Study 11 – Three Dimensions Of The Supernatural III
“We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)
Introduction
God is everywhere—He is omnipresent—but, as we have learned, He does not manifest His glory everywhere. His glory manifests in visible and tangible form only where people worship Him in spirit and in truth (see John 4:23) and where they receive His revelation by faith. Receiving revelation requires understanding the interrelationship between three dimensions of the supernatural: (1) faith, (2) anointing, and (3) glory. In this study, we will look at the third dimension of the supernatural (glory) having looked at the first and second dimension in the past two weeks. In the next study, we will discover essential steps to transition from the anointing to the glory.
Study Questions
Part III: Glory
In the third dimension of the supernatural, God acts in His sovereignty, without the participation of human beings directly exercising their faith or anointing. However, our faith is often a prerequisite to seeing God Himself in the dimension of His glory. Faith and the anointing prepare us to receive the glory, which is God’s manifest presence. Let us look at some examples of the activity of God in His sovereignty.
23. (a) In a list of the descendants of Adam that records the age at which people died, what unusual and sovereign act of the Lord is mentioned in relation to Enoch, indicating that he did not experience physical death? Complete the following:
Genesis 5:24b: “…and [Enoch] was not, _______ __________ _________ _________.”
(b) How does the Bible describe Enoch’s relationship with the Lord? (Genesis 5:24a)
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The glory is the manifest presence—the shekinah—of God.
24. As a review, what manifestation of the presence of the Lord occurred after Moses completed the new tabernacle? (Exodus 40:34)
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25. (a) What happened after the prophet Elijah prayed to the Lord and asked Him to show that He was the Almighty and true God and that Baal was a counterfeit god? (1 Kings 18:38)
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(b) How did the Israelites, who were observing this manifestation, respond to it? (Verse 39)
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People know they are moving in a dimension of the glory of God when they no longer need to use their faith or anointing.
Reflections on the Anointing and the Glory
While God has anointed us to fulfil His purposes, He also acts independently of us at times, Thus, we need to learn how these two situations are distinct and how they work together. Some people say, “I never minister unless God tells me to do so,” believing they are imitating Jesus, who said, “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner” (John 5:19). What happens is that these people keep waiting for God to show up in His glory to speak to them, and they end up doing nothing. What they don’t realize is that hearing from God in that manner is only one dimension, or aspect, of the way He works. For example, there are certain things that we have already been instructed to do, such as to spread the good news of the gospel to those who have not heard it. Luke 9:2 says, “[Jesus] sent [His disciples] to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” We don’t say, “Well, I’ll go evangelize when God tells me to.” That’s taking things to an extreme. Of course, we must be listening for His guidance as we tell others about Jesus. And we should wait on God to see if He chooses to manifest His glory. But if He doesn’t, then we are to operate according to the anointing He has already given us.
26. (a) What analogies does the book of Judges use to depict the number of Midianites, Amalekites, and “people of the East,” along with their camels, who had come against Israel in the time of Gideon? (Judges 7:12b)
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(b) How many Israelite men were chosen by the Lord to stand against these enemies? (Verse 7a)
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(c) What “weapons” did the soldiers use? (Verse 16b)
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(d) How did they use these “weapons”? (Verse 20a)
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(e) What did the soldiers cry out? (Verse 20b)
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(f) What happened to the combined enemy army? (Judges 7:21b)
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27. (a) What did the angel tell Mary concerning the way in which God would cause her to become the mother of the Messiah? (Luke 1:35a)
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(b) What did Mary say as she accepted God’s sovereign purpose? (Verse 38a)
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We work under the anointing but rest in God’s glory.
28. (a) When discussing her brother’s death with Jesus, how long did Martha say that Lazarus had been dead? (John 11:39b)
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(b) What was Jesus’ reply to Martha after hearing this? (Verse 40)
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(c) After Jesus prayed, what happened, demonstrating the glory of God? (Verse 44a)
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(a) What did Jesus say should be done for Lazarus? (Verse 44b)
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29.(a) God’s sovereign outpouring of His glory on the day of Pentecost produced massive conversions to Christ. How many people were added to the kingdom of God in that one day after hearing the disciples glorify God in “tongues” and listening to Peter’s proclamation of the gospel? (Acts 2:41b)
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(b) Not long afterward, Peter and John healed a lame man at the temple in the name of Jesus, and Peter preached the gospel to the crowds who gathered in amazement. Following these events, what was the total number of men who believed in Jesus? (Acts 4:4)
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The only movement able to generate transformation in society is the outpouring of the glory of God.
30. What does it mean to experience God’s glory? Complete the following:
Hebrews 6:4b–5: “…[We] have become partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the ___________________ _____ _________ ____________ _____ _____________.”
Conclusion
We must progress from faith to the anointing to the glory. As we learned in a previous study, God manifests His presence and glory according to His sovereignty. He does what He wants when He wants, and in the way He wants, without depending on our faith, gifts, or anointing. I strongly believe that the last move of God upon the earth will not come through a man or woman but directly from God. We will experience the “powers of the age to come” (Hebrews 6:5) as He brings to completion His plan of redemption and the culmination of all things to make way for the new heavens and earth. Let us continue to seek Him with all our hearts so that we may find Him and experience the fullness of His glory.
Prayer of Activation
Father of glory, we walk by faith and not by sight. May we exercise the faith You have given us, so that we may believe and see Your glory. Anoint us anew to minister to others according to Your gifts and power. And let us experience Your glory as You act sovereignly in marvellous ways in our midst! In Jesus’ name, amen.
Action Steps
As you pray for the concerns in your life according to God’s Word, actively believe that you receive the answers to your prayers, just as Jesus instructed us in Mark 11:24. Pray for someone you know who is sick. Ask that person if you or the leadership of his church may anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, explaining the biblical instruction to do so from James 5:14–15.
