This study contributes to the theological discourse by demonstrating that, within the theology of certain latter prophets, the Shekinah—understood as God’s visible and active presence—moves heavenward following its departure from the Solomonic temple, and does not return to the earthly temple until God intervenes through His cleansing of the people and re-building initiatives of the Final Temple, which occur within the context of global and universal events. These prophets emphasize the heavenly sanctuary as the primary locus of God’s power and cleansing presence, awakening His people to a mission of global significance until that time arrives.
The introduced principle of Dynamic Universalism provides a framework for understanding this shift in emphasis. This theological concept describes the gradual shift from a local to a universal emphasis within the biblical narrative and is characterized by an expanding focus from a specific land and people to a more global reach. In Zechariah, for instance, this principle is evident through the prophet’s use of language and imagery, which suggests a transition from restricted to universal territories despite the lack of eschatological emphasis in the book.
The research analyzes the prophetic writings of Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, and Daniel. The Shekinah is not described as filling the earthly Second Temple, and its visible manifestation is not expected to return to that temple. The prophetic writings resolve the issue of excessive closeness between God and the people, mentioned in Ezek 43:8, by introducing a two-way solution: increasing spatial and ritual distance between the divine and mortal spheres and emphasizing divine intervention with human cooperation in the purification process. While the book of Ezekiel describes the gradual departure of the Shekinah from the temple of Solomon, Haggai promises greater glory for the Second Temple, yet he does not associate this glory with the visible return of the Shekinah. Similarly, Daniel’s vision of heavenly glory reinforces this idea, underscoring the importance of the heavenly sanctuary over the earthly one. The Talmud, a post-biblical source, also states that there was no Shekinah in the Second Temple, further corroborating this interpretation.
This study draws on multiple scholarly perspectives. Baruch A. Levine, Lawrence H. Schiffman, and Florentino García Martínez discuss the issue of excessive closeness between God and humanity in the First Temple. According to Stephen L. Cook, the language used to describe Ezekiel’s temple indicates that it “will not, and cannot, be built” solely by human effort. Meanwhile, Neville L. A. Tidwell, David L. Petersen, Mark J. Boda, Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer, Michael R. Stead, Goran Živković, and others maintain that Zechariah 3 depicts a heavenly scene unfolding in the heavenly sanctuary, while Mike Stallard identifies messianic indicators in Zechariah. Nuances of the phrase ביום אחד, as examined by Goran Živković, and the symbolic links, as weighed by Jacob Milgrom, further illuminate the Day of Atonement in the Zechariah 3 scene. Although this study concurs with Mark J. Boda and Bennie H. Reynolds regarding the absence of a robust eschatology in Zechariah, it employs the principle of Dynamic Universalism to reveal the duality of timing expressed in the book, which encompasses both local context and end-time connotations.