The Glory of God

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

September 30, 2020  

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

In our previous messages we shared some of the wonderful truths of the grace of God.

Now we want to share with you several messages concerning the glory of God. This first message will be a definition of the word, glory, followed by an introduction to the glory of God. 

Thirteen different Hebrew words in the Old Testament and 10 Greek words in the New Testament used in the original manuscripts are all translated by the one English word "glory." So the word "glory" has many shades of meaning. Therefore we need to be rather careful when we read scripture verses that contain the word "glory." The word, "glory," signifies the essence or nature of something or someone.

When God created anything, He said that it was good. But after creating everything, He said it was all very good (Genesis 1:31). Everything that God created has a glory associated with it simply because everything was made by God, but there are different types and levels of glory. 

40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 1 Corinthians 15:40-44

Proverbs 20:29, "The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head."

1 Corinthians 11:7-9, "For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man."

Today, almost all worldly people, and even some professing Christians, would say those last three verses are nonsense. When did the so-called Feminist Movement begin? It all started with Eve, who was deceived by the serpent and unilaterally decided to disobey God without ever consulting her husband. The so-called Feminist Movement or Women's Lib came to the forefront in the western world in the late 18th century and has gone through three waves, the latest of which has emphasized women's place in politics and, of course, a woman's right to have an abortion. Only the Lord knows how many babies have been aborted (or murdered) in the world, but the number is undoubtedly in the millions. I recently read that there are 127 female Congresspersons in the United States government. Of course, the place and function of women in the church is a topic that no pastor wants to talk about. That is a "no-no" because it generates anything from disagreement to bitter animosity within the world and even within the church. But for now, let us continue with the different types and levels of glory.

Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; Matthew 4:8

Even the kingdoms of this world have a glory about them. When the Jews came out of Egypt they still had a glory about them, even though they had the fallen nature of the first Adam.

19 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.

20 Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.

Psalm 106:19-20

Because man has free will, he can always choose to diminish his level of glory. That happened for the first time in the Garden of Eden. But man can never on his own power increase his level of glory. Further, all the glory is due unto Abba, Father, because He created everything. For Thine is the glory.

Scripture is silent as to when God created angels, but it is reasonably clear that He created angels before time began and before He created Adam. Scripture is also very clear that Lucifer and one-third of the angels chose to diminish their level of glory when they rebelled against God.

I believe that before the fall of Adam, man was originally covered with a much greater measure of the glory of God. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God (sinned) they lost that covering of the glory of God and were therefore naked (had no covering). God then covered them with coats of the skin that all human beings currently have (not the skins from animals). Now there is a glory of man, but it is greatly diminished and only temporary.

24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass.

The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. 1 Peter 1:24-25

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23

Now, all true believers hope to be clothed upon once more in the future with the glory of God.

1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By Whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

The Glory of God

First of all, we need to understand that the glory of God is nothing to be played with or made light of. Neither is the glory of God a nice blessing to be received without paying the price. What is the glory of God? We need to define it, if that be possible. But how does a finite mind comprehend our infinite God? Suppose someone asked you to explain the glory of God. How would you answer?

I suspect that any number of believers have written a complete book about the glory of God. That topic is infinite in nature, rivaled, perhaps, only by the grace of God. Perhaps God's glory is like a wondrous tree ... the Tree of Life, of which His grace is the fruit. The glory of God speaks of His nature, His inherent Person, His character, Who He is. His grace is His nature expressed and extended outward to all men. If it were not for His grace, we would never know anything about the glory of God! It was/is the grace of God that saves us. His grace is like the leaves extended to His chosen people. "The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations" (Revelation 22:2). It is by continuing to walk in a state of His grace that we are later allowed to understand and see His glory! To God be the glory!

