Ezekiel introduces another name for God at the very end of his prophetic book. Listen to what he says in Ezekiel 48:35: “And the name of the city from that time on will be: The Lord is there (Jehovah-Shammah).” Ezekiel’s vision is of the city during the millennial age. The apostle John in Revelation saw it as the eternal city. No doubt the temporal kingdom will in some way merge into the eternal, for the glorious promise concerning Jerusalem’s future state is found in its name, Jehovah-Shammah, The Lord is there.
There will be no need for the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, John says in Revelation 21:23. A for-taste of this name for God took place at Christ’s birth. He was given the name Immanuel, which meant “God is with us” (Matthew 1:23). This was in direct fulfillment of what Isaiah predicted in Isaiah 7:14.
When Jesus Christ ascended to heaven after His sacrificial work on the cross, where He died for our sins, and His glorious resurrection from the dead, He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in the life of every Christian (1 Corinthians 6:19) and in the midst of His people (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
A day is coming when He will return to earth to establish His kingdom in Jerusalem as its center, when He will rule the whole world in peace. God the Father and Jesus Christ’s presence in Jerusalem will be that city’s crowning glory. Nothing compares to an awareness of the Lord’s presence. Greater comfort can be found nowhere else. What a glorious day and eternity that will be. Will you be there?
