“Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Philippians 4:20 (NKJV))

 

Moses saw the afterglow of God’s glory. The disciples caught a glimpse of it. We can reflect it. And one day we will see it for ourselves. So let’s learn what the Bible teaches us about the glory of God.

 

What is God’s Glory?

 

In the book of Revelation, we get a glimpse into the heavenly realm where God is being worshipped. The 24 elders fall down before His throne and say,

“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:11 (NKJV)).

The Greek word for glory is doxa, which means dignity, praise, and worship. It speaks of the splendor and brightness of God’s majesty. As we see from this verse, God deserves all the glory – all our worship and praise – because He is the One who created all things. It is only by His will that we even exist.

The Bible also teaches us that God will not give His glory away. The prophet Isaiah reports that God told him,

“I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images” (Isaiah 42:8 (NKJV)).

The Hebrew word for glory in Isaiah is kabod, which means splendor, honor, and reverence. We already know from the verse in Revelation why God deserves all the glory. And here, we see that God will not give that glory to another. Of course, that makes sense. It would be dishonest for God to tell us to worship and praise something or someone else. He alone is our great Creator and Sustainer.

 

God’s Glory can be Seen

 

God’s glory is not just the subject of our praise. It can be experienced. It can be seen. The Bible shows us different ways that God’s glory has been manifested physically. And in the future, we will see it for ourselves.

Let’s start with one of my favorite examples. Moses experienced God’s glory firsthand. He spent time with God on Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 34:28). On one of those days, Moses said to God, “Please, show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:18 (NKJV)).

God answered, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live” (Exodus 33:20 (NKJV)). But in God’s graciousness, He told Moses,

“Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen” (Exodus 33:21-23 (NKJV)).

The Hebrew word for “back” means not only someone’s physical back but also “afterward” or “hereafter.” Commentators suggest that the word in this verse refers to the afterglow of God’s glory. God passed by Moses, and Moses got to experience the afterglow of His glory.

Later, when Moses went back down the mountain to the Israelites, his face shone and the people were “afraid to come near him” (Exodus 34:29-30 (NKJV)). Moses literally reflected the glory of God.

We see another example when the angel announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. The “angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them” so that the shepherds were “greatly afraid” (Luke 2:9 (NKJV)). The shepherds were able to see a manifestation of God’s glory as the angel told them that the Messiah had been born that day. We can only imagine what that must have been like.

And Peter, James, and John caught a glimpse of God’s glory when Jesus was transfigured before their eyes. Jesus’ “face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light” (Matthew 17:2 (NKJV)). Mark tells us that “His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them” (Mark 9:3 (NKJV)). The Greek word for transfigured is metamorphoo, which means to change into another form. Jesus’ appearance was changed and became resplendent with divine brightness.

When Jesus came to dwell with us, He set aside His majesty and glory. But on that day, Peter, James, and John were able to momentarily experience Jesus’ glory. Peter was so befuddled that he said something foolish about making tabernacles on the mountain (Mark 9:5). And the Bible tells us he did so “because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid” (Mark 9:6 (NKJV)). I’m sure if I had witnessed the same thing, I would have said something foolish as well.

Finally, God promises that we will get to experience His glory one day. In the new Jerusalem, the city will not need the sun or the moon to shine in it “for the glory of God” will illuminate it (Revelation 21:23 (NKJV)). What an amazing time that will be!

 

We can Reflect God’s Glory

 

So what can we learn from all of this? Although we cannot fully grasp the extent of God’s glory, we do know that we can reflect it as we walk by faith with Him. We won’t glow like Moses did. But when we spend time with Jesus, people can tell. When the religious Jewish leaders “saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled” and “realized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13 (NKJV)).

Let’s spend time abiding in Jesus – reading His word, praying to Him, worshipping Him, and obeying Him when He asks us to step out in faith to do something. If we do, people will see it. They will know that we have been with Jesus because we will be reflecting His glory.

 

* Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash