GOD’S ULTIMATE PURPOSE: HIS GLORY

PART ONE

THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

A Paper Presented

To The Theological Forum On Contemporary Issues

At

Valley Baptist Church, Cherry Grove, OR

By

Dale R. Spurbeck

Professor of Greek and Bible Analysis

Dispensational Theological Seminary

April 22, 2009

INTRODUCTION:

What is God’s ultimate purpose? Is His ultimate purpose anthropocentric? Mankind sees the human race to be the center of the universe. Most individuals see themselves to be the focal point of the universe. Is man the center of God’s purpose? When we consider these questions in the light of Scripture, we find that man is a part of God’s purpose but not the center of His ultimate purpose. We will see that God’s ultimate purpose is to glorify Himself. Believers can glorify God by what they do when they are Spirit filled. Yet, God, Himself and His own glory, not man, is the center of His ultimate purpose. The Westminster Shorter Catechism, written in A. D. 1647 has the following question and answer: ”Question L- What is the chief end of man? Answer- Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”1

We embark on a study of the glory of God as we will be considering God’s Ultimate Purpose: His Glory. We will break our study into three parts. Part one will deal with the glory of God in the Old Testament. Part two will deal with the glory of God and the incarnate Son of God. Part three will develop the glory of God in the Dispensation of Grace dealing with God’s purpose for the Church. By way of introduction we now give an overview of what we will be covering in these studies concerning God’s glory.

God’s glory was and is seen by all the human race in natural revelation in the heavens above as the heavens continue telling His glory.2 When it comes to man, Adam was existing (historical present) a quality of God’s image and glory.3 In God’s dealings with the nation Israel throughout the Old Testament He manifested His glory in a visible way.

1 The Creeds Of Christendom, Vol. Ill: The Evangelical Protestant Creeds, pg. 676, Philip Schaff, ed. JPsa. 19:1.

31 Cor. 11:7, 8. The reference here is limited to Adam. Eve was out from a man having been built out from Adam’s side, cf. Gen. 2:21-23.
Most references to glory are to a manifest glory such as by the cloud of glory and the pillar of fire involved with the Tabernacle in the wilderness and later in the Temple in Jerusalem.4 The glory of God is first mentioned with respect to the nation Israel while they were in the wilderness and it eventually came and settled in their midst in the Holy Place. This glory, referred to as the Shekinah Glory by the Jews, belonged to the nation of Israel.5 This glory is found to have departed from Israel on two occasions. The first was when Eli was the priest and the other was in Ezekiel’s day.6 God’s glory was also manifested by the works that He did for the nation Israel. Yet by the end of the Old Testament the glory of God had departed from Israel. However the prophets write of the anticipation of the return of the glory which will take place when Christ returns to earth to establish His Millennial Kingdom. This is what we will be developing in this first part of our study.

But before this, the glory did return for a short thirty-three years at the incarnation of God the Son.

The glory is seen returning to Israel with the birth of the Lord Jesus. The Apostle John and those who were with him beheld His glory as the unique one of a kind Son of the Father.7 We will see that He began manifesting His glory by His first sign miracle which He performed at the beginning of His three and one-half year ministry.8 He performed many miracles which manifested His glory. He glorified the Father by doing the works of the Father and speaking His words.9 Having been rejected and crucified, He arose out from dead ones and now, having ascended into heaven to the Father’s right hand, He will come again in His glory as the Son of Man.10 He will return as the King of the Glory when He comes back to earth to establish His earthly kingdom to begin the Millennium.11 This will be developed in Part Two of our study.

The glory departed again from earth when He ascended up to heaven but not for long for with the sending of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost the glory is now manifested in a new and different way through believers.

This brings us to God’s purpose for the Church. His purpose for the Church is that it should bring glory to Him. Grace believers are ”to be to the praise of His glory.” This is only possible because of the believer’s position in Christ and Christ indwelling the believer. The result is Christ likeness. The Holy Spirit makes up for the Spirit filled believer’s lack of Christ likeness. This is totally different from the way God was glorified in the Old Testament and during the Lord’s earthly ministry. The Upper Room Discourse indicates the coming changes in the near future following the Lord’s ascension to the Father’s right hand. In the discourse the Lord Jesus gave the groundwork

4 Cf. Ex. 40:34-38; I Kgs. 8:10, 11, etc.

5 Rom. 9:4- It pertained to the Israelites along with the other things listed.

61 Sam. 4:21, 22, cf. Ichabod- the glory has departed; Ezek. 9:3; 10:4, 18, 19; 11:22,23.

7Jn. 1:14.

8 Jn. 2:11.

9Cf. Jn. 11:4 with the resuscitation of Lazarus; Jn. 13:31,32; 14:13; 17:4.

10 Mt. 24:30; 25:31.

nPsa. 24.
preparing the eleven disciples for what was to take place in the near future. He was going to leave them here and go back to the Father in heaven. From there, He and the Father would send the Holy Spirit who would indwell them. In that day they would know that He truly was in the Father and they in Him and He in them.12 Today these new relationships are at the center of the New Testament grace believer’s potential to live the Christian life. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer imparting divine enablement to accomplish God’s will in daily living. By Spirit baptism the believer is in Christ and being in Christ the believer has everything necessary for life and godliness. Godliness is a result of the regenerating ministry of the Holy Spirit. Christ is in the believer and in the believer He imparts His life, eternal life, to the believer. A Spirit filled believer, living in the realm of His position in Christ, can now live out that God quality of life imparted to Him by the Son. This is godliness. Godliness is simply living out the life of God in human flesh. The Spirit filled believer, living out the life of God will fulfill God’s purpose for him. When the believer reflects Christ, the believer in present tense salvation glorifies God. As this is accomplished, the believer is being conformed to the image of Christ.

Adam was created in the likeness and image of God.13 He was in the image of God in that he looked like God in some way. To see Adam and Eve before the fall, they looked like what you would see if you had the eyes to see God. Now, God is spirit substance and invisible.14 So, how was Adam, a human with body, soul and spirit,15 in the image of the invisible God? What would you see if you could see God as spirit? God covers Himself with light as with a garment.16 If we could see God, as God, we would see light. Adam had a covering like God. He had a garment of light and hence was in the image of God. Adam lost this image of God. As a result of the fall, he and Eve were stripped of this outer garment.17

Adam was also in the likeness of God.18 He was a rational being. Mankind is still in the likeness of God being able to reason.19 However, mankind, as a race, is otherwise unlike God. Yet God has made it possible for grace believers to be in the image and likeness of Christ, the risen and glorified One, through the ministries of the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ made this possible by His completed cross work. As a result of Spirit baptism, God the Father counts us to be like Christ as we are in Him, as the resurrected and glorified One. On the other side of the truth, having been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, we have eternal life, i.e. the life imparted by the eternal Son of God. When we frame our reflective minds on who we are and what we have in Christ above, we get ourselves out of the way so the life of the indwelling Son of God can be lived out through us.2   When His life is being lived out through us, we are being conformed to the

12 John 14:16, 17,20.

13 Gen. 1:27.

14 Jn. 4:24; Lk. 24:39; I Tim. 1:17.
15IThess. 5:23.

16Psa. 104:2.

17 Gen. 3:7,10.

18 Gen. 1:26.
19Jas.3:9.

20 Cf. Col. 3:1,2.
image of Christ, who is the image of God.21 This is what the New Testament Scriptures call ”godliness.”22 Godliness is living out the life of God in human flesh. As individual believers reflect the glory of Christ and are being conformed to His image, God is glorified. God’s purpose is fulfilled in and by the believer. This is God’s ultimate purpose for the Church: His glory. This will be the theme of Part Three of our study.

The purpose of these studies is to develop from Scripture what God has to say in His Word about His purpose to be glorified and ultimately as it relates to the Church. However, in Part One of our studies, after defining terms, we begin by observing His glory in the Old Testament. We will define all of the terms under consideration in the three parts of our study as we begin. And then we will observe some general statements in both Testaments concerning the glory of God. As we move on to the study of the glory of God in the Old Testament, we will observe His glory in the earlier dispensations and then under law. We will find His glory at the giving of the law and later in the wilderness, especially to get the attention of the murmuring Israelites. We will see the glory filling the Tabernacle at its completion. We will follow the glory as it departs for a brief time when the Ark of the Covenant was taken captive by the Philistines. And then the glory returns with the Ark and eventually settles in the tent that David built for it in Jerusalem. When Solomon’s Temple was completed we see the glory once more as it fills the Temple as Jehovah settles there. Mostly the glory we will see will be a visual manifestation of God’s glory in the midst of Israel. Men under law were to glorify God, especially by giving Him His weight in what they said, often as a part of worship. The last parts of this paper will cover the departure of the glory in Ezekiel’s day as Jehovah departed from the midst of Judah. Then we will move on to Ezekiel’s prophecy concerning the return of the glory to reside in the Millennial Temple and from there we will see the glory as Jehovah manifests His glory in His Kingdom.

This portion of our study will begin with definitions of the related terms and then focus on the glory of God as manifested in the Old Testament.

I. DEFINITIONS OF THE TERMS FOR GLORY IN THE SCRIPTURES.

A. Definitions Of The Terms For Glory In The Old Testament.

1. The noun form -tins (kavod).

This term has the root meaning of weight, heaviness and hence honor and glory. Some of the lexical definitions given are ”abundance,” ”honor,” ”glory,” ”splendor,” ”reverence due to one or ascribed to one.”23 It is translated ”glory” in the A. V. 150 times. It is the main term for ”glory” in the Old Testament.24 It is translated ”glory” 150

21II Cor. 3:18; 4:4.

221 Tim. 3:16, cf. Jn. 1:4

23 See Brown, Driver, Briggs, A Hebrew And English Lexicon Of The Old Testament, pg. 458, and Gesenius, A Hebrew And Chaldee Lexicon, pg. 381.

24 Other words translated glory in the A. V.- 1. ithis; (addereth)= adornment- translated ”glory” one time out of three occurrences- ample, wide, garment, glory, goodly, mantle, robe. 2. -nn (hadar)= adornment, honor- translated ”glory” five times out of eight occurrences- magnificence, i.e. ornament or splendor, etc.
times out of 197 occurrences. Otherwise it is translated ”glorious” ten times and ”honor”
40 times. It is used around 107 times of God’s glory. Around nine of those uses prophetically describe the glory of Christ when He comes back to earth to establish His kingdom. Elsewhere it is used of man. Sometimes God provides glory for men. Other places it is used of the priests’ garments, the throne, Zion, and Jerusalem.

2. The verbal form nns (kaved) or nss (kavad).

The primary meaning of this verb is ”to be heavy.” Related to this is the adjective n?s> (kaved) which Gesenius defines as heavy, abundant, grievous, burdensome, difficult, hard, not easily moved.25 As a substantive it is used of the liver, which was seen as the heaviest, or most weighty organ of the body. The verb would carry the idea of giving someone or something their full weight. Nineteen times out of 113 total occurrences it is translated ”glorified,” ”glorify,” ”glorifieth,” and ”gloriously.” In thirteen of these occurrences it is used of giving glory to God. Otherwise it is mostly translated ”heavy” or ”honor.” Once it is translated ”shall honor” when used of God. When used of glorifying God, it has the idea of giving Him His full weight. This is much the same as giving back to Him His opinion of Himself. It appears that giving God glory in the Old Testament had much to do with speaking. The Lord said ”he who offers thanksgiving (A. V. ”praise”) glorifies me,” Psa. 50:23.

