· We are not told if the Shekinah Glory returned to the second temple.
· But we are told that God’s glory was seen again on earth in the person of Jesus Christ.
· John 1:14 says,
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son” (italics added).
· As such, Jesus was the new tabernacle for God’s abiding glory.
· In Jesus, God dwelt among people.
· Since Christ was (and is) the very image of God,(We’ll talk a bit more about this shortly) - to see the light of his face was to know the glory of God (2 Cor 4:4–6).
4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the (self-same) God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts (in order) to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
· To see Jesus was to see a “light to the Gentiles and the glory of Israel” (Lk 2:30–32).
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
· The disciples who witnessed the Transfiguration (Mt 17:1–8) saw his glory in a marvelous way
· 2 Peter 1:16–17
16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
· It was a glory that burst out of his human body.
· This outburst of glory prefigured the glorification Christ experienced in resurrection and ascension
· In the garden, Jesus prayed for Himself (John 17:5 ):
5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
· Paul developed this very theme in Philippians 2:5–11:
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
· Phil 2:8–9 says this was because Jesus humbled himself and was obedient to the point of death, God highly exalted him:
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
· Luke tells us that after he suffered death on the cross, he entered into his glory (Lk 24:26)
26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?”
· He entered that glory with a new and glorious body;.
39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.
40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. (1 Cor. 15:39–43)
21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (Phil 3:21)
· The glorified Christ appeared to his servants.
· Stephen saw his glory (Acts 7:55),
55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
· Saul was blinded by his splendor (9:3-9).
· Acts 9:3–9 (NKJV)
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” [One of the greatest testimonies to the Truth of d TommorrowElection in the entire Scripture]
6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. [They were Pharisees - They heard everything that Saul heard...persecutors and killers of these new “Christians” - can you imagine? I’d like to know what happened to THESE men?] 8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. [He wasn’t stuck blind as a separate act of God - it was the “light” - the fabulous glory of God that he saw in verse 3 that blinded him and helped convinced him that what he was seeing was real and genuinely from God that blinded him] But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. [Well, I can certainly understand why - but this wasn’t just “I don’t want to t eat” - this was a fast…]
To Be Continue Tommorrow
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