Topical Encyclopedia The Tabernacle, often referred to as the "Tabernacle of Testimony" or "Tabernacle of Witness," holds a significant place in the religious and cultural history of the Israelites as described in the Old Testament. This sacred structure served as the portable earthly dwelling place of Yahweh (God) among the people of Israel during their journey through the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt.Biblical References and Description The term "Tabernacle of Testimony" is derived from its role as a repository for the tablets of the covenant, which were placed within the Ark of the Covenant housed in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle. The Book of Exodus provides detailed instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle, emphasizing its divine origin and purpose. In Exodus 25:8-9 , God commands Moses, "And they are to make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them. You must make it according to all that I show you—the pattern of the tabernacle as well as the pattern of all its furnishings." The Tabernacle was a tent-like structure, meticulously designed with specific dimensions and materials, including gold, silver, bronze, fine linen, and acacia wood. It consisted of three main areas: the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies). The Most Holy Place housed the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the tablets of the Law, Aaron's rod, and a jar of manna, serving as a testimony to God's covenant and provision. Function and Significance The Tabernacle functioned as the central place of worship and sacrifice for the Israelites. It was here that the priests, led by the High Priest, performed rituals and offerings to atone for the sins of the people and to maintain the covenant relationship with God. The presence of God was manifested in the Tabernacle through the Shekinah glory, a visible sign of His dwelling among His people. The Tabernacle also served as a constant reminder of God's faithfulness and the covenant He established with Israel. It was a place where God communicated His will and guidance, as seen in Exodus 33:7 : "Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the tent of meeting. Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp." Symbolism and Theological Themes The Tabernacle is rich in symbolism, foreshadowing the coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of a new covenant. The Book of Hebrews in the New Testament draws parallels between the Tabernacle and the ministry of Christ, highlighting how the earthly Tabernacle was a shadow of the heavenly realities (Hebrews 8:5). The sacrificial system and the role of the High Priest in the Tabernacle prefigure Christ's ultimate sacrifice and His role as the eternal High Priest. The Tabernacle's design and function emphasize themes of holiness, atonement, and divine presence. It underscores the necessity of approaching God with reverence and the provision of a mediator between God and humanity. The Tabernacle's portability also signifies God's guidance and presence with His people throughout their journey, reinforcing the idea of God as both transcendent and immanent. Historical Context and Legacy The Tabernacle served as the center of Israelite worship until the construction of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, which became the permanent dwelling place of God's presence. The transition from the Tabernacle to the Temple marks a significant development in Israel's religious history, yet the foundational principles established in the Tabernacle continued to influence Jewish worship and theology. Throughout the biblical narrative, the Tabernacle remains a powerful symbol of God's desire to dwell among His people and His commitment to the covenant relationship. Its legacy endures in Christian theology as a precursor to the incarnation of Christ and the establishment of the Church as the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Torrey's Topical Textbook Exodus 38:21This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest. Torrey's Topical Textbook Numbers 1:50 Numbers 17:7,8 2 Chronicles 24:6 Acts 7:44 Library The Tabernacle of the Most High The Copies of Things in the Heavens Of the Times of Moses and Joshua the Son of Nun, of the Judges ... Faustus Avows his Disbelief in the Old Testament and his Disregard ... What is the Sanctuary? What is the Sanctuary? The Catholic Apostolic Church (Called Irvingites. ) Were Christ and the Apostles Mistaken? The Story of the Baptist, from his Last Testimony to Jesus to his ... Authorship of the Pentateuch. Resources What was the brazen altar? | GotQuestions.orgWhat was the bread of the Presence (Exodus 25:30)? | GotQuestions.org What did the Law mean when it referred to a lasting ordinance? | GotQuestions.org Tabernacle: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Subtopics Tabernacle of Testimony Witness Tabernacle was a Moveable Tent Suited to the Unsettled Condition of Tabernacle was Set up by Moses at Mount Sinai Tabernacle was Set up in Shiloh Tabernacle was Set Up: At Gilgal Tabernacle was Set Up: Finally at Gibeon Tabernacle: (The Holy of