B. Definition Of Terms For ”Glory” In The Gospels And The New Testament.

1. The noun form 5o£a (doxa).

The noun 5o£a (doxa) occurs 178 times in the New Testament. It is translated in the A. V. ”glory” 145 times; ”glorious” ten times; ”honor” six times; ”praise” four times; ”dignity” twice; ”worship” once.26 It has the idea of ”opinion.”27 Thayer says that it is ”opinion, estimate, whether good or bad, concerning someone... in the sacred writings always, good opinion concerning one, and as resulting from that, praise, honor, glory.. ,”28 The basic definitions of the term given in Colin Brown’s dictionary are ”radiance, glory, repute.”29 The term is used of the glory of man as well as the glory of

3. -r)T} (heder)= adornment- translated ”glory” once out of nine occurrences- honor. 4. ~iin (hode)= beauty, majesty- translated ”glory” nine times out of twenty-four occurrences, nnts (tohar)^ cleanness, puritytranslated ”glory” one time out of around 189 occurrences. 6. njr (yeqar)= preciousness, rarity- translated ”glory” five times (only in Daniel) out of 57 occurrences- value, costliness, honor, precious. 7. ”a* (tsebi)= beauty, desire, roebuck, roe, goodly- translated ”glory” seven times out of 31 occurrences. 8. nn«=?n (tiphereth) or rsn (tipharah)= beauty, glory- translated ”glory” 21 times out of 50 occurrences.

25 Cf. the definitions in Gesenius, pg. 381.

26 Other words translated ”glory” in the A, V. are Kleoc (kleos)= prestige, reputation (a hapax-1 Pet. 2:20) and various forms of Kaux<xo|juu (kaukaomai)= to boast.

27 The idea of opinion is given by many lexicons, cf. Thayer, pg. 155,1 and II; Abbott-Smith, pg. 121, 1 and 2; Thomas Green, pg. 48; Liddell and Scott, pg. 444. Hermann Cremer argues against the ”fundamental meaning glory,” pg. 206. The basic idea in contexts dealing with God support the idea of ”opinion” unless it is used of a manifest splendor or brightness.

28Thayer,pg. 155.

29 Brown, The Dictionary Of New Testament Theology, Vol. 2, pg. 44. Like Hermann Cremer, the writer

in Colin Brown’s dictionary rejects the notion of opinion.
God. As with all words, the context determines the usage. When used of God it is primarily used of His opinion of Himself. It may also be used of His manifestation of glory as brightness or radiance which reflects His opinion. Christians are to glorify God by demonstrating that His opinion of Himself is true or else that His opinion of them is true.

As for the lexical use of ”honor” to describe the term ”glory,” it is not identical with ”honor.” ”Glory” and ”honor” are found together in the same verses and hence, are not the same.30 The word ”honor” is Ti|ir| (timay) which means a price or honor. This honor can be given monetarily or by respect. Glory deals with opinion and is not used in the sense of giving money or anything in the sense of value. It can be one’s self opinion or one’s opinion of someone else. It doesn’t carry the idea of honor as tl^ti (timay) does.

2. The verbal form 5o£a(o) (doxadzo).

Thayer gives the following description of the term:

1. to think, suppose, be of opinion... 2. to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate...

3. to honor, do honor to, to hold in honor... 4. to make glorious, adorn with luster, clothe with splendor; a. to impart glory to something, render it excellent...

b. to make renowned, render illustrious, i.e. to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged... c. to exalt to a glorious rank or condition...

Cremer differs on his description of the verb from his description of the noun as he does give it the concept of being of opinion. He describes the term thusly,

to think, to be of opinion, to suppose... to recognize, to honour, praise... to invest with dignity, to give any one esteem, to cause him honour by putting him into an honorable position... New Testament meanings-1. To recognize, honour, praise... II. To bring to honour, make glorious, glorify... b. the Johannine use... As the 5o£oc (doxa) of God is the revelation and manifestation of all that He has and is of good it is said of a self-revelation in which God manifests on the goodness that He is... So far as it is Christ through whom this is made manifest, He is said to glorify the Father... When... predicated to Christ... it means simply that His innate glory is brought to light, is made manifests... The glorious nature of Christ is revealed by God in Himself... in as much as it is God Himself again who is revealed in Christ as that which He is. So also is Christ glorified in His disciples... and finally, as the revelation of the Holy Spirit is connected with the glorification of Christ... it would seem right to assume that it has the force of ”to glorify, make honorable” in [John] 8:54 and
21:19 also.

30 Cf. Rom. 2:7, 10; I Tim. 1:17; Heb. 2:7, 9; I Pet 1:7; II Pet. 1:17; Rev. 4:9, 11; 5:12, 13; 7:12; 19:1;
21:24,26.
The two articles above are reflected in most other grammars. We would reject the concepts of praise and honor since these words define other Greek words. To glorify God is more than praising God, it is giving credence to His opinion of Himself or of others that His opinion is true. In that way it is also more than honoring God. God glorifies Himself by what He does. The Father can manifest that His opinion of His character (”name”) is true, Jn. 12:28. He can glorify the Son as well. Christians are to glorify God in their daily lives and God also glorifies Christians. To glorify God is to demonstrate that His opinion of Himself is true and for God to glorify Christians, He shows that His opinion of the Christian is true also. So to glorify God is to prove that His opinion of us is true.

II. DESCRIPTIONS OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE SCRIPTURES.

A. The Duration Of The Glory Of God.

1. The eternal glory of God, I Pet. 5:10.

The glory of God is called xriv aicovtov atkou 5o£av (tane aionion autou doxan) in I Peter 5:10. In his first epistle Peter speaks a good deal about the suffering of saints. He has just written about elders who are to shepherd as ones who take the oversight in the church, I Pet. 5:1-4. Next He deals with pride versus humility and God’s care for the believer, I Pet. 5:5-7.    He then moved on to deal with the attacks of Satan and how to have victory over spiritual enemies by ”the faith/’ I Pet. 5:8, 9. He concludes the epistle with glory and suffering, I Pet. 5:10, 11. The subject is ”the God pertaining to all grace, the One having called you.” That which God had called believers into is ”His eternal glory in Christ.” There are four verbs used in the verse. The first is KaxapuCoo (katartidzo- A. V. ”perfect”- future active indicative) meaning ”to thoroughly adjust.” The second is 0xr|pi(Go (stayridzo- A. V. ”stablish”- future active indicative), which is ”to make firm” or to establish. The third verb is oGevoco (sthenoo- A. V. ”strengthen”- future active indicative), which is ”to strengthen.” The fourth is the verb Geiaelioco (themelioo- A. V. ”settle”- future active indicative), which means ”to found” or ”to make stable.” God is the source of all grace and as the source of all grace He is the One having called us to salvation. The calling (to salvation) is into His eternal glory in Christ. His glory is eternal, i.e. it is without beginning or ending. We, as believers, have been called at initial salvation into this glory in Christ. We participate in His glory, which is without beginning or ending, because we are positionally in Christ, who shares in this eternal glory. The one called can expect to suffer and following the suffering, God the Father, Himself, will thoroughly adjust, establish, strengthen and make us firm. The glory into which we are called here is God’s eternal glory. So the first thing we emphasize is that the glory of God is eternal. God has always had an accurate opinion of Himself and always will.

2. The perpetuation of His glory, Psa. 104:31.

In the Old Testament we find one reference dealing with the perpetuation of God’s glory. Psalm 104 is a commentary on creation starting with a description of God’s
garment of light, vss. 1, 2. The Psalm moves on to describe God’s creation, vss. 3-30. Verse thirty-one says, ”Jehovah’s glory shall proceed to be for a long duration: Jehovah will proceed to be glad in His works.” Jehovah’s works as seen in His creation manifest His glory, i.e. His opinion of Himself as God. This manifest aspect of His glory began with His creation of spirit beings and then the material universe. The word translated ”for ever” in the A. V. is the Hebrew term ubrxs31 (ohlam) indicating that which is continuous or perpetual. God’s opinion of Himself as seen in the creation is on-going. His glory is eternal and as it is related to time it will continue on into perpetuity.

3. The continuation of the glory of God into the ages as expressed in doxologies.

Around ten times we find God’s glory extending ”into the ages” or ”into the ages from the ages.” These are the phrases elq xouc alwvac (eis tous aionas) ”into the ages” or ic xouc alcSvac xoov aloSvoov (eis tous aionas tone aionos) ”into the ages from the ages.” The A.V. translates the phrases ”forever” or ”forever and ever.” In these prepositional phrases God’s glory or opinion of Himself is seen to continue on into the future ages. These doxologies are other ways of expressing the on-going duration of God’s glory into the ages in eternity future. We cover these occurrences below.

a. As found in Matthew.

The prepositional phrase ”into the ages” is left out of some manuscripts and is excluded from the Critical Greek Text but it should be included in the disciples’ prayer as the Lord instructed them to pray to the Father. The doxology reads ”For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory into the ages,” Mt. 6:13.

b. As found in Paul’s writings.

1) The shorter form ”into the ages.”

Paul uses the shorter form twice in the epistle to the Romans. Having described the wisdom and knowledge of God Paul ascribes glory to God as he states, ”For all things are out from Him and through Him and because of Him (causal elq): to whom is the glory into the ages,” Rom. 11:36. He also concludes the epistle with a doxology, ”To the only wise God, is the glory through Jesus Christ into the ages,” Rom. 16:27.

2) The longer form ”into the ages from the ages.”

Paul uses the longer phrase ”into the ages from the ages” three times when he ascribes glory to God the Father. Speaking of ”the God even our Father” he says, ”to whom is the glory into the ages from the ages,” Gal. 1:5. He concludes the epistle to the Philippians

31 Gesenius says that this word means ”what is hidden; specially hidden time, perpetuity,.. (2) It... refers to future time... (c) the metaphysical idea of eternity, at least that which has no end....,” pgs. 612-613. Brown, Driver, Briggs say it is ”long duration, antiquity, futurity,” pgs. 761-763. It can have the idea of continuous existence of things or perpetuity of something.
ascribing glory to the Father as He writes, ”Now to the God even our Father is the glory into the ages from the ages/’ Phil 4:20. To Timothy he writes, ”Now to the King eternal, non-decayable, invisible, the only wise God is honor and glory into the ages from the ages,” I Tim. 1:17.

c. As found in the writings of Peter.

Some manuscripts read ”to him is the might into the ages,” I Pet. 5:11. This follows the verse which refers to God’s eternal glory (see # 1 above). It should read ” To Him is the glory and the might (A. V. ”dominion”) into the ages from the ages,” I Pet. 5:11.

d. As found in the book of Revelation.