The following scenario came from a blog on the internet. I do not remember the author's name. If there were a sudden demonstration of God's glory right now where we are, a great earthquake along with thunder and lightning, a huge cloud resting above our head, fire coming down from heaven, along with 10,000 angels, and a radiance so bright that it would blind us and cause us to fall on the ground by reason of the splendor ... if these things were to occur in front of our eyes, we would probably give the subject our undivided attention, would we not?

And if the very Voice of God Almighty were to speak to us out of that cloud, I doubt that we would only half-listen. No, I am sure under those circumstances we would all be spellbound, our mind and spirit intent on everything the Lord had to show us, every word He had to say.

But if we had no such visible or audible manifestation of the glory of God, does that make the subject any less important? Is it less worthy of our interest because the Holy Spirit has chosen to reveal the glory of God through the Scripture and by His Holy Spirit? ... end blog.

Psalm 84:11, "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly."

God will give both grace and glory, not one without the other. But note the condition that we must walk uprightly. We receive His grace initially because of Calvary. "By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is a gift from God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Of course we must then continue to walk in and by His grace. It is certain we are saved by His grace; the reason is so that we might enjoy His glory forever.

When used with respect to God, "glory" signifies the nature and acts of God, Who He essentially is, what He does, and His manifestation to everyone and everything in the universe which He created, usually with physical phenomena or power. However, that seems somewhat inadequate. The glory of God exists whether or not we ever see it or experience it. For us, there is a present glory of the Lord (already revealed) and a future glory of the Lord, yet to be revealed to those who are looking for Him.

The word 'Shekinah' does not appear in the Bible, but the concept clearly does. The Jewish rabbis coined this extra-biblical expression that literally means the "dwelling" or "settling," signifying that it was a divine visitation of the presence or dwelling of the Lord God on this earth.

The Shekinah was first evident when the Israelites set out from Succoth in their flight from Egypt. In the Old Testament, the glory of God (or the Shekinah) dwelled in the ark of the Tabernacle of Moses, then in the temple built by Solomon. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the dwelling place of God's glory. Colossians 2:9 says "in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." When He returns to earth, we will see the Lord God in all His glory and the Shekinah will no longer be veiled (1 John 3:2).

10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

11 For Mine own sake, even for Mine own sake, will I do it: for how should My name be polluted? and I will not give My glory unto another. Isaiah 48:10-11

The LORD will not give His glory unto another. But He will let us share in His glory provided that we remain steadfast in Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to conform us to His image. 

16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

17 For He received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.

18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount. 2 Peter 1:16-18

7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:

8 How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?

9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. 2 Corinthians 3:7-11

Needless to say, the glory of God far surpasses the glory of anything else in the universe. There simply is no comparison. The Greek word "excellent glory" in 2 Peter 1:17 and "the glory that excelleth" in 2 Corinthians 3:10 means "the greatest possible glory."

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory. Isaiah 6:3

The whole earth has always been full of His glory. Unfortunately men are not aware of or have little or no experiential knowledge of the fullness of His glory. In general we have not experienced such a presence of the glory of the Lord in our gatherings. We may have seen miracles in our gatherings and may have experienced many emotional highs, but the manifest presence of the Lord Himself is another level.

Leonard Ravenhill, a noted 20th century evangelist once said, "I'm sick to death of the so-called Christianity of our day. What's supernatural about it? When do people come out of the sanctuary awed and can't speak for an hour because God has been in glory there? Dear God, as soon as they get out, they're talking football, or sports or something or there's going to be a big sale downtown or somewhere. We are not caught up into eternity!
When did you last tip-toe out of the sanctuary? When you couldn't say a word to anybody because you were so overwhelmed with the glory of God?
God wants to bring us into a glory we know nothing about."

The glory of the Lord accompanied the announcement of another supernatural gift sent by God from heaven ... the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. His second coming (parousia) will be similar to His ascension. After the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, Christ ascended in a cloud (Acts 1:9). He will return the same way.

