There are many hymns and choruses to “the glory of the Lord”. One of the best known is Handel’s Messiah with words taken from Scripture. What is it to sing about the Lord’s glory? Have we a picture of the future glory?

The details in the final nine chapters of Ezekiel can be difficult to read; they go into great detail about layout and measurements of the future temple. In today’s chapter (43) there are dramatic word pictures. After “the man” had led Ezekiel around every aspect of the Temple and described its functions, “the glory of the God of Israel” comes from the east. It is like “the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with His Glory” (verses 1,2).

Ezekiel says it is just like the awesome vision of God’s glory he had by the river Chebar that we puzzled over in chapter 1. The glory enters the city by the east gate and Ezekiel hears “this is the place of my throne… where I will dwell … forever” (verse 7). The prophet is told to describe the vision “that they may be ashamed of their iniquities” (verse 10). Do we feel ashamed as a result of reading these visions of the future glory? Note in verse 11 the significant word “if” – “if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple … and all its laws …”. The key principle is that their (and our) reaction to the grandeur of God’s glory means we must ask ourselves, are we ashamed of our failures? All around us are people who have no sense of shame. We must not let their attitudes rub off on us.

God’s glory, is seen in the absolute wonder of His creation, and more than ever is known about the natural world by today’s generation. Unfortunately it is ignored or denied by most people. God will deal with them as He dealt with the people of Ezekiel’s age, a lesson we must remember if we are to dwell forever and experience the fulln wonder of God’s glory.