Shekhinah
The The ancient language of the Jewish people. The language of the Torah, the Temple and the modern state of Israel. word Divine presence in Judaism; the word used to refer to God’s presence in the world. is used to describe the presence of God in the world today.
Divine presence in the Torah
Although the actual word Shekhinah does not appear in the Hebrew scriptures, there are several places in the Law; teaching. The word Torah can be used in a narrow sense to mean the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (The Five Books of Moses) and also in a wider sense to include the whole of the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud. where a divine presence among humans is described:
- The first book of the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) describing the origins of humanity and humans’ relationship with God. describes the presence of God in the The garden of Eden, used by Jews to mean heaven or paradise. when Adam and Eve eat from the Tree of Life.
- God’s presence guides The man chosen by God to save the Jews from slavery and take them to the promised land. In the Qur'an he is a messenger chosen by God to give the revelation of the Torah to the Israelites. through the wilderness to the The land promised by God to Abraham (Genesis 15:18), Moses, and the Israelites. Also known as the Land of Israel..
- God instructed Moses to build a In Judaism, the portable shelter for the Ark of the Covenant, which held the laws given by God to Moses and was used by the Israelites during the Exodus. In Christianity, a cabinet on the altar in some churches that holds the sacrament (bread or host) for Holy Communion., a portable temple, where he could
dwell among them (Exodus 25:8).
Book of Chronicles
Once the The descendants of the patriarchs who lived in the land of Canaan, which is also called the Land of Israel. reached the Promised Land, the Tabernacle became the The central place of Jewish worship in Jerusalem from biblical times until AD70. in The capital city of Israel when Jesus was alive. The city where he was crucified, buried and rose again.. The Book of Chronicles teaches Jews that when King Solomon dedicated the Temple, God’s presence (Shekhinah) came to dwell there:
When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the Temple.