Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Exodus 40:34
What a moment that must have been for the Children of Israel! They had worked hard for it. Hundreds of hours of effort went into gathering all of the materials for the Tabernacle, crafting all of the parts of that great tent, including all of its elaborate furnishings and accessories, and then assembling everything and arranging it according to the plan that God provided. The previous verse concludes with the words: ‘So Moses finished the work’. All that the Israelites were working toward came to its conclusion. And the glory of the Lord appeared and remained. God was actually dwelling among His people. How wonderful!
There is no cloud today in the presence of the Lord’s people, no visible shekinah glory surrounding us as we gather and function as His Assembly. So how do we know that the Lord’s presence is with us? Without the physical proof of a glorious cloud, we need some other way, if we are to make the claim. So we do exactly as Moses and the Israelites did: we follow the pattern that God provides. Israel had a physical cloud because theirs was a physical dwelling place for the Lord. Ours is a spiritual dwelling place for the Lord so ours is a spiritual cloud. That spiritual cloud is actually the Person of the Holy Spirit. And He resides among those gathered in obedience to the Word.
We have a warning in Revelation 2:5 that it is possible for the Lord to remove the candlestick of our testimony, that is, His recognition of us as an Assembly of His, if we fail to maintain the pattern that He has given to us. That pattern assures us of His presence. How wonderful! -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/xrZR8tMbdbY