The Amazing Gift of a Lifetime
If you follow the teaching ministry of Terry Harman, aka The Tabernacle Man, you know in April of 2022, Terry was gifted a biblically sized Tabernacle of Moses. The courtyard is surrounded by 60 wooden pillars, brass sockets weighing approximately 45 pounds, and silver capitals. The white linen fence measures 150 feet by 75 feet. The Tabernacle or "Mishkan" in Hebrew, measures 45 feet long by 15 feet wide. Each wall section of the Tabernacle measures 15 feet tall by 27 inches wide. Each wall section weighs approximately 198 pounds and is secured firmly to an 8-inch silver socket weighing 95 to 98 pounds.
Originally, this labor of love was the ministry of Howard Vanderpool for nearly thirty years. You can read that story in my blog at Tabernacle Man's 22-year-old prayer was answered! Habakkuk 2:2-3 by Dr. Terry Harman (thetabernacleman.com)
Sitting Idle During Covid Pandemic
You just cannot make this stuff up! After I reluctantly gave up my former, scaled-down, indoor Tabernacle of Moses display I was heartbroken and sad. But I did what my heart believed was the right thing to do. And then it happened.
A guy named Ron First of New Braunfels, Texas who works with CMJ USA, knew of a ministry called AIDS, Orphans, and Street Kids in Merritt Island, Florida. A man named Howard Vanderpool, age 95, from Missouri, traveled the country teaching on the Tabernacle. Howard was one of the primary people behind the vision to build an outdoor full-scale “Old Testament Tabernacle of Moses.”
As I was told by Howard, the original board members were "up in age" and no one was available to continue the ministry he and his wife Barbara began thirty-some years before. The Tabernacle was looking for a new steward and a new home!
For two years they reached out to several large ministries in the country. People either did not understand the value of the Tabernacle or did not want "the burden of caring for such a project." That's when Ron First contacted me by email.
Lord, What Just Happened?
What just happened? Twenty-two years later my prayer was answered. I contacted Howard and arranged to meet him at Fort Victory Baptist Church in Crowley, Texas on April 4, 2022. The Old Testament Tabernacle of Moses was parked in a field during the entire pandemic. The grounds where the semitrailer was parked needed to be cleared within two weeks.
First Inspection
By the first of May 2022, the Tabernacle was relocated to Indiana. In June of 2022, the Tabernacle was unloaded and partially set up inside an auditorium to inspect the walls, sockets, and coverings. The main structure was sound as the day it was built. It needed a little tender loving care. Three of the four outer coverings were worn and needed to be replaced. The furniture, including the Ark of the Covenant, was in good shape.
Repairs and Upgrades Began
The Tabernacle and trailer sat in a field again for the remainder of 2022. In early 2023 the calls started coming in about bringing the Tabernacle display to different locations. When people heard of the massive size and the number of volunteers it would take to safely erect the Tabernacle, disappointment set in. Most of the inquiries did not have adequate indoor space, outside properties were unsuitable, or they did not have enough volunteers to set up the full display. But then the right call came in!
The Phone Call from Tennessee
Senator Mark Pody of Tennessee believed in his heart that the "Lord instructed him to bring the Tabernacle of Moses to Lebanon, Tennessee." Starting in January 2023, with that vision, the planning committee searched without success, for a Tabernacle to rent.
There was some discussion on building a full-size Tabernacle but the time constraints and a place to build it off-site were not realistic. The vision was to bring a life-size Tabernacle of Moses to the Wilson County Expo Center in Lebanon, Tennessee.
The vision was two-fold. First, promote the King Is Coming at a booth during the state fair. Second, erect the Tabernacle inside the Wison County Expo Center which featured 75,000 square feet of indoor exhibition space.
In March of 2023, I received a call from "Geni" in Lebanon, Tennessee. She was the lead on a group promoting an event called, "The King Is Coming." Naturally, I asked, "What does the king is coming plan to do?" The answer surprised me. "Bring the Tabernacle of Moses to Lebanon, Tennessee." "Right now that is all we know to do. We are waiting on the next step once we secure a Tabernacle."
Promotion at the State Fair
The "King Is Coming" planning committee was fired up and ready to make this happen. Phase one was the promotion of the Tabernacle of Moses display at the state fair, August 17 to 26, 2023. Sponsors provided a 10-foot by 8-foot booth to set up the miniature Tabernacle display, animals, and the High Priest garments.
