The Shechinah (Presence) of God

Certain important aspects of this topic are regarded as a controversial Issue for many Bible Commentators. Bible  Scripture confirms (Ezek. ch 10) that “The Shechinah Presence of God departed” from this World when His Kingdom (Israel) fell and was almost obliterated by the exile of both Houses of Israel, I.e. the 10-Tribed House of Israel as well as the House of Judah.  Proper understanding of this topic is vital for His People to know in order to properly prepare for the expected Return of His Shechinah at the Time of the Final Redemption (Geulah),  which most commentators agree is now upon us.  Christians on the other hand, have totally distorted the sacred concept of the Identity of the Creator God,  Who claims to be ONE, by defining His Shechinah as “the 3rd person of a 3-person Godhead’.

May this Review serve to shed light on this vitally important issue.

Departure of the Shechinah of God when the Kingdom of Israel was crashed by Him

The departure of the Shechinah of HaShem occurred just after the final episode of the Exile of the 10-Tribed House of Israel (720 BCE) and after the fall of the 1st Temple (586 BCE) and the exile of Judah to Babylon, after the disastrous crash of the Solomon World Empire when God pulled the carpet from beneath this flourishing Empire. The Rabbis teach that His Shechinah (Presence) departed – and is expected to Return at the Time of the Final Redemption, i.e. when the 2 Houses of Israel are to re-unite in Peace for the Final version of the Kingdom of HaShem from whence He will personally rule over the nations.  Clearly, the onus is on His People to repent, then  strive to comply with His Will (as defined by Torah),  and reconcile with each other in Pease in order to re-unite into establishing His 12-Tribed Restored Kingdom.

‘United Israel World Union’ was an organization founded by an observant Jew and ardent Zionist, David Horowitz of UN fame. He considered the Hebrew Scriptures alone as inspired by HaShem. He was one of the first commentators to publish and promote the re-uniting of 12-Tribed Israel (the 2 Houses of Israel) as far back as the first half of the previous century. His original vision is now being carried on by those he chose to succeed him and plans are to put his archives and writings of over 50 years on-line, see unitedisrael.org

In one of his enlightening commentaries the following enlightening remark is made by Horowitz regarding the Scriptural foundation for the departing of the Shechinah of HaShem at the breakup of the Kingdom under Solomon and the destruction of the 1^st Temple in Jerusalem:

“Ezekiel reports that this Presence (“Glory”) of HaShem departed shortly before the Exile. He understands this in the most literal way, actually describing the Cloud-like “Glory” moving through the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem, up the Mount of Olives, and away (Ezekiel 10:18-19; 11:22-23). This “departure” is known as the “hiding of the Face of HaShem ” (see Deuteronomy 31:17; compare Ezekiel 39:29). To understand this teaching of Scripture one has to make a distinction between the general presences of God, which is always with His creation, and this very specific, literal, awesome, visible, manifestation of the Divine Glory. In that sense God departed from this planet, and in that sense the Prophets all tell of His Return. In other words, they clearly predict a visible, awesome, literal, manifestation of the Glory of HaShem once again. For the wicked this will cause trembling terror and fear of judgment, for the righteous it will bring great rejoicing. The Prophets describe this arrival of HaShem in the most specific terms.

David Horowitz then raises the astounding question: will Mashiach ben David be the Personal Manifestation of HaShem Himself? We will discuss this further on in this review.

Previous departure of the Shechinah

Jewish Sages confirm from Scripture a previous departure of the Shechinah and from the Mouth of HaShem Himself; we are told why this occurred. We will then understand the awesome, mind shattering calamity of the reality that the Creator has to endure, that is, that His own creation rejects and discards Him and His Ways. As in the Days of Noah and the Tower of Bavel, the Creator regretted that He created humanity “and it grieved Him at His heart” (Gen. 6:6). Yet, He did not wipe out humanity totally.

We learn from Scripture later on in the historic record of Israel, that He simply rejected them “for a while” and the Divine Promise of a Total Redemption always loomed, “for the sake of David” who would rule over the Nations via His Universal Kingdom that He would establish.

When we fully grasp the implications of this rejection of God by His Creation and our own share in this guilt; we will have reason to truly repent and return to His Ways and ultimately sharing in His Kingdom Blessings.

It is for this reason that this event of the departed Shechinah needs to be clearly grasped by the striving soul.  Such understanding will bring personal realization of the immense grief that mankind has caused the Creator and how we may yet take part of His great kindness and love for His Creation. We will then also better understand the concept of Redemption and what it truly entails for His currently so destructively divided 12-Tribed nation.

So, let us consider first this previous departure of His Shechinah from the Nation during the ‘first’ Redemption from Egypt. We will then see that the same pattern of Redemption will occur at the Second Exodus and the Final Redemption, that is, when His People will have adhered to His Call to Return to the Land of Israel from the four corners of the Earth where they have been exiled.

YirmeYahu (Jeremiah) 16:14-21  “However, the days are coming,” declares HaShem, “when men will no longer say, ‘As surely as HaShem lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ 15 but they will say, ‘As surely as HaShem lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where He had banished them.’ For I will restore them to the land I gave their forefathers.”

For the Scriptural record of this previous departure of the Shechinah of the God of Israel from His People we turn to the Ramban’s introduction to the book of Exodus.

