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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comFausset Bible Dictionary: Shechinah
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SHECHINAH or SHEKINAH. Not found in the Bible, but in the targums. From shakan "to dwell," from whence comes mishkan "the tabernacle." God's visible manifestation in a cloudy pillar and fire; the glorious light, enveloped in a cloud and thence bursting forth at times (-10), especially over the mercy-seat or capporeth. (See CLOUD, PILLAR OF.) -22; -20). Its absence from Zerubbabel's temple is one of the five particulars reckoned by the Jews as wanting in the second temple. In the targums, Shekinah is used as a periphrasis for God whenever He is said to "dwell" in Zion, between the cherubims, etc., to avoid the semblance of materialism. They anticipated the Shekinah's return under Messiah; they paraphrase, "I will cause My Shekinah to dwell in it in glory"; , "I will cause My Shekinah to dwell in the midst of thee," etc.
The continued presence of the Shekinah down to Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of the temple seems implied in Joshua 3; 4; 6; , compare ; ; ; ; ; . In the New Testament we find, corresponding to the Shekinah, "the glory of the Lord": ; compare ; ; ; ; ; ; "the glory"; , "the Word tabernacled (eskeenosen) among us, and we beheld His glory"; ; , "that the power of Christ may tabernacle (episkeenosee) upon me"; . His coming again with clouds and fire is the antitype of this Shekinah (; ; ; ; Act_-8; ). Angels or cherubim generally accompany the Shekinah (-8; ; ). In is the earliest notice of the Shekinah as a swordlike flame between the cherubim, being the "Presence of Jehovah" from which Cain went out, and before which Adam and succeeding patriarchs worshipped.