Zechariah foresaw a future time when all of the nations would worship the one true God. The praise of the Lord would be so widespread that even horses would have “HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD” inscribed on the bells on their harnesses. These are the same words embroidered on the hat worn by the high priest of Israel (Exod 28:36).
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (HOLINESS AND HORSES)
The Tabernacle must have been a great mystery for people. Even priests did not know everything about this holy tent. A place where only one man, once a year, entered; where God’s powerful presence was visible; where the high priest brought blood and incense to do a ritual of atonement for the sins of the all the people; the Tabernacle was a place of wonder.
Continue reading THE MOST HOLY PLACE
Flocks of goats were part of everyday life throughout Bible times. Hardier than sheep, goats provided milk, cheese, water skins, meat, and hair from which rough fabric was made for tents and other durable items. When God gave Moses the detailed instructions for creating the tabernacle that would be God’s tent in the wilderness, he specified an outer layer of goat hair that protected the fine linen covering the inner space called the Holy of Holies, where God’s presence would be evident (Exod 2:6). The goat was
Incense is a combination of aromatic spices, herbs, and oils that yields its strongest fragrance when warmed or burned. The incense used in the temple was made of stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense; any combination other than this was not to be used for worship, and this combination was not to be used for any other purpose. When the high priest entered the Holy of Holies, he put a handful of incense on the hot coals
The tabernacle was a religious structure built during the exodus when God’s people lived in tents. The Hebrew word mishkan, translated “tabernacle,” literally means “residence” or “dwelling place.” It is related to the word for God’s glorious presence, shekinah. Thus, the very word tabernacle connotes God’s indwelling presence among his people.