Jehovah Shammah, The Lord Is There

[Ezekiel 48:35 NKJV]

35 "...and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE."

The worst thing about exile wasn't the loss of land.

It was the loss of presence.

For centuries, God's presence dwelt in the temple in Jerusalem. The people knew where to find Him. They could go there, offer sacrifices, encounter the Holy One.

Then Babylon came. The temple burned. The people were dragged into captivity. And the presence of God, the glory that had filled Solomon's temple, departed.

Ezekiel watched it leave. He saw the glory rise from the temple, hover over the city, and then withdraw.

Israel was alone.

But Ezekiel's final vision was of a restored city. A new temple. A river flowing from the throne of God, bringing life wherever it went.

And the name of that city? Jehovah Shammah (יְהוָה שָׁמָּה): The LORD Is There.

Not "The LORD will return." Not "The LORD used to be here."

The LORD is there. Present tense. Permanent presence.

Jesus would later say: "I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Paul would write: "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

John would describe a day when God Himself dwells with His people, and they see His face.

You are not alone in exile. You are not abandoned in your wandering.

Jehovah Shammah. The LORD is there.

May the grace of God through Christ be with you.