Tent of Meeting

The place where Moses met God face to face — before the Tabernacle was built

lightbulbWhere Moses went to talk to God face-to-face — the original 1-on-1 meeting room

Definition

Before the elaborate Tabernacle was constructed, Moses set up a tent outside the camp where he would go to meet with God (Exodus 33:7-11). The cloud of God's presence would descend on it, and God spoke to Moses 'face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.' Later, the term became associated with the Tabernacle itself. It embodies the amazing reality that God wanted a place to meet with His people — He initiated the connection.

Used In30 mentions across 8 books

1 kings

Bringing the Ark Home

1 Kings 8:1-5

1 samuel

A Warning That Went Nowhere

1 Samuel 2:22-26

The Tent of Meeting is invoked here as the sacred space being desecrated — the very entrance to the place of God's presence is where Eli's sons were exploiting the women who served there.

2 chronicles

A King Who Started on His Knees

2 Chronicles 1:1-6

The Tent of Meeting is identified here as the specific reason Solomon chose Gibeon — the original portable sanctuary Moses built is still the location of Israel's most sacred altar.

deuteronomy

God Tells the Truth No One Wants to Hear

Deuteronomy 31:14-18

The Tent of Meeting is the setting for the most solemn moment of the chapter — God appears here in the pillar of cloud to deliver his unflinching prophecy of Israel's future failure and to formally install Joshua.

exodus

Face to Face, Like a Friend

Exodus 33:7-11

The Tent of Meeting is Moses' pre-Tabernacle practice space for encountering God — a simple tent pitched outside the camp where the pillar of cloud would descend, making it the site of the face-to-face friendship the text celebrates.

The Mirrors That Became Something Sacred

Exodus 38:8

The Tent of Meeting is named here as the entrance where devoted women regularly served — establishing that these were not casual donors but committed members of the worshiping community who gave their most personal possessions.

The Final Walkthrough

Exodus 39:32-43

The Tent of Meeting is named here as the completed structure being inventoried — every component from the largest structural piece to the smallest utensil is presented to Moses, signaling the sanctuary is ready for God to inhabit.