In biblical times, the concept of a meeting-place held significant importance as it was often the designated location for communal worship, instruction, and fellowship among the people of God. These meeting-places varied in form and function throughout the biblical narrative, reflecting the evolving relationship between God and His people.

Old Testament Meeting-places

1. The Tabernacle: The Tabernacle, also known as the Tent of Meeting, was the primary meeting-place for the Israelites during their wilderness journey. It was a portable sanctuary where God’s presence dwelled among His people. Exodus 25:8-9 states, "And they are to make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them. You must make it according to all that I show you—the pattern of the tabernacle as well as the pattern of all its furnishings."

2. The Temple: Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem became the central meeting-place for worship and sacrifice after the Israelites settled in the Promised Land. It was a permanent structure that replaced the Tabernacle. In 1 Kings 8:10-11 , we read, "And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD."

3. Synagogues: During the Babylonian exile and the subsequent diaspora, synagogues emerged as local meeting-places for Jewish communities. These were centers for prayer, reading of the Scriptures, and teaching. Although not explicitly mentioned in the Old Testament, synagogues became integral to Jewish religious life by the time of the New Testament.

New Testament Meeting-places

1. The Upper Room: The Upper Room in Jerusalem served as a significant meeting-place for Jesus and His disciples. It was here that the Last Supper took place, as described in Luke 22:12-13 : "And he will show you a large upper room, already furnished. Make preparations there. So they went and found it just as Jesus had told them. And they prepared the Passover."

2. House Churches: In the early Christian church, believers often met in private homes for worship, teaching, and fellowship. This practice is evident in passages such as Romans 16:5 , where Paul writes, "Greet also the church that meets at their house."

3. Public Spaces: The apostles and early Christians also utilized public spaces for preaching and teaching. Acts 17:17 notes, "So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day."

Symbolism and Significance

Meeting-places in the Bible symbolize the communal aspect of faith and the importance of gathering for worship and instruction. They serve as reminders of God's desire to dwell among His people and the necessity of fellowship in the life of believers. Hebrews 10:24-25 emphasizes this communal aspect: "And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Throughout Scripture, meeting-places are not merely physical locations but are imbued with spiritual significance, representing the presence of God and the unity of His people.1327. diexodos -- to consider, reflect
... Noun, Feminine Transliteration: diexodos Phonetic Spelling: (dee-ex'-od-os) Short
Definition: a public spot in a city Definition: a meeting-place of roads, a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1327.htm - 6k

4892. sunedrion -- a sitting together, hence a council, spec. the ...
... Phonetic Spelling: (soon-ed'-ree-on) Short Definition: a council, the Sanhedrin
Definition: a council, tribunal; the Sanhedrin, the meeting place of the ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4892.htm - 8k

3831. paneguris -- a festal assembly
... 3831 (from 3956 , "all" and 58 , "the public square, meeting place") -- properly,
an assembly-place where people met for a common purpose, especially to ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3831.htm - 7k

4150. moed -- appointed time, place, or meeting
... place, or meeting NASB Word Usage appointed (3), appointed feast (3), appointed
feasts (11), appointed festival (2), appointed meeting place (1), appointed ...
/hebrew/4150.htm - 7k

The Worship of the Synagogue
... That such a "synagogue" existed, and that its meeting-place was in "the hall of
hewn stones," at the south-eastern angle of the court of the priest, cannot be ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 17 the worship of.htm

Mission Work in Chicago
... In consideration of the facts that we paid our [USD]40 a month for rent on our home
and meeting-place, and that we enjoyed but limited privileges in holding ...
/.../cole/trials and triumphs of faith/chapter xix mission work in.htm

His Future Work
... He comes to call His Saints to meet Him. The meeting-place is not the Mount of Olives,
Jerusalem or any earthly place; the meeting-place will be in the air. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gaebelein/the work of christ/iii his future work.htm

The Older Boys' Conference or Congress
... 1. Publicity, Delegate and Registration. 2. Meeting Place and Decoration. ... 2. Meeting
Place and Decoration Committee: The duties of this committee are obvious. ...
/.../alexander/the boy and the sunday school/xiii the older boys conference.htm

The Burial and Assumption of the Blessed virgin
... Five of them lived in her own house, which was a regular meeting-place for the
disciples. [199] The Christians still owned the church at the Pool of Bethsaida. ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xix the burial and assumption.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... By its position it formed a kind of meeting-place where most of the military nations
of the ancient world were bound sooner or later to come violently into ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

Christ is to be Loved
... As all the rivers are gathered into the ocean, which is the meeting-place of all
the waters in the world, so Christ is that ocean in which all true delights ...
/.../flavel/christ altogether lovely/christ is to be loved.htm

Introduction
... wealth for the generations of the past. Palestine, moreover, was the
meeting-place of Asia and Africa. Not only was the way open ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/introduction.htm

Paul's Journeys Acts 13:1-38:31
... All the roads in Asia Minor centered in Ephesus and from its position it was almost
as much a meeting place of eastern and western thought as Alexandria. ...
/.../sell/bible studies in the life of paul/ii pauls journeys acts 13 1-38 31.htm

In Judaea
... by this memorial of Jacob's sorrow and shame had been the sad meeting-place of the
captives when about to be carried into Babylon (Jeremiah 40:1). There was ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 5 in judaea.htm

Meeting-place (10 Occurrences)
Meeting-place. Meeting, Meeting-place. Meeting-places . Multi-Version
Concordance Meeting-place (10 Occurrences). Genesis ...
/m/meeting-place.htm - 9k

Minor (2 Occurrences)
... Asia Minor in its geographical structure as well as in its population, has been
throughout history the meeting-place, whether for peaceful intermixture or for ...
/m/minor.htm - 62k

Asia (22 Occurrences)
... Asia Minor in its geographical structure as well as in its population, has been
throughout history the meeting-place, whether for peaceful intermixture or for ...
/a/asia.htm - 71k

Utmost (21 Occurrences)
... said in your heart, I will go up to heaven, I will make my seat higher than the
stars of God; I will take my place on the mountain of the meeting-place of the ...
/u/utmost.htm - 13k

Overrun (4 Occurrences)
... will come up in her fair houses, and waste plants in her strong towers: and foxes
will make their holes there, and it will be a meeting-place for ostriches. ...
/o/overrun.htm - 8k

Foxes (9 Occurrences)
... will come up in her fair houses, and waste plants in her strong towers: and foxes
will make their holes there, and it will be a meeting-place for ostriches. ...
/f/foxes.htm - 9k

Townsmen (18 Occurrences)
... (WEY). Genesis 34:20 Then Hamor and Shechem, his son, went to the meeting-place
of their town, and said to the men of the town, (See NIV). ...
/t/townsmen.htm - 12k

Enthroned (25 Occurrences)
... said in your heart, I will go up to heaven, I will make my seat higher than the
stars of God; I will take my place on the mountain of the meeting-place of the ...
/e/enthroned.htm - 13k

Debir (12 Occurrences)
... It was unquestionably a site of importance in ancient times as the meeting-place
of several roads; it is in the Negeb (compare Judges 1:15), in the ...
/d/debir.htm - 16k

Mart (2 Occurrences)
... It occurs only in Isaiah 23:3 (see MERCHANDISE). (3) Agora, from root meaning "to
collect," means a "town meeting-place," "resort of the people," so a place ...
/m/mart.htm - 11k

What was the tent of meeting? | GotQuestions.org

Why did Solomon worship at a high place? | GotQuestions.org

Are many practices and traditions in Christianity actually pagan in origin? | GotQuestions.org

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