In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel.  In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.
Psalms 76:1-2
The best picture of God’s residence is the Tabernacle.  By understanding the design, the layout, the arrangement of items, the furniture, the colours as well as other minute details of God’s residence, you will understand how to navigate in the presence of God.  Let us now have a quick overview of what the Tabernacle looked like and what it reveals to us about the presence of God.  Remember, the Tabernacle is the residence that God built for Himself.

1. The Tabernacle (God’s residence) consisted of a compound created by a fence.  The Tabernacle compound had within it a smaller tent.  

2. The Tabernacle compound (God’s residence) measured roughly 23 metres by 46 metres.  The Tabernacle was a movable open-air courtyard created by a white linen fabric wall measuring twenty-three metres (50 cubits/75 feet) by forty-six metres (100 cubits/150 feet).  The long side had twenty pillars and the short side had ten pillars.  
And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of AN HUNDRED CUBITS LONG FOR ONE SIDE: And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten. And the BREADTH OF THE COURT ON THE EAST SIDE EASTWARD SHALL BE FIFTY CUBITS.
Exodus 27:9-13”

3. The Tabernacle compound (God’s residence) had a fence around it.  The fence was made of pillars and white linen curtains.  
And THOU SHALT MAKE THE COURT OF THE TABERNACLE: for the south side southward there shall be HANGINGS for the court OF FINE TWINED LINEN of an hundred cubits long for one side: And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: THEIR PILLARS TEN, and their sockets ten. And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.
Exodus 27:9-13
4. The Tabernacle compound (God’s residence) had a nine-metre gate, composed of colourful linen, which opened into the large courtyard. This gate was more like a curtain on five pillars than a modern gate that swings on hinges. 
The gate of the courtyard is to have a thirty-foot screen embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It is to have four posts including their four bases.
Exodus 27:16 (HCSB)
5. Ordinary Israelites were allowed to come to the gate of (God’s residence) the open-air courtyard and present sacrifices. 
“And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the Tabernacle of the congregation, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: HE SHALL OFFER IT OF HIS OWN VOLUNTARY WILL AT THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE of the congregation before the Lord.
Leviticus 1:1-3”

6. Once inside the Tabernacle compound (the compound of God’s residence), you would see an altar (for sacrifices), the laver (a wash-hand basin for hands and feet), and a small tent containing holier places. 
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make A BRONZE BASIN, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it BETWEEN THE TENT OF MEETING AND THE ALTAR, and put water in it. Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it. Whenever they enter THE TENT OF MEETING, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made to the Lord by fire, they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”
Exodus 30:17-21 (NIV)

7. The Tabernacle (God’s residence) had a small tent within it that measured 4.8 metres by 14 metres. These measurements are deduced by calculating the size of panels in the Tabernacle.
Make The Dwelling itself from ten panels of tapestry woven from fine twisted linen, blue and purple and scarlet material, with an angel-cherubim design. A “skilled craftsman should do it.  The panels of tapestry are each to be forty-six feet long and six feet wide.
Exodus 26:1-2 (MSG)”

8. The Tabernacle (God’s residence) had a small tent within it that had two rooms.  The first room was called the Holy Place and the second room was called the Holy of Holies.
Hang the veil under the clasps and bring the ark of the testimony there behind the veil, so the veil will make a separation for you between the holy place and the most holy place.
Exodus 26:33 (HCSB)
9. The Tabernacle (God’s residence) had a small tent within it and the door to this small tent was made up of five pillars.
YOU SHALL MAKE A SCREEN FOR THE DOORWAY OF THE TENT of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver.  You shall make five pillars of acacia for the screen and overlay them with gold, their hooks also being of gold; and you shall cast five sockets of bronze for them.
Exodus 26:36-37 (NASB)

10. The Holy Place was one of the small rooms within the small tent in God’s residence.  It measured 4.8 metres by 9.1 metres. This measurement is deduced by calculating the size of the panels given in the book of Exodus.

11. Ordinary priests were allowed to enter the first chamber (of God’s residence) which was a covered tent called the Holy Place.    
In the Tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the Lord: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.
Exodus 27:21”

12. Once inside the Holy Place, you would see the Table of Shewbread, the Altar of Incense and the Candlestick. Priests who entered the Holy Place had three items to deal with: the lamp, the incense and the table of holy bread.  They could burn the lamp, they could offer incense and they could eat the holy bread.  
Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Put the atonement cover on the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place.  Place THE TABLE outside the curtain on the north side of the Tabernacle and put THE LAMPSTAND opposite it on the south side.”

Exodus 26:33-35 (NIV-MIT)
You are to make an ALTAR FOR THE BURNING OF INCENSE; make it of acacia wood. It must be square, 18 inches long and 18 inches wide; it must be 36 inches high. Its horns must be of one piece.  Overlay its top, all around its sides, and its horns with pure gold; make a gold molding all around it. Make two gold rings for it under the molding on two of its sides; put these on opposite sides of it to be holders for the poles to carry it with.  Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
You are to place the altar in front of the veil by the ark of the testimony — in front of the mercy seat that is over the testimony — where I will meet with you.
Aaron MUST BURN FRAGRANT INCENSE ON IT; he must burn it every morning when he tends the lamps.  When Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he must burn incense. There is to be an incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations.
Exodus 30:1-8 (HCSB)

13. There was a veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place in God’s residence. 
And THOU SHALT MAKE A VAIL OF BLUE, AND PURPLE, AND SCARLET, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.
And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: AND THE VAIL SHALL DIVIDE UNTO YOU BETWEEN THE HOLY PLACE AND THE MOST HOLY.
Exodus 26:31-33

14. Inside the Holy of Holies of God’s residence, there was a special piece of furniture called the Ark of the Covenant.  
YOU SHALL MAKE POLES OF ACACIA WOOD AND OVERLAY THEM WITH GOLD.  You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them.  The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it.
Exodus 25:13-15 (NASB)

15. In God’s residence, only the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies once a year. 
Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. BUT INTO THE SECOND”

WENT THE HIGH PRIEST ALONE ONCE EVERY YEAR, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
Hebrews 9:6-7