Now, we have assigned our own meanings to many words in the Scriptures. But the Gospels and Epistles were written by Jews and so these words and concepts need to be understood as they knew and understood them when they were written. The Ruach Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit) is the power of God (Acts 1.8). It is associated with God only and the power was conveyed by action on the part of God. The manifestations of the Holy Spirit are healing; prophecy; tongues; interpretation of tongues; the word of knowledge; the word of wisdom; miracles; the discernment of spirits and faith. These are not charismatic gifts but manifestations of the Holy Spirit (Ruach). Each are associated actions of God and power. God does something and it is manifested in power.
Romans 12 has what is called the “charismatic gifts” which are given by God’s grace (Hebrew “chessed” and in Greek “charis”). These are freely given by God and one is born with these. Everyone has at least one, but don’t confuse them with the Ruach (power) gifts. We come along and believe in Yeshua and it is then that we receive the Shekinah (presence). The Ruach (power) comes at a separate time, although some have received them at the same time they believed, but that is not the norm.
In Hebrew thought, all these manifestations are looked at as prophecy. So, we need to understand a few points. The Kivod (glory) came and went, it did not “indwell”, the Shekinah did. In John 20.22 it says that the Lord “breathed” the Holy Spirit on the talmidim (disciples), but it was not the Ruach (that came days later in Acts 2) but the Shekinah, the indwelling presence of God. Fifty days later the Ruach Ha Kodesh fell in power on these same believers as they were gathered in the Temple for the festival of Shavuot. Both the Shekinah and the Ruach were translated as “pneuma” in Greek and this caused some confusion when you compared the two verses.
When the Lord says that he will never leave us or forsake us, he is talking about the Shekinah. In Matt 18.15-20 Yeshua is giving the talmidim authority to have a court (called a Beit Din=House of Judgment) and when he says “where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst” he is talking about the Shekinah. It is not talking about prayer, but the judgments you might have to make in a congregational court setting (Deut 17.9-11; Matt 16.19, 23.1-3; 1 Cor 6.1-6). When the believers in the first century saw these things happening, remember they were raised in these concepts and expectations and they knew about being empowered by the Ruach when the Messiah came. They couldn’t believe they were actually seeing this come to pass, not knowing what is going on and saying, “What does this mean” (Acts 2.12)? The concepts they knew, and the timing was perplexing, but they did expect it.
When believers in the first century received the Shekinah, the Ruach coming in power was expected. With those unfamiliar with these concepts, the Ruach didn’t happen for one reason or another (Acts 19.1-7). Today, false teaching, misunderstanding and being afraid keeps people from experiencing what should be a natural flow of events. Not knowing the difference between the Kivod and Shekinah and their concepts has really put trash in the river and slowed down the flow of living water to a trickle. What we need to do is pull out all the trash so we can operate in fullness.
The word “Shekinah” is a feminine word and in Hebrew thought it is the light that goes before the torch. The Shekinah is used in Hebrew imagery as a bride, daughter and queen. God’s relationship with the bride is related to the Shekinah, who is called the “bride” in Rev 21.9-10. The union between man and wife is a picture of the union between God and the believer, and teaches intimacy. When man receives the Shekinah, this union is holy and we are set apart to God with a “kedusha.” Moses is a picture of Messiah, empowered by God as a prophet and a deliverer.
In Num 11.25 we have Moses taking seventy elders up Sinai to meet with the Lord. Then the Spirit (Ruach) that was upon Moses was also put on the seventy elders, but it did not diminish what Moses had. Moses said he wished that everyone was filled with the Spirit (Num 11.26-29) and this was seen as a prophecy of what was to come in the “Yom’ot Mashiach” or the “days of the Messiah” and it did, starting in Acts 2. When a person becomes a true believer they receive the Shekinah. The Kivod (glory/radiance) can come and go. The Kivod can be felt and can be seen. Yeshua had this in its fullness from birth. He had the Shekinah at his conception and the Ruach came upon him when he was immersed by Yochanon.
The Urim V’ Thumim means “lights and perfections.” It was the manifestation upon the High Priest that allowed him to have direct communication with the Lord using them. There is debate as to what these really were, but everyone agrees that the High Priest could communicate directly with the Lord. God’s love would be seen as the light of God in us. The “perfect” in 1 Cor 13.10 is related to the Messianic Kingdom with its “light” and “perfections.” Remember, whenever you see “spirit” you must find out if it’s the Ruach or Shekinah, because both words are translated with the Greek “pneuma.” Not knowing this simple concept has caused much confusion within some Christian denominations.
Some have read verses that say a believer has the Holy Spirit when they believe and others say it comes with power later, called “the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.” However, the Greek word “pneuma” was used for the Holy Spirit and the Shekinah in Hebrew, but they are two different manifestations. A believer does not have the Holy Spirit in power (Ruach Ha Kodesh) at the new birth, they have the indwelling presence of God called the Shekinah. By not understanding this, many believers thought they had the Ruach and short-changed themselves, missing out on the power of God. You determine which word is applicable in a verse by how it is used. If the Spirit has come “upon” you and there is power, it is the Ruach Ha Kodesh. If it is “in” you, it is the Shekinah. Again, they are two different manifestations.
