How Does the Tabernacle in Exodus Point to God’s Presence?
1. The Tabernacle as the Dwelling of God
The book of Exodus culminates with the construction of the tabernacle, the place where God’s glory came to dwell among his people. God instructed Moses, “Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst” (Exod. 25:8). This structure was more than a tent in the wilderness; it was the visible sign of God’s presence with Israel.
The tabernacle became the central meeting point between God and his people. It was where God revealed his will, met with Moses face to face, and guided Israel through the wilderness by the cloud of his glory (Exod. 33:7–11; 40:34–38). The people of Israel knew they were not abandoned; the Lord himself was present in their midst.
2. The Tabernacle as a Microcosm of Creation
Exodus describes the tabernacle with extraordinary detail. Curtains, lampstands, altars, and measurements fill chapters 25–31 and 35–40. These details are not mere ritual instruction but symbolic theology. The tabernacle is a microcosm of creation—an earthly picture of heaven itself (Exod. 25:9, 40).
The sevenfold repetition of the phrase “The Lord said to Moses” in Exodus 25–31 mirrors the seven days of creation. Just as God created the world and rested on the seventh day, so the tabernacle’s construction concludes with the command to keep the Sabbath (Exod. 31:12–17). The tabernacle is therefore a new creation, a sacred space where heaven and earth meet.
This theme reminds the church that the presence of God in creation was never lost forever. Through the tabernacle, God reestablished his dwelling with humanity in a fallen world, anticipating a greater fulfillment to come.
3. The Tabernacle as a Place of Holiness
The tabernacle emphasized the holiness of God and the need for purification. Its divisions—the outer court, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place—taught Israel that access to God’s presence required atonement. Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:2, 34).
Sacrifices and offerings, carried out in the tabernacle, revealed that sin separated humanity from God. Yet they also showed that God provided a way for his people to approach him. Exodus ends with the glory of the Lord filling the tabernacle so powerfully that even Moses could not enter (Exod. 40:35). God’s presence was both a blessing and a reminder of his holiness.
For Christians, this points forward to Christ, who opened the way into God’s presence by his sacrifice. As Hebrews teaches, “We have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10:19). The tabernacle thus anticipated the cross, where holiness and mercy met.
4. The Tabernacle as a Sign of Covenant Faithfulness
The tabernacle was not only about holiness but also about covenant faithfulness. God had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would be their God and that their descendants would be his people (Gen. 17:7–8). By filling the tabernacle with his glory, God visibly confirmed that promise: “I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God” (Exod. 29:45).
Even Israel’s rebellion with the golden calf (Exod. 32) did not destroy God’s covenant plan. The tabernacle, framed by repeated Sabbath commands (Exod. 31:12–17; 35:1–3), demonstrated that despite sin, God’s purposes of redemption would stand. His presence among Israel was not fragile but grounded in his steadfast love.
The same truth applies to the church. Christ is Immanuel, “God with us” (Matt. 1:23), and his Spirit dwells in believers as the seal of God’s covenant faithfulness (Eph. 1:13–14).
5. The Tabernacle and the Presence of Christ
The New Testament reveals the ultimate meaning of the tabernacle in the person of Jesus. John writes, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). The Greek word for “dwelt” (skēnoō) literally means “tabernacled.” Jesus is the true tabernacle, God’s presence in human flesh.
In his death and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled what the tabernacle symbolized. He is the high priest who enters the Most Holy Place, not with the blood of animals but with his own blood, securing eternal redemption (Heb. 9:11–12). His body is the true temple, raised up after three days (John 2:19–21).
Through Christ, God’s presence is no longer confined to a tent or a temple but is available to all who believe. The church becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit, where God’s glory dwells (1 Cor. 3:16).
6. The Tabernacle and the Hope of the New Creation
The tabernacle also points forward to the ultimate hope of God’s people. In Revelation, John sees the new Jerusalem and hears the declaration: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man” (Rev. 21:3). There is no temple in the city, “for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” (Rev. 21:22).
What began in Eden, was restored in the tabernacle, and fulfilled in Christ, will reach its completion in the new creation. The tabernacle teaches the church to look forward with hope, knowing that the presence of God is both our greatest blessing and our eternal inheritance.
Conclusion
The tabernacle in Exodus was a visible symbol of God’s presence among his people. It revealed his holiness, displayed his covenant faithfulness, and foreshadowed the coming of Christ as the true dwelling of God with humanity.
For Israel, the tabernacle was heaven on earth, a sanctuary in the wilderness. For the church, it points to Jesus Christ, in whom God’s glory is revealed, and to the Spirit’s indwelling presence that makes the people of God his temple. Ultimately, it directs our gaze to the new creation, where God will dwell with his people forever.
The tabernacle shows that God’s presence is not distant but near, not abstract but personal, and not temporary but everlasting in Christ.
Bible Verses about the Tabernacle and God’s Presence
Exodus 25:8 – “Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.”
Exodus 29:45 – “I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.”
Exodus 40:34–35 – “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”
Leviticus 26:11–12 – “I will make my dwelling among you… I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.”
Deuteronomy 12:11 – “Then to the place that the Lord your God will choose… there you shall bring all that I command you.”
John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory.”
John 2:19–21 – “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up… But he was speaking about the temple of his body.”
1 Corinthians 3:16 – “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”
Hebrews 9:11–12 – “Christ entered once for all into the holy places… by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”
Revelation 21:3 – “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people.”