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21:27

When shall the Lord appear in His glory? No man knows the day or time. The closest verse that answers that question is in Psalm 102:16, "When the LORD shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory." The Lord is even now in the process of building up Zion, His dwelling place, but Zion is not a natural mountain in a geographical location called Jerusalem.

3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. Isaiah 40:3-5

 

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 2:3-9 

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:29-30

Paul said, concerning the Lord Jesus Christ,

Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; Whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to Whom be honour and power everlasting. 

1 Timothy 6:16

John likewise said, in John 1:18, 

"No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. "

When Jesus came to the earth as a Man, He set aside much of His glory; He could be in only one place at a time; He limited Himself.

4 I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.

5 And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. John 17:4-5

Jesus prayed, in John 17:24, 

"Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world. "

Note that Jesus prayed that we might be with Him where He was, not where He would be. Where was Jesus when He prayed that? on earth but in the realm of the Spirit. The very first miracle Jesus performed (in Cana) "manifested forth His glory" (John 2:11). Also, Jesus is the brightness of God's glory, and the express image of His person (Hebrews 1:3).

Even though all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, we rejoice in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. That hope shall be fulfilled one day, for the Lord Himself has declared it so.

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 

2 Corinthians 3:18

Great is the glory of the Lord. Psalm 138:5

The glory of the Lord shall endure forever. Psalm 104:31

Paul said, "When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:4

Peter wrote that he was "A witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. 1 Peter 5:1

Moses wrote, "As truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord." Numbers 14:21

Where are the wise men of today who will enter into the level of intercession required for the glory of the LORD to fill the house of the LORD once more? That will be ushered in by the fulfillment of,

Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, spare Thy people O LORD ... Joel 2:17

That will result in the manifestation of, "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).
Then one day,

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

In our next message we will consider the rise and fall of the glory of God upon and within man from an historical and prophetic perspective.

Until then and continuing everyday, may the Lord be glorified in all that we do, say, and become. Amen.

The Glory of God: Part 2

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

September 30, 2020 

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

In our previous message we introduced the subject of glory in general and the glory of God specifically. In this message, we want to share with you some more thoughts about the glory of God. Then I want to share with you some of my personal experiences with the glory of God.

We know, from Hebrews 2:10, "God is bringing many sons unto glory."

Moreover the glory of God will be revealed in His sons.

Romans 8:18, "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us."

Everything that God made was/is good ... good in the sense that all things work together for the good of those who love God ... those who fulfill the purpose for which they were created.

Everything and everyone that God created is surrounded by an "aura" or an emanation which is identical with and corresponds to the nature of the substance from which it comes. Every personality is possessed with an emanation and extension of themselves into their surroundings. It is a radiation which can be sensed when someone walks into a room where we may be seated. Our personality is affected by their personality.

Likewise the glory of God is the radiation of His nature into the universe. God can be everywhere and fill the universe with Himself because of the radiation of His glory into the whole world. Just as our aura is the extension of our nature and personality into our surroundings, so God is able to extend Himself to fill the whole universe.

The sun is about 93 million miles from earth. It radiates light, heat, energy, and life to everything on earth. Without the sun no life can exist on this earth.

God is like a Sun, and what the natural sun is to this earth, God is to the universe. He is the life, the light, the energy that pervades and radiates throughout the universe and supports and sustains the universe and all creation. God radiates Himself into the entire universe to support and uphold everything He has created.

God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. "Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see:" (1 Timothy 6:16).

In the natural realm there is no such thing as pure, infinite light. The greatest light we can have is still mixed with some measure of darkness ... that is why we have shadows. But in God there is no darkness at all; and no man can approach unto this pure, absolute light that God is.

The glory of God usually manifests itself as light. When Jesus appeared unto Saul on the road to Damascus, He appeared as a light that was greater than the noonday sun. The light was so bright that Saul was blinded for 3 days by the brightness of it. When Jesus was transfigured in the sight of Peter, James, and John on the mountain, the light that radiated from His being made even His clothes look whiter than anything on earth.

