June 13, 2003 (10)TO SHINE BRIGHT, LIVE RIGHT. Jesus warned of a season when there would be a time of division in His kingdom. Once again it is a situation of the chaff with the wheat, and the tares remaining with the wheat until the moment of weeding out. This moment is aptly portrayed in the Word. After the cleansing, then the righteous Bride will shine as the sun. Mt. 13:41-43 Judgment must first begin at the house of the Lord. Those who know the right way bear more responsibility than those who do not. 1 Pet. 4:17 The wise, in knowledge and obedience to the Word of the Lord, living and manifesting the righteousness of the Lord, will shine as the heavens and the stars. Dan. 12:3 In the resurrection and the life to come there are differences of the shining forth of the glories of the resurrection. Some will be clothed with the outstanding glory of the sun. Others the moon glory. Still others with the glory of the stars and with the great variety of splendor that is seen among the stars. 1 Cor. 15:41 Not all will have the same glory or position in eternity. Just as there will be some who occupy the throne with the Lord, some are seated on thrones around His throne, and there are others who stand before the throne. The Bride of the Lord Jesus seated with Him on His thrones will glow with the shekinah glory of the Lord.
EZEKIEL SPOKE OF HIS VISION OF THE LORD OF GLORY. He saw a throne which appeared to be occupied by a man. The throne itself was beautiful and glorious and was like unto a sapphire stone, the azure blue of the sky. Which incidentally is the color of the Holy Spirit. The LORD, Himself look as if He was a burning, blazing fire, and why not? For our God is a consuming fire. Heb. 12:29 He is not the fire which we use for heating and cooking, but is a spiritual, eternal flame of glory. Destructive, devouring and yet not all consuming. Doing no harm, but destroying the chaff of ones life. He is the one who baptizes with Spirit and with fire. Mt. 3:11 Who will dwell eternally with such flame and fire? The answer is, the righteous. As the sun is an orb of intense heat and flame so the eternal kingdom of God will be a sphere of the might and flaming power of the Spirit. Isa. 33:14-16 Ezekiel saw the brilliancy of the God of fire and light. Eze. 1:27 The eyes of the Lord Jesus are described by John as being like blazing fire and His feet like glowing brass heated in a furnace. Rev. 1:14-15 We are not considering an element which is to be harmful in any way to those who walk with the Lord, but rather an exciting use of the language of the symbol describing the exceeding great glory which will be manifest in the Lord Jesus and that which clothes His Bride. There is another manifestation of His glory and fire which is not at all comforting and that is the time of His visitation to this earth, a second time. He is coming in great fire executing vengeance on all who do not know the Lord and who are not willing to acknowledge Him as the Lord of lords and the King of kings. The second coming of Christ is not a casual event but the greatest catastrophe ever to strike his earth. It is total and complete judgment. 2 Thes. 1:7-10