Exodus 25 · The Lantern

Offerings for the Tabernacle

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Speak to the sons of Israel, that they take an offering for me; from every man whose heart makes him willing you shall take my offering.

And this is the offering that you shall take from them: gold, and silver, and bronze;

and blue, and purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen, and goats’ hair;

and rams’ skins dyed red, and fine leather skins, and acacia wood;

oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense;

onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece.

And let them make me a sanctuary, and I will dwell in their midst.

According to all that I show you — the pattern of the Dwelling and the pattern of all its vessels — just so you shall make it.

The Ark of the Covenant

And they shall make an ark of acacia wood: two and a half cubits its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.

And you shall overlay it with pure gold; inside and outside you shall overlay it. And you shall make on it a molding of gold all around.

And you shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them on its four feet — two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side.

And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.

And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them.

The poles shall stay in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it.

And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I will give you.

The Mercy Seat

And you shall make an atonement cover of pure gold: two and a half cubits its length, and a cubit and a half its width.

And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them, at the two ends of the atonement cover.

But also the oracles of the Lord, "the chaste oracles," are called "silver tried by fire." And likewise in another place the tongue of the just man is spoken of as "kindled silver." But the cherubim are called golden, since indeed they are interpreted as "the fullness of the knowledge of God." But also the candlestick in the tabernacle of the testimony was commanded to be set u…

We can also understand the two Testaments by the two angels. Hence also the two cherubim that cover the mercy seat look upon one another with their faces turned toward the mercy seat. For cherubim means fullness of knowledge. And what is signified by the two cherubim except both Testaments? And what is figured by the mercy seat except the incarnate Lord?

And make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; of one piece with the atonement cover you shall make the cherubim, at its two ends.

And the cherubim shall spread out their wings above, covering the atonement cover with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the atonement cover.

And you shall put the atonement cover on top of the ark; and into the ark you shall put the testimony that I will give you.

And I will meet with you there; and I will speak with you from above the atonement cover, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony — all that I command you for the sons of Israel.

The Table of Showbread

And you shall make a table of acacia wood: two cubits its length, and a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.

And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make for it a molding of gold all around.

And you shall make for it a rim of a handbreadth all around, and make a molding of gold for its rim all around.

And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners of its four legs.

Close to the rim the rings shall be — as holders for the poles, to carry the table.

And you shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with them.

And you shall make its dishes and its pans, and its pitchers and its bowls with which offerings are poured out; of pure gold you shall make them.

And you shall set on the table the bread of the Presence, before my face always.

The Lampstand

And you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. Of hammered work the lampstand shall be made — its base and its shaft; its cups, its knobs, and its blossoms shall be of one piece with it.

And six branches shall go out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of its one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of its other side —

three cups shaped like almond blossoms on the one branch, with knob and blossom, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms on the other branch, with knob and blossom; so for the six branches going out of the lampstand.

And on the lampstand itself, four cups shaped like almond blossoms, with its knobs and its blossoms:

a knob under the first pair of branches of one piece with it, and a knob under the second pair of branches of one piece with it, and a knob under the third pair of branches of one piece with it — for the six branches going out of the lampstand.

Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece with it — all of it one hammered work of pure gold.

And you shall make its lamps, seven; and its lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it.

And its tongs and its firepans shall be of pure gold.

Of a talent of pure gold it shall be made, with all these vessels.

And see that you make them by their pattern, which you are being shown on the mountain.

Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

If, according to the apostle, "the law is spiritual" and contains within itself the images "of the good things to come," then let us remove "the veil" of the letter which is spread over it and contemplate its true meaning stripped bare.

Behold, the glorification of matter, which you despise! What is more insignificant than colored goatskins? Are not blue and purple and scarlet merely colors? Behold the handiwork of men becoming the likeness of the cherubim! Was not the meeting tent an image in every way?