Page 10 - BV4

Both the angels in heaven and the righteous in olam ha-ba ("the world to come") are
SUSTAINED BY THE RADIANCE OF THE SHEKINAH (Exodus Rabbah 32:4,
B'rakhot 17a; cf. Exodus 34:29-35)....

According to Saadiah Gaon [882-942 C.E.], the Shekhinah is identical with kevod ha-
Shem (the glory of God"), which served as an INTERMEDIARY BETWEEN GOD AND
MAN during the prophetic experience. He suggests that the "glory of God" is the Biblical
term, and Shekhinah the Talmudic term for the created splendor of light which ACTS AS
AN INTERMEDIARY BETWEEN GOD AND MAN, and which sometimes TAKES
ON HUMAN FORM. Thus when Moses asked to see the glory of God, HE WAS
SHOWN THE SHEKHINAH, and when the prophets in their visions saw God in HU-
MAN LIKENESS, what they actually saw WAS NOT GOD HIMSELF BUT THE
SHEKHINAH (see Saadiah's interpretation of Ezekiel 1:26, I Kings 22:19, and Daniel
7:9 in Book of Beliefs and Opinions 2:10).

Throughout the Bible God speaks of His desire for an intimate relationship with His peo-
ple. The "Shekinah," therefore, refers to the presence of God that was -- but is not now -- physi-
cally manifested in the time-space continuum. It could be seen. The presence was A VEHICLE OF
THE PERSON OF GOD IN THE THREE DIMENSIONAL WORLD. Solomon's understanding
that God cannot actually be limited to Temples on earth because of His eternal nature can be seen
in I Kings 8:27 --

But will God really dwell [yashav"] on earth? Even the heavens to their utmost reaches
cannot contain You, how much less this House [Temple] that I have built!

This omniscient, eternal presence of Yehovah (that Solomon recognized) is the HEAV-
ENLY, but not the earthly, "Shekinah." Even though the INFINITE spiritual presence is, and was,
COINCIDENTAL with the PHYSICALLY DISCERNIBLE "SHEKINAH" -- it was DISTIN-
GUISHED from the physical even in Mosaic times. Right now the "Shekinah" is only manifested in
the infinite way, but in the near future it will be manifested in the PHYSICAL FORM once again
when IT RETURNS TO THIS EARTH to reside in the new Temple in Jerusalem!

During the time of Moses the added PHYSICAL "Shekinah" presence was evidence of the
REAL which is omnipresent and unseen. During the Mosaic dispensation the "Shekinah" was
physically disturbing. The presence was NOT Yehovah (YHVH) -- it was a PHYSICAL MANI-
FESTATION of the actual presence of Yehovah among His people. Be aware that it is to be
distinguished from the "angel of the LORD." The "Shekinah" was first evident when the Israelites
set out from Succoth in their escape from Egypt. There it appeared as a cloudy pillar in the day and
a fiery pillar by night -- note Exodus 13:20:

They set out from Succoth, and encamped at Ethan, at the edge of the wilderness. The
LORD [YEHOVAH, YHVH] went before them in a PILLAR OF CLOUD by day, to
guide them along the way, and in a PILLAR OF FIRE by night, to give them light that
they might travel day and night. The PILLAR OF CLOUD by day and the PILLAR OF
FIRE by night did not depart from before the people.

10