There it was. Right there on my shelf-slightly dusty! The book I purchased in Jerusalem in 1975 from one of the leading Rabbis, S. Schaffer, is entitled Israel's Temple Mount. I had to go to the house of the old orthodox sage in order to purchase my copy. He was kind and gentle with me, whom he recognized as a Goy (Gentile) foreigner from Texas. At the time he was considered the most recognized Jewish scholar on the subject of the temple.
After blowing the dust off the book I found he had a lot to say about the Shekinah glory. Some of it contradictory to what other Rabbis may say. Below are quotes from his volume:
In the Second Temple (the one standing during Jesus' day) every detail of the services was carried out according to the Torah (Law) though some things were lacking. The Ark was missing, also missing was the Divine Presence (the Shekinah), and the Holy Spirit (the Ruach Hakodesh), the priest's oracle (the Urim ve-Thumim).
Though the Second Temple (Herod's temple) was destroyed in 70 AD, the Shekinah (Divine Presence) never left the Western Wall. Using allegory, the Rabbis believe Song of Solomon 2:9 is saying that God's presence would never leave the wall! It would not be toppled because the Holy One, blessed be He, had given an oath to David that it shall never be destroyed. "Our Wall" is the name kept and cherished for the Kotel which stood in the shade of the temple and which was never eliminated by its foes. The Western Wall stands in perpetuity of the Jewish people and signifies the continued hope of the Israel for all generations. According to Isaiah 2:2-3 the Messiah as the Lord will be there and bring blessings when He establishes His kingdom reign.
Now it will come about that in the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills, and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways, and that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion. (Isa. 2:2-3)
One ancient rabbinical tradition says that a Rabbi Hai (Rav Hai) found himself in the presence of Elijah. He asked "When was the Messiah to appear?" Elijah responded by saying when 300 Kohanim (priests) circle the Mount of Olives and pray, the Messiah will come. After the Six Day War of 1967, the priests flocked again to the Western wall of the temple mount where their forefathers performed the blessings of old. This continues today with 300 or more Rabbis gathering at the Western Wall (rather than the Mount of Olives) who pray for the arrival of the Messiah to come and bring in the kingdom!
For further study, see The Temple and Bible Prophecy, Randall Price, Harvest House, 2005.
-- Dr. Mal Couch
After blowing the dust off the book I found he had a lot to say about the Shekinah glory. Some of it contradictory to what other Rabbis may say. Below are quotes from his volume:
In the Second Temple (the one standing during Jesus' day) every detail of the services was carried out according to the Torah (Law) though some things were lacking. The Ark was missing, also missing was the Divine Presence (the Shekinah), and the Holy Spirit (the Ruach Hakodesh), the priest's oracle (the Urim ve-Thumim).
Though the Second Temple (Herod's temple) was destroyed in 70 AD, the Shekinah (Divine Presence) never left the Western Wall. Using allegory, the Rabbis believe Song of Solomon 2:9 is saying that God's presence would never leave the wall! It would not be toppled because the Holy One, blessed be He, had given an oath to David that it shall never be destroyed. "Our Wall" is the name kept and cherished for the Kotel which stood in the shade of the temple and which was never eliminated by its foes. The Western Wall stands in perpetuity of the Jewish people and signifies the continued hope of the Israel for all generations. According to Isaiah 2:2-3 the Messiah as the Lord will be there and bring blessings when He establishes His kingdom reign.
Now it will come about that in the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills, and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways, and that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion. (Isa. 2:2-3)
One ancient rabbinical tradition says that a Rabbi Hai (Rav Hai) found himself in the presence of Elijah. He asked "When was the Messiah to appear?" Elijah responded by saying when 300 Kohanim (priests) circle the Mount of Olives and pray, the Messiah will come. After the Six Day War of 1967, the priests flocked again to the Western wall of the temple mount where their forefathers performed the blessings of old. This continues today with 300 or more Rabbis gathering at the Western Wall (rather than the Mount of Olives) who pray for the arrival of the Messiah to come and bring in the kingdom!
For further study, see The Temple and Bible Prophecy, Randall Price, Harvest House, 2005.
-- Dr. Mal Couch
