Read Time: 5 Minutes
Shalom beloved community! Torah portion, Terumah (תְּרוּמָה), spanning Exodus 25:1–27:19, contains some of the most detailed instructions in Scripture. But beneath these architectural details lies a breathtaking revelation of God's redemptive plan—centered entirely on Yeshua the Messiah. "And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them." (Exodus 25:8)
Understanding Terumah: The Heart Offering
God instructs Moses: "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart, you shall take My offering" (Exodus 25:1-2).
The key word is terumah (תְּרוּמָה)—from the root rum (רוּם), meaning to be lifted up. When we give to God, two elevations occur: we lift our contribution to a higher purpose, and we ourselves are elevated through giving.
Notice the Torah uses lakach (לָקַח)—"to take"—rather than "to give." Why? Because in heaven's economy, giving and receiving are inseparable. When we give to God, we are simultaneously taking hold of something far greater.
This finds beautiful expression in the Hebrew word for "give"—natan (נָתַן). In paleo-Hebrew, it appears as nun-tav-nun—a perfect palindrome (a word, phrase, or sequence that reads the same backwards as forwards, e.g. madam or radar). What goes out comes back. As Yeshua taught: "Give, and it will be given to you... pressed down, shaken together, and running over" (Luke 6:38).
The Pattern: Tabniyth (תַּבְנִית)
The most stunning revelation comes from Exodus 25:9: "According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle... just so you shall make it."
The Hebrew word for "pattern" is tabniyth (תַּבְנִית). In ancient paleo-Hebrew, the letter tav (ת) was inscribed as a cross (†). So we have a cross on the far right and a cross on the far left. Between these two crosses is beni (בְּנִי)—"my son."
The pattern is the Son. Between the two crosses stands the Son. From the beginning, God's pattern for the Mishkan pointed to Yeshua.
The Mishkan as a Mirror of Creation
The construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) parallels creation itself:
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Day 1: God stretches out the heavens like a curtain → Mishkan's curtains of goat's hair
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Day 2: God divides waters with a firmament → The veil divides Holy from Most Holy
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Day 3: God gathers waters revealing dry land → The bronze laver for washing
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Day 4: God creates lights in the firmament → The golden lampstand
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Day 5: God creates birds flying above → Cherubim with outstretched wings on the veil
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Day 6: God creates humanity to minister → Aaron appointed as High Priest
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Day 7: God finishes, blesses, sanctifies → Moses finishes, blesses the work
The Mishkan was a microcosm of creation—the meeting point between heaven and earth. And at its center stands Yeshua, the ultimate meeting place.
The Ark of the Covenant: Yeshua the Way, the Truth, and the Life
The Ark contained three items:
1. The Staff of Aaron that Budded — Symbol of the Good Shepherd who leads the way.
2. The Tablets of the Testimony — The Ten Commandments, representing divine truth.
3. The Golden Pot of Manna — The bread from heaven, sustaining life.
When Yeshua said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), He declared Himself the fulfillment of everything the Ark represented.
How the Temple Reveals the Gospel
The Mercy Seat: Hilasterion
Above the Ark was the Kapporet (כַּפֹּרֶת)—the mercy seat, where God met with Moses. The Septuagint renders this as hilasterion (ἱλαστήριον)—the place of propitiation. Paul uses this exact word: "Whom God set forth as a propitiation [hilasterion] by His blood" (Romans 3:25).
Paul identifies Yeshua as the true mercy seat. He is the place where God meets humanity. He is our covering. The blood sprinkled on Yom Kippur was but a shadow; the reality is the blood of Yeshua, shed once for all.
The Menorah: Yeshua the Light of the World
In Revelation, Yeshua stands "in the midst of the seven golden lampstands" (Revelation 1:13). He is the true Menorah, the source of light. He declared: "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). And to His followers: "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). We shine only because we are connected to Him.
The High Priest, Yeshua Our Eternal Intercessor
The earthly priests served in a copy of heavenly things, prevented by death from continuing. But Yeshua "because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him" (Hebrews 7:23-25).
The Veil: Torn from Top to Bottom
At Yeshua's death, "the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom" (Matthew 27:51). This veil, embroidered with cherubim, barred access to God's presence—just as cherubim guarded the way to the Tree of Life after Adam's sin (Genesis 3:24).
When Yeshua cried, "It is finished!" the way was opened. He became the new and living way through the veil, that is, His flesh (Hebrews 10:20).
Our Bodies: The Mishkan of the Ruach HaKodesh
"Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?" (1 Corinthians 6:19). Paul declares that believers have become the dwelling place of the Most High.
John 1:14: "The Word became flesh and dwelt [tabernacled] among us." The Greek skēnoō means "to pitch a tent." The glory that filled the Mishkan now dwells in Yeshua—and in us who are in Him.
Paul writes: "If our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (2 Corinthians 5:1).
Eden, Noah's Ark, the Mishkan, the Temple, our bodies—all point to this final reality: the Bridegroom preparing a home for His Bride, where they will dwell together forever.
Conclusion: The Pattern Revealed
The children of Israel brought a terumah—a lifted-up offering—willingly, from hearts moved by the Spirit. This giving transforms the giver. We are not losing; we are gaining. We are not diminishing; we are investing in eternity.
Yeshua is the ultimate Giver. He gave His life. Now He calls us to give—our resources, time, hearts, ourselves. And when we give, we discover we are taking hold of something far greater: a share in His kingdom, a participation in His purposes, a joy that cannot be diminished.
Every pattern that was given for the tabernacle points to the Messiah. The ark, the mercy seat, the menorah, the table, the incense altar, the priesthood, the veil, the outer court, the brazen altar, the laver—all proclaim Him.
He is the pattern. He is the Son between the crosses. He is the first and the last. And His great desire—the desire that animated the Mishkan, motivated His incarnation, sustained Him through the cross—is to dwell with us and in us.
May we respond with willing hearts. May we bring our terumah to the King. May we give, knowing that in giving we receive. And may we dwell in His presence, now and forever, through Yeshua HaMashiach, our Mercy Seat, our High Priest, our Bridegroom, our All.
From our house to your house,
Shalom.
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