In the tabernacle of Moses, the outer court was illuminated by the natural sun and subject to natural weather of all kinds; the Holy Place had a seven-armed lampstand to give light; but the Holy of Holies had no windows and no lamp to give it light ... the glory of God was the light within the Holy of Holies. God, like the sun, is also a consuming fire.

The first picture we get of the world was, "And the earth was without form and void, and darkness covered the face of the deep." Jeremiah 4:23 and 28 says that even the heavens had no light. Then God said, "Let there be light, and there was light." That light was not the sun because the sun was not made until the 4th day. The light was the glory of God. Wherever God is, there is light.

In Revelation 21:23, we read, "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." As it was in the beginning, so shall it be at the end. In the beginning, the glory of God and the Lamb were the light, as they will be in the end.

The next thing God did was to separate the light from the darkness. That was the first day. The second day He separated the waters and made the firmament, which is called heaven. On the third day, God separated the seas from the dry land and brought forth all vegetation. All these things happened before the sun and moon were made. Our solar days did not begin until the sun was made. The sun makes our day and night. A day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day. The earth was made and was fruitful without the need of the sun or water. Water, in the form of rain, came to earth for the first time in the days of Noah. The glory of God gave life to all the vegetation and caused everything to grow and be fruitful; and they had no need of the sun or water ... the glory of God and the Lamb were the light and the life thereof, as they will be in the end.

Time did not begin until the sun and the moon were made. What happened before that belonged to the realm of eternity. Day and night, seasons, days and years began with the creation of the sun and moon. Before this, time did not exist and everything depended upon God for its existence.

This realm we call time will come to an end in the not too distant future. Then the universe will have no more need of the sun and moon, and the glory of God and the Lamb will be the light and life of all creation, just as they were in the beginning. The end of time and the beginning of eternity can be ours now, when we come into the relationship with God where He is our light and our life, and we are completely joined to Him and completely dependent upon Him for our all.

The natural life depends upon the sun and the rain for its existence. When the Lord has become our light and our life and glory, then we will have entered into a realm of freedom and liberty from the bondage and limitations of the natural realm, and entered into a realm of the Spirit that belongs to the eternal. Paul talks about that in Romans 8:21, "Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God."

Deliverance, safety and life are to be found only in God. He is the dwelling place where we have absolute security and safety from all the destructive forces that are coming on the earth. This is a secret place, known only to those whom God is pleased to reveal it, and they are the ones who are seeking God with all of their heart. God has no shadow. James 1:17, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." "In Him we live and move and have our being."

As we become partakers of the divine nature, we will also radiate the glory of His nature. This is the real purpose of our calling. There is no other way in which we can enter into the glory of the Lord.

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

Jesus said, "Ye are the light of the world." We are to become that same light that will shine into the darkest parts of the universe. But this can only be fulfilled as we are filled with His fullness.

Isaiah 60:1-3, "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."

This will happen when the world is in darkness. "Darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people." Who can doubt that the past few years has witnessed a huge increase in darkness in the world? The light of the glory will attract people: "The Gentiles shall come to thy light ..."

No more will we have to go out and try to persuade men to come to Jesus. They will come, attracted by the light of the glory that will be seen upon us. That is what happened for a short period of time on and after the Day of Pentecost. But Christ in you, the hope of glory, will be the One who is seen, not man. When He is lifted up and is manifested in the glory that will be seen in us, then will all men be drawn unto Him. 

"Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Matthew 13:43).

Experiencing the Glory of God

Many years ago I drove to a gathering of believers one Sunday morning, about one hour and 30 minutes from where we live. I knew they had a guest speaker so I knew that I would not be sharing the word of God. I also knew personally the man who was to be the guest speaker. My purpose in driving that far was simply to greet the speaker and support him. He spoke about the glory of God. All he did was to read about 20 different scriptures pertaining to the glory of God. Now anyone can use a concordance and look up many good verses about the glory of God and read them to the believers at any gathering. We should never limit the moving or power of God, but I must have doubts as to how anyone was actually challenged or changed by the man's presentation. We must minister out of our experience that which the Lord has made real in our heart. Therefore we want to emphasize the need for the reality of experiencing the glory of God.

