II Chronicles 5: [13] It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
[14] So that the priests could not stand to minister
by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.
“If you’ve got trumpeters and singers it’s always good that
they are on the same note, making the same sound,” said Richard Jordan
Wednesday night. “God’s glory was in the tabernacle and now it’s moved to the
temple and it’s in that ‘most holy.’
“After the Babylonian captivity came, though, and took Israel, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple and God had withdrawn His glory.
“That’s why, in the last chapters of II Chronicles, it talks
about how ‘now He’s known as the Lord God of heaven.’
“From Joshua on He was the Lord God of all the earth. He
walked with, He lived with, He manifested His presence over that mercy seat in
His people, but when the captivity came, He departed and now He goes away on
exile.
“That’s why when John the Baptist came he said, ‘Repent for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ It’s not that they were thinking of dying
and going to heaven. It’s that God has moved His throne to the heavens and it’s
‘thy kingdom come.’ It wasn’t a good thing His throne was in heaven; it
belonged on the earth.
“In Ezra 6, when the Jews go back after the Babylonian
captivity, they rebuild the temple, but God never filled it. Bible teachers wonder,
‘Did they fill it or didn’t they?’ They built it but God never moves back in
and the reason He doesn't is because, with the captivity He sent the nation
Israel among the nations and withdrew Himself. Micah says He ‘hid His face
from them.’
“That tabernacle got damaged and Herod the Great, in about
20 B.C, rebuilt it and reestablished it. It took 45 years, John 2 says, to
build it originally after the Babylonian captivity, but now you just had the ‘Jews’
religion.’
“It’s important to appreciate why the veil was broken down.
By the way, it was rent in two from top to bottom. In other words, man sitting
down here didn’t do it; God did it from the top. God’s hands broke the veil
away. But why did He do it?
"John 2:13: [13] And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus
went up to Jerusalem. Now who’s Passover was it? God gave it to Israel
and over and over He says, ‘Jehovah’s Passover.’ But now it had become 'the Jews' religion.'
“You remember Paul said in Galatians 1, [13] For ye have heard of my conversation in time
past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of
God, and wasted it:
[14] And profited in the Jews' religion above many my
equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of
my fathers.
“Jesus told His apostles in Matthew 28:23: ‘I’m leaving the
temple and when I leave, I’m leaving your house desolate.’
“What had happened is they recognized that God Himself wasn’t
living in that inner sanctum anymore. But all the Jews thought He was. They’re
still coming up there worshipping and yet Jesus said, ‘It’s a vain religious
system you guys have.’
“Because of the apostasy of the nation Israel, the judgment
of God had come on them; they’re out there in the Fifth Course of Judgment and He
wasn’t dwelling with them anymore. His glory had withdrawn itself back into the
heavens and the Messiah was going to bring it back.
“You remember in Matthew 25 when He says, [31] When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and
all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
“He’s literally going to bring that glory of His presence,
called the Shekinah Glory, back with Him and He’s going to fill the land of
Israel with that glory, and ‘the brightness of His rising’ will fill the nation
Israel and the Gentiles will come to the brightness of thy rising. But that’s
the Second Advent; that’s what they’re waiting on.”
(new article tomorrow)
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