John writes concerning all created beings in the heaven and upon earth saying ”The blessing and the honor and the glory are both to the One sitting upon the throne and to the Lamb into the ages from the ages,” Rev. 5:13. The Father and the Son are worthy of these things out into the future ages. Those surrounding the throne, including the Church as represented by the twenty-four elders, are seen falling upon their faces and doing obeisance as they worship God. They say ”Amen, the blessing and the glory and the wisdom and the thanksgiving and the honor and the power and the strength are to our God into the ages from the ages,” Rev. 7:12.

God’s glory, i.e. His opinion of Himself, is eternal existing from eternity past and throughout the ages from the ages of eternity future. That He should receive glory is seen in the Scriptures and it is clear that He will ultimately receive all the glory due Him.

B. The Expression Concerning The Greatness Of God’s Glory.

In Psalm 138 the kings of the earth are seen thanking (A. V. ”praise”) Jehovah when they hear His words, vs. 4. ”They will proceed to sing of Jehovah’s ways:” the reason given by David is ”for great32 is Jehovah’s glory,” Psa. 138:5. The magnitude and extent of God’s glory is great He is high or exalted, Psa. 138:6.

C. The Spatial Extent Of The Glory Of God.

1. The fullness of the earth with His glory.

The whole earth is said to be full of God’s glory. When Isaiah saw ”the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up” the seraphim are seen above the throne, Isa. 6:1, 2. The seraphim are calling out to one another ”Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory,” Isa. 6:3. His glory was seen in His creation and what He was doing within His creation. Notice Isaiah’s response to what he saw and heard, ”Woe is me! for I am cut off (A. V. ”undone”); for I am a man of unclean lips, and dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts.”

32

Vina (gadol)^ ”great,” of magnitude and extent, cf. Gesenius, pg. 158.
10

The seraphim above the throne were very aware of the extent of Jehovah’s glory filling the whole earth.

2. The glory of God above all the earth.

David requests of God that He would be exalted above the heavens and His glory over all the earth, Psa. 57:5, 11. In the context David is on the run from Saul and Saul and his men are looking for David to kill him. David is dependent upon God to deliver him. He twice repeats his request that God be exalted and His glory exalted above all the earth. The earth is full of God’s glory but David desires it should be more, that it should be above or over all the earth. In another Psalm He repeats his request, Psa. 108:5.

3. The glory of God above the heavens, Psa. 113:4.

This Psalm is a hallelujah Psalm. The psalmist praises Jehovah and blesses His name. ”Jehovah is high above all Gentiles, His glory is above the heavens,” Psa. 113:4. Jehovah’s glory is higher than the heavens. His glory is immense. It is as immense as the divine essence. His glory is infinite. There is none like Him. He sits on high, Psa.

113:5.

God’s glory is said to be over all the earth and it is above the heavens. His opinion of Himself is wherever He is. He is immense, higher than the heavens and yet at the same time He stoops down to deal with the earth.

D. The Manifest Glory Of God: His Splendor.

1. The glory of God manifested by the creation.

a. The glory of God seen by all the people, Psa. 97:6.

Jehovah is most high above all the earth and exalted above all gods, Psa. 97:9. He is seen in His righteous judgments and He is described as the Sovereign Lord, the Adonai, of the whole earth, Psa. 97:1-5. His glory is brought up in the next verse which reads, ”The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory,” Psa. 97:6. His throne is established on righteousness and judgment, cf. verse 2. He is seen dealing with His enemies in verses four and five. His glory is seen in His dealings with His enemies on earth and by His lightnings which enlighten the inhabited world, cf. vs. 4.

b. The thunder of the God of glory, Psa. 29:3.

This Psalm deals with the voice of Jehovah. Six times the voice of Jehovah is referred to in the Psalm. His voice is described as thunder. ”The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters: the God of glory thunders: Jehovah is in majesty,” Psa. 29:3. Jehovah, as the God of glory, is seen in the storm. The storm is a manifestation of His glory.

c. The heavens tell the glory of God, Psa. 19:1.
11

The nineteenth Psalm presents the revelation of God. The first six verses deal with the natural revelation of God in the creation while the rest of the Psalm presents special revelation in the law. The glory of God is found in the first verse where the psalmist David wrote ”The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament is declaring His handywork,” Psa. 19:1. Down through verse six we find the perpetuation and the extent of natural revelation throughout the whole inhabited world. David was very familiar with the glory of God as he had spent many a night out under the starry spaces and many a day out under the sun while watching sheep. The heavens are spectacular on a clear night and manifest God’s glory. The telling of God’s glory is a story of God’s opinion of Himself in a manifest way as He is the all wise, omniscient and omnipotent God who not only planned the universe but brought it into being. Every day and every night the heavens continue telling God’s glory. This story is still being told by the heavens. God’s glory was evident from the beginning of the human race and throughout the Old Testament and continues today.

2. The vision of the glory of God as a bright appearance, Ezek. 1:28; 10:4.

a. A description of the glory of Jehovah as revealed to Ezekiel in a vision, Ezek. 1:28.

Ezekiel, by the River Chebar in the land of the Chaldeans, having seen cherubim in a vision, saw an appearance that was ”the likeness of the glory of Jehovah.” He describes what he saw:

”And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of sapphire: and upon the likeness of a throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man upon it. And I proceeded to see as a glow of bronze, as the appearance of fire round about within it, and from the appearance of his loins upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness to him round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. And when I proceeded to see it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one speaking,” Ezek. 1:26-
28.

Ezekiel describes a visual representation that is similar to the glory of God. He saw a brightness. This is a description of what the Jews called the Shekinah glory of God. Here in the vision is a throne that appears like sapphire. There also appears the likeness of a man. Ezekiel sees the pre-incarnate Son of God upon the throne, cf. Jn. 1:18. There is the appearance of fire and brightness around Him. The brightness around Him is like the rainbow. What He saw was the likeness of the glory of God. We will see how God manifested His presence to the Israelites in the cloud and fire a little later in the paper. Ezekiel gets a glimpse into heaven and sees the brightness of God’s glory as God covers
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Himself with light as a garment, cf. Psa. 104:2. God’s glory is sometimes seen as brightness with the colors of a rainbow here.

b. The appearance of God’s glory in the Temple, Ezek. 10:4.

Ezekiel again sees the cherubim and the glory of Jehovah in chapter ten. Jehovah’s glory goes up from the cherub and the temple is filled with a cloud and ”the court was full of the brightness of Jehovah’s glory,” Ezek. 10:4. The glory is seen as brightness as it was in chapter one.

c. The appearance of the glory at the birth of the Lord Jesus, Lk. 2:9.

We find an example of the brightness or shining of the glory of God right after the birth of the Lord Jesus. As the shepherds are watching their flocks in the night, an angel from the Lord came upon them and the Lord’s glory shone33 around about them, resulting in fear, Lk. 2:9.

E. The Glory Of The Name (Character) Of God.

The glory of God is related to His name or character a number of times in the Psalms.

1. The cry for help for the glory of His name, Psa. 79:9.

The temple is defiled and Jerusalem is in ruins as a result of the fall to the Gentiles. The Psalmist asks God ”How long?” or ”until when?” will He be angry with His people? He cries out for help as he cries, ”Help us? O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name: and deliver us, and cover our sins, for your name’s sake,” Psa. 79:9. God’s name represents who He is and what He does. The glory of His name is the opinion that He has concerning Himself as to who He is and what He does. He has a reputation and if He doesn’t respond to deliver His people the Gentiles will say ”Where is their God?” Psa.
79:10. The Psalmist doesn’t want them to get away with what they are doing and see God to be less than He is. He wants God to respond for the glory of His character.

2. An appeal for the people to give Jehovah the glory due His name, Psa. 29:2.

The twenty-ninth Psalm begins with an appeal to give glory and strength to Jehovah. It describes the coming of a great thunder storm coming from the North upon the land. Six times it speaks of the ”voice of Jehovah”34 referring to God’s Word. It is a Psalm anticipating the coming of judgment like a storm. It looks forward to the coming of Jehovah as He is seen sitting upon the flood as the King into perpetuity, vs. 10. At the

33 irepiA-qnTco (perilampo) only occurs here and in Acts 26:13 where Paul saw a light from heaven that was brighter than the sun shining round about him. Cf. Xairrro) (lampo) to shine, especially at the transfiguration of the Lord, Mt. 17:2; the Son of Man in His day, Lk. 17:24; the light shined in our hearts, II Cor. 4:6. Also cf. A,cqiTrp6<; (lampros) shining, brilliant, clear, transparent, splendid, magnificent, cf. Thayer, pg. 371.

34 Cf. verses 3, 4, 5,7, 8 and 9.
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beginning of the Psalm the sons of the Mighty,35 i.e. God, are to give glory and strength to Jehovah, vs. 1. Some see the sons of the mighty as the sons of the mighty here on earth, i.e. kings, etc. Though it is a slightly different form here, the same form is applied to angels in Psalm 89:6. Those addressed are the sons of the Mighty, the angels of God. They are to give unto Him the glory of His name, i.e. His character, vs. 2. The verse goes on to speak of worshipping Jehovah in holy array. This is about as close to a description we find in the Old Testament of worship. They worship by giving glory unto Jehovah and the glory of His name. Jehovah’s character reflects His glory, i.e. His opinion of Himself.

3. The blessing of God’s glorious name, Psa. 72:19.

This Psalm ends with a doxology, Psa. 72:18, 19. Jehovah Elohim, the Elohim of Israel, is blessed and His glorious name is blessed into perpetuity. The Psalmist asks that the whole earth be filled with His glory. His name or character is described as ”blessed.”

4. The appeal to Jehovah to give glory to His name, Psa. 115:1.

The Psalmist says, ”Not to us, O Jehovah, not to us, but to your name give glory, on account of your loving kindness, for your faithfulness,” Psa. 115:1. God’s loving kindness and faithfulness were important to the Jewish nation. He is in heaven and not at all like idols, vss. 3, 4. The Psalmist doesn’t want God to give glory to him and the other Jews but to His name. God alone deserved glory. His character matches up to His opinion.

F. The Limitation Of Jehovah’s Glory To Himself, Isa. 42:8; 48:11.

Jehovah says that He will not give His glory to another. It belongs to Him alone.

1. His glory will not be given to idols, Isa. 42:8.

In this context Jehovah anticipates the Tribulation and His Second Coming as He comes in judgment. He is the God, Jehovah, who created the heavens and spread out the earth and all that comes out of it and who gives breath to the people on it, Isa. 42:5.      He will deliver Israel from captivity, vs. 7. Jehovah next identifies Himself by name and speaks of His glory which He will not share with another. He says, ”I am Jehovah: that is my name: and my glory I will not proceed to give to another, neither my praise to graven images,” Isa. 42:8. His glory or opinion of Himself not only goes back to His creating but also to the fulfillment of the things He speaks, cf. vs. 9. He tells His people about things before they came to pass. He is omnipotent and omniscient. His glory, which He would not give to another, should have brought forth praise and He would not give the praise that was due Him to another either, cf. vss. 8, 10. He alone is God, cf. Isa. 43:10-
15. He is Jehovah, the self-existent One, cf. Ex. 3:14. His glory belongs to Him alone and He will not share it with another.

