1. The Tabernacle And The Temple
BOOK TWO
BOOK TWO 1.
THE TABERNACLE AND THE TEMPLE
The tabernacle that Moses made for the Lord in the wilderness, like the temple that Solomon made in Jerusalem, designates the state of the Holy
Church universal, part of which already reigns with the Lord in heaven, while part is still journeying in this present life away from the Lord, until its members die and follow after one another. The principal difference between the figures in the construction of the two houses is that the tabernacle designates the building of thc present Church, which is daily employed in its labours, while the temple designates the repose of the future
Church, which is daily being perfected as it receives souls departing from this [world] after their labours. For Moses built the tabernacle while he was still set on the road by which he was proceeding to the promised land along with the people of God, but Solomon constructed the temple after he had already taken possession of the same promised land and the hngship in it.
Moses built the tabernacle in the wilderness, but Solonion constructed the temple in Jerusalem, which is interpreted as 'vision of peace':' here the Church is built amidst the labour and toil of this transient life, thirsting and hungeringforthe everlasting kingdom, butthere it iscompletedinthevision and possession of true peace.
(421 It is properly said that in the construction of the temple there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in it when it was being built, because all the stones and wood were prepared outside Jerusalem in such a way that when they were properly fitted into position in their courses there it would be easy to put them back together with confidence, each one in its own place and fastened with cement or nails. For in the peace of heavenly blessedness our faith will certainly not need to be tried with tribulations, nor our life put to the test, but what is being chastened now in the present age will there be fitted together with the glue and bands of mutual charity so that they can never be dissolved, to form heavenly dwellings according to the pattern, bound together in the sight of their Maker and King. For when the nzultitude of believers is made of one heart and soul in this life, and all things are common to them; is it not as if living stones are being squared to form the building of the future house of the Lord, and are then transported from this place to be set into their courses without any tedious labour, and
1 Jerome,Nom. (CCSr. 72: 121, 9-10) 2 1 Kgs. 6:7
3 Acts 4132
BEDE: ON THE TABERNACLE
are joined to one another with the bond of a love that is divine, and at the same time properly their own?
It is also possible to distinguish the figures of the two sanctuaries generally in this way: the workmanship of the tabernacle is the time of the synagogue (that is, of the ancient people of God), but the workmanship of the temple signifies the Church (that is, that multitude of the elect which has come to faith after the Lord's incarnation). For Moses completed the tabernacle with the people of the Hebrews alone, but Solomon finished puilding] the temple with a multitude of proselytes gathered together, and also with the help ofthe kin of Tyre and his artisans, who were Jews neither by birth nor by profession. For it is well known that the teachers of the earlier people of God presided over no one except those from their own nation, but although the first rulers of the Church were from the Hebrews, even so, soon afterwards, as it grew and spread throughout the world, its builders came forth from the Gentiles as well, so that even Luke the evangelist himself, and the apostolic men Timothy and Titus, attained to their jurisdiction2 from the calling of the Gentiles.
(431
But if we consider each of them more carefully, the building of both houses mystically represents the state of the whole present Church, which never ceases to be built from the beginning of the world's creation up until the last elect person who is to be born at the end of the world. In the wondrous truth of theirfigures, they also depict the glory of the life to come, which the Church enjoys now in part but will enjoy forever in all its members after the end of this age. Hence as we embark on saying some things with the Lord's help concerning the tabernacle, we first invoke him with humble prayer to unveil the eyes of our hearts so that we may be able to consider the wonders of his law,3 and so that we may understand that in the beauty of precious metals and vestments we have been advised to nuke our character illustrious with the ornamentation of faith and devotion.
Otherwise, unless we imitate the material ornamentation of the tabernacle or temple by the devout and pure adornment of heart and body, there cannot apply to us that word of the Apostle in which he says, Foryou are the tetnple of the living God; as Godsays, Twill dwell in them, and walk among them, and what John heard, a great voicefrotn the throne, saying, 'Behold the A 1 1 Kgs. 5:1-18;7:13-44 2 praesulatuni 3 Ps. 119:lS (1 18:lS) 4 2 Cor. 6:16
BOOK TWO
tabernacle of God is with huntankind, und he has made his dwelling with them.''
But fist we must reflect for a little while upon the text of the material letter itself, so that we shall be able to discuss the spiritual sense with greater certainty. The tabernacle was a house sacred to the Lord, thirty cubits in lenglh, ten in width, and ten also in height,2 having a roof that was level throughout, in a manner of house construction that is customary in Egypt and Pale~tine.~ Three of its walls-namely, the southern, the northern, and the westem-were put together from wooden boards that were gilded on both sides. But in front of the eastern wall, where the entrance was, there was a rod that came through the middle boards from corner to corner (that is, from the very top of this wall to the top of the opposite wall), so that it was possible for the curtains of the tabernacle and the roof to rest on this rod while the tent was suspended on five posts.
[44] Now the house was covered on the top ,and also on all sides with curtains woven in a wondcrful variety [of colours]; this is the tabernacle properly so called. And it was covered on all sides with curtains of goats' hair reaching to the ground. But on the roof there was also another covering made from nms' skins dyed red, and on top of this yet another covering of blue-coloured skins. And there was also a variegated veil of embroidery work which was hung from four posts, by which the sanctuary and the holy of holies were divided. The ark of the covenant was placed within this veil, and opposite the ark, outside the veil, there was the alt'v of incense. In addition, in the middle of the sanctuary itself there stood a lampstand on the south side, and a table on the north, with the altar of holocaust outdoors before the entrance to the sanctuary, and a bronze basin between this altar and thc tabernacle. The court of the tabernacle round about all these h n g s was a hundred cubits long and fity wide. For the sake of gmater clarity with respect to these things which have been briefly examined, let us look at the words of the history themselves, so that through them we may be able to come to a more profound and more lucid undcrstanding of the meaning of the allegory.
1 Rev. 21:3
2 Josephus, Ant. Jud. 3,6,3 (ed. Blatt, 233, 6-7) 3 Jerome, Ep. 106.63 ( C S E 5 5 : 278, 20-4)