The Purpose of the Wilderness Tabernacle: The Relational Component

The Wilderness Tabernacle at Timnah Park, Israel

The Importance of the Male and Female Aspects of the Tabernacle

On Mount Sinai, Moses received more than just the Ten Commandments. Also included were the detailed instructions for building a meeting place for God and His people. The Tabernacle was a temple of worship that involved specific protocols and procedures. These protocols provided a possible means for God's people to dwell with Him, as requested by God.

Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.
— Exodus 25:8

From the fall of Genesis until the construction of the Tabernacle, the Bible records people occasionally walking and talking with God but not dwelling with Him. As we shall see, it is within the framework of this Old Testament sanctuary that God draws His people closer to Himself through an intricate sacrificial system. This arrangement can speak volumes to us today about the specifics of such a great salvation and indescribable gift.

... how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation ...?
— Hebrews 2:3

Every detail that Christ accomplished to restore our relationship with God finds its discovery in the particulars of the wilderness tabernacle. This study will examine how the Tabernacle was designed to demonstrate God's relational purposes and components for uniting with us, using male and female forms as illustrative tools. The Tabernacle, a female form, was about God dwelling with his people.

The human relational aspect does not conflict with the Tabernacle being a reflection of Jesus Himself in terms of his being male. Jesus is the person and "the way" that fulfilled every element of the necessities of being near God. The male-female aspect is an additional concept tool that enables us to understand the relational facet more clearly and accurately.

Both the Old and New Testaments provide excellent examples of Christ being wisdom. In 1 Corinthians, Paul tells us that Christ is the wisdom of God.

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption
— I Corinthians 1:30

Yet, in the book of Proverbs, wisdom is presented in a feminine form.

Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares.
— Proverbs 1:20

The purpose isn't for us to think of Jesus as a female. It is to use female attributes to convey relational concepts.

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your nearest kin,
— Proverbs 7:4

The male/female concept will be critical as we study different aspects of this structure and the language itself. In Hebrew, like many other languages, words are either male or female. Surprisingly, this method helps communicate relational concepts that cannot be fully comprehended in any other way. Let's take a look at how this works.

Eve was built from the genetic material of Adam's side. Just as the pierced side of Christ was the constructing material from which His "church' would be built.

Eve: A Temple

We are informed in Genesis chapter two that man was formed from the dust of the ground. When the woman is made, the original Hebrew text reads that she was built (בנה banah), hinting that her design illustrates temple-building concepts. Gesenius Lexicon defines the Hebrew word banah (בנה) as meaning to build a house, temple, city walls, defenses, an altar, and/or a family. This word is also feminine. The description of Eve's construction supports this premise.

And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs (tsela צלע), and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib (tsela צלע), which the Lord God had taken from man, He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

— Genesis 2:21-22

The Hebrew word tsela (צלע), translated as "rib" in the above verse, can also be translated as "side," "chamber," or "plank," and it appears 41 times in Scripture. Two of those mentions are about the building of Eve; 8 are about the building of the Wilderness Tabernacle; 7 are about the construction of Solomon's Temple; and 11 are about Ezekiel's Temple. This count brings us to 38 of the 41 mentions of this word connected to the building of Eve, the Wilderness Tabernacle, Solomon's Temple, and Ezekiel's Temple.

The tri-part design of a cell.

Tsela צלע: A Chamber

In the case of Ezekiel's temple, it is intriguing that tsela (צלע) was translated as "chamber," reminiscent of the cellular structure. A cell is the smallest unit containing the properties of life. It has a tri-part design, like the temple, consisting of plasma, cytoplasm, and a nucleus. The nucleus is where the genetic material is contained. Is this what God is describing when He builds Eve? Genetic material is known as "the building blocks of life." Adam interestingly names Eve with this possible connection in mind.

And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living
— Genesis 3:20

Cell means a little room in Latin, which connects us with the idea of a temple-like structure. The nucleus is the holy of holies, the cytoplasm is the holy place, and the cell membrane is the boundary between the outer court and the two inner spaces.

The first two letters of the word tsela צלע spell צל and mean 'shadow'. These two letters are also used to form the word for "image," tsalem צלם, as in Genesis chapter one, which references how the man and woman were designed to shadow God.

So God created man in His own image (tsalem צלם) in the image (tsalem צלם) of God He created him; male and female He created them.
— Genesis 1:27

The Bible begins with a temple structure and ends with one expressed in female form.

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
— Revelation 21:2

The temple blueprint is the foundation of God's purposes and plans. This pattern is clearly God's way of doing things. The video further expounds on the female temple concept. The teaching is rich and deep, with insights that connect the biological aspect with these revelations. A snip-it from the video below teaches how the wilderness temple consisted of four layers. The speaker relates this to a C-Section. He describes how a surgeon must cut through four layers of skin to gain access to the baby within the womb, which also images a type of "Holy of Holies."

It's About Intimacy

We discussed earlier how female portrayals in the Bible depict relationships. This idea is also strongly related to the concept of intimacy. Intimacy and connection are what God seeks to develop in and with us. Intimacy is hinted at, once again, in the first few chapters of Genesis, depicting a marriage between heaven and Earth.

"The heavens and the earth, and all the host of them (children both human and divine), were finished. "(bride completedָּ- kalah כָלה)

— Genesis 2:1

The Hebrew word for finished, kalah כלה (a female term), in the above verse, is spelled the same as the word bride כלה. God's completed work is expressed in marital terms. The marriage of heaven and Earth forms a complete image of the order, power, intelligence, and beauty of their creator. This expression functioned through both divine and human imaging hosts (His children).