Source: www.aishdas.org/toratemet/en_pekudei.html

“The book of Exodus discusses the exile [i.e. the slavery in Egypt]… and Bnei Yisrael’s (the children of Israel’s) redemption from that exile… for the descent of the children of Yaakov to Egypt marked the beginning of that exile… and that exile does not end until they return to the spiritual level of their forefathers {as will be the same pattern in the End Time Final Redemption]… Even though Bnei Yisrael had left Egypt [i.e. physical redemption], they are not yet considered redeemed… [However,] when they reach Har Sinai and build the Mishkan (Tabernacle) , and G-d returns His Shechina to dwell among them, then they have returned to the spiritual level of their forefathers [spiritual redemption]… Therefore, the book of Exodus concludes with the topic of the Mishkan and the constant dwelling of G-d’s Glory upon it [for this marks the completion of the Redemption process].

“According to Ramban, the book of Exodus concludes with the story of the Mishkan because its construction marks the completion of Bnei Yisrael’s redemption [As it will do at the Final Redemption. The Temple is required for God to dwell with His People. The 2^nd departure of the Shechinah occurred because of the sins of both Houses of Israel and in this way their rejection of God. The 1^st Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Assyrians and the House of Judah exiled to Babylon. This was after the earlier exile of the 10 Northern Tribes (a.k.a. the House of Israel) from the Land for their rejection of Torah and idol worship. The Holy Land became desolate for the following 2000 years until the Times of the dawning of the Final Redemption (now in process). The Final Redemption will require similar Tikun (building of the 3^rd Temple, which requires the prophesied re-identifying of the Lost House of 10-Israel, their return to the Land and reconciliation of the 2 divided Houses of Israel. There can be no Redemption without this – and the onus is on the nation to bring this about].

“The Return of the Shechinah [at the Time of the 1^st Exodus] did not occur automatically. To bring the Shechinah back, it would be necessary for Israel to do something; they must actively and collectively involve themselves in the process of building the Mishkan.

“In other words, Israel required what we might call ‘spiritual rehabilitation.’ Their collective participation in the construction of the Mishkan helped repair the strain in their relationship with G-d brought about by the sin of the Golden Calf. Or, using more ‘kabalistic’ terminology, the construction of the Mishkan functioned as a “tikun” for the Golden Calf.

“For example, note the Torah’s use of the word   “Vayakhel – And he gathered” (Exodus 35:1) [for the purpose of building the Mishkan, (to serve as) a “tikun” for that original (sinful act of) gathering to build the Golden Calf. As opposed to that earlier assembly, Israel now gathers to build the proper symbol of G-d’s presence. [We have here a clear metaphor for the End Time Final Redemption when the exiles (of all 12 Tribes) will regather from the four corners of earth where they have been exiled for the sin of forgetting and rejecting Torah and serving idols].

“Similarly, the commandment for the people to donate their gold and other belongings for this project (see 35:5) can be viewed as a “tikun” for Aharon’s solicitation of the people’s gold for the Calf (32:2-3). This concept of “tikun” for the Golden Calf finds further support in the very conclusion of the book of Exodus.  When Moshe had finished his work, the cloud covered the tent of gathering and G-d’s glory filled the Mishkan. (Exodus 40:34)

“This verse describes the dwelling of the Shechinah on the Mishkan in the exact same terms used to depict the dwelling of the Shechinah on Mt. Sinai:

“When Moshe ascended the mountain [to receive the first tablets], the cloud covered the mountain, and G-d’s glory dwelled upon Mt. Sinai…” (Exodus 24:15-16)

“Clearly, the Torah intentionally parallels, thereby associating, the descent of the Shechinah onto Mt. Sinai with the dwelling of the Shechinah on the Mishkan. Only after Israel meticulously completes the construction of the Mishkan – precisely ‘as G-d commanded Moshe’ – does the Shechinah return to Israel and dwell therein (Exodus 40:34), just as it had dwelled on Mt. Sinai.

“The building of the Mishkan demonstrated their having earned this status on their own, thereby maturing away from the status of escaped slaves into the status of deserving, holy people.”

Why the separation of the Shechinah of HaShem from His People?

Exodus ch. 33, confirms this previous departure and separation of the Shechinah Glory and also gives the Divine Statement as to the reason. We will extract only a few salient statements here – please read the entire chapter for yourself.

Ex. 33:1 “And HaShem spoke unto Moses: ‘Depart, go up hence, thou and the people that thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the Land of which I swore unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying: ‘Unto thy seed will I give it…’

5 ”And HaShem said unto Moses: ‘Say unto the children of Israel: Ye are a stiffnecked people; if I go up into the midst of thee for one moment, I shall consume thee;

7 “Now Moses used to take the Tent and to pitch it without the camp, afar off from the camp; and he called it the Tent of meeting. And it came to pass, that every one that sought HaShem went out unto the tent of meeting, which was without the camp.

9 “And it came to pass, when Moses entered into the Tent, the pillar of cloud descended, and stood at the door of the Tent; and [HaShem] spoke with Moses.

10 “And when all the people saw the Pillar of cloud stand at the door of the Tent, all the people rose up and worshipped, every man at his tent door.”

Clear evidence that HaShem can only be present with and amongst us when we conform to His requirements. Thus, in order for His Shechinah to Return:  He will NOT force Himself unto us – we have to repent, conform and make Tikun for our former failures, We have to work for peaceful  reconciliation and re-uniting of His nation – thus building His Temple so that He can dwell with us. This Tikun refers to the agony of rejection that we have caused our Creator, starting from our forefathers and ending with our own rejection of His True Torah Way.

To be continued – contemplating a probable link-up between the Shechinah and Messiah ben David Who is to come as the ruling King at the Time of the Final Redemption.

 Continue to Part 2