YAHWEH SHAMMAH – the LORD is there
The last verse in the section from Ezekiel 40-48 says,
“The name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE!”
Ezekiel 48:35b
After God gave precise instructions for the building of His house in the preceding chapters, He specified that the name of the city should be “The LORD is there”!
On the one hand, God is of course omnipresent. On the other hand, He does not dwell just anywhere. Likewise, His glory is only visible in one place: in the house that is built according to His preference. Today, at the time of the new covenant, this house constitutes the church (1 Timothy 3:15). Many Christians want to build the church. But how many ask whether what they build actually pleases God? Most are building in a way that pleases THEM. But God will not dwell in a place built by man’s hands (Acts 17:24; Hebrew 8:2).
In Ezekiel, God gave instructions for building His temple so that we can build up the church today with exactly the same principles. This is why we spent an entire year getting into every detail of the temple complex. We want to build the church in a way which pleases God. God promises that He will be present and dwell in the place which is built according to His specifications. I also want to be in such a place! We don’t just want to have a nice atmosphere, but God Himself must be present. Nor is it simple to describe this place. If you are seeking, then you will be able to tell whether the Lord is there. The name of the city is not just a name, but constitutes the very nature of the city. Our testimony should be: “YAWEH SHAMMAH – the LORD is here!”