35 Cf. Kirkpatrick, The Psalms, pg. 148; Perowne, The Book Of Psalms, Vol. 1, pg. 277; B. D. B., pg. 42.2.
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2. The reservation of God’s glory for Himself, Isa. 48:11.

Once again Jehovah states that He will not give His glory to another. He gives His name as Jehovah Sabaoth (of hosts), Isa. 48:3. He is over the heavenly hosts or armies. He has told the Israelites about what would take place before it did, just as He did back in chapter forty-two. He did this so they couldn’t claim that their idols did it? vs. 5. It is for His names sake that He will defer His anger and not cause them to be cut off, vs. 9. He chose them in the ”furnace of affliction,” vs. 10. The solemnity of the situation is seen in the repeated opening statement in the next verse as He says, ”For my own sake, for my own sake, I will proceed to do it: for how should my name be polluted? And I will not proceed to give my glory to another,” Isa. 48:11. Jehovah had told the Israelites what would happen before it did so that they couldn’t give His glory to their idols. It was for His own sake that He didn’t have them cut off. It would have reflected on His glory, if He let them be cut off. He will bring them around ultimately as they are tried in the furnace of affliction. Once more we see that His glory belongs to Him alone.

3. The self limitation of the revelation of God’s glory, Prov. 25:2.

”It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory (A. V. ”honour”) of kings to search things out,” Prov. 25:2. God limits what He reveals about Himself and His glory or opinion of Himself to what He wants man to know about Him. A human king, the highest authority among men, is limited in his knowledge to what he searches out. There is much more to know about our infinite God and His glory. But, though He is not limited and knows all, He does hide much about Himself and His glory.

in. THE MANIFEST GLORY OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.

A. The Glory Of God In The Pre-Law Dispensations.

1. Reference to the glory of God in the Dispensation of Innocence.

We do not find any references to the glory of God in the Book of Genesis.36 We have to go to the New Testament to find God’s glory in the creation of Adam. Paul writing about who is head in marriage wrote, ”For a man (male), on the one hand, ought not to cover the (his) head, since he was existing37 in a quality of the image and glory of God; but the woman, on the other hand, is a quality of the glory of a man (male),” I Cor. 11:7. The context goes back to Genesis 1:26, 27. Adam was created in the image and likeness of God. He was in the image of God having a garment of light, cf. Psa. 104:2. This was stripped from him as a result of the fall, Gen. 3:7, 10, II.38 The next verse in our context

36 There are only three occurrences of the word -to (kavod) in the Book of Genesis. It is translated ”glory” twice, cf. 31:1; 45:13; and ”honour” once, cf. 49:6 where it is used of the glory of men.

37 We take imdpxoov (huparchon) as a conditional participle ”since” and as an historical present ”was.” The word means ”to be existing.”

38 The word ”naked” in these verses has the idea of being stripped. The context doesn’t say what they were stripped of but it was something they knew had taken place. Mankind is still in the likeness of God, cf. Jas. 3:9 where ”similitude” means ”likeness.”
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indicates that this applies only to Adam, ”For a quality of a man (Adam) was39 not out from a quality of a woman (Eve), but rather a quality of a woman (Eve) out from a quality of a man (Adam),” I Cor. 11:8. Only Eve came out from Adam. All other humans come out from the mother. Paul explains further, ”For in fact a quality of a man (Adam) was not created38 through the intermediate agency of the woman (Eve) but rather a quality of a woman (Eve) through the intermediate agency of the man (Adam),” I Cor.
11:9. Adam alone was created but with all that was necessary for God to build Eve from him. ”Male and female created He them,” Gen. 1:27. He built Eve from the side of Adam, Gen. 2:21, 22.    The only time the woman came through the intermediate agency of the male was when God built Eve from the side of Adam, cf. I Cor. 11:9. Adam alone was in the image and glory of God. He was existing with a representation of God, i.e. a garment of light. He was at that time before the fall also in the glory of God. He lost both. Since the fall of Adam, mankind is not in the image of God. There is one exception as we will see later in our studies that Christ is in the image of God, II Cor. 4:4. We will also see that believers are being transformed and conformed into the image of Christ who is the image of God, cf. II Cor. 3:18; Rom. 8:29. Only after the Rapture will believers be like Him, I Jn. 3:2. Yet we see that Adam in the Dispensation of Innocence was in the image and glory of God.

2. The glory of God as referenced in the context of the dispensations of Conscience, Human Government and Promise.

During these dispensations God appeared to man and talked with them. If people looked for God, they could find Him. In Enoch’s day God was ”a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, Heb. 11:6. God appeared to men as we see when He appeared to Abraham on the Plains of Mamre, cf. Gen. 18. He appeared to Moses in the burning bush before the giving of the Law, Ex. 3. This was a time when men knew God by experience having talked with Him as He appeared to them in an humanoid form. Paul refers to this when he writes, ”... when they knew (experientially) God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful...” Rom. 1:21. The time when men knew God experientially was when He walked and talked with men upon the earth in the early race. This was true of wicked men back in Job’s day as he describes them, ”Therefore they say unto God, ’Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of your ways,”9 Job 1:14. Eliphaz also quotes the wicked when he said, ”Which said unto God, ’Depart from us’...,” Job. 22:17. The fact that they say to God ”Depart from us” indicates that God was there with them. They rejected God and what He had to say to them when He appeared to them. Instead they changed the glory of God. Paul goes on to say, ”Professing themselves to be wise, they were caused to be fools, And changed the glory of the undecayable God into an image in likeness to decayable man, and to birds, and to quadrupeds, and creeping things,” Rom. 1:22, 23. We go back to the earlier context. There is a quality of God’s wrath that ”is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth by unrighteousness; because the thing knowable concerning God was40 manifested to (A. V. ”in”) them; for God manifested it to them,” Rom. 1:18,19. God’s power and Godhood are ”clearly seen” so that man is without excuse, Rom. 1:20.

39 Historical present- ”was” rather than ”is.”

40 Historical oresent.
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We go back to the experiential knowledge. They knew God. God made Himself known to them. Yet they rejected Him and failed to glorify Him as God. He deserved all the glory but instead they changed the glory of God, the Creator, into the image of creatures. They did this in the early dispensations when God appeared to them.

Paul wrote of Abraham that he didn’t waiver (A. V. ”stagger”) at the promise of children even though Sarah’s womb was past child bearing but being strong in faith gave glory to God9 Rom. 4:20. Abraham, living in the Dispensation of Promise, recognized that God deserved glory and gave it to Him.

3. The appearance of God’s glory in the wilderness before the giving of the law, Ex. 16:7, 10.

The first reference to the appearance of the glory of God to the Israelites was similar in appearance to some of the later appearances in the context of their murmurings. In the Wilderness of Sin the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron for bringing them into the wilderness to kill them with hunger, Ex. 16:1-3. But in reality they were murmuring against Jehovah, vs. 8. They wished they had died back in Egypt where they had food to eat. Here in the wilderness they missed that food. But God would cause it to rain bread from heaven, Ex. 16:4. Jehovah would show them that He had brought them out from Egypt and they would see His glory.

Moses and Aaron said to the sons of Israel,

”At even, then ye shall know that Jehovah brought you out from the land of Egypt: and in the morning, then you shall see Jehovah’s glory; because He has heard your murmurings which you murmur against Him: and what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against Jehovah,” Ex. 16:6-8.

This is the first reference to God’s glory in the Old Testament. We have seen some New Testament references that predated this but this is the first place we fmd it referred to in the Old Testament. Then Moses told Aaron to say to the people,

”Say unto all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ”Come near before Jehovah: for He has heard your murmurings,” Ex. 16:9.

The second reference follows as the glory appears to the Israelites.

”And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, they proceeded to look toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of Jehovah appeared in the cloud,” Ex. 16:10.

The glory appeared in the cloud. God led them by the cloud on their way to the Red Sea as they departed from Egypt, Ex. 13:18. He led them by the cloud that went before them by day and the pillar of fire by night, Ex. 13:21, 22. The pillar of cloud went behind them at the Red Sea and became a cloud of darkness to the Egyptians, Ex. 14:19,
20, 24. Now the glory of God appeared to them in the wilderness in the cloud. Here was
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a visual manifestation of a bit of God’s glory. It gave a representation of His opinion of Himself.

B. The Glory Of God As Demonstrated At The Giving Of The Law On Mt. Sinai.

1. The coming of Jehovah unto Moses in a thick cloud on the mount, Ex. 19:9, 16.

a. God’s promise to Moses that He would come in a thick cloud, Ex. 19:9.

We do not find the word ”glory” in this chapter but we will see that God’s glory appears again and again in the cloud. Jehovah told Moses that He would come to him in a thick41 cloud so that the people might hear when He spoke to Moses and believe Moses perpetually. The people were to be prepared for Jehovah’s descent down to the mount, vs. 11.

b. The fulfillment of the promise, Ex. 19:16; Deut. 4:11, 12.

The people and their animals were restricted from coming close to the mount. God descended down upon the top of Mt. Sinai. But as He came down we find the cloud upon the mount. All that was going on, on top of the mount was spectacular and got the people’s attention.

”And it proceeded to be on the third day in the morning that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick40 cloud upon the mount, and the voice of a trumpet (shofar) very loud so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Then Moses proceeded to bring the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the foot of the mount. And Mount Sinai was totally in smoke, because Jehovah descended upon it in fire; and the smoke of it went up similar to the smoke of a kiln and the whole mount proceeded to quake greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet (shofar) sounded growing louder and louder, Moses proceeded to speak and God proceeded to answer him by a voice. And Jehovah proceeded to come down to the top of the mount: and Jehovah called Moses to the top of the mount; and Moses proceeded to go up,” Ex. 19:16-20.

God’s glory appeared to the Israelites in the cloud in the wilderness and will be seen in the cloud later on. We do not find the word ”glory” in the context except in the word ”thick” or heavy. It was a thick or heavy cloud that came down on the mountain. In effect it was a heavy or weighty cloud of glory, though the term doesn’t specifically emphasize glory. Later on Moses looks back and describes the fire and clouds upon the mountain and what they heard and didn’t see. He wrote, ”you heard the voice of the words but saw no similitude (form); except you heard a voice” Deut. 4:11, 12. God was there in the fire and the cloud and spoke to them out from it. Moses a little later describes the glory of God as it was seen at the giving of the tablets consisting of the law.

41 The word ”thick” is the Hebrew adjective -Q3 (chaved) which has the basic meaning of ”heavy.” It is the adjectival form of the verb -us (chavad) to make heavy, to honor, to glorify, and the noun nins (chabod) heaviness, glory, etc., which is the basis of our Old Testament study.
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2. The glory of God on Mount Sinai at the giving of the two tablets of stone to Moses, Ex. 24:16, 17.

Moses, in this context, describes what the glory was like. What He saw was the glory of Jehovah that looked like a ”devouring fire.” Jehovah told Moses to come up into the mountain and He would give him ”tables of stone, and a law, and commandments,” which He had written, Ex. 24:12. So ”Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain,” Ex. 24:15. Moses spends a week on the mountain and then Jehovah speaks to him out of the cloud. We will let Moses continue his account.

