The glory of the Lord departed from the temple (ch. 10:18) because of  sin  that made him  drive far from His sanctuary (ch, 8:6), but in ch. 43 it came back. -   We too are His temple (1 Cor. 3:16), but our personal temple may become an “Ichabod” (1 Sam. 4:22) without His radiation of glory.

But “He yearns jealously over the spirit that He has made to dwell in us.”  (Jam. 4:5).  He´ll make our lives like the “the gate facing east”  (ch. 43:4) .  The church shouldn´t be just an empty “shell” or a religious “machinery” but a trusting “gate” facing eastwards.  Isn´t that what revival is about?

So what did that gate do?  It turned its face towards “the sunrise from on high”  (Luke 1:78).  A wonderful “object lesson, isn´t it?  It´s not a matter of virtually seeing the sunrise (Christ), but have our eyes turned in the right direction, “and its dawning is sure as the sunrise”.  (Hos. 6:3)

A strange darkness paralyzed me one day in Norway where I was supposed to preach in the evening.  The darkness wouldn´t leave me, but suddenly this word came to me, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness!”  (Joh. 12:46). 

O, take courage, my friend, you may say, “Lord, “I´m still in darkness, but you´ve promised that I shall NOT remain there!”  That generates a new  expectancy, and you may say to the Lord ,”I look forward to you doing what your word says” – and that in itself would dispel the darkness.

“Look unto me, and be ye saved”  (Isa. 45:22).  I doesn´t say, “See me!” but look unto me, look in the right direction.  The Lord will let you do just that . “Let him!” (Isa. 50:11) is the word to God´s afflicted children of light  who nevertheless  may be assaulted by darkness.  August 28, 2021 – jn

Turn your eyes upon Jesus/ look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim/ in the light of His glory and grace!