Today’s selected reading continues in the Old Testament prophetic book of Ezekiel, and more specifically, is found in the tenth chapter. VISIONS OF GOD! VISIONS OF THE GLORY OF GOD. In the ninth chapter of the prophetic book of Ezekiel we find the Lord calling for those who were given charge over the city of Jerusalem to come before him. When they came and appeared before Him by the brazen altar of the Lord, there was one who stood among them who was clothed in linen and had a writer’s ink horn by his side. This one with the writer’s ink horn was the first among those who appeared before the Lord to be dispatched within the city, for he was to move throughout the city and set a mark upon the foreheads of all those who cried and sighed over the wickedness and abominations that were being committed in the land. Once his assignment and mission was complete—once the mark had been released within the city—the remaining men who came and appeared before the Lord would move throughout the city, each with their destroying weapon in hand, and would utterly slay throughout the city. Ezekiel records that while they were slaying within and throughout the city, Ezekiel fell upon his face and cried out before the Lord concerning the devastation and destruction that was being wrought in the city. Ezekiel cried out before the Lord asking Him if He would destroy all the residue of Israel in the pouring out of His fury upon Jerusalem. The Lord responses to Ezekiel’s cry by declaring unto him that the iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah was exceeding great, and that the land was full of blood and the city full of perverseness. The Lord would go on to declare that His eye would not spare, nor would He have pity upon city, but would instead recompense their way upon their head. Once the work had been completed within the city—the work of the mark and the work of the weapon—the man clothed with linen which had the ink horn by his side, reported unto the Lord, saying, “I have done as thou hast commanded me.” When the ninth chapter draws to a close, it does so with two distinct events unfolding within the city of Jerusalem—the setting of the mark, and the slaying of the wicked and the perverse. It’s imperative that we recognize and understand that before the destroying weapons could be released within and throughout the city, the mark had to first be set upon those who cried and sighed at the abominations which were being and had been committed within the land. Those with the destroying weapons at their side were not free to use their weapons within the city until the assignment of the mark had been completed.

 THE ASSIGNMENT OF THE MARK PRECEDES THE ASSIGNMENT OF THE SLAUGHTER! When speaking of the judgment of the Lord, there are many who mistake the fact that judgment comes before mercy. There are those who speak of the Lord as being quick to bring judgment upon men and upon the earth, yet they fail to take into consideration the fact that the mercy of the Lord has always and will always triumph over judgment. This particular passage not only speaks of the divine mercy of the Lord, but also of the Lord’s desire to mark those who belong to Him. If there is one thing this passage reveals, it’s that the Lord knows those who are His, and the Lord sets apart and separates them unto Himself. It’s worth noting that what qualified and positioned any individual to receive the mark of the Lord upon their foreheads was their anguish, their sorrow, their despair over all the wickedness and abominations that had been committed within the land. The Lord would indeed judge the land for all the wickedness that had been committed within it, yet before the Lord would release the destroying weapons upon the city, He would first set apart and mark those who belonged to Him. This is absolutely crucial to recognize and understand, for while it is true the Lord can in fact release His judgment upon the inhabitants of the earth, the Lord draws a clear distinction between those who belong to Him and are truly His. The Lord was not willing to release the destroying weapons within and throughout the city until those who belonged to Him were set with a mark that identified them as belonging to Him. A similar reality is found in the Old Testament book of Exodus, as the children of Israel were to slaughter a lamb, and to take of the blood of the lamb and strike the side doorposts of their house, as well as the upper doorpost of their house with the blood. Before the death angel could move throughout the city of Egypt and strike down all the firstborn of both man and cattle, the children of Israel were instructed to mark their houses with the blood of the Lamb, and to remain inside their homes eating the Lamb roasted over fire with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. The children of Israel were instructed to eat the lamb—to eat the Passover meal—with their loins girded, and to eat in haste, for the Lord was not only going to pass over every house that bore the mark of the blood, but the Lord was going to finally bring Pharaoh to the place where he would demand Israel’s departure and removal from the land of Egypt. The death angel was free to move within and move throughout the land of Egypt, yet any house that bore the mark of the blood of the lamb was to be passed over, thus providing a powerful shelter and refuge for all those who were present within it.

