Upon David's death, Solomon hastened to build the temple. He benefited from the plans and provisions already put in place by his father, as well as from his connections and workers. Step by step, the work was carried out with meticulousness and detail until completion. The work lasted seven years. The following year, the dedication took place. Solomon gathered the elders of the people from all over the land along with the priests to transport the Ark of the Covenant to the temple. The Levites carried the Ark of the Covenant and placed it in its proper place in the temple. Solomon was careful to avoid the mistakes of his father, who had transported the Ark without observing the necessary protocol, with disastrous consequences.
It was the first Temple of its kind, dedicated to the Eternal God, a symbol of the magnificence and splendor of their God, a symbol of their being a people set apart for God. 500 years after arriving in the Promised Land, at last, permanence and stability. The anticipation is great. Sacrifices are offered in such great numbers that the brazen altar could not contain them. How can one not understand their enthusiasm and excitement! No one could have imagined what would happen next.
The glory
God's own satisfaction was quickly felt. As the singers and musicians praised Him, God manifested the cloud of His presence and filled the temple with His glory, the same glory that several generations earlier had filled the tabernacle of Moses. What a privilege! Solomon blessed the people and began a very long prayer of dedication. It is a powerful prayer, a necessary reading for every child of God. He asks for such extraordinary grace upon this building that every prayer offered there, every prayer offered even from a distance but facing this place, will be answered.
The fire descends
At the end of his prayer, God answered. All those present saw with their own eyes the fire coming down from heaven and consuming the burnt offerings and sacrifices. It was exactly as it had been in the days of Aaron. And the glory of God filled the temple. Immediately, everyone fell down. They worshipped God, kneeling with their faces to the ground. This is the inevitable posture of one who has had an experience with the fire of God's glory. The fire came down because of Solomon's obedience and enthusiasm, the efforts made, the people's commitment to God. In every generation, the situation is the same.
2 Chronicles 7:1-3 New International Version (NIV)
7 When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 2 The priests could not enter the house of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD had filled it. 3 All the Israelites saw the fire and the glory of the LORD come down on the temple. They knelt face down on the pavement and worshipped and praised the LORD, saying, “He is good; his mercy endures forever!”
The fire that remains
By sending his fire as he did for Aaron's sacrifice and for David's sacrifice, God manifests his approval. But there is more. At Mount Sinai the glory came for a time. But here, the manifested glory and presence of God have come to dwell. This is not a visitation, but an habitation. The fire of God is the glory of God coming to dwell.
We are certain of this because the Word of God also shows us the sad moment when the glory of God left the temple. The prophet Ezekiel, one of the exiles from Judah to Babylon, had the sad honor of being the one to whom God revealed the abominations committed in the temple by the leaders of the people and he was able to see, what a misfortune, the moment when the glory of God left the Temple.
Nowadays
Today, many Christians have lost their fire. Like the leaders of the people who remained in Judah, they indulge in acts unworthy of a child of God. They accept the redefinition of the Gospel. Conforming to those around them has become more important than following Jesus. And blinded, they fail to see and experience every abomination imaginable.
It seems as if glory has left their lives. Some, like the people in captivity with Ezekiel, listen to God's servants and it is like a pleasant song, but they do absolutely nothing about what they hear. The fire must return to the church.
This article is an excerpt from my upcoming book 'The Fire of God'. To see my latest book, CALL INTO EXISTENCE, Click here.
https://oliviaoged.com/appelez-a-lexistence-prieres-et-declarations-prophetiques-pour-transformer-votre-vie/
To attend our next event
You must be logged in to post a comment.