THE GLORY OF THE LORD - PART 6

THURSDAY 03 AUGUST 2023 As a plain matter of fact, the glory of God is the foundation on which the whole fabric or entire doctrine of grace and truth is built. John 1:14 says, "And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception) - (AMP)." Notice the expression: "We [actually] saw His glory." More below!

Reference: Isaiah 60:2 New Living Translation (NLT) "Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you." There is a noble tone or firmness of certitude in John's affirmation, in relation to His statement versified as John 1:14, which he penned with confidence - that the testimony of God's glory producible in the Word made flesh (Jesus Christ) was quite overwhelming.

If Jesus did not come in the human flesh, there would neither have been a people nor a testimony that denotes His glory. The simple fact that John mentioned, "We [actually] saw His glory" suggests that there were many witnesses to Christ's glory in His day, which can be too strong for any denier of His glory.

There were many people to prove it, bearing in mind that "we" is a "plural" subject pronoun. Simply put, John did not say, "I" [actually] saw His glory", but rather, "we saw." For instance, in Petrine epistle (2 Peter 1:16-17 NIV, to be precise), apostle Peter gave his own testimony of Christ's glory in the same manner. Advertently, His glory was testified by true and competent witnesses.

"The Word made flesh" securely rests upon the concordant testimony of those who knew Him in the flesh, saw Him manifest the glory of God's presence, and were familiar with Him as He walked the earth. They had a first-hand experience and account of the glory of His presence, which is now the glory of the New Covenant, not the glory of the old covenant that Moses witnessed on mount Sanai (see Exodus 24:15-18 NIV).

To instantiate this verity, the Bible says, "The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses' face. For His face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn't we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life?" (2 Corinthians 3:7-8 NIV). Remember that the first glory experienced by Moses and the people of Israel, was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way in Christ. So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever! How is the glory we have in Christ far superior to the former glory?

Apostle Paul noted it in 2 Corinthians 3:12-13 saying, "Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away" (NIV). According to this passage, it is superior in the sense that it gives us much confidence to approach God without putting on any veil. Zero wonder the author of the book of Hebrews said, "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most" (Hebrews 4:16 NLT). Even as you come to the throne of grace with all boldness and confidence, the glory of the throne room is a massive honour to behold (read Revelation 4). More so, in line with John's apocalypse concerning the glorious appearance of Jesus in heaven, he noted, "I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.

The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of His mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance" (see Revelation 1:12-16 NIV). Stay tuned for part 7. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Exodus 15:6-7; Psalm 96:6; 1 Chronicles 16:27; Micah 5:4; Psalm 145:1-5.

Guided Prayer: My Father in heaven, in the light of your ever-increasing glory, I walk in accordance with the truths of the glorious gospel often revealed to my spirit in their simplicity and excellency. On a daily basis, I function with fully-developed consciousness of your divine nature and glory resident in me. Therefore, I thank you for all the wonderful testimonies rooted in your light, that remains inseparable from my faith walk in Jesus' Name, Amen!