Topical Bible: Glory of God: The Knowledge of, Shall Fill the Earth

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The concept of the earth being filled with the knowledge of the glory of God is a profound theme woven throughout the Scriptures, reflecting God's ultimate purpose for His creation. This theme is rooted in the prophetic vision of a world fully aware of and responsive to the majesty and holiness of the Creator.

Biblical Foundation

The prophecy that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God is explicitly stated in Habakkuk 2:14: "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea" . This verse encapsulates the divine promise that God's glory, His manifest presence and attributes, will be universally recognized and revered.

Theological Significance

The knowledge of God's glory involves an understanding and acknowledgment of His divine attributes, including His holiness, righteousness, justice, love, and sovereignty. This knowledge is not merely intellectual but transformative, leading to worship, obedience, and a life aligned with God's will.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, the glory of God is often associated with His presence among His people, as seen in the tabernacle and the temple (Exodus 40:34-35; 1 Kings 8:10-11). The prophets frequently spoke of a future time when God's glory would be revealed to all nations, transcending the boundaries of Israel. Isaiah 11:9 echoes this vision: "They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is full of water" .

New Testament Fulfillment

The New Testament reveals the glory of God most fully in the person and work of Jesus Christ. John 1:14 declares, "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" . Through Christ, the knowledge of God's glory is made accessible to all humanity.

The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) further underscores the mandate to spread this knowledge to all nations, anticipating the fulfillment of the prophetic vision. The apostle Paul reiterates this in 2 Corinthians 4:6: "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" .

Eschatological Hope

The ultimate fulfillment of the earth being filled with the knowledge of the glory of God is eschatological, pointing to the end times when God's kingdom will be fully realized. Revelation 21:23-24 describes the New Jerusalem, where "the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. By its light the nations will walk, and into it the kings of the earth will bring their glory" .

Practical Implications

For believers, the anticipation of this future reality calls for active participation in God's mission. It involves living lives that reflect His glory, proclaiming the gospel, and working towards justice and righteousness in the world. The knowledge of God's glory is not only a future hope but a present reality that transforms individuals and communities, serving as a foretaste of the coming kingdom.

Nave's Topical Index

Habakkuk 2:14
For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

One and the Same God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, is He whom ...
... of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and piety, and the spirit of the fear
of God, shall fill Him ... He shall not judge according to glory, [3388] nor ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter ix one and the same.htm

A Stranger in the Earth
... our hands, but the will of God, the knowledge and the love of the will of God, in
our ... those of them that survive are transfigured from darkness to glory. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/a stranger in the earth.htm

A Knowledge of God
... Chapter 10 A Knowledge of God. ... of God in nature we see but the faintest gleaming
of His glory. ... desire to be like them in character"like them to walk with God. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/steps to christ/chapter 10 a knowledge of.htm

The True Doctrine is to be Sought in the Prophets.
... The Lord giveth wisdom, and from His face proceed knowledge and understanding ... but
became vain in their imaginations, and changed the glory of God into the ...
/.../clement/exhortation to the heathen/chapter viii the true doctrine is.htm

Psalm LXXX.
... upon the Cherubin." Cherubin is the seat of the glory of God ... in thee love, and the
fulness of knowledge must needs ... and with her branch the cedars of God" (ver.10 ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxxx.htm

The Sinner's Need of Christ
... are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2 ... The glory of God
would be to them a consuming ... of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/steps to christ/chapter 2 the sinners need.htm

The Shaking of the Heavens and the Earth
... right to this title, admitting they had no knowledge or expectation ... are preserved
by the wonderful Providence of God, as a ... He shall fill this house with glory. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon iii the shaking of.htm

The General Spread of the Gospel
... of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." The loving knowledge of God ... in private
and in public; having no design but to promote the glory of God, and no ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 63 the general spread.htm

Man Summoned by God's Glory and Energy
... that great miracle of a love that passeth knowledge and that ... the past in which all
that fulness of glory and virtue ... sometimes as if we had to ask God to give ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/man summoned by gods glory.htm

The Beatific vision. (Continued. )
... We can no more possess all knowledge than we can be ... that we shall see all things
in God, we simply ... his individual capacity, which the Light of glory will give ...
/.../boudreaux/the happiness of heaven/chapter iii the beatific vision.htm