Tag Archives: Shekinah

Visions of the Exalted Christ Part 4

Revelation Commentary, , , , , , ,

Revelation 1:11-20

 Urim ve Thummim: (Continued)

Besides the Shekinah, the other visible manifestation of God’s presence was the oracle of Urim ve Thummim.  It was given to the High Priest for the purpose of discerning the instruction of God in matters of utmost importance to the nation.  This most holy oracle was received by means of a very specific and carefully worked out use of the priestly garments which was only to be handled by those specifically anointed as Priests of God and instructed in His purposes.

As this use was so limited it seems probable that the details were not common knowledge but were passed from one generation to the other of the Priests.  Although this information may have been considered secret at times, it was not necessarily forbidden, but rather merely specialized knowledge.  It was simply irrelevant to the general community as it was neither their right nor duty to handle the holy garments.  This technical and specialized knowledge was part of the Pattern of the Heavens which was given to Moses, the Pattern for orientation in time and space.  The benefits of this special guidance were very important to the community.

The Urim ve Thummim, “Perfection of Light,” happened as a result of the combination of the parts of the garments of the High Priest. These were specifically described in Exodus 28, and were only created by one especially anointed with the wisdom to make these things, Exodus 31:1-10.

The Ephod

The ephod was a part of the prescribed garments of the High Priest.  It was the outermost garment worn somewhat as a vest.  It consisted of a breastplate which contained twelve precious stones set according to specific directions.  These twelve jewels were each engraved with the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.  The breastplate was held in place by shoulder pieces.  These two shoulder pieces contained each an onyx stone engraved with the names of six of the twelve tribes of Israel.

The ephod was worn over a robe which was to  have a hem hung with “pomegranates of blue” and golden bells.

The “Fair Mitre”

The priest was also to wear a headpiece called the “fair mitre,” to which was attached a plate of pure gold with the engraving: “Holiness To The Lord.”   In considering the total effect of these garments, one might imagine the lights reflected by such an arrangement.  Aaron’s garments were made as a copy of the image of the garments of God which is the starry heavens, Psalm 104:2, 6.

The Jewels

The jewels of the breastplate are named, but as these names are not equivalent to the names presently used to describe precious stones, it is not certain exactly which jewels are meant.  From the description and names of these stones, however, it is certain that they were all either transparent or at least translucent.  Without doubt they all reflected light in a very special way.

When used according to God’s instructions, there were “answers” received by means of this combination of the parts of the holy garment.  These “answers” were called Urim ve Thummim.

Meaning of Urim ve Thummim

It has long been a matter of controversy as to the manner in which the Priest received these oracles.  Philo suggested that there was a little image in between the folds of the ephod, which is probably why Philo has earned the reputation of being “Greek” in his thinking, for certainly no one in harmony with the spirit of the Old Testament could ever think that God could be manifest in some little image tucked into the folds of the priest’s garment!

Some have even suggested that the ephod was used as the base for a lottery upon which was cast something like a “sacred dice,” the answer being revealed by the way in which the lot fell.  This is not in keeping with the way God reveals Himself in other instances throughout the Bible.

On the basis of the other accounts of the manifestations of God in the Old Testament, we must believe that God’s will by Urim ve Thummim was revealed when the precious stones of the breastplate in the ephod, in relation to the fair mitre upon his head, in such a way that the reflected light created a visible image of light, even as light from a prism creates a rainbow of colour.

This could only happen when everything was in perfect alignment both literally and spiritually according to the Pattern shown to Moses on the Mount.  The moral condition of the Priest as well as the people must be such as God could approve.  Then and only then did that “glory” appear which was the answer of Urim ve Thummim, Lights and Perfections, taken together meaning ‘Revelation.’

This lesson is an edited excerpt from my book, Revelation in Context, available locally at the Living Word Bookstore in Shawnee, Oklahoma or www.Amazon.com, or www.XulonPress.com.
Free downloads are also available at www.revelationincontext.sermon.net.

Visions of the Exalted Christ Part 3

Revelation Commentary, , , , ,

Revelation 1:11-20

Light Comes Down From Heaven

We should point out that these visions of the “glory” or Light of God were from heaven; they were high and lifted up. In Ezekiel’s vision, for example, he gives a full description of the cherubim, the chariots, wheels, and turning fire, giving a feeling of swift and powerful motion. These “living creatures” are rather “moving things,” i.e. the constellations of the stars and their movements in the starry heavens. The wheel itself is the great turning sky, and the wheel-in-the-middle-of-the-wheel is the Lord Jesus Christ, symbolized by the polar circle upon which the apparent movement of the whole universe is turned.

In all these visions, we see that the highest symbols possible to be used in describing God are the symbols of the starry heavens. It is these same symbols which are used in the book of Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Other Manifestations of God in Light:

In two other glorious manifestations of Light, God revealed Himself in the Old Testament to Israel: namely, the Shekinah glory and that mysterious oracle called Urim ve Thummim.

The Shekinah:
At Sinai when Moses had gone up into the Mount to receive the Law, the people departed from the will of God by creating for themselves a visual image to worship to which they attributed the miracle of their deliverance from Egypt. God was so displeased with their idolatrous act that He proposed to Moses that He should destroy them and make Moses and his seed the heirs of the promises. But Moses interceded for the people and begged forgiveness. In granting this forgiveness, God gave them a visible manifestation of Himself to go with them.

This was not a concrete image such as an idol could have; not the works of men’s hands, but an image of light, the pillar of the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. This manifestation was called the “Shekinah” and offered tangible proof of God’s presence while providing physical guidance for the nation. But this presence was necessarily also a spiritual presence, for when Israel strayed from God morally, His visible presence would remove from their midst until they were again so oriented as to behold the revelation of His glory.

Christ, The Shekinah

In the time of Christ the faithful in Israel had longed for the return of the Shekinah which had been missing since the days of the destruction of the first temple. The literal interpretation of Shekinah is “He dwells with us.” When Christ became manifest in Light, the event represents the return of the Shekinah glory. The message to the faithful is: “Behold Him! The Shekinah glory” thereby reversing the curse of “Ichabod” which literally means “the glory is departed.” Christ as “Immanuel” is God-with-us; the glory has returned.

Next: Visions of God Part 4

This lesson is an edited excerpt from my book, Revelation in Context, available locally at the Living Word Bookstore in Shawnee, Oklahoma or www.Amazon.com, or www.XulonPress.com.
Free downloads are also available at www.revelationincontext.sermon.net.