Yossi Ives: The structures in Jerusalem were temples, whereas Shiloh and the portable sanctuary the Israelites had during their sojourn in the desert were tabernacles. While the temples in Jerusalem are repeatedly referred to as a "house" the place of worship erected in Shiloh is described as a "tent." It turns out that the distinction is significant. A temple, like a house, is designed to be permanent, whereas a tabernacle, like a tent, is inherently intended to be temporary. A house would only be destroyed if something went terribly wrong. A tent, on the other hand, would be taken down when it is no longer needed. When a house is taken down it is a big deal; when a tent gets taken down it is nothing significant, because it was never meant to be permanent.
