The  Dawn  of  a  New  Day

from

The Altar and the Shekinah #1

Martin Cecil   January 10, 1971

 

The word Shekinah describes the evidence of the presence of the One Who Dwells. In seeking to understand the real meaning of Shekinah we have recognized three aspects with respect to it: the cloud of glory, the light that glows, and the fire that burns. 

If there is to be worship of the Lord there must be an altar. The altar provides the place of worship, the means by which contact is made with the Lord, and therefore must relate to the evidence of the presence of the Lord. The altar obviously is not the evidence of the presence of the Lord, the physical form of the altar, but there is something about the altar that is—it provides the means by which the evidence may come to be known. We see this altar as a living altar, composed of physical substance, the physical forms of people, but again it isn't the mere fact of the physical form that is the evidence of the presence. There is something about a physical form that gives that evidence. The glow of life, should we call it?—the cloud of glory.

The altar of the Lord is composed of human beings in form on earth, and it provides the place of worship on earth. The altar of the Lord is, then, characterized by Shekinah. There is the cloud of glory, which is the evidence of life shining round about—the evidence of the life of the angel of the Lord individually speaking, the evidence of the presence of the Lord collectively speaking. It is to this altar that people may come to worship God. The altar simply gives evidence of the presence of the One Who Dwells. There is something about the altar that does this. Initially it's the cloud of glory, the fact of beautiful life, glorious life. We know the presence of life because of the physical form. The altar must be there to know it. The life, which characterizes the Lord, cannot be known unless the altar is present, the physical form is there.
 

The evidence of the presence of the Lord is made abundantly clear when there is an altar of the Lord on earth to which people may come to worship because the cloud of glory is there; it shines round about. But initially speaking there is no temple, just an altar, just a place of worship to which people may come if they will; not to worship the altar but, through the evidence of the presence of the Lord, to worship the Lord. 

The altar of the Lord permits the glory of the Lord to shine round about, and it is this which makes possible the true worship of God to be restored on earth. It can't occur at all unless there is an altar at which the Lord may be worshipped. Insofar as mankind is concerned, and in fact all that is on the surface of this earth, there must rightly be an altar which makes possible the evidence of the presence of the Lord in a specific sense, for people to worship. 

The Lord is made known by the evidence of His presence, by the Word made flesh. His nature becomes comprehensible in this way, so that it may be given worth, value. That is worship. People come in yielded response to this place where the evidence of the presence of the Lord is and they are transformed, and the temple begins to take form round about the altar. The temple is filled with the glory of the Lord. The temple is primarily mankind, but it becomes a temple only as there is an altar first. Then the glory of the Lord may fill the temple and shine round about that again in all the earth, through mankind. But the rebuilding of the altar comes first. 

This relates to what has been called the priesthood, the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek was King of Salem, King of peace—after the order of the King of peace; after the nature, the character, the quality, of the King of peace. This is the priesthood. The priesthood gives this evidence on earth and they compose the altar, the means by which the body of mankind may worship the Lord. People all through the ages have been seeking the Lord, seeking some way of worshipping Him; but the altar has been missing and so it has been a vague thing, so vague to some that they decided there wasn't anything present, there was nothing to worship. It becomes vividly evident that there is something to worship as the altar is rebuilt and the glory of the Lord shines round about. 

Shekinah!—the evidence of the presence of the One Who Dwells, revealed by reason of the altar of the Lord, by reason of the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. Orderly, true to the true design, and of the quality and nature of the King of peace. When the altar of the Lord is rebuilt on earth there is a place of worship on earth, and the children of men may come. Some will come. Some are more interested in building their own altars and calling on their own gods. But the word of the Lord is spoken through Shekinah, "Come unto me!" The altar itself is a vibrant invitation to come again to the Lord. To the extent that there are those who accept the order of Melchizedek for themselves the priesthood begins to take form and the altar of the Lord is rebuilt. The glory of the Lord begins to shine round about as the light that glows again. 

We know that all this comes to pass because there is a cleansing or clarifying process experienced by those concerned. Four barrels of water poured three times: the water of truth soaking the consciousness of those who offer themselves to the experience, and soaking their bodies, all of them. The altar of the Lord must be rebuilt on earth if the temple of the Lord is to reappear, and the temple of the Lord is mankind restored. But it doesn't just happen by chance. There is a creative cycle, a creative process. We have some experience of it. But let us see that it is far greater than some of the concepts we may have developed. It extends way beyond the restrictions of consciousness that we have tended to maintain. As the altar of the Lord emerges rebuilt, this is part of the appearance of the cosmic plan unfolding on earth. We are here to participate in that.

The light that glows is, amongst other things, the light of illumination, the restoration of true understanding. So it comes to us. The light comes gently, and the glory of the Lord shines round about. What blessing indeed it is to know the coming of the light! That's the dawn, isn't it?—the dawn of a new day. What glory fills the sky at dawn! What a moving experience it is for those who are awake, or awakening, to see the dawn.

 

Those who have some consciousness of the truth of these things carry the responsibility of all this into the world. I thank God for you and for others who play your vital and vibrant parts. Glory to God in the highest!

© Emissaries of Divine Light