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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And thou shalt make an altar, for burning incense,–of acacia wood, shalt thou make it: |
Make an altar – The Golden altar in the Holy represents the Church in the sacrificing condition. T120
The Golden altar was only acceptable because it had been sprinkled with the atoning blood taken from the side of the Brazen altar. R101:4*
To burn incense – Representing the privileges of worship and prayer. R5418:5
Sweet incense, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, the incense of faith, love and obedience to God. T120, T56
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| 2 a cubit, the length thereof, and a cubit, the breadth thereof, four square, shall it be,–and two cubits, the height thereof, of the same, [shall be] the horns thereof. |
The horns – Symbols of power. T42
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| 3 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof,–and thou shalt make to it a border of gold, round about.
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With pure gold – Representing the divine nature. T18, T20
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| 4 And, two rings of gold, shalt thou make to it, under the border thereof, upon the two corners thereof, shalt thou make them on the two sides thereof,–so shall they become receptacles for the staves, to lift it therewith. |
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| 5 And thou shalt make the staves, of acacia wood,–and overlay them with gold. |
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| 6 And thou shalt place it before the veil, which is by the ark of the testimony,–before the propitiatory which is upon the testimony, where I will meet thee. |
Before the vail – The passing of the second veil represented the death of the human body. T21
That is by the ark – It represented the eternal purpose of God for mankind in The Christ, Head and Body. T121
The mercy seat – The Mercy Seat, glory-light and cherubim together represented Jehovah God. T124
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| 7 And Aaron shall burn thereon fragrant incense,–morning by morning, when he trimmeth the lamps, shall he burn it; |
And Aaron – And his sons who succeeded him in office. T116
When he dresseth – Representing the trimming off the dross of the old nature, the wick through which the holy Spirit operates. T117
The lamps – Seven lamps, representing the complete Church. T115
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| 8 and, when Aaron lighteth the lamps, between the evenings, shall he burn it,–a continual incense before Yahweh, to your generations. |
Burn incense – Offer acceptable prayer. R17:6
At even-The High Priest daily fills us with the mind of Christ and trims off the dross of the old nature. T116
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| 9 Ye shall not cause to ascend thereupon strange incense, nor an ascending-sacrifice, nor a meal-offering,–and, a drink offering, shall ye not pour out thereupon. |
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| 10 But Aaron shall put a propitiatory-covering upon the horns thereof, once in the year: of the blood of the sin-bearer for propitiatory-coverings, once in the year, shall he put a propitiatory-covering thereupon, to your generations, most holy, it is to Yahweh. |
And Aaron – Representing our High Priest, Christ. T36, T116; E449
Make an atonement – The offerings were presented to God, not to Satan. E449
Once in a year – On the Day of Atonement, which typified the entire Gospel age. T50
With the blood – None can fully appreciate the power of this altar without first recognizing the blood. R96:1
Unto the LORD – The sacrifices for sin, under the Law, were sin offerings unto Jehovah. R685:4
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| 11 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses, saying– |
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| 12 When thou takest the sum of the sons of Israel, by their numberings, then shall they give, every man a propitiatory-covering for his soul to Yahweh, when they are numbered,–that there may be among them no plague, when they are numbered. |
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| 13 This, shall they give–every one that passeth over to them that have been numbered–a half-shekel, by the shekel of the sanctuary,–the shekel is, twenty gerahs–the half-shekel, shall be a heave-offering to Yahweh. |
This – This poll tax. R3447:6, R2367:1
Half a shekel – About 33 cents. R2367:1
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| 14 All who pass over to the numbered, from twenty years old and upwards, shall give the heave-offering of Yahweh. |
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| 15 The rich, shall not give more, and, the poor, shall not give less, than the half-shekel,–when they give the heave-offering of Yahweh, to put a propitiatory-covering over your souls. |
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| 16 So then thou shalt take the silver for the propitiatory-coverings, from the sons of Israel, and shalt expend it upon the service of the tent of meeting,–thus shall it be for the sons of Israel, as a memorial before Yahweh, to put a propitiatory-covering over your souls. |
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| 17 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses, saying– |
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| 18 And thou shalt make a laver of bronze, and its stand of bronze, for bathing,–and thou shalt place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and shalt put therein, water. |
A laver – No dimensions given. Truth, like its author, is boundless. R243:6*
Dimensions not given; therefore, as a type, it must be considered unlimited. R118:4*
Typifying baptism. R117:1*
Typifying not baptism only, but the daily washings of the Word. R117:6*
Of brass – No wood in its construction, therefore no provision for the flesh. R117:2*
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| 19 So shall Aaron and his sons bathe thereat,–their hands, and their feet. |
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| 20 When they enter the tent of meeting, they shall bathe with water, so shall they not die,–or when they approach unto the altar to minister, to burn as incense an altar-flame to Yahweh: |
