certain that the ark was still the special symbol of God's presence and power (Josh, iii, iv, vi ; 1 Sam. iv; Psa. Ixviii, 1 sq. ; comp. with Numb, x, 35; Psa. cxxxii, 8; Ixxx, 1; xcix, 1 ), and since such passages as 1 Sam. iv, 4, 21, 22; 2 Sam. vi, 2; Psa. xcix, 7; 2 Kings xix, 15, seem to ini[ily the continued manifestation of (iod's pres- ence in the cloud between the cherubim, and inasmuch as Lev. xvi, 2 seemed to promise so much, and as more general expressions, such as Psa. ix, 11; cxxxii, 7, 8, 13, 14; Ixxvi, 2; Isa. viii, 18, etc., thus acquire much more point, we may perha()s conclude that the cloud did continue, though with shorter or longer interruptions, to dwell between "the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy-seat" until the destruction of the Temple by Nebuchadnezzar.
The allusions in the New Test, to the Shechinah are not unfrequent. Thus, in the account of the nativity, the words " Lo, the angel of the Lord came ujion them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them" (Luke ii. 9), followed by the apparition of "the multi- tude of the heavenly host," recall the appearance of the divine glory on Sinai, when "He shined forth from Paran, and came with ten thousands of saints" (Deut. xxxiii, 2; comp. Psa. Ixviii, 17; Acts vii, 53; Heb. ii, 2; Ezek. xliii, 2). The "God of glory" (Acts vii, 2, 55), "the cherubim of glory" (Heb. ix, 5), "the glory" (Pom. ix,4), and other like passages, are distinct rel'er- ences to the manifestations of the glory in the Old Test. It ajijieared at the baptism and transtiguration of Jesus, and is called the excellent glory by Peter (2 Pet. ii, 10). When we read in John i, 14 that "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us {iaKi]vwaiv iv vi^h'), and we beheld his glory ;" or in 2 Cor. xii, 9 " that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (tTrioKri- viony tn tftt) ; or in Kev. xxi, 3, " Behold the taber- nacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them" (>} (TKt]vi) Toil Gfoi) . . . Kal GKip wgu ^tT al'Twt'), we have not only references to the Shechinah (the Greek (TKij7')i being itself, perhaps, an echo of the Heb. '^V, gJiakdn'), but are distinctly taught to connect it with the incarnation and future coming of ISIessiah, as type with antitype. Nor can it be doubted that the con- stant connection of the second advent with a cloud, or clouds, and attendant angels points in the same direc- tion (Matt, xxvi, 64; Luke xxi, 27; Acts i, 9, 11; 2 Thess. i, 7, 8 ; Kev. i, 7).
It should also be specially noticed that the attend- ance of angels is usually associated with tlie Shechi- nah. Tliese are most frequently called (Ezek. x, xi) cherubim; but sometimes, as in Isa. vi, seraphim (comp. Kev. iv, 7, 8). In Exod. xiv, 19 " the angel of God" is spoken of in connection with the cloud, aiul in Deut. xxxiii, 2 the descent upon Sinai is described as being "with ten thousands of saints" (comp. Psa. Ixviii, 17; Zech. xiv, o). The predominant association, however, is with the cherubim, of which the golden cherubim on the mercy -seat were the representation. This gives force to the interpretation that has been put upon Gen. iii, 24 (Jems. Targum) as being the earliest notice of the Shechinah, under the symbol of a pointed flame, dwelling between the cherubim, and constituting that local presence of the Lord from which Cain went forth, and before which the worship of Adam and succeed- ing patriarchs was performer! (see Hale, ChronoL ii, 94; Smith, Sdcr. Anmil. i, 173, 176, 177). Parkhurst went so far as to imagine a tabernacle containing the cheru- bim and the glory all the time from Adam to Moses {Hch.Lex. p. 623). It is, however, pretty certain that the various apjjearances to Abraham and that to INloses in the bush were manifestations of the Divine Majesty similar to those later ones to which the term Shechi- nah is applied (see especially Acts vii, 2). — Smith.
3. From the tenor of these texts it is evident that the Most High, whose essence no man hath seen or can see, was pleased anciently to manifest himself to the eyes of men b3' an external visible symbol. As to the
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precise mitiire of the phenomenon thus exhibited we can only saj' that it appears to have lieen a concen- trated glowing brightness, a preternatural sjilendor, an eft'ulgent something, which was ajipropriately express- ed by the term "glory;" but whether in pbilosojihical strictness it was material or immaterial it is i)robably impossible to determine. A luminous object of this de- scription seems intrinsically the most aiipropriate sym- bol of that Being of whom, perhaps in allusion to this very mode of manifestation, it is said that '■ he is light" and that '• he dwelleth in light unap])roachable, and full of glory." The presence of such a sensible repre- sentation of Jehovah seems to be absolutely necessary in order to harmonize what is fre(iuently said of "see- ing (iod" with the truth of his nature as an incorpo- real and essentially invisible spirit. While we are told in one place that " no man hath seen God at any time," we are elsewhere informed that Moses and Aaron and the seventy elders "«««» the God of Israel" when called up to the summit of the holy mount. So, also, Isaiah says of himself (vi, 1, 5) that " in the year that king Uzziah died he suw the Lord sitting upon his throne," and tliat, in consequence, he cried out, ''I am undone; for mine eyes have seen the Lord of hfists." In these cases it is obvious that the object seen was not God in his essence, but some external, visible symbol which, because it stood for God, is called by liis name.