I am sure that all of us have experienced the glory of God to some extent. Just think about the intricacies of the human body. I heartily recommend that you read a book by Brand and Yancey, titled, "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made." A few descriptive words from the book are "mysterious, intricate, pulsing with energy ... the human body is an endlessly fascinating repository of secrets. The miracle of the skin, the strength and structure of the bones, the dynamic balance of the muscles ... our physical being is knit according to a pattern of incredible purpose." The authors compare the cells in our natural bodies with ministries in the body of Christ. Our present human bodies are certainly wonderfully made. Did you know that our body has 50 billion active white blood cells with a backup force one hundred times as large in our bone marrow? We humans are not an accident; neither is the Church in which the Spirit of Christ dwells.

Then consider the beauty of nature ... sunsets, sunrises, rainbows, trees that always point upward to their Maker, waterfalls, vivid colors of animals, birds, fish, and flowers, the moon and the stars. Who hasn't experienced 'goose bumps' upon hearing majestic music that glorifies the Lord? And who has never experienced the saving grace of God? We have very much to be thankful for!

As a little background, I am not the type of person who is naturally oriented toward a great display of emotion. I remember, as a little child, when I still believed in Santa Claus, getting up on Christmas morning, going down the stairs to see what Santa had left, but never shouting with glee, even though I was showered with many Christmas presents. But many years ago, for one of the few times in my life as a believer, I thought that I might be translated. I was listening to two songs on a cassette tape over and over again for a period of about one hour. There was no other person in our house. There were times when I sang the words myself (the tape was an instrumental) and other times I just listened to the music. I found myself weeping deeply. I believe it was because I was so caught up with the goodness of God in my life and the glory of God. I had no thought of anything for myself, my family, or other believers. I was just overcome with the Person of the Lord Himself. Somewhere during that time period I heard a word from the Lord.

The essence of the word that I heard was that if there were an assembly of saints in any geographical area, and if the hearts of the believers who assembled were all in one accord to minister to the Lord and only to the Lord, then the result of 2 Chronicles 5:14 would be repeated; i.e., the glory of God would fill the house such that the priests could not stand to minister. Two major conditions to that word must be emphasized:

(1) the hearts of the believers assembled must be in one accord to minister to the Lord; and
(2) ministry would be only to the Lord Himself; i.e., no ministry to other believers.

The second condition rules out much of the activity in church gatherings at all levels today; i.e., no teaching and no preaching. Of course there is a time and place for ministry on a horizontal level, but that would not be the purpose of the gathering that I heard about.

When I heard that word, I did nothing for a short season, partly because I had been in such a high spiritual state at that time. About two weeks later, I heard the same word. But that time there was no music involved and no possibility of an emotional high.

A few years later when I was in another state for a weekend of meetings, after the Friday night meeting, I arose early the next morning, went into the meeting room in our host's home, closed the door, and listened to some songs on a CD. I began to worship the Lord all by myself and soon found myself weeping, again because of the goodness of the Lord in my life. Very soon, it was like a cloud of glory filled that room, such as I had never experienced before. It lasted for at least 30 minutes or more. Later, when my host got up and another good brother was present, I went into the kitchen and said, I know that Jesus said that "where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). Then I asked, "Does that not count if there is only one person?" I do not recall that anyone answered.

