Is Your Temple Flourishing in His Glory?

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Ezekiel 10 records one of the most heart wrenching occurrences in scripture.  In a vision, Ezekiel witnessed the departure of the Glory of God from the Temple in Jerusalem.  Because of the vile sins of the people of Judea, what was once the Holy of Holies was no longer a fit place for the Glory to reside.

“Ezekiel 10:  ⁴ Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. …¹⁸ Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. ¹⁹ While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.”

At the eastern gate, the Glory Cloud rose above the cherubim and into the heavens.

Ezekiel was already in captivity in Babylon when the Temple was destroyed and the Ark of the Covenant was taken.

During the earthy life of our Lord Jesus, the Second Temple was the center of worship, but what few of us realize is that the Holy of Holies in that Temple was an empty room devoid of the Ark of the Covenant and the Glory Cloud. The Glory of God did not return until The New Covenant had been established through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

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

The Glory returned and established His residency in the New Temple, the Church, the Body of Christ.

Paul cautioned the Church in Corinth:  1 Corinthians 3:16-17:  “Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God shall destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which you are.”

Paul also instructed the Church in Ephesus: Eph 4:22-32: “For you ought to put off the old man (according to your way of living before) who is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And you should put on the new man, who according to God was created in righteousness and true holiness. Therefore putting away lying, let each man speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the Devil. 

“Let him who stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, so that he may have something to give to him who needs. Let not any filthy word go out of your mouth, but if any is good to building up in respect of need, that it may give grace to the ones hearing. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed until the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and tumult and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. 

Paul encouraged the Church in Thessalonica:  1Thessilonians 5:16-19:  “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Do not quench the Spirit.”

Remember that only the High Priest of Israel was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem.  Jesus is our High Priest.  Therefore, only His Spirit and His Word should be allowed into the Temple of our hearts.

Proverbs 4:23: “Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

(All scriptures are from the MKJV.)