 When you read the beginning of the ninth chapter, you will notice that in addition to those who were given charge over the city coming and standing before the Lord, and one standing among them clothed in linen with a writer’s ink horn by his side, In the ninth chapter of the prophetic book of Ezekiel we read of the glory of the God of Israel going up from the cherub and moving to the threshold of the house. While the man clothed with linen moved throughout the city setting a mark upon the forehead of all those who cried and sighed over the wickedness present in the land, the glory of the Lord would remain at the threshold of the house. Within the ninth chapter of the book of Ezekiel we not only see the glory of the Lord present at the sanctuary, we not only see the setting of a mark upon those who cried and sighed over all the abominations within the land, but we also find those with destroying weapons in their hand moving throughout the city and utterly slaying those who did not bear the mark. Within this chapter we encounter the glory of the Lord, the setting of the mark, and the destroying weapon. THE GLORY, THE MARK AND THE SLAUGHTER! Once the mark had been placed and the slaughter had been completed, we come to the tenth chapter of the prophetic book of Ezekiel. What is so incredibly interesting about the tenth chapter is that it marks a drastic contrast from what we encountered in the eighth and ninth chapters. In the eighth chapter we discover Ezekiel being taken by the Spirit in visions of God to the city of Jerusalem in order that he might see and bear witness to the wickedness that was being committed in secret and in the dark. In the ninth chapter we discover the setting of the mark upon those who were moved and grieved over the abominations that were committed in the land, while those who bore not the mark were slaughtered by those who had the destroying weapon by their side. In the tenth chapter we find Ezekiel encountering not wickedness and abominations being committed in the land, nor even the destruction and judgment of the Lord, but a vision of the glory of God—a vision like what he had seen and experienced by the river Chebar. Perhaps one of the most incredible realities concerning the prophetic book of Ezekiel is that while he was given visions of the judgment of the Lord, and while he was permitted to witness the wickedness, the abomination, the rebellion that was present within the land, he also encountered and experienced the glory of the Lord. What’s more is that Ezekiel experienced multiple visions of God, multiple encounters with and in the Spirit, and multiple encounters with the glory of the Lord.

 In the tenth chapter of the prophetic book of Ezekiel we find Ezekiel looking and beholding in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims an appearance over them as it was a sapphire stone, which was as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. It must be understood that when speaking of the glory of the Lord, we cannot, we dare not, we must not separate the glory of the Lord from the throne of God. The glory of the Lord and the throne of God are directly and intrinsically connected that one cannot expect to encounter the glory of the Lord without also encountering the throne. I am convinced that one of the main reasons why men and women do not experience the glory of the Lord of hosts is not because they don’t desire an encounter with the glory, but because they want the glory without the throne. Such men and women actually believe within their hearts that they can experience the glory of the Lord without the throne of God—the throne from which flows His government, His dominion, His authority, His power, and the entire fullness of the Lord. There are men and women who actually think and believe they can separate the glory of the Lord from the government of the Lord, as if the Lord would somehow allow His glory to be experienced without and apart from His throne. In all reality, I would dare say that there can be no glory of the Lord without and apart from the throne of God, and there can be no throne of God without also the glory of the Lord. In fact, at the very heart and foundation of the glory of the Lord is the throne of God. You cannot expect to encounter, experience, and even enter into the glory of the Lord without also encountering the throne of the Lord, for the throne is at the very center of His glory. If you think you can walk out of “the glory of the Lord” without having encounter His throne, I would seriously question whether or not you even encountered the glory of the Lord as it is to encountered and experienced. The glory of the Lord can never be separated from the kingdom and dominion of heaven—despite how hard men and women may try to do so. The glory of the Lord can never be separated from the authority of the Lord, for any encounter with, any encounter before, and any encounter in the glory of the Lord will also include an encounter with His authority. There were three men in all of Scripture who encountered the throne of God in heaven—two of them are found in the Old Testament, while the third is found in the New Testament. The first to experience and encounter the throne of God was the prophet Isaiah, for it was in the year that king Uzziah died that He saw the Lord seated upon a throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robe filling the Temple. It would be the prophet Ezekiel who would receive a vision of the throne next—a vision that would come to him as he sat with and among the captives by the river Chebar in Babylon. The third and final individual to experience a vision of the throne of God would be the apostle John while he was in exile on the isle of Patmos. Three men—one in the midst of death, one in the midst of captivity, and one in the midst of exile—would each see a vision of the throne of God.

