that Moses should have delivered these
precepts without explaining what they signified.

Obj. 2: Further, whatever is done for the worship of God, should be
entirely free from unfittingness. But the performance of actions in
representation of others, seems to savor of the theatre or of the
drama: because formerly the actions performed in theatres were done
to represent the actions of others. Therefore it seems that such
things should not be done for the worship of God. But the ceremonial
precepts are ordained to the Divine worship, as stated above (A. 1).
Therefore they should not be figurative.

Obj. 3: Further, Augustine says (Enchiridion iii, iv) that "God is
worshipped chiefly by faith, hope, and charity." But the precepts of
faith, hope, and charity are not figurative. Therefore the ceremonial
precepts should not be figurative.

Obj. 4: Further, Our Lord said (John 4:24): "God is a spirit, and
they that adore Him, must adore Him in spirit and in truth." But a
figure is not the very truth: in fact one is condivided with the
other. Therefore the ceremonial precepts, which refer to the Divine
worship, should not be figurative.

_On the contrary,_ The Apostle says (Col. 2:16, 17): "Let no man . .
. judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of a festival day, or
of the new moon, or of the sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to
come."

_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 1; Q. 99, AA. 3, 4), the
ceremonial precepts are those which refer to the worship of God. Now
the Divine worship is twofold: internal, and external. For since man
is composed of soul and body, each of these should be applied to the
worship of God; the soul by an interior worship; the body by an
outward worship: hence it is written (Ps. 83:3): "My heart and my
flesh have rejoiced in the living God." And as the body is ordained
to God through the soul, so the outward worship is ordained to the
internal worship. Now interior worship consists in the soul being
united to God by the intellect and affections. Wherefore according to
the various ways in which the intellect and affections of the man who
worships God are rightly united to God, his external actions are
applied in various ways to the Divine worship.

For in the state of future bliss, the human intellect will gaze on
the Divine Truth in Itself. Wherefore the external worship will not
consist in anything figurative, but solely in the praise of God,
proceeding from the inward knowledge a