Hope of Israel Ministries (Ecclesia of YEHOVAH):

The Glorious Return of YEHOVAH God!

by John D. Keyser

Some years ago I wrote an article entitled, The "Second Coming" of YEHOVAH God, in which I explained that Revelation 19 pictures the return of YEHOVAH God to this earth, while Revelation 14 pictures the return of Yeshua the Messiah. This is not altogether true. While it is a fact that Revelation 19 does indeed picture the return of YEHOVAH God, Revelation 14 does not strictly refer to the return of Yeshua, as such, but to the work he does immediately upon his return. 

At the time of writing I didn't clearly see that the actual return of Yeshua is fully pictured in Revelation 10:1-7. This article will correct that misconception and provide a fascinating, new understanding of the book of Revelation as revealed to the apostle John in the latter part of the first century. 

The Shekinah Glory 

In Revelation 21:22, the phrase "glory of God" in The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures  [1] is rendered "God's SH'KHINAH" in the Jewish New Testament -- notice!  

"I saw no temple in the city, for ADONAI [YEHOVAH], God of heaven's armies, is its Temple, as is the Lamb [Christ]. The city has no need for the sun or the moon to shine on it, because GOD'S SH'KHINAH gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb." [2]

This is very important. The word "Shekinah" (Sh'khinah) was coined from verbal cognates (related words) in the Bible which describe the "presence" of YEHOVAH in a certain locality. The verbal cognates are used extensively to describe the "Shekinah" appearances. The word "Shekinah" itself is not found in the Biblical texts, but the concept clearly is. The word most certainly is derived from "shakan," and whoever first used the word "Shekinah" coined it as a substantive (noun form) from the verbal forms used to describe the "abiding, dwelling, or habitation" of the physical manifestations of YEHOVAH God described in Exodus 24:16, 40:35, Numbers 9:17-18, and various other places where "shakan" is used. 

Note that the word is also used to describe the mystical "Shekinah" presence in the Tabernacle and later in the first and second Temples. The word "mishkan," (mshkn), a derivation of "shakan" (shkn), is often translated "tabernacle." The Hebrew for tabernacle is more often simply "ohel," or tent. "Mishkan" means "dwelling place" -- that is, the "dwelling place" of "him who dwells" or "Shekinah." 

The Hebrew verb "shakan" (shkn) simply means to take up residence for a long period of time in a neighborhood. The distinction between this word and "yashav," which is also translated "dwell," is as follows: You can use the word "yashav" to mean an individual doing the dwelling WITHOUT reference to others or to duration, while "shakan" means a protracted dwelling in the midst of a neighborhood or a group of people. The primary meaning is to reside and continue as a member of the community. Of course, when it refers to YEHOVAH God, it takes on an added dimension that is obvious from the scriptures. 

When verbal forms are translated as nouns, the word sometimes means "habitat." Grammatically (in Hebrew), when verbal forms are translated as nouns, they are called "substantives." Technically, therefore, "Shekinah" is a substantive rather than a noun. 

Some people object that the word "Shekinah," (shknh), is not to be found in the Old Testament in its noun form, and that it describes a concept that is not scriptural. It is also claimed that the word was coined by Post-Biblical Rabbinic scholars. It is admitted that the Rabbinic concept of YEHOVAH being some sort of hovering non-personal force is an unacceptable extension of the meaning. However, the concept of a physical manifestation of YEHOVAH's localized dwelling on this planet IS, nonetheless, scriptural. I have chosen to use the word "Shekinah" (shknh) to name this "presence" and to better develop a concept I will get to later on in the article. Also, this meaning is in general use among many Christians, even though they are generally ignorant of the origin of the word. 

In the Encyclopedia Judaica the "Shekinah" is defined as "the Divine Presence, the numinous immanence of God in the world,...a revelation of the holy in the midst of the profane...." [3] 

The Encyclopedia goes on to say:  

"One of the more prominent images associated with the Shekhinah is that of light. Thus on the verse, '...the earth did shine with His glory' (Ezekiel 43:2), the rabbis remark, 'This is the face of the Shekhinah' (Avot diRabbi Natan [18b-19a]; see also Chullin 59b-60a). 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 HUMAN LIKENESS, what they actually saw was not God Himself but the Shekinah (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 YEHOVAH God speaks of His desire for an intimate relationship with His people Israel. The "Shekinah," therefore, refers to the presence of YEHOVAH that was -- but is not now -- physically manifested in the time-space continuum. It could be seen. The presence was a vehicle of the person of YEHOVAH in the three dimensional world. Solomon's understanding that YEHOVAH 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 heavenly, but not the earthly, "Shekinah." Even though the infinite spiritual presence is, and was, coincidental with the physically discernable "SHEKINAH," it was DISTINGUISHED 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. The presence was NOT YEHOVAH (YHVH) -- it was a physical manifestation of the actual presence of YEHOVAH among His people Israel that was physically disturbing. 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:

"And they set out from Succoth and encamped at Ethan, on the edge of the wilderness. And the LORD [YEHOVAH, YHVH] went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them on the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, that they might go by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people." [4] 

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 fighting 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. After this time the "Shekinah" was not always 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 YEHOVAH 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 experienced it:  

"When Moses had ascended the mountain, the cloud covered the mountain. The PRESENCE 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!.'"  [5]

A few days earlier, when the Ten Commandments were given, the appearance of the physical presence of YEHOVAH 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:  

"Why do you fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks? This is the mountain [Sinai] which God desires to dwell ['shakan'] in; yes, the LORD [YEHOVAH] will dwell in it forever. The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of thousands; the LORD is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place. You have ascended on high, you have led captivity captive; you have received gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the LORD GOD might dwell ['shakan'] there" (Psalm 68:16-18). 