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| 21 so then they shall bathe their hands and their feet, and shall not die,–and it shall be to them an age-abiding statute, to him and to his seed, to their generations. |
So they shall wash – Aaron had to be washed in order fitly to represent the purity of Jesus. T29
Symbolizing the putting away of filthy practices - stealing, slander, envy, strife, back-biting, etc. R1543:6, R3054:2
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| 22 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses, saying– |
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| 23 Thou, therefore, take to thee–principal spices,–self-flowing myrrh, five hundred, and, fragrant cinnamon, half as much, two hundred and fifty, and, fragrant cane, two hundred and fifty; |
Principal spices – Representing principal things which go to make up the anointing which we receive. R4092. 3*
Of pure myrrh – Symbol of wisdom-knowing what to do. R4093:2*
Five hundred shekels – The amount of myrhh was equal to the amounts of cinnamon and calamus combined. So God, in our anointing, gives us wisdom equal to our understanding and knowledge combined. R4093:2*
Of sweet cinnamon – Symbol of the understanding which we have of all the knowledge which we receive from God. R4093:2*
Of sweet calamus – Symbol of the knowledge which we receive from God's Word. R4093:2*
250 shekels – The amounts of cinnamon and calamus were equal, so we would expect in our anointing that we would have the understanding of all the knowledge received of God. R4093:2*
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| 24 and, cassia, five hundred, by the shekel of the sanctuary,–and, oil olive, a hin. |
And of cassia – Symbol of deputyship, described in Scripture as "workmanship" and as "counsel and might." God gives no knowledge except for a purpose. He establishes our faith by giving the understanding thereof, then gives us the wisdom to know what is expected of us, and finally blesses us with the advice and ability (counsel and might) necessary for good workmanship in the accomplishment of his purposes. All that is expected of us is full consecration to the Lord and his service. All the rest he will supply in knowledge, understanding, wisdom, counsel and might. With more than this he cannot anoint us. R4093:3*
And of oil olive – Symbol of light through the holy Spirit. D651
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| 25 And thou shalt make it an oil for holy anointing, a compounded perfume, the work of a perfumer,–an oil for holy anointing, shall it be. |
Holy anointing oil – Typifying the holy Spirit. T29, T37, T116; D650; R5654:5, R72:2
Of peculiar composition-olive oil, the basis, with perfumes, etc., added. SM598:2
Poured out upon our Head, Christ Jesus. It reached the Church at Pentecost and has been f lowing down, anointing the members ever since. R2225:1
Jewish Law required that every king and every priest be anointed before serving. R5227:3
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| 26 And thou shalt anoint therewith, the tent of meeting,–and the ark of the testimony; |
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| 27 and the table, and all its utensils, and the lampstand, and its utensils,–and the incense altar, |
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| 28 and the altar for the ascending-sacrifice, and all its utensils,–and the laver, and its stand. |
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| 29 So shalt thou hallow them, and they shall be most, holy,–whosoever toucheth them, shall be holy. |
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| 30 Aaron also, and his sons, shalt thou anoint,–so shalt thou hallow them, to minister as priests unto me. |
Anoint Aaron – The anointing came upon Aaron only at first, but upon each of his sons as they succeeded to the office of chief priest. F131; Q689:3; T37
The High Priest was anointed with oil, which constituted the divine evidence of his call to priestly office. SM598:2
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| 31 And, unto the sons of Israel, shalt thou speak, saying, An oil for holy anointing, shall this be to me, to your generations. |
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| 32 Upon the flesh of a common man, shall it not be poured, and, according to the proportions thereof, shall ye not make any like it,–holy, it is, holy, shall it be to you. |
Any other like it – The Israelites were not permitted to compound a similar oil, showing typically that the holy Spirit is different from everything else and that its anointing is superior to any other. SM598:2
After the composition – According to the proportion thereof. Those who mix the proportions of the spirit differently are false brethren. R4093:4*
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| 33 Whosoever compoundeth any like it, and whosoever bestoweth thereof upon a stranger, shall be cut off from among his people. |
Even be cut off – Only the consecrated ones are ever to be anointed with the holy Spirit. T29
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| 34 Then said Yahweh unto Moses–Take to thee aromatic spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum,–aromatic spices, and pure frankincense,–weight for weight, shall it be. |
Pure frankincense – Representing praise, heart adoration and gratitude. R3703:5
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| 35 And thou shalt make of it an incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer,–salted, pure, holy. |
A perfume – The prayers of God's people rise up before him as a sweet perfume. R5692:5
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| 36 And thou shalt beat some of it to powder, and place thereof before the testimony, in the tent of meeting, where I am to meet with thee,–most holy, shall it be to you. |
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| 37 And, the incense which thou shalt make, according to the proportions thereof, ye shall not make for yourselves,–holy, shall it be to thee, to Yahweh. |
Ye shall not make – None could be made like it. We think it represents the perfection of the "man Christ Jesus." R79:2
Holy for the LORD – As nobody was allowed to make that incense except the priests, so the privilege of prayer is confined to the Royal Priesthood. R5692:5
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| 38 Whosoever shall make like it, to smell of it, shall be cut off, from among his people. |
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