”And the glory of Jehovah proceeded to settle on the Mount Sinai, and the cloud proceeded to cover it six days and He proceeded to call to Moses out of the midst of the cloud on the seventh day. And the appearance of the glory of Jehovah was like (similar to) a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the sons of Israel. And Moses proceeded to enter the cloud and he proceeded to go up on the mountain and Moses proceeded to be on the mountain forty days and forty nights,” Ex. 24:16-18.

Here was a visual manifestation of God’s glory on the mountain. The appearance of the glory on the mountain was spectacular. The splendor of God’s shekinah glory had an appearance similar to a hot burning fire. We get the image of brightness and light. The people realized that they had seen God’s glory and His greatness when the tablets of stone were given to Moses on the mountain. They heard the voice and the leaders came to Moses and expressed their concerns about what they had seen and their fear that the fire would devour them. They said,

”And you proceeded to say, Behold, Jehovah our Elohim has shown us His glory and greatness (in magnitude), and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire; we have seen this day that God proceeds to speak with man, and he lives,” Deut. 5:24.

They wanted Moses to go near and hear what God had to say and then report back to them. Jehovah was pleased with what they said and gave the commandments to Moses and he taught them to the people. God’s desire was that they would keep his commandments that it would be well with them all their days and that they would go on living and possess the land, cf. Deut. 5:25-33. The Israelites recognized that God had manifested not only His glory in the cloud but also His greatness. No one had seen such a sight before. They had seen His glory in the cloud in the wilderness to confirm that He had brought them out of Egypt but here the sight was spectacular with the cloud and darkness and then the glory of God appearing like a bright devouring fire.

C. Moses’ Request To See Jehovah’s Glory, Ex. 33:18, 22.

Moses asked God to show him His glory. God will give him a glimpse of His glory in a way that it had not been seen by man. The Israelites were a stiff necked people and
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Jehovah was threatening to devour them, Ex. 33:3, 5. Moses set up a provisional tabernacle or tent, which he called the Tent Of Meeting (A. V. ’Tabernacle of the congregation”) and the people could go out of the camp to it if they were seeking Jehovah, Ex. 33:7. When Moses entered into the tent, the pillar of cloud came down and stood at the door and Jehovah met with Moses, Ex. 33:8-10. Now ”Jehovah spoke to Moses face to face, as a man proceeds to speak to his friend.” Ex. 33:11. Moses wanted proof that he had found favor in the sight of Jehovah, Ex. 33:11, 13. Jehovah promised that His presence would go with Moses and the Israelites to show that they have found favor in His sight, Ex. 33:14-17. Following Jehovah’s promise, Moses now asks for something very special. He asks Jehovah to cause him to see His glory, i.e. the glory of God, Ex. 33:18. God will proceed to cause His goodness (an attribute of deity) to pass before Moses and proclaim His name (character) before him and He will be favorable and show tender compassion on whom He wants, Ex. 33:19. Moses will not be allowed to see the full glory of God, the glory of God who covers Himself with light as a garment, Psa. 104:2. But God will give Moses a glimpse of His glory. Jehovah continues speaking,

’”You cannot see my face: for a man shall not proceed to see me, and live.’ And Jehovah proceeded to say, ’Behold, there is a place by me, and you will stand upon a rock: And while my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and I will cover you with my palm until I have passed by: And I will take away my palm and you will see my back: but my face shall not proceed to be seen,’” Ex. 33:20-23.

We find that Moses got a glimpse of the pre-incarnate Son of God. Jehovah uses anthropomorphisms to describe how He will show His glory to Moses. He speaks of His face. In other words, He will not show the full greatness of His glory to Moses for no man can see that glory and live. He will also cover Moses in the cleft of the rock with His palm to protect Moses as His full glory passes by and He removed His palm so Moses could see His back. We find ”face,” ”palm,” and ”back.” Moses got a glimpse of the glory as it was passing away from him. It was just the back side of God’s glory that Moses was permitted to see. This was a different manifestation of God’s glory than His appearance in the fire and the cloud. This was a manifestation of a bit of the full glory of God in all of its brightness and splendor. This glory will settle down within the Tabernacle and later the Temple when they are completed.

D. The Appearance Of The Glory Of God Upon The Tabernacle.

1. The display of the glory of God at the completion of the Tabernacle, Ex. 40:
34-38.

God had told the Israelites that He would meet with them, and His glory would sanctify or set apart the Tabernacle (tent), Ex. 29:43. The Tabernacle, i.e. the tent, is now completed and the cloud covers it and the glory of Jehovah fills it. Moses concludes the Book of Exodus with the account.
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”Then the cloud proceeded to cover the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tent. And Moses was not able to enter into the Tent of Meeting because the cloud settled upon it and the glory of Jehovah filled the tent,” Ex. 40:34,35.

The glory of God was nothing to be taken lightly. Moses couldn’t even enter into the tent because of the cloud and the glory. The cloud had led them around in the wilderness but with the completion of the tent it was seen settling over the tent. From then on, whenever the cloud moved, the Israelites moved and when the cloud remained over the tent, the Israelites stayed. Jehovah’s cloud was upon the tent by day and fire by night. All of the Israelites could look down to the middle of the camp and say ”That is Jehovah in our midst.” They had to look to Him for salvation. He was with them throughout all of their wanderings. The cloud of glory was manifested a number of times in special instances when the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron and hence against God.

2. The appearance of Jehovah’s glory at the offering of sacrifices and offerings.

a. Moses statement that Jehovah’s glory would appear to the people when they did as He had commanded with respect to the sacrifices and offerings, Lev.
9:6.

When Aaron and his sons offered the first sacrifices in the Tabernacle (tent) Moses told them that Jehovah would appear to them, Lev. 9:4. All the people came together and stood before Jehovah who was in the Tent, Lev. 9:5. While the people are assembled Moses says, ”This is the thing which Jehovah commanded you that you should proceed to do and the glory of Jehovah will appear to you,” Lev. 9:6. Aaron was to offer his sin offering and burnt offering and make a covering (A. V. ”atonement”) for himself and for the people. When he completed the offerings we find the glory appeared.

b. The fulfillment of Moses statement concerning the appearance of Jehovah’s glory, Lev. 9:23.

Following the offerings, Moses and Aaron entered into the Tent of Meeting, came back out and blessed the people and then the glory of Jehovah appeared to all the people, Lev. 9:23. It doesn’t say how the glory appeared. The cloud isn’t mentioned here but there was a manifestation of the glory of God. The next thing that happened was a fire came from before (the face of) Jehovah and devoured the offering and the fat, Lev. 9:24. This had an affect upon the people so that they fell on their faces when they saw it. Once again we have a special appearance of the glory of God with something new. The offerings were serious business as they were what Jehovah had commanded. But will they remember who they are dealing with?

E. The Appearance Of The Glory Of God At The Continued Murmurings Of The Israelites In The Wilderness.
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The Israelites have seen the glory of Jehovah in the wilderness in the cloud. They have seen His glory on the mount. They have seen it upon the completed Tabernacle. They have seen it upon the occasion of the first sacrifices. And yet they still belly ache in the wilderness. They complain against Moses and Aaron but in reality they are murmuring against Jehovah. They feared Him for the moment when His glory was manifested but they soon forgot and went back to complaining.

1. The appearance of the glory of Jehovah on account of the Israelites murmuring because of the report of the ten spies concerning the giants in the land, Num.

14:10,21,22.

When the twelve spies came back from spying out the Land of Canaan, the Israelites listened to the ten who had no faith that God would fulfill His promises concerning the land. They cried and murmured against Moses and Aaron blaming them for bringing them into the wilderness to die, Ex. 14:1-5. Joshua and Caleb try to convince the people otherwise and tell them not to rebel against Jehovah, but the people want to stone them, Num. 14:6-10. At this point the glory of Jehovah appeared in the Tent of Meeting before all of the Israelites, Num. 14:10. God questions Moses as to how long the people will spurn Him? and how long they won’t believe in Him? especially since He had shown many signs among them, Num 14:11. The potential was that God would disinherit them and make a greater nation out of Moses, Num. 14:12. Moses is concerned about what the Egyptians and the inhabitants of Canaan would think since they had heard that Jehovah was with this people in a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire, Num. 14:13, 14. He asks Jehovah to pardon the people and He does, cf. Num. 14:15-20. Jehovah brings up His glory again in the next two verses where He says,

”But truly as I live, all the earth will proceed to be filled with the glory of Jehovah. For all the men who have seen my signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness and yet have proceeded to tempt me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; shall not proceed to see the land which I swore to their fathers and all those who spurned me will not proceed to see it,” Num.
14:21-23.

All over twenty years of age at that time would die and not see the land, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, cf. Num. 14:24-35.

2. The appearance of the glory of God at the revolt of Korah, Num. 16:19, 42.

We find the appearance of the glory of Jehovah twice in this chapter. Korah and his crowd came together against Moses and Aaron and contested their leadership over the people, Num. 16:1-3. Moses leaves it up to Jehovah to show who it was that He had chosen to lead the people, Num. 16:4-10. They were really gathered together, not against Moses and Aaron, but they were gathered together to murmur against Jehovah, Num.
16:11. If God had not set up Moses to be leader then these men would die a normal death but if they died by some new thing, i.e. the earth opens up and swallows them up alive into Sheol they would know that God had chosen Moses, Num. 16:28-30. The earth did
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open up and swallow them alive into Sheol and a fire came from Jehovah and devoured
250 more men who offered incense, Num. 16:31-35. The people came the next day and still murmured against Moses and Aaron accusing them of killing Jehovah’s people and once again the cloud covered the Tabernacle and the glory of Jehovah appeared, Num.
16:41-42. Once more the potential was that God would devour the people and Jehovah sent a plague upon the people, killing some but Aaron made a covering for the people and stopped the plague, Num. 16:46-48. The number who died besides Korah and his band of rebels was 14,700, Num. 16:49. God’s glory appeared to make an impression on the Israelites in both of these instances on account of the murmuring against Him. Yet the people still didn’t learn their lesson.

3. The appearance of God’s glory when the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron due to the lack of water which resulted in Moses not being allowed to enter into the Promised Land, Num. 20:6.

The Israelites came to a place in the wilderness where there was no water for the people and they came together and murmured again against Moses and Aaron, Num.
20:2. The people proceeded to contend with Moses wishing they had died when their brothers had died before Jehovah, Num. 20:3. They accused Moses and Aaron of having brought them into the wilderness with their cattle to die there, Num. 20:4. They accused them of having made them come out of Egypt into a calamitous place without grain, figs, vines or pomegranates and which had no water, Num. 20:5. Facing these accusations Moses and Aaron went to the door of the Tent of Meeting and when they fell on their faces the glory of Jehovah again appeared to them, Num. 20:6. Once more there was a visible appearance of the glory of God. He told Moses to take the rod and to speak to the rock but Moses, being frustrated by the people, smote the rock twice resulting in his not being allowed to enter the land, Num. 20:7-13. The people did get water but Moses paid a price for it.

In these instances God manifested His glory to get the attention of the Jews by appearing in a visual manifestation of glory, often accompanied by the cloud. The Jews failed to believe in Jehovah as He was in their midst in the Tabernacle and kept on finding occasion to murmur, not only against Moses and Aaron, but against Him. The glory caused them to fear but they still went back to their old behavior. They truly were a stiff necked people.

