The Dwellingplace Is Set Up (Exodus 40:1-8).
We note again that the order goes from the most holy (the Ark) to the least holy (the hangings of the court) as is customary when dealing with the details of the Dwellingplace.
‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “On the first day of the first month shall you raise up the Dwellingplace of the Tent of Meeting. And you shall put in it the Ark of the Testimony, and you shall screen the Ark with the veil. And you shall bring in the Table, and set in order the things that are on it; and you shall bring in the Lampstand, and light its lamps. And you shall set the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the screen of the entrance to the Dwellingplace. And you shall set the altar of burnt-offering before the entrance of the Dwellingplace of the Tent of Meeting. And you shall set the laver between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and shall put water in it. And you shall set up the court round about, and hang up the screen of the entrance of the court.'
“ On the first day of the first month.” That is on the month of Abib (Nisan) round about March or April. It was the official New Years day.
Moses is now commanded to set up the Dwellingplace, and place the furniture in it, commencing with the Most Holy Place. The Ark of the Testimony is placed in it, containing within it the covenant tablets, and the veil is then to be put in place immediately, to screen the Ark. Moving to the Holy Place, the Table, Lampstand and altar of incense are to be put in place, and the showbread placed in order on the Table, and the lamps lit on that first evening. The screen for the Sanctuary is then to be set up. And finally, moving into the court, the bronze altar and the laver, the latter filled with water, are to be put in place. Then the outer screens are to be erected, together with the entrance screen.
So even before all is sanctified great care is taken to preserve the holiness of each section in descending order.
It will be noted that the altar of incense is to be placed ‘before the Ark of the Testimony', that is in as close proximity to it as the veil will allow, and probably as we have seen between the ends of the two bearer-poles for carrying the Ark, which protrude into the Holy Place (1 Kings 8:8). It is noteworthy that this altar is always mentioned last of the furniture in the Holy Place, and this in spite of its prominent position. That is because it deals with a man's approach to God rather than God's approach to man. That is why when it was first introduced it was only dealt with after all those things which covered God's approach to man. The text is consistent.