Shekinah Glory
Prophet Elisee Yao / 28 Aug 2019
The last knowledge of the church is the glory, as the Word says, “for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Hab 2:14, NIV). But what is the glory?
The Hebrew word for glory is kavod (doxa in Greek), meaning brightness, awesomeness, and heaviness. When the term is applied to humans it refers to a number of external manifestations and conditions such as strength or position. Joseph’s position in Egypt was his glory (Gen 14:13), David’s glory was his warrior position in Judah (Psalm 21:5), and Solomon’s glory was his servants, animals, wealth, and wisdom. The book of Proverbs tells us that, “the glory of young men is their strength…” (20:29). The glory of God, by comparison, is the external manifestation of God’s being; when He manifests Himself in the physical realm, and He becomes so real to people that they tangibly experience His Presence
The people of the Old Testament really understood and revered the glory. When Daniel saw the heavenly being, Gabriel, standing before him, he fell face down and was shaken (Daniel 8). Abraham walked with God. Abraham saw Him and he literally ate food with God Himself (Gen 18). These are experiences that actual people had with a very real God: they felt something! The throne of God is full of electricity, so how can we interact with God without feeling or experiencing something?
In Acts 4, an earthquake struck during a meeting because of the prayer of the saints. When the people wanted God so much that He broke through and the earth shook as they prayed. Interestingly, the earthquake hit that area only, where people were busy with the glory, not any other part of Jerusalem. On his way to Damascus, Paul saw a light and heard a Voice from the light calling him by name (Acts 9 and 22). The light was the reflection of the glory of God. Similarly, when Jesus emerged from the water, having been baptized, a Voice coming from heaven spoke to Him saying, “this is my Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17).
Characteristics of the Glory
When the glory is around you, people see it: it can be touched and felt. Most of the time, Christians are ‘blind’ to the glory, but the unsaved see it clearly because they can feel that something is different when the glory is present. Isaiah 60 says that the glory will be upon you and the gentiles will see it. The glory is given to Christians for the gentiles to see! It’s time for our manifestation.
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you…and His glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn”
Isaiah 60:1-3, NIV
The glory of the Lord is associated with a cloud (Exodus 24:15-16; 33:9-10; 34:5-7). There is a physical cloud that walks with the glory but the glory looks different to those far off and those near. To the Israelites at the base of the mountain, it looked like a consuming fire, but to Moses (on the mountain) it looked like a cloud.
The glory leads you into worship (Exodus 33:9-10). When you truly encounter the glory, you cannot help but worship. If you cannot worship, you haven’t had an encounter with the glory. When the beauty and awesomeness of the Lord is revealed to the heart of a man, the weight of it can compel him to fall down and worship the King.
Gold dust is a sure manifestation of glory. The atmosphere of heaven (full of gold) settles in a place when the glory is present. Precious stones are also a key ingredient of glory. The Bible tells us that the new Jerusalem is made out of precious stones (Rev 21:19-21), and that some entire angels consist of precious stones as well (e.g. Archangel Lucifer, Ezekiel 28:13-14). When these stones are released, it is a sign of angelic activity.
The manifestations of glory are God’s reality, and you don’t need to die and go to heaven before you see these things. John, for example, saw this while he was alive, and so did Paul when he was transported into the third heaven (what Paul saw there, he could not share because he was not permitted to do so).
“Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it. And the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle”
Exodus 40:34-35, NIV
Temples Filled with the Glory
Do we truly realise that we are temples of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor 6:19)? In the Old Testament, the cloud came upon the tabernacle (tent), but in the New Testament, the cloud comes upon us because we are God’s moving tabernacles. When the glory filled the temple, even Moses, the priest, couldn’t enter. The lesson here is that you functioning within your ‘temple’ (body) is a human, fleshly ability. But when God enters, He disqualifies all human ability. The flesh can’t dominate any temple filled with the glory of the Lord: the flesh must bow down.
In the Old Testament, the cloud came upon the tabernacle, but in the New Testament, the cloud comes upon us.
The glory and the Presence are similar because the Presence of God carries the glory. In the Presence there is angelic activity, and the glory settles all demonic interferences around you. God gave us the mandate to deal with Satan, because He is simply too powerful to fight with devils. God is all powerful! The reason why people become depressed is because they don’t have a revelation of who God truly is. When you are not in the glory, you are in the natural, consumed by natural concerns. The moment you move up in the glory, you become disconnected from the natural. We must come to understand that all of our needs are fulfilled in the glory of Abba Father. Jesus lived in the glory all the time while He was on earth, and that is why He wasn’t worried about any of His needs going unmet. Jesus knew this; that in the glory there is activation; that in the glory a stone can become bread. The devil knew this as well (Matt 4:1-4). Jesus didn’t convert the stone into bread because He didn’t want to use the glory for selfish gain.
Everything comes alive in the glory! Since it is the manifestation of God Himself, it bears heavenly qualities: the grass in heaven, stones, and flowers speak of the glory of God. All natural circumstances work for your good in the glory, this is why the ravens fed Elijah (1 Kings 17:2-5): he was a man of the glory. When nature acknowledges what’s inside you, it’s a clear sign that you walk with the Shekinah glory of Abba Father.
“…The mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands”
Isaiah 55:12, NIV
We can Attract or Repel the Glory
We do not have the power to bring the glory, because the glory is God’s being, but we can attract or repel it. You attract the glory when you create an atmosphere that looks like Him by worshiping, praising, and imitating heaven. Murmuring and lack of faith repels the glory of God. In the glory there is no heartache or depression; all tears are wiped away. Real, Godly joy is found in His glory! It is written that in His “Presence is fullness of joy; at [His] right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). You can create and maintain an atmosphere of glory, or you can create an atmosphere that attracts demonic activity (e.g. constantly ‘soaking’ in worldly, rather than Godly, music).
You cannot bring the glory, but you can attract or repel it.
When you don’t pursue the Presence or glory, you lose it. This is the tragic part: you can actually lose the glory. God does not withdraw the anointing, but His manifest Presence and glory can be withdrawn from you. Christianity/church without the manifestation of God, is religion. We become religious when we become comfortable, and this is when the Presence draws away. Saul started well until he neglected the Presence and the Presence departed from him (1 Samuel 16:14). When the Presence left, a critical demon replaced Him. We become afraid, tired, critical, and spiritually unfit when we are not in the glory. We must press on in worship and prayer, building spiritual endurance, and creating an atmosphere that attracts the glory.
It’s time to bring the glory back!
Shalom.