Topical Bible: Tabernacle: A Permanent House Substituted For, when the Kingdom Was

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Tabernacle, also known as the Tent of Meeting, served as the portable earthly dwelling place of Yahweh among the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness and until the establishment of a more permanent structure. The transition from the Tabernacle to a permanent house, the Temple, marks a significant development in the religious and national life of Israel, coinciding with the establishment of the monarchy.

Historical Context

The Tabernacle was constructed according to divine instructions given to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 25-31). It was a movable sanctuary, designed to accompany the Israelites during their 40 years of wandering in the desert. The Tabernacle was central to Israelite worship and served as the focal point for sacrifices, offerings, and divine communication.

Transition to a Permanent House

The desire for a permanent structure to replace the Tabernacle emerged during the reign of King David. David, having established Jerusalem as the political and spiritual center of Israel, expressed his intention to build a house for the Lord. In 2 Samuel 7:1-2 , it is recorded: "After the king had settled into his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he said to Nathan the prophet, 'Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.'"

However, God, through the prophet Nathan, informed David that he was not the one to build the Temple. Instead, this task was appointed to his son Solomon (2 Samuel 7:12-13): "When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever."

Solomon's Temple

Solomon, David's son and successor, fulfilled this divine mandate by constructing the First Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple became the permanent dwelling place for the Ark of the Covenant and the center of Israelite worship. The construction of the Temple is detailed in 1 Kings 6-8, where Solomon's dedication of the Temple is recorded. In 1 Kings 8:10-11 , it is noted: "And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD."

Significance of the Transition

The transition from the Tabernacle to the Temple signifies a shift from a nomadic to a settled existence for the Israelites, reflecting their establishment as a nation under a centralized monarchy. The Temple symbolized God's enduring presence among His people and served as a unifying focal point for the twelve tribes of Israel.

Theologically, the move from a temporary to a permanent structure underscores the fulfillment of God's promises to the patriarchs and the establishment of a kingdom that would endure. The Temple, as a permanent house for the Lord, represented stability, continuity, and the realization of divine promises in the land God had given to His people.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Samuel 7:5-13
Go and tell my servant David, Thus said the LORD, Shall you build me an house for me to dwell in?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Some Hymns of Great Witnesses.
... and later made London his permanent residence, writing ... to live "in his own hired
house" and write ... Hall, London, and often preached in Whitefield's Tabernacle. ...
/.../brown/the story of the hymns and tunes/chapter ii some hymns of.htm

Church Fabrics and Services.
... the nave was unencumbered with any permanent seats, and ... Ripon Cathedral, some of
the old tabernacle work of ... The Lower House of Convocation in 1710 had issued ...
/.../the english church in the eighteenth century/chapter x church fabrics and.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... to develop their institutions and attain the permanent freedom after ... terminated in
the defeat of the house of Joseph ... who "served at the door of" the tabernacle. ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

The Evangelical Revival.
... our dear brother here departed,' he substituted the word ... Whitefield's Orphan House
in Georgia was his hobby; it ... chapel at Bath, or in the Tabernacle itself, to ...
/.../chapter ix the evangelical revival.htm

The Reaction against Egypt
... The traditional capital of this kingdom was Magnesia, the most ancient of cities,
the ... fortresses and isolated towers built along it, such as "The House of the ...
/.../chapter iithe reaction against egypt.htm

Period iii. The Dissolution of the Imperial State Church and the ...
... in the East the Church was assuming its permanent form, in ... My house shall be called
the house of prayer ... a successor, but another shall be substituted for him ...
/.../ayer/a source book for ancient church history/period iii the dissolution of.htm

The Work of Jesus Christ as an Advocate,
... and ministers compared to a post house and carriers ... is such, both here, and in the
kingdom of heaven. ... (4.) Election includeth in it a permanent resolution of ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the work of jesus christ.htm