Messiah’s Mansion

A full-scale model of the sanctuary built in the wilderness by Moses and the children of Israel more than 3,000 years ago will be on display and available for tours at Warner Park for the next eight days, local sponsors said.

The Messiah’s Mansion tour is sponsored by a nonprofit group of the same name based in Harrah, Okla. To date, it has been displayed in more than 40 locations and has hosted more than 100,000 people.

“This helps (people) to visualize what the building was like,” said Joel Stapleton, a member of St. Elmo Seventh-day Adventist Church and an organizer for the local group of churches, businesses and individuals funding its appearance. “It helps it come alive in their minds.”

While he said the Messiah’s Mansion nonprofit group is backed by Seventh-day Adventists, he said it is open to everyone.

“We want to see people come and experience and learn a bit of (biblical) history,” Mr. Stapleton said. “It encourages people in their personal walk,” may encourage them to read the Bible more and could “strengthen their faith.”

He said it could be a growth experience for both those strong in their faith and those who have only heard a little and want to learn more.

The display is known as the Messiah’s Mansion, Mr. Stapleton said, because various services used by Moses and the children of Israel were symbolic of a coming messiah.

The model was built less than 10 years ago for a small church in California that was studying the Old Testament sanctuary and later acquired by the Oklahoma organization.