 As you continue reading this particular chapter, you will find that it is a chapter that is devoted entirely to the glory and brightness of the Lord. I am convinced that when reading and studying the prophetic book of Ezekiel, one must seek to understand it as a book that is centered upon the glory of the Lord and the judgment of God. Within and throughout the prophetic book of Ezekiel one seems to get the impression that the glory of the Lord is directly linked and connected to the judgment of the Lord, and that even in the midst of, and even in spite of the judgment of the Lord, the glory of the Lord is and can still be manifested, encountered and experienced. VISIONS OF JUDGMENT AND GLORY! The prophet Ezekiel not only saw the judgment of the Lord released upon the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem, but the prophet also experienced a number of encounters with the glory of the Lord. The prophetic ministry of Ezekiel was not one that was centered upon judgment alone, for the ministry given unto him would also have directly connected to it visions of the glory of the Lord, as well as a promise of restoration. Later on in the prophetic book of Ezekiel you will not only experience a prophetic word concerning the restoration of the people of God in the earth, but you will also experience a prophetic word concerning the Temple of the Lord that would once more stand in the midst of the earth. I have to admit that I absolutely love that the Lord did not reveal unto Ezekiel His judgment alone, but also allowed him to experience the glory of the Lord. This particular chapter in the prophetic book of Ezekiel is one that is centered upon the glory of the Lord, for we find that as the man clothed with linen went in between the wheels, even under the cherub and filled his hand with coals of fire from between the cherubim, the cloud filled the inner court. We read how the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub and stood over the threshold of the house. The entire house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory. THE GLORY OF THE LORD DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE THRONE! THE GLORY OF THE LORD DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE TEMPLE! One of the most striking truths that is found within this chapter is that the glory of the Lord is not only connected to the throne of God, but it is also connected to the Temple of the Lord. In essence, the glory of the Lord is not only connected to His throne in heaven, but also His altar in the earth. If you want to truly understand the glory of the Lord, you must understand its direct link and connection to His throne in heaven, and to His sanctuary in the earth. The glory of the Lord cannot be understood without recognizing it’s link to the place of authority, as well as the place of sacrifice. If you want to truly and sincerely experience and have any encounter with the glory of the Lord, you must not only be willing to encounter the authority of the Lord, but also the need for sacrifice before and sacrifice unto Him. The glory of the Lord flows from the throne of God in heaven, but it also touches and reaches the sanctuary of God upon the earth. What’s more, is that there is absolutely no man upon the face of the earth who can ever dictate to, manipulate, coerce, or even attempt to control the glory of the Lord, nor even how it moves upon the earth.

 There are men and women in the earth who think they can somehow control and manipulate the glory of the Lord. There are some who actually think and believe that they can somehow control the glory of the Lord, and can make it appear and manifest in the earth, as if it somehow bends and bows to their own will. One of the greatest realities we must learn when speaking of and considering the glory of the Lord is that it is the Lord alone who determines when, where and how His glory can and will be manifested. If you journey back to the first chapter of the prophetic book of Ezekiel, you will discover a very unique phrase that seems to be found at the heart of the visions of God which Ezekiel was permitted to see when the heavens were opened—“whither the spirit was to go.” “Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down Amon gate living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning” (Ezekiel 1:5-14). When you come to the fifteenth verse, you will find another description of the visions of God which Ezekiel saw—“Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. The appearance of the wheelies and their work was like unto the color of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Whthersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels” (Ezekiel 1:15-21).

