Deuteronomy 12:8

"Ye shall not do after the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes; for ye are not yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which Jehovah thy God giveth thee. But when ye go over the Jordan, and dwell in the land which Jehovah your God causeth you to inherit, and giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety; then it shall come to pass that to the place which Jehovah your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, thither shall ye bring all that I command you: your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave-offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto Jehovah. And ye shall rejoice before Jehovah your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and the Levite that is within your gates, forasmuch as he hath no portion nor inheritance with you. Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt-offerings in every place that thou seest; but in the place which Jehovah shall choose in one of thy tribes, there shalt thou offer thy burnt-offerings, and there shalt thou do all that I command thee."

Deuteronomy 12:8-12 here are the second pronouncement of what some have called "The law of the one altar." There are three such pronouncements in this chapter:

(1) Deuteronomy 12:2-7

(2) Deuteronomy 12:8-12

(3) Deuteronomy 12:13-19

The law of the one altar, however, actually should be read as "one altar at a time," and not that any place, wheresoever, should be honored as "the ONLY altar." Shiloh and Shechem were just as legitimately "the place God chose," as Jerusalem was. In fact, God himself made the change to Jerusalem through His prophet David. "In patriarchal times, when a succession of altars was built in the course of the patriarchs' journeyings, there was apparently but one central family altar at any given time."[14] Thus, all Israel was familiar with what was meant by "the place which God would choose." From Exodus 20:24, we must conclude that "the place" always meant at "at any place," where God revealed His glorious nature by some special, supernatural theophany, "the place of God's symbolical dwelling place in the midst of His people."[15]