Wednesday, 13 August 2008 14:07
Written by Ken Garrison
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Excerpt #3 from the book, Bible Prophecy, by Pastor Ken Garrison (Excerpt #1, Excerpt 2)
(Note: in order for this article to be effective, the reader needs to read the listed Scripture references. The full text of the Scriptures have been removed for copyright and space concerns.)
One of the most important subjects of Bible Prophecy has to do with God’s indwelling presence in the midst of the human community. The subject is virtually ignored by Christian writers because of the strong gnostic influence that occurred during the era when Christian doctrine was developed. The gnostics believed that the physical creation was evil and, therefore, unsuitable for God’s presence. Gnostic doctrine saw man advancing to a higher spiritual plane to the presence of God. We hear this influence in Christian terminology in such expressions as, “going to heaven when I die”.
As a result of this gnostic influence on the Church fathers, Christian theology embodies many gnostic concepts. It is for this reason that the treatment of God’s glory coming to earth is so rarely discussed.
From the time of the fall of man until God’s revelation at Mt. Sinai, there is little indication that He ultimately planned to dwell in the midst of man. At Sinai immediately following the consummation of the covenant between Himself and Israel, God began to reveal this fact. God spoke to Moses.
(Exodus 25:1,9)
Indeed, God declared that He brought Israel out of Egypt just for this purpose.
(Exodus 29:46)
Detailed instructions followed specifying exactly how God's dwelling place would be constructed and what vessels would be included within the "Holy House" (mikdash). The Hebrew word (kodesh) is translated as “holy”. The word for sanctuary or holy house is derived from kodesh. Moses was shown this pattern on the mountain (Exodus 25:40). When the tabernacle was completed, Moses consecrated it and God's glory descended into it.
(Exodus 40:34-38)
God literally dwelled in the midst of His people Israel. He dictated the route of travel for Israel throughout the wilderness journey.
God chose Jerusalem as the seat of His earthly government and the location for His “holy house”. He revealed Himself to David over the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. This was the place where He chose to establish His name forever, and it is the place where a permanent house would be built
(II Chronicles 3:1)
A millennia earlier, Abraham named this same site Adonai Yireh. This name means the place where God will see (Genesis 22:14). After Solomon built the Temple, he consecrated it to the Lord and God's glory descended into it just as had happened 400 years earlier at Mt. Sinai in the days of Moses.
(II Chronicles 5:11-14)
God specifically said that He had chosen this place forever.
(II Chronicles 7:15-16)
From the days of Solomon (~ 970 - 930BC) until the reign of Zedekiah (597 - 586 BC), God's glory dwelled in the Temple in Jerusalem. Talmudic sources indicate that the sick came to the temple and were healed. This we would expect because the presence of the "Living One" was there. Also interesting is the report that even though there were sacrifices being made continually, there were no flies there.
Israel sinned and was judged by God. The ultimate judgment was dispersion from the land. This judgment was accomplished by the hand of the Babylonians in 586 BC. The Babylonians also destroyed the Temple and carried off what vessels remained there. Just before the destruction of the Temple, God removed His glory from the Temple and evidently received it back into the heavens. Ezekiel, the prophet, had previously been carried into exile to Babylon but he witnessed this event in visions. He saw God's glory moving out of the Most Holy Place to the entrance of the Temple.
(Ezekiel 10:4)
From the entrance of the Temple, God's glory moved eastward to the east gate of the Temple compound.
(Ezekiel 10:18-19)
Next God's glory moved across the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives to the east.
(Ezekiel 11:22-23)
Ezekiel's vision ended at this point. However, we believe that God's glory ascended into heaven. There is no indication that His glory remained on the Mount of Olives, therefore, we assume that He ascended. Later the resurrected Jesus would ascend from the same spot and, of course, the angels declared that He also would return to this same place. It is important to realize that the dispersion, the destruction of the temple and the withdrawal of God’s glory from Jerusalem was a temporary situation which would ultimately be reversed as God moved forward in His redemptive activities. Eventually God’s glory would return and again find its dwelling place in Israel.
Now God, from the beginning revealed that His glory would fill the earth.
(Numbers 14:21)
