Summa I-II q.102 a.4, replies 6–9: The Tabernacle, the Ark, the Altars and the Coverings as Figures of Christ

Orientation #

He opens: “we’re on the question one o two, Article Four, and we’re up to the sixth one here” — i.e. continuing the replies of the same article. At the end he notes they are only through the eighth and ninth, with more to come. He says twice that this material will be “on your exam.”

The class, in order #

1. The interior tabernacle and its three contents (“a reason, both literal and figurative”) #

Every item admits a literal reason (relation to divine worship) and a figurative one.

• The interior tabernacle, the holy of holies, signifies the age of the spiritual substances.
• It held three things: the ark of the testament (containing the golden urn/pot of manna, the rod of Aaron that flowered, and the tables of the ten precepts, “three and seven”); the ark stood between two cherubim facing each other; above it the table called the propitiation [“mercy seat”], as if the seat of God carried on the cherubim’s wings, with the ark as footstool.
• Aside on seat: “seat of wisdom, pray for us” — a seat is always open to receiving; Mary is always ready to receive God’s wisdom. He thinks the name cherubim carries that sense.
• The three designate three things of the higher age: (i) God above all, incomprehensible — therefore no likeness was placed there, to represent his invisibility, only a figure of his seat, the creature subject to him being comprehensible; (ii) the angels, signified by two cherubim facing each other for their concord (Job 25, “who makes concord in the sublime ones”), more than one because their multitude is “beyond all number” (Dionysius); they face each other and toward God, excluding worship of them.

2. The ark as containing the reasons of things (“three things most potent in human things”) #

Just as the reasons of effects are in their causes and of artifacts in the artist, the intelligible age contains the reasons of all things; this is signified by the ark’s three contents. Two readings:

• Three things potissima in human affairs: wisdom (tables), power of regime (rod of Aaron), life (manna, sustainer of life).
• Or three attributes of God: wisdom (tables), power (rod), goodness (manna).
• Digression on appropriation: power to the Father (he is the beginning of the whole Trinity, and power is defined as the beginning of doing something), wisdom to the Son (he proceeds as the Word), goodness to the Holy Spirit (he proceeds by way of love, whose object is goodness). “It doesn’t mean that one of these belongs more to one than another, but it’s appropriated.”
• The manna also conserves memory of divine mercy. These three are figured in Isaiah 6: the Lord on the high throne, the seraphim assisting, the house filled with glory — “full is the whole earth of his glory.” The seraphim likenesses are placed not for worship (prohibited by the first precept) but as sign of service.

3. The exterior tabernacle: three things answering the three in the ark (“the present age”) #

The exterior tent signifies the present age and held three things, more manifest representations of the three in the ark:

• Candelabrum (southern side) — wisdom in a sensible sign, which the tables express in intelligible words; the priests entering signify wise men coming to know the reasons that are in the divine mind and the angels.
• Altar of incense (opposite the ark) — the priestly office of leading the people back to God, answering to the rod; the good-odored incense signifies the sanctity of the people acceptable to God (Apocalypse 8:3, the fume of aromatic spices as the justices of the saints). Example: when the body of a saint is dug up and gives off the smell of flowers instead of a bad smell.
• Table of proposition with twelve loaves (northern side) — nourishment of life, as the manna, but “more common and gross,” the manna “more sweet and subtle.”
• The priest is mediator: he rules the people by divine power (rod) and offers the fruit of his rule, their sanctity, as on the altar of incense.
• Positions: the south is the right side of the world, the north the left (De Caelo et Mundo II); temporal nourishment to the left, in sinistra divitiae et gloria (Proverbs 3); priestly power stands in the middle, since both spiritual and temporal wisdom are dispensed to him.
• Asides: the former president of Australia has an article in the 60th-anniversary National Review; his own teacher gave the De Caelo only occasionally, the first course always being Physics I or II, and “he always saw something new every time he taught it.” Longer aside: the new priest’s sermon about the taxi driver and the priest at heaven’s gate — the driver got the nicer staff because when he drove people prayed, while the priest’s sermons put people to sleep; he praises the priest for recalling one idea from the sermon at the end of mass, so you don’t forget it.

