What is God’s glory?

Chronology1900 BC1900 BC Abraham is calledAbraham is called

1290 BC1290 BC The ExodusThe Exodus

1250 BC1250 BC Into CanaanInto Canaan

1030-1010 BC1030-1010 BC SaulSaul

1010-970 BC1010-970 BC DavidDavid

970-931 BC970-931 BC SolomonSolomon

The Kingdoms splitJudahJudah ProphetsProphets IsraelIsrael

931 BC931 BC RehoboamRehoboam JeroboamJeroboam

AbijahAbijah NadabNadab

900 BC900 BC Asa*Asa* BaashaBaasha

850 BC850 BC Jehoshaphat*Jehoshaphat* ElijahElijah Zimri, Omri, Ahab, Zimri, Omri, Ahab, Ahaziah, JoramAhaziah, Joram

800 BC800 BC Jehoram*, Ahaziah, Jehoram*, Ahaziah, Queen Athaliah, Queen Athaliah, Joash*Joash*

ElishaElisha

JonahJonah

AmosAmos

Johoahaz, Johoahaz, Johoash, Johoash, Jeroboam IIJeroboam II

750 BC750 BC Amaziah Amaziah

Uzziah Uzziah

AhazAhaz

HoseaHosea

MicahMicah

IsaiahIsaiah

Zechariah, Zechariah, Shallum, Shallum, Menahem, Menahem, PekahiahPekahiah

722 BC722 BC Hezekiah*Hezekiah* IsaiahIsaiah Pekah, HosheaPekah, Hoshea

Judah and BenjaminKingKing ProphetProphet

650650 ManasseManassehh

AmonAmon NahumNahum

JosiahJosiah Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, EzekielHabakkuk, Ezekiel

JoahazJoahaz

600600 JehoiakiJehoiakimm

605 – 1605 – 1stst invasion (Daniel) invasion (Daniel)

JehoiachiJehoiachinn

597 – 2597 – 2ndnd invasion (Ezekiel) invasion (Ezekiel)

586586 ZedekiahZedekiah 586 – 3586 – 3rdrd invasion invasion (Jeremiah)(Jeremiah)

538538 *Cyrus conquers Babylon**Cyrus conquers Babylon*

586 BC – Fall of Jerusalem538 BC – Edict of Cyrus to return520 BC – Haggai and Zechariah

Zerubbabel and Joshua516 BC – Dedication of the sanctuary480 BC – Esther458 BC – Ezra arrives in Jerusalem445 BC – Nehemiah

…..Malachi

Zechariah“Then the angel said, ‘Almighty LORD,

you have been angry with Jerusalem and the cities of Judah for seventy years now. How much longer will it be before you show them mercy?’ The LORD answered the angel with comforting words, and the angel told me to proclaim what the LORD Almighty had said: ‘I have a deep love and concern for Jerusalem, my holy city…My temple will be restored, and the city will be rebuilt.’” (Zechariah 1:12-14,16 – GN)

Haggai“The LORD Almighty said to Haggai,

“These people say that this is not the right time to rebuild the Temple.” The LORD then gave this message to the people through the prophet Haggai: ‘My people, why should you be living in well-built houses while my Temple lies in ruins? Don't you see what is happening to you? You have planted much grain, but have harvested very little. You have food to eat, but not enough to make you full.

You have wine to drink, but not enough to get drunk on! You have clothing, but not enough to keep you warm. And workers cannot earn enough to live on. Can’t you see why this has happened? Now go up into the hills, get lumber, and rebuild the Temple; then I will be pleased and will be worshiped as I should be.’” (Haggai 1:3-8)

“Is there anyone among you who can still remember how splendid the Temple used to be? How does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all. But now don’t be discouraged, any of you. Do the work, for I am with you.” (Haggai 2:3,4)

“My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid. For this is what the Lord Almighty says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth. I will shake the oceans and the dry land, too. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will come to this Temple.

I will fill this place with glory, says the Lord Almighty. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord Almighty. The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord Almighty. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the Lord Almighty, have spoken!” (Haggai 2:5-9)

Solomon’s Temple

“When King Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and burned up the sacrifices that had been offered, and the dazzling light of the LORD’s presence filled the temple.” (2 Chronicles 7:1)

“Many of the older priests, Levites, and heads of clans had seen the first Temple, and as they watched the foundation of this Temple being laid, they cried and wailed” (Ezra 3:12)

“I will fill this place with glory…The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory.”

“A voice cries out, ‘Prepare in the wilderness a road for the LORD! Clear the way in the desert for our God! Fill every valley; level every mountain. The hills will become a plain, and the rough country will be made smooth. Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it. The LORD himself has promised this.’” (Isaiah 40:3-5)

“Then Moses said, ‘Now show me your glory.’” (Exodus 33:18)

“The LORD came down in a cloud, stood with him there, and pronounced his holy name, the LORD. The LORD then passed in front of him and called out, ‘I, the LORD, am a God who is full of compassion and pity, who is not easily angered and who shows great love and faithfulness. I keep my promise for thousands of generations and forgive evil and sin...’” (Exodus 34:5-7)*

“Then war broke out in heaven…The huge dragon was thrown out---that ancient serpent, named the Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole world.” (Revelation 12:7-9)

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’ 

“You may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, except…” (Genesis 2:16 – GN)

“We may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden,’ the woman answered, ‘except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of that tree or even touch it; if we do, we will die.’ The snake replied, ‘That’s not true; you will not die.’”

