it was gilded:  for Christ was full of wisdom and charity, which are betokened by gold.  And in the ark was a golden pot, i.e.  His holy soul, having manna, i.e. “all the fulness of the Godhead” (Col. 2:9).  Also there was a rod in the ark, i.e.  His priestly power:  for “He was made a . . . priest for ever” (Heb. 6:20).  And therein were the tables of the Testament, to denote that Christ Himself is a lawgiver.  Again, Christ was signified by the candlestick, for He said Himself (John 8:12):  “I am the Light of the world”; while the seven lamps denoted the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost.  He is also betokened in the table, because He is our spiritual food, according to John 6:41, 51:  “I am the living bread”:  and the twelve loaves signified the twelve apostles, or their teaching.  Or again, the candlestick and table may signify the Church’s teaching, and faith, which also enlightens and refreshes.  Again, Christ is signified by the two altars of holocausts and incense.  Because all works of virtue must be offered to us to God through Him; both those whereby we afflict the body, which are offered, as it were, on the altar of holocausts; and those which, with greater perfection of mind, are offered to God in Christ, by the spiritual desires of the perfect, on the altar of incense, as it were, according to Heb. 13:15:  “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise always to God.”

Reply Obj. 7:  The Lord commanded an altar to be made for the offering of sacrifices and gifts, in honor of God, and for the upkeep of the ministers who served the tabernacle.  Now concerning the construction of the altar the Lord issued a twofold precept.  One was at the beginning of the Law (Ex. 20:24, seqq.) when the Lord commanded them to make “an altar of earth,” or at least “not of hewn stones”; and again, not to make the altar high, so as to make it necessary to “go up” to it “by steps.”  This was in detestation of idolatrous worship:  for the Gentiles made their altars ornate and high, thinking that there was something holy and divine in such things.  For this reason, too, the Lord commanded (Deut. 16:21):  “Thou shalt plant no grove, nor any tree near the altar of the Lord thy God”:  since idolaters were wont to offer sacrifices beneath trees, on account of the pleasantness and shade afforded by them.  There was also a figurative reason for these precepts.  Because we must confess that in Christ, Who is our altar, there is the true nature of flesh, as regards His humanity—­and this is to make an altar of earth; and again, in regard to His Godhead, we must confess His equality with the Father—­and this is “not to go up” to the altar by steps.  Moreover we should not couple the doctrine of Christ to that of the Gentiles, which provokes men to lewdness.

But when once the tabernacle had been constructed to the honor of God, there was no longer reason to fear these occasions of idolatry.  Wherefore the Lord commanded the altar of holocausts to be made of brass, and to be conspicuous to all the people; and the altar of incense, which was visible to none but the priests.  Nor was brass so precious as to give the people an occasion for idolatry.