I answer that, The chief purpose of the whole external worship is that man may give worship to God.  Now man’s tendency is to reverence less those things which are common, and indistinct from other things; whereas he admires and reveres those things which are distinct from others in some point of excellence.  Hence too it is customary among men for kings and princes, who ought to be reverenced by their subjects, to be clothed in more precious garments, and to possess vaster and more beautiful abodes.  And for this reason it behooved special times, a special abode, special vessels, and special ministers to be appointed for the divine worship, so that thereby the soul of man might be brought to greater reverence for God.

In like manner the state of the Old Law, as observed above (A. 2; Q. 100, A. 12; Q. 101, A. 2), was instituted that it might foreshadow the mystery of Christ.  Now that which foreshadows something should be determinate, so that it may present some likeness thereto.  Consequently, certain special points had to be observed in matters pertaining to the worship of God.

Reply Obj. 1:  The divine worship regards two things:  namely, God Who is worshipped; and men, who worship Him.  Accordingly God, Who is worshipped, is confined to no bodily place:  wherefore there was no need, on His part, for a tabernacle or temple to be set up.  But men, who worship Him, are corporeal beings:  and for their sake there was need for a special tabernacle or temple to be set up for the worship of God, for two reasons.  First, that through coming together with the thought that the place was set aside for the worship of God, they might approach thither with greater reverence.  Secondly, that certain things relating to the excellence of Christ’s Divine or human nature might be signified by the arrangement of various details in such temple or tabernacle.

To this Solomon refers (3 Kings 8:27) when he says:  “If heaven and the heavens of heavens cannot contain Thee, how much less this house which I have built” for Thee?  And further on (3 Kings 8:29, 20) he adds:  “That Thy eyes may be open upon this house . . . of which Thou hast said:  My name shall be there; . . . that Thou mayest hearken to the supplication of Thy servant and of Thy people Israel.”  From this it is evident that the house of the sanctuary was set up, not in order to contain God, as abiding therein locally, but that God might be made known there by means of things done and said there; and that those who prayed there might, through reverence for the place, pray more devoutly, so as to be heard more readily.