 What we must clearly understand concerning the glory of the Lord is that it is directly connected to the throne of God in heaven, and it is from the throne that His glory goes forth and is manifested. What’s more, is that the prophetic book of Ezekiel seems to indicate and suggest that wherever the glory of the Lord goes, and wherever the glory of the Lord is found, there also is the throne of God. Ezekiel’s visions of God in the first chapter was not complete until he also saw a vision of the throne of God which existed in the midst of the glory. One thing that both the first and the tenth chapter have in common is that wherever the glory of the Lord was found, and wherever the glory of the Lord was manifested, there also was the throne of God in the midst of it. Ezekiel’s visions of the glory of the Lord brought him face to face with the throne of God, as well as the One who sat upon the throne. The glory of the Lord is connected to the throne of God as it touches His authority, His dominion, His power and His government, while the glory of the Lord is connected to the sanctuary of the Lord, and to the place of sacrifice and offering. There is the appearance of fire within and in the midst of the glory of the Lord, as the prophet Ezekiel saw the One seated upon the throne as having the appearance of fire round about within him, and from his loins upward the appearance of fire. When speaking of the glory of the Lord there is the fire that flows from and is found within the One who is seated upon the throne, but the glory of the Lord also touches the altar of the sanctuary where the fire is to continually be burning. WHEN THE FIRE OF THE THRONE MEETS THE FIRE UPON THE ALTAR! What an absolutely incredible thought it is when considering that the fire which is found within and which radiates from the One seated upon the throne can meet the fire which is to continually be burning upon the altar. In the tenth chapter of the prophetic book of Ezekiel we again encounter a vision of the glory of the Lord, and again we find the throne of God present in the midst of it. Oh that we would recognize and understand that when we seek the glory of the Lord, we are not only seeking the very throne of God, but we are also seeking His dominion, His authority, His government, His power. Until and unless you are willing to invite the kingdom and government of the Lord to not only be manifested within your life, but to also be the very foundation of it, I would dare say that your pursuit of the glory of the Lord is and will be in vain. Is it possible that one of the main reasons why men and women rush to leave the demonstration and manifestation of the glory of the Lord too quickly is because they are unwilling to face the throne of God that exists at the very heart and foundation of it? Could it be that the real reason men and women are anxious to flee out of and flee from the glory of the Lord is because one cannot remain in and/or before the glory without encountering the throne of God?

 You say you want to experience the manifestation of the glory of the Lord within your life; you say you want to spend your days living in the direct manifestation of the glory of the Lord. You do well in desiring, and perhaps even pursuing this, yet even this falls drastically and dramatically short if you are unwilling to remain before the throne of God. THE THRONE OF GOD CONCEALED WITHIN THE GLORY OF THE LORD! THE THRONE OF GOD HIDDEN WITHIN THE GLORY OF THE LORD! Oh, how many men and women found themselves completely and utterly shocked when they experienced an encounter with the glory of the Lord, and from and within that place they found themselves standing before something they did not expect or anticipate—the throne of God? How many men and women found themselves immersed in the manifestation of the glory of the Lord, and in the midst of and from that place they found themselves prostrate on their faces before the throne and before the One who is seated upon the throne? If you set out to invite the glory of the Lord into your home, or into your marriage, or into your family, or into your place of employment, or into any area of your life, you need to recognize and understand that the glory of the Lord does not come to give you goose bumps or to make you feel good. The glory of the Lord is released and manifested in order that from and within that place you are transformed before the throne of God. The glory of the Lord manifests in the earth in order that right there at the very heart and center of it the throne of God might be established. You desire the glory of the Lord to be present and to remain within your home? You do well in seeking after and desiring this, but know for certain that where the glory of the Lord abides and remain, there also is the throne of the Lord. You cannot think or even desire the glory of the Lord to remain within your life without also desiring the throne of God to remain. Wherever the glory of the Lord is found, and wherever the glory of the Lord is manifested, so also will His throne be. It is directly from the place of His throne that His government, His authority, His dominion and His kingdom are manifested. One might even say that an encounter with the glory of the Lord directly positions you to encounter the authority of the Lord within your life. The glory of the Lord is designed to bring you to the place where you encounter the throne of God, and it is from that place of authority, dominion and government you are changed and transformed. Moses’ face shone a radiant brightness after spending time in the glory and presence of the Lord, for it is not enough to merely behold the One who sits upon the throne, but also to reflect the One who sits upon the throne.

