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The physical "Shekinah" was also evident at the crossing of the Red Sea --

At the morning watch, the LORD [YEHOVAH, YHVH] looked down upon the Egyptian
army from a PILLAR OF FIRE AND CLOUD, and threw the Egyptian army into panic.
He locked the wheels of their chariots so that they moved forward with difficulty. And
the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the Israelites, for the LORD [YEHOVAH] is fight
ing for them against Egypt. -- Exodus 14:24-25.

The Israelites were led by the "Shekinah" for forty years, after which the "holy presence"
of the omniscient God inhabited the Tabernacle and the land of Israel. The "Shekinah" was not al-
ways afterwards physically manifested -- as we read in Numbers 35:34 --

You shall not defile the land in which you live, in which I Myself abide ["shakan"], for I
the LORD [YEHOVAH] abide ["shakan"] among the Israelite people.

When Moses and the Israelites finished erecting the Tabernacle, the "Shekinah" of God
filled it --

When Moses had finished the work, the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the
PRESENCE OF THE LORD [YEHOVAH] filled the Tabernacle. Moses could not enter
the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud had settled upon it and the PRESENCE OF THE
LORD filled the Tabernacle. When the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the Israelites
would set out, on their various journeys; but if the cloud did not lift, they would not set
out until such time as it did lift. For over the Tabernacle a cloud of the LORD rested by
day, and the fire would appear in it by night, in the view of all the house of Israel
throughout their journeys. -- Exodus 40:33-38.

Whenever that presence was physically manifested, it was frightening to those who experi-
enced it:

When Moses had ascended the mountain, the cloud covered the mountain. The PRES-
ENCE OF THE LORD ["Cavod YHVH"] abode ["shakan"] on Mount Sinai, and the
cloud hid it for six days. On the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the
cloud. Now the PRESENCE OF THE LORD ["Cavod YHVH"] appeared in the sight of
the Israelites as a consuming fire on the top of the mountain. -- Exodus 24:15-17.

Writes Fred P. Miller: "Earlier, the seventy elders had gone up into the cloud and actually
saw the "Shekinah" glory, and they were so afraid they asked Moses never to take them again. As
far as they were concerned, they saw God! You can only imagine their hair on end and their wide-
eyed appearance as they came down from the mountain exclaiming 'We saw God! It was terrible!'"
(Zechariah and Jewish Renewal).

A few days earlier, when the Ten Commandments were given, the appearance of the physi-
cal presence of God on Mount Sinai is described as fire and cloud and thick darkness. The Psalms
contain a description of this event calling it a "Shekinah" presence --

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