Later, as we have seen, the physical "Shekinah" presence of YEHOVAH took up residence in the newly completed Tabernacle and was apparent to the whole nation of Israel. 

There are a number of other occasions when the direct intervention of YEHOVAH was manifest in a "Shekinah" presence to Moses. At the time of the setting up of the Tabernacle (before it was finished) YEHOVAH God spoke to Moses out of the cloud and Moses realized the "Shekinah" was a VEHICLE and not YEHOVAH Himself. As we see in Exodus 33, Moses asked for more, to actually "see" YEHOVAH, and YEHOVAH allowed him to see a larger portion of His physical "Shekinah" presence. Notice:   

"And the LORD [YEHOVAH] said to Moses, 'I will also do this thing that you have asked; for you have truly gained My favor and I have singled you out by name.' He [Moses] said, 'Oh, let me behold Your Presence!' [He was speaking to YEHOVAH's voice coming from the 'Shekinah.'] And He [YEHOVAH] answered, 'I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim before you the name LORD [YEHOVAH, YHVH], and the grace that I grant and the compassion that I show. But,' He said, 'you cannot see My face, for men may not see Me and live'" (verses 17-20). 

After Israel entered the Promised Land, YEHOVAH's presence was manifested spiritually in the Tabernacle, but not often in a physical manner. YEHOVAH's actual presence was always accepted by the Israelites as being in the Tabernacle (and later in the Temple), but was not always physically confirmed by the visible "Shekinah." However, there were occasional renewals of miraculous appearances of the "Shekinah," such as when the Temple of Solomon was dedicated. There was an initial appearance in a vision when the LORD (YEHOVAH) promised that He would shakan or dwell in the house that Solomon was building. Notice I Kings 6:11-13:  

"Then the word of the LORD [YEHOVAH] came to Solomon, 'With regard to this House [Temple] you are building -- if you follow My laws and observe My rules and faithfully keep My commandments, I will fulfill for you the promise that I gave to your father David: I will abide [shakan] among the children of Israel, and I will never forsake My people Israel.'"

Later, when the construction of the Temple was finished and the day of dedication was at hand, the holy "Shekinah" manifested itself in a very physical way:   

"And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud [Shekinah] filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud [Shekinah]; for the glory of the LORD filled the House of the LORD. Then Solomon spoke: 'The LORD said He would dwell [shaken] in the dark cloud. I have surely built You an exalted house, and a place for You to dwell [shakan] forever'" (I Kings 8:10-13).

This same incident is recorded in II Chronicles 5:13. The "Shekinah" would no longer be associated with the Tabernacle but was to be transferred to the Temple. As a result, this physical manifestation was necessary to that generation because the Law of Moses was being amended at this point and YEHOVAH God was showing His approval of the amendment to His legal system by the manifestation of the "Shekinah."

Whenever YEHOVAH makes a "forever" promise in the Bible, there are certain conditions connected to it, and this case is no different. When He said He would dwell ("shakan") in the Temple "forever," there were conditions to this promise. Therefore, at the destruction of the First Temple, He did not allow His "Shekinah" presence to stay in the Holy of Holies (inner sanctuary of the Temple) after a certain level of corruption had taken place.

What is surprising is that He stayed in the Temple for so long! Evidently, His love for His people Israel is such that He endures far more than any human judge would deem possible. Even with all the corruption that occurred during the last days of Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin (and most of the reign of Zedekiah). Ezekiel's vision of the DEPARTURE OF YEHOVAH'S "SHEKINAH" from the Temple and city did not occur until after the beginning of the final siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and his army. 

Ezekiel's description of YEHOVAH's "Shekinah" is more detailed but very similar to what the 70 elders saw on Mount Sinai, as recorded in Exodus 24. Writes Fred Miller:   

"Ezekiel's description of the 'Shekinah' in chapter one of his prophecy is physically exciting just to read. Imagine actually seeing it! It is described as fire enfolding itself borne by cherubic creatures whose appearance pulsated with undulating light, themselves borne by gyroscopic double wheels. Lightning came out of the midst of the fire surrounded by clear sapphire where a man-like person on a throne sat in an electric eye.

"If electricity is anachronistic, the word is nonetheless 'chashmal' which is the modern Hebrew word for electricity. The Septuagint has 'electrum' and so does the Vulgate! Whatever 'chashmal' and 'electrum' meant to the ancients who used these words it can only be said that 'eyn chashmal' in Hebrew and 'opsin electrou' in Greek and 'speciem electri' found in Latin in Eze. 1:27 is not 'amber' as in the English translation. The word 'color' does not appear in the text." [6]

There are other descriptions of the nature of YEHOVAH's "Shekinah" that Ezekiel saw LEAVING a then desolate Temple. The building was still standing but no longer had YEHOVAH's Glory before it was destroyed! 

