Mishkan

Christ is the Mishkan. The Mishkan that lit the Holy of Holies dwells in us now by revelation of Christ in us.

There was a difference between the temple of God which was the structure itself and the temple of God which was the dwelling place. When Jesus was accusing the Jewish authorities He said, “You have made My Fathers house into a den of thieves,” and by saying “My Father” they knew He was claiming Messianic authority over the temple, and so they said, ” what sign do you show us seeing that you do these things?” and notice what He said:

John 2:19-21 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

They were looking at the physical structure (Heb. Mikdash) of the temple but He said, “Destroy this temple” He used the word in Hebrew ‘Mishkan‘ which was the word used in the Old Testament of the Presence that lit the holy of holies on Yom Kippur in the tabernacle or temple. Jesus said I am the temple (Mishkan) of God. When the glory (Heb. Sh’chinah) would come down like a tornado or funnel right through the roof of the holy of holies and the Presence would manifest on the mercy seat between the cherubim after the blood was sprinkled, that was the mishkan. That Presence was what Jesus said dwelt within Him. And in fact Paul said about the church, “Know ye not that you are the temple (Mishkan) of God?” We, as the body of Christ, have the same Presence dwelling within us. God doesn’t dwell in buildings now but within His people. Rmans 10 says that If you confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Yaweh and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. It’s that easy. At that point you become the Mishkan of God. When God said, “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them,” He literally said ‘in’ them. God’s ultimate goal has always been to dwell within His people (Jer. 31:31-33) and to put His Spirit within us. When you accept Jesus you become the Mishkan of God.¹