B. Historical Significance  ( Ezek. 48:35 )
        1. The name Jehovah-Shammal is found in the last verse of the Book of Ezekiel. It occurs just before the 400 years
            of  silence before the call of John the Baptist as Israel's prophet of repentance.
        2. Ezekiel began his prophecies at a time when Israel was at it's lowest point of it's history, spiritually and nationally.
        3. The last great vision and prophecy was given in the 25th year of captivity and 14 years after the fall of Jerusalem, and
            the destruction of the Temple.Only a small remnant was left in the Land. Israel's spirit was broken. It appeared that
            they had been delivered from the bondage of Egypt only to be put into bondage in Babylon. The Israelites sat by the
            rivers of Babylon and  wept as they remembered Zion. They hung their  harps on the willow and said  how shall we
            sing Jehovah's song in a strange land? (Ps. 137:1-6) God was gone.
        4. The same Ezekiel who 25 years earlier had prophesied of the captivity by Babylon and the destruction of Jerusalem,
            was now bringing hope with a last prophecy. It predicts the restoration of land and people in a measure far beyond
            anything they had ever  experienced in the past.
        5. The pledge of all this is the name JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH, Jehovah who is there. The name of the  city in which
            God will dwell with His people forever.
        6. In light of it's setting, it is a fitting climax to the OT  revelation of God. The names of God reveal Him as providing
            redemption for fallen, sinful man, and shows every aspect of that great transaction of redemption by which man is
            fully restored to God.

           -God's desire:CREATION, RELATIONSHIP, MOST HIGH, LORDSHIP,

           -God's work: SUBSTITUTE PROVISION, HEALING, VICTORY, SANCTIFICATION, PEACE, GUIDANCE
            AND CARE, RIGHTEOUSNESS.

          -JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH is the promise and pledge of the completion of  that purpose of man's final rest and glory,
            for man's end is to glorify  God and enjoy  Him forever.

    C. Theological Significance

QUESTION: Was Ezekiel's prophecy and vision of the name JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH  intended for an earthly habitation
                       Jehovah?

ACTION: Read  1 Kings 8:27

QUESTION: What is this saying?

1. King Solomon questions if the earth and the Temple could hold God.

QUESTION:  How do you think the Jews would interpret Ezekiels vision?

 2. Orthodox Jewish interpretation of this prophesy has always been a  literal one. It's  fulfillment in an  Earthly Jerusalem, the  rebuilding of the  Temple and the return of the sacrificial system. Then the Messiah will  come and reign in Jerusalem as the Son of David. Jerusalem will be the spiritual and political center of the world. To them this is  how  JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH will be realized.

QUESTION: Who do Christian scholars view this vision?

 3. Some Christians have also adopted a strictly literal  view and see it as having no other significance.
     (Dispensationalists) (Millennium) They must take it literally to stay within their hermeneutical framework.
     The problems are the sacrifices made in the Temple and in God inhabiting the Temple itself. (Heb. 10:10-14)

 4. Other Christians  have interpreted this in only a typical, spiritual  sense. There is no literal fulfillment  whatever in an
     Earthly Jerusalem or a restored nation of Israel. (Covenant) This must be taken spiritually to keep within the covenant
     hermeneutics. The problem is why so much detail for something that is not literal? If it is not the Millennial Temple, than
     what is it?

 5. Considerations:
    -However you come out on this, remember that Ezekiel was a Priest. What he was shown was  viewed from the eyes of a
     priest in terms a priest would understand. It was written from the perspective of a priest.
   -Ezekiel, in chapters 40-48, through the genre of a proto-apocalyptic vision, sets up a new order for Israel.
   -This new order includes a new Temple  as a sign of God's presence among His people (40-43).
   -This new order of worship will be instituted so that the people can have access to their  God (44-46).
   -Finally, there is to be a new division of the land for all the tribes of Israel to live in the presence of their God forever.(47-48)

  -What Ezekiel sees for his contemporaries is newness. Not only does he see newness but  he sees  perfection... he sees EDEN!  This is why I feel that what Ezekiel  believes that he is seeing is the eternal, perfected future of  Israel. It is almost like we see a new  'creation'  being espoused by Ezekiel  of Israel.  Ezekiel 37  is key to understanding the beginnings of the idea of  newness found in chapters 40-48.

   -Ezekiel 37:7 contains the vision of the dry bones which are restored to life. This is a  creation motif. The dry/dead bones become renewed to life and  represents  the restored  Israel. If viewed from the eyes of Genesis 1-2, we can see a new Adam.

   -Ezekiel 47:1-12 describes the river of life that flows from the temple to bring healing to  the land. This is first seen in Gen. 2: 8-14 in  Eden.

   -We also find the river is lined with trees which provide food and healing for the people. Again,  we see  Eden language.

  -It seems Ezekiel is making a very strong connection between creation and the time of this vision. It is my belief that this newness or perfection , this return to Eden, is a key to the interpretation  of these passages and they must be viewed in light of these terms.

QUESTION: What about the use of the word 'Israel'? Isn't he speaking of the nation Israel?