The Departure and Return of the "Shekinah" 

It should be noted that Ezekiel saw both the DEPARTURE of the "Shekinah" and the RETURN in two distinct visions separated in time by a number of years. The visions that he saw -- of events that happened after his own death -- describe exactly the same "Shekinah," which he saw first in chapter ten and then afterwards leave the Temple (also in chapter ten). As we shall note, at the beginning of chapter ten the "Shekinah" was still in the Temple:   

"The glory of the LORD ['Cavod YHVH'] went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house [Temple]; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD'S glory ['Cavod YHVH']" (Ezekiel 10:4).

However, YEHOVAH was making preparations to REMOVE the "Shekinah" from the Temple and then from the very city itself:  

"And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight; when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the EAST GATE of the LORD'S house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above (Ezekiel 10:19)." 

Then, in Ezekiel 11:23, we read of the actual departure of YEHOVAH's "Shekinah" from the Mount of Olives:   

"And the glory of the LORD [Cavod YHVH] went up from the midst of the city, and stood on the mountain which is on the east side of the city [Mount of Olives]." 

From the Mount of Olives the "Shekinah" departed from this earth to later return to the Temple that was rebuilt under Zerubbabel, but before the arrival of Ezra and Nehemiah. The "Shekinah" remained in the Temple from this time through the enlarging of the Temple complex by Herod, and his subsequent improvements. This is borne out by a little known but awe-inspiring incident that occurred when Herod tried to tap into the tremendous wealth of King David's tomb in order to finance his grandiose plans to rebuild the Temple platform in the City of David. 

Writes Gary Arvidson: "So, how was Herod able to finance this and other projects? Toward the beginning of his great work 'all their sacred treasures were exhausted.' We are told in this same context that people around the world sent an abundance of money for the Temple project. But there were other funds to be raised. And Herod found another source!" [7]

Arvidson goes on to say:

"What we are going to find is that Herod tapped David's sepulchre as a major resource for his great works...and as a consequence gained access to David's sepulchre to finance and decorate his empire. What had been amassed for the First Temple and laid aside by Solomon, was finally used for the Second Temple period (ibid.)." 

The first-century A.D. Jewish historian and priest Josephus records that "at this time he [Herod] opened the sepulchre by night, and went into it, and endeavoured that it should not be known in the city, but took only his faithful friends with him." [8]

Then begins the most unusual account of all. Herod was determined to explore the multi-room structure of David's tomb to the limits. Suddenly, a great miracle occurred:   

"However, he [Herod] had a great desire to make a more diligent search, and to go further in, even as far as the very bodies of David and Solomon; where two of his guards were slain by a flame that burst out upon those that went in, as the report was. So he was terribly affrighted, and went out, and built a propitiatory monument of that fright he had been in; and this of white stone, at the mouth of the sepulchre..." [8]

The physical "Shekinah" put the fear of YEHOVAH God in Herod and his surviving men and, frankly, scared the "hell" out of them! 

YEHOVAH's "Shekinah" remained in the Temple all through the life and death of Yeshua the Messiah and up to the year 66 A.D., when it was seen leaving the Temple and alighting on the Mount of Olives. Notice:  

"There is also another reason why Christians in the first century were very interested in the Mount of Olives. This is because it was believed that the Shekinah Glory of God which supposedly dwelt inside the Holy of Holies at the Temple left the sanctuary and went to the Mount of Olives and hovered over that spot at the time of the Roman/Jewish War which ended in A.D. 70. The fact that the Shekinah Glory left the old Temple and migrated to the top of the Mount of Olives was an important event to Eusebius [church historian and scholar A.D. 260?-340?]" [9]

In Eusebius' book Proof of the Gospel, we find this passage:   

"Believers in Christ congregate from all parts of the world, not as of old time because of the glory of Jerusalem, nor that they may worship in the ancient Temple at Jerusalem, but...that they may worship at the Mount of Olives opposite to the city, whither the glory [the Shekinah Glory] of the LORD [YEHOVAH, YHVH] migrated when it left the former city." [10]

According to Eusebius the "Shekinah" Glory left the Temple and hovered over the Mount of Olives during "the siege of Jerusalem" (66 A.D. to 70). However, Eusebius was not the only observer who mentioned that the "Shekinah" Glory left the Temple before the destruction of the Temple and hovered over the Mount of Olives. A Jewish rabbi named Jonathan -- who was an eyewitness to the destruction of Jerusalem -- said the "Shekinah" Glory left the Temple and for three and a half years,  

"abode on the Mount of Olives hoping that Israel would repent, but they did not; while a Bet Kol [a supernatural voice from heaven] issued forth announcing, Return, O backsliding children [Jer. 3:14]. Return unto Me, and I will return unto you [Mal. 3:7], when they did not repent, it said, I will return to my place [Hosea 5:15] (Midrash Rabbah, Lamentations 2:11)" [11]

There was yet another writer who recorded the fact of the "Shekinah" presence of YEHOVAH God moving from the Temple in Jerusalem just before the war with the Romans. Josephus mentioned that in the Spring of 66 A.D. some astonishing events took place within the Temple. He recorded three miracles associated with YEHOVAH's "Shekinah" and the Temple, and each one showed clearly that the "Shekinah" was departing from the Holy of Holies. In Wars of the Jews 6.5.3 he stated,

"that a GREAT LIGHT shone over the altar for thirty minutes at 3 o'clock in the morning (a week before Passover in A.D. 66) and then it DEPARTED."