The meeting of a gathering of believers that Saturday night was all glorious. It was well after midnight before I got to bed, on a pull-out sofa in the living room of the host. Very early the next morning, the Lord woke me up and what I had experienced the previous morning was like nothing compared to that Sunday morning. It was like a cloud of glory in the form of smoke had filled the room. The presence of the Lord was so powerful, all I could do was to lie there and weep. It seemed, as before, to last at least thirty minutes. Then the Lord gave me a word for our host and gave me a word for the saints who were to gather that morning. The word, which I had never heard before was, "The Master Key." I have never experienced the glory of God before or since like I did early that Sunday morning in the living room of our host. Again, I was all by myself, except for the presence of the Lord.

That was the fourth time that I experienced the overwhelming presence of the Lord. Furthermore, I had no thought or hint of motivation to get something for myself, not even things that are ordained by God for His saints. It is one thing to experience the glory of God. It is yet another thing to glorify God with no thought for myself.

Therefore I decided to relate this word to you for your consideration and possible action. I have had some major thoughts concerning the essence of this word. First of all, a repeat of the effects of 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 could occur in any geographical location, provided the pre-conditions are met. But this is a very difficult word to communicate and an even more difficult word to implement or walk in. Is there any genuine believer who would not want to see the glory of God manifested? I think not. But therein lays the difficulty. Our major purpose should not be to see the glory of the Lord. Rather, our purpose should always be to glorify the Lord through all that we say, do, and become.

The Holy Ghost quickened to me the significance of the fact that in all four of the above occurrences when I experienced the glory of the Lord, I was alone. In other words, I was one with myself and with the Lord. Just think of the magnitude of the presence of the glory of the Lord if there were twenty-five believers who were all in one accord, as on the day of Pentecost and on the day of the dedication of Solomon's temple in 2 Chronicles 5!

In 2 Chronicles 1:10, Solomon said that he wanted wisdom and knowledge in order to judge God's people. That attitude was very favorably received by God, culminating in 2 Chronicles 5:14. Now compare, please, Solomon's attitude and the motivation that I am trying to express. Which of the two do you believe would be more acceptable?

A good verse to summarize what our motivation should be is found in Colossians 3:2, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

Lord, help us to get our priorities straight. Lord, help us to identify with You in all things. Lord, help us to see things as You see them. Lord, help us to purify our hearts, that we may stand before You to minister to You, with no thought for ourselves.

The Glory of God (Part 3)

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

The Glory of God (Part 3) 

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

In our previous messages we introduced the subject of the glory of God. We saw that everything and everyone created by God had/has a glory associated with it. But the glory of God Himself far exceeds any other glory.

Let us consider the rise and fall of the glory of God upon and within man from an historical and prophetic perspective. We must keep in mind that the events that literally happened in the Old Testament are prophetic of our time. That is because human nature has never changed. We are witnessing a repeat performance today. Let us consider the experiences of Moses, Solomon, and Stephen.

Moses

Moses certainly had a sincere heart for the people of God for he said,

Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written. Exodus 32:32

Probably very few believers can honestly make the statement that Moses made. The Apostle Paul, of course, was one of those very few. Paul said,

Romans 9:1-3,
"I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:"

The Shekinah was first evident when the Israelites set out from Succoth in their flight from Egypt. After leaving Succoth the LORD went ahead of them by day in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

Moses and all of the Israelites saw the glory of the Lord seven times in the wilderness. The first mention of the glory of the Lord occurs in Exodus 16, when God rained down quails at evening and manna in the morning from heaven to a complaining, rebellious people. Moses had told the people,

And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord. Exodus 16:7

And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. Exodus 16:10

The second time the Israelites saw the glory of the Lord occurs in Exodus 19:16-20, 

"And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. And the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up." 

Exodus 20:18-21, And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

The people told Moses, "Speak thou with us." That philosophy prevails until this very day. Millions of professing Christians flock to a gathering every Sunday morning and listen to what the pastor has to say. That is one reason why the visible church today is in apostasy.

"Let not God speak with us!" Any time any person makes that kind of statement the Lord will honor it. Many years ago a good brother in Christ spoke a startling word to me privately. He said that he was not moving on with the Lord and he didn't want to because he had seen too many good men get off-base when they tried to move on with the Lord. Tragic!

