THE SANCTUARY,
MUSIC INSTRUMENTS
AND MUSIC FORMS
• Mathew 24:3 And as he sat upon the
mount of Olives, the disciples came unto
him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall
these things be? and what [shall be] the
sign of thy coming, and of the end of
the world?
• 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto
them, Take heed that no man deceive
you.
The Context of endtime the Issue
• 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the
midst of heaven, having the everlasting
gospel to preach unto them that dwell on
the earth, and to every nation, and kindred,
and tongue, and people,
• 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God,
and give glory to him; for the hour of his
judgment is come: and worship him that
made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and
the fountains of waters.
Questions
• Which musical instruments were
used in the sanctuary, why and
how?
• What is the connection between
God, salvation and worship forms?
•The sanctuary question is
the foundation of our
faith.-- {Manuscript
Release Vol. 4 pp. 248.3}
• Exodus 25:8 And let them make
me a sanctuary; that I may dwell
among them.
• 1 Chronicles 28:19 All [this, said
David], the LORD made me
understand in writing by [his] hand
upon me, [even] all the works of
this pattern.
INSTRUMENTS USED FOR
WORSHIP
(II Chronicles 5:10-13)
1.Trumpet - Horn
2.Psaltery - Harp
3.Harp - Lyre
4.Cymbals
• 1 Chronicles 15:16 And David
spake to the chief of the Levites to
appoint their brethren [to be] the
singers with instruments of music,
psalteries and harps and cymbals,
sounding, by lifting up the voice
with joy.
“In worship at the Temple the trumpets
gave the signal for the prostration of the
congregation during the presentation of
the burnt offering and the performance
of the choral service (2 Chronicles 29:27,
28).” - {John W. Kleining, The Lords
Song: The basic Function and
Significance of Choral Music in
Chronicles}
• 2 Chronicles 29:25 And he set the
Levites in the house of the LORD with
cymbals, with psalteries, and with
harps, according to the commandment
of David, and of Gad the king's seer,
and Nathan the prophet: for [so was]
the commandment of the LORD by his
prophets.
“String instruments were used
extensively to accompany singing since
they would not cover up the voice or the
“Word of Jehovah” which was sung” {Garen L. Wolf , Music of the Bible in
Christian Perspective}
• Ezra 3:10
And when the
builders laid the foundation of the
temple of the LORD, they set the
priests in their apparel with
trumpets, and the Levites the sons
of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the
LORD, after the ordinance of
David king of Israel.
The percussive instruments were
reduced to one cymbal, which was not
employed in the music proper, but merely
to mark pauses and intermissions.” – {A.
Z. Idelsohn, Jewish Music In Its
Historical Development}
“The music in the Temple included
cymbals, and the modern reader might
conclude that the presence of percussion
instruments indicate rigid beats. But
there is little doubt that the cymbals, as
elsewhere, marked the end of a line and
not the beats inside a verse….A word for
rhythm does not seem to exist in the
Hebrew language.” - {Curt Sachs,
Rhythm and Tempo}
cymbals
• “The cymbals were not used by the
precantor to conduct the singing by beating
out the rhythm of the song or a stanza in
the song but rather to announce the
beginning of the song or a stanza in the
song. Since they were used to introduce the
song, they were wielded by the head of choir
on ordinary occasions (1 Chrons 16:5) or by
the three heads of the guilds on
extraordinary occasions (1 Chron 15:29)…
• Since the trumpets and the cymbals
were played together to announce the
beginning of the song, the players of
both are called the ‘sounder’ in 1
Chronicles 16:42”
• (John W. ; The Lord’s Song: The basis
function and significance of Choral
music in the Chronicles pp 82-83)
• Revelation 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea
of glass mingled with fire: and them that
had gotten the victory over the beast, and
over his image, and over his mark, [and]
over the number of his name, stand on the
sea of glass, having the harps of God.
• 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the
servant of God, and the song of the Lamb,
saying, Great and marvellous [are] thy
works, Lord God Almighty; just and true
[are] thy ways, thou King of saints.
Instruments in the sanctuary
1.
2.
3.
4.
Psaltery
Harps
Cymbals
Trumpet
In these instruments we obtain the
principles
“For those
sounding”
(1 Chron. 16:42
YLT)
For Signaling
“Instruments of the
songs of God”
(1 Chron. 16:42
YLT)
For Singing
Trumpets
Harps
Cymbals
Lyres
SUMMARY OF CRITERIA FOR
SELECTION AND PLAYING OF
WORSHIP INSTRUMENTS
1. Voice must be supported, not
supplanted
2. Separation of the sacred and the
secular
Worship was not for amusement,
entertainment or for fun.
• Bringing the Ark to Jerusalem
• 1 Chronicles 13:7 And they carried
the ark of God in a new cart out of the
house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio
drave the cart.
• 13:8 And David and all Israel played
before God with all [their] might, and
with singing, and with harps, and with
psalteries, and with timbrels, and with
cymbals, and with trumpets.
• 1 Chronicles 13:11 And
David was displeased, because
the LORD had made a breach
upon Uzza: wherefore that
place is called Perezuzza to this
day.
• 1 Chronicles 15:11 And David called
for Zadok and Abiathar the priests,
and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah,
and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and
Amminadab,
• 15:12 And said unto them, Ye [are] the
chief of the fathers of the Levites:
sanctify yourselves, [both] ye and your
brethren, that ye may bring up the ark
of the LORD God of Israel unto [the
place that] I have prepared for it.
• 1 Chronicles 15:13 For because
ye [did it] not at the first, the LORD
our God made a breach upon us,
for that we sought him not after the
due order.
•
Drums Not Sanctuary Instruments
Sincerity only does not help
Let the talent of singing be brought
into the work. The use of musical
instruments is not at all objectionable.
These were used in religious services
in ancient times. The worshipers
praised God upon the harp and
cymbal, and music should have its
place in our services. It will add to
the interest. (Evangelism, pp. 500501)
Skillfully played Instruments
• Leviticus 10:8 And the LORD spake
unto Aaron, saying,
• 10:9 Do not drink wine nor strong
drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee,
when ye go into the tabernacle of the
congregation, lest ye die: [it shall be] a
statute for ever throughout your
generations:
• 10:10 And that ye may put difference
between holy and unholy, and between