This article has been witten as part of a series, in preparation for Theophany Day (this year, on Friday 19th June), when we relive the experience of the manifestation of God’s Glory to the Israelites.
Previous articles:
Theophany Day: An Opportunity to Focus on Encountering the Divine Presence.
How and Why God bestows a Portion of God’s Spirit on us.
The question of how the Divine Presence can dwell among human beings has occupied the minds of religious people for centuries. Yet, if we approach the subject strictly and exclusively through the text of the Hebrew Bible (the Miqra), the answer is remarkably clear. The Miqra presents God’s indwelling Presence not as a mystical force that appears arbitrarily, nor as something automatically guaranteed by religious affiliation or ritual observance. Rather, the Scriptures establish definite conditions under which God’s Presence remains active within the human sphere.
The concept of God’s Indwelling Presence has historically been referred to by the Hebrew root sh-kh-n (“to dwell”). While the exact noun Shėkhīnāh (pronounced sh’khee-NAA) is a later post-biblical term, the theological foundation for it is firmly rooted in the Miqra through the verb shakhan (שָׁכַן), meaning “to dwell,” “to settle,” or, in Christian terminology, “to tabernacle.”
The Hebrew Bible consistently teaches that God’s Presence dwelling among people is conditional. It depends upon ethical conduct, communal justice, covenantal faithfulness, spiritual humility, and moral integrity. The Scriptures repeatedly demonstrate that divine indwelling is not sustained by buildings, ceremonies, or religious identity alone, but by the character and actions of the people among whom God chooses to dwell.
The Divine Blueprint: God’s Desire to Dwell Among People
YHVH has a such a great love for us, that YHVH eagerly desires to dwell in the midst of God’s children on earth. However, Indwelling is necessarily conditional on ethical faithfulness, because of the powerful nature of God’s Glory.
The Tabernacle and the Temple enable God’s Glory to dwell among human beings without harming us. The sacred buildings enable the Holiness of YHVH to dwell among us and so bless us through that indwelling Presence.
The first explicit statement concerning God’s dwelling among Israel appears in the instructions for constructing the Tabernacle:
“And let them make Me a Sanctuary, so that I may dwell among them (v’shakhanti b’tokham).” (Exodus 25:8)
This verse is profoundly significant. God does not say, “that I may dwell in it,” referring merely to the structure itself. Rather, the text states that God will dwell “among them” — among the people. The Sanctuary serves as a means through which God’s holiness can be present without overwhelming or harming humanity, but the ultimate goal is the establishment of fellowship with YHVH within the community itself.
The Tabernacle and, later, the Temple function as sacred meeting places where God’s Glory can reside among human beings without destroying us. These holy spaces make possible a relationship between the transcendent Creator and a mortally frail, finite humanity. Yet the Miqra never presents the buildings themselves as ends in their own right. They are instruments designed to facilitate God’s Indwelling among a people committed to covenantal faithfulness.
This principle becomes even clearer in the covenant blessings outlined in Leviticus:
“I will place My dwelling-place (mishkani) among you… I shall move among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.” (Leviticus 26:11-12)
However, these promises are not unconditional. They are introduced with a clear prerequisite:
“If you walk in My statutes [that is, if you conduct yourselves in accordance with My teachings], and keep My commandments…” (Leviticus 26:3)
God’s Indwelling Presence is therefore linked to the people’s willingness to embody God’s ways. Divine indwelling is not automatic; it is covenantal.
Justice Maintains the Indwelling, Divine Presence among us
The Prophets repeatedly warn that sacred institutions cannot compensate for ethical failure. No Temple, no ritual observance, and no religious system can compel God to remain among people who persistently violate the principles of justice and compassion. God’s Presence withdraws, in order to avoid doing us harm, since the Glory of YHVH is too powerful (it automatically obliterates evil).
Jeremiah stood at the gates of the Temple to proclaim precisely this message:
“For if you truly amend your ways and your actions, if you truly execute justice between one person and their neighbour, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow… then I will cause you to dwell in this place…” (Jeremiah 7:5-7)
The prophet dismantles the illusion that God’s continuing Presence can be secured merely through proximity to sacred objects, or through participation in religious ceremonies, or in the repetition of wordy prayers and chants. Instead, the determining factor is ethical transformation.
Particularly striking is the emphasis placed upon society’s treatment of its most vulnerable members. The foreigner, the orphan, and the widow frequently appear together throughout the Miqra as representatives of those most susceptible to societal injustice. The measure of a community’s fitness to host God’s Presence is found in how it treats those who possess the least social power – those on the margins of society, those whom the prophet Yeshua reached out to.
The prophet Zechariah echoes this same principle:
“Render true judgments, show kindness and compassion each to their fellow human beings. Do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, or the poor…” (Zechariah 7:9-10)
The implication is unmistakable: justice is not merely a social ideal; it is a spiritual necessity for enabling the Divine, Indwelling Presence to remain among us.
