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Today we are going to talk about two main ideas.
The Kingdom of God and the glory of God.
In talking about the Kingdom of God it is important to realize that the Scriptures talk about two aspects of the Kingdom of God.
First there is the Universal Kingdom of God.
The Universal Kingdom is the dominion of God that embraces all objects, persons, and events, all doings of individuals and nations, all operations and changes of nature and history, absolutely and without exception.
God is on His heavenly throne ruling sovereignly over all creation.
King David said it this way,
Secondly there is an Earthly Kingdom, or as McClain puts it a Mediatorial Kingdom.
“The Mediatorial Kingdom may be defined tentatively as: (a) the rule of God through a divinely chosen representative who not only speaks and acts for God but also represents the people before God; (b) a rule which has especial reference to the earth; and (c) having as its mediatorial ruler one who is always a member of the human race.”[1]
It is primarily this Mediatorial Kingdom that takes center stage in the unfolding revelation of the Kingdom of God.
It is this Earthly Kingdom that we will be focusing on today.
And in order to examine God’s Earthly Kingdom we must fist examine the Glory of God.
There are three aspects of the Glory of God that I want you to take home with you today.
I.
The Significance of the Glory of God
A. Its Description
The glory of God, the glory of Jehovah, sometimes called the “Shekinah” glory of God was in the OT a sign and a manifestation of God’s very presence.
It was the form in which God revealed Himself to His chosen people.
And we see amazing events in the OT where God’s glory is manifested.
The burning Bush, the Pillar of Cloud and Fire, but one of the most striking occurences of the glory of God in the OT is the event at Mt. Sinai.
There on Sinai God covenanted together with His people.
I believe that God did something very important at Mt. Sinai.
He established His earthly kingdom.
And this is verified with an awesome display of His glory.
In fact the very first time the word Kingdom is used (in this sense) is found here is Ex 19.
In the nation of Israel and through Moses God would rule in His Kingdom on earth.
This kingdom was then given a constitution in the Mosaic Law.
God said if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you will continue to be a kingdom of priests and an holy nation.
This kingdom grew and expanded for 8 centuries.
It reached its height in the earthly Kings of Israel, the greatest of which was King Solomon.
And again, I think it is significant, that when Solomon complete the work on the temple we read this:
Again in order to validate to the rest of the world that this was God’s program, God came down and filled the temple with His Glory.
B. Its Purpose
So, the significance or the purpose of the Glory of God, in this sense, is that the glory of God was the visible evidence of Jehovah’s personal presence and rule in the earthly kingdom of Israel throughout its history.
It had a regal significance.
These are my people, and this is my earthly kingdom.
The presence of God’s glory leaves little to doubt.
If something as grand as the Kingdom of God were to come to earth, you would expect something equal as grand to make that evident- and that is exactly what you have in the visible presence of the Glory of God.
II.
The Removal of the Glory of God
That is all background, but you have to understand it if you are going to get the meaning of our text this morning.
In Ezekiel 8-11 you have a record of the removal of the glory of God from the nation of Israel.
The Kingdom has flourished for eight centuries, but because of the people’s disobedience to the covenant, they were totally unable to keep the Law, God finally had had enough.
As a consequence for Israel’s disobedience God removed His Glory and thus ended His kingdom on earth through Israel (for a time).
A. The Reason for the Removal
In Ezekiel 8 we read of a vision given to the prophet during the captivity of Jehoiachin.
Ezekiel and many other Jews had been carried away to Babylon leaving only the “poorest sort of people of the land”
The people left behind in Jerusalem, instead of repenting and seeking after the Lord, went further away from the Lord in their idolatry and sin.
False prophets arouse contradiction the word of Jeremiah, the people also sought help from pagan nations to overthrow Babylon.
And it is in this situation that God shows Ezekiel a vision of the horrible sins of the people.
Take notice of what Ezekiel saw in v. 4.
He beheld, the glory of the God of Israel.
The same glory that was present at Mt. Sinai, the same glory that was present at Solomon’s temple dedication.
God is still present in Jerusalem, His regal presence still remains so His earthly kingdom still remains.
The implication is clear: In the face of the intolerable situation of sin which is provoking God to Jealousy, God is still in His sanctuary at Jerusalem.
However, He is about to depart.
Son of man, seest thou what they do?
even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary?
Now, Ezekiel is given the evidence against Jerusalem for their great sins against God.
Seventy of the elders of Israel stood in the attitude of worship before the creature-idols, even “creeping things and abominable beasts,” which had been painted on the wall of the Lord’s temple.
That is not all… thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
Tammuz is a heathen god corresponding to the Greek Adonis whose worship was attended by such licentious orgies that the cult was destroyed by Constantine the Great.
That the women at the gate to the Lord’s house were weeping for this false god meant there hearts and there worship were stolen away.
And it gets worse...
Ezekiel in snot brought in the “inner court,” that is the court of the priests...
“And who were these men?
They were the priesthood of the nation, represented here by the presidents of the twenty-four courses with the high priests at their head!”
(McClain, 122)
The spiritual leaders of the nation and even the high priests himself, stood with their backs to the temple of the Lord (they had turned their back on God), and they had turned their faces toward the east, where they worshipped the sun.
This is a total betrayal on the part of the people of God.
They had broken the covenant that they had made with God, and now they had even rejected their King.
And notice God’s response.
B. The Record of the Removal
The removal of the glory of God is spread through chapters 8 -11.
We don’t have the time to read the full account, but we will piece them together.
First, Ezekiel say the glory of God still in the city in the temple
Then we read this...
Then Ezekiel writes,
For a moment, the glory of God stood over the threshold of the temple, and it illuminated the inner court with a full radiant brightness of Yahweh Himself.
And then Ezekiel records the tragic end…
In the following years the city would be destroyed by the Babylonian armies, rebuilt and the temple itself was successfully reconstructed two times, but nowhere do we read of the Glory of God returning to Jerusalem.
The immediate and personal presence of Jehovah, Israel’s divine King had departed.
III.
The Application of the Glory of God
Church is not Israel- OT passage and concept, yet still application to be made.
A. The Seriousness of Idolatry
Idolatry was the principle reason for the departure of the glory of God.
And if God took it that seriously in the OT, I don’t think He had changed his position on it in the NT.
Guard against three dangers of idolatry
1. “Hole in the wall” Danger- I can hide it, it won’t heart
2. “Rob Your Love” Danger- When you love, that should be for God alone, is stolen away by something else
3. “Turn you Back” Danger- How does God see my idolatry?
B. The Glory of God in You
There is a sense in which the glory of God now lives in you believer.
And this church, there is a sense in which the glory of God dwells in us.
We are the spiritual temple, the spiritual habitation or dwelling place of God by the Spirit.
There is no earthly kingdom, Christ right now is our Head, not our King (in an earthly sense).
One day he will come and then He will rule His kingdom, but not yet.
But it is significant that the glory of God is in you.
How should that makes us feel about being idol worshipers?
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