The Glory of God

Many Christians have never heard of the Shekinah Glory of God and for good reason. The term ‘Shekinah’ is never used in the Bible. It is, however, popularly used when referring to God’s glory. It was first used in the Targums, a paraphrased interpretation of the Old Testament in later Jewry. The word has reference to the visible Presence of God manifested as light emanating from within a white cloud that rested between the cherubim over the Mercy Seat.

Wherever the Ark went, the Shekinah glory of God went. The pillar of fire by night and the white cloud in the daytime that accompanied the Jews through their wilderness wanderings was a manifestation of God’s glory. The light within the cloud symbolized a protective covering. And truly, that is what the Ark was all about. The purity of God could not tolerate any impurity. A covering, therefore, was needed so that the intense light generating from the Presence of God would not consume sinful worshippers. The fiery cloud hovering over the nation of Israel was the focus of their lives as Moses and the people journeyed through the desert.

After they entered the Promised Land, the Shekinah retreated into the Holy of Holies and dwelt between the cherubim over the Ark. The Scriptures indicate that at certain times the glory being stronger than at others, overwhelmed the people and they could not stand upon their feet [2 Chronicles 7:1-3]. Can you sense that the Shekinah Glory of God was present in the chapel in heaven? Remember that Jeannette immediately noticed a gold colored light within the chapel when she arrived. She said the thin white smoke amidst the light penetrated the sheer curtains causing them to sway as it drifted into the chapel area. All the chapel elements signify that she was indeed observing the Shekinah glory filtering off the elevated stage very much like the Israelites saw God’s glory emanate from the Tabernacle.

We have in this vision a similitude of the tent David made to house the Ark after he moved his throne from Hebron to the City of David on Mount Zion. As has been noted, the Ark was separated from Moses’ Tabernacle in Shiloh during a Philistine incursion into the land of Israel. After its capture and traveling from pillar to post, it ended up in the house of Obed-edom whom the Lord greatly blessed because of its presence. I have already alluded to the impression that David was envious of Obed-edom’s blessing and set about to properly fetch the Ark to his own place of residence in Zion so his house could be blessed also.

Mount Zion

Since this vision is linked to the Tabernacle of David, it might be helpful to know how it was situated on Mount Zion. Zion is one huge white rock, a beautiful boulder whereupon the highest point became the place where the Ark inside the Holy of Holies in the Temple was placed. It is also the place where Abraham offered Isaac upon the altar. Since Abraham was told to go to the land of Moriah, Mt. Zion and Mt. Moriah are the same with the distinction that Moriah is the highest point on Zion’s hill.

Such a large piece of white rock is not found anywhere else in Israel or the surrounding areas.Smaller white rocks can be found but none as large as Zion, which is an enormous huge boulder. Rocks of other colors abound in Israel, but this one white boulder is unique and distinct, standing out like a gem set in a ring of lesser-valued stones. When the weather worn surface is shaved off, people say its white hue is brilliant and breathtaking. Is it any wonder that God sent Abraham to this spot in Moriah? I can visualize Abraham’s heart-pounding excitement upon first glimpse of this boulder as he came over the summit of the surrounding hills.

I am convinced that God prepared this huge white rock for the benefit of the spirit world, especially the evil spirits, because looking down on the earth, they could vividly see it.

1 Peter 1:12
12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Long ago rocks and stones were always used as testimonials of something sacred and eternal. This boulder, then, would witness to Jesus’ sacrificial offering in propitiation of the sin’s of the world [1 John 2:2]. The symbolisms from this altar of pure white rock can testify to countless spiritual truths.

For instance, white, is the color of light as well as the righteousness of the saints [Revelation 19:8]. Hence, after Jesus’ crucifixion, who is the light of the world [John 8:12], the rock symbolically attests that the sin penalty of man has been washed white as snow [Isaiah 1:18]. Having been made sin on the behalf of sinners [2 Corinthians 5:21], Jesus’ tainted blood, from no sin of His own, dripped onto the white rock from the cross, and I believe the porous white limestone absorbed it causing it to disappear in keeping with the Scripture where God says He would remove our sins away from us as far as the east is from the west [Psalms 103:12].

Another elegant conjecture is that the blood passed down through a crack in the rock, which happened during the earthquake that occurred while Jesus was hanging on the cross, and dripped on the Mercy Seat of the Ark that is stored in a cavern underneath the Temple mount. Some people, even Rabbis, have admitted to having seen the Tabernacle and the Ark underground in the vicinity of Calvary, the place where Jesus was crucified.