The Departure and Return of God’s Glory
The existence of a sacred building itself is insufficient to guarantee God’s continued presence – this a key point to take to heart. Simply having a Temple or a sacred space is no guarantee that the Glory of God’s Presence will dwell there. The only guarantee that YHVH will dwell in a place of worship, is if the people who worship there remain committed to YHVH’s values. By conducting ourselves according to God’s ways, we bring renown to YHVH.
With this in mind, Ezekiel’s visions provide one of the most sobering theological lessons in the Miqra. The prophet witnesses the departure of God’s Glory from the Temple because of the people’s corruption and unfaithfulness. Yet Ezekiel also witnesses the possibility of restoration. When God describes the return of the Divine Presence, specific conditions are once again attached:
“Now let them put away their harlotry and the carcasses of their kings far from Me, and I will dwell among them (v’shakhanti b’tokham) forever.” (Ezekiel 43:7-9)
Within the language of the prophets, ‘harlotry’ commonly functions as a metaphor for covenantal betrayal, including both idolatry and the abandonment of God’s ethical standards.
The message is both challenging and hopeful. God’s Presence may withdraw in response to persistent injustice and corruption, but repentance and renewed faithfulness create the conditions for restoration.
The Individual Human Soul as a Sanctuary
The Writings (Ketuvim) move beyond the collective dimension of Divine indwelling to address the individual person. They ask a searching question: what kind of person is fit to become a suitable dwelling-place for YHVH’s Presence?
Psalm 15 poses the question directly:
“O YHVH, who may abide in Your Tent? Who may dwell (yishkon) on Your holy mountain?” (Psalm 15:1)
The answer is entirely ethical:
“The one who walks blamelessly and does what is right.”
“And speaks truth from their heart.”
“Who does not slander with their tongue, and does no evil to their friend.” (Psalm 15:2-3)
Similarly, Psalm 24 asks:
“Who may ascend the mountain of YHVH? And who may stand in God’s holy place?” (Psalm 24:3)
The answer again concerns character:
“The one who has clean hands and a pure heart…” (Psalm 24:4)
Ritual status alone is never presented as anywhere near sufficient. Your religious identity or label means nothing on its own. The true Sanctuary is a life shaped by truthfulness, integrity, and compassion.
Spiritual Humility as the Dwelling Place of God
Perhaps the clearest statement regarding God’s choice of dwelling-place appears in Isaiah:
“For thus says the High and Exalted One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with the ones who are of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.'” (Isaiah 57:15)
This extraordinary passage reveals that the God who transcends all creation willingly draws near to humble human beings. The Holy One who inhabits eternity also chooses to dwell with those who recognise their dependence upon God, and who remain receptive to moral transformation.
Humility is therefore not weakness; it is openness to God’s refining and purifying work.
Micah expresses the same truth succinctly:
“He has told you, O mortal human, what is good. And what does YHVH require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)
Justice, mercy, and humility together form the spiritual environment in which a close fellowship with YHVH flourishes.
Creating Space for the Divine Presence
If the Miqra teaches that God’s Presence dwells where righteousness is practised, then the practical question becomes: What must we do to cultivate such an environment?
The answer is found throughout the biblical text.
We pursue justice in our dealings with others. We refuse exploitation and dishonesty. We protect those who are vulnerable. We speak truthfully. We practise compassion and understanding. We repent when we fail. We cultivate spiritual humility rather than self-exaltation. We align our lives with YHVH’s ethical teachings and covenantal values.
In this sense, every act of kindness, every defence of the oppressed and the voiceless, every truthful word, and every sincere act of repentance contributes to creating a community in which God’s Presence may dwell, to become a source of blessing and renewal.
The Biblical Vision of Divine Indwelling
Based solely on the evidence of the Miqra, God’s Shėkhīnāh — God’s indwelling Presence — is neither static nor guaranteed; it is powerfully active, and therefore conditional.
The Scriptures consistently establish that God yearns to dwell b’tokham — within and among human beings. God’s Presence among us is maintained through the active pursuit of justice, equity, compassion, and covenantal faithfulness.
Humility, repentance, and moral integrity create the internal ‘holy place’ within us, where the Divine Presence chooses to dwell.
The Tabernacle and Temple reveal God’s yearning desire to be near to humanity, but they also point beyond the buildings themselves. The Miqra ultimately envisions a people so shaped by YHVH’s values, that God’s Presence can settle among them directly.
YHVH’s Presence can dwell in the midst of people — and within our hearts and minds — without any need for a sacred building.
The true dwelling place of the Divine is a community marked by justice, integrity, compassion, spiritual humility, and faithfulness.
When a community faithfully embodies YHVH’s ideals, principles, values, and ethical teachings, sacred architecture becomes secondary. The deepest purpose of the Sanctuary finds its fulfilment in transformed lives. Through those transformed lives, YHVH can then work among them to restore and heal the world — and so that God’s Kingdom may come.