There are numerous passages in the Bible about glory filling the temple. I would say it is one of the primary uses of the word. We see it filling the temple in the Old Testament, we see it filling us as the temple in the New Testament, and we know that the glory of the Lord will fill the new heavens and earth in the age to come.
Here is one passage from 1 Kings 8:10-11.
And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord,
so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud,
for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.
I see two things happening in this passage. One, the glory of the Lord is filling the temple. Two, as a result, the priests couldn’t stand to minister. Let’s talk about the first one today.
The idea of filling here is to capacity. As in, there is no more room. To the brim. No vacancy.
What if I lived like that? What if all the space in my heart, soul, mind, and strength were at Jesus’ disposal? What if no idols were taking up space? What if no other value system was competing with the Kingdom?
I’m reminded of a line from the writings of Angela of Foligno as she believed Jesus was speaking to her: “Make yourself a capacity, and I’ll make myself a torrent.”
God wants to fill us. It’s why we exist. It’s why Jesus came. He is the Vine, and to be a branch from him is to be a capacity for his glory. We are not separate and disconnected from God. Rather, we are one with him. That’s the glory of the Lord filling the house of the Lord.
As we set our hearts on your coming and your coming again, Jesus, we make ourselves a capacity for you to fill with glory. Don’t hold back. Holy Spirit, help us.
Brave Sparrow 