Acquisition Of Moriah

‘ In the manner of King David’ requires an account of how David acquired the hill of Zion and choreographed the establishment of God’s dwelling place. After he defeated the Jebusites [2 Samuel 5:7], he built his palace in what is known as Old Jerusalem on the hill south of the Temple Mount, which is at a lower elevation. This southeastern area of the hill was known as ‘Ophel’ translated ‘hill’ in the Scriptures. Ophel was David’s stronghold, his captured Jebusite fortress known as his high tower protected by the Presence of God on Mt. Zion.

After moving from Hebron to Jerusalem and building his palace in Ophel, he purposed to bring the Ark up to Jerusalem to make for it a permanent dwelling place. Since he had not yet acquired the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite (also known as Araunah), in order to place it on the highest part of the mountain in his possession, David had to establish his Tabernacle for the Ark westward of Ophel. This made it quite a bit higher than his palace and fortress. Notice that the tent Jeannette saw in her vision was on an elevated platform. Quite frequently, scribes had David’s Tabernacle in mind and not the Temple when they occasionally penned ‘let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord.’ It is taken for granted they were going up for worship.

Because David wanted the Ark to sit directly on the beautiful white boulder, he had to shave off the top of the western portion of the mountain to get to the bedrock. He insisted that nothing was to be higher than where the Ark rested. It was customary in that day that sacrifices be made in what the Bible calls ‘high places,’ which term could apply to any religion’s altar. Since the burnt altar was not located in David’s Tabernacle, people making the climb to reach the Tabernacle were going for worship in songs and music. Truly, they were bringing sacrifices of praise into the house of the Lord [Jeremiah 33:11].

In the midst of a plague caused by pride in numbering the people, David purchased the highest portion of Zion known as Moriah from Araunah in obedience to God’s instruction. God wanted him to make a sacrifice to Him on the highest point of Zion. You can read about this in 1 Chronicles. The upshot of the incident was the final acquisition of the place God had chosen to place His name. David could now concentrate on getting things ready for Solomon to build.

After the scepter was transferred to Solomon, he did what David had done and shaved off some of the rock’s surface in order to build the Temple on the lovely white limestone bedrock. Thus, we see that development of Mt. Zion was in three stages – Ophel first, Zion second, and Moriah third. When you read the numerous references in the Bible about God being our rock, think about this mammoth boulder rock symbolizing the strength and might of the holy God of Israel.

David’s Tabernacle

We can only speculate what crossed David’s mind as he planned his house for the Ark. In devising a new Tabernacle, he decided to leave the other pieces of furniture where they were since they were scattered. They were merely object lessons teaching about God’s plan of redemption. But the Ark of God – that was another story! It was the physical material throne of God on earth and His Presence was actually at hand. Since God would not allow him to build the Temple, being a man of war [1 Chronicles 28:3], and since David deeply desired to hang around the throne room, he decided he would fetch the Ark and make a gorgeous Tabernacle for God to dwell in until a permanent house for Him could be constructed. David’s ulterior motive for creating his Tabernacle was that he wanted to be close to God.

How Close Can We Get?

Do you recall Jeannette saying she would run her fingers over the Words of the Bible as she read because she felt closer to God that way? That reminded me of what David would do to get closer to God. On occasion, David would pull back the cloth coverings over the tent where the Ark rested. As the sun shown on the Ark, the two cherubim’s outstretched wings that hovered over the Mercy Seat would cast shadows on the ground in the courtyard of the Tabernacle. David would sit or lie down in the shadow of those wings and write Psalms and sing praises to our mighty awesome God. Note how often he used the term ‘under the shadow of his wings’ in his writings:

Psalms 17:8
8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
Psalms 36:7
7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings .
Psalms 57:1
Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
Psalms 63:7
7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

I personally believe David was inspired to build his Tabernacle with the thought in mind of exposing the Ark to the sunlight to produce shadows on the ground. He was familiar with the song Moses wrote in Psalms 91.

