Isaiah 57:15
For thus says the high and exalted One, who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I dwell in a high and holy place, but also with the contrite and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Psalms 57:11
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.
Ephesians 4:10
He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.
The eternal and immortal God dwells in the highest of realms, far above the heavens. He inhabits unapproachable light, a place of infinite holiness and majesty beyond the reach of all created beings. There is no place more glorious than that in the entire universe.
Our God is infinitely above every created being, whether in heaven or on earth. He is the Most High God, exalted above all forever. From this exalted place, He created all things; visible and invisible, heavenly and earthly and upholds all creation.
When Christ humbled Himself and became obedient even to death on a cross, as described in Philippians 2, the Father exalted Him to the same place and bestowed upon Him the name that is above every name. As the eternal “I AM,” the Son had always shared the Father’s glory from all eternity. Yet, through His incarnation, suffering, death, resurrection, and victory over sin, death, hell, and the grave, He entered into that place of supreme exaltation also as the Second Adam—the victorious Head of His church; His body. From this place, He has brought every power, principality, and dominion into submission to His will.
This place where God dwells is more than a place of habitation. As the highest realm, it can only be occupied by the One who possesses all authority, all might, all dominion, and all power throughout the heavenly realms. It belongs to the eternal, omnipotent God alone.
This exalted place is nothing apart from God, it exists because of Him. Its glory, holiness, and supremacy are derived entirely from His presence. He does not depend upon the place; rather, the place depends upon Him. He upholds it by His own being, fills it with His glory, and gives it its unique character. Apart from Him, it would have no existence or significance. It is uniquely His, for there is none like Him in all the universe.
From this place, God has spoken and breathed forth! He reigns in perfect majesty and eternal rest, never threatened, never diminished, and never challenged.
It is essential that we, as God’s creation and as His redeemed people, grow in our understanding of His exalted majesty. Likewise, we must comprehend the exalted position of Christ, the risen Head of His body, the Church.
The measure to which His people recognize His exalted state, honor His name, and subsequently submit to His reign is the measure to which God and His kingdom and authority are made visible through them in the world.
In beholding Him as exalted over all creation, high and lifted up, supreme in authority, power, and dominion—we come to understand that He is exalted over our own lives. Our hearts are then drawn into surrender and submission, offering Him the honor and majesty that are due to Him. This posture becomes foundational for His presence to dwell among us and for His reign to be made manifest on earth as it is in heaven. For God, in His righteous and holy nature, lays claim only to those who willingly acknowledge and accept His exalted lordship
In Ephesians 4, we see that one of the main purposes of Christ’s exaltation was “that He might fill all things” (Ephesians 4:10). Having descended, He also ascended far above all the heavens so that His presence, authority, and life might fill the whole of His creation.
If that exaltation took place nearly two thousand years ago and we have not yet witnessed the full manifestation of His presence filling all things, then we must ask the question why. One reason is that His people are yet to behold Him in the fullness of His exalted glory and render to Him the honor that is due to Him.
As He is given His rightful place within His Church, His presence is more fully revealed in us and then through us, until His glory fills the earth as the waters cover the sea.
Now, in the revelation of our exalted Lord comes wonder, awe, and a holy fear of the Lord that is birthed nowhere else. Today, we have access to the Word of God like never before, and we live under a far better covenant than those who came before us. Yet we barely experience His life and presence in our lives as we ought to. We haven’t even experienced the measure of God that the Old Testament saints and prophets experienced. One of the primary reasons for this is the lack of the fear of the Lord that comes from seeing Him exalted.
When on this earth, Jesus intended to minister in Galilee, He couldn’t do many mighty works there because of the lack of honor, combined with unbelief. He left the place prematurely as a result. The Son of God, filled with limitless power, could only minister to a few there—not because His power was limited, but because honor and faith were lacking. The absence of honor prevented them from receiving the fullness of what He desired to reveal and accomplish among them. As tragic as it was then, it is the same in many places today.
There are several reasons for this, but a few stand out above the rest. We have been exposed to far too little truth concerning God’s majesty, splendor, glory, and the exaltation of Christ. At the same time, the disproportionate emphasis on God’s relatability has subtly lowered Him to a level of our own making—a place where He does not belong.
When our focus rests primarily on God’s nearness without rightly beholding His greatness, we inevitably lose sight of His majesty, authority, and supremacy. Scripture presents both truths together: God is near, yet He is infinitely exalted above all. John, the beloved disciple who once rested his head on Jesus’ bosom, later fell face down before Him when he beheld Christ in His glory. We desperately need to see Christ in His glory once again.
Another reason is self has been exalted in the Church, preventing many from seeing the one true Exalted One. When the focus shifts from God’s glory to man’s, the greatness, majesty, and supremacy of God are inevitably diminished in the hearts of His people.
Each of these issues deserves careful thought and extended consideration, but we will not dwell on them here. What must be acknowledged is that these are among the primary reasons why the fear of the Lord and the honor that naturally flows from it is lacking among us.
In a day and age where self and man’s interests have become primary not only in the world but even within the Church, we are in desperate need of a fresh revelation of our exalted Lord. We need to be consumed and transformed by the Spirit of the fear of the Lord, which proceeds from Him in that exalted place. Only this Spirit can reorient our hearts away from self and back toward the One true Exalted One, restoring to us the awe, reverence, and honor that belong to Him alone.
Dearly beloved, if we are to experience God in His glory and splendor, and in greater measure like never before, we must learn to honor Him; we must let His Spirit teach us the fear of the Lord. Honor and the fear the ONE true God who dwells in the mountains above the northern stars!
“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”- 1 Timothy 1:17
(TO BE CONTINUED)
