Sacrifice, Fire and Glory

Sacrifice, Fire and Glory

“When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house.” 2 Chron. 7:1-2.

When the fire had consumed the sacrifice, the glory came. The priests, however, could not enter into the glory of the Lord since they did not partake in the fire. Notice that it was the glory of the Lord (Christ)—the glory He had with His Father before the world began. For this glory to be manifest for people, the burnt offering and the sacrifice had to first be consumed by the fire.

Not even the priests, much less the people, dared to approach the glory, because their sacrifice—the body of sin—was not consumed by fire.

If we suffer with Him, we shall also be glorified with Him. But if we draw back from suffering, His soul has no pleasure in us. This pleasure is, in the deepest sense, the glory of the Lord. When a person has pleasure in another person, they pour their glory over that person. This expression of love awakens love in return.

When we suffer with Christ, we prove our love for Him, but if we draw back from suffering, “My soul has no pleasure in him.”

Oh, how many priests there are today who must remain outside of the glory of the Lord? They are afraid to let the fire consume the sacrifice. All of us have something to sacrifice, and as soon as that sacrifice is placed on the altar, God will not withhold the fire. Glory without personal sacrifice will never last long. Especially during times of revival, we can hear messages about abundant glory. This glory cannot become my personal possession without a personal sacrifice. This is only the glory of grace, which God removes from a person when He wills. Personal glory, on the other hand, is the glory acquired by righteousness and is received when the sacrifice is consumed. This glory will never be taken away from us.

We are kings and priests for God. May we not, like the priests of the old covenant, remain standing outside when the glory of the Lord fills the house? We are His house, and it is impossible to be filled with His glory unless the fire has first consumed its sacrifice. There are many such sacrifices, so we can go from glory to glory.