In Charismatic/Pentecostal circles there is much attention given to God’s “Glory”, and for the most part it seems to be centered on the story of Moses asking God to, “Show me Your glory?” (Ex.33:18) Within that account, the Lord informs Moses that no man can look into His face and live (Ex.33:20), and so He has to hide him in the cleft of the rock in order to pass by.
In many ways this appears to be a failed attempt to experience God’s glory, and yet this story seems to be revered amongst modern worshippers. I suspect that the epic nature of the mystical glory cloud stirs our imaginations, and appeals to our desire for the spectacular, but I sense that the Lord is seeking something more profound and personal.
Recently, I felt like the Lord pointed out that this scene was eventually played out again, in a new covenant context that dramatically altered the narrative. The most significant change being that because of Christ, we can now look into the face of God, and live. Indeed, the Hebrew writer said that Jesus is the perfect representation of God’s glory (Heb.1:3), and Christ told His followers that anyone who had seen Him had seen the Father (John 14:9).
There are multiple gospel accounts (Matt.17, Mark 9) of the transfigured Christ (along with Moses and Elijah) appearing to a select group of disciples (Peter, James & John), allowing them to witness the Son in a glorified form. And like many worshippers today, these followers had a strong desire to camp atop the mountain, basking in the midst of heaven’s glory. But when the moment passed, Jesus led them back down to the valley, back into the sea of a lost and struggling humanity.
It is this picture that the Lord used to speak about His glory in our current context. In light of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, and given the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, Paul told the Colossians that it is “Christ in you” that is now the hope of His glory (Col.1:27). In other words, the manifestation of God’s glory on the earth isn’t a mystical cloud descending from heaven, it is Christ emerging from within those who claim to belong to Him.
After years of gathering with folks beseeching God to reveal His glory, I now sense the Lord Himself challenging us to do the same.
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