It began as a simple question -- "Would it be possible to recreate the wilderness tabernacle which Moses and Israel built in the Sinai desert?" The answer --Yes! And the result? "Messiah's Mansion."

Under the direction of their teacher, Clayton Leinneweber, students from Oklahoma Academy in Harrah, Oklahoma studied the descriptions and dimensions given in the ancient books of Exodus and Leviticus, along with archaeological journals, and went to work. Since then, this portable temple has traveled worldwide. More than 100,000 people have toured this exhibit since its recreation.

According to the ancient Torah, the five books of Moses treasured today by both Jews and Christians, this was a unique innovation created by wandering nomads in the Sinai desert as their center for worship.While most other ancient peoples of the world built temples of stone in centralized cities, the ancient Israelites built a portable temple out of wood, precious stones and metals, and skins of animals. Rather than going to a central place of worship, they carried their worship center with them as they traveled.

Both Jews and Christians have studied this ancient portable temple for generations, trying to understand its rich symbolism, and exploring what these symbols may reveal about mankind's relationship with the divine. It was the pattern for Solomon's famous temple in Jerusalem, and, later on, for Herod's temple visited by Jesus of Nazareth. Many cathedrals and churches to this day are patterned after its design.

Some scholars have seen apocalyptic prophecies outlined in its dimensions and symbols. It is well-known among many Biblical sholars that the services of this wilderness tabernacle provided most of the mysterious symbols found in the Book of Revelation.

Now, this student-built replica is coming to Ventura. Current members of the sophomore class from Oklahoma Academy will be leading the tours, which each take about one hour and fifteen minutes to complete. Tour visitors may now not only read about this tabernacle, but see it first hand, and experience personally the meaning of this ancient relic first constructed nearly 3,500 years ago.

The Messiah's Mansion exhibit will begin on Saturday, November 10, 2007, and continue through Sunday, November 18, 2007. The guided tours will begin every fifteen minutes from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily through the exhibit.

Admission is free; however, advance reservations are strongly recommended, due to the expected crush of tour visitors. To reserve your place in a tour, call 805 642-5387, ext. 14. Busses and large groups are welcome. The location of the Messiah's Mansion exhibit will be the Ventura Seventh-day Adventist Church, 6300 Telephone Rd., Ventura, CA.