, 1884-10-07
SIGNS AND SYMBOLS.
Rev. Or. Chapman's Interesting
Lecture Sunday Night.
The Use, Typology and Erection of
the Tabernacle.
A Miniature Temple Used For
Illustration.


Hebrews. Before the Doctor began his
remarks the choir gave several fine selec-
tons. the solos by Miss Terry being
especially 50. When the opening services
were concluded the Doctor began "a
number of years ago when I was teach
ing a class of young ladies and gentlemen
| was called to explain to them the con-
struction of the tabernacle. / saw that
they failed to comprehend the subject and
| dismissed the class. Immediately after
wards | went to a store and obtained a
quantity of pasteboard boxes and out of
them | constructed a mimic tabernacle.
At the next recitation l again began my
explanation and L at once saw they com
pretended me.
81 then resolved that l would have a
model made. | at once set to work and
during the next five years made this a
special study. / employee a painter and
carpenter and with their assistance COM
pleted this model"
Everything connected with the con-
struction of the tabernacle has a spiritual
meaning. Believe in the Bible and you
will believe in this statement. Every act
and ceremony mentioned in the good book
has its spiritual meaning. But" said
the speaker Il have seen them the OBJ
iects of mockery and derision. l have
seen men laugh at the baptism of a little
child--at the communion service where
the blood and body of Christ were repre-
sented by the bread and wine.
During the first 2, 500 years of Hebrew
history the church of God was without a
place of worship, This event covered
some of the most important events in
their history and when the tabernacle was
at last built it was about 1,50O years
before Christ
There area few facts | wish to impress
on you" said the speaker. God called for
this tabernacle-more than that, he Sc
lected the building, gave to Moses the
model for it, inspired him with the spirit
to build, selected the material, told the
Hebrews where to find it and how to get
it. The structure thus built had a three
fold object and was used by the Hebrews
until it was destroyed as a house of wor-
ship. The first Of these is that it is sym
bolical. Now a symbol is the representing
of a thought by a picture or an image.
When the Plymouth Indians wished to
inform the white settlers they must leave
or be exterminated, they said not a word,
but sent a bundle of arrows fastened by u
snake skin. The whites sent back as an
answer the snake skin filed with powder
and bullets. No words were spoken, but
both knew that it meant war.
"You get my meaning. Nothing pre-
sents a thought so forcible as a symbol"
The speaker then referred to the con-
struction of the tabernacle and said, 1T
is constructed of boards fifteen inches in
height standing in sockets of silver. The
silver has no symbolical meaning, but it
was the ransomed money of the Jews.
The boards themselves were covered with
gold.
Imagine yourself" said the speaker,
''to be standing on a high mountain over
looking a large valley in which are en-
camped some three million of people, of
which there were 100000 fighting men,
Over this camp rests a cloud-a cloud by
day and a pillar of fire by night. On the
western end of this tabernacle rests the
pillar. Let us now approach the camp"
The speaker then drew a vivid word
picture Of the camp and stated hat
around the tabernacle were 200 or 300
men, whose duty it was to carry it.
A1lund it was a court seventy-fve feet
wide by $50 long, enclosed by pillars of
brass seven and a half feet high. The
only e%ntrance'w as a gate at the eastern
end, which was typical of our Saviour.
Right at the entrance, the speaker
continued, is a bnzen altar, and when
the word brass is used in the Bible it
means copper, but l shall use the term
brass throughout these lectures. This
altar was filed with earth. and on it all
the sacrifices were burned. The Hebrews
could come to the altar at any time-any
hour of the day or night. The fire was
always burning and the priest always
there.
Next after the altar was the brazen
LAYER. This was made of the brazen
jegelry Of the Hebrew women and their
mirrors. This was filed with water and
the priest had to wash every time he APP
preached the altar under the penalty of
death.
I'VE have come to the door," said the
speaker in concluding his remarks, 'but
we cannot enter tonight. l would like
to speak about the beauties inside but it
III ~ -