He said the sacred scribes interpreted this sign as a bad omen for the Temple. It was like the Shekinah Glory moving away from the Tabernacle in the wilderness as a sign to disassemble the Tabernacle and transport it to another location (ibid.)." 

Josephus goes on to say that "a few days later (during Passover itself) the enormous brass gates of Nicanor, requiring twenty men to open and close them, opened at midnight of their own accord" [12] This was also interpreted as showing a desolation coming upon the Temple. And then, on Pentecost, the final sign was given, which definitely showed that the Shekinah Glory was departing the Temple as the other signs indicated (ibid.):  

"Moreover, at the festival which is called Pentecost, the priests on entering the inner court of the Temple at nightfall, as their custom was in accomplishment of their ministrations, stated that they first became aware of a commotion and a roar, and after that the voice of a great multitude saying 'We are departing hence.'" [13]

When we couple Josephus' information with that of Rabbi Jonathan (also an eyewitness), we can see that the "Shekinah" went directly to the Mount of Olives and remained over the top of the mountain for 3 1/2 years (from late Spring in 66 A.D to about December of 69 A.D.), some eight months before the Temple was destroyed by the Romans. It then went back to heaven and had not returned to earth up to the time he wrote. 

These miraculous events had much more significance to the early Christians than may meet the eye today. Eusebius, as we have just seen, mentioned the importance of this removal of the Shekinah glory. It was clearly a sign that YEHOVAH's physical presence had departed from the Temple on the western hill of Jerusalem and had retreated to the Mount of Olives on the EAST, as the new place of His divine residence. This event of the "Shekinah" glory leaving the Temple and residing on the Mount of Olives became highly significant to the early Christians, because this is the mountain where YEHOVAH's holy "Shekinah" will RETURN in the near future!

Revelation 19 

Now what about the New Testament? Does the New Testament record the RETURN of YEHOVAH's Glory or "Shekinah" to this earth and to a NEW Temple in Jerusalem? Indeed it does, and in a passage that Christians (in their confusion) have taken to refer to the return of Yeshua the Messiah for more than 1,700 years! Incredible as it may seem, Satan has blinded millions over the centuries to the TRUE identity of the Person pictured in Revelation 19.   

"Then I heard what sounded like the roar of a huge crowd, like the sound of rushing waters, like loud peals of thunder, saying, 'Halleluyah! ADONAI [YEHOVAH, YHVH], God of Heaven's armies, has begun his reign!'...Then I saw heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. Sitting on it was the one called Faithful and True, and it is in righteousness that he passes judgment and goes to battle. His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on his head were many royal crowns. And he had a name written which no one knew but himself.

"He was wearing a robe that had been soaked in blood, and the name by which he is called is, 'THE WORD OF GOD.' The ARMIES OF HEAVEN, clothed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. And out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down nations -- 'He will rule them with a staff of iron.' It is he who treads the winepress from which flows the wine of the furious rage of ADONAI [YEHOVAH, YHVH], God of Heavens's armies. And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written: 'KING of kings and LORD of lords'" (19:6, 11-16). [14]  

YEHOVAH God the Father's future universal role on earth in the form of the physical "Shekinah" presence is a major theme of the Old Testament. Verse 6 above inaugurates YEHOVAH God the Father's Kingly reign on earth, although its establishment requires several stages:

• First is the RETURN OF THE MESSIAH in Revelation 10:1-7;

• Second the separation of YEHOVAH's true people (Revelation 11:1-2);
   

• Third the wedding feast of the Lamb (the Messiah) in Revelation 19:7-9;
   

• Climaxed by the RETURN OF YEHOVAH'S SHEKINAH PRESENCE (Revelation 19:11-15); then Satan must be chained (Revelation 20:1-3, 7-10), and only then does the Messiah actually rule as king over Israel and priest to his Father who resides in the new Third Temple in the form of the "Shekinah" presence (Revelation 20:4).

In order for the separation of YEHOVAH's people and wedding feast of the Lamb (Yeshua) to take place, the Messiah must FIRST return to this earth -- NOT afterwards as would be the case if Revelation 19 referred to the Messiah's return! 

In Titus 2:13 we are encouraged "to expect the blessed fulfillment of our certain hope, which is the appearing of the SH'KHINAH of our great God AND the appearing of our Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah" (Jewish New Testament). [15]  Verses 11-16 of Revelation 19 describe this eagerly awaited (by the early Christians) "Second Coming" of YEHOVAH God's holy "Shekinah," NOT the Second Coming of the Messiah, as millions have blindly assumed! 

