Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. – Exodus 40:35

Today's Scripture Reading (October 27, 2021): Exodus 40  

I have always been intrigued by the stories of the Tabernacle and the two Temples, both impressed by the similarities, but also noticing the differences. I am convinced that only one of them was actually commanded by God to be built, and that was the tabernacle. God instructed Moses to build the Tabernacle according to his design, and “Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him” (Exodus 40:16). However, Solomon’s temple was built because of the desire of one man, David, who dreamed of the Temple, and sweat of his son, Solomon. The building of the first Temple was actually part of the reason why Israel divided after the reign of Solomon. But God accepted the temple and blessed it. The second Temple, also known as Zerubbabel’s Temple, was built because of the desire of a nation. And Zerubbabel’s temple doesn’t appear to ever have been accepted by the God it was built to honor, at least not at first.

Proof of the acceptance of the Tabernacle is found in this verse. The glory of God settled on the Tabernacle so that even Moses could not enter into the tent. The presence of God indicated that the Tabernacle of which Moses had overseen construction was accepted by the God who created the world. The same thing happened when Solomon finished the first Temple. ^“When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple” (1 Kings 8:10-11).

But that didn’t happen with the second Temple. There is no mention of the glory of God filling Zerubbabel’s Temple so that the priests could not enter into the building. Instead, “many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid” (Ezra 3:12). It seems that the second Temple was nothing more than a building.

But God’s glory did fall on the second Temple much later. It was a righteous and devout man named Simeon who watched the glory of God fall on the Temple as Jesus was brought for the time of purification rites as were required by the Law of Moses. And as Simeon held the child in his arms he declared;

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss^[d] your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32).

The glory God had finally fallen on the Second Temple, as it had on the first, and on the Tabernacle so many years before. But this time, it was because God in the form of Jesus had entered into the Temple.

 Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 91