A Place for YAHWEH's Name
     
Introduction

Holy Land Photo Album

Maps of Israel

Genesis

Genesis Part 2

Exodus

Exodus Part 2

Leviticus

Appointments with YAHWEH

A Place for YAHWEH's Name

  
The Mishkan (Tabernacle)
The "Tent of Appointment" was a special place Yahweh would meet with His people. It sat in the middle of the camp of Israel while they journeyed through the wilderness to the Promised Land.
A Holy Place
Holy means "set apart". The walls around the tabernacle were to separate it from the rest of the camp and remind anyone who came inside that they had to behave in a certain way and had to be clean before entering. This was to show respect for our Elohim, who is perfect and without sin, and to remind us that our sins must be forgiven before we can enjoy His nearness.
The Bronze Altar
Bronze symbolizes payment for sin. Because blood is the only proper payment for sin, Yahweh mercifully allowed us to substitute an innocent, healthy animal so we would not have to die every time we sinned. But animals' blood is only a picture of the Messiah's innocent blood, because only a man's blood could completely pay for the sins of a human being, who is worth much more than any animal.
The Ark of the Covenant
looked something like this. Depicted on top are called kheruvim, a special type of angel that is given the responsibility of guarding holy places. Remember it was kheruvim that kept Adam and Chavvah from returning to the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden after they sinned, because they were no longer holy. Everyone in the Bible who saw an angel was terrified of it. They are not cute little babies with wings like some paintings depict them. The place between the kheruvim's wings was called the Mercy Seat. Here the priest placed blood on the Day of Atonement so the whole nation of Israel could be forgiven each year.
The High Priest's Garments
The white robe was the garment of all priests. It was linen because this did not cause him to sweat, reminding him of the curse placed on Adam. When the high priest went into the holiest part of the Temple only one day each year, he wore only the white robe. The blue tunic over it represents heaven. The fancier outermost garment is called the efod, and the gem stones mounted on it represent the twelve tribes of Israel. He was carrying a reminder of all Israel on his shoulders every time he wore it in Yahweh's presence. The gold crown on his turban was engraved with the words "Set apart for Yahweh".
The Table of the Bread of the Faces
The twelve racks were for twelve special loaves of bread that represented the twelve tribes of Israel. The ends of the bread turned to face each other like the kheruvim on the Ark of the Covenant, reminding us of our companionship with one another and Yahweh's marriage to His bride, Israel. Fresh loaves were baked every Sabbath, and at that time the old loaves were brought outside from the Holy Place, so the other priests, Levites, and people who brought their animals to sacrifice could share it.
A Larger Dwelling Place
After King David died, his son Solomon (Shlomo) built the Temple for Yahweh at the place He chose, Jerusalem. It had the same design as the Tabernacle, only on a much larger scale. It had additional courtyards and rooms, which each had a special use. As one got closer to the Temple building, each courtyard was holier than the one before it.
The steps to the Temple complex are still there!
Almost 2,000 years after the Temple was destroyed (in the year 70), the steps into the Temple complex are still intact. Some of them have been repaired. Astronaut Neil Armstrong said it was more exciting when he walked on these steps, where the Messiah must certainly have walked, than when he walked on the moon! Notice that the steps are not all the same size. That was so nobody could run up them without thinking about the seriousness and holiness of the place they were entering.


The stones of the physical Temple were all torn down by the Romans. It will one day be rebuilt, but meanwhile the main thing Yahweh wants us to learn from the Temple was how to become a holy group of people among whom He can come to stay. Just as the building had to be kept clean and pure, that is how He wants our lives to be so He can continue to live with us.