CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................2
1.1 ILLUSTRATION - MOSES PURSUIT OF GOD'S GLORY............................................................................3

2. VISITATION GODS GLORY........................................................................................4

2.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF GODS VISITATION...............................................................................................4 2.2 GODS VISITATION IN MERCY.......................................................................................................................5 2.3 GODS VISITATION IN JUDGEMENT.............................................................................................................5 2.4 ILLUSTRATION VISITATION FROM MY GRANDMOTHER..................................................................5 2.5 ILLUSTRATION DEPARTURE OF GODS GLORY IN AD 66..................................................................5 2.6 ILLUSTRATION RETURN OF GODS GLORY ..........................................................................................6

3. HABITATION OF GOD'S GLORY................................................................................7 4. GLORY OF GOD AND THE MERCY SEAT.................................................................7

4.1 ILLUSTRATION THE WEIGHT OF HIS GLORY........................................................................................8 4.2 ILLUSTRATION BUILDING THE MERCY SEAT.......................................................................................8

5. CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................9

1. INTRODUCTION
"Glory" is the Hebrew word kabod which means to be heavy or weighty and by figurative extension describes that which is "weighty" or important. The Septuagint translates kabod with the Greek word doxa, which in simple terms means that which gives a proper opinion of some one or some thing. And so God's glory gives us a proper opinion of Who He is, providing a glimpse into His beauty, brilliance, effulgence, and radiance. In order to help understand the specific manifestations of God's glory it is important to understand the frequently used term, "Shekinah". Shekinah is a transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning the one who dwells or that which dwells. This specific word is not used in Scripture but the root word shakan (to dwell) and the related word mishkan (tabernacle) are both frequently used and both are associated with the presence of God (and His glory) dwelling with man. The meaning of the word Shekinah (the One Who dwells) reminds us that we did not seek to dwell with God but He with us and this truth should evoke continual thanksgiving in those who have been brought into covenant with Him under the shelter of His wings. In summary, the term Shekinah as commonly used describes the visible manifestation of God's presence and glory usually in the form of a cloud. Isa 64:1-2 1 Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence-2 As fire burns brushwood, as fire causes water to boil-- to make Your name known to Your adversaries that the nations may tremble at Your presence! Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Hag 2:6-9 6 "For thus says the LORD of hosts: "Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 'and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says the LORD of hosts. 8 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the LORD of hosts. 9 'The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the LORD of hosts." The glory of God is a substance. It is the tangible manifestation of Gods presence. The glory of God is a substance that manifests in a natural realm. Although it is a spiritual substance, it can manifest in a natural realm. Gods glory is generally His presence bestowed upon this world, just like air that surrounds this world. Yet, God can cause His presence to be condensed and solidified in a certain place to make it tangible. In the burning bush that Moses saw, it was the glory of Gods presence on the bush. And the glory of God was tangible. It was visible. The bush burned and yet was not consumed. The glory of God can rest upon a physical object. Sometimes when we worship God, the glory of God can condense in that place and you feel the presence of God in that place. But when you walk away from that place, suddenly you do not feel the tangible presence anymore. As long as you are in that place, you feel the presence. The glory of God has an ability to hover over an object or over a place. Glory is the atmosphere of heaven. Glory is the manifestation of all of Gods Excellencies. Change is required

1.1 ILLUSTRATION - MOSES PURSUIT OF GOD'S GLORY

Tommy Tenney highlights the following story about Moses Exodus 33:17-23 17 So the LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name." 18 And he said, "Please, show me Your glory." 19 Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." 20 But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." 21 And the LORD said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. 22 "So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. 23 "Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen." 1 Cor 1:29 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. Luke 9:30-32 30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. When Moses asked God to show him his glory, the Lord warned him that no man could see him and live. Only dead men can see God. There is an inseparable connection between His glory and our death. If the glory of God ever showed up in full measure, wed all be dead. Mountains melt at His manifest presence, how much more mans flesh. (Hills melt like wax in the presence of the lord form The Lord Reigns song) If there is flesh present when the glory of God comes, then it will have to be dead flesh, because nothing can live in that presence. Moses was only allowed to see Gods back, but not His face. Moses did not give up, he wanted to see Gods face, but he would have died if he did so. Moses wanted far more than visitation, his soul longed for habitation.

