THE RETURN OF THE GLORY OF GOD
There are many people that have not been able to make the distinction between “the gospel of the grace of God” and “the gospel of the glory of Christ.” They are not the same according to Scripture.
God’s glory is the theme that runs throughout the Book of Ezekiel. Glory is an aspect of God’s character. His name alone is glorious. The Spirit of God seems to be featured more prominently in the Book of Ezekiel than any other of the prophetic books. One of the first visions that Ezekiel has portrays the Spirit of God leaving Solomon’s Temple, as the Babylonians were besieging the city of Jerusalem around B.C. 586. The departure of the glory of God signaled the end of a relationship between God and His people that had existed for four centuries. The Divine King finally abandoned His residence. This was all happening because His chosen people had despised His laws, turned aside from worshiping Him, filled the land with violence and persecuted His prophets. God never withdraws unless He is rejected and driven away, which is exactly what had happened; His people hand been stubborn, obstinate, and rebellious.
Many of the Jews had already been captured and exiled in Babylon and were still in shock over the destruction of Jerusalem. Like Isaiah, Ezekiel was called to prophesy to these rebellious people that another glorious kingdom was coming and that it would never be destroyed. He was appointed by God as a “watchman,” not only to warn Israel about the dangers of Divine Judgment, but also to encourage them about the blessings that lie ahead for their obedience. God told Ezekiel not to fear how the Jews responded, but to speak His Word, His Word only:
Ezek 2:6-7
6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
KJV
Successes, God told him, would be measured by his faithfulness to proclaim the message, not by Israel’s response, a great lesson for us to remember also.
The highlight of the Book of Ezekiel is his detailed description of the Millennial Temple in chapters 40-46. This vision was to make the Jews ashamed of their previous sins, to cause them to repent and finally, to make them realize God’s faithfulness to every one of His promises.
The climax of Ezekiel’s prophetic vision of the Millennial Temple (chapter 47); occurs when the glory of God returns from the East, over the Mount of Olives, and once again enter the temple:
Ezek 43:1-5
43:1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:
2 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.
3 And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.
4 And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.
5 So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.
KJV
When the glory of the Lord takes position of the temple and fills it with His radiance of heavenly light and power, it highlights God’s presence among His people again and the restoration of their fellowship. Haggai tells us that not only will God Himself dwell in this temple, but that “the glory of this house shall exceed the glory of the former:
Hag 2:9
9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.
KJV
Ezekiel’s vision describes a literal temple that will be built in the Millennium. Many other Old Testament prophets envisioned this same future temple in their writings. (See Isa. 60:13; Joel 3:18; Micah 4:2; Haggai 2:7-9; Zech. 6:12-15; 14:16).
Some theologians believe that the temple we see in Ezekiel is the temple that will be built in the Tribulation and that will be desecrated by the Antichrist. Some have difficulty accepting that, I don’t really; the very way I believe Jesus Christ will dethrone Satan and take his crown and the scepter (when He becomes all in all), it’s the way I believe He will take over the new sanctified temple. Holiness will be the main focus of the new temple in the Millennium.
It is interesting to note that “the glory of the Lord returns to the temple only when the separation between the sanctuary and the profane place is accomplished.” The Spirit of the Lord returns to the temple only when the purification is completed. This whole event in Ezekiel – The filling of the temple with the glory of God – can be somewhat analogous to a believer being filled with the Spirit. We, too, can be refilled only when we are purified and holy. We must personally confess and repent of our sin and self so that God’s Spirit can, once again, manifest Himself through us.
The message of Ezekiel’s Temple to the believer is a call to holiness. Scripture tells us that we must be holy, just as He is holy:
1 Peter 1:15-16
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
KJV
As it is in Ezekiel’s Temple, holiness is seen by the encircling wall around the sanctuary, making the separation between it and the profane place secure:
Ezek 42:20
20 He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.
KJV
Dear believer, “take time to be holy”.
