Shekinah and Jesus

[Praxeas]

I can't help but see the similarities between the Jewish concept of Shekina and Jesus.

Shekinah is His Presence. Christ said "Where two or three are...I will be in the midst of you".

Images of Light, Spirit, Word/Memra and Glory are all connected to Shekina and Jesus even Wisdom.

The Shekinah dwelt in the Tabernacle.

Jesus is the Logos "tabernacled among us"...

And yet I have searched google and not found anyone else that teaches this

Here are some quotes on Shekinah

Closely related to the motif of the PRESENCE OF GOD are other motifs: “the angel of the Lord” (cf. Ex. 14:19; 23:20–23; 33:1–3; Isa. 63:9; see ANGEL II.C), the “glory” of the Lord (Ex. 40:34–38; Ezk. 1:28; 10:18f; 11:22f), the “word” (Isa. 55:10f), “wisdom” (Prov. 8), and “Spirit” of the Lord (Ezk. 2:2; 11:24). These reveal God’s presence and the means of His judgment and deliverance.

When Judaism came into contact with Hellenism (3rd cent B.C.), it developed a theological vocabulary. Instead of referring directly to God by His names and titles, it spoke of Him in circumlocutions. The concept of Shekinah proved useful as an in-between way of speaking about God as Spirit, wisdom, the word, etc. In the Jewish Aramaic versions any anthropomorphic expression was a candidate for a paraphrastic rendering; e.g., the Aramaic Targum renders “Yahweh” (“Lord”) or “God” by šeḵînâ, yeqārā˒ (“glory”), and mêmrā˒ (“word”). In Tg Onkelos God’s Shekinah is in the midst of His people: “And they shall make before me a sanctuary and I shall cause my Shekinah to dwell among them” (Ex. 25:8); God reveals Himself to Moses: “And the Lord caused his Shekinah to pass before him” (34:6). Thus the targumist avoids any allusion to God’s direct involvement in human affairs.

In the Mishnah, Midrashim, and Talmud, the Shekinah motif shows a theological rather than an apologetic development. The Shekinah, like the rays of the sun, is at many places at the same time (T.B. Sanhedrin 39a) and more present at some places than others. This explains Yahweh’s special presence at the burning bush, Mt. Sinai, the tabernacle, and the temple. The analogy also clarifies Israel’s special status, since the Shekinah was more real to the Israelites than to the Gentiles (T.B. Berakoth 7a; Shabbath 22b; Midr Nu. Rabbah vii.8) even after they had gone into exile (T.B. Megillah 29a). Moreover, the radiance of the Shekinah is more authentic wherever anyone practices the law of God (T.B. Menahoth 43b), or good works (T.B. Baba Bathra 10a) or is in need of the divine presence (T.B. Shabbath 12b; Sotah 17a). The Shekinah resists the proud, rebellious, sinful, and lazy (T.B. Berakoth 43b; Hagigah 16a; Shabbath 30b; Sotah 42a), but rests in large measure on the saintly, wise, leaders, affluent (!), and outstanding Jews (T.B. Shabbath 92a; Sotah 48b; Sukkah 28). Even the proselytes could find a special place (T.B. Shabbath 31a). Related designations of the Shekinah are “the Word” (mêmrā˒), “the Spirit,” “the Glory,” “the Light,” and “the wings of the Shekinah.” From the Tannaitic and Amoraic literature it is apparent that these designations of the Shekinah refer to none other than the Lord. As Urbach has observed, “a survey of all the passages referring to the Shekina leaves no doubt that the Shekina is no ‘hypostasis’ and has no separate existence alongside the Deity” (p. 63).


. Vol. 4: The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised. 1979–1988 (G. W. Bromiley, Ed.) (467). Wm. B. Eerdmans.

Compare

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 He was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Joh 1:4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Joh 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

1Jn 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life--
1Jn 1:2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us--
1Jn 1:3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1Jn 1:4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
1Jn 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Tit 2:13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

Joh 3:19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.

