Moses is commanded to build a tabernacle. The Lord called it a “sanctuary,” so He could “dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). The Hebrew word for dwell is shakan, and it’s the root of the word Shekinah.
The Shekhinah (שכינה) is the Hebrew term for the divine presence or “dwelling” of God on Earth, symbolizing an imminent, approachable manifestation of God rather than a distant deity. Often portrayed with feminine attributes in Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah), it represents God’s compassionate, nurturing presence, which accompanies people in exile and dwells among the righteous. God’s divine nature in Jewish thought is often portrayed as a mother, daughter, bride, or sister. It embraces the concept of a Heavenly Mother. See the image below.
The Shekinah represented the glory that filled the temple, especially at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple (see 1 Kings 8:11). Shekinah is associated with the sacred tent of Jehovah. Some scholars consider the tent that was entered by Noah to be this sacred tent of Jehovah since tent is feminine, unlike the King James Translation. Jeffrey M. Bradshaw sees this as a temple scene where Noah is not “drunk” but in a heavenly trance.
The gate to the tabernacle was on the east and one would proceed westward. In the outer courtyard was the altar of sacrifice where the animal sacrifices were performed. Between the altar and the tent was the laver for the priests to wash their hands and feet. The ritual washing was a preparation for the Holy Place and for meeting God.
Next the priests would enter the Holy Place where there were three items—the candlestick, the table of shewbread, and the altar of incense. The candlestick had branches with “bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers” (Exodus 25:34). It was configured like a tree and represented the Tree of Life. The table of shewbread was a forerunner of the sacrament. It had twelve unleavened cakes in two piles representing the twelve tribes of Israel and their presentation before the Lord. It symbolized both sacrifice and communion with God since the loaves were changed every Sabbath and the old loaves were eaten by the priests. The Hebrew word for unleavened cakes is challah and relates to the word chalal, meaning “pierced or wounded.” The Jews called this “pierced bread.” It reminds us of the Savior’s sacrifice as “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). The smoke rising from the altar of incense represented the prayers of the saints (see Revelation 8:3).
The Holy of Holies was separated from the Holy Place by a veil. Inside the Holy of Holies was only one piece of furniture, and that was the Ark of the Covenant. And on the lid of the ark was the mercy seat, considered to be the throne of God. The Hebrew word for the mercy seat is kapporeth, derived from kaphar, meaning atonement. Thus, the mercy seat was the place of atonement.
I love the hymn, “I Stand All Amazed” with the lyrics, “I will praise and adore at the mercy seat, Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.” The author of Hebrews states it well: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
Because the Ark was considered to be the throne of God, it was taken into battle against Israel’s enemies. Numbers 10:35 states, “And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.”
2 Nephi 31:13-20 gives us a walk through the tabernacle and a walk on the covenant path. Nephi said, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water.” This baptism can be likened to the ritual washing of the priests in the laver in the outer courtyard.
He continues, “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”
The “perfect brightness of hope” comes from the illumination of the candlestick in the Holy Place. The candlestick represents the Tree of Life, which sheds forth the love of God and of all men. Opposite the candlestick is the table of shewbread where one could feast on the word of Christ. At the end of the journey, on the other side of the veil, is the mercy seat and the throne of God, where the Father will fulfill the promise: “Ye shall have eternal life.” This will be an ordinance.
