Wilderness Tabernacle משכן‎-Mishkan

“But what they are serving is only a copy and a shadow of the heavenly original; for when Moses was about to erect the Tent (the Tabernacle), God warned him, ‘see to it that you make everything according to the pattern you were shown on the mountain’”.-Hebrews 8:5

One important truth taught in Scripture is the idea that any person can intuitively understand through creation that G-d exists. In other words, the physical manifestations of nature reflect the spiritual things in heaven and through them we can gain a thorough understanding of G-d’s nature, His Glory and His creativity.

In addition to the natural world, G-d also gave the Israelites certain physical directions to further instruct them regarding holy living and His purposes. Ordering the Israelites to build the wilderness Tabernacle was a prime example of this principle in action. Practically, every detail of the tabernacle and its procedures, from the materials chosen for its construction to the very garments that the priests wore held spiritual significance and foreshadowed the work of the Messiah.

The Hebrew word for the Tabernacle is “mishkan” and it is an expression that literally means “dwelling place” or it could also mean “tent”. In the original Hebrew, this is a most appropriate word to use because one of the most awesome spiritual realities fleshed out in the tabernacle is that of G-d’s presence coming down to dwell on earth with his people in response to them properly carrying out His commandments.

However, what is even more awesome is that in our day and age we are taught that G-d’s present tabernacle is the believers in Yeshua! The day we accepted the Messiah, G-d’s Holy Spirit came to dwell in us. Hence, until Yeshua returns, we have been commissioned to be G-d’s representatives here on earth. What wasn’t even possible through countless animal sacrifices in ancient times is now a reality for all believers, Jew and Gentile.

Amen