The phrase "Faithful and True" in verse 11 has been correctly capitalized in all the translations I have seen, and denotes the ULTIMATE in faithfulness and truth -- which, of course, is YEHOVAH (YHVH) the Father. In Jeremiah 10:10 we read:

"But the LORD [YEHOVAH, YHVH] is the true God [more correctly, "God of truth" -- Elohim emet]; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, and the nations will not be able to abide His indignation."

The "God of truth" in the above verse is not primarily the God who reveals eternal truths, but the God who can be trusted to keep His covenant. The RETURN of the "Shekinah" Glory will be the faithful REAPPEARANCE of Him who has already appeared among men. This time He comes to bring the covenant promises to their final and full consummation.

In verses 12-13 of Revelation 19 we read -- "His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on His head were many [plural] royal crowns. And He had a name written which no one knew but Himself. He was wearing a robe that had been soaked in blood, and the name by which He is called is, 'THE WORD OF GOD'" (emphasis added).

"The Word of God"

The phrase "The Word of God" is thought by many to refer to Yeshua the Messiah -- and they try to link this phrase to the "logos" of John 1:1. However, there is absolutely NO justification for doing this. In fact, NOWHERE in the Bible does this phrase refer to the Messiah! In most cases in the New Testament, "the word of God" refers to the message or words revealed through the writings of the Old Testament or Torah. However, and note this, there are a few passages in the Bible that indicate a DIRECT communication from YEHOVAH God, through the "Shekinah," took place. Notice I Kings 12:22:  

"But the Word of God came to Shemaiah, the man of God: 'Say to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah, and to all the House of Judah and Benjamin and the rest of the people: Thus said the LORD [YEHOVAH, YHVH]: You shall not set out to make war on your kinsmen the Israelites. Let every man return to his home, for this thing has been brought about by Me.' They heeded the Word of the LORD [YEHOVAH] and turned back, in accordance with the Word of the LORD [YEHOVAH, YHVH -- emphasis added]" [16] 

Here "the Word of God" is clearly identified with "the Word of the LORD [YEHOVAH]," showing that "the Word of God" is the SAME as "the Word of the LORD" and is certainly indicated to be the "Shekinah" of the LORD [YEHOVAH] communicating with Shemaiah. 

Similarly, in I Chronicles 17, we read: "But that same night the Word of God came to Nathan: 'Go and say to My servant David: Thus said the LORD [YEHOVAH], YHVH]: You are not the one to build a house [Temple] for Me to dwell [shakan] in' (verses 3-4)." 

Once again, we find here that the phrase "the Word of God" is associated with YEHOVAH and indicates that He is communicating to Nathan the prophet by means of His holy "Shekinah." In the New Testament we read where "the word of God" came to John the Baptist -- 

"Annas and Caiaphas being high priests, the Word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: 

"'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Prepare the way of the LORD [YEHOVAH, YHVH],
Make His paths straight.'" 

Here we see that John the Baptist receives a direct communication from YEHOVAH God which tells him to "prepare the way of the LORD [YEHOVAH] -- thus linking the "word of God" with the One called YEHOVAH or YHVH. 

In Revelation 19:13 the phrase "The Word of God" is capitalized in the original Greek, thereby indicating the Rider of the white horse to be the physical "Shekinah" representation of YEHOVAH, a component of the same "force" that directly communicated with Shemaiah, Nathan and John the Baptist. 

In the first verses of the gospel of John in the New Testament we can find confirmation that the "Word of God" is, in fact, the Shekinah Glory of YEHOVAH. Since the publication of the King James Version of the Bible in 1611 this, and almost all versions that have stemmed from it, have attached the masculine gender to the Greek concept of the "Logos" to explain the presence of the Shekinah Glory at the Creation. Unfortunately, due to this gender change, and the modern Christian's lack of understanding of the Logos concept in the environment of first-century Greek philosophy, most have blindly taken the "Word" to mean a pre-existence of Yeshua the Messiah! Nothing could be further from the truth! 

Any one of the eight English translations of the Bible prior to 1611 (the Tyndale Bible (1535), the Matthew Bible (1535), the Taverner Bible (1539), the Great (Cranmer's) Bible (1539), the Whittingham Bible (1557), the Geneva Bible (1560) and Bishop's Bible (1568)) assign no gender to the "Word" and simply call it "it," such as in John 1:3: "By IT all things were made. Without IT nothing was made." The Coverdale Bible (1550) has "THE SAME" rather than "it." This seems like a strange way of referring to Yeshua the Messiah! 

This is further reinforced by the Aramaic version of the Bible [17] -- where the first verses of the gospel of John leave little doubt that the "Word" refers to YEHOVAH God's Shekinah Glory. Notice: 

Verse 1: In the beginning [of creation] there was the MANIFESTATION; and that MANIFESTATION was with God [YEHOVAH]; and God [YEHOVAH] was [the embodiment of] that MANIFESTATION.

Verse 2: This [the MANIFESTATION] was in the beginning with God [YEHOVAH]. 

Verse 3: Everything was within his [more correctly, IT'S] power, [otherwise] nothing would ever exist. 

Verse 4: Through him [IT, the MANIFESTATION] was life and life became the spark of humanity. 

Verse 5: And that [ensuing] fire [the MANIFESTATION] lights the darkness and darkness does not overshadow it [the MANIFESTATION]. 

