The Tabernacle of God

The Tabernacle (Hebrew: מִשְׁכָּן, Mishkan, meaning “dwelling place”) was the mobile center for worshipping God that the Israelites built according to His instructions after leaving Egypt and before conquering the land of Canaan. The scriptures concerning the Tabernacle are recorded in chapters 26 and 36 of the Old Testament Book of Exodus. The Tabernacle was eventually replaced when King Solomon, following God’s instructions, built the Temple in Jerusalem.

God gave very detailed instructions for the entire construction of the Tabernacle. The decorations inside were breathtakingly beautiful: the curtains and coverings were adorned with beautiful embroidery using heavenly colors like sky blue and blood-red. However, the outside was completely covered with sea cow skins. The beautiful embroidered curtains and beautiful artifacts of gold and silver created a stunning sanctuary, but a high fence was erected around it, making it hidden from public view. Even the priests had to first go to the altar to sacrifice an animal and then wash themselves in a large basin before they could enter God’s presence.

The Israelites were never to see the Ark of the Covenant. It had to be covered even when the Tabernacle was being disassembled, and only specific Levites were allowed to carry it. Everyone else had to stay a thousand paces away from the Tabernacle until it was set up again. When camping, God’s Tabernacle had to be erected first before the people could pitch their own tents in the designated places. All of this demonstrated God’s holiness and His willingness to dwell among His people.

In the New Testament, the Gospel of John says that the Word became flesh and “dwelt” among us. The Greek word for “dwelt” here refers to “pitching a tent” or “tabernacling” among us. The apostles Paul and Peter both compare their bodies to “tabernacles,” temporary houses for God’s Spirit, which are part of the temple where God resides: “In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (Ephesians 2:21-22).

(Compiled and edited based on the Chinese Union Version, a comprehensive biblical interpretation, and recordings from David Pawson’s “Unlocking the Old Testament” series.)