Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
What it means to be initiated into the secret of the mystery. Part 39. The mystery of the Shekinah glory within us.
Sunday, April 3, 2005
Theophanies = TLJC appeared throughout the Old Testament in different visible forms such as a man, an angel, a pillar of fire, a cloud, a burning bush, etc.
Jesus Christ is the only visible member of the godhead, JOH 1:18; JOH 6:46.
There were many different manifestations of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament, and these manifestations were to teach, instruct, guide and direct the people of God.
“Shekinah” - shakan -
to dwell = Jesus Christ indwelt certain sacred buildings in Israel.
“Glory” - kabodh = visible manifestations of Jesus Christ as a Theophany = the “dwelling of the glory” or the Shekinah glory.
Shekinah = the invisibility of Christ as the God of Israel, indwelling 3 sacred buildings during the age of Israel:
the Tabernacle, Solomon’s Temple, and Zerubbabel’s Temple.
His deity was invisible to the crowd who heard this prophecy, but His humanity was very visible.
In the Old Testament, they saw a visible manifestation of Christ on the outside in the realm of such things as a cloud or pillar of fire over the tabernacle or the Temple; however, invisible to the outside was TLJC who dwelt in the holy of holies.
In the daytime a cloud was covered over the tabernacle.
In the evening it would be a pillar of fire over the tabernacle.
EXO 33:20 “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!”
The people who heard this magnificent prophecy could see the man, the humanity of Christ, but they could not see the glory, His deity.
John 14 - Jesus Christ as God dwelt with His people Israel in a unique way, invisible - they did not see Him, but they saw the manifestation of His presence.
GAL 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.
It means to glorify God or have the glory within be manifested without.
MAT 5:14 You are the light of the world.
MAT 5:16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Today, people cannot see the deity of Christ, the Shekinah glory in you, but they can see the glory of God being revealed or manifested THROUGH you.
The day of the virgin birth of our Lord was the last day any overt manifestation of TLJC existed.
Never again are there Theophanies, instead there are Christophanies which are manifestations of the humanity of Christ in resurrection body.
Just like the Jews could not see the Shekinah glory in the OT but could see a manifestation of His presence, so we can reveal the Shekinah glory or the indwelling of Christ to the world and each other through our body, the temple of the living God.
He has no other way of showing Himself to men except as Christ lives in us, not by the Shekinah glory in the temple