IN TRADITIONAL ORTHODOX JEWISH THOUGHT , the “shekinah” refers to a dwelling or settling in a special sense of divine presence. Dwelling is significant in a physical sense; settling is noteworthy in a spiritual sense. When the shekinah is present, God is present. The closer one gets to the shekinah, the more they enter into God’s presence. In a passage from Torah, and here, Torah in the classical sense limited to the Pentateuch, his presence is seen described as, “From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire.” (Num. 9:15b-16)
When Yahweh encamped, the Israelites encamped; when he decamped, they moved with him. “Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.” (Num. 9:17) The stay could be very short, at other times, it might be quite long. “Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out.” (Num. 9:20-22) This is staggering from a logistical standpoint; most religious scholars estimate that two to three million people were involved in the physical work of moving all of their resources, including the Tent of the Testimony.
The Kohathites were in charge of the “tent of meeting.” Num. 4:4) Only the high priest Aaron and his sons, however, were permitted in the Holy of Holies. They were in charge of both its dismantling and its reassembly. “When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and cover the ark of the Testimony with it. Aaron and his sons are to go into the sanctuary and assign to each man his work and what he is to carry. But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.” (c.f. Num. 4:5-20) Here we encounter what many commentators think is an issue of translation; verse 4 actually should read the “Tent of Testimony,” for the tent of meeting was a place that only Moses and Joshua entered. “Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the ‘tent of meeting.’ The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.” (cf. Ex. 33:7-11)
It is significant that Joshua is mentioned here, where the LORD speaks face to face with Moses, for Joshua will be the anointed one to lead the people into the promised land after their forty years of wandering. Joshua, very clearly, is prophetic of Jesus, who will lead the people God into a very different promised land. The Tent of the Testimony is symbolic of the heavenly realm and dwelling of God. The Book of Exodus spends sixteen chapters (25-40) on its construction and contents. Pause for a moment and think of that. Until the Book of Revelation, only in the composition of the four Gospels does the bible exhibit such pointed detail. Every aspect of the construction of the Tent of Testimony and its contents, most specifically the ark of the covenant with the angels above bowing over the Mercy Seat, is descriptive of the Messiah and the coming kingdom of God. In keeping with this, the writer of Hebrews says, “Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.” (Heb. 9:5) And yet he says, “When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Heb. 9:11, 14)
The shekinah is present when God dwells, and where his presence is, there is glory. In the O.T. he dwells intermittently with his people, and settles upon—comes very close to—his prophetic servants. We see this throughout the O.T. In the N.T., this glory is seen everywhere Jesus is. This is because Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15), in whom “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell.” (Col. 1:19) This is first seen at the announcement of his birth to the shepherds: “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” (Luke 2:9) At his baptism: “At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.” (Matt. 3:16) On the Mount of Transfiguration. “There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” (Matt. 17:2) Jesus speaks of this with his disciples shortly before his crucifixion: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.” (Matt. 25:31) At his trial before Caiaphas: “In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:62) And lastly, at his ascension into heaven: “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.” (Acts 1:9)
In orthodox Christian belief we understand this cloud of glory, the presence of God, as the Holy Spirit. This Spirit is gloriously ours. He became ours because of Jesus. “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.” (John 6:7, 13)
Father of our Spirits, we give thanks to you for the receiving and knowing of this incredible gift of life made possible in and to us, and guaranteed for us by Jesus.
Q. Am I aware that I am God’s dwelling place; that in him I “live, and move, and have my being.” (Acts 17:28b)
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