What is a tabernacle?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, the Tabernacle—primarily known in the Old Testament as the Tabernacle of Witness or the Tabernacle of Testimony—is far more than a historical portable tent; it is a profound "type" or "prototype" of Christ and the Church.

The word used in Coptic for Tabernacle is from the Greek *skene, meaning a tent or dwelling place.

1. The Old Testament Reality

The original Tabernacle was constructed by Moses according to the divine pattern shown to him on Mount Sinai. It was the center of Israel’s worship in the wilderness, consisting of the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. As recorded in the Orthodox Study Bible, when the work was finished, a cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord filled it (Exodus 40). This presence was so intense that even Moses could not enter while the cloud overshadowed it.

2. Christ as the "True Tabernacle"

The most significant theological meaning is that the Tabernacle was a prophecy of the Incarnation.

• The Inhabited Body: St. John the Evangelist says the Word became flesh and "tabernacled" (dwelt) among us (John 1:14).
• Dividing the Nature: As St. Gregory of Nyssa states, the Tabernacle "encompasses the universe" and refers to Christ, who is the power and wisdom of God.
• Uncreated and Created: Orthodox spirituality explains that Christ is a "single tabernacle uncreated and created" in His quality as a unique Divine-human Person. The "tabernacle from above" (His Divinity) put on the "tabernacle below" (His humanity) to re-establish and consolidate it.

3. The Virgin Mary as the Tabernacle

In our Coptic hymns and Theotokias (specifically the Sunday Theotokia), we call the Virgin Mary "The True Tabernacle."

• Just as the Tabernacle in the wilderness housed the "Testimony" (the Law) and was overshadowed by the Cloud of Glory, the Virgin Mary's womb housed the Word of God and was overshadowed by the power of the Most High (Holy Spirit).
• She is the Mother of God who contained the Uncontainable.

4. The Flesh of Christ on the Cross

The New Testament, specifically in the Epistle to the Hebrews, refers to the flesh of Christ as the "greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands" (Hebrews 9:11). St. John Chrysostom interprets this to mean that the flesh of Christ is the ultimate place where God the Word and all the power of the Spirit dwell.

5. Summary in Coptic Worship

In our liturgical life, the Altar and the Sanctuary represent this Tabernacle. We believe that:

• The Tabernacle above (Heaven) and the Tabernacle below (the Church on earth) are conformed to one another.
• When we participate in the Divine Liturgy, we enter that "light" where the work begun at creation is perfected.

In short, a Tabernacle is a Dwelling Place for God. Whether it was the tent of Moses, the body of Christ, the womb of the Virgin Mary, or the consecrated Church, it is the place where the Uncreated God meets His created people.