When Moses died, he did not see Gods face and he was not allowed to enter the promised land, however this is not the end of the story. Moses had a consuming hunger for God that produced what Tommy Tenney calls an unforgettable prayer. Moses prayer did not die the day he took his last breath on earth. Moses prayer that he see Gods glory continued to echo in Gods ears until the day Jesus spoke to His disciples about going to a mountain in Israel many generations later. It was like God unzipped the robe of human flesh that cloaked the glory of God in Jesus Christ and Moses was allowed to see it as well as to enter the promised land. Even after we die, our prayers can live on and the fulfillment can take place many years later. Thank God for all the saints who have prayed for this nation, they have not been in vain and in one sense we will reap what they have sown.

2. VISITATION GODS GLORY

1 Pet 2:12 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

2.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF GODS VISITATION Visitation is defined as the times when God shows up in a special way and he does something out of the

ordinary. Visitation is about a sudden moving of the Spirit that brings dramatic and lasting transformation. It is a powerful intervention, a manifestation of God that bears His own fingerprints so that no one else can or will receive the glory or the credit. It is a sovereign manifestation to a person or group of people for the purpose of furthering God's plans of redemptive purpose in the earth. To put it most simply, visitation is when GOD COMES. During a visitation there is a sudden release of the Presence and power of God with such force that it accomplishes what quieter, more general workings of the Spirit do not. In times of visitation, the works of God becomes objects of awe and wonder. Strongholds of the enemy which have long resisted normal influences of Holy Spirit are "suddenly" swept away. Strongholds of the enemy that have in times past resisted and withstood the pressure of the truths of the Gospel begin to crumble and fall under the irresistible force of visitation. During seasons of visitation, God reveals His supernatural, transcendent attributes--such as His greatness or His holiness--so powerfully that human beings are filled with such a sense of awe and reverence that it often causes them to be almost oblivious to everyone and everything else! Visitations deliver you from self as seen in Psalm 110:3 where his people will be volunteers in the day of his Power Visitations hurl men headlong into the plans and purposes of God. A good example of this is demonstrated in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, even while Saul is rebelling against God, His plans and His purposes, God still has a purpose for Saul. God purposed to have Saul preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of His Son to the Gentiles. But clearly, something drastic had to happen before Saul could fulfill that plan. And sure enough, it did! Saul had a heavenly visitation on the road to Damascus, overnight he went from persecuting Jesus to calling Him Lord in a moment's time. Visitation doesn't come by chance. The Bible reveals that in almost every great season of visitation, there were people who were seeking God and crying out for visitation. God releases seasons of divine visitation to people who know what God's Word promises and who position themselves, expecting God to come and fulfill that promise. Important not to miss Gods visitation. People who do not want to change can forget about living in the glory. We have to position ourselves to be in the glory The quickest way to get into the glory is to be thankful. When God visits he wants to change and people miss the time of visitation is because they do not want to change, they want God to change their circumstances but not them.

GOD CAN VISIT WITH MERCY OR WITH JUDGEMENT.

2.2 GODS VISITATION IN MERCY

Luke 1:68 68 "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, Luke 1:78 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; It is such a visitation of God when a soul is born again. The Holy Spirit comes upon a man - visits his soul - and grants repentance and faith. When that happens to a man or woman that one will say "I thank God for your witness" and God is glorified because of your evangelical good works. The 3 years of Jesus ministry was an unusual time of visitation. Water turned into wine, the dead were raised, sick were healed, and 5000 were fed with a boys lunch. Visitation of God in Mercy to Simeon, Anna and the shepherds

2.3 GODS VISITATION IN JUDGEMENT

The Greek word for visitation is suggestive of something a bit more threatening than what we have just considered. The word literally means bishopric or oversight. There is the idea of an investigation or visit for the purposes of inspection. When the glory comes, you can no longer get away with sin, remember what happened to Ananias and Sapphira.

2.4 ILLUSTRATION VISITATION FROM MY GRANDMOTHER

One visitation I dread is that of my grandmother. I am staying upstairs and she stays downstairs. Once in a while without warning she will come and do her inspections tour of upstairs. I always get feedback on what was wrong upstairs, I thought that I was a fairly tidy person, but not according to my grandmothers standards. As you can probably guess, I make the adjustments that were pointed out by her so that on her next visitation there is less issues for her to raise. Woe be unto me if the place is very untidy, otherwise I will feel the full force of her judgement.