From 9:00 am to 9:00 pm each night of the fair, alternating volunteers served as hosts at the booth. The volunteers passed out event cards with the link to sign up online for the free tour of the Tabernacle scheduled for September 30th through October 1st, 2023. Our goal was to provide free tours for 800 guests.
After the first day of the fair was complete, I received a call at about 9:30 pm. I was told, "You won a ribbon at the fair." "What do you mean I won a ribbon and for what? I did not know there was a contest. I did not enter anything." "Well, Your exhibit at the booth won second place."
The decision was made for the Tabernacle of Moses to be transported from Indiana to Lebanon, Tennessee. A business owner was kind enough to loan out his docking bay for the semitrailer and enough warehouse space to clean, repair, and practice setting up the foundation sockets and the gold walls.
Clean, Repair, and Rehearsal
This rehearsal would allow us to train volunteers to safely erect the Tabernacle. But first, we had to clean and repair. A team of volunteers from Halfway House and Recovery Homes in Lebanon, Tennessee provided the heavy lifting and unloading of the semitrailer. We had teams of volunteers from a local Baptist church and LDS church come to the warehouse every Saturday from 6:30 am to 9:30 am for five weeks.
Move to the Wilson County Expo Center
Our set-up time at the Expo Center was limited. We could not get into the convention center until another event was over. We were ready to be outside the center's loading dock at 11:00 pm on Thursday and we were prepared to start work at midnight and push through the night and be ready to open at 7:00 am.
When it was determined we might need up to eighty volunteers to set up the Tabernacle within the seven-hour window. I had my doubts. "Lord, how in the world are we going to do this?" Well, we got into the convention center six hours earlier than expected. Nearly one hundred volunteers showed up! We had two forklifts, one scissor lift, and a sod roller with expert operators ready to go.
6,000 Not 800 Toured the Tabernacle
The energy was exciting. Anticipation was high. We had to extend our tour times to the evening. People came out of the woodwork. Most never registered online. We met with four hundred and fifty homeschoolers. Four churches sponsored services onsite on Sunday. By the end of the event, nearly 6,000 people toured the Tabernacle. Oh, ye of little faith! We only believed 800 would show up.
A picture is like a thousand words. So I offer these as a testimony to the faith and hard work of the people of Lebanon, Tennessee.
Thank You, Thank You.
I offer my sincere gratitude for all who "pitched in."None of this would have been possible without the 100-plus volunteers and the vision and leadership of Senator Mark Pody, Geni Batchelor, and Pastor Rick Burns. Without the consistent efforts of Rolinda Stotts, we would not have enlisted the one hundred volunteers who registered to help.
The Tennessee State Senate made a Proclamation on September 22, 2023, to recognize the hard work of the following volunteers who played a leading role in the King is Coming.
Senator Mark Pody, Geni Batchelor, Nilsa Alvarez, Adam Beaty, Tony Bradshaw, Scott Brown, Leonard Diebold, Cindy Drucker, Cassandra Durtschi, Pierce Dodson, Destiney Erickson, Brittany Garghan, Betty Gibbs, Jerry Gibbs, Ben Graham, Jody Hall, Leland Hall, Rob Joines, Paula Lautzenheiser, Jeff Mayfield, Brianna Mitchell, Carolyn Moore, Crystal Ray, Demytris Savage-Short, Kayla Garretson-Sanders, Brooke Seabright, Justin Stalker, Rolinda Stotts, Beverly Sellers, Nathan Thomas, Daniel Turklay, Travis Watkins, Ronda Wehby, Ed Kelly, Lulu Elam, Elizabeth Woods, Nick Henry, and Perry and Donna Delk.
Interested in the Tabernacle Coming Your Way?
If you are interested in the Tabernacle coming to your town or city contact Terry by email: terryharman@thetabernacleman.com or by phone: 1-219-448-2673. The Tabernacle needs some repairs. The group in Lebanon, Tennessee donated the new outer covering pictured in the photos. The red covering and the brown covering need to be replaced. The new inner covering with the cherubim is being assembled now. If you would like to help please contact me.
Beautiful
This is awesome ! What a blessing