F. The Departure Of The Glory For A Time In The Days Of Eli, I Sam. 4:21, 22.

The Philistines fought against Israel and killed 30,000 Israelite soldiers and Eli the priest’s two sons who had brought the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh to the field of battle, I Sam. 4:10, 11. The Ark was taken by the Philistines, which in the end brought them nothing but trouble, cf. I Sam. 5 and 6. When Eli, who was 98 years old, heard that the Ark was taken and his two sons were dead, he fell off of his seat and broke his neck and died, I Sam. 4:17, 18. God dwelt between the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant and now it was taken away. Eli’s daughter-in-law was about to give birth and when she heard that the Ark was taken and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she gave birth to a son and died. Before she died she named the son Ichabod meaning ”the glory
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has departed.” Her last words were ”for the glory is departed from Israel,” I Sam. 4:21. She said, ”The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken,” I Sam. 4:22. The Ark was gone from Israel for seven months but as stated, it caused a lot of trouble for the Philistines, I Sam. 6: If. The presence of God and His glory was manifest between the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant. He was settled in the midst of Israel. The glory was a manifestation of His presence in their midst. Now it departed for a few months.

G. The Glory Of God In The Tent Across From David’s House.

1. The dwelling place of the glory of God, Psa. 26:8.

David speaks of where the glory of God is settled down. He addresses Jehovah thusly, ”Jehovah, I have loved your abode of your house, and the dwelling place of your glory (A. V. ”honour”)/9 Psa. 26:8, cf. 29:19. David spent time in the tent across the street from his palace and recognized that the glory of God was at home there. Following the capture of the Ark in Eli’s day and its return to Israel, it was taken to Kirjathjearim for twenty years, I Sam. 7:1, 2. Some time later when David is the King of Israel he brings the Ark to the house of Obededom and then from there he brought it up to Jerusalem, cf. II Sam. 6. The Ark was now in a tent across from the palace and it was there that the glory resided until Solomon built the Temple.

2. David’s sight of God’s glory as He had seen God in the Holy Place, Psa.
63:2.

David says, ”So I have seen you in the Holy Place, beholding your power and glory,” Psa. 63:2. King David knew that God and His glory were in the Holy Place in the Tent across the street. He had seen the glory as it was manifested there in the Holy Place. As for David, Himself, he recognized that Jehovah was his glory, the One who promoted him, Psa. 3:3.

3. The requirement to fear Jehovah for His glory to dwell in the land, Psa. 85:9.

The psalmist sees that Jehovah’s salvation, i.e. deliverance, is near those who fear Him and that fearing Jehovah was necessary for glory to dwell in the land. The implication is that if they didn’t fear Jehovah, and His glory would not remain in the land, Psa. 85:9.

H. The Appearance Of The Glory At The Completion And Dedication Of Solomon’s Temple, I Kgs. 8:11; II Chron. 5:14.

1. The filling of the Temple with the cloud and glory when the Ark of the Covenant was brought in, I Kgs. 8:10, 11.

The glory of God filled the Temple at its completion just as it did the Tent of Meeting at its completion. The priests brought the Ark of the Covenant into the Temple and put it in the innermost recess of the building, I Kgs. 8:6. When the priests came out of the Holy Place the cloud filled the Temple, so that the priests couldn’t stand to minister on account
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of the cloud: ”for the glory of Jehovah had filled the house of Jehovah,” II Kgs. 8:10, 11. Solomon speaks of how he built a house for Jehovah to permanently inhabit, but he didn’t understand how God could dwell in a house when the heavens and a heaven of the heavens couldn’t contain Him, II Kgs. 8:13, 27. But it was evident that God had settled in the Holy of Holies as His glory filled the Temple. This was again a visible manifestation of the glory of God.

2. The accompanying music when the glory filled the Temple, II Chron. 5:14.

Second Chronicles adds the attire of the priests and the music that accompanied the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant into the Temple, II Chron. 5:12, 13. While the music and praise of Jehovah were taking place, the cloud filled the Temple so that the priests couldn’t stand, ”for the glory of Jehovah had filled the house of God,” II Chron. 5:13, 14. This is essentially the same description with some additions to that of Second Kings.

3. The manifestation of the glory as fire came down from heaven and devoured the sacrifices, II Chron. 7:1-3.

King Solomon prayed at the dedication of the Temple, II Chron. 6:12-42. At the conclusion of his prayer, ”the fire came down from heaven and devoured the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of Jehovah filled the house,” II Chron. 7:1. This was another spectacular display of the glory filling the Temple as the fire came from heaven and devoured all that was being offered.

As a result the priests couldn’t enter into the Temple because Jehovah’s glory had filled the Temple, II Chron. 7:2. The magnitude of the glory was so great that the priests couldn’t even enter the Temple. This was such a spectacular manifestation and the glory was so great that it affected the Israelites.

When the sons of Israel saw the fire come down, and the glory of Jehovah upon the Temple, they bowed down with their faces to the earth upon the pavement and worshipped and gave thanks to Jehovah, II Chron. 7:3. They recognized the goodness of God because His loving kindness endures for a long time. The glory of God did get their attention at this time. It was a great display of God’s glory that could not be ignored as it filled the Temple again following the sacrifices and offerings.

IV. THE GLORIFICATION OF GOD BY OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS.

Thus far we have seen the manifested glory of God as it is described in Old Testament, but we have seen nothing about man glorifying God. The vast majority of references to the glory of God deal with the manifestation of His glory in some visible way. But there are a few that speak of God being glorified. Men in the Old Testament could give glory to God by giving His due weight back to Him by what they said.

A. The Call For The People To Give Glory To God When The Ark Of The Covenant Was Set Up In The House David Prepared For It In Jerusalem, I Chron. 16:24-29.
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David delivered a Psalm when the Ark was set up in the house, I Chron. 16:7. The Psalm is the same as Psalm 105:1-15. Within the Psalm there is an appeal to glorify God. All the earth is told to declare Jehovah’s glory among the Gentiles and His marvelous works to all the peoples because He is great and greatly to be praised, I Chron. 16:24, 25. Verse twenty-seven translates the word for beauty, splendor as ”glory.” The next two verses are an appeal to the families of peoples to give Jehovah glory and strength, I Chron. 16:28, cf. Psa. 96:7, 8. They are to give to Him the glory due His name and bring offerings, I Chron. 16:29. As they do this they are to worship in beauty of holiness. The glory here appears to be the spoken word. It is not by what they do but by what they say. It is accompanied by praise and worship, cf. verses 24, 25, 29. With their worship, they were to give glory to Him by giving back His opinion of Himself to Him.

B. The Call For Unfallen Spirit Beings To Give Jehovah The Glory Due His Name, Psa. 29:1, 2.

The sons of the mighty, i.e. God, are to ascribe glory and strength to Jehovah. They are to ascribe to Jehovah the glory of His name, i.e. His character. They are to worship Jehovah in the glory of holiness, Psa. 29:1, 2.42 This is about as close a description as we find of worship in the Old Testament. To ascribe glory to Him is to ascribe His opinion of Himself back to Him. In this way they were called upon to worship.

C. The Call For All The Peoples Of The Earth To Give God Glory.

1. The call for all the earth to sing Psalms of the glory of Jehovah’s name, Psa.
66:1,2.

The whole earth is called upon to shout for joy (A. V. ”make a joyful noise”) to God, Psa. 66:1. The whole earth is to sing psalms of the glory of His name (character): put forth glory to His praise, Psa. 66:2. The act of glorifying God here is accomplished by singing psalms about the glory of His character. God was glorified vocally in the Old Testament.

2. The call for all the families of the earth to give glory to Jehovah, Psa. 96:7, 8.

This is an adaptation of I Chron. 16:28, 29, cf. (A) above.

3. The call for the wilderness and the cities to give glory to Jehovah, Isa. 42:11, 12.

This follows the statement ”I am Jehovah: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another...” Isa. 42:8. The inhabitants of the earth are encouraged to sing a new song, Isa. 42:10. He then appeals to the wilderness and the cities to give glory unto Jehovah and to declare His praise, Isa. 42:11, 12. Giving glory to God is again involved with singing and giving speaking His praise. Giving glory to God in the Old Testament is a vocal thing.

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Cf. pg. 12.2.
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4. The call for the Israelites to give glory to Jehovah, Jer. 13:16.

Within the context of Judah being carried off into captivity, we find reference to giving God glory. God is going to deal with Judah, Jer. 13:9. The whole houses of both Israel and Judah will cling to Jehovah, Jer. 13:11. ”Glory” in this verse is the word for beauty. The call is given for God’s people to give glory to Jehovah their God before He brings judgment on them, Jer. 13:16. They won’t hear and will go into captivity, cf. Jer.
13:17-19. They are told to give glory to God but it doesn’t say how. However, if they give Him glory by speaking, it will indicate a change of heart on their part.

D. The Command Given To The Priests To Give Glory To Jehovah Sabaoth, Mai.

2:1,2.

The priests are not doing what they should be doing. The commandment is given to them to that if they don’t hear and lay it to their heart to give glory to the name or character of Jehovah, who is over the heavenly armies, He will send a curse upon them and upon their blessings, Mai. 2:1,2. They already had a curse upon them because they hadn’t laid it to their heart. The priests had departed from the law, cf. Mai. 2:7, 8. They didn’t give the weight that was due Jehovah in their hearts.

V. THE DEPARTURE OF THE GLORY FROM ISRAEL IN THE DAYS OF EZEKIEL AND ITS FUTURE RETURN.

A. The Appearance Of The Glory Of God To Ezekiel.

1. The appearance of the glory of God to Ezekiel on the banks of the river Chebar, Ezek. 1:26-28.

Ezekiel is sitting by the banks of the river Chebar in Babylon when he saw visions from God. He saw cherubim and gave a description of them. But then he saw the likeness of the glory of God. He gives a description of this glory.

”And above the firmament over their (the cherubim’s) heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire43 and upon the likeness of a throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I proceeded to see as a gleam of a shining substance,44 as the appearance of fire within it, from the appearance of his loins and upwards and from the appearance of his loins downwards I saw as it were the appearance of fire and brightness to it round about. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of the rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance

43 The sapphire stone was different from our blue stone today. It was ”usually the opaque stone known as lapis lazuli, varying from ultramarine to dark violet blue.” See Unger’s Bible Dictionary, pg. 743.

44 The A. V. gives the translation ”amber.” Some suggest bronze. The Hebrew word bat?n (chashmal) is evidently some shining substance. It is supposed ”to be a brilliant amalgam of gold and silver.” Brown, Driver, Briggs, pg. 365. It would be a brilliant glowing yellow. Cf. Unger’s Bible Dictionary, pg, 733.
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of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. And when I proceeded to see it, I fell upon my face and I heard a voice of one speaking,” Ezek. 1:26-28.

In the vision Ezekiel saw the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. As we pointed out earlier in the paper, there is the appearance similar to things that are bright: the opaque ultramarine to dark violet blue, the bright shining glowing yellow like fire describe the brightness and the beauty of the appearance of this likeness of God’s glory in the vision.