Joh 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Joh 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

Heb 1:2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
Heb 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

[renee819]

Praxaes, that makes for a great Bible study.

I too have wondered about the "Shekinah" but haven't done much study on it.
When I get a new printer, I will print that out for future study.

[Michael The Disciple]

This was my attempt at presenting this truth.

http://www.apostolicfriendsforum.com...ad.php?t=20514

[Revelationist]

The Jueist Kabola has information on the Shekinah. The Shekinah was the mother of God. And the would pray to her so they didn't have to face God.

[Truthseeker]

Isn't Shekinah some female goddess? I know would is not on bible that I know of.

[renee819]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

This was my attempt at presenting this truth.

http://www.apostolicfriendsforum.com...ad.php?t=20514

Michael, I went to the Post. That is a wonderful study. My next study.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Revelationist

The Jueist Kabola has information on the Shekinah. The Shekinah was the mother of God. And the would pray to her so they didn't have to face God.

Have any information concerning the above?

[Revelationist]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Have any information concerning the above?

You can find one online and read it for yourself. That's what I did.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Revelationist

The Jueist Kabola has information on the Shekinah. The Shekinah was the mother of God. And the would pray to her so they didn't have to face God.

I google that term and got nothing.

This topic pertains to how shekinah refers to the Presence of God. Here is, again, the information



SHEKINAH shə-kīʹnə [Heb šeḵînâ—‘dwelling’]. A circum-locution used in rabbinic literature to signify God’s presence. In reaction to Hellenism and paganism, Judaism attempted on the one hand to preserve the biblical notion of God’s presence while on the other hand emphasizing the vast gulf between the deity and mankind.

Although the word “Shekinah” does not occur in the Bible, the root škn occurs not only in the verb (“dwell”), but also in the noun miškān (“dwelling place,” “tabernacle”) and the name Shecaniah (“Yahweh dwells”; e.g., 1 Ch. 3:21f). The promise that God would dwell with mankind goes back to Noah’s blessing in Gen. 9:27: “God enlarge Japheth, may he [God] dwell in the tents of Shem” (cf. RSV “and let him [Japheth] dwell …”). The Aramaic Tg Onkelos renders this verse: “He will cause his Shekinah to dwell in the dwelling-place of Shem.”

Many passages in the Pentateuch affirm that the Lord came to dwell among His people Israel. First He revealed His glory-cloud (Ex. 13:21f), which represented His presence and protection in the wilderness (see PILLAR OF CLOUD AND PILLAR OF FIRE). The cloud came to rest at Mt. Sinai and formed a canopy for Moses as he communed with Yahweh and received the commandments (cf. 24:15–18). The purpose of the revelation about the construction of the TABERNACLE and the commencement of the priestly service (chs 25–31) was to ensure that Israel might be blessed by the divine presence in its midst: “And let them make a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. According to all that I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and all of its furniture, so you shall make it” (25:8f). The divine presence was a guarantee of the covenant: “And I will dwell among the people of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God” (29:45f; cf. Lev. 26:11f). Only the concept of Shekinah can explain the details of Israel’s cultic, moral, and civil laws. By these means God taught Israel how to live as a holy and clean people in His presence (cf. Nu. 5:3).

When the “tabernacle” (miškān) of the Lord was completed, it was crowned with the descent of the glory-cloud. The Pentateuch stresses that all Israel saw the cloud covering the tabernacle as evidence of the presence of the Lord’s glory (Ex. 40:34–38; Lev. 9:23f). Israel believed that the divine presence was particularly associated with the Most Holy Place, where Yahweh dwelt between the cherubim above the ark (1 S. 4:4; 2 S. 6:2; Ps. 80:1 [MT 2]; see ARK OF THE COVENANT VI). The Shekinah signified God’s presence and protection; thus when the ark was carried forward an early war hymn exclaimed, “Arise, O Lord and let thy enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee”; and when it rested the response was, “Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel” (Nu. 10:35f). Later in Israel’s history the location of the ark signified the place of the divine Shekinah — first at Shiloh (1 S. 4:4) and later in Jerusalem (2 S. 6:12–19). Yahweh revealed His glorious presence again through a cloud at the dedication of the Solomonic TEMPLE (1 K. 8:10f). Upon this occasion Solomon declared, “The Lord has set the sun in the heavens, but has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. I have built thee an exalted house, a place for thee to dwell in for ever” (1 K. 8:12f).

