SHEKINAH: God’s Glory * The Visible Presence of God

SHEKINAH: God’s Glory * The Visible Presence of God

Exodus 3:1-4 – As Moses is tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro close to Mount Horeb (God’s mountain), “the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush,” which was burning with fire, yet not consumed. Then “God called to him from the midst of the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’” * Exodus 13:21 – “The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light.”

1 Kings 18:20-40 – Elijah challenges the 450 prophets of Baal to a contest on Mount Carmel, and after he prays to God, “the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.”

2 Kings 2:1-18 – As Elijah and Elisha are walking together, “suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, separated the two of them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, ‘My father! My father! The chariot of Israel and its horsemen!’”

Jeremiah 23:29 – “Is not my Word like a fire?” says the Lord. Fire (like the atomic bomb) is a literal example of matter being transformed into energy.

Matthew 3:11 – “I baptize you with water unto repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

Acts 2:1-3 – “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come .. there suddenly came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and .. there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire. .. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues.”

Exodus 40:34-38 – After Moses and the COI finish the work of building the Tabernacle in the wilderness, “the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.” * 1 Kings 8:1-12 – “After the priests brought the Ark of the Covenant into the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim .. the glory of the Lord filled the Temple.”

1 Kings 10:18-20 – King Solomon made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. The throne had six steps. .. Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps.”

1 Kings 22:19 – “Then Micaiah said, ‘I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right and on His left.” * Isaiah 6:1-13 – “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up. The train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim, each having six wings.”

Ezekiel 1:24-28 – “I heard a noise like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army. .. And above was the likeness of a throne in appearance like a sapphire stone with the appearance of a man high above it – from His waist upward, the color of amber; and from His waist downward the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.”

Ezekiel 3:12 – “Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: ‘Blessed is the glory of the Lord from His place!’” Ezekiel 3:23 – “I arose and went out into the plain, and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory which I saw by the River Chebar.”

Ezekiel 10:1-4 – “I looked, and there in the firmament above the head of the cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne. .. Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherubim, and paused over the threshold of the temple, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory. And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was like the voice of the Almighty God when He speaks.”

Ezekiel 10:18-19, 23 – Ezekiel sees the Shekinah depart Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. “Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. The cherubim lifted their wings .. Then the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of Jerusalem and stood on the mountain, which is on the east side of the city.”

In Ezekiel Chapters 40-48, the prophet is given a vision of the dimensions of a new temple to be built in a renewed Jerusalem: “In the 25^th year of our captivity, the hand of the Lord took me into the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, where I saw toward the south something like the structure of a city. A man whose appearance was like bronze had a measuring rod in his hand, and he stood in the gateway.” (40:1-3) This man details the dimensions of the new temple. “Afterward, he brought me to the gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. .. And the glory of the Lord came into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east. The Sprit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. Then I heard the voice of the Lord speaking to me from the temple: ‘Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the Children of Israel (COI) forever. .. This is the law of the temple: The whole area surrounding it is most holy.’” (43:1-12) The restored Jerusalem will have twelve gates: three on the north for Reuben, Judah, and Levi; three on the east for Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan; three on the south for Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun; three on the west for Gad, Asher, and Napthali. “And the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE.” (48:30-35)

Daniel 7:9-14 – “I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days [God Almighty] was seated. His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire. .. The court was seated and the Books were opened. .. And behold, one like the Son of Man [Messiah, Jesus Christ], coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days; and .. to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His kingdom is everlasting and shall not be destroyed.”

Revelation 4:1-11 – “I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. .. Immediately, I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and .. He who sat there was like a jasper stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.”

Revelation 20:11-15 – “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. .. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God. Another book was opened, which is the Book of Life; and the dead were judged according to their works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire; and anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”