The benefits and results from long exposure in a Pandemonium Experience of God: 2 Chronicles 5:11-14/Luke 24:49

[Apostle Sherman D. Farmer]

The definition for the word pandemonium means a wild uproar and loud noise. A very famous author, Milton, who wrote the book Paradise Lost, uses this word as the fictitious capital of the regions of hell. The implication of the author’s employment of the word suggests that a pandemonium can be of a negative state of being where there is a consistent and constant sound of uncontrollable cries and outbursts as a sign to the means of the pain in which in produces. However, when viewing this word from a positive pandemonium we often may experience it without proper recognition. If we attend a football or a basketball game and our favorite team wins usually there is a type of pandemonium to show one’s pleasure and joy because of your teams’ victory. If we go to our favorite singer’s concert and we are geared up for their arrival upon stage – by the time that the singer gets there – there is pandemonium. Lastly, when someone tells a great joke which leaves everyone who hears the joke in stitches – usually there is an uncontrollable result of pandemonium. Therefore, pandemonium can either be a negative or positive experience.

As we view our text, we see that we have a biblical example of what happens when a spiritual and positive pandemonium experience takes place. King Solomon, David’s son and successor of the throne has completed the task that God promised David he would accomplish. This task is the building of a temple and thus dissolving the predicament of God’s temporary habitation, known as the tabernacle. As we know the tabernacle was the transitional worship center for the nation of Israel upon their reaching the wilderness after 430 years of bondage in Egypt. And as we look at this text, we must also see the evolution of not just this tabernacle to temple progression but we must pay close attention to the progression of God’s glory and Spirit. As we review the subject matter of the Shekinah we can discover that there are some crucial benefits to the manifestation of god’s glory even for us who are present in today’s time.

The presence of the Shekinah Glory cloud brings direction; illumination, protection and transformation. These are the four benefits of experiencing long exposures to the manifestation of the presence of God in the form of Shekinah:

A. Benefit #1 – Long Exposures of Shekinah will provide divine direction:

And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people (Exodus 13:20-22)

When Israel originally encounters the Shekinah Glory it was at the front door of Egypt, which leads to the threshold (or the edge) of the wilderness. God divinely wraps himself in a pillar of cloud for the day and fire for the night. His main purpose is clear. He wants to go before the people which imply His divine direction in the manifestation of Shekinah. The scripture says – God never left them! The manifested presence of God – never left the sight of Israel from Egypt’s front door; through the threshold and portal of the wilderness; even on the porch of Mt. Sinai – God was there in the presence of the glory cloud and fire. When Israel finally created a tabernacle, God would transition from Mt. Sinai’s highest peak to the tabernacle as a means to direct the people when to move and when not to move based on the movement of His manifested presence:

Then a clod covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: but f the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys (Exodus 40:34-37, KJV)

So long exposures to the divine presence of the Shekinah glory of God will provide the development of spiritual sensitivity, in every believer, to follow God stronger, better and greater than ever before. These long exposures will cause you to know when to literally and spiritually move because you are clear on the direction of the cloud therefore you clear on your direction as you follow the glory of God.

B. Benefit #2 – Long Exposures of Shekinah will provide divine protection:

And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: and it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel…(Exodus 14:19-20a, KJV).

When the angry Egyptians stalked Israel on the outskirts of Egypt, the Glory of God that was serving as a divine guide became a divine warrior. The scripture said when he leads he’s in front but when he’s fighting he’s got your back. Because God through Christ puts your enemy behind you so that you can keep progressing forward. But while your enemy is behind you – he goes there and handles him for you. Note: everywhere the heavy manifestation is of the presence of God – so is a company of angels, who are guardians of the glory and the habitations of glory. When the prophet Ezekiel saw God’s Shekinah glory manifest in the vision of the wheels in the wheel – there was angelic activity even then that moved every time God’s glory moves:

And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning (Ezekiel 1:11-14).

Just as in the cause when the devil who was influencing the attack of the Egyptians upon the Israelites, God divinely blocks the infiltration of the enemy into the camp through his presence and the presence of angels – he still does even now from long exposures under and in the Shekinah glory’s presence.

C. Benefit #3: Long Exposures to Shekinah brings divine illumination:

And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night (Exodus 14:20, KJV).

The rhema word of this verse jumps right out at me. First thing that God shows me prophetically in this text is as to how there is two sides of the Shekinah glory. Among the believers it is a divine source of illumination (or light bringing). But on the other side among the enemy and those who are out to bother you, it is a divine source of darkness. Thus it has two sides to it. When it was night time the Israelites saw the different side to Shekinah in the face of the enemy. The enemy was walking around in the dark trying to plan their attack on Israel but they couldn’t see because God made their proximity extremely dark. Whereas Israel had such a brightness because of how Shekinah would shine for them in the apparent blocade that protects them from the overtaking presence of the enemy. This makes me think of the manifestation that John refers about in his gospel account:

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehendeth it not. (John 1:5-6, KJV).

