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The immediate  meaning  of  the  building  of  the  Tabernacle.  The  Ark of the  Covenant,  in  which  were  kept  the  two  tables  of  the  law,  was more costly  than  anything  else  in  the  Tabernacle. By it  the  Israelites were to  be  constantly  reminded  of  the  covenant  made  with  God  as to  the  strict  observance  of  the  Commandments. The Manna,  which was also  deposited  in  the  Ark,  was  to  remind  them  of  God’s  loving guidance and  preservation  of  them,  and  move  them  to  love  and  trust Him. As cherubim  kept  guard  over  Paradise,  so  they  now  watched over the  Ark  of  the  Covenant;  and,  at  the  same  time,  they  reminded the people  that  they  should  worship  God,  and  serve  Him  as  willingly as do  the  angels  in  heaven. The golden  candlestick  with  its  lights always burning  was  an  emblem  of  faith  in  the  true  God,  and  admonished the  Israelites  to  live  according  to  that  faith,  to  avoid  the works of  darkness,  and  walk  in  God’s  presence. The laver  and  the strict laws  regarding  ablutions  were  to  remind  the  priests  that  they ought to  approach  the  holy  service  of  God  with  clean  hearts. The never-ceasing smoke,  ascending  from  the  altar  of  incense,  bade  the people to  lift  up  their  hearts  to  God,  and  send  up  constant  prayers, like incense,  to  heaven. The loaves  of  the  proposition  were  a perpetual exhortation to  be  grateful  to  God,  from  whom  come  all  good  gifts  for our souls  as  well  as  our  bodies. The curtain,  which  shut  off  the  Holy of Holies,  and  through  which  even  the  High  Priest  dared  pass  only once a year,  signified  “that  the  way  into  the  holies  was  not  yet  made manifest” (Hebr.  9,  8). As God  was  present  in  the  pillar  of  cloud, resting on  the  Ark,  so  the  Tabernacle  was  God’s  dwelling  in  the  midst of His  people.

Its typical  meaning.  “The  Tabernacle  is  a parable  of  the  time present” (i.  e.  the  Christian  era),  writes  St. Paul. It foreshadowed  the Church of  the  New  Testament  and  its  houses  of  God. As there  was only one  Tabernacle  and  one  divine  worship  instituted  by  God  Himself, so there  is  only  one  Church  and  one  true  worship  of  Christ  in  the world instituted  by  Himself. In every  Catholic  church  or  chapel  you will find  the  same  divine  worship  regulated  by  one  supreme  authority, the Vicar  of  Christ. The different  rites  (Latin,  Greek,  Coptic,  Syrian, Slavonic  &amp;c.)  differ  only  in  accidentals  and  are  one  even  in  their difference, because  approved  by  one  and  the  same  authority. As there was a real  but  mysterious  and  hidden  presence  of  God  in  the  Tabernacle (in  the  cloud  over  the  ark),  so  there  is  the  real  presence  of Jesus  Christ  in  the  Sacrament  of  the  Altar. He is  both  the  cloud  and the living  bread  (Manna)  that  has  come  down  from  heaven  to  give life to  the  world.

As there  was  an  altar  of  holocausts  and  bloody  sacrifices  and  an altar  of  shew-breads,  so  there  is  in  the  New  Testament  one  and  the same altar  ever  representing  the  bloody  sacrifice  of  the  cross  and  ever