THEOSISJerome of Stridon
And the cherubim spread their wings while the wheels accompanied them, with the glory of the God of Israel resting upon them. Then the glory of the Lord ascended from within the city and paused upon the hill to the east. Gradually, the presence of the Lord withdrew from Jerusalem. Initially, it departed from the temple, pausing in the courtyard or at the threshold of the house, then at the eastern gate, and ultimately, with wings raised and accompanied by wheels, it settled over the mountain that lies to the east of the city, commonly understood to be the Mount of Olives, from which the Savior ascended to the Father.
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The glory of the Lord remained, having left the city of Jerusalem for the Mount of Olives, signifying resurrection and illumination, observing the destruction and desolation of Jerusalem from afar. When it is written, “The glory of the Lord went up out of the midst of the city,” it is as if the Lord were telling the disciples, “Arise, let us go up from hence,” and to the Jews, “Behold, your house shall be left to you desolate.” Josephus also noted that within the temple, the voice of the angels and heavenly hosts, who had previously guarded the city, was heard saying, “Let us depart from these places.” In a remarkable way, the glory of the Lord, after leaving the temple, continues to stand over the Mount of Olives to this day, shining as a cross and casting its gaze upon the temple that was once a place of Jewish worship, now reduced to dust and ashes.