“The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord is There.” Ezekiel 48:35
Ezekiel was a prophet who saw great visions. He prophesied and saw in a vision Jerusalem being destroyed, and it happened. He also saw God return to the city of Jerusalem, the new city and He prophesied that God would be there. This is the last verse of the book of Ezekiel and it gave hope to the Israelites. They were being held captive and they wanted to know that they would return home and that God would be there in the temple when they got there. And this was the end of Ezekiels vision of the new Jerusalem that they would return to. He was assuring them that He was seeing God return to His temple in Jerusalem.
This name of God signified the presence of God in the future for the Israelites. It was assurance to them that God had not forgotten them. Remember that in Old Testament times they did not have the Holy Spirit with them all the time. Jesus didn’t dwell in their hearts so they relied upon God’s presence in the temple, and the priests and the law for guidance. Being held captive in Babylon it was harder for them to feel God’s presence. They needed this vision from Ezekiel to see that God had not forgotten them. They needed this hope. So to me this Jehovah-Shammah signifies hope. Hope that not only is God with me in my todays but hope that God will be with me in my tomorrows. It’s like the verse in Jeremiah that is quoted so much as well as the verses that follow.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13
Jeremiah was also a prophet during these days of captivity around the same time as Ezekiel. The Israelites were looking to these prophets and the visions of a new Jerusalem and the prophecies of a future and a hope from Jeremiah were exactly what they needed. We get to cling to the future and the hope that God has for each of us too. And we get to know that the Lord will be there in our future as well as the fact that He is with us in our today. Are you in the midst of circumstances you need to change? Are you praying for different? Whatever it may be you just need different? These are your verses to cling to. You can know that God has good plans for you and your people. He has a future and a hope. Invite him in. Ask Him to be Jehovah-Shammah for you. Ask Him to be in your today, but ask Him also to be in your tomorrow so that you can know that wherever you are headed He will be there too!
Restore 