Furthermore, the Hebrew word for heavens is expressed in the male form. The Hebrew word for ground (adamah אדמה), which is the productive portions of the Earth from which Adam was created, is in female form.

God's image is consistently projected through the concepts of male and female unity and the fruit produced by this union. In the creation narrative, it is in Eden that heaven and Earth unite. And as discussed in part two, it was where they were divorced.

Eden means paradise. A conversation at the cross between Jesus and one of the criminals hanging next to Him reveals a reconnect with earthly and eternal heavenly things, with the mention of paradise.

Then he (the thief on the cross) said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." (Eden in Hebrew)
— Luke 23:42-43

The marriage of heaven and Earth in Eden's temple paradise was intended to spread God's heavenly rule, reign, and presence throughout the whole Earth. This concept was also depicted in Genesis, chapter two.

Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads.
— Genesis 2:10

Not to jump too far ahead, but we can already see the imagery of God's dwelling presence flowing from His Holy Place, Eden, and watering the garden's central sanctuary.

Next, we see four river heads that foretell four gospels going out throughout the whole Earth, spreading the knowledge of God to all places of the outer court or the world.

... when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
— II Corinthians 2:12-14

Song of Solomon: An Intimate Portrait

The Song of Solomon, commonly understood to be the most intimate book of the Bible, uses the same combination of female, temple, and garden themes to help us connect these ideas to God's plan.

A garden enclosed
Is my sister, my spouse,
A spring shut up,
A fountain sealed.
Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates
With pleasant fruits,
Fragrant henna with spikenard,
Spikenard and saffron,
Calamus and cinnamon,
With all trees of frankincense,
Myrrh and aloes,
With all the chief spices— A fountain of gardens, A well of living waters,
And streams from Lebanon.
Awake, O north wind,
And come, O south!
Blow upon my garden,
That its spices may flow out.
Let my beloved come to his garden
And eat its pleasant fruits
... I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse;
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice;
I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends!
Drink, yes, drink deeply, O beloved ones!

— Song of Solomon 4:12-16, 5:1

In the passage above, we see the specific mention of the garden, four of them, along with trees, living water, and fruit, which are all depicted in both the Genesis garden and the Revelation holy city.

There is also the combination of wine and milk, also used by the prophet Isaiah in what is known as the Gospel of Isaiah. These things tie into the section above concerning God's purpose in establishing these places and points of worship, and in spreading the Kingdom's family.

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters; And you who have no money
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—The sure mercies of David.

— Isaiah 55:1-3

Jesus is knocking on the door of the heart of His people

A Possible Prophetic Component

In the next scene in chapter five of Song of Solomon, things take a dramatic turn from the intimate exchanges between lovers to an apathetic, or could we say, "lukewarm" bride who hesitates to open the door for her beloved, who is knocking.

I sleep, but my heart is awake; It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, “Open for me, my sister, my love, My dove, my perfect one; For my head is covered with dew, My locks with the drops of the night.”

Her response:

I have taken off my robe;
How can I put it on again?
I have washed my feet;
How can I defile them?
My beloved put his hand
By the latch of the door,
And my heart yearned for him.
I arose to open for my beloved,
And my hands dripped with myrrh,
My fingers with liquid myrrh,
On the handles of the lock. I opened for my beloved,
But my beloved had turned away and was gone.
My heart leaped up when he spoke.
I sought him, but I could not find him;
I called him, but he gave me no answer.
The watchmen who went about the city found me.
They struck me, they wounded me;
The keepers of the walls
Took my veil away from me.
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
If you find my beloved,
That you tell him I am lovesick!

— Song of Solomon 5:2-8

This scene begins with the woman who is preparing to go to sleep. She doesn't want the knock on her door to disrupt her comfortable state. Her hesitation causes her lover to leave.

Jesus told a prophetic parable concerning five sleeping virgins who were encouraged to be prepared, ready, and awake for the bridegroom's arrival.

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘ No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
— Matthew 25:1-13

The bridegroom knocking on the door in Song of Solomon is also reminiscent of the letter written to the church of Laodicea, known as the "lukewarm church," which is also distractingly content with its present comforts in the book of Revelation. Keep in mind, as you read the following verse, that Jesus is knocking on the door of a church. We have often mistakenly read this verse as a pitch to the unbelieving. Instead, this is an appeal to God's own people who are in a dangerous position of indifference.

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”
— Revelation 3:14-22

The woman in Song of Solomon was so comfortable in her bed that she wasn't sure if she wanted to bother answering the door. This reminds me of the lukewarm church of today. We are so content with many other pleasures and comforts, much like the Laodicean church, and have fallen fast asleep in our complacency. To pursue the lover of our souls seems to be such a bother. The gospel of Isaiah mentioned earlier also says this.

Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.

— Isaiah 55:6-7

And this is what the Shulamite woman does. She eventually decides she wants to open the door for her beloved, but he has already left. She suffers from being struck and wounded to get to him, but continues in desperation to find him. Since we have rejected Him for so long and have not wanted to be bothered, is this the course the church will have to take? This element of the structure we are studying reminds us that God's call is not an invitation to religious duty but a call to love the perfect Lover of Souls with genuine faithfulness and passion. This is where Eve misses her call.

Eve's Failed Mission

Adam's failed mission was discussed in the previous part of this series, as it concerned his failure to protect the sacred space. Eve is not an innocent bystander. Eve's projected purpose as a "type of" sanctuary, expressing a complete and finished work in connection with her beloved, is undone when she looks to another for fulfillment.

Concluding Thoughts

God's plan, as viewed through the "Wilderness Tabernacle," is to restore and redeem both male and female failed missions, and to retrieve humankind in its totality.

Next article in this series, The Purpose of the Wilderness Tabernacle: The freewill Offering