Scripture Reading: 2 Sam. 7:13a; 2 Chron. 3:1; 5:1-2, 13-14; Ezek. 43:1-5; Rev. 21:10-11
Ⅰ
The glory of God is in the building of God—in the tabernacle and in the temple—Exo. 40:34-35; 2 Chron. 5:13-14; Eph. 3:21; Rev. 21:10-11:
A
The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle—Exo. 40:34-35:
１
Glory is God's expression, God Himself expressed.
２
In our experience of the church life, we need to advance so that we may experience the glory in God's dwelling place—cf. footnote 142 , par. 3, in John 1.
B
The glory of the Lord filled the temple built by Solomon, bringing the God who is in the heavens to the earth and joining the earth to the heavens—2 Sam. 7:13a; 1 Kings 8:10-11; 2 Chron. 3:1; 5:1-2, 13-14.
C
In a vision of God, Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord return to the house and fill the house—Ezek. 43:1-5:
１
Ezekiel had seen the glory of the Lord leave the temple and the city, but in his later ministry he saw the glory coming back to the house of Jehovah— 8:1—11:25; 43:2, 4-5.
２
The glory of the Lord returned to the temple because the building of the temple was completed; this indicates that in order for the God of glory to dwell in the church, the church must be built up to become the dwelling place of God—Eph. 2:21-22; 3:14-21.
３
In the church life we need a gate which is open to the glory of the Lord— Ezek. 43:4:
ａ
In the church life the first consideration we should have is the Lord's glory—1 Cor. 10:31; Eph. 3:21; Phil. 4:20; 1 Pet. 4:11.
ｂ
The decisions in the church life must be made primarily according to the Lord's glory—Eph. 3:21.
ｃ
The church must be open to the Lord's glory so that His glory may come into the church.
D
Haggai 2:1-9 is a prophecy concerning the house of Jehovah in the millennium:
１
"I will shake all the nations, and the Desire of all the nations will come; and I will fill this house with glory, says Jehovah of hosts"—v. 7.
２
"The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former, says Jehovah of hosts"—v. 9a.
E
"In His temple all say, Glory!"—Psa. 29:9b.
Ⅱ
In the Scriptures there is a line concerning the glory of God and the economy of God—Eph. 3:9, 16-17a, 21:
A
Glory is an attribute of God—Acts 7:55; 2 Pet. 1:3.
B
God is a God of glory—Acts 7:2; Eph. 1:17; 3:14, 16; 1 Cor. 2:8; 2 Cor. 4:6; 1 Pet. 4:14.
C
God's purpose is to bring many sons into glory—Heb. 2:10; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:6-7, 12, 14.
D
The glory of God is related to Christ's incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and coming again:
１
The Word became flesh, and the glory of His divinity was concealed within the shell of His humanity, yet the disciples beheld His glory—John 1:14; Matt. 17:2.
２
In His life and work, the Lord Jesus did not seek His own glory but the glory of the One who sent Him—John 7:18; 8:50, 54.
３
The glory of Christ's divinity was released through the breaking of the shell of His humanity by His death—12:23-24.
４
Christ was glorified in His resurrection—Luke 24:26; John 7:39; 17:5; Acts 3:13; 1 Pet. 1:21.
５
Christ was glorified in His ascension—Heb. 2:9.
６
The Lord as the Son of Man will come in the glory of the Father—Matt. 16:27.
E
God created us as vessels prepared unto glory—Rom. 9:23.
F
To sin is to fall short of God's glory and thus to love the glory of men more than the glory of God—3:23; John 5:44; 7:18; 12:43.
G
Christ's redemption has fulfilled the requirements of God's glory—Rom. 3:24-25; Heb. 9:5; cf. Gen. 3:24.
H
Through the gospel of the glory of God, God has called us into His eternal glory—2 Cor. 4:4; 1 Tim. 1:11; 1 Pet. 5:10; 1 Thes. 2:12.
I
Christ in us is the hope of glory—Col. 1:27; 3:4.
J
The goal of God's organic salvation, and the last stage of this salvation, is glory—Heb. 2:10; Rom. 8:17, 21, 30.
K
The Lord will transfigure our body of humiliation to be conformed to the body of His glory—Phil. 3:21.
L
There is glory to God in the church—Eph. 3:21; 5:27:
１
God's glory is wrought into the church, and He is expressed in the church.
２
To God is glory in the church; that is, God is glorified in the church.
３
The church is the glory of God coming to us with God and returning to God with us—3:16-17a, 21.
M
The Lord prayed for our oneness in the divine glory for the expression of the Triune God—John 17:22.
N
There will be the glory of God in the kingdom of God—Matt. 6:13; 16:27; 19:28; 25:31; Rev. 5:13.
O
The New Jerusalem will have the glory of God—21:10-11.
P
The glory of God in the economy of God involves deification—God becoming man so that man may become God in life, in nature, and in expression—John 1:14; Col. 3:4; Heb. 2:10; Rev. 21:10-11.