A Study of God's Dwelling Places
from Genesis to Revelation
SUMMARY: Grasp the Majesty, Beauty, and Significance of God's Dwelling Places
At various points in Israel's history, God dwelt in specific, significant places, most notably in the tabernacle and the temple. These structures, meticulously planned, extravagantly furnished, and regularly frequented by the devout, were more than just places of worship and sacrifice. They were pictures of God's relationship with his chosen people and of the atoning work that would be done by the Messiah. To understand the tabernacle and the temple, then, is to understand how we are brought into God's family through the sacrifice of his only Son, Jesus.
Visually stunning and theologically rich, this full-color resource brings together the latest scholarship and archeological discoveries to bring God's dwelling places alive for modern believers. It places these important structures in their historical and theological contexts, connects them with the overall biblical story, and shows how they bring meaning and depth to the faith of Christians today.
At various points in Israel's history, God dwelt in specific, significant places, most notably in the tabernacle and the temple. These structures, meticulously planned, extravagantly furnished, and regularly frequented by the devout, were more than just places of worship and sacrifice. They were pictures of God's relationship with his chosen people and of the atoning work that would be done by the Messiah. To understand the tabernacle and the temple, then, is to understand how we are brought into God's family through the sacrifice of his only Son, Jesus.
Visually stunning and theologically rich, this full-color resource brings together the latest scholarship and archeological discoveries to bring God's dwelling places alive for modern believers. It places these important structures in their historical and theological contexts, connects them with the overall biblical story, and shows how they bring meaning and depth to the faith of Christians today.
REVIEW: This book is a wonderful reference book focusing on the tabernacle constructed by Moses, the first temple built by Solomon, the reconstructed temple after the Israelites returned from Babylonian captivity, the expanded temple built by Herod and the temple in heaven mentioned in Revelation. The author does an excellent job explaining each detail and comparing the temples to the tabernacle. There were things I had never considered or even thought about such as the different building materials used, the men in charge of each building projects and the events surrounding each one. Sometimes the author was repetitive but it helped keep me from forgetting facts and information mentioned earlier. The drawings and pictures included were very helpful in getting a visual of what each item and structure looked like and where they were placed.
If you are interested in learning more about God's tabernacle and temples, or just getting a better understanding of the meaning behind them, this book would be a tremendous asset. It was very easy to understand, written for the common man not just biblical scholars.
I really enjoyed this book and plan to keep it in my library.
This book was provided by Baker Books for review without compensation.
J. Daniel Hays (PhD, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is dean of the School
of Christian Studies and professor of biblical studies at Ouachita
Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He is the author or
coauthor of many articles and books, including Grasping God's Word and The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook.