In the next reference to the glory of God, a cherub instructs Ezekiel to go to the Israelites in captivity with a message. The spirit, i.e. the cherub, took Ezekiel up and he heard a sound behind him which said, ”Blessed is the glory of Jehovah from His place,” Ezek. 3:12. Ezekiel has already just seen the likeness of the glory of Jehovah in the vision. Apparently these are spirit beings who are speaking of the glory of God here.

2. The appearance of the glory of God to Ezekiel in the plain, Ezek. 3:23.

Ezekiel is now instructed to go into the plain and he does so, Ezek. 3:22, 23. In the plain he sees the glory of God again as he saw it by the river.

”Then I proceeded to rise and proceeded to go forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of Jehovah stood there like the glory which I had seen by the river Chebar and I fell on my face,” Ezek. 3:23.

This was the same glory he saw before in all of its brightness and splendor of color. As happened earlier with the Moses and Aaron and the priests, Ezekiel falls upon his face before the Lord’s glory.

3. The appearance the glory of God to Ezekiel in Jerusalem, Ezek. 8:4.

Ezekiel was in his house when he says uthe hand of Adonai Jehovah fell there upon me,” Ezek. 8:1. Then Ezekiel sees the same appearance of fire and shining as he saw back by the river Chebar, Ezek. 8:2. He is then taken by his hair and carried in vision from Babylon to Jerusalem, Ezek. 8:3. There he sees the glory of God again. He says ”And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision I saw in the plain,” Ezek. 8:4. He then sees what is going on in the city. The Israelites in Jerusalem are totally involved in idolatry. The glory of God is now going to depart from the Temple, from Jerusalem and from Israel.

B. The Departure Of The Glory Of God From Israel.

1. The movement of the glory from between the cherubim to the threshold of the Temple, Ezek. 9:3.

The glory is going to depart and God is going to bring judgment against those who were committing abominations in the city. The Israelites had a habit of provoking the eyes of Jehovah’s glory, Isa. 3:8. In Jeremiah’s day the people acknowledged their sin against God and begged Him not to abhor them or disgrace the throne of His glory or
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break His covenant with them, Jer. 14:21. Ezekiel describes the movement of the glory. ”And the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherubim where He was upon them, to the threshold of the house,” Ezek, 9:3. Following this, judgment is seen upon the people of the city who were guilty of committing abominations, cf. Ezek. 9:5-11.

2. The movement of the glory of God up over the threshold, Ezek. 10:4.

Here in this chapter Ezekiel sees the appearance of the likeness of a throne again and further sees the glory going up from the threshold, Ezek. 10:1-3. He describes it in the next verse.

”And the glory of Jehovah proceeded to rise up from the cherub, over the threshold of the house; and the house proceeded to be filled with the cloud and the court was full of the brightness of the glory of Jehovah,” Ezek. 10:4.

3. The movement of the glory over the cherubim, Ezek. 10:18, 19,

The cherubim appear to Ezekiel and he describes their appearance. And then the glory of Jehovah moves up over these cherubim.

”Then the glory of Jehovah proceeded to depart from the threshold of the house and proceeded to stand over the cherubim. And the cherubim proceeded to lift up their wings and proceeded to be caused to mount up from the earth in my sight: when they departed with the wheels (cherubim) beside them, and they proceeded to stand at the door of the eastern gate of the house of Jehovah, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above,” Ezek. 10:18, 19.

The glory is about to leave the Temple where Jehovah dwelt in the midst of Israel in the Holy of Holies from the time He entered at the dedication of the Temple in Solomon’s day .

4. The movement of the glory to the Mount of Olives, Ezek. 11:22? 23.

Ezekiel is now taken to the east gate of the Temple and the judgment on the wicked is described to him and then Jehovah tells them He will fulfill the ”Palestinian Covenant” in bringing those who were not involved in the abominations back to the land and give them a new heart and they will be His people and He will be their God. But those who commit abominations will get what they bring on themselves, Ezek. 11:1-21. Now Ezekiel sees the glory moving on to the Mount of Olives.

”Then the cherubim proceeded to lift up their wings with their wheels beside them and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. And the glory of Jehovah proceeded to go up from the midst of the city and it proceeded to stand upon the mount on the east side of the city,” Ezek. 11:22, 23.
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The glory then departed from Israel. Both kingdoms, the Northern Kingdom Israel and the Southern Kingdom Judah, were in captivity. There were some Jews who returned under Ezra and Nehemiah, but the glory was gone. In Nehemiah’s day they recognized the glory of God’s name or character and that it was exalted above all blessing and praise, Neh. 9:5. But the glory was gone. The glory would return with the coming of the Messiah. We will see, in our second study, the return of the glory in a different way when God the Son, the eternal Word, came to be flesh in the incarnation. There were many prophecies concerning His coming. Yet in Ezekiel we find the return of the glory to the Temple in the Millennial Kingdom. The glory departed out of the east gate and will return from the east through the same gate.

VI. THE RETURN OF THE GLORY TO THE TEMPLE IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM WITH THE COMING OF THE KING.

A. The Return Of The Glory By The Way Of The East, Ezek. 43:1, 2.

1. The setting for the vision.

Sixteen years after the fall of Jerusalem and the twenty-fifth year of the captivity Ezekiel is again brought by visions into the land of Israel and there he sees the measuring out of the Temple, Ezek. 40-42. In these chapters we find the blueprints for the Millennial Temple. The visions take Ezekiel into the Millennium. This Dispensation of Grace was not revealed in the Old Testament. The Rapture of the Church was a mystery. Though there were a few hints of the Church in the Old Testament, the readers of the Old Testament had no way of knowing what the Holy Spirit had in mind. But in the New Testament we find a few references from the Old Testament applied to the Church by the Holy Spirit. The visions which were seen by Ezekiel took him to the rebuilding of the Temple out in the future when the glory is seen returning. The visions of the returning glory jump out beyond the Dispensation of Grace which is a ”Great Parenthesis.”

2. The return of the glory and a description of its likeness to the appearance in the first vision by the river Chebar, Ezek. 43:1-3.

Ezekiel was taken to different locations around the city and finally he is brought to the eastern gate of the city. From there Ezekiel in his vision sees the glory returning and hears the voice of the God of Israel. Once again the brightness of the glory of God is emphasized. Its appearance was like that back in the first vision by the river Chebar.

”And behold the glory of the God of Israel came from the east and his sound was like the sound of many waters: and the earth shone from His glory. And the appearance of the vision which I saw was like the appearance which I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the appearances were like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar; and I proceeded to fall upon my face,” Ezek. 43:2, 3.

This vision is the much the same as that given back in the first vision of the glory of God, cf. Ezek. 1:28. Ezekiel doesn’t spell the brightness out here but just that ”the earth
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shone from His glory.” But the vision was similar to the appearance which he had seen years before. The glory had the same affect on Ezekiel as it did the first time he saw it. He fell on his face, cf. Ezek. 1:28. The glory will come back from the east in all of its glory when Christ comes back to earth and enters the Millennial Temple. He, as the Son of Man, will return ”with power and great glory,” cf. Mt. 24:30; 25:31. The glory will enter the Temple from the east.

3. The return of the glory of God to the Temple, Ezek. 43:45 5.

Just as the glory departed out from the Temple to the threshold and then filled the court and ended up on the Mount of Olives to the east, it will return in just the way that it departed as seen in chapters nine through eleven. Here Ezekiel sees it coming back in the way that it left. And now he sees the glory entering the Temple from the east and filling the Temple.

uAnd the glory entered the house by the gate facing east. And the spirit proceeded to lift me up and proceeded to bring me into the inner court and behold the glory of Jehovah filled the house,” Ezek. 43:4, 5.

After many centuries the glory will return just as it left. The glory came with the birth of the King but the Jewish nation rejected Him and He departed again. But He will return just as sure as He departed. The Temple will be filled again with the glory of Jehovah. Jehovah spoke to Ezekiel out of the Temple telling him that He would dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel again, Ezek. 43:7. Millennial law with its sacrifices and offerings will be re-instituted in Israel, Ezek. 43: 10-27. We find one more reference to the glory of God in Ezekiel.

4. The vision of the filling of the Temple with the glory of God, Ezek. 44:4.

a. The shutting of the eastern gate, Ezek. 44:1-3.

Ezekiel is now taken out where he was shown the east gate and Jehovah told him that the gate was to be closed because Jehovah the God of Israel had entered by it. The eastern gate of the city is closed today but in the Millennium it will be opened and the King of the glory will come in and enter the Temple, cf. Psa. 24:7-10.

”Then he proceeded to bring me back to the gate of the outer sanctuary which faces east, and it was shut. And Jehovah proceeded to say to me, ’This gate shall proceed to be shut, it will not proceed to be opened and no one will proceed to enter it; for Jehovah, the God of Israel, has entered by it, therefore it shall be shut. As for the prince45 himself, he will proceed to sit in it to eat bread before Jehovah; he will proceed to enter

45 The text doesn’t identify this prince. It is not Christ for he will offer offerings that Christ will not offer. Resurrected David is called a prince, Ezek. 34:24; 37:25. This prince is not named. If it isn’t David, it would be some other civil authority under Christ. He has special access to the gate entered by Christ at His return though.
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by way of the porch of the gate, and he will proceed to go out by the same way,” Ezek.
44:1-3.

The gate was shut because the glory of Jehovah had entered through it as Jehovah returned to the Temple. Yet the prince, a vice regent under Christ, will sit in the gate to eat and will be allowed to go in and out of the gate.

b. The view of the glory of God in the Temple from the North, Ezek. 44:4.

This is the last mention of the glory of God in Ezekiel. He is moved now from the east gate to the north gate and he describes what he saw.

”Then he proceeded to bring me by way of the north gate to the front of the house and I proceeded to look and behold the glory of Jehovah filled the house of Jehovah and I fell upon my face,” Ezek. 44:4.

The sight of the glory of God in the Temple once again causes Ezekiel to fall on his face. Ezekiel is told to set these things in his heart and to see and hear all that Jehovah said to him concerning all the ordinances and laws that pertained to the Temple and its ministry, Ezek. 44:5. He is then given the rules for access to the Temple, etc. The gate to the inner court facing east is to be shut during the six working days but it will be opened on the Sabbath day and on the new moon, so that the prince may go in and observe the priest preparing his offerings, Ezek. 46:1, 2. The glory will have returned when these things take place in the Millennium.

5. The promises concerning the future glory in Haggai.

a. The failure of the second Temple to match the glory of the Solomonic Temple, Hag. 2:3.

Haggai was written during the return after the 70 year captivity. He was part of the remnant to return to the land. Jehovah instructed Haggai to ask anyone who was around who saw the glory of the first Temple, how this temple compared to it. It was nothing by comparison. But there will be a future temple which will be filled with the glory of Jehovah.

b. The future temple and the glory of God9 Hag. 2:7-9.

Jehovah Sabaoth, i.e. of hosts, will shake all the Gentiles and the desire of the Gentiles, i.e. the Messiah of Israel, will come and He will fill the Temple with glory. The glory of that later temple will be greater than Solomon’s Temple. Jehovah will give peace there. God’s brilliant glory will be seen again even by all the Gentiles.

