From Tabernacle to Temple, God’s Faithful Journey with Israel
By Howard Flower, ICEJ Aliyah Director

Today (8 April), Israel is marking Aliyah Day, a national holiday that celebrates the return of millions of Jewish people to their ancestral homeland in modern times. The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem joins in saluting this achievement, as we have been privileged to assist nearly 190,000 Jews in their journey home to Israel over the past 45 years.

Aliyah Day is now held on the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, when the ancient Israelites first crossed the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land. As Joshua led the twelve tribes across the Jordan, they brought with them the Tabernacle – the portable sanctuary built according to God’s specific instructions at Mount Sinai. It would accompany them throughout their conquest and settlement in the Land.

The first instance of Tabernacle worship in the Promised Land occurred at Gilgal, where Israel renewed their covenant with God and celebrated Passover on the plains of Jericho. This site represented their initial foothold – or spiritual beachhead – in the land of promise.

For Christians, the Tabernacle points to Jesus, who is the ultimate fulfilment of its purpose. In John 1:14, we read: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt [tabernacled] among us.” Just as the Tabernacle was the place where God’s presence resided among the Israelites, Jesus is the embodiment of God’s presence among believers.

As Israel secured more territory, they eventually moved the Tabernacle to Shiloh, a hill town that would serve as their spiritual hub for nearly 400 years, spanning most of the period of the Judges. Here, the most sacred object in Israelite worship, the Ark of the Covenant, rested. The prophet Jeremiah later referred to Shiloh as the place “where I first caused My name to reside” (Jeremiah 7:12).

The Tabernacle is far more than a historical artifact. It was a place of worship which symbolised God’s plan for the salvation of mankind and His ultimate desire to gather His people – both physically and spiritually – into His presence.

The Tabernacle not only served as a temporary dwelling place for God among the Israelites during their Wilderness journey, but also foreshadowed the future ingathering of the exiles, the establishment of God’s eternal kingdom, and the fulfilment of His redemptive plan through Messiah.

Challenging Times: The Era of Judges
The period when the Tabernacle stood at Shiloh corresponds with the turbulent era of the Judges. This time was characterised by spiritual inconsistency, with cycles of faithfulness and unfaithfulness recurring throughout the nation. Despite this instability, God’s presence remained among His people – a testimony of His commitment to His covenant with Israel.

The prophet Samuel served at this Tabernacle as a youth, opening its courtyard doors each morning. By this time, the original curtain walls had likely been replaced with stone walls, giving the structure a more permanent character while maintaining its original design.

Divine Discipline and Continued Presence
The Ark’s time in Shiloh ended during Samuel’s service as Judge of Israel. When Israel faced defeat against the Philistines, they removed the Ark from its proper place, treating it as a talisman that would guarantee victory. Instead, they suffered a catastrophic defeat, and the Ark was captured.

Though the Philistines returned the Ark due to the plagues it brought upon them, it never returned to Shiloh. God “forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh” (Psalm 78:60), and the city was devastated by Israel’s enemies. This painful chapter teaches us that God’s presence is not a guarantee against consequences when we stray from His ways.

Yet even in discipline, God did not abandon His people. The Tabernacle itself was relocated first to Nob and later to Gibeon, while the Ark found temporary housing in Abinadab’s house in Kirjath Jearim for twenty years.

Not long after, David established Jerusalem as his capital and brought the Ark of the Covenant to Mount Zion with great celebration, placing it in a special tent. However, this created a curious spiritual division: the Ark resided in Jerusalem, while the ancient Tabernacle with its altar remained at Gibeon. Israel worshipped at two sites.

This division troubled David, who conceived a plan to build a permanent dwelling for the Ark – not a tent of fabric and skins but a magnificent structure of cedar and stone. Though God spoke through Nathan the prophet that David, as a man of war, was not to build this house, his son would have the honour to construct it.

Though he was prohibited from building the Temple, David still gathered abundant materials to make the implements of Temple worship – gold, silver, bronze, and timber – and organised the Levites and priests into divisions for service. Everything was prepared for his son Solomon to complete the divine architectural vision.

Solomon’s accession to the throne brought unprecedented peace and prosperity. In the fourth year of his reign – exactly 480 years after the Exodus from Egypt – construction began on Mount Moriah. For seven years, this magnificent structure rose, maintaining the Tabernacle’s design but doubling its dimensions.

The dedication coincided with the Feast of Tabernacles, connecting the permanent structure to its portable predecessor. Solomon assembled all Israel. The priests transported the ancient Tabernacle with all its sacred vessels from Gibeon to Jerusalem, while Levites carried the Ark from its temporary dwelling on Mount Zion.

As the Ark entered the Temple and the priests withdrew, the glory of God filled the house as a cloud, so overwhelming that the priests could not stand to minister. The Eternal’s words through Nathan had been fulfilled: the son of David had built a house for God’s presence.

The Message for Today’s Aliyah
As we mark Aliyah Day 2025, this ancient journey from Gilgal to Jerusalem teaches us profound lessons about God’s faithfulness to Israel. The first Aliyah—the initial ascent into the Promised Land under Joshua – began a pattern that continues today. At Sinai, God promised Moses: “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14) The Presence of the Lord even today is with the Jewish immigrants during their Aliyah journey back to Israel.

Just as ancient Israel faced challenges, setbacks, and even periods of exile from their inheritance in Eretz Israel, so too modern Israel has walked a difficult path. The establishment of the modern State of Israel and the continuing ingathering of Jewish people from the four corners of the earth mirrors that ancient journey – a people returning to their divine inheritance.

What stands out most powerfully in Israel’s long history is God’s unwavering commitment despite human failings. Throughout the Tabernacle’s journey, Israel often strayed from faithful worship. During the period of the Judges, “every man did what was right in his own eyes.” Even as the magnificent Temple was dedicated, shadows of future apostasy loomed.

Yet God remained faithful. This is grace – unmerited favour – displayed across millennia of Jewish history. The same grace that brought Israel across the Jordan continues to bring Jewish people home today.

The modern Aliyah is not merely a political phenomenon but the fulfilment of ancient promises: “I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.” (Ezekiel 36:24) When we support Aliyah today, we participate in this divine restoration program that began thousands of years ago.

God’s plan has not changed. The mistakes of ancient Israel – and even its modern shortcomings – have not altered His commitment to His people. From the portable Tabernacle to the glorious Temple to the modern return, the same faithful God orchestrates Israel’s journey.

As Christians who love Israel, we recognise in this narrative our calling to stand with the Jewish people as they complete their historic return to their Land and their God. Just as the Tabernacle’s journey culminated in the glory-filled Temple, we anticipate with hope the complete restoration of Israel foreseen by the Hebrew prophets. On this Aliyah Day, may we be reminded that we serve a God who keeps His promises across generations, whose grace transcends human failings, and whose plans for Israel remain as steadfast as they were when Joshua first crossed the Jordan. May we continue to support, pray for, and stand with Israel as they fulfil their divine calling.