Verse 5: “Then the Lord will create over every habitation of Mount Zion, and upon her assembly a cloud by day and smoke, and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all is going to be the glory as a covering.”

Habitation: This is a word referring to an established place, a place which has a degree of strength and power attached to it.

Assembly: In Hebrew this is an important word that has to do with calling people together – a convocation. These people are going to be assembled based on God’s proclamation/instruction – what He has prophetically proclaimed and promised.

A cloud by day and smoke: This is reminiscent of the exodus from Egypt. God sheltered the people with a cloud by day (Exodus 13:21-22).

Shining of a flaming fire: These words refer to a very bright light. This is imagery reminding us about what took place at Mount Sinai and the change that God was going to bring about (Exodus 19:16-19).

Covering: (Huppah): The Huppah is a marriage canopy under which a Jewish bride and groom stand during their wedding ceremony. Every Jewish wedding, by Jewish law, takes place under a Huppah. The choice of this word here reminds us of a marriage, it reminds us
that the glory of God is going to be over them through a covenant that is being established.

In Isaiah 4:1 we read about seven women wanting to enter into a covenantal marriage with the man of God. Isaiah 4:2 speaks of this man as Messiah. Now in this verse we see a marriage taking place, under the Huppah, between Messiah and the remnant (those that
remain) of the children of Israel.

Verse 6: “There will be a tabernacle for shelter in the daytime from the heat, for a shelter, and for a hiding place from the storm and rain.”

Tabernacle: Sukkah. At the Feast of Tabernacles booths are set up which the people live in over that period of time (Leviticus 23:33-43). These shelters were to remind the children of Israel that they were dependant on God and needed to trust in Him.

Heat: Interestingly, this word in Hebrew is pronounced ‘mê·ḥō·reḇ’. Horeb is another word for Mount Sinai (Malachi 4:4).

A hiding place from the storm and rain: This is talking about the raining down of God’s judgment. The only way that this remnant can escape the coming storm of God’s judgment is by taking refuge, by entering into His hiding place, by going under His marriage canopy,
entering into an eternal relationship with the Man of God – Messiah Yeshua (God with us, Immanuel).

Note: This chapter reminds us of the faithfulness of God – how God is going to act in accordance with His prophetic truth. He is going to bring a change to Israel. He is a covenant keeping God, and He will fulfil the promises that He gave to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David. If
God does not keep His Old Covenant promises, how could we be sure that He would keep His New Covenant promises? The promises of the covenant that God made with Israel are glorious, but the promises of the New Covenant are even greater because they are made
with the very blood of the Son of God.