There are many people that have not been able to make the distinction between “the gospel of the grace of God” and “the gospel of the glory of Christ.” They are not the same according to Scripture.
God’s glory is the theme that runs throughout the Book of Ezekiel. Glory is an aspect of God’s character. His name alone is glorious. The Spirit of God seems to be featured more prominently in the Book of Ezekiel than any other of the prophetic books. One of the first visions that Ezekiel has portrays the Spirit of God leaving Solomon’s Temple, as the Babylonians were besieging the city of Jerusalem around B.C. 586. The departure of the glory of God signaled the end of a relationship between God and His people that had existed for four centuries. The Divine King finally abandoned His residence. This was all happening because His chosen people had despised His laws, turned aside from worshiping Him, filled the land with violence and persecuted His prophets. God never withdraws unless He is rejected and driven away, which is exactly what had happened; His people hand been stubborn, obstinate, and rebellious.
Many of the Jews had already been captured and exiled in Babylon and were still in shock over the destruction of Jerusalem. Like Isaiah, Ezekiel was called to prophesy to these rebellious people that another glorious kingdom was coming and that it would never be destroyed. He was appointed by God as a “watchman,” not only to warn Israel about the dangers of Divine Judgment, but also to encourage them about the blessings that lie ahead for their obedience. God told Ezekiel not to fear how the Jews responded, but to speak His Word, His Word only:
Ezek 2:6-7
6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
KJV
Successes, God told him, would be measured by his faithfulness to proclaim the message, not by Israel’s response, a great lesson for us to remember also.
The highlight of the Book of Ezekiel is his detailed description of the Millennial Temple in chapters 40-46. This vision was to make the Jews ashamed of their previous sins, to cause them to repent and finally, to make them realize God’s faithfulness to every one of His promises.
The climax of Ezekiel’s prophetic vision of the Millennial Temple (chapter 47); occurs when the glory of God returns from the East, over the Mount of Olives, and once again enter the temple:
Ezek 43:1-5
43:1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:
2 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.
3 And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.
4 And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.
5 So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.
KJV
When the glory of the Lord takes position of the temple and fills it with His radiance of heavenly light and power, it highlights God’s presence among His people again and the restoration of their fellowship. Haggai tells us that not only will God Himself dwell in this temple, but that “the glory of this house shall exceed the glory of the former:
Hag 2:9
9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.
KJV
Ezekiel’s vision describes a literal temple that will be built in the Millennium. Many other Old Testament prophets envisioned this same future temple in their writings. (See Isa. 60:13; Joel 3:18; Micah 4:2; Haggai 2:7-9; Zech. 6:12-15; 14:16).
Some theologians believe that the temple we see in Ezekiel is the temple that will be built in the Tribulation and that will be desecrated by the Antichrist. Some have difficulty accepting that, I don’t really; the very way I believe Jesus Christ will dethrone Satan and take his crown and the scepter (when He becomes all in all), it’s the way I believe He will take over the new sanctified temple. Holiness will be the main focus of the new temple in the Millennium.
It is interesting to note that “the glory of the Lord returns to the temple only when the separation between the sanctuary and the profane place is accomplished.” The Spirit of the Lord returns to the temple only when the purification is completed. This whole event in Ezekiel – The filling of the temple with the glory of God – can be somewhat analogous to a believer being filled with the Spirit. We, too, can be refilled only when we are purified and holy. We must personally confess and repent of our sin and self so that God’s Spirit can, once again, manifest Himself through us.
The message of Ezekiel’s Temple to the believer is a call to holiness. Scripture tells us that we must be holy, just as He is holy:
1 Peter 1:15-16
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
KJV
As it is in Ezekiel’s Temple, holiness is seen by the encircling wall around the sanctuary, making the separation between it and the profane place secure:
Ezek 42:20
20 He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.
KJV
Dear believer, “take time to be holy”.
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