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The Visits of the Glory of God to This World (#123955)
The Visits of the Glory of God to This World
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From:
Christian Treasury: Volume 8
• 2 min. read • grade level: 9
And Later What?
The first visit of the Glory of God to this world was when GOD chose a family to become a people, to become a nation—the nation of Israel. With this nation God personally dwelled. To this people He displayed Himself in Power (
Deut. 4:37
37
And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt; (Deuteronomy 4:37)
).
He took them out of Egypt by Power.
He led them and fed them for forty years through a great wilderness, and brought them into a promised land by Power (
Psa. 105:39-45
39
He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.
40
The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41
He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.
42
For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.
43
And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:
44
And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labor of the people;
45
That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord. (Psalm 105:39‑45)
).
The Glory of God appeared in the most magnificent temple ever to grace this earth, in the days of the great King Solomon (
2 Chron. 7:1
1
Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house. (2 Chronicles 7:1)
).
But through indifference to God's Presence in Power and Glory among them, through disobedience to His personally written laws, through despising the pleasant land (
Psa. 106:24
24
Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: (Psalm 106:24)
), and through turning away from God to heathen idols (
Hos. 1:6
6
And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. (Hosea 1:6)
), the Glory of God reluctantly, haltingly returned to heaven (
Ezek. 1:28, 1-25
28
As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. (Ezekiel 1:28)
1
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
2
In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,
3
The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.
4
And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
5
Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
6
And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
7
And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass.
8
And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
9
Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
10
As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
11
Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
12
And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
13
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
14
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.
16
The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the color of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
17
When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.
18
As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.
19
And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
21
When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
22
And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the color of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
23
And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.
24
And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
25
And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings. (Ezekiel 1:1‑25)
).
This departure was not forced, but because it could find no rest on this polluted earth, the Glory returned to heaven. An interval of about 500 years followed.But the Glory returned to this earth in the Person of Jesus Christ, God Himself. This was a visitation of Grace! This Glory and Grace were in lowly gentleness and love. The world's only hope lay in the Son of God becoming a Man (
Isa. 4:5, 6; 7:14
5
And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.
6
And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain. (Isaiah 4:5‑6)
14
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
). And He did!
Alas, that Glory in Christ was also rejected. But this time forcibly put out of this world in the shame, rejection, and violence of the cross. Once more God took His leave and returned to heaven.
The mysteriously silent heaven has continued now for 1900 years. (But more later!)
Then there will be a third return of the Glory, formally in the Person of the Lord Jesus. This time it will return to reign over this earth in all judgmental power, prosperity, and peace—the 1000-year millennial age. Heaven and earth will be attached, as it were, by a ladder and righteousness will reign (
Hos. 2:19-23
19
And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
20
I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.
21
And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;
22
And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.
23
And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God. (Hosea 2:19‑23)
). Please read it.
But, wonder of wonders, a great mystery exists between the second and third visits to this earth; an unseen, secret, and personal arrival of that Glory, the Person of the Holy Spirit into the heart and body, today, of each believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Through the death, shed blood, resurrection, and ascension of the Son of God, the way has been opened for the redeemed body of believers today to enjoy to the full the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, individually and collectively.
But more! At any moment now, we believers in Christ, together with the Holy Spirit, will be raptured, translated to that Glory itself, with and like the beloved Son of God, to bask in that unstained, eternal Glory forever (
1 Chron. 29:10-13
10
Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
11
Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.
12
Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
13
Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. (1 Chronicles 29:10‑13)
).
N. Berry
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