The word “cloud” is associated with the Shekinah and believers (Dan 7.13-15; Isa 60.8). In Hebrew, there are masculine and feminine words that describe the attributes of God, just like marriage. In John 1.2 we have “light” associated with “life” and the life is associated with the Kivod (glory of God). Therefore, Kivod is associated with life and the life was the light of man. As a result, the Kivod (glory) is associated with the resurrection and life (John 7.39) and the transfiguration (Luke 9.28-36). That is why the Kivod was seen at the wedding in Cana. After six days (John 1.19-51) Yeshua goes to this wedding and on the seventh day his glory is seen (John 2.1-11).
Eschatologically, after six thousand years (called the Olam Ha Zeh, or “this present age”), there will be a resurrection in the seventh day, then a wedding. Miracles and the Kivod (glory) will be seen then, just like in our passages in John just mentioned. Now, what is a miracle? It is the manifestation of the Ruach (1 Cor 12.7-11) and through that manifestation the “glory” or Kivod is seen. When Yeshua is resurrected, the believers could now receive the Shekinah. Then fifty days later they could receive the Ruach Ha Kodesh in power (Acts 1.8, 2.1-4), and the Kivod (Acts 2.3). The talmidim received the Shekinah in John 20.22 and then the Ruach and Kivod, but some believers received all three at the same time in Acts 2.
In the Temple, there were items in the Holy Place that pictured these things. The Shulchan Ha Lechem Ha Pannim was the “Table of the Bread of the Faces (of God)” and this symbolized the Shekinah (presence). The Menorah symbolized the “light” or Kivod, and the Mizbe’ach Shell Zahav (Golden Altar of Incense) symbolized the Shekinah also because there was a cloud of incense. In the Messianic Kingdom, glorified believers will have all these things in their fullness (1 Cor 13.9-12. We will be resurrected (perfect) and see God “face to face” (the Shekinah or presence), just like when the High Priest would go into the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur. An idiom for Yom Kippur is “face to face” because the High Priest would go into the Holy of Holies with a censor that had incense on hot coals, making a cloud or covering. This is associated with the Shekinah. When Messiah would come, the people expected the Kingdom of Heaven (God) and the restoration of these things. This is exactly what happened (Acts 1.1-9).
Today we have congregations that were built along the model set up in the Scriptures. We were to have Zekanim (elders) with certain functions like an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher. These were functions and not permanent. One could be an elder, but be sent as an apostle (sent one or Shaliach) on behalf of the congregation. Once that function was over, they ceased being an apostle. One may function as a prophet for awhile, but once that ceased, he was no longer a prophet. They fulfilled what was needed at the time and these functions would come and go.
There were other functionaries in a congregation like the Rosh Knesset or Nasi. They were the spokesman for the synagogue/congregation. You had the Shammashim who kept order in the congregation (1 Tim 3.8) and was also known as the Chazzan. They also did the work needed around the synagogue and distributed food to the poor as servers, etc. The Gabbai Tzedekah (keeper of the treasuries) collected money and food. The Batlanim were those who studied and taught full time. They were called the “do nothings” (not an insult) because they were wealthy and did not need to work. In the movie “Fiddler on the Roof” Tevye sings, “If I were a Rich Man” because then he could study the Scriptures in the synagogue for hours a day and not need to work. A Beit Din was a court of at least three judges who settled disputes about doctrine and other legal matters. The Maggid was a preacher and a story teller and the rabbi was a teacher who traveled. The Shaliach Tzebur lead the people in prayer and stood before God to represent those who did not understand the importance of the prayer. For more information on how a congregation was set up in the Gospels and Epistles, see “First Century Congregational Structure” on this site. The qualifications for these functions can be seen in Avot 6.6 of the Mishnah; Exo 18.21; 1 Tim 3.1-13; Titus 1.6.
All the members were to be empowered by the Ruach, and all the membership had charismatic gifts like charity, exhorting, teaching, prophecy, mercy and so on. The Zekanim (elders) were responsible to teach these functions and concepts, find them in the body and use their abilities for the benefit of all. Non-Jews could hold these functions as well. As the congregation meets together, the Shekinah will manifest among among them, as well as the Kivod and Ruach.
For further study, here are some Scriptures for your consideration related to these concepts: Gen 3.8; 2 Cor 5.1-3; Exo 19.1-17; Rom 3.21; John 3.1-21; Exo 24.1-4, 33.1-11, 36.3-38; Acts 14.15-16, 17.30; Exo 34.29-35; Num 14.17-21; Zech 14.9-21; Isa 2.2-3; Mic 4.1-4; John 1.43-49; Isa 66.18-23; Exo 40.34-38; Deut 12.11; Ezek 1.1-28, 8.1-14; Jer 44.17-18; Ezek 9.1-31, 10.1-4; John 20.22; Matt 18.15-20; Acts 20.8 (Havdalah service); Isa 4.2; Num 11.24-25; Matt 16.27-28; 1 John 4.12; Matt 16 27, 19.28; Dan 7.13-14; Isa 60.8; Matt 24.30-31; Luke 2.9-14, 2.32; 1 Cor 13.9-13; Luke 24.25-26; John 2.11; Hos 6.2; Luke 13.52; John 12.41, 17.5; Acts 7.2, 22.6-11; Rom 1.18-19, 2.7-11, 8.18-21, 10.4, 5.12, 6.4, 9.4, 9.23; John 7.37-39; Matt 5.17; Rev 21.1-3 (Sabbath is seen as a bride/Shekinah/presence of God); Isa 61.1 through 62.5.
We will pick up here in 1 Kings 8.10 in Part 9.
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