Jehovah Shammah! The LORD is there! Earlier Ezekiel warned the exiles already in Babylon of imminent judgment. He warned that the glory of the LORD will depart from the temple and that Jerusalem will fall into the hands of the Babylonians. The warnings of the prophets fell on deaf ears as the people remembered the promises of God, but forgot that these promises were conditional and were only applicable if they were obedient. After Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians, Ezekiel now tells of God’s plan for restoration and as he describes the New Jerusalem in painstaking details, he ends with God’s promise that the glory of the Lord, this glory that had previously departed, will be there. He delivers a message of hope. God punishes sin but He has a plan for restoration. What an inspirational bible verse! What a promise!

With the fall in the garden of Eden, the glory of the Lord departed from mankind. Our sins have separated us from God. However for those of us who have a personal relationship with Christ, we have every reason to rejoice as we can say, the LORD IS HERE! Right now! Right here! Although this in no way compares to what we will behold in the New Jerusalem, this beats every other experience that can be had this side of heaven. Christ is Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). We are now the temple of God and the Holy Spirit indwells us (1 Corinthians 3:16). Christ has indeed “dwelt among us and we beheld His glory” (John 1:14). We do know that having repented, that times of refreshing do come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19). We now have His sweet presence and know that in His presence there is indeed fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).We are indwelt by all Persons of the Godhead. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would dwell with and be in His followers (John 14:15).

God’s presence with a believer is also contingent on our obedience. Jesus said to the one that loves Him and obeys Him, both God the Father and God the Son “will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23). Our obedience demonstrates our love for Christ and is also the way to a deeper revelation of Him (John 14:20). Let us not be like the exiles. We cannot be habitually disobedient and willfully engage in things that would grieve God and at the same time expect God to manifest Himself to us. May we purpose in our hearts to be joyfully obedient and to avoid all that would quench or grieve the Spirit.

What we see now are merely glimpses of His glory and we look forward in eager anticipation when we will see Him face to face. But what we have today, right now is HUGE! God who created everything out of nothing, God who rules the universe, this holy God abides in us who are His. Right now we “may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). This God of infinite power, infinite mercy and infinite grace can supply all we need to face this moment, to face this day.

Let us rejoice! Jehovah Shammah!