This article has shown that the Shekinah Glory was the manifestation of YEHOVAH God the Father. If we replace the word "Manifestation" with the words "Shekinah Glory" in these verses of John, then we clearly see that "The Word of God" in Revelation 19:13 is none other than YEHOVAH'S Shekinah Glory! 

Verse 1: In the beginning [of creation] there was the SHEKINAH GLORY; and that SHEKINAH GLORY was with God [YEHOVAH]; and God [YEHOVAH] was [the embodiment of] that SHEKINAH GLORY. 

Verse 2: This [the SHEKINAH GLORY] was in the beginning with God [YEHOVAH]. 

Verse 3: Everything was within his [IT'S -- the SHEKINAH GLORY'S] power, [otherwise] nothing would ever exist. 

Verse 4: Through him [IT, the SHEKINAH GLORY] was life and life became the spark of humanity. 

Verse 5: And that [ensuing] fire [the SHEKINAH GLORY] lights the darkness and darkness does not overshadow it [the SHEKINAH GLORY]. 

Of course, this is not to say that the translation of the book of John in the King James Version, and all those that are based on it, are wrong. It just means that we don't understand the idiom of John's day and we get all confused with the Greek concept of the Logos that John uses to get his point across. John nowhere indicates that this "Word" or "Logos" is anything else but the Shekinah Glory of YEHOVAH God! 

Finally, in Revelation 1:2, "the Word of God" is clearly separated from the Messiah. Notice:  

This is the revelation which God gave to Yeshua the Messiah, so that he could show his servants what must happen very soon. He communicated it by sending his angel to his servant Yochanan [John], who bore witness to the Word of God AND to the testimony of Yeshua the Messiah..." 

"The Armies of Heaven"

The next verse, verse 14 of Revelation 19, states that "the armies of Heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and pure, were following Him [Adonai, YEHOVAH -- see verse 6] on white horses." Throughout the New Testament the "armies of heaven" are ALWAYS associated with, and are commanded by, ADONAI, who, according to the plain words of the apostle James, is THE FATHER! "With it [the tongue] we bless ADONAI, the Father; and with it we curse people, who were made in the image of God" (James 3:9). [18] Further, in Ephesians 1:3, this is echoed when Paul says, "Praised be ADONAI, Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah..." 

In Revelation 1:8 we find written: "I am the 'A' and the 'Z' ('Alpha' and the 'Omega')," says ADONAI [YEHOVAH, YHVH], God of Heaven's armies, the One [ADONAI] who is, who was and who is coming." Again, in Revelation 4:8: "Holy, holy, holy is ADONAI, God of Heaven's armies, the One who was, who is and who IS COMING." Also, in Revelation 11:16: "We thank you, ADONAI [YEHOVAH, YHVH], God of Heaven's armies, the One who is and was, that you have taken your power [in the form of the 'Shekinah'] and have begun to rule" [on Earth after His coming in Revelation 19]. 

We have just read In verse 14 of Revelation 19 that "the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him [the rider of the white horse] on white horses." This makes the rider of the white horse the leader or commander of heaven's armies. If we now turn to Joshua 5:13 to 15 we come face to face with such a mysterious figure. This character is self-described as the “commander of the armies of the LORD.” (Joshua 5:14 ESV) After giving Joshua the aforementioned title, we notice an immediate change in the character of Joshua.

Joshua appears ready to draw the sword and do battle with this stranger, but quickly falls to the ground in reverence while in the presence of this entity. This chain of events leads to the obvious question; Who exactly is this "commander of the army of the LORD"? After Joshua receives the title of the stranger on his way to Jericho the text says he “…fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” (Joshua 5:14) In this text we see an Israelite leader first encountering a stranger, only to shift to a position of divine reverence in the midst of the “LORD.”

In Exodus 3, we read that Moses ascends Mount Horeb and encounters a bush that is burning but not consumed. After YEHOVAH God reveals Himself to Moses, YEHOVAH commands Moses, “take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). Similarly, we read of Joshua (5:15) receiving a verbatim command by the "commander of the army of the LORD." YEHOVAH’s presence, both with Moses at the burning bush and with Joshua outside of Jericho, becomes the unifying reasoning for this act of removing the sandal.

After comparing the textual evidence presented by both Moses and Joshua, the true identity of the "commander of the army of the LORD" begins to take shape. These events aren’t merely encounters with a mysterious stranger, but encounters with YEHOVAH God Himself. And since the rider of the white horse in Revelation 19 is leading (commanding) the "armies in heaven (armies of the LORD), this figure is clearly YEHOVAH God Himself!

The "commander of the army of the LORD" gave Joshua the command to take off his sandals because Joshua was standing on holy ground. Within the being of the "commander" was the presence of YEHOVAH. Joshua, like Moses before him, immediately shifts to a posture from surprise to reverence upon realizing he is in an audience with YEHOVAH God.

Similar encounters have been found within the entire text of the Old Testament, from Genesis, to Exodus, and beyond. By studying the textual evidence presented in such encounters as Joshua’s, we can develop a full picture of the character and nature of these mysterious figures. The "commander" can be seen as an appearance of YEHOVAH God in a form that allows a face-to-face transmission of YEHOVAH’s commands to Joshua and the Israelites.