     I believe that this vision is not speaking of  historic Israel but of the new Israel, which  includes all believers in Christ. Christians become the new Israel by being both joint heirs with Christ, who was a Jew, and by believing in the same promises of Abraham.

Action: Read Matt. 21:43; 1Peter 2:9-10

   -Paul in the book of Romans makes this very point.

Action: Read Rom. 2:12-16; 25-29

  -Ezekiel 37-48 is talking about a re-creation of human existence and it includes a forever  fellowship with God in a perfect
    environment.
  -What Ezekiel is commenting on is a picture, from his own OT, priestly perspective, of the eternal state of man.
  -In this state man will be recreated (restored) to fellowship with God.
  -God, Himself will dwell in the midst of His people forever.
  -In this new state, man will forever worship God is a pure and holy way symbolized by the perfect and holy example of the
   OT sacrificial system as viewed by Ezekiel.
  -The restored , worshipping people of God will dwell in a land promised to  Abraham, it will be a return to Eden. We will
   have come full circle in our human existence.

 6. The fulfillment of the name in Jesus Christ.
      Every manifestation of God's presence in the midst of His people, though real, could only be  a  shadow of what  was to come.  In the NT  God's presence is more spiritual than symbolic, and more personal than  national.  It has been ideally filled in Jesus Christ.
        -Jesus , as a man, represented the human race. And God dwelt in him. ( Rom. 5:12-21; Col. 1:19 )
        -The very image and glory of God was in a man who lived among other men. ( Heb. 1:3; John 1:14 ) Therefore, very literally, Jesus became 'God with us' ( Isa. 7:14 )

Question: How is God's presence individually a reality to us today?

  The Presence is now in believers as living temples of God thru the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor. 3:16    2 Cor. 6:16

Question: How is God's presence corporately a reality to us today?

      Like Israel of the OT, the Church as a whole, as the body of Christ, is also called the habitation of God. Of the true church it can be said ... Jehovah is there.     Eph. 2:19-22   Matt. 28:20

 7. The future fulfillment  of the name with Jesus Christ
      The name also has a final and eternal fulfillment. It was hinted to in Jesus' final  discourse with His disciples.

ACTION:  Read John 14:2-3        John 17:24

Question: What is this telling us about the promise of God's presence with us?

  He spoke about many  mansions in His father's house from which He would return to take His disciples to. Where they would be  with Him

ACTION:  Read    Rev. 21:1-3

     New heaven and new earth, the eternal resting place for the believer  with his God, is the ultimate fulfillment of the vision of Ezekiel. The glory of Jehovah will be fully seen in the Lamb that was slain. He will be seen and be known in the full meaning and beauty of all the names  by which He had  revealed Himself to man

    D. Personal Application

Question: What was it that was unique about Israel's religion and God?

  The uniqueness of Israel's religion as contrasted to other surrounding nations had always been the presence of a Holy God dwelling in their midst.

Question: What was the condition on God's continued presence with Israel?

  The condition of His continued presence was to be their faithfulness to a covenant by which they  promised to be a holy people.

Question: Was this promise of His continue presence something new to the Israelites here in Ezekiel?

ACTION:  Read  ( Ex. 23:20 ) ( Ex. 33:14,15 )( Isa. 63:9 )

  Jehovah had promised His presence among His people from the beginning.

Question: What were the two physical representation of God's presence with His people?

ACTION:  Read ( Ex. 40:34-38 ) ( 2 Sam. 7:5-7 ) ( 2 Chron. 7:1-3 )

  Both the Tabernacle and the Temple were the place of His visible manifestation in Israel

QUESTION:   Knowing what we do about this name of God,  what can we do to apply this to our lives today?

 1. When the Psalmist says ' Thou art with me' ( Ps. 23:4 ) he is affirming the presence of  Jehovah-Shammah, '
    The LORD Is There'.

 2. One of our greatest gifts along with salvation is the presence of God in our  lives.

Question:  When Moses doubted he could be an effective messenger for God what did God promise to him?

  God promised Moses His presence when He charged Moses to  lead  Israel out of Egypt. 'Certainly I  will be with thee'
    ( Ex. 3:12 )

Question:  When Joshua doubted he could be an effective leader over the people what did God promise to him?

  God promised Joshua He would be with him wherever he went. (Joshua 1:5,9)

Question: What did Jesus promise His disciples when He gave them His great commission?

  When Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission, He promised,  'Lo I am with you  always, even unto the end of the world'  ( Matt. 28:20 )

 3. Knowing that Jehovah-Shammah is always there with you will be an encouragement when you  encounter periods of loneliness.

 4. At times where you think that no one understands or cares for you,  Jehovah-Shammah is there.

 5. At low times in your life, when you are sad, depressed, feeling insecure in your  relationships with others or even with God, Jehovah-Shammah is there.

 6. At times where you are happy and excited over a victory in your spiritual life or  in your job or  personal life and there is no one to share it with,  Jehovah-Shammah is there.

 7. 'When two or more are gathered in Him name', Jehovah-Shammah is there.

 8. Footprints in the Sand is a great example of God's presence with us in our lives.