You can imagine that Gods judgments will be much greater. Luke 19:41-44 41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 "For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 "and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation." Jesus wept over Jerusalem because she did not know the time of her visitation.

2.5 ILLUSTRATION DEPARTURE OF GODS GLORY IN AD 66

Josephus a Jewish historian who lived around the time of Jesus, made the following observations

He mentioned that in the Spring of 66 A.D. some astonishing events took place within the Temple. He recorded three miracles associated with God's "Shekinah" and the Temple, and each one showed clearly that the "Shekinah" was departing from the Holy of Holies. He stated "that a GREAT LIGHT shone over the altar for thirty minutes at 3 o'clock in the morning (a week before Passover in A.D. 66) and then it DEPARTED. He said the sacred scribes interpreted this sign as a bad omen for the Temple. It was like the Shekinah Glory moving away from the Tabernacle in the wilderness as a sign to disassemble the Tabernacle and transport it to another location He went on to say that "a few days later (during Passover itself) the enormous brass gates of Nicanor, requiring twenty men to open and close them, opened at midnight of their own accord. This was also interpreted as showing a desolation coming upon the Temple. And then, about fifty days later, on Pentecost, the final sign was given which definitely showed that the Shekinah Glory was departing the Temple as the other signs indicated, the priests on entering the inner court of the Temple at nightfall, as their custom was in accomplishment of their ministrations, stated that they first became aware of a commotion and a roar, and after that the voice of a great multitude saying "We are departing hence" When we couple Josephus' information with other eyewitnesses we can see that the "Shekinah" went directly to the Mount of Olives and remained over the top of the mountain for 3 and 1/2 years -- from late Spring in 66 A.D to about December of 69 A.D, some eight months before the Temple was destroyed by the Romans. It then went back to heaven.

2.6 ILLUSTRATION RETURN OF GODS GLORY

Ezek 43:1-5 1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate that faces toward the east. 2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. 3 It was like the appearance of the vision which I saw-- like the vision which I saw when I came to destroy the city. The visions were like the vision which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face. 4 And the glory of the LORD came into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east. 5 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple.

Near the end of Ezekiel's book, God gave the prophet a vision of the glory of God returning until the land was radiant with His glory (Ezek. 43:2). The glory of the LORD returned to the city because the glory of the LORD returned to the Temple, the house of God. "And the glory of the LORD filled the Temple" (Ezek. 43:5). In Ezekiel the glory of the LORD only gradually and progressively departed from God's house and the city. Likewise, when the glory of God's presence departed, judgment and captivity came. When at the conclusion of Ezekiel's prophetic vision God's glory returned after judgment and captivity, the return (like the departure) was gradual and in stages until there was the full manifestation of God's presence and glory in the house of the LORD. In one particular city in New York, Charles Finney found the people extremely cold-hearted. He said they were "thoughtless, vain and scarcely conducted themselves with common decency" as they came into his meetings. Yet as he was preaching "...awe came upon every soul... (Acts 2:43). The attribute of God's holiness was "suddenly" revealed and the congregation began to fall from their seats in every direction and to cry out for mercy. The weeping and distress eventually became so great that people from the street outside came in to see what was happening. But the moment they stepped across the threshold, "under the sprout where the glory came out", they too fell to their knees and began to weep in repentance. That is a consciousness of God's Presence! That, my friends, is visitation!

In Acts chapter 2 we see a visitation of God described in much the same manner. "When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. God Himself visited His people, who were praying and waiting on Him, in the upper room in such a manner that they could never be the same again.

3. HABITATION OF GOD'S GLORY

Exod 25:8 8 "And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. Col 1:27 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Rev 21:3 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. Eph 2:19-22 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Praise God that Christ who is the hope of Glory is in us, however here I am not talking about that here, instead I am talking about his manifest presence We welcome Gods visitation, but our real desire is for habitation, where his presence lingers and lives with us every day. What can we do to make Him feel welcome all the time instead of just some of the time? We know that His will is for His permanent presence to bless our cities and nations, but how do we get Him to stay. The Lord is not just seeking visitation. He is seeking habitation. He wants His body to carry His glory in the earth. He wants us to be filled with His power and confidence. Not to glory in His glory, but to be humble servants that shine with His character and attributes. He wants us to be surrendered and obedient, that we can carry out His purposes and plans in the earth today.