When you have the Shekinah Glory in long exposures among you – the enemy will do the bumping around in the dark instead of you! Darkness because like an airhead in the presence of the Brightness of God. That’s good news today! That’s why we want the divine illumination Shekinah brings – especially in the face of our enemies.

D. Benefit #4: Long Exposures to Shekinah brings divine transformation:

And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come to him…and till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him (Exodus 34:29-30, 33-35).

During the interim transition of God moving his glory from the highest portion of Mt. Sinai unto the confines of the tabernacle, Sinai was God’s dwelling place for Moses to communicate with him face to face. As Moses would go in for a long period of time – the exposure of having direct contact with God and the glory of God brought drastic changes to the presence and persona of Moses that even the people knew the difference. What a testimony. Even now we have the right to come into the presence of God because of the atoning work of Jesus Christ – and yet do we stay in for long periods of time?

1) See the Unity of Discipleship

And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not wait by course: (Verse 11)

Sanctification is the process of allowing oneself to become more holy unto the Lord. There was a unity in this process among the Levites and Priests who had to come before the Lord. We need to have that united of education and understanding (i.e., discipleship) when serving the Lord. Ask your neighbor: If I came to church with a body odor that was really bad would you sit next to me and not say anything? Who wants to sit next to someone that stinks, raise your hand? Well, spiritual do you think God wants to deal with someone who doesn’t want to wash themselves and become a better disciples for God?

If anyone was looking for a Valentine’s day message here’s a blurb – God says I will draw your spiritual bathwater for you. All you have to do is come forward so that I can wash you through the water of the word:

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you (John 15:3, KJV).

That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word (Ephesians 4:26, KJV).

2) See the Unity of fellowship:

“Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren…”

The Levites and Priests were united in fellowshipping as a family among families and as members of the congregation among Israel. They included their children in the process of worship. They had the next generation there as a means to show their humbleness of continuing their legacy but showing God their honoring and dedication of him for giving them offspring and new life. There is power in the unity of fellowship. Jesus even says it – He will not only inhabit praise but He inhabits unified fellowship:

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20, KJV).

That’s why I have to show agape love because if I can’t love you I dare not say I love God. Because we at this church know our measure of love and united fellowship with one another shows our true level of spiritual maturity. The Levites, Priests and the people of God were all united in their fellowship.

3) See the Unity of Evangelism (Witness within their Worship):

“…saying, for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever…”

The people’s witness about God was even united. They all were saying the same thing about God even though it was a praise. The NT scriptures show that this was passionate about this effort:

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment (1 Corinthians 1:10, KJV).

I wonder what would happen if we all made up our minds to have the same decision-making process when it comes to sharing a unified witness for God. Even this morning – in our praise we can practice corporate witnessing which is a mighty way of worshipping even the more.

4) See the Unity of worship:

“It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord….”

It was the unity of praise and worship and fellowship that brought the manifested presence of God for the opportunity of exposure to the Shekinah Glory of God. What would happen if we all got passionate and had praise God with a corporate purpose? What would happen if everyone was unified in their efforts? I will tell you pandemonium. Positive pandemonium because of the long exposure in the presence of the glory of God!

When Jesus transitions from earth to heaven during the ascension he reminded the disciples again that the Promised of the Father was to come for them. But he gave them instructions:

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49)

Again this is mentioned in the book of Acts:

And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me (Acts 1:4)

The promise of the Father was none other than the indwelling and continual presence of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was very specific – don’t leave Jerusalem until you have received the promise and thus received the power of the promise! He tells them that they have wait because there is an empowerment that comes from lingering and tarrying not only for but within the presence of the Holy Spirit who is another form of manifestation of the Shekinah glory of God. Therefore, it is a lie that we cannot have the manifested presence every time we come together. Scripture does say:

I don’t know about you but I want to be endowed with power! That’s another benefit of having a long exposure to the divine presence of the glory of God. Whether you acknowledge it as His Shekinah or the Holy Spirit – you are thus acknowledging the same thing. Notice in each account there was a great result of pandemonium:

It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God (2 Chronicles 5:13-14, KJV).

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. (Acts 2:1-2, KJV).

Notice: a united sound from the church whose within the earth will cause the response of a united sound from heaven to earth! But we have to do our part in order to have this pandemonium take place. Just as the Shekinah glory and the Promised Glory of the Holy Spirit manifested on the united efforts and actions of both participants in both text – so we must mimic these paradigms in order to glean the results and benefits of being in long exposures to the glory of God which can produce our own modern pandemonium in God.

Ministry could not be reached because – Pandemonium was in the house of God!