The tabernacle was considered to be the place where God’s presence dwelled among the Israelites, where the divine and earthly realms met, so to speak. “The purpose for the desert tabernacle was clear from the beginning (25:8). It was not like our churches, stadiums, or arenas, where large groups gather for various purposes. It was God’s way of living in the midst of his people” Arnold and Beyer 81). The tabernacle’s design physically represented a gradual increase in gradations of holiness, so to speak. From the outer courtyard (which was meant to create a barrier from the irreverent realm) to the Holy of Holies (only entered once a year on Yom Kippur by the High Priest). “This large tent, however, would now be God’s dwelling place.