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Shekinah
Glory
What
Is the Meaning of Shekinah Glory?
Shekinah
Glory is a visible manifestation of God on earth, whose presence is portrayed
through a natural occurrence. The word shekinah is a Hebrew name meaning
“dwelling” or “one who dwells.” Shekinah Glory means “He caused to dwell,”
referring to the divine presence of God.
Madeline
Twooney
Shekinah
Glory is a visible manifestation of God on earth, whose presence is portrayed
through a natural occurrence.
The word
shekinah is a Hebrew name meaning “dwelling” or “one who dwells.”
Shekinah
Glory means “He caused to dwell,” referring to the divine presence of God.
The
word Shekinah is not in the Bible,
but the description is.
In the
classical Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments, the
word shekinah is actually not found.
It was
first introduced by Jewish rabbis through targums and literature in the period
between the completion of the Old Testament and the onset of the New Testament.
The
etymology of “Shekinah” is from the Hebrew word shākan, which
means “to reside or permanently stay.”
The
rabbis used the term Shekinah to describe the following to the
Jewish people:
- The glory of God dwelling in the Temple (2 Chronicles 7:1)
How is
Shekinah Glory portrayed in the Bible?
The
divine presence of God on earth is depicted through the following:
Where is
Shekinah Glory first mentioned in the Bible?
The first
biblical account of Shekinah Glory is recorded in Exodus after the Israelites
had left the shackles of slavery in Egypt.
God
appeared to them as a pillar of cloud and fire as they were camped at Etham.
“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them
on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they
could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar
of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” (Exodus 13:20-22)
Why does
God not appear as a human in the Old Testament?
When
Moses pitched his tent outside of the Israelite camp in the wilderness to
convene with God, the latter spoke to Moses face to face through a cloud as
though speaking to a friend (Exodus 33:11).
However,
when Moses asked to see God’s face, He denied Moses’ request, stating, “You
cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:20).
The glory
of God was too great for human eyes to gaze upon and survive.
Instead,
God allowed Moses to stand in a cleft in a rock and see God’s back after He had
passed by (Exodus 33:21-23).
What else
does Shekinah Glory refer to?
Not only
is the holy manifestation of God portrayed through Shekinah Glory, it also
entails the practice of honoring and praising God by exemplifying His glory.
“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light
shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory
displayed in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)
Examples
of Shekinah Glory in the New Testament
The
divine presence of God is also found in the New Testament:
· “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord
shone around them, and they were terrified.” (Luke 2:9)
· “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are
being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from
the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
· “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s
dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will
be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3)
In the
New Testament, Jesus is the manifestation of Shekinah Glory.
Jesus’
ministry is the ultimate encounter of Shekinah Glory that God has ever had with
man on earth.
“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and
in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power
and authority.” (Colossians 2:9-10)
Furthermore,
Jesus was made to be both God and man in one person, in order to act as our
High Priest, so that He could be the embodiment of the redemption of our sins.
“For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way,
in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to
God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:17)
Can we experience
Shekinah Glory today?
The
separation of man from God was redeemed when Jesus paid the bond price for our
sins with His blood on the Cross of Calvary.
Upon His
death, the veil separating the holiest of Holies in the Temple was torn,
therefore, we are able to abide eternally in God’s presence through a new
covenant, with the Holy Spirit residing in us.
Madeline Twooney is a Christian
writer and blogger. She is British but grew up in Australia and now lives in
Germany with her husband and their one-eared pussycat. Madeline has written
articles for SheLoves, Converge, and Ruminate Magazine, and is a freelance
contributor for YMI Magazine. In her spare time, she gets creative as a
freelance Special Effects Makeup artist, and she dances to Sister Sledge whilst
cooking. You can contact Madeline at madelinetwooney@gmail.com or
Tweet her at @MTwooney.
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