It was the last night of a Jesus Tent Revival, hosted by Emmanuel Pentecostal Church in Mesquite, Texas. Paul Brookshire, who took the above photo, attends the assembly, and was working security that night.

Much has been speculated as the photo has circulated on the internet that Bro. Brookshire might have edited the photo, or used AI to generate it. I know the pastor and pastor’s wife who hosted the event, and have spoken to  her personally. She assured me that as soon as he snapped the photo, he looked to see what he had captured. When he looked back up in awe, the cloud was gone.

He came immediately into the tent, where service was still going on, to show his wife what he had seen. Understandably, he was very emotional to have witnessed the Shekinah Glory cloud of God’s Presence manifested over the tent of meeting.

Many have suggested that the image simply shows the sunset going down behind the cloud. This is incorrect as the tent was set up on the north side of the Emmanuel campus, and Paul was facing north, looking toward the tent, not west, as would be the case if it was the sunset.

The word Shekinah is not found in scripture. It comes from the Hebrew word meaning to dwell or settle down. In later Jewish writings, it became associated with the visible manifestation of God’s Presence.

While we don’t see the word Shekinah, we definitely see references in scripture to God manifesting His Presence in a cloud. Here are a few examples:

• God led the children of Israel through the wilderness for forty years. During that time, His Presence was manifested by a pillar of fire by night, and a pillar of cloud by day. When the fire or cloud moved, they followed.

“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.” (Exodus 13:21-22)

• God manifested His Presence over the Tent of the Congregation & Tabernacle by a Glory cloud. The Presence of the Lord was so thick that Moses was not able to enter.

“Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” (Exodus 40:34-35)

• At the dedication of Solomon’s Temple, the Shekinah Glory of God was manifest in a cloud. The priests couldn’t minister because the glory of the Lord filled the house.

“And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.” (1 Kings 8:10-11)

A Temple Made Without Hands

We know that a physical cloud, nor temple is needed any longer. Since Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, and the birth of the New Testament Church on the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two, born again believers are now the Temple of God. He now fills His Temple by pouring His Spirit out to whosoever will receive Him, evidenced by speaking in unknown tongues.

Still…isn’t it a beautiful thing that He chose to visibly manifest His Glory?

It’s also delightful, and fitting, that God chose to manifest His Glory over a tent meeting bearing the name of Jesus, hosted by a Oneness Pentecostal congregation, preached by a One God, Jesus’ name evangelist and a Church whose name literally means God With Us. 

Warm Regards In Jesus’ Name!

-Pat