Catholic Dictionary
Find accurate definitions of over 5,000 Catholic terms and phrases (including abbreviations). Based on Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.
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TABERNACLE (biblical)
A sanctuary used in Hebrew worship even before Solomon built the Temple. It represented God's presence with his people (Exodus 25:8). When they traveled from place to place, the tabernacle went with them. Yahweh gave Moses detailed instructions about the size, materials, and adornment of the tabernacle and its position in the court area set apart for religious observance (exodus 25, 26, 27). In the New Testament the tabernacle takes on a new meaning, as described in the Letter to the Hebrews. "Christ has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, which is better than the one made by men's hands because it is not of this created order; and he has entered the sanctuary once and for all, taking with him not the blood of goats and bull calves, but his own blood, having won an eternal redemption for us" (Hebrews 9:11-12).
