What was the tent of meeting?
The tent of meeting, also known as the tabernacle, was a portable place of worship used by the Israelites during their time in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt. It played a central role in Israelite worship and religious life for several centuries until the building of Solomon’s temple.
The Design and Layout of the Tent of Meeting
The tent of meeting was a large rectangular tent structure made up of curtains, boards, poles, and various furniture and fixtures. It was divided into two rooms – the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. The entire tent was surrounded by an outer courtyard which contained the altar of burnt offering and the bronze laver.
According to the detailed instructions given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 25-31), the tent of meeting was to be made of acacia wood overlaid with gold, set in silver bases. The inside was divided by a veil into the Holy Place containing the lampstand, the table for the bread of the Presence (also called the showbread), and the altar of incense. The Most Holy Place (also called the Holy of Holies) contained the Ark of the Covenant. The walls were made of upright wooden boards overlaid in gold and held together by silver sockets and bars overlaid in gold. Four layers of curtains, made of fine linen and dyed yarn in blue, purple and scarlet, were draped over the tabernacle frame. The innermost layer was made of finely twisted linen with figures of cherubim.
The entrance was on the eastern end, covered by embroidered curtains. The outer courtyard measured approximately 75 feet by 150 feet, surrounded by curtains of finely twisted linen hung from pillars of bronze set in bronze sockets. Within the courtyard stood the altar of burnt offering and the bronze laver for ritual washing.
The portability of the tent is seen in details such as the rings and poles used for dismantling, transporting and erecting it whenever the Israelites changed location. The tent could be carried by the Levites, took about a day to dismantle and set up, and was at the center of Israelite camp, with the 12 tribes encamped around it.
Significance and Purpose
The tent of meeting served multiple important purposes for the Israelites. Firstly, it was the place where God chose to meet with Moses and the people, the place where God’s glory dwelt, signifying His presence with His people (Exodus 29:42-43). It served as the dwelling place of God on earth until the establishment of the permanent temple.
Secondly, it was the center of Israelite worship, the place where sacrifices and offerings were made to God. The various rituals performed there by the priests taught Israel the importance of holiness, atonement for sin, and consecration to God. The furnishings and layout instructed them in the proper approach to a holy God.
Thirdly, the tent unified the 12 tribes under the worship of Yahweh and was a visible reminder of God’s covenant with Israel. Just as the tribes were arranged around the tent, so God was to be at the center of their individual and national life. The laws regarding the construction and rituals of the tabernacle set Israel apart from other nations as God’s special people.
Fourthly, it was a prophetic symbol that looked forward to greater realities. The tabernacle was a copy or shadow of the heavenly temple and throne room (Hebrews 8:5). It also foreshadowed Christ, in details like the curtain and the bread of the Presence.
Key Events at the Tent of Meeting
Many pivotal biblical events took place at the tent of meeting:
– God’s visible presence filled the tabernacle upon its completion, signifying His glory dwelling among the people (Exodus 40:34-38)
– The tent was the site of regular sacrifices, offerings, and other priestly duties (Leviticus 1-7).
– Thetent was sanctified annually on the Day of Atonement through sacrifice and the sprinkling of atoning blood (Leviticus 16).
– Joshua met with God at the tent of meeting and received encouragement there before entering Canaan (Joshua 1).
– The tent rested at Shiloh for over 300 years during the period of the judges (Judges 18:31, 1 Samuel 1:3).
– Eli the priest and young Samuel served at the tent of meeting at Shiloh, where God first called Samuel (1 Samuel 1-3).
– Worship continued at the tent even after the Ark was captured and before Solomon’s temple was built (1 Chronicles 16).
– The glory of God filled Solomon’s temple when the Ark was brought into it from the tent of meeting (1 Kings 8:10-11).
People and Roles Associated with the Tent of Meeting
The priests: The Kohathite Levites carried the tent during journeys. The priests offered the sacrifices, burned incense, set out the showbread, and performed other duties (Exodus 27:21).
Moses: Moses set up the tent, communicated God’s instructions for its design, upheld its holiness laws, and met with God there (Exodus 33:7-11).
Joshua: Joshua was consecrated at the tent and met with God there after Moses’ death (Deuteronomy 31:14).
The high priest: The highest official role in tabernacle worship, purification rituals and entering the Most Holy Place (Exodus 28; Leviticus 16).
Samuel: As a young boy, Samuel received his call from God to be a prophet while sleeping near the tent at Shiloh (1 Samuel 3:3).
The Levites: Descendants of Levi, they served as caretakers and guards of the tent (Numbers 1:53). The Kohathites specifically were in charge of the most holy furnishings (Numbers 4:4-20).
The twelve tribes of Israel: Arranged around the tabernacle, centered on worship there.
Later History and Loss of the Tent of Meeting
According to Jewish tradition, the tent of meeting continued to be used in worship even after the building of Solomon’s temple, housed in the courtyard of the temple. The tabernacle was still mentioned and remembered after the destruction of the temple by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. (2 Maccabees 2:4-5). At some point the tent was either destroyed, lost, or simply dismantled and put away.
No clear mention is made of the tabernacle after the Israelites return from exile in Babylon. The Bible focuses instead on the rebuilding of the temple under Ezra and Nehemiah. By this time, the portable tent had served its purpose for Israel. The more permanent temple took central stage as the people resettled the land. Still, the memory and influence of the tent of meeting continued, as it remained a symbol of God’s presence and a key part of Israel’s formative history with Yahweh their deliverer.
The tent of meeting was the sacred, mobile worship center used by Israel for over 400 years, from the Exodus until the building of the temple. God met with His people there, sacrifices and offerings were made, the divinely ordained system of worship and atonement was practiced, and the presence of the Lord dwelt over the tabernacle. As a holy meeting place between God and Israel, the tent reflected God’s desire to make His dwelling with people, foreshadowing Christ’s later coming as Emmanuel, “God with us.”