4. A second, “more literal” reason for each item (“magis literalis”) #

• Tables in the ark: to take away forgetfulness of the law (Exodus 24). Aside: “written in stone” — if it’s written in stone it’s important, not to be erased.
• Rod of Aaron: to repress the dissension of the people about Aaron’s priesthood (Numbers 17), kept as a sign against the rebellious sons of Israel.
• Manna (a gomor of it): to commemorate God’s benefit in the desert (Exodus 16).
• Candelabrum: for the honoring of the tabernacle — it belongs to the magnificence of a house to be well lit; placed south because that is the path of the planets. Its seven branches signify, per Josephus, the seven planets — “later on, he’ll give a different explanation of the seven.”
• Altar of incense: for veneration, and as a remedy against the fetid smell from the blood and slaughter of animals — fetid things are despised as vile, good-odored things appreciated.
• Table: to signify that priests serving the temple ought to have their food from the temple; the twelve loaves in memory of the twelve tribes, lawful only for priests to eat (Matthew 12 — the story of David). Not placed directly before the propitiation, to exclude the idolatrous rite: the Gentiles placed a table before the idol of the moon at the sacred times of the moon (Jeremiah 7, the women making cakes for the Queen of Heaven; the Queen of Heaven is the moon, Diana).
• Altar of holocausts in the atrium, outside: there the people could be present and offer through the priests’ hands; only priests entered to the interior altar where the people’s devotion and holiness was offered. Outside also to remove idolatry, since the Gentiles placed altars below their temples.
• Asides on astronomy and the bomb: the outer planets were predicted from perturbations of the known planets before being seen, “and that’s where they [directed] the telescopes” — an amazing accuracy. And the book on “the general and the genius,” Groves and Oppenheimer: Groves delighted that people feared him, and the thing was done in two or three years; Truman told Stalin about the new bomb at Potsdam, but Stalin already knew from three spies.

5. The figurative reason: everything refers to Christ (“diverse figures were instituted… to signify Christ”) #

Because the legal figures are imperfect, many figures were needed for the one Christ.

• Propitiation: “he is a propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2), carried by cherubim because angels ministered to him (Hebrews 1).
• Ark: of wood — the body of Christ from most pure members; covered with gold — full of wisdom and charity, “wisdom and charity are signified by gold.” (Aside: we still say “the gold standard.”)
• Golden urn in the ark: the holy soul having manna, i.e. all the fullness of divinity. Rod: priestly power, sacerdos in aeternum. Tables: Christ the giver of the law.
• Candelabrum: “I am the light of the world”; its seven lamps the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit — “better than seven planets.”
• Table: Christ the spiritual food, “I am the living bread” (John 6); the twelve loaves the twelve apostles or their doctrine. Digression: at the end of Book I of the Compendium of Theology Thomas divides the articles of the Creed (symbolum apostolorum) two ways, into fourteen or into twelve — apostolic doctrine, twelve apostles, twelve tribes. He asks for the Latin for teaching (doctrina) and recalls Augustine’s De Doctrina Christiana.
• Or: candelabrum and table = the teaching and faith of the Church, which illumine and refresh.
• The twofold altar: on the altar of holocaust we offer the works by which we afflict the flesh; on the altar of incense the spiritual desires of the perfect, offered with greater perfection of mind (Hebrews, last chapter: per ipsum ergo offeramus the host of praise).
• He stresses: “Not each one of these is very deep, maybe, but there’s so many of them” — read the Old Testament, then this text, then read it again, and “it comes kind of alive.” “It’s kind of hard for a philosopher to elaborate upon these things.”

6. Ad 7: the altar of earth, without steps (“a twofold precept or command”) #

Purpose of the altar: sacrifices and gifts in God’s honor and the sustenance of the ministers.

• First precept (Exodus 20, beginning of the law): an altar of earth, or of uncut stones; and not high, not ascended by steps. Reason: to detest idolatry, since the Gentiles made ornate and sublime altars for their idols, believing something of sanctity and mystery to be in them. Likewise Deuteronomy 16: plant no trees beside the Lord’s altar, since idolaters sacrificed under trees for their agreeableness and shade (“doing this shady stuff”).
• Figurative reason: in Christ our altar we confess the true nature of flesh as to his humanity (the altar of earth — earth being the element predominating in our body among earth, air, fire, water), and as to his divinity his equality with the Father — which is not to ascend by steps to the altar. “That’s very subtle.” Nor should we admit the teaching of the Gentiles, which provokes to lust.
• Second precept, once the tabernacle was built and there was no fear of idolatry: the altar of holocaust of bronze/brass, seen by all the people; the altar of incense of gold, seen only by priests. Reason: brass is not precious enough to provoke the people to idolatry. Illustration from the class: the golden calf, made when Moses came down the mountain, melted from the jewelry taken from Egypt — “if you’re going to worship this thing, you better have a gold one.” So the priests may see the gold; the multitude, more subject to idolatry, gets plain brass.
• The reason given in Exodus 20 for the no-steps rule — “lest your ugliness be revealed” — is also against idolatry: in sacris Priapi the sexual parts were shown to the people (“this is filthy”). Hence safely one could make the altar high if the priests ascended by portable, not standing, wooden steps at the hour of sacrifice.

7. Ad 8: the coverings and their colors (“the body of the tabernacle”) #

The tabernacle’s body: boards set up lengthwise, covered on the sides by curtains of four colors — byssus retorta (twisted linen), hyacinth, purple, and coccum bis tinctum (twice-dyed scarlet; he notes bis, “twice,” as in bicycle). Over the roof: a covering of hyacinth skins, above that skins of rams dyed red, above that saga of goats’ hair, which covered the roof and came down to the earth over the outer boards.

