The tabernacle was the dwelling place of God, a carefully designed tent of worship, sacrifice, and encounter.

Initially constructed in the wilderness, its instructions in Scripture may feel detailed and overwhelming at first, but every element points to God’s desire to make His presence known to His people.

From its construction to its fulfillment in Christ, the tabernacle tells a story of God’s presence, His love, and His faithfulness across the ages.

Discovering God in the Details:

When I first read through the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle in Exodus, I felt like I had opened an ancient IKEA catalog. So many cubits. So many clasps, loops, and layers of fabric.

At the time, it felt like complex directions for a piece of furniture I was not sure I needed. But the longer I have sat with those chapters, the more I see their beauty and my need. Every measurement, every thread, every clasp is a revelation of God’s heart.

The tabernacle was a portable tent, carefully constructed with layers of cloth, wood, and gold. It was divided into spaces for worship, sacrifice, and God’s presence. More than just a structure, it was a living symbol of God making His home among His people and a reflection of His care and intentionality in revealing Himself.

It was never just about curtains and wood. It was about God’s presence in the details.

The Meaning of Tabernacle:

The Hebrew word for tabernacle is mishkan, from the root shakan, which means ‘to dwell’ or ‘to settle.’ In other words, the very name of the tabernacle reveals its purpose: it was the place where God chose to dwell with His people. Even the word Shekinah, used to describe God’s glory, comes from the same root. Together, these words remind us that wherever His people go, God’s glorious presence goes with them.

God’s Presence in the Wilderness:

When Israel was brought out of Egypt, they were not sent into the wilderness alone. God went with them, going before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:17-14:29). Later, He instructed Moses to build the tabernacle (Exodus 35:4-40:38), a carefully constructed, portable dwelling where His glory would rest among His people.

I think about that often. The God who split the Red Sea (Exodus 14), who thundered on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19), and who holds the stars in place (Isaiah 40:26) chose to dwell with a people who doubted, grumbled, and strayed.

The tabernacle was a tent of meeting, but it was more than a structure. It was God’s presence in the midst of His people—a whisper of what was lost in Eden and a hint of what was to come in Christ—Emmanuel, God with us.

Jesus: The True Tabernacle

John’s Gospel gives us the fulfillment of this story: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” – John 1:14. That word dwelt can also be translated as tabernacled. God had come once again to live with His people. But this time, not within a tent of fabric and wood. He came in flesh and blood.

In Jesus, the presence of God was revealed in its fullness. He walked dusty paths, sat at tables with His disciples, healed lepers, the lame, and the blind, and wept with friends. His life fulfilled what the sacrifices of lambs and the mercy seat had pointed toward—the true Lamb of God, the only one worthy to take away our sins.

When He gave up His Spirit on the cross, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom, revealing the completeness of God’s tabernacling with His people. Now, through Christ—the Way—anyone who turns to Him may enter into God’s presence.

The Spirit Within Us:

Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, poured out at Pentecost (Acts 2) and given to all who confess Christ as Lord, God dwells with His people in a new and intimate way. In 1 Corinthians 3:16, Paul writes, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”

The same presence that once filled the tabernacle now lives in believers through the Spirit. Whether we are wandering in the proverbial wilderness or managing the rhythms and responsibilities of everyday life, the Spirit is with us, guiding, convicting, comforting, and transforming us into the likeness of Christ.

The Final Dwelling:

Even still, we wait expectantly for Christ’s return. Revelation 21:3 promises: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.” He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.”

That is the end of the story, or rather the beginning of the story we were made for. No more sin. No more distance. No more longing. Just the fullness of God, forever. The tabernacle of fabric in the wilderness pointed to the tabernacle of flesh in Jesus, the ultimate fulfillment of God dwelling with His people. And one day, it will give way to the final fulfillment, the eternal tabernacle in the new creation, where God Himself will dwell with His people always.

From Eden to Eternity:

When I look at the whole sweep of Scripture, I see this thread running through it all. In the garden of Eden, God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8). In the wilderness, He made His dwelling in a tent among His people (Exodus 25:8–9; 40:34–35). In Bethlehem, He came in flesh (Luke 2:6–7; Matthew 1:23). At Pentecost, He filled His people with His Spirit (Acts 2:1–4). And one day, in the new heaven and the new earth, He will dwell with us in fullness and glory (Revelation 21:3–4).

From beginning to end, the story is not humanity seeking God, but rather God seeking humanity. He has always desired to be with His people. He has always made a way for His presence to be known.

So the next time I find myself tempted to skim over those long chapters in Exodus, I will pause and I will pray—to see the intentionality, to see the love, and to see that even in the details of cubits and clasps, God’s desire to draw near was evident.

And that is still His heart today. The God who tabernacled in the wilderness, who tabernacled in Jesus, and who tabernacles now by His Spirit will one day tabernacle with us forever. That is our hope, our joy, and our future.

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Reflection & Prayer:

In what areas of your life do you most need to be reminded that God’s Spirit tabernacles within you? Please comment below.

Lord,

Thank You that You have always chosen to dwell with Your people. Thank You for making Your presence known in the tabernacle, in Jesus, and now through Your Spirit in us. Help us to live with greater awareness of Your nearness. Teach us to rest in Your presence, and to long for the day when we will dwell with You forever.

Amen.

The God who once dwelled in the tabernacle now makes His home in us through the Holy Spirit. If you’d like to explore how that same presence breaks generational curses and equips us for new life, you can read my earlier post here.

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