The Glory of the Lord
The prophet Ezekiel was shown many things by God. Some were the lessons he was to convey to God's people because they were sinning against God, and they needed to repent. Other things that he saw were directly related to the glory of God. God showed him His power and majesty through the living creatures with four faces, having the wheel within a wheel. Also, Ezekiel saw the glory of God departing from the temple which the people had defiled with their abominable practices of idolatry. It was a sad vision of God's presence leaving His people as He punished them severely. However, God also showed Ezekiel how His glory would fill the end time temple. (Ezekiel 43:4,5) Of course, this showed that God was not through with His people, but He will return to fill the temple and be a blessing to them once again. I believe this even has an application for us, as believers, today.
There is no temple in Jerusalem today. There is only a foundation wall where the Jewish people gather to wail and to pray for the Lord to bless them again and to rebuild His temple. In the meantime, Christians are the temple of God in this world. (I Corinthians 6:19,20) We have the very Spirit of God living in our bodies as His temple. We are here to display the glory of God to everyone around us all of the time. Others should be able to discern the power and presence of God with us, like Ezekiel experienced God's glory coming to the temple. They should see the Lord in us in all we say and do. This should prove the reality of God and draw them to Him. However, if we disobey God, His Spirit shrinks back in our lives, so that others can't discern God in us. This grieves the Spirit and makes God sad, since we have decided to project our own glory, not His. I pray that all of us will bear the glory of God by His Spirit filling us every day.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 46-48.
There is no temple in Jerusalem today. There is only a foundation wall where the Jewish people gather to wail and to pray for the Lord to bless them again and to rebuild His temple. In the meantime, Christians are the temple of God in this world. (I Corinthians 6:19,20) We have the very Spirit of God living in our bodies as His temple. We are here to display the glory of God to everyone around us all of the time. Others should be able to discern the power and presence of God with us, like Ezekiel experienced God's glory coming to the temple. They should see the Lord in us in all we say and do. This should prove the reality of God and draw them to Him. However, if we disobey God, His Spirit shrinks back in our lives, so that others can't discern God in us. This grieves the Spirit and makes God sad, since we have decided to project our own glory, not His. I pray that all of us will bear the glory of God by His Spirit filling us every day.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 46-48.