Psalms 91:1-2
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

David also knew the song Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 32 where he eulogizes God as an unchangeable bulwark, a fortification unlike any other rock in existence. Moses used the word ‘rock’ nine times in that song, and I believe that when David saw the beautiful white boulder that comprises the hill of Zion, he lusted to acquire it and bring God’s earthly throne on the Mercy Seat of the Ark to rest on it. So, the ‘manner of King David’ in building a house for God was first the Ark on Zion, then the Temple on Zion, and lastly His visible Presence on Zion as King of Israel’s Kingdom in the Millennium.

Upon completion of David’s Tabernacle, people came to worship there, and many of the Psalms were written in this holy consecrated place. Persons would play harps and instruments while other people sang praises to the music. Scribes made themselves available to write down inspired utterances that became portions of the Psalms. Inspiration to prophecy and praise is easy in the Presence of God. It truly was an anointed place of worship, which is exactly what David intended, for there the praisers and singers sat on the most beautiful rock in all of Israel in the Presence of God as He inspired them with His glory.

The Breath Of God

There is another important element in the dream vision that the Holy Spirit used to get my attention there is a message here. When I read how Jeannette saw the sheer curtains of the chapel sway as the white smoke and light poured from within the tent, I could visualize in the my mind the breathing of God as He sat on the Mercy Seat. Jewish tradition says that when God was present in the Tabernacle, people could see the curtains that covered the Holy of Holies move in and out as if someone were inside breathing on them to cause the motion. It is even told that people could hear His breath.

Whenever the Hebrew word for spirit, ‘ruach,’ is pronounced, there is a hard breathing out from the diaphragm, which makes a whooshing or a hissing sound. When people heard a whooshing sound coming from the Tabernacle, they called it the ‘Breath of the Holies,’ and they knew the Lord was there. This is similar to what Jeannette witnessed in the chapel of heaven as she saw the motion of the curtains sway with the drifting out of the smoke and light. It is written that when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, there was a whooshing noise like a mighty wind as the visible light within the tongues of fire sat on each of them in the upper room. God was indeed doing a new thing. The veil in the Temple having been rent at the death of Jesus opened the door for the Presence of God to move out of the Holy of Holies and permanently change His venue where He would meet with men.

1 Corinthians 3:16
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Four Eyes

Words Are Powerful

Since Jesus is God, the people He was instructing in the chapel of heaven felt waves of power emanating from the words coming out of His mouth. Not only was the power they experienced the result of the intrinsic power of the gospel, but the words were coming from the One who holds the entire Creation together with the word of His power.

Hebrews 1:3
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power , when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Notice this did not say power of His word, but word of His power. This shows us that His power is in His Word. The creation of the universe was done with words, and the demise of it was caused by words. Hence, words are spiritual, are extremely powerful, and. is the reason the Bible admonishes us to put a bridle on our tongues [James chapter 3].

Jeannette said that the words coming from the man’s mouth seemed like they were igniting a fire inside them. Since He was quoting from the Bible, and since the man was Jesus, He was speaking utterances He penned long ago through the Holy Spirit. Being God, His spoken words carry the same power of creation in them as when He spoke the world into being. They were and still are incorruptible seed [1 Peter 1:23] and can truly burn and scorch. They are so powerful that a person can instantly be made into a new creature if he or she accepts the gospel of His words about Himself as true [2 Corinthians 5:17].

Jeannette said that the man’s words were as fire setting them ablaze with the power of the gospel. Nothing can withstand the Word of God when someone who does not doubt its ability to bring itself to pass speaks it. Since the Redeemer of the vision was God, nothing is able to withstand His utterances. Note that He was speaking from the Book of Revelation indicating that He is about to bring it to pass and nothing can stop it. The gauntlet of churches in chapters two and three were ignored because they are finished not only in the vision but also in the here and now; and chapter four is about to be inaugurated. I for one agree with the Psalmist who said, He uttered his voice and the earth melted [46:6], because the earth is about to be baptized with fire of His Word as per Revelation and there will indeed be a meltdown.

Any Word of God that is accepted by a person has the same potential for bringing itself to pass in their lives. That is why all the promises of God are yes and amen [2 Corinthians 1:20] for any child of God. Similarly, any Word of God that speaks ill towards a thing or person will be as powerful in its fulfillment as those bringing blessing. For this reason, the Book of Revelation must be taken seriously. The Redeemer of Israel has come in this vision to encourage His followers to be just as diligent to hear what He has said in His Revelation as in the Book of John. Especially at this time of the end is this admonishing important.

Click on Continued 4 Interpretation: Eyes of the Word