The Day God's Glory Walked Out of the Temple
Have you ever wondered why Israel seemed to "fail" in the Old Testament? Why did a nation chosen by God end up in Babylonian captivity? Here's the shocking biblical truth most Christians miss: God didn't reject Israel because He failed - Israel rejected HIM as their King.
Israel's Fatal Request That Changed Everything
In 1 Samuel 8:4-5, we see the moment that altered Israel's destiny forever:
"Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."
What did the people want? A king like all the other nations. But here's what most miss - God took this personally. Look at verse 7:
"And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them."
Leadership lesson here: When people reject the Gospel message you're sharing, don't take it personal. They're not rejecting you - they're rejecting the Lord.
The Tragic Pattern of Human Kingship
God gave them what they wanted, and guess what happened? Man's ideas typically fail.
Saul - the first king. How'd that turn out? Not so great.
David - better, but still human
Solomon - started well, ended poorly
Rehoboam - under his rule, the kingdom divided
After the division, you had 19 kings in Israel and 20 kings in Judah. Here's the devastating scorecard:
In Israel: Only ONE king (Jehu) did right, and only some of the time In Judah: Only SIX kings did what was right - Asa, Jehoshaphat, Uzziah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah
The result? A nation drowning in idolatry, rebellion, and paganism. They were even practicing hepatoscopy - looking at animal livers for divination, associating different zones of the liver with pagan deities!
When God's Glory Departed - A Prophetic Picture
Here's where it gets really intense. In Ezekiel chapters 8-11, we see something that should make every believer's blood run cold - God's glory physically leaving His own temple.
Watch this progression:
Ezekiel 9:3 - "And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was to the threshold of the house"
Ezekiel 10:18 - "Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims"
Ezekiel 11:23 - "And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city"
God's glory moved from:
Inside the temple (the cherubim)
To the threshold (the doorway)
Outside the temple
Completely gone - over the Mount of Olives
Modern application: Isn't this exactly what we see in today's Laodicean church age? Churches that are supposed to be houses built for His name, but His presence has departed?
The Crown Removed Until King Jesus Returns
In Ezekiel 21:25-27, God delivers the final blow to human kingship:
"And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him."
God removed the crown from Israel's kings. Nobody was getting anointed king anymore because they weren't running the kingdom right. That crown won't go on another Hebrew king's head until King Jesus is crowned when He returns!
The 600-Year Gap: When Glory Returned in Flesh
Fast forward 600 years to Luke 1:26-33. The angel Gabriel announces to Mary:
"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."
The glory was back - but veiled in a body of flesh! When 12-year-old Jesus sat in the temple, all the doctors were "astonished at his understanding" (Luke 2:47). Why? You had the King of Glory in their midst, though not yet crowned.
"The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand" - What It Really Means
When John the Baptist and Jesus preached "the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2, 4:17), they weren't announcing that Jesus was ready to set up an earthly kingdom right then.
Here's the key: Jesus was ON THE SCENE. The announcement was that He is the ONLY ONE who can and will restore what Adam lost - dominion over the kingdom.
What did Adam lose? Dominion of the kingdom through his fall in Genesis 3. Satan picked up what Adam dropped.
Jesus' first coming: He came to die as the suffering servant, not to sit on a throne but to hang on a tree.
Jesus' second coming: That's when all the Kingdom of Heaven promises will be fulfilled. No new information - just the fulfillment of everything we've been studying.
The Hard Truth About This Present World
Here's what every believer needs to understand: Even when people get saved (praise God!), even after the best church service you've ever attended, guess who still controls this earthly kingdom?
Satan. He's still the prince of this world system.
I don't care how many:
Peace marches they organize
Political rallies they hold
Stadiums they fill with the "right" candidate
They will ALL fail because even the best candidate still operates in a kingdom ruled by Satan. The first Adam dropped the ball, but the Second Adam (Jesus Christ) is going to pick it up!
Kingdom of Heaven vs Kingdom of God: Two Distinct Entities
Just like Israel and the Church are two different entities, the Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God are distinct:
Kingdom of Heaven: Physical, earthly kingdom that Christ will establish
Kingdom of God: Spiritual kingdom that is "within" believers now
During Jesus' earthly ministry, there was a small window where both were "at hand" because God's glory had come down veiled in flesh. Jesus could rightly say both kingdoms were at hand because:
Kingdom of Heaven: "I am going to be crowned King of the physical kingdom - it's mine"
Kingdom of God: "The Father has given me temporary control, and He's always ruled that spiritual kingdom"
The Bottom Line
God didn't fail with Israel. The people rejected Him as King and got exactly what they asked for - human rulers who led them into captivity and exile.
But here's the hope: Jesus Christ is coming back as King of Kings! The crown that was removed from human heads will be placed on the head of the only One worthy to wear it.
The Kingdom of Heaven is still coming. And when King Jesus returns, there won't be any question about who's really in charge.
🎧📖 Want to dive deeper into this powerful biblical truth? I encourage you to listen to the entire message where this expository preaching and verse-by-verse Bible teaching unpacks even more details about God's kingdom plans. This sermon will challenge your understanding of prophecy and God's unchanging purposes! Listen to the full message here