing the Church as a whole, holding forth the word of life. T115; R5418:5
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| 11 and overlayeth it with pure gold, and maketh for it a wreath of gold round about. |
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| 12 And he maketh for it a border of a handbreadth round about, and maketh a wreath of gold for its border round about; |
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| 13 and he casteth for it four rings of gold, and putteth the rings on the four corners which [are] to its four feet; |
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| 14 over-against the border have the rings been, places for staves to bear the table. |
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| 15 And he maketh the staves of shittim wood, and overlayeth them with gold, to bear the table; |
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| 16 and he maketh the vessels which [are] upon the table, its dishes, and its bowls, and its cups, and the cups by which they pour out, of pure gold. |
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| 17 And he maketh the candlestick of pure gold; of beaten work he hath made the candlestick, its base, and its branch, its calyxes, its knops, and its flowers, have been of the same; |
Made the candlestick – Representing the entire Church, the true light-bearers. T116
Representing the light of God's truth. R5621:6, R5418:5
Of beaten work – We feel almost discouraged sometimes at the knocks and blows we receive, forgetting that the branches must be like the shaft -- all of beaten work. R243:5*
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| 18 and six branches are coming out of its sides, three branches of the candlestick out of its one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of its second side; |
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| 19 three calyxes, made like almonds, in the one branch, a knop and a flower; and three calyxes, made like almonds, in another branch, a knop and a flower; so to the six branches which are coming out of the candlestick. |
The fashion of almonds – In the almond tree fruit buds appear before leaves. So with the Royal Priesthood: they begin to sacrifice, or bring forth fruit, before the leaves of profession are seen. T122
A knop and a flower – Representing the true Church as both beautiful and fruitful from first to last. T116
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| 20 And in the candlestick [are] four calyxes, made like almonds, its knops, and its flowers, |
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| 21 and a knop under the two branches of the same, and a knop under the two branches of the same, and a knop under the two branches of the same, [are] to the six branches which are coming out of it; |
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| 22 their knops and their branches have been of the same; all of it one beaten work of pure gold. |
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| 23 And he maketh its seven lamps, and its snuffers, and its snuff-dishes, of pure gold; |
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| 24 of a talent of pure gold he hath made it, and all its vessels. |
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| 25 And he maketh the perfume-altar of shittim wood; a cubit its length, and a cubit its breadth (square), and two cubits its height; its horns have been of the same; |
The incense altar – The Golden altar in the Holy represents the Church in the sacrificing condition. T120
Representing the privileges of worship and prayer. R5418:5
The horns thereof – Symbols of power. T42
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| 26 and he overlayeth it with pure gold, its top and its sides round about, and its horns; and he maketh for it a wreath of gold round about; |
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| 27 and two rings of gold he hath made for it under its wreath, at its two corners, at its two sides, for places for staves to bear it with them. |
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| 28 And he maketh the staves of shittim wood, and overlayeth them with gold; |
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| 29 and he maketh the holy anointing oil, and the pure spice-perfume work of a compounder. |
Holy anointing oil – Typifying the holy Spirit. T29, T37, T116; D650; R5654:5
The pure incense – The sweet incense beaten small represented the perfection of the man Jesus. When he came in contact with the trials of life (fire), he yielded perfect obedience to the divine will-a sweet perfume. T56, T120
The prayers of God's people rise up before him as a sweet perfume. R5692:5
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