Christ pointed to himself a~ the anti type _of the t~1_nple (Matt. xii. G; ,Juhn ii. J '.J-2~). Ho was Immanuel, God with us (Matt. 1. 23). !he fu!ness of the Gochcad dwelt in him (John i. 14; Col. i. 15; ii. 9). The temple in this caRe is not a mere material structure, but a holy, and now perfected, humanity. The union is personal and in<lis- suluble. The rovelFLtion of God, through the medium of humanity, cannot rise hiaher than H has done in Christ. The life of God in the individual and in the Church itbu, the unfolding of the fulness e.lrea.dy contained in him (John i. 16). This unfoldin", however, is necessary, that the temple-idea may reach itR complete fulfilment. A thi;l stage, accordingly, is (3) God dwelling in the soul of the believer. Rather, we shouhl say, in the humanity of the believer-body, soul, and spirit forming, unitedly, a ba\Ji- tation for Goel throup:h the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. vi. lD). In this tabernacle, as in tho former, there is the innermost shrine-the holy of holies of the spirit, the " inner man" in which is deposited the law of the Lord (Eph. iii. 16); a holy place-the soul or mind, with its lamps of understanding, etc.; and an outer court-the body-the external side of the being, open and visible to all. The individual, however, taken by himself, is but a fragment. The full idea is realised (4) in the Church a.~ a whole-the whole body of believers, in heaven and on earth, with Christ a.~ Head. This is the true an,! the living temple (Eph. ii. 21, 22). Realised in part on earth, and wherever a portion 0f the Church of Christ exists, the perfection of the manifestation of the idea is reservefl for the future and for glory. Cf. Rev. xxi. 3-" The tabernacle of God is with men," etc. The idea of the Jewish tabernacle thus finds its fulfilment (1) in the body of Christ; (2) in the body of the believer; (3) in the body of the Church. 2. Symbolically-the tabernacle figured out, in its structure, its contents, and its arrangements, various spiritual truths. (1) On the ark and its symbolism, see next homily. (2) The sepa- ration into two apartments had as its basis the twofold aspect of God's fellowship with man. The holy of holies was God's part of the structure. Its arrangements exhibited God in relation to his people. The outer apartment-the holy place-exhibited in symbol the calling of the people in relation to God. The shew-brea.d and the lighted lamps, with the incense from the golden altar, en:.blematised aspects of that calling. See next homily. (3) The arrangements of the tabernacle had further in view the symbolising of the imperfect condition of privilege in the Church under the old economy. A veil hung between the holy place and the holy of holies. Into this latter the high priest only was permitted to enter, and that but once a year, and not without blood of atonement. The mass of the people were not allowed to come nearer than the outer court. They could enter .the holy place only in the persons of their representatives, the priests. .All this spoke of distance, of barriers as yet unremoved, of drawbacks to perfected communion. The arrangements were of sach a nature as studiously to impress this idea upon the mind. Accordingly, at the death of Christ, the removal of these barriers, and the opening of the way for perfected fellowship between God and man, was signified by the striking circumstance of the rending of the veil (Matt. uvii. 51). It is implied in the teaching of Scripture that a like imperfection of privilege marked the condition of the departed just, and that this also was removed by Christ, who, passing into the highest heavens, made manifest, both for them and for us, the way into the holiest of all. (Cf. Heb. ix. 6-13; x. 19, 20; xi. 39, 40; xii. 23.)--J. 0.
EXPOSITION. Vers. 8, 9.-GENERAL DIRECTIONS. After sanctuary ; and there are even writers who tell the gifts which God will accept have been spe- us that a religion has actnally existed without cified, and the epirit in which they are to be one (Herod. i. 131, Strab. xv. pp. 1039-H) offered noted (ver. 2), God proceeds to unfold . The.t God should " dwell" in e. house, as a man his purpose, and declare the object for which does, is of course impos.5ible ; o.nd the Hebrews the gifts are needed. He will have a "sanc- were as deeply impressed with this truth as tuary" constructed for him, an habitation in any other nation (1 Kings viii. 27 ; 2 Chr. ii. which he may" dwell." Now, it is certainly 6; Is. lvi. 1 ; Jer. x."tiii. 24, etc.). But a religion possible to conceive of a religion which should without a temple we.s probably unknown in ail.ruit nothing in the nat.ure of a temple or the do.ys of Moses; and, with such o. people as THE BOOK OF EXODUS. [en. XXV. 8, !),