(08/17/2014) Filling the House With Glory?

A brief Scripture study focused upon prophetic visions, the raising of a temple at Jerusalem, and the active presence (some say, the glory, the Shekhinah) of GOD.  Much of what we now account as affliction, horror, scourging, and war are intended to prepare us for the fulfillment of visions, and to supply clarity and sobriety for the realization of awe and sovereign power that are soon to be revealed.

SOME THOUGHTS ON

3 Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work:  for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:

5 According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you:  fear ye not.

6 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come:  and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.

9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts:  and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.  (Haggai 2:  3-7, KJV) 


1st Kings 8:  10-11 (KJV)  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,  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.


2nd Chronicles 5:  11-14 (KJV)  11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place:  (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:  12 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)  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.


2nd Chronicles 7:  1-3 (KJV)  7 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.  2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’s house.  3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.


Isaiah 6:  1-9 (KJV)  1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.  2 Above it stood the seraphims:   each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.  3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts:  the whole earth is full of his glory.  4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.  5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips:  for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.  6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:  7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.  8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.  9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.


Ezekiel 10:  1-8 (KJV)  1 Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.  2 And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.  3 Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.  4 Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’S glory.  5 And the sound of the cherubims’ wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.  6 And it came to pass, that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels.  7 And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen:  who took it, and went out.  8 And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man’s hand under their wings.


Ezekiel 44:  1-9 (KJV)  1 Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut.  2 Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut.  3 It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.  4 Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house:  and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD:  and I fell upon my face.  5 And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary.  6 And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations,  7 In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations.  8 And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things:  but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves.  9 Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.


Leviticus 26:  18-21 (KJV)  18 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.  19 And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:  20 And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.  21 And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.


Leviticus 26:  40-46 (KJV)  40 If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;  41 And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:  42 Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.  43 The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them:  and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity:  because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.  44 And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them:  for I am the LORD their God.  45 But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God:  I am the LORD.  46 These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.


Matthew 20:  9-16 (KJV)  9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.  10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.  11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,  12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.  13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong:  didst not thou agree with me for a penny?  14 Take that thine is, and go thy way:  I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.  15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?  16 So the last shall be first, and the first last:  for many be called, but few chosen.


Luke 14:  16-24 (KJV)  16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:  17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.  18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it:  I pray thee have me excused.  19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them:  I pray thee have me excused.  20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.  21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.  22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.  23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.  24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.


Acts 2:  1-4 (KJV)  1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.  4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.


There is much more to be said, correctly understood, and spiritually apprehended.  For example, rather than conceal and hide ourselves from GOD as did Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, mankind is to expose and offer himself in welcome to the presence and operations of divinity.  Here again, readers are asked to add those verses or passages from Scripture that they would like to share in the comments area (below).  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.


THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC

(11/21/2012) Henceforth, Of This Fruit

Bible counsels on drinking are the topic, today, along with more on the eternal purposes of GOD. A writer at “Yahoo! Answers” using the ID “Kadar” (Level 1 with 90 points, a member since November 20, 2012) posted the following:



Drinking prohibited in the bible. PROOF?

"drink neither win nor strong drink" - luke 1:15
you only choose the bits you like



THE BATTLE AXE: According to the Eternal Purpose (11/20/2012)—The eternal purposes of GOD go beyond the mere maintenance of created beings and living creatures that continually express carnal, material and spiritual needs. Like the children of GOD upon the earth, who have had to receive correction through patriarchs, covenant, judges, kings, prophets, apostles, bishops, sacraments, and sufferings, the angels “must be told” or they fail to recognize the fullness of divine will. Angels do not age, grow old, learn or mature, yet, contrary to divine intent, their rank and glory may be changed, and their sacred substance may be diminished through corruption. In the same way Almighty GOD is revealed to those of the earth through copies and depictions of things in heaven, the Most High is revealed to citizens of heaven through visible figures that are upon the earth. Both men and angels are challenged to know, love and serve an invisible, unseen GOD “by faith,” and through unity that derives from sacred purpose. Oneness prevails rather than equality, parity and sameness. Fullness and wholeness are accomplished through balance, diversity, meekness, obedience to divine law, reverence, worship and truth. Among men, many only account as truth what they themselves apprehend and discover through trial and error. Such are often being directly influenced by unseen spirits that receive enlightenment and insight only by creating and marking differences, disparity and imbalance. Those who are deceived cannot accept the truth that there is absolutely no way for angels to rule over mankind apart from GOD. Being fellow-servants and peers with mankind (Revelation 19: 9-10 and 22: 8-9, KJV), holy angels also are challenged to speak as did Job and David (Job 42: 5-6; Psalms 34: 13-19; and Psalms 51: 8-17, KJV). Given creatures from dust may grasp these things, angels are without excuse.



THE GOLDEN ARROW: Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again. (Proverbs 23: 29-35, King James Version)



THE DOUBLE DAGGER: What Is Reality (a.k.a. Truth)? 09/29/2012; Divine Self-Sacrifice? (09/30/2012); All Righteousness (01/11/2012); Reason to Believe (01/12/2012); Diet and Food? (12/31/2010); Not Sure? (01/01/2011); Eat and Run? (10/21/2010); Divine Blessing (10/22/2010)



While juices and oils from plants often have profound impact upon the flesh (i.e., human appetite, senses, and mind), no beverage, drug or material substance can dominate or influence the living spirit from GOD that resides within mankind. Even so, here is the sort of counsel often shared by fathers and sons among the people of GOD through Jesus Christ:

The application of truth recorded in the Bible has to be in accordance with various conditions, needs, and understandings, just like advice from a doctor regarding ones health. Certain ideas about diet and food apply broadly, at most seasons, and in a variety of locations. At other times, abstinence and limits must be proscribed.

Many receive the Scriptures as not condemning out of hand the use of wine, strong beverages, and so-called “controlled substances” (e.g., caffeine, coffee, cola, hashish, marijuana, tobacco, rum, and whiskey). While many of these (particularly the drugs) have medicinal value, they pose serious threats to health, because they alter the functioning of the body, rather than encourage its functioning as do herbal remedies. Typically, users are unable to control the dosage and quality of those substances, and the patterns of use and experience are not consistent and predictable. For most mature believers, the primary proscriptions against drinking address drunkenness, intoxication, loss of inhibitions, and lack of sobriety. Respect for the pleasures of life is encouraged (e.g., Judges 9: 12-13; Ecclesiastes 2: 24 and 9: 7; John 2: 8-10, King James Version) while exaggeration, greed, and hedonism are condemned (e.g., Proverbs 20: 1 and 31: 4; Isaiah 28: 7, KJV).

The following are some of the many notable examples of counsel against drinking that are put before the covenant peoples of GOD. In each instance, discipline, obedience, preparedness, sobriety and vigilance are paramount. Readers should consider the sons of Jonadab (Jeremiah 35, KJV). Also, attend to Jesus, the Christ who counsels that we watch and pray in Matthew (26: 41), Mark (13: 33 and 14: 38) and Luke (21: 36). More than this, it is written: And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom (Matthew 26: 26-29, KJV).

There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, believers all have duty to provide the best possible example to others. Hence, it is no error or offense to pursue the counsel of the Apostle Paul: It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. Romans 14: 21, KJV.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.


THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC