Bible Studies

PERMANENT TENTS

by Jeff Van Hatten
10/09/23
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Preparing a Place – Older Covenant
Exodus 23:20 – “I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you and bring you to the place I have prepared.”
1 Chronicles 15:1-12 – “David assembled all Israel in Yerushalayim to bring the ark of Yahweh up to its place, which he had prepared for it . . . and said to the Levite clan leaders ‘Consecrate yourselves, both you and your kinsmen, to bring the ark of Yahweh the God of Israel up to the place I have prepared for it’.”
2 Chronicles 1:4 – “David had set up a tent for the Ark of Yahweh in Yerushalayim.”

In the Older Covenant a place generally denotes a geographical location, but can also refer to the specific building (tent) in which a person or an item is to dwell. This place is supposed to be a permanent dwelling residence for the person or item, but often ends up being temporary. Exodus 23 is speaking of the land of Israel which Yahweh had prepared for the former Egyptian Hebrew slaves to be their permanent dwelling place. History thus far has shown this place to be mostly temporary, but in the future this land will become the permanent residence place of the Jews. Likewise for the Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting. Today David’s tent is not available, but Yahweh proclaims that he will re-establish it (Acts 15:16-18).

Preparing a Place – Newer Covenant
John 14:2 – “In my Father’s house are many places to live. If there weren’t, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you.”
1 John 3:2 – “We do know that when Yeshua appears, we will be like him; because we will see him as he really is.”
Yeshua states that there are many places in his father’s house in which to live. In Greek, this is the word mone [μονή G3438] which means an abode, dwelling place, mansion, or house. This place is meant to be a permanent residence, not so much a movable tent. Mone comes from the root word, meno [μένω G3306], which means to remain or exist permanently. However, the second use of place in this verse is an entirely different Greek word, topos [τόπος G5117], which denotes a room, or a living quarters. These quarters can be small, or very extensive.

Is Yeshua only preparing a home, a physical dwelling for his bride? Certainly so. He is preparing a dwelling in which the bride will eat, sleep, bathe, entertain guests, and live in forever. However, this verse hints at so much more. Yeshua is also preparing for his bride a spiritual body that is immortal and incorruptible (1 Corinthians 15:52-54). This body will be a spiritual body that is like his own resurrected, immortal, spiritual body (1 John 3:2)! How amazing is that?

Conclusions
Yeshua states that he is preparing a place for his bride to live. This place is both the physical home, i.e. a house, mansion, or other building in which the bride will dwell, eat meals, bathe, sleep, and entertain guests, but is also the spiritual body into which the soul will dwell for all eternity.

Final Thought for 2023
The stage for Yeshua’s return is being set. Prophecy continues to unfold in an escalating pattern as foretold by the Hebrew prophets. The season of the birth pains is here – they are burgeoning and not going away. Time is short – Yeshua Ha’Mashiach is coming soon – be sure you have salvation in Yeshua and keep busy reaching the lost.