shekinah Summary and Overview

Shechinah, a Chaldee word meaning resting-place, not found in Scripture, but used by the later Jews to designate the visible symbol of God's presence in the tabernacle, and afterwards in Solomon's temple. When the Lord led Israel out of Egypt, he went before them "in a pillar of a cloud." This was the symbol of his presence with his people. For references made to it during the wilderness wanderings, see Ex. 14:20; 40:34-38; Lev. 9:23, 24; Num. 14:10; 16:19, 42. It is probable that after the entrance into Canaan this glory-cloud settled in the tabernacle upon the ark of the covenant in the most holy place. We have, however, no special reference to it till the consecration of the temple by Solomon, when it filled the whole house with its glory, so that the priests could not stand to minister (1 Kings 8:10-13; 2 Chr. 5:13, 14; 7:1-3). Probably it remained in the first temple in the holy of holies as the symbol of Jehovah's presence so long as that temple stood. It afterwards disappeared. (See CLOUD T0000849.)

Shechinah. (dwelling). This term is not found in the Bible. It was used by the later Jews, and borrowed by Christians from them, to express the visible majesty of the divine Presence especially when resting or dwelling between the cherubim on the mercy seat. In the tabernacle and in the temple of Solomon, but not in the second temple. The use of the term is first found in the Targums, where it forms a frequent periphrasis for God, considered its dwelling among the children of Israel. The idea which the different accounts in Scripture convey is that of a most brilliant and glorious light, enveloped in a cloud, and usually concealed by the cloud, so that the cloud itself was for the most part alone visible but on particular occasions the glory appeared. The allusions in the New Testament to the shechinah are not unfrequent. #Lu 2:9; Joh 1:14; Ro 9:4| and we are distinctly taught to connect it with the incarnation and future coming of the Messiah as type with antitype.

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 (Exodus 16:7-10), especially over the mercy-seat or capporeth. frontCLOUD, PILLAR OF.) Exodus 13:21-22; Exodus 14:19-20). 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; Haggai 1:8 they paraphrase, "I will cause My Shekinah to dwell in it in glory"; Zechariah 2:10, "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; Psalm 68:1, compare Numbers 10:35; Psalm 132:8; Psalm 80:1; Psalm 99:1; Psalm 99:7; Leviticus 16:2. In the New Testament we find, corresponding to the Shekinah, "the glory of the Lord": Luke 2:9; compare Deuteronomy 33:2; Acts 7:2; Acts 7:53; Acts 7:55; Hebrews 2:2; Hebrews 9:5; Romans 9:4 "the glory"; John 1:14, "the Word tabernacled (eskeenosen) among us, and we beheld His glory"; 2 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Corinthians 12:9, "that the power of Christ may tabernacle (episkeenosee) upon me"; Revelation 21:3. His coming again with clouds and fire is the antitype of this Shekinah (Matthew 26:64; Luke 21:27; Acts 1:9; Acts 1:11; Act 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7). Angels or cherubim generally accompany the Shekinah (Revelation 4:7-8; Psalm 68:17; Zechariah 14:5). In Genesis 3:24 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.