The separate parts of the Tabernacle had each a symbolical
significance, for to all that is above there is something corresponding
below. There are stars above, but likewise below, where "a star shall
come out of Jacob;" God has His hosts above, and likewise below, His
people Israel, "the hosts of the Lord;" above there are Ofannim, and on
earth likewise there is an Ofan; above, God has Cherubim, and likewise
below in the sanctuary of Israel; God hath His dwelling above, but
likewise below; and, lastly, God hath stretched out the heavens above
like a curtain, and below, in the sanctuary, were curtains of goats'
hair. [346]
The number of curtains, also, corresponds to those in heaven, for just
as there are eleven upper heavens, so also were there eleven curtains
of goats' hair. [347] The size of the Tabernacle was seventy cubits,
corresponding to the seventy holy days celebrated annually by the Jews,
to wit: fifty-two Sabbaths, seven days of Passover, eight of
Tabernacles, and a day each for Pentecost, the Day of Atonement, and
New Year's Day. The number of vessels amounted to seventy also; as
likewise God, Israel, and Jerusalem bear seventy names; and as,
correspondingly, in the time between the building of the first and of
the second Temple, there were seventy consecutive Sanhedrin. [348]
Like the Tabernacle, so the altar, too had its symbolical significance.
Its length and its breadth were five cubits each, corresponding
respectively to the five Commandments on the two tables of the law. Its
height was three cubits, corresponding to the three deliverers God sent
to deliver Israel from Egypt, - Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. It had four
horns in the corners thereof, to atone for the sins of the people that
on Sinai receive four horns, "the horn of the Torah," "the horn of the
Shekinah," "the horn of Priesthood," and "the horn of the Kingdom."
[349]
In the Tabernacle, as later in the Temple, gold, silver, and brass were
employed, but not iron. God meant to indicate by the exclusion of iron
that "in the future time," "the golden Babylon, the silver Media, and
the brazen Greece," would be permitted to bestow the gifts on the new
Temple, but not "the iron Rome." It is true that Babylon also destroyed
the sanctuary of God, like Rome, but not with such fury and such
thorough-going wrath as Rome, whose sons cried: "Raze it, raze it, even
to the foundations thereof," and for this reason Rome may not
contribute to the Messianic Temple. And as God will reject the gifts of
Rome, so also will the Messiah, to whom all the nations of the earth
will have to offer gifts. Egypt will come with her gifts, and although
the Messiah will at first refuse to accept anything from the former
taskmaster of Israel, God will say to him: "The Egyptians granted My
children an abode in their land, do not repulse them." Then the Messiah
will accept their gift. After Egypt will follow her neighbor, Ethiopia,
with her gifts, thinking that if the Messiah accepted gifts from the
former taskmaster of Israel, he will also accept gifts from her. Then
the Messiah will also accept Ethiopia's gifts. After these two kingdoms
will follow all others with their gifts, and all will be accepted save
those from Rome. This kingdom will be sorely disappointed, for,
depending upon their kinship with Israel, they will expect kind
treatment from the Messiah, who had graciously received the other
nations not connected with Israel. But God will call out to the
Messiah: "Roar at this monster that devours the fat of nations, that
justifies its claims for recognition through being a descendant of
Abraham by his grandson Esau, the nation that forgives all for the sake
of money, that kept Israel back from the study of the Torah, and
tempted them to deeps that are in accord with the wishes of Satan."
[350]