• He asks how tabernaculum is translated: “tent.” Recalls draping around the tabernacle to make it look like a tent and remind us. Aside on rubrics: directions written in red, what you say in black.
• Literal reason in common: ornate protection, so the tabernacle be held in reverence.
• Literal reason in special (according to some): curtains = the starry heaven varied by diverse stars; saga = the waters above the firmament (“that’s always a question, what those waters are supposed to mean”); red skins = the empyrean heaven, where the angels are, “that’s where we’re going after we’re dead, if we’ve been good”; hyacinth skins = the heaven of the Holy Trinity. He asks whether these are all in Dante; Thomas treats them in various places.
• Figurative reason: the boards are the faithful of Christ from whom the Church is constructed (as we compare Christians to the bricks of the church building); the four colors are four virtues in which the faithful are inwardly adorned — twisted linen: the flesh shining with chastity (Christ’s body was wrapped in linen; hence linen on the altar today); hyacinth: the mind desiring higher things (superna); purple: flesh subject to the passions/sufferings; twice-dyed scarlet: the mind shining (praefulgens) between love of God and love of neighbor.
• The roof-coverings designate the prelates and doctors: celestial conversation (hyacinth skins), promptitude for martyrdom (red skins), austerity of life and tolerance of adversities (goats’ hair saga, exposed to winds and rains) — “as the gloss says.” Aside: “all these guys running around in the Middle Ages giving these explanations” — Hugh of St Victor, who has a big work on the ark.

8. Ad 9: consecration of tabernacle and vessels (“has a literal cause”) #

Literal cause: that they be held in more reverence, since by such consecration they are given over to divine worship. Figurative: this sanctification signifies the spiritual sanctification of the living tabernacle of the faithful from which Christ’s Church is constituted.

• Aside: the recent feast of the Lateran, which has that double signification — not just the building but the people who make up the church; at first you are surprised such a feast exists. Also St Mary Major; the Lateran was the headquarters; several Lateran Councils, and Thomas has an exposition on part of one — the Fourth Lateran, “quite a good council.”

His words #

• propitiation — the table above the ark, “mercy seat,” as if the seat of God carried by the cherubim.
• age of the spiritual substances — what the interior tabernacle (holy of holies) signifies.
• appropriation — assigning power, wisdom, goodness to Father, Son, Spirit without their belonging more to one than another.
• potissima — the three things “most potent in human things”: wisdom, power of regime, life.
• table of proposition — the table bearing the twelve loaves.
• magis literalis — the “more literal” second set of reasons for each item.
• sacerdos in aeternum — priest forever, signified by the rod.
• symbolum apostolorum — the Apostles’ Creed, divided by Thomas into twelve or fourteen articles.
• byssus retorta — twisted linen; coccum bis tinctum — twice-dyed scarlet; saga — goats’ hair coverings.
• rubrics — the directions written in red, as against what is said in black.
• caelum empyreum — the empyrean heaven, signified by the red skins.

Texts #

Read in class

• Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I-II, q. 102, a. 4, ad 6, ad 7, ad 8, ad 9.

Mentioned (as cited within the article or by him)

• Exodus 16; Exodus 20; Exodus 24; Numbers 17; Deuteronomy 16; Proverbs 3; Job 25; Isaiah 6; Jeremiah 7; Matthew 12; John 6; Hebrews 1 and last chapter; 1 John 2; Apocalypse 8:3.
• Aristotle, De Caelo et Mundo II (right and left of the world); Physics (his teacher’s courses).
• Dionysius (multitude of angels beyond number); Josephus (seven branches = seven planets); the Gloss.
• Thomas, Compendium of Theology, end of Book I (articles of the Creed); Thomas’s exposition on part of a Lateran Council (Fourth Lateran, inferred from his remark).
• Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana; Hugh of St Victor on the ark.

His questions #

• Why is Mary called the seat of wisdom? — Because a seat is always open to receiving; she is always ready to receive God’s wisdom.
• Why was more than one cherub placed there? — To designate the multitude of celestial spirits, which Dionysius says is beyond all number.
• Which of power, wisdom, goodness is appropriated to Father, Son, Spirit? — Power to the Father (beginning of the Trinity, power being the beginning of doing), wisdom to the Son (the Word), goodness to the Spirit (proceeding by love, whose object is goodness).
• Why is the candelabrum on the south and the table on the north? — South is the right side of the world, north the left; temporal nourishment belongs to the left, in sinistra divitiae et gloria.
• Why was the table not placed directly before the propitiation? — To exclude the Gentile rite of setting a table before the idol of the moon.
• Why an altar of earth or uncut stone, not ascended by steps? — Literally to detest idolatry (the Gentiles’ ornate, sublime altars) and to avoid the indecency of Priapic rites; figuratively, Christ’s true flesh, and his equality with the Father.
• Why bronze for the altar of holocaust and gold for the altar of incense? — Bronze was public and not precious enough to provoke the people to idolatry; the golden one only priests saw.
• How do you translate tabernaculum? — “Tent.”
• What are the waters above the firmament? — He leaves it open (“that’s always a question”).
• Why consecrate the tabernacle and vessels? — Literally, that they be held in more reverence as handed over to divine worship; figuratively, the sanctification of the living tabernacle, the faithful.