 It is not enough merely to enter into and encounter the glory of the Lord, for you must behold the One who is seated upon the throne, and you must reflect the One who is seated upon the throne. TRANSFORMED IN GLORY, YET TRANSFORMED IN THE PLACE OF AUTHORITY! TRANSFORMED IN GLORY, YET TRANSFORMED IN THE PLACE OF DOMINION! TRANSFORMED IN GLORY, YET TRANSFORMED IN THE PLACE OF GOVERNMENT! It is at the throne of God where both the glory of the Lord and the government of heaven meet, and it there in the place of glory and government we are transformed. Tell me dear brother, tell me dear sister—are you willing to allow yourself to be changed and transformed in the place of the government of heaven? Are you willing to allow yourself to be changed and transformed in the place of the authority and dominion of heaven? Tell me—if you spend your time seeking the glory of the Lord, why is it you are really seeking the manifestation of it? Are you seeking the manifestation of the glory of the Lord so you can experience another encounter that somehow makes you feel good or gives you another notch on your belt? Or, do you seek to experience the manifestation of the glory of the Lord so you can be changed in the place of authority and dominion? The vision which Ezekiel saw in this particular chapter is actually quite remarkable, for when you come to the final set of verses within the chapter, you will find the glory of the Lord departing from off the threshold of the sanctuary, and stood over the cherubims. The cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in Ezekiel’s sight, and when they went out, the wheels were also beside them. The vision Ezekiel saw was not only of the glory of the Lord departing from the threshold of the sanctuary, but the vision would eventually reveal the cherubim and the wheels standing at the door of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel over them above. It’s necessary that we understand this verse, for one might find it weird, and perhaps even odd that the glory of the Lord was only upon the threshold of the house, yet wasn’t present within the house. If you read this chapter carefully, you will uncover three distinct places where the glory of the Lord can be manifested. The first is in the Holy of holies behind and beyond the veil where the glory of the Lord should be found. The second is above the threshold of the sanctuary, which is actually quite interesting when you consider it, for why would the glory of the Lord remain at the threshold without entering into the sanctuary. WHEN THE GLORY OF THE LORD REMAINS AT THE THRESHOLD OF THE SANCTUARY!

 This chapter is actually a tremendous commentary, for not only do we find the glory of the Lord remaining at and upon the threshold of the sanctuary, but we eventually reach the point where the glory of the Lord departs and removes from the threshold, and eventually moves to the door of the east gate of the Lord’s house. It is a tragic day when the glory of the Lord has to remain at and upon the threshold of our churches, our assemblies and our houses of worship because the glory of the Lord either can’t, or won’t enter into the sanctuary. How many sanctuaries and houses of worship are in this place right now—the place where the glory of the Lord is not present within the sanctuary, but is merely at and upon the threshold. It is an incredibly dangerous and tragic place when the glory of the Lord has to remain at the threshold of the sanctuary, for it cannot enter into the house. There was a time when the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle, as is revealed in the final chapter of the Old Testament book of Exodus. There was another time when the glory of the Lord filled the Temple, as is recorded in the seventh chapter of the book of Second Chronicles. WHEN THE GLORY OF THE LORD REMAINS AT THE DOOR! WHEN THE GLORY OF THE LORD IS REMOVED FROM THE SANCTUARY ALTOGETHER! I am convinced there are three distinct types of churches and houses of worship in the earth in this generation. There are those churches where the glory of the Lord is present within the sanctuary and is found in the midst of the people, as those present within it have surrendered themselves in the place of the throne and in the place of the altar. There are other churches where the glory of the Lord is at, and perhaps even upon the threshold, thus suggesting and revealing that it is close enough to the sanctuary, yet is unable to enter into the sanctuary. There is still a third church, which is a church where not only is the glory of the Lord not present within it, and not only is the glory of the Lord present at the door, but the glory of the Lord is completely removed from the sanctuary altogether. This reality can even describe the hearts and homes of men and women in this generation, for there are men and women whose lives the glory of the Lord can be present within, as He is able to set up and establish His throne in the midst thereof. There are other men and women whose lives are marked by the fact that the glory of the Lord is close enough to be seen at the threshold, yet neither His glory nor His government is able to enter in. There are others whose lives are marked by the reality that the glory of the Lord has departed and been removed altogether, and neither His glory, nor His government is present and manifested. The question I would leave you with right now is which category or you in right now? Is the glory and government of the Lord present within and manifested in your life, or is the glory and government of the Lord at the threshold—so close to enter in, yet completely unable to enter in? Or, is the glory of the Lord at the door of the east gate, thus suggesting that the glory and government of the Lord is neither manifested within, or present upon your life?