“God said that because he knows that when you eat it, you will be like God and know what is good and what is bad.” (Genesis 3:1-5 – GN)

“Eve believed the words of Satan, and the belief of that falsehood in regard to God's character, changed the condition and character of both herself and husband. They were changed from good and obedient children into transgressors...” Review and Herald, January 5, 1886 par. 8

Assyrian captivity“There is no faithfulness, no kindness,

no knowledge of God in your land…My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. It is all your fault, you priests, for you yourselves refuse to know me…They have exchanged the glory of God for the disgrace of idols.” (Hosea 4:1,6,7 – NLT)

“What I want from you is plain and clear: I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices. I would rather have my people know me than burn offerings to me. (Hosea 6:6 – GN)

“I raised my children and helped them grow, but they have rebelled against me. Oxen know their owners, and donkeys know where their masters feed them. But Israel doesn’t know its owner. My people don't understand who feeds them.’” (Isaiah 1:2,3 – GOD’S WORD)

Babylonian captivity“They worshiped worthless idols and

became worthless themselves…My own priests did not know me.” (Jeremiah 2: 5, 8)

“My people are stupid; they don’t know me. They are like foolish children; they have no understanding.” (Jeremiah 4:22)

The Pharisees"You are of your father, the Devil"

(John 8:44)

What is the future hope?“The new covenant that I will make

with the people of Israel will be this: I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. None of them will have to teach a neighbor to know the LORD, because all will know me, from the least to the greatest.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34)

What is the future hope?“But the earth will be as full of the

knowledge of the LORD's glory as the seas are full of water.” (Habakkuk 2:14)

“I will fill this place with glory…The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory.”

“

“The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son…No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known.” (John 1:18)

“This is eternal life to know you, the only true God, and

Jesus Christ, whom you sent. On earth I shown your glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do…

I made your name known to the people you gave me.” (John 17:3-6)

“He reflects the brightness of God’s glory and is the exact likeness of God’s own being.” (Hebrews 1:3)

“When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God's message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!' Then I will say to them,

‘Go away. I never knew you…’” (Matthew 7:22-23)

Dealing with evil“Everyone has become a captive of a fateful

illusion that believes itself able to drive out evil by force. In this world where we everywhere marshal force against force, we must learn that force at best may succeed in containing a few manifestations of evil, but it can never conquer or eliminate evil. On the contrary, the force with which we fight evil has mainly the consequence that we ourselves become the victims of evil. As we resort to force against others, evil attacks us from behind and makes us evil ourselves.” - Helmut Gollwitzer

God’s methods: God’s character

“God could have destroyed Satan and his sympathizers as easily as one can cast a pebble to the earth; but he did not do this. Rebellion was not to be overcome by force. Compelling power is found only under Satan's government. The Lord's principles are not of this order. His authority rests upon goodness, mercy, and love; and the presentation of these principles is the means to be used. God's government is moral, and truth and love are to be the prevailing power.”

Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment. - Mahatma Gandhi

Torture2009 study: 62% of white evangelicals

felt that torture "can often" or "sometimes" be justified.

- 54% among those who attend religious services weekly

- 51% among those who attend religious services monthly

- 42% among those who seldom or never attend church

Freedom“Evil arose in the context of freedom; there

could not be evil in the absence of freedom. And yet freedom only provides the opportunity and is not the cause of evil. Freedom is the value that God will not surrender even in the face of sin...in the Christian account freedom is seamlessly tied to the character of God. God has, as it were, taken upon Himself to pay the price for freedom rather than solve the problem of sin by abolishing it.” - Sigve Tonstad

“Are used in many areas around the country, not only for federal operators, but also for state and local law enforcement.”

National Defense Authorization Act: 12/31/2011“…the NDAA text affirms the President's

authority to detain, via the Armed Forces, any person (‘including US citizens on US soil’) ‘who was part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners,’ or anyone who commits a ‘belligerent act’ against the U.S. or its coalition allies, under the law of war, ‘without trial, until the end of the hostilities…’ The text also authorizes trial by military tribunal…” - Wikipedia

The final message?“It is the darkness of misapprehension of God

that is enshrouding the world. Men are losing their knowledge of His character. It has been misunderstood and misinterpreted. At this time a message from God is to be proclaimed, a message illuminating in its influence and saving in its power. His character is to be made known. Into the darkness of the world is to be shed the light of His glory, the light of His goodness, mercy and truth. The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is the revelation of His character of love.” - Ellen G. White

“My Father's glory is shown by your bearing much fruit; and in this way you become my disciples.” (John 15:8)

“If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.” (John 14:8)

“The Father and I are one.” (John 10:30)