Similarly, the purpose of the "commander"’ can be rationalized as a physical extension of YEHOVAH’s promise to always be with and lead His people Israel against adversity. These dueling ideas can be used together to answer the question; Who is the “commander of the army of the LORD” in Joshua 5:14?

When we add all these proofs up, the clear and astounding TRUTH is that Revelation 19 pictures the glorious return of YEHOVAH God's "SHEKINAH" Presence to this Earth to rule, with the Messiah directly under Him, from the new Third Temple in Jerusalem. May YEHOVAH hasten that day!

I don't wish to seem redundant, but the One on the white horse leading the armies of heaven to this earth is YEHOVAH THE FATHER in His "Shekinah" form, NOT Yeshua the Messiah!

Role Reversal?

Moving now to verse 16 of Revelation 19, we read: "And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written: 'KING of kings and LORD of lords.'" These titles denote the ultimate in praise that can be bestowed and, therefore, must be titles of YEHOVAH the Father. Throughout the New Testament the Messiah indicates that the Father was far GREATER than he -- see John 14:28 for example. Also, if we examine the original Greek for "King of kings and Lord of lords," we will quickly discover that the first "King" and the first "Lord" in this title both start with upper case letters, showing Him to be the ULTIMATE "KING" of all kings and the ULTIMATE "LORD" of all lords.

Some argue that the Lamb (Yeshua the Messiah) depicted in Revelation 17:14 also has these titles and must, as a result, be the Rider of the horse represented in Revelation 19. But, once again, if we closely examine the original Greek we will, first of all, find that the title is REVERSED from that in Revelation 19 and reads instead "lord of lords and king of kings." Then we will notice that the first "lord" and the first "king" of the title are lower case in the Greek, showing that Yeshua was (as pictured here in Revelation 17:14) NOT the ultimate "LORD of lords" or the ultimate "KING of kings." He is a LOWER "lord of lords" and "king of kings," which entirely agrees with the Messiah's statement that his Father was greater than he. 

The title in Revelation 19:16 expresses YEHOVAH (YHVH) the Father's ruler-ship over all creation and all the kings and lords therein. It is equivalent to the phrase "King of kings of kings" which the Jewish Siddur (prayer book) applies to YHVH in this song which introduces the Sabbath in many Jewish homes --  

"Welcome, ministering angels, messengers from the Most High, from the King of kings of kings, the HOLY ONE, blessed be he. Come in peace...bless me with peace,...go in peace..." [19]

The Far Greater Hope 

For centuries Christians, and even the Churches of YEHOVAH God, have been thoroughly confused over the two events pictured in Revelation 10 and 19, and placed their hope and expectations and yearnings on the return of Yeshua the Messiah, while relegating YEHOVAH (YHVH) and His return to the dust bin! While the return of the Messiah is not to be minimized, the FAR GREATER, earthshaking, awesome mind-reeling event is that of the "SHEKINAH" GLORY RETURNING TO THIS EARTH to reside and rule from the Temple in Jerusalem! THIS is the event pictured in Revelation 19. All the prophets of the Old Testament clearly predicted a visible, awesome, literal manifestation of the "Shekinah" Glory of YEHOVAH once again. This we see in Revelation 19.

Writes James Tabor: 

"Much too often Christians have allowed themselves to hastily read through the texts, all the while assuming that when the prophets write of YEHOVAH Himself acting in decisive ways, they actually refer to His Messiah. How often have you heard preachers and ministers say that 'when Jesus returns, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives.' Unfortunately, this is careless and unscholarly exegesis. As you can plainly see, after reading all the texts I have laid out, the prophets always maintain a clear distinction between the dramatic appearance of the LORD God (YHVH) in Revelation 19, and the coming of the Messiah in Revelation 10:1-7, and his subsequent rule over Israel UNDER YEHOVAH God." (Emphasis ours). [20]

The prophets understood this dramatic, personal intervention of YEHOVAH in history as a RETURN or "Second Coming." We read in Haggai that YEHOVAH declares: "once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land (2:6)." Isaiah clearly yearns for this time to arrive:  

"Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at Your [Shekinah] presence -- as fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil -- to make Your name known to Thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your Presence! When You did awesome things which we did not expect, You did come down, the mountains quaked at Thy ['Shekinah'] presence. For from of old they have not heard nor perceived by ear, neither has the eye seen a God besides You, who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him" (Isaiah 64:1-4). 

Also, in Isaiah 24, the prophet proclaims --  

"Behold, YEHOVAH lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface, and scatters its inhabitants...They raise their voices, they shout for joy. They cry out from the west concerning the majesty of YEHOVAH. Therefore glorify YEHOVAH in the east, the name of YEHOVAH, the God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea...So it will happen in that day, that YEHOVAH will punish the host of heaven, on high, and the kings of the earth, on Earth...Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, for YEHOVAH of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion AND in Jerusalem, and His glory ["Shekinah" presence] will be before His elders...For behold, YEHOVAH is about to come out from His Place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; and the earth will reveal her bloodshed, and will no longer cover her slain" (Isaiah 24, selected verses)." 