In the Old Testament when god gave Moses the pattern for the tabernacle, he made it clear that He wanted a sanctuary where He could dwell with his people. (Exodus 25:8)

4. GLORY OF GOD AND THE MERCY SEAT

Exodus 25:8-9 8 "And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. 9 "According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle Exodus 25:21-22 21 "You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. 22 "And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel. Num 7:89

89 Now when Moses went into the tabernacle of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice of One speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; thus He spoke to him. Ps 22:3 3 But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.

When God revealed the pattern of the tabernacle and the way to approach Him He also declared exactly where He would meet Moses So the outstretched wings of the cherubim were to provide a throne for the God where He would mediate His rule on the earth as a representation of the real throne in heaven When God had spoken to Moses out of the midst of the cloud upon Sinai, He also told him that He would come down to speak with him in the midst of His people. It was from the area above the Mercy Seat that He did

4.1 ILLUSTRATION THE WEIGHT OF HIS GLORY

There was a man who was very large and struggled with his weight all his life He has very close friends who would love for him to come and visit him, they regularly spend time in restaurants, but he would love to just sit down in the intimacy of their homes and fellowship with them. When he visits their homes, he will never take of his coat until he scans the room. From previous experience on sitting on chairs and breaking them, he has made up his mind that he will refuse to sit on chairs which look as though they cannot bear his weight, he refuses to be embarrassed anymore He will check to see if they have at least got a new chair which can hold his weight, if not he will make his excuses and move on. He says you would think people would look at me and know I cant just sit anywhere. We have had times of Gods visitation, especially in 1994, but not habitation. Glory means weightiness or weighty splendour. God has the same problem as the person in the illustration. How many times has the weighty glory of God visited us but not come in? Why does He only visit but not stay, the answer is simple We havent built a mercy seat to hold the glory of God God is looking for a church that has learned how to build a mercy seat for His glory. When He finds a house that has paid the price to build him a resting place, He will come and He will stay. That is when we will see a revival that is unlike any we have ever seen before.

4.2 ILLUSTRATION BUILDING THE MERCY SEAT

Exod 25:17-22 17 "You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. 18 "And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 "Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. 20 "And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. 21 "You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.

22 "And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel. King David did two things to ensure Gods presence remained in Jerusalem: He prepared a place for Gods presence by constructing a tabernacle He created a living mercy seat of worship in the tabernacle so God would be pleased to sit and remain in that humble sanctuary. The gold used to form the covering cherubim had to be beaten into the proper shape and position Therefore the only way we can build a mercy seat is to take our positions as purified, beaten worshippers. God requires mercy seat worshippers to be formed of gold tried in the fire (purified), conformed (beaten) into the image of perfection and moved into the proper position of unity for worship. This speaks of purity, brokenness and unity which are the three components of true worship. Brokenness on the earth creates openness in the heavens When the worshippers around the mercy seat come into their position, god can move into His position and occupy the middle ground between them.

5. CONCLUSION
Page from Tommy Tenneys Extreme God Chasers, published in 2000 I dont have the terminology to describe what God is about to do. How do you describe a tsunami? How do you describe a tidal wave? How do you talk about what God can do, along with the unspeakable grace and strength that come with it? The biblical model I desire and dream of is Gods dealings with the city of Nineveh. I want to see a wave of God sweep through a city, pushing before it all of mans arrogance while leaving behind it nothing but a trail of broken repentance. Im hungry for revival like we see in Jonahs description of city wide repentance and fasting in Nineveh. If you see the glory of God your life will never be the same The test of genuine revival is in whether or not there have been changed lives and often this becomes evident only afterwards. If the Lord is "just visiting," then things will go back to usual when the glory leaves. But when an eternal work has taken place in those lives, the individual will no longer be content to return to his former state of affairs, as before. He has tasted of eternity and shall find satisfaction in nothing less. Revival does not come cheap; it will cost us our lives. But only as we lay our lives down can we know the fullness of His Life in us. The time is now. No longer can we do things the old way. Our greatest opposition to moving forward is wanting to stay behind. Stubbornness will hinder and only delay our destiny in Christ. God will have a glorious church, adorned with His glory, His power, His majesty. The people will see her in all His splendor and they will run to His house and His house will be full. The time is truly now. Time for Gods people to arise from sleep. The time is now to be filled with His glory. Lord, let us not resist, quench or grieve your Spirit any longer. We are at your call. We are here to do your will. Lord, let your glory fall. Amen!