KINGDOM GLORY
by Shelly Mathis
“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them,
that they may be one just as We are one.”
(Jesus, to the Father -
John 17:22)
What is this glory that the
Father gave to Jesus? It is Kingdom Glory – the brightness, splendor, and
majesty of the Kingdom of Heaven manifested on earth. This Kingdom Glory was the
revelation He carried within Himself and witnessed to all while on earth.
Matthew 4:23-24
23 And
Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel
of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among
the people.
24 Then
His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who
were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were
demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.
Only a fraction of Kingdom Glory is captured in these verses. Jesus Christ
expressed Kingdom Glory in each word spoken, in each action performed – whether
it was miraculous or mundane. And the revelation we must possess is this: this
same glory which the Father gave to Jesus, He has now given to us! From His
perspective, Kingdom Glory is now available for us to access.
As I meditated on this wonderful truth, I had a vision of an umbrella.
The prophet Isaiah
prophesied, “For over all the glory there will be a covering.” (Isaiah 4:5) The
word covering is defined as a canopy. The canopy of the umbrella is therefore
like the covering over all the glory of God. What is that covering? I believe it
is Kingdom Glory, for it covers over the manifold manifestations of His glory on
earth.
Psalm 145:10-13
10 All
Your works shall praise You, O LORD,
And Your saints shall bless You.
11 They
shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,
And talk of Your power,
12 To
make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,
And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.
13 Your
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
Yet, the Kingdom Glory must have a foundation supporting it. Jesus Christ came
for the purpose of redeeming mankind to its rightful position before the Father.
Redemption is therefore the foundation that supports the Kingdom Glory. It is
the handle holding up the umbrella canopy. When Jesus worked redemption, He did
so by demonstrating the Kingdom and showering its glory in multitudinous ways.
Hebrews 10:8-10
8 Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings,
and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them ” (which are
offered according to the law),
9 then
He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first
that He may establish the second.
10 By
that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all.
Finally, this umbrella is unique in that it does not keep the rain out, but the
rain pours down from within. The rain is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in
His multifarious ways, in the extraordinary and the seemingly commonplace issues
of life. It is simply God Almighty in manifestation to His people on the earth.
And whichever way He manifests is glorious!
Hosea 6:3
Let us
know, let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established
as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former
rain to the earth.
Isaiah 45:8
Rain
down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let
the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up
together. I, the LORD, have created it.
They key question is – are we positioned to see Him, to receive His rain? He is
doing a glorious cleansing and refining work within us to prepare our hearts to
awaken to and access His glory all around us.
Lord, we want to see Your glory. You declared that the Kingdom Glory the Father
gave to You, You have given to us. Open our eyes to behold You, to recognize
Your manifestations of glory in our lives today. We will boast of Your glory all
day long! Amen.
Faith Tabernacle
http://ft111.com