The prophets were thinking back to the time of Moses and the unprecedented events in Egypt and at Mount Sinai, when YEHOVAH God dramatically judged the nation of Egypt and freed the Israelites from slavery. There, at Mount Sinai, all Israel experienced the awesome, visible, dramatic, manifestation of the Presence (literally, "face") and GLORY OF YEHOVAH God.

Explains Dr. James Tabor,

"The Torah is most explicit regarding this unprecedented experience. Nothing like this had ever happened before, or has happened since. YEHOVAH Himself appeared to the people in a fiery cloud-like pillar; they actually heard His voice and saw His Glory (Exodus 19:18-19; 20:18-21; 40:34-38; Numbers 14:14). The very purpose of the Tabernacle (literally, 'dwelling place') was to provide a locus for this extraordinary manifestation of YEHOVAH." [21] 

We have seen Ezekiel report that this Presence ("Glory") of YEHOVAH God departed shortly before the Exile. Ezekiel understood this in the most LITERAL way, actually describing the cloud-like "Shekinah" moving through the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem, up the Mount of Olives, and away (Ezekiel 10:18-19; 11:22-23). In Deuteronomy 31:17 this "departure" is called the "hiding of the Face of YEHOVAH." To fully understand this teaching of Scripture, I have endeavored to show the DISTINCTION between the general presence of God (which is always with His creation) and this VERY SPECIFIC, literal, awesome, visible, manifestation of the Divine Glory or "Shekinah." 

In that sense YEHOVAH God departed from this planet, and in that sense all the prophets, including John, tell of His return. In other words, they clearly point to and predict a visible, earthshaking, LITERAL, manifestation of the holy "Shekinah" (Glory of YEHOVAH God) once again. For the righteous this will bring great rejoicing, but for all the wicked this will cause terror and the fear of judgment. 

I have also tried to point out that the Scriptures show a definite focus on the EAST. On the EAST side of Jerusalem is the Mount of Olives. From this sacred area the holy "Shekinah" (Glory of YEHOVAH) departed, and it is HERE that it will return. This clearly connects to the passage in Zechariah that predicts "on that day His [YEHOVAH God's] feet will stand on the Mount of Olives (14:4)." 

This area -- EAST from the Temple in the City of David and including the Mount of Olives -- is evidently the El Bethel (not the northern town of Bethel), where the patriarch Jacob had his vision of the ladder going up to heaven. He identified this place as awesome and sacred, and none other than the portal or "gate of heaven." Evidently Jacob was lying in the City of David area and facing EAST, looking in his dream at the summit of the Mount of Olives (Genesis 28:17; 35:5-8). 

YEHOVAH the Father Himself will return to Zion in His Shekinah glory, acting personally and directly to punish the wicked and rule as King over all nations. This is the day pictured in Revelation 19 that we should be waiting for with increasing expectations and excitement. Let's retrieve YEHOVAH GOD from the dust bin and give Him His rightful place in the scheme of things, as well as the greater praise and adoration that is His due, not forgetting to stay awake for the earlier return of His first-born Son and Servant, Yeshua the Messiah!

Footnotes:

[1] The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures. Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., Brooklyn, New York, 1969.

[2] Stern, David H., Jewish New Testament. Jewish New Testament Publications, Clarksville, MD 1994.

[3] Encyclopedia Judaica, Volume 14, pp. 1349-1351.

[4] Abegg, Flint & Ulrich, The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible, First Edition. HarperSanFrancisco, 1999. Exodus 13:20-21. 

[5] Miller, Fred P., Zechariah and Jewish Renewal: From Gloom to Glory. Moellerhaus Books, 1992.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Arvidson, Gary, In Search of King David's Tomb & Treasure, Second Edition. Great Kings Discovery Project, Federal Way, WA 98063, 2002, p.60.

[8] Josephus, Flavius, "Antiquities of the Jews" 16.7.1. The Complete Works of Josephus, translated by William Whiston. Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI, 1981, p. 345.

[9] Martin, Ernest L., Secrets of Golgotha. ASK Publications, Alhambra, CA, 1988, p. 83.

[10] Eusebius, Proof of the Gospel, Book VI, Chapter 18 (288).

[11] Martin, Ernest L., Secrets of Golgotha. ASK Publications, Alhambra, CA, 1988, p. 84.

[12] Josephus, Flavius, "Wars of the Jews" 6.5.3. The Complete Works of Josephus, translated by William Whiston. Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI, 1981, p. 582.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Stern, David H., Jewish New Testament. Jewish New Testament Publications, Clarksville, MD 1994. Revelation 19:6, 11-16.

[15] Ibid., Titus 2:13.

[16] Tanakh The Holy Scriptures. The Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, Jerusalem. 1985.

[17] Aramaic English New Testament. Netzari Press LLC, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284, 2012.

[18] Stern, David H., Jewish New Testament. Jewish New Testament Publications, Clarksville, MD 1994. James 3:9.

[19] Stern, David H., Jewish New Testament Commentary, 4th Edition. Jewish New Testament Publications, Clarksville, MD 1995, p. 840.

[20] Tabor, James D., The LORD (YHVH) God and His Messiah. Genesis 2000, Charlotte, NC 1992, p. 14.

[21] Ibid., p. 15.

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