In 2 Chronicles 5 we read the account of the day the Ark was brought into the temple King Solomon build.
2 Chronicles 5:13-14 (AMPC)
13 And when the trumpeters and singers were joined in unison, making one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and other instruments for song and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever, then the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud, 14 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
It must have been such a special and spectacular occasion. We read how the Levites were sanctified and brought the Ark to the temple in procession and how everyone was in unison in the praise and worship of God. On that day, all differences in opinions and standpoints seemingly were set aside and replaced with one focus – the focus of Worshiping the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Everybody joined in unison, made one sound, lifted one voice, blew the trumpets together with all kinds of instruments to bring honour to the goodness, mercy and loving-kindness of God that endures forever. The result was a visitation from God. Not just a visitation that would last a few hours but a visitation that was meant to be permanent. God inhabited, was enthroned in the praises of His People (Ps 22:3) to such an extent that He filled His house with His presence. He blessed mankind with His presence and came to dwell with them in a very visible experiential way. The cloud of His Presence and glory filled the house of the Lord. The word “glory” in Hebrew carries the meaning of “heavy” or “weighted”. Thus the “heavily, weighted’ presence of the Lord filled the house with the result that the priests could not stand to minister anymore. They were flat on their faces worshipping an almighty, merciful, good, faithful God whose loving-kindness endures forever!
There is a parallel scripture in the New Testament we can find it in Acts 1:14 and 2:1-4 (AMPC) as we read the following:
14 All these with one mind and one purpose were continually devoting themselves to prayer, [waiting together]…
1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place, 2 and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were being distributed [among them], and they rested on each one of them [as each person received the Holy Spirit]. 4 And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit…
Once again God’s people were together in unison, in one place devoting themselves to prayer and no doubt to worshiping God – waiting for His promise to be fulfilled. Once again, His presence filled the house, but this time Holy Spirit came down and filled the people themselves who were to be His temple, His place of abode, His dwelling place. The death and resurrection of Jesus made it possible for people to be His temple carrying, hosting, housing in our very spirits the blessing of the heavy, weighted presence of God.
Lord it is our prayer and our longing that you will once again fill your ‘house’ your human dwelling place, our spirits with your heavily, weighted presence to the extent that we would not be able to stand to minister. Sanctify us, bring us in unison with You. One voice, one mind, one sound, one purpose – to worship you alone!
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