Sacred space

Genesis 28:10–22 “Then Jacob went out from Beersheba and went to Haran. And he arrived at a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head and slept at that place. And he dreamed, and behold, a stairway was set on the earth, and its top touched the heavens. And behold, angels of God were going up and going down on it. And behold, Yahweh was standing beside him, and he said, “I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The ground on which you were sleeping I will give to you and to your descendants. Your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west, and to the east, and to the north and to the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and through your descendants. Now behold, I am with you, and I will keep you wherever you go. And I will bring you to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised to yo…”

Lexham Theological Wordbook Sacred Space

The concept of sacred space refers to any space or area that has been dedicated to God or set apart as a special place for the presence of God or for worship.

Concept Summary

The geographical forms of sacred space presented in the Bible vary significantly in their character and scale, ranging in scope from the cosmos (e.g., the heavens and the earth) to the various locally constructed places of worship (e.g., the temple, the tabernacle, shrines, temples) and even to a person’s body.

The OT concept of sacred space is often expressed with the root קָדַשׁ (qādaš, “to be holy”). The מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdāš, “sanctuary”) is usually used for the entire sacred area of the sanctuary and its precincts, both for the tabernacle and the temple (Exod 25:8; Lev 16:33; 21:12, 23; Num 19:20; 1 Chr 22:19; 2 Chr 20:8; 26:17; Pss 73:17; 74:7; Ezek 21:7; 37:28; 45:4; 48:10, 21; Dan 8:11; Amos 7:13). Different parts within the sanctuary are indicated by the noun קֹדֶשׁ (qōdeš, “holiness”), with the innermost area of the interior space called קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁ֔ים (qōdeš haqqŏdāšîm, “the most holy place” or “the Holy of Holies”; 1 Kgs 8:6; 2 Chr 5:7) and the less sacred zone of the shrine simply called הַקֹּדֶשׁ (haqqōdeš, “the holy place”). The innermost sacred area of the temple or tabernacle is also known as the דְּבִיר (dĕbîr, “inner sanctuary”; 1 Kgs 6:5; 8:6; 2 Chr 5:7; Psa 28:2).

Jacob and Bethel - Bethel, a place not yet associated with divine appearances. Cosmic geography: certain places are associated with divine appearances

Sacred space in the Old Testament - Bethel became a place to pray for generations

Sacred space in the New Testament

Creating sacred space today - worship, indwelling of the Spirit, the world tries to create different things that are sacred