20151206 Sunday, December 6 2015
Ezekiel 43: Who Has Seen The Coming Of The Glory Of The LORD?

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"For the Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea"

The English-language word "glory" originated from a Latin word that itself originated from a Greek word, pronounced kleos, that meant fame. Cleopatra, the Greek queen who ruled Egypt when it was occupied by the Ptolemies (see A History Of Jerusalem: Greeks, Ptolemies, Seleucids) was named from that word. In her case, it referred to her incestuous ancestry i.e. The Ptolemaic kings, all fifteen of whom were named Ptolemy, often married their sisters, who were commonly named Cleopatra, from the Greek kleos patris meaning famous parents (see The Cleopatra Connection).

The Hebrew word that is often translated as "glory" is pronounced kaw-bode. It literally means weight when used to refer to the LORD (see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour) because His "glory" is not merely a glorious appearance. It refers to His Almighty Power - unlike Satan who remains "glorious" in appearance but is a lightweight because he is filled with nothing but his own vanity (see also How Does Satan Impersonate Jesus Christ?).

Notice how the Glory of the LORD is expressed as Power, not appearance alone (see also The Prophecy Of The Return Of Jesus Christ).

"29:11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all." (1 Chronicles 29:11 KJV)

The Glory of the LORD was witnessed many times by the Israelites, and their enemies, throughout history.

"24:16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 24:17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel." (Exodus 24:16-17 KJV; see also Arrival At Mount Sinai and The Ten Commandments)

"40:34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 40:35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle." (Exodus 40:34-35 KJV; see also Israel In History and Prophecy: The Tabernacle)

"8:9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 8:10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, 8:11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD." (1 Kings 8:9-11 KJV; see also Israel In History and Prophecy: The Temple and the Fact Finder question below)

The Glory of the LORD will yet been seen by everyone, after the return of the LORD to re-establish His Kingdom of God on Earth (see What Gospel Did Jesus Preach? and The First And Last Nation).

"2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." (Habakkuk :14 KJV)

Notice the context of when "the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (from the verses quoted above) will happen - "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (from the verses quoted below).

"11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 11:3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 11:5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 11:7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 11:8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

11:10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious." (Isaiah 11:1-10 KJV)

Ezekiel was given to see that future time when "the Glory of the LORD" will rule (see What Temple Did Ezekiel See? and the Fact Finder question below).

"43:1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: 43:2 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. 43:3 And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. 43:4 And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. 43:5 So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.

43:6 And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me. 43:7 And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places. 43:8 In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger. 43:9 Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

43:10 Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. 43:11 And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.

43:12 This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

43:13 And these are the measures of the altar after the cubits: The cubit is a cubit and an hand breadth; even the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span: and this shall be the higher place of the altar. 43:14 And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit. 43:15 So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns. 43:16 And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof. 43:17 And the settle shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit about; and his stairs shall look toward the east.

43:18 And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon. 43:19 And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering. 43:20 And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the settle, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it. 43:21 Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary.

43:22 And on the second day thou shalt offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock. 43:23 When thou hast made an end of cleansing it, thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish. 43:24 And thou shalt offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

43:25 Seven days shalt thou prepare every day a goat for a sin offering: they shall also prepare a young bullock, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish. 43:26 Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves. 43:27 And when these days are expired, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord GOD. "

Fact Finder: When will the last-ever Temple be built in Jerusalem?
See When Will There Be No More Temples Built In Jerusalem?