Shekhinah, The Feminine Aspect of God???

By Pastor Michael Brigmond

(Reprinted from the View From the Lighthouse, July 1996)

Some who read this article will be shocked at what they read. Some will come to understand the dangers of the blind leading the blind. And some will simply set it aside and be contented with living in darkness.

We have heard the phrase, "The Shekhinah Glory of God." And many have said it and believed that it is from a biblical source. It is not! There is a popular chorus sung in many churches with the words: "Into the chamber, sweet Holy Spirit, speak to me softly, as I close the door. Heavenly lover, let thy Spirit hover, Shekhinah unending is what I long for." It is a song with a beautiful melody. But the real message is one that will horrify the true believer. Satan does have the ability to appear as an angel of light and music is one place he seems to excel.

First of all, the word Shekhinah is not a Biblical word, not in the original writings or any translation. The word was originally thought to refer to the abiding presence of God. But in the Kabbalah it has taken on a new twist. The word, Shekhinah, has been brought from the Kabbalah into the church by some, perhaps, well-meaning Christian. The general belief is that Shekhinah refers to the abiding presence of God. That’s why it draws the believer into a desired relationship: who would not want to enter into the abiding presence of God?

However, we must be very careful in allowing any non-biblical terms to become part of our doctrines and beliefs. Where it could be argued that the Shekhinah is the abiding presence of God, it must be understood that the word really means the abiding feminine presence of God.

Without getting too technical lets look at it from its source: The Kabbalah. According to the Kabbalah, there are ten Sefirot, or Sephirot. The Sephirot are believed to be attributes of God that are described by the names of God; they are language that substitutes for God. They form the central image of kabbalistic meditation, the "Tree of Life". The tree shows the descent of the divine into the material world, and the path by which people can ascend to the divine while still in the flesh. Each sephirah is a level of attainment in knowledge.

In the View From the Lighthouse, (Oct—Dec, 1995 issue), we learned that the German Kabbalist held that God was too exalted for people to comprehend. However, mystics could perceive God’s presence in the form of a divine fire or light, which is the first creation, Shekinah, the Mother, God’s female aspect.

The mystic sought to unite with this glory. The German Kabbalists also conceived of four worlds:

  1. God’s glory,
  2. angels,
  3. the animal soul, and
  4. the intellectual soul.

 

The tenth Sefirah, known as Malkhut elicits a special fascination for Kabbalists. It is the step that gathers the essence that has been transmitted through the other Sefirot and channels it outward. It is, for the Kabbalists, the symbol of God's presence in the world and the aspect of the Kabbalah’s tree of life that is most accessible to mankind. This function of the tenth Sefirah is called the Shekhinah (divine presence).

In the Talmud the term Shekhinah refers to the personification of God's presence in a particular location, i.e., on earth. In the Kabbalah, Shekhinah refers to the "Feminine Aspect of God".

According to "The Mystic Quest" by David S. Ariel:

 

"The earliest kabbalistic portrayal of the Shekhinah describes her as God’s daughter whom he gives to the world as its wife He longs to hold on to her but recognizes that she now belongs to a different realm. Therefore, God creates the Sefirot as a window between himself and the Shekhinah who dwells in the world. The Sefirot are now the link between God and his daughter. God can relate to the world by means of the Sefirot, and his Shekhinah can approach him by the same avenue".

 

For this writer, that doesn’t sit very well. The Talmud may say one thing and the Kabbalah another, yet the fact remains: SHEKINAH IS NOT A BIBLICAL WORD OR CONCEPT! No matter how you cut it, it is not something we need or should want in our lives.

If there are any Sabbath keepers reading this, please pay close attention! The Shekhinah is always referred to as her in kabbalistic literature. The Jewish rituals related to the Sabbath are some of their most prized celebrations. The wedding and the bride are dominate themes in both the rabbinic and mystical Jewish teachings. The Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 119a, begins the Sabbath celebration by stating: "Let us come and go out to welcome the Sabbath bride." Their ritual continues the reunion of the Shekhinah, the Sabbath bride, with her mate.

For the mystics to travel the ‘tree of life’, they must begin with the tenth Sifirah, the Shekhinah. She is called God’s Kavod (glory). It goes from bad to worse after that as it takes on sexual overtones. You can call this "Brigmond’s Believe it or Not", but its true just the same. [][][][]