In the last Blazing Fire weekly email/blog, we looked at Yahweh’s plan to fill the earth with the experiential knowledge of His glory – by revealing His Son Jesus. And we are part of that plan because Jesus the Messiah dwells in us – and together we are His Body on the earth.
We have this great privilege to shine the light of the knowledge of His glory:
"6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Cor 4: 6 NKJV)
This week, we’ll explore a bit more of nature of “glory”.
The Hebrew word for "glory" is כבוד, (“kavod” or “kabod”). The Greek word used for glory in the New Testament is doxa (δόξα) - which is a Greek word meaning “common belief” or “popular opinion”. The reason New Testament scholars translate the New Testament Greek “doxa” as “glory” is because the 70 Hebrew scholars who translated the Hebrew scriptures into Greek (called The Septuagint) chose to translate the Hebrew “kabod” into the Greek “doxa”.
The Hebrew word “kabod “ at it root means "weight" or "heaviness." The same word is then used to express importance, honor, and majesty.
So “glory” conveys the sense of being “weighty”. Sometimes when God’s presence increases in a meeting, people actually feel something like a heavy blanket upon them or their limbs feel tangibly heavy.
Here is an account of God’s weighty presence when Smith Wigglesworth visited New Zealand in 1922:
“There were eleven leading Christians in prayer with our Brother (Wigglesworth) at a special afternoon meeting. Each had taken a part. The Evangelist then began to pray for the Dominion, and as he continued, each, according to their measure of spirituality, got out. The power of God filled the room and they could not remain in an atmosphere supercharged by the power of God.
The author on hearing of this from one who was present registered a vow that if the opportunity came, he at any rate would remain whoever else went out. During the stay in the Sounds a special meeting was called to pray for the other towns in New Zealand yet to be visited. A like position to the other meeting now arose. Here was the opportunity, the challenge, the contest was on. A number prayed. Then the old saint began to lift up his voice, and strange as it may seem, the exodus began. A Divine influence began to fill the place. The room became holy. The power of God began to feel like a heavy weight. With set chin, and a definite decision not to budge, the only other one now left in the room hung on and hung on, until the pressure became too great, and he could stay no longer. With the flood gate of his soul pouring out a stream of tears, and with uncontrollable sobbing he had to get out or die; and a man who knew God as few do was left alone immersed in an atmosphere that few men could breathe in.”
(From: “New Zealand’s Greatest Revival (An Eyewitness Account)” by Pastor Harry V. Roberts page 29-30)
Now that sounds like glory to me! Note also that God likes to reveal His glory when people are praying passionately for His will to be done on earth.
In John 17, Jesus prayed an astounding prayer to His Father. We’ll look at verses 20 – 23.:
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”
Jesus states that He has given those who believe in Him – His glory. Why? So that we may be one with Jesus, Father God, and each other. This is a mystery!
The author C.S. Lewis gives us a sense of part of this mystery in his fictional book: “The Great Divorce”. The idea is that people from Hell could take a bus excursion to the outskirts of Heaven. Upon arriving, they were like ghosts compared to the solidness of the grass, the river, the apples of gold, etc. If the visitors were willing to choose to let go of their self-justifying, egotistic mind-sets and simply trust in Jesus for their righteousness – they were assured they would become more and more solid as they journeyed further into Heaven.
I believe that the glory that Jesus has already provided for us – is so that we are able to withstand His glory and the glory of our Father “face to face” – in sweet, holy, eternal common–union.
May we experience more of His glory – and shine more of His glory while we are on this earth. And take some time to "drink in" the magnitude of Jesus' gift to those who believe - His glory; so we may be one!
Russ Fochler
We have this great privilege to shine the light of the knowledge of His glory:
"6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Cor 4: 6 NKJV)
This week, we’ll explore a bit more of nature of “glory”.
The Hebrew word for "glory" is כבוד, (“kavod” or “kabod”). The Greek word used for glory in the New Testament is doxa (δόξα) - which is a Greek word meaning “common belief” or “popular opinion”. The reason New Testament scholars translate the New Testament Greek “doxa” as “glory” is because the 70 Hebrew scholars who translated the Hebrew scriptures into Greek (called The Septuagint) chose to translate the Hebrew “kabod” into the Greek “doxa”.
The Hebrew word “kabod “ at it root means "weight" or "heaviness." The same word is then used to express importance, honor, and majesty.
So “glory” conveys the sense of being “weighty”. Sometimes when God’s presence increases in a meeting, people actually feel something like a heavy blanket upon them or their limbs feel tangibly heavy.
Here is an account of God’s weighty presence when Smith Wigglesworth visited New Zealand in 1922:
“There were eleven leading Christians in prayer with our Brother (Wigglesworth) at a special afternoon meeting. Each had taken a part. The Evangelist then began to pray for the Dominion, and as he continued, each, according to their measure of spirituality, got out. The power of God filled the room and they could not remain in an atmosphere supercharged by the power of God.
The author on hearing of this from one who was present registered a vow that if the opportunity came, he at any rate would remain whoever else went out. During the stay in the Sounds a special meeting was called to pray for the other towns in New Zealand yet to be visited. A like position to the other meeting now arose. Here was the opportunity, the challenge, the contest was on. A number prayed. Then the old saint began to lift up his voice, and strange as it may seem, the exodus began. A Divine influence began to fill the place. The room became holy. The power of God began to feel like a heavy weight. With set chin, and a definite decision not to budge, the only other one now left in the room hung on and hung on, until the pressure became too great, and he could stay no longer. With the flood gate of his soul pouring out a stream of tears, and with uncontrollable sobbing he had to get out or die; and a man who knew God as few do was left alone immersed in an atmosphere that few men could breathe in.”
(From: “New Zealand’s Greatest Revival (An Eyewitness Account)” by Pastor Harry V. Roberts page 29-30)
Now that sounds like glory to me! Note also that God likes to reveal His glory when people are praying passionately for His will to be done on earth.
In John 17, Jesus prayed an astounding prayer to His Father. We’ll look at verses 20 – 23.:
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”
Jesus states that He has given those who believe in Him – His glory. Why? So that we may be one with Jesus, Father God, and each other. This is a mystery!
The author C.S. Lewis gives us a sense of part of this mystery in his fictional book: “The Great Divorce”. The idea is that people from Hell could take a bus excursion to the outskirts of Heaven. Upon arriving, they were like ghosts compared to the solidness of the grass, the river, the apples of gold, etc. If the visitors were willing to choose to let go of their self-justifying, egotistic mind-sets and simply trust in Jesus for their righteousness – they were assured they would become more and more solid as they journeyed further into Heaven.
I believe that the glory that Jesus has already provided for us – is so that we are able to withstand His glory and the glory of our Father “face to face” – in sweet, holy, eternal common–union.
May we experience more of His glory – and shine more of His glory while we are on this earth. And take some time to "drink in" the magnitude of Jesus' gift to those who believe - His glory; so we may be one!
Russ Fochler
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