The 3rd occurrence of the glory of the Lord to all Israel is recorded in Exodus 24:16-17, 

"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.

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."

Then we read in Exodus 33 that the Lord told Moses, Exodus 33:3,

"for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way."

That is a real exhortation for all professing Christians today. If we, like the chosen people of God in the time of Moses, persist in murmuring and complaining or if we commit fornication, tempt Christ, or engage in idolatry, then the Lord may not go up with us. Those things are recorded in 1 Corinthians 10. Then Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:14, 

"Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry." 

You might be surprised at the idolatry within the visible church today. By definition, from the Columbia Encyclopedia, idolatry is reducing what should be spiritual to the natural realm.

Then we read, in Exodus 33:9-10, 

"And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door."

At that point Moses interceded for the people. Then God spoke to Moses out of the pillar of cloud, assuring him that His Presence would be with the Israelites. Moses certainly wanted an extra assurance that the Lord would go with them. The Lord did promise grace to Moses. Grace always precedes glory.

17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in My sight, and I know thee by name.

18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me Thy glory.

19 And He said, I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

20 And He said, Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

22 And it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand while I pass by:

23 And I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts: but My face shall not be seen. Exodus 33:17-23

When the Israelites were making their exodus from Egypt, Moses asked for proof that both he and Israel had found grace in God's sight. He asked for this proof in the most surprising words, when he said, in Exodus 33:18, "I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory."

They had all witnessed the glory of the Lord in the cloud when manna from heaven was rained down and also on Mount Sinai when the law was given. In view of the fact that the glory of the Lord had already been shown on those two occasions, besides other spectacular evidences of God's power, including signs and miracles, as well as the Lord having just given assurance that His Presence would continue with them, this seems to be an astonishing request. For what, then, was Moses asking? It must have been for something which he had not yet seen. Moses had seen God in some degree of manifestation, for he talked with Him face to face. Moses' request must have been to see the infinite glory in which God dwells, to see God's face in all of His glory ... not apart from His glory ... as he had already seen it, but this could not be granted to a finite being. God's face as expressing His infinite glory and the light in which He dwells can be seen by no man. No man has seen God in all of His glory. God's glory is too awesome and powerful to be seen completely by man. The Lord's response was that His face shall not be seen. Outside of His full glory He has been seen by a few men with their natural eyes. A noted example of this is recorded in Matthew 17, when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain in the presence of Peter, James, and John.

On the next occasion the Shekinah came to sanctify the tabernacle, when the glory of the Lord not only appeared to all of the people, but filled the place, and then remained to dwell among them.

After Moses finished the work of building the tabernacle,

34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

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.

36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:

37 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

38 For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

Exodus 40:34-38

Why did the glory of the LORD fill the tabernacle? because Moses and the people of God perfectly fulfilled the building of the tabernacle. To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22). Perfect obedience brings perfect results.

Next, in Leviticus 9:23, "And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people."

The other times the glory of the Lord appeared to all of the Israelites are recorded in Numbers 16:9, Numbers 16:42, and Numbers 20:6.

For hundreds of years the ark of the covenant was Israel's material symbol of the Divine Presence. The glory of God was the cloud of light that shone between the cherubim in the holy of holies, and was the immaterial evidence of His Presence. Both the ark and the glory were visible, but one was made by man, the other by God alone.

Unfortunately, Moses later did not believe the Lord's word to speak unto the rock. As a result, he was not allowed to bring the congregation into the Promised Land (Numbers 20:8-12). The law can never bring man into the kingdom of God.

But gradually, apostasy set in the people. Exactly 350 years later, we read,

21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.

22 And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

1 Samuel 4:21-22

Solomon

Consider Solomon's (apparent) motivation when God asked him what he wanted. Solomon said that he wanted wisdom and knowledge in order to judge God's people. That attitude was very favorably received by God. Here again, just like Moses, Solomon was intently concerned for the people of God.