Closely related to the motif of the PRESENCE OF GOD are other motifs: “the angel of the Lord” (cf. Ex. 14:19; 23:20–23; 33:1–3; Isa. 63:9; see ANGEL II.C), the “glory” of the Lord (Ex. 40:34–38; Ezk. 1:28; 10:18f; 11:22f), the “word” (Isa. 55:10f), “wisdom” (Prov. 8), and “Spirit” of the Lord (Ezk. 2:2; 11:24). These reveal God’s presence and the means of His judgment and deliverance.
When Judaism came into contact with Hellenism (3rd cent B.C.), it developed a theological vocabulary. Instead of referring directly to God by His names and titles, it spoke of Him in circumlocutions. The concept of Shekinah proved useful as an in-between way of speaking about God as Spirit, wisdom, the word, etc. In the Jewish Aramaic versions any anthropomorphic expression was a candidate for a paraphrastic rendering; e.g., the Aramaic Targum renders “Yahweh” (“Lord”) or “God” by šeḵînâ, yeqārā˒ (“glory”), and mêmrā˒ (“word”). In Tg Onkelos God’s Shekinah is in the midst of His people: “And they shall make before me a sanctuary and I shall cause my Shekinah to dwell among them” (Ex. 25:8); God reveals Himself to Moses: “And the Lord caused his Shekinah to pass before him” (34:6). Thus the targumist avoids any allusion to God’s direct involvement in human affairs.

In the Mishnah, Midrashim, and Talmud, the Shekinah motif shows a theological rather than an apologetic development. The Shekinah, like the rays of the sun, is at many places at the same time (T.B. Sanhedrin 39a) and more present at some places than others. This explains Yahweh’s special presence at the burning bush, Mt. Sinai, the tabernacle, and the temple. The analogy also clarifies Israel’s special status, since the Shekinah was more real to the Israelites than to the Gentiles (T.B. Berakoth 7a; Shabbath 22b; Midr Nu. Rabbah vii.8) even after they had gone into exile (T.B. Megillah 29a). Moreover, the radiance of the Shekinah is more authentic wherever anyone practices the law of God (T.B. Menahoth 43b), or good works (T.B. Baba Bathra 10a) or is in need of the divine presence (T.B. Shabbath 12b; Sotah 17a). The Shekinah resists the proud, rebellious, sinful, and lazy (T.B. Berakoth 43b; Hagigah 16a; Shabbath 30b; Sotah 42a), but rests in large measure on the saintly, wise, leaders, affluent (!), and outstanding Jews (T.B. Shabbath 92a; Sotah 48b; Sukkah 28). Even the proselytes could find a special place (T.B. Shabbath 31a). Related designations of the Shekinah are “the Word” (mêmrā˒), “the Spirit,” “the Glory,” “the Light,” and “the wings of the Shekinah.” From the Tannaitic and Amoraic literature it is apparent that these designations of the Shekinah refer to none other than the Lord. As Urbach has observed, “a survey of all the passages referring to the Shekina leaves no doubt that the Shekina is no ‘hypostasis’ and has no separate existence alongside the Deity” (p. 63).


. Vol. 4: The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised. 1979–1988 (G. W. Bromiley, Ed.) (466–467). Wm. B. Eerdmans.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Truthseeker

Isn't Shekinah some female goddess? I know would is not on bible that I know of.

Read what I posted.

Shekinah is a word that refers to God's Presence here on earth, the "Glory Cloud". Don't confuse that with what some Pagans did later on with the term.