13 “Is it not indeed from the Lord of hosts
That peoples labor [only] for the fire [that will destroy their work],
And nations grow weary for nothing [that is, things which have no lasting value]
14 “But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filled
With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
As the waters cover the sea.
Habakkuk 2:
14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
Numbers 14:
19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.
20 And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word:
21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.
22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
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| source: inspirably |
It has to be understood by believers that when the scriptures talk about the glory of the Lord filling the earth, it's not talking about the general presence of God being everywhere, as that's simply the result of being spirit, meaning the anatomical makeup of God. That reflects part of who God is, but it's not what it means concerning the glory of filling the earth as mentioned above.
Habakkuk confirms this when it describes this phenomenon by saying a little differently: "...the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord." He adds the word knowledge.
That obviously means knowledge of people outside of God Himself. People will have a knowledge of the Lord, and that knowledge will fill the earth some day.
One last thing concerning that point, it's not talking about so-called Christian TV. I've heard some make that assertion in the past, but it's a nonsensical idea.
God isn't talking about people purveying information when He's talking about knowledge, He's talking about a people that have a knowledge of who He is and being obedient unto that knowledge. It's referring to a people that embody all that God is in corporate expression.
So what does this filling of the earth with the glory of God mean? The scriptures use Caleb as an example of the type of man that will represent that in the earth.
After God responds to Moses' plea to forgive the iniquity of the children of Israel by agreeing to do it, it's there that He reveals what is meant by the phrase.
God says He agrees to forgive them, but they can't enter into the promised land. Only a certain type of person can enter there. It's quite simple and easy to understand.
Caleb has another spirit with him, said God, adding that Caleb has followed the Lord "fully." That is the person that will be brought into all the promises of God, which will ultimately fill the earth because a growing number of people, by the grace of God, will also fully follow the Lord, which means they'll obey His commands and laws.
Possessing the land isn't just having a presence there, which is why the general presence of God isn't enough, as it relates to His purpose for creating mankind. God already had that before creation, it added nothing to Him to create, He already was all of Himself in His essence.
What possessing the land meant was there will be a people that respond in obedience to God and live their lives by following the Lord fully. That is how the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth. It's through an obedient people who trust Him and act and live in accordance with that trust.
This is something very specific and not general. It's another way of saying we're to be conformed to the image of Christ. Even more, it's the totality of what is mentioned as God's eternal purpose in the letter of Paul to the Ephesians.
God's purpose from before creation was to create a people so they would bear His image and take dominion over the earth and subdue it. That included taking on His characteristics (not divinity) and managing the world and everything in it.
Again, this is the practical meaning of the glory of the Lord filling the earth. He has chosen mankind as the means to do so in order that His glory would be seen everywhere. This is the manifestation of the sons of God creation so eagerly waits for.
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