Now let us review some of the events that happened after the temple at Jerusalem was built by Solomon and dedicated to the LORD.


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. 2 Chronicles 5:11-14

There is much prophetic significance to those verses. They speak of end time events which first occurred in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost when 120 disciples were likewise in one accord. But the same result will soon be made manifest in these last days in which we live. Would that every gathering of believers could achieve the same result! The glory of the Lord had filled the house to such a degree that the priests could not stand to minister. Only the Lord Himself can minister at those times. However, there is more.

1 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. 2 Chronicles 7:1-3

Those Verses, just like the ones in 2 Chronicles 5, state that the glory of the LORD filled the house. However, there must have been a step-up of the presence of the glory of the LORD because now the priests could not even enter into the house of the LORD. Why was there a further increase in the manifest presence of glory? To answer that question we must see what happened in 2 Chronicles, Chapter 6. That entire Chapter speaks of the prayer and intercession of Solomon, who was given more wisdom and knowledge than any king on earth (2 Chronicles 1). Does that say anything to us for today? The intercession of one man made a difference! Is it possible that we could learn from that?

Unfortunately, Solomon likewise fell from grace. His many wives turned him into an idolater (Nehemiah 13:26 and 1 Kings 11:1-8). Pride of wealth and fame also contributed to his falling away. Very few men can handle all of the great natural (or supernatural) level "successes" that came Solomon's way.

Let us recall that for 350 years the glory of the Lord abode in the ark of the Tabernacle of Moses. Then the Philistines captured the ark in the time of Samuel. There is much more prophetic significance of that capture which we will go into in a later message. Likewise, for 350 years the glory of the Lord abode in Solomon's temple, but it left there at the time of the captivity. In the Book of Ezekiel we learn how it left, why it left, where it went, and when and why it will return. Even the fading out glory of God is awesome and wondrous to behold. How tragic that we can rarely see the glory of God departing from our midst!

But GOD! His grace and mercy are simply amazing!

Stephen

Now let us consider Stephen, from Acts 7. Stephen was one of the first deacons and was full of faith and power and did great wonders and miracles among the people. In Acts 7:2, Stephen's first words of defense in response to the Sanhedrin were,

Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,

We would suggest to you that the God of glory is greater than the glory of God, just as the God of peace is greater than the peace of God, the God of all grace is greater than the grace of God, and the God Who is love is greater than the love of God. God is exceedingly greater than any of His attributes. Stephen goes on to say,

51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of Whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:51-60

Some may say that Stephen did not show much wisdom when he spoke so bluntly to the Sanhedrin. We do not agree. We believe that Stephen said exactly what the Holy Ghost prompted him to say. In Verse 55, note that Stephen saw the glory of God. We do not know the extent to which Stephen saw the glory of God, but we are confident he saw as much of God's glory as was possible for any human being.

Note also that Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. What an experience! All Scripture says that after the ascension, Jesus sat down at the right hand of God. He still sits there. It seems that when the Lord Jesus saw the extreme sacrifice that Stephen had made, He stood up, as if to applaud Stephen. Stephen had no thought for himself. He simply was obedient to the rhema word of the Lord, knowing full well the end result for himself. He glorified the Lord as much as was humanly possible. Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend. Stephen gladly laid down his life for the Lord. We also believe very strongly that the stoning of Stephen was a big determining factor in the openness of Saul of Tarsus to be apprehended by the Lord. Saul, later Paul, and a number of others heard Stephen say, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. What a testimony!

Which heart and actions of these three (Moses, Solomon, and Stephen) do you believe would be more pleasing to the Lord? Is it possible for Christians today to attain to that same level of commitment to the Lord? Yes! but only by the power of the Holy Ghost. Who is willing to be brought to that level of commitment as was Stephen?

In our next message we will begin to share some thoughts about the sovereignty of God.