Holies) Heaven Tabernacle: (The Vail) Christ's Body Tabernacle: (The Vail) the Obscurity of the Mosaic Age Tabernacle: A Permanent House Substituted For, when the Kingdom Was Tabernacle: All Males Required to Appear Before, Three Times Each Year Tabernacle: All offerings to be Made At Tabernacle: Anointed and Consecrated With Oil Tabernacle: Anointed With Holy Oil Tabernacle: Brought to the Temple by Solomon Tabernacle: Called The: House of the Lord Tabernacle: Called The: Tabernacle of Joseph Tabernacle: Called The: Tabernacle of Shiloh Tabernacle: Called The: Tabernacle of Testimony or Witness Tabernacle: Called The: Tabernacle of the Congregation Tabernacle: Called The: Tabernacle of the Lord Tabernacle: Called The: Temple of the Lord Tabernacle: Carried in Front of the People of Israel in the Line of March Tabernacle: Court of all the Pillars of, Filleted With Silver Tabernacle: Court of all the Vessels of, Made of Brass Tabernacle: Court of Contained the Brazen Altar and Laver of Brass Tabernacle: Court of One Hundred Cubits Long and Fifty Cubits Wide Tabernacle: Court of Surrounded by Curtains of Fine Line Suspended from Pillars Tabernacle: Court of The Gate of, a Hanging of Blue, Purple Twenty Cubits Tabernacle: Coverings of The First or Inner, Ten Curtains of Blue, Purple Joined Tabernacle: Coverings of The Fourth or Outward of Badgers' Skins Tabernacle: Coverings of The Second, Eleven Curtains of Goats' Hair Tabernacle: Coverings of The Third of Rams' Skins Dyed Red Tabernacle: Defilement of, Punished Tabernacle: Description of The Frame Tabernacle: Designed for Manifestation of God's Presence and for His Tabernacle: Divided by a Vail of Blue, Purple, Suspended from Four Tabernacle: Divided Into: The Holy Place Tabernacle: Divided Into: The Most Holy Place Tabernacle: Divine Wisdom Given to Bezaleel to Make Tabernacle: Filled With the Cloud of Glory Tabernacle: First Reared, on the First Day of the Second Year After The Tabernacle: Free-Will offerings Made at the Dedication of the Altar of Tabernacle: Free-Will offerings Made at the First Rearing of Tabernacle: had a Court Round About Tabernacle: How and by Whom Carried Tabernacle: How Prepared for Removal During the Travels of the Israelites Tabernacle: Israelites Worship At Tabernacle: Made of the Free-Will offerings of the People Tabernacle: Materials For, Voluntarily offered Tabernacle: Moses Was Commanded to Make After a Divine Pattern Tabernacle: Offerings Brought To Tabernacle: One Existed Before Moses Received the Pattern Authorized on Mount Sinai Tabernacle: Pattern of, Revealed to Moses Tabernacle: Pitched: At Gibeon Tabernacle: Pitched: At Gilgal Tabernacle: Pitched: At Shiloh Tabernacle: Punishment for Defiling Tabernacle: Renewed by David, and Pitched Upon Mount Zion Tabernacle: Sanctified by the Glory of the Lord Tabernacle: Solomon offers Sacrifice At Tabernacle: Sprinkled and Purified With Blood Tabernacle: Sprinkled With Blood Tabernacle: Strangers (Foreigners) Forbidden to Enter Tabernacle: Symbol of Spiritual Things Tabernacle: The Ark and Mercy-Seat Put in the Most Holy Place Tabernacle: The Boards of had Each Two Tenons Fitted Into Sockets of Silver Tabernacle: The Boards of Made of Shittim Wood Tabernacle: The Boards of Six, and Two Corner Boards for West Side Tabernacle: The Boards of Supported by Bars of Shittim Wood Resting in Rings of Gold Tabernacle: The Boards of Ten Cubits High by One and a Half Broad Tabernacle: The Boards of Twenty on North Side Tabernacle: The Boards of Twenty on South Side Tabernacle: The Boards of With the Bars, Covered With Gold Tabernacle: The Cloud of Glory Rested On, by Night and Day During Its Tabernacle: The Door of, a Curtain of Blue and Purple Suspended by Gold Tabernacle: The Journeys of Israel Regulated by the Cloud On Tabernacle: The Levites: Appointed Over, and had Charge of Tabernacle: The Levites: Carried Tabernacle: The Levites: did the Inferior Service of Tabernacle: The Levites: Pitched Their Tents Around Tabernacle: The Levites: Took Down, and Put Up Tabernacle: The Lord Appeared In, Over the Mercy-Seat Tabernacle: The Lord Reveals Himself At Tabernacle: The Most Holy Place Tabernacle: The One Instituted by Moses Was Called of Testimony Tabernacle: The One Instituted by Moses Was Called: House of the Lord Tabernacle: The One Instituted by Moses Was Called: Sanctuary Tabernacle: The One Instituted by Moses Was Called: Tabernacle (A. V.), Tent (R. V.) Tabernacle: The One Instituted by Moses Was Called: Tabernacle (A. V.), Tent of Meeting (R. V.) Tabernacle: The One Instituted by Moses Was Called: Temple of the Lord Tabernacle: The One Instituted by Moses Was Called: Tent of Testimony (R. V.) Tabernacle: The Outer Covering Tabernacle: The Priests were the Ministers of Tabernacle: The Priests: Alone Could Enter Tabernacle: The Priests: Performed all Services In Tabernacle: The Second Covering Tabernacle: The Table of Show-Bread, the Golden Candlestick, and The Tabernacle: Tribes Encamped Around, While in the Wilderness Tabernacle: Value of the Substance Contributed For Tabernacle: Workmen Who Constructed It Were Inspired Related Terms |
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