The Glory of God

I have been spending chunks of time this summer studying through the Book of Ezekiel, preparing for a special class that I hope to teach on this book sometime in 2009. I admit that this is the very first time that I have spent quality moments with this ancient, and often, bizarre prophet from the 6th century BC. But God is opening the book to me in unique ways.

One of the themes of this book concerns the glory of God. Now, as you might remember from your own studies in ancient Israeli history, God's glory filled the temple that Solomon had built. We read these words of the eyewitness in 1 Kings 8:10-11, When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple. The glory of God represented the presence of God among His people. I was reminded of the words of Moses, centuries before this grand event, when he pled with God for the people after their sin with the golden calf. Remember what Moses said to God? If your Presence does not go with us, do not send up up from here (Exodus 33:15). As long as the glory of God was there, the nation of Israel knew that God had not abandoned them.

Now, that brings us to the prophet Ezekiel. In the early chapters of his book, Ezekiel describes the glory of God leaving the temple, in fact, it left the city of Jerusalem. Ezekiel describes it this way, Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim (located above the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies) and moved to the threshold of the temple (Ezekiel 10:4). In other words, the glory moved from its resting place for nearly five centuries, and began to move toward the door. Ezekiel then continues his description of God's glory being removed. Then the glory of the LORD departed from over the threshold of the temple...They stopped at the entrance to the east gate of the LORD's house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them (Ezekiel 10:18-19). Finally we read, The glory of the LORD went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it (Ezekiel 11:23). Many scholars believe that this is a reference to the Mount of Olives. Any way, God's glory was now removed from Jerusalem. It was a sign that God's judgment could now begin.

Now it is interesting to note that nowhere in the Bible do we read that God's glory came to rest upon the temple, first built by Zerubbabel, then expanded by King Herod. The closest we come to any consideration of God's glory within that structure is recorded for us in Haggai 2:9, The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house, says the LORD Almighty. I believe this is a reference to the person of Jesus Christ who graced the temple precincts often with His presence. Could the glory of God have lingered over the Mount of Olives? I do not believe it is a coincidence that Jesus Christ ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives - the place of God's glory. Nor do I believe it is a coincidence that Christ will enter the city of Jerusalem and the new Temple from the eastern gate, having come from the Mount of Olives. Ezekiel describes that moment with these words, And I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. ... The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east. ... and the glory of the LORD filled the temple (Ezekiel 43:2, 4, 5).

How wonderful will that be! The presence of Jesus Christ as King...that would be amazing enough in and of itself! But the presence of the glory of God as it has not been seen upon this earth since the closing days of the Kingdom of Judah. Wow! And just to think that we will be there to observe it all.

When I stand upon the slopes of the Mount of Olives next March, I will have a new reason to be excited. For it will be from here that the glory of God will be restored to the temple and to the city of Jerusalem.