6. The return of the Jewish race to the land since God created the race for His glory, Isa. 43:7.
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God created the Jewish race for His glory.46 He will bring the seed of Jacob from all over, where they have been dispersed, back into the land, Isa. 43:5, 6. These were called by His name as a race and He will bring them back because He created them for His glory, Isa. 43:7.

VII. THE PRESENCE OF GOD’S GLORY IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM.

A. The Filling OfThe Earth With The Glory OfGod,Hab. 2:14; Isa. 11:9, 10.

1. The extent of the glory, Hab. 2:14.

The whole earth will be covered with the knowledge of the glory of God, just like the waters cover the sea.

2. The knowledge concerning the Lord and the presence of Messiah, Isa. 11:9, 10.

The knowledge concerning Jehovah will also be like the waters that cover the sea. It will be wide spread just like the knowledge of His glory. At that day a root of Jesse will stand for a banner of the peoples, i.e. the Jews, and the Gentiles will seek Him and His resting place shall be glory. His glory will accompany Him as He comes back to earth and will reside with Him.

B. The Presence Of Jehovah In Jerusalem During The Millennium, Zech. 2:5.

Zechariah wrote after the 70 year captivity also. He wrote concerning the distant future of Jerusalem. Jehovah said that He would be a wall of fire around Jerusalem and be the glory in the midst of her. He will protect Jerusalem and He, Himself, will be the glory. He will bring the people, i.e. the Jews, back to the land.

C. The Future Revelation OfThe Glory Of God During The Millennium.

1. The glory seen by all flesh, Isa. 40:5.

Following the prophecy concerning John the Baptizer Jehovah’s glory is brought up. ”And the glory of Jehovah will be revealed and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of Jehovah has spoken,” Isa. 40:5. Zion, Jerusalem and Judah are instructed to ”Behold your God!” Isa. 40:9. The Lord Jesus, Jehovah, came as John prepared the way for Him but the Jewish nation rejected Him. The glory will be revealed in the future when He comes back at His Second Coming and establishes His kingdom here on earth. Then all flesh will see it.

2. The glory of Jehovah among the Gentiles, Ezek. 39:21.

46 Notice ”Jacob” and ”Israel”, Isa. 43:1. God created the house of Jacob as a race. This is not speaking of individuals. The individual is procreated. Only Adam with all that was needed for Eve in him, was created when God breathed into his nostrils the breath of lives and he became a living creature, Gen. 1:27, cf. 2:7.
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In a future day following the Tribulation, God will bring the Jews back to the land from their captivity, Ezek. 39:25. In that day Jehovah will set His glory among the Gentiles and they will see the judgment that He has made upon them. Cf. Psa. 96:3.

3. The glory of God in Zion, Isa. 4: 5; 60:1, 2, 13; 24:23; Psa. 102:15, 16.

The Redeemer will come to Zion, Isa. 59:20. When Jehovah builds up Zion, He will appear in His glory and the Gentiles and all the kings of the earth will fear His name, Psa.
102:15, 16. The appeal is given to Zion to-

” Arise! Shine! for your light is come, and the glory of Jehovah has risen upon you. For, behold darkness shall cover the earth and thick darkness shall cover the peoples, but Jehovah will proceed to arise upon you, and His glory shall proceed to be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising,” Isa. 60:1, 2.

The light will come upon Zion when Christ comes in His glory. His glory will be seen in Zion, i.e. in Jerusalem, cf. Isa. 4:5. When He comes He will settle in Zion and will glorify or make heavy the place for His feet, Isa. 60:13. Zion will then be called ”the city of Jehovah, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel,” Isa. 60:14. Jehovah will reign as king in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem before His ancients, i.e. His elders, Isa. 24:23. The light of the remnant will break forth as the dawn (A. V. ”morning”), when Christ comes back and the saved remnant’s righteousness will go before them and Jehovah’s glory will be their rear guard (A. V. ”rereward”), Isa. 58:8.

4. The Sight of God’s glory by the Gentiles, Isa. 66:18, 19.

When Christ comes in His glory He will gather all the Gentiles and tongues and they will come and see His glory, Isa. 66:18, cf. Mt. 25:31, 32. The Gentiles who had not heard of His fame or seen His glory will declare His glory among the Gentiles, Isa. 66:19, cf. Mai. 1:11.

5. The affect of the appearance of Jehovah’s glory.

a. On the enemies of Jehovah, Isa. 59:19.

The Gentiles will fear Jehovah’s name or character from the west and His glory from the rising of the sun, i.e. the east, Isa. 59:19.

b. The praise of the Psalmist and the making known of Jehovah’s glory to the sons of Adam, Psa. 145:1,5, 11, 12.

The Psalmist David addresses God in this Psalm. He begins with the exaltation (A. V. ”extol”) of God his King and will bless His name, Psa. 145:1. He will praise His name on account of His greatness, Psa. 145:2, 3. He will meditate (A. V. ”speak”) upon the
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splendor47 of the glory (A. V. ”glorious honour”) of His majesty and wondrous works, Psa. 145:5. David is familiar with Jehovah’s glory as He has seen it in the tabernacle across the street from his palace. He will sit back and mull it over. All of Jehovah’s saints (verse 10) will proceed to speak of the glory of Jehovah’s kingdom and will proceed to tell of His might, Psa. 145:11. This will be the theme of saints in the Millennium when Christ, the King, returns. They will make known Jehovah’s mighty acts and the glory of the splendor (cf. above) His kingdom, Psa. 145:12. David is anticipating the time when Jehovah sets up His kingdom here on earth and the response of saints in making known His glory, majesty and might.

CONCLUSION:

Just what is God’s ultimate purpose? God’s purpose is seen in the manifestation of His glory. He has manifested His glory in the heavens above and throughout His creation by natural revelation. God’s glory is His opinion of Himself. Sometimes He revealed that glory in a very visible way that manifested His opinion of Himself. It was seen in brightness and splendor when it was made visible throughout the Old Testament. His glory is eternal. His glory is perpetual as it is seen in His garment of light. His glory has always been in that it is eternal and it will always be since it is eternal. We have seen that it is often expressed that God’s glory is into the ages from the ages. It will continue throughout the ages of eternity future. His glory is great. It has never changed and never will change. God cannot lose any of His glory, nor will His glory increase in any way. He is God. He is immutable. The greatness of His glory is seen in that since the creation of the universe it fills the earth. It is also above the earth. His glory extends out into eternity, outside of the realm of time. It is above the heavens.

God has manifested His glory by the creation. His glory is seen by all people on the earth. It is heard in the thunder, representing His judgment. The heavens continue telling the glory of God. Everyone under the sun sees His glory in the creation. His power and Godhood are seen in His creation. But God did allow Ezekiel in a vision to catch a glimpse of the glory in all of its brightness. It had the dazzling sparkle the color of precious stones and the brightness of fire and had the appearance of a rainbow. Whenever men were given a glimpse of the shekinah glory of God, they fell upon their faces. Moses had the most unique experience in that God allowed him to get a glimpse of the backside of His glory. Man could not look on the full glory of God and live. To see God was to see light for God covers Himself with light as with a garment. The glory was in the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem where it had been since it entered the Temple at its dedication under Solomon. There was a brightness because the preincarnate Son of God dwelt there between the cherubim.

In the Old Testament men glorified God by speaking of Him. Men were instructed to give glory to God. In doing so they gave Him His full weight. They, in effect, gave His opinion back to Him. Their giving glory to God was often accompanied by praise and worship as they gave God’s worth back to Him. They were to glorify God and none other. He was Jehovah and they were not to give His glory to another, i.e. to other gods

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”Honour” is the Hebrew word inn (harar) means ornament, splendor, honor, cf. B. D. B., pg. 214.
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as in idols. He would not give His glory to another. It is His glory and He alone is worthy of it. The Jewish nation often failed Him and worshipped idols and gave glory to them. As a result God often sent judgment to them to bring them back to Him.

God’s glory was manifested in different ways. Adam was created in the image and glory of God. He and Eve were stripped of the image and glory of God as their garment of light was lost in the fall. Early in the race, though men knew God, they didn’t glorify Him as God. They worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator. The Israelites saw the glory in the wilderness and saw their deliverance by God and yet they often murmured against Moses and Aaron and in reality against God. When they began to murmur, God would appear in the cloud of glory. This was the cloud of glory that hid Moses on Mount Sinai at the giving of the Law. God showed the Israelites His greatness and glory on the mountain. The glory was later manifested at the completion of the Tabernacle and filled the tent so that Moses couldn’t enter. The glory appeared also at the first offering of sacrifices and devoured the sacrifices. Now in the days of Eli the priest, the Ark of the Covenant and the glory was gone for seven months. Eli’s daughterin-law on her death bed at the birth of her son named him ”Ichabod,” i.e. ”the glory has departed.” But the Ark and the glory were returned to Israel and eventually David took it up to Jerusalem where it resided in a tent David put up for it across from the palace. David recognized that God was there in the tent and had seen His glory there in the Holy Place. If the glory was to remain it was incumbent upon the Israelites to obey God. The glory was manifested again at the dedication of the Temple just as it had been at the dedication of the Tabernacle. The glory once again devoured the sacrifices. The glory now filled a more permanent structure, the Temple. These events caused the people to fall on their faces and worship God. Both humans and unfallen spirit beings were called upon to give glory to God. All the peoples and families of the earth were called upon to give glory to the God of Israel. The sons of Israel had the glory in their presence for many years. Throughout those years there were some good kings and some bad kings. It ended up that the people were led away from their worship of God to the worship of idols.

As a result of their repeated idolatry, the Israelites were taken away into captivity. The Northern tribes first and then the Southern tribes. Just prior to the captivity of Judah, Ezekiel in his vision saw the glory depart from the Temple, from the city and away from Israel. The glory had previously been shown to him on the banks of the River Chebar and later in the plain. Then later on he saw its departure. God and His manifest glory departed from the Temple and away from Israel. The glory was gone from Israel for close to 600 years. However the glory was to return in the future.

At the end of Ezekiel, he saw in a vision the glory returning as it had left to settle in the Holy of Holies of a new Temple, i.e. the Millennial Temple. Jehovah would return in the future and His glory would once again fill the Temple but this time it will be the Millennial Temple. Ezekiel saw the glory coming back from the East and entering through the eastern gate and into the temple where the temple was filled with God’s glory. This is yet to come when Jehovah’s glory will fill the earth and His presence will be known upon the earth. His glory will be seen by all mankind, even among the
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Gentiles. His glory will rest in Zion. It will cause fear among unbelievers at that time but will bring praise from believers. The glory will return and be manifest in the future as it was in the Old Testament but its return will involve the coming of a man, the Godman.

Before the glory returns to settle in the Holy of Holies and to fill the earth, the glory will return in a different manner. It will not be seen in brightness but in the character and works performed by Jehovah here on earth as the Second Person becomes the incarnate Son of God, the Son of Man, the God-man. Glory will take on a different form but will still be a manifestation of God’s opinion. His ultimate purpose will be fulfilled in a different way. This is our the theme of the next part in our study in Part Two.

”To God is the glory, great things He hath done.”