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Introduction
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When our Lord prayed for His own (Jn. 17:1-26) one petition in
particular is very remarkable.
His words were, “Father, that they may behold my glory” (Jn. 17:
24). That is not just something in the future, which is a
perfectly true fact, but it is our blessedness and God’s desire
for us now to be “with open face, beholding as in a glass the
glory of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18). |
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a) |
The scripture relates to a number of men who beheld a little of
the glory of the Lord. |
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i) |
Moses asked the Lord, “Shew me thy glory” to which the Lord
answered, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I
will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee . . . . Thou
canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I
will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with
my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and
thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.”
(Ex. 33:19-23). |
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ii) |
Ezekiel was by the River Chebar when he saw the heavens opened.
With successive unfolding he eventually saw above the firmament
the likeness of a throne and One sat on it. In utter awe he
recorded His musings saying, “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. This was the appearance of the likeness
of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my
face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.” (Ezek. 1:28). |
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iii) |
John with Peter and James saw something of the glory of the Lord
on the mount of transfiguration (Matt. 16:27-17:2). Later
Peter and John independently wrote of that experience. John
wrote, “We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father” (Jn. 1:14), and Peter wrote, “For we have not
followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were
eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father
honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the
excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we
were with him in the holy mount” (2 Pet. 1:16-18). |
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These were experiences none of them would ever forget. |
Meditation
When we muse on the Lord we very
quickly realize that we are
pondering on One who is
inconceivable. He Himself
proclaimed, “No man knoweth who the
Son is, but the Father” (Lk. 10:22),
clearly indicating that no human,
angelic or demonic mind,
irrespective of rank, can fully
grasp the glory of His person.
Throughout life there may be seconds
or even minutes when the Holy Spirit
gives a glimpse of the excellencies
of the Lord, when the glory of His
person breaks upon ones spirit. It
may be His eternality, offices,
qualifications whither for
governmental and religious
responsibilities. He is more than
sufficient to fulfill every office
and work. Well has the hymn-writer
penned the words:
Thou art the everlasting Word,
The Father’s only Son,
God manifestly seen and heard,
And heaven’s beloved One:
Divine, O Son of God, art Thou,
In Thee God’s fulness find we now.
In Thee most perfectly expressed
The Father’s glories shine;
Of the full Deity possessed,
Eternally divine:
Divine, O Son of God, art Thou,
In Thee God’s fulness find we now.
But
the high mysteries of Thy Name
An angel’s grasp transcend;
The Father only, glorious claim!
The Son can comprehend:
Divine, O Son of God, art Thou,
In Thee God’s fulness find we now.
No mortal can fathom the magnitude of our Lord who spans eternity
and through whom every channel of blessing flows uninterruptedly
(Eph. 1:3). His work needs never to be redone for He has finished
it to the entire satisfaction of God, and thereby procured
salvation for the “whosoever”.
He alone is the source and substance of every aspect of divine
truth, the securer for all the purposes of God (2 Cor. 1:20); the
Vanquisher of the Devil and death (Heb. 2:14) and every satanic
assault whither by direct temptation (Matt. 4:1-11) or human
rebelliousness (Rev. 19:11-21; 20:1-2, 7-10). He who was rich and
became poor has wealth geographically (Ex. 19:5) and intellectually
(Col. 2:3). He alone has
the right to assess without peer or deliberation all humanity
judiciously (Jn. 5:22; Rom. 14:9-12; Rev. 19:11-14) and with every
work committed to Him there will be no waning or waxing. The
purposes of God for all history is for Him to be Head of all (Eph.
1:10). All dispensations are
conveyed/moved along by Him
(Heb. 1:2), and all eternal truths are secured by Him (2 Cor. 1:20).
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The musing on His multi glories cause the heart to bow in
worship. |
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a) |
As one looks at the perfection of the blade of grass to the
delicateness and fragrance of a rose, He created them all. From
the tiniest of fairy-flies to the mighty elephant, He organized
and formed every part of their beings. Lifting our eyes from
things terrestrial to things celestial we gaze upon the wonder
of the rings of Saturn or the vastness of the millions of
sparkling galaxies, and He made them all. |
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b) |
However, the greatest work was not that of forming the mighty
universe or the minuscule respiratory system of the fairy-fly,
it was His mighty work at Calvary, His entrance into death and
victorious resurrection. Because of those works, there is no
boundary for salvation to the people of the world. It is for
the whosoever will (Jn. 3:16). Because of His fullness there is
more than sufficient cleansing in His sacrifice for the darkest
of sinners (1 Tim. 2:4). The grace of God knows no limit nor
does His mercy know restrictions to those willing to repent and
take His salvation. |
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c) |
When the Holy Spirit had it written, “For God so loved the
world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn.
3:16), it was to stand like a mighty rock of refuge or a beaming
lighthouse in the midst of a turbulent and stormy sea of
religiosity. Like John, Isaiah could say, “This is Him of whom I
spake” (Jn. 1:15) when he wrote, “Look unto me, and be ye saved,
all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else”
(Isa. 45:22). |
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i) |
Such is the magnitude of His work that no one can ever say,
“There was never sufficient in his work for me”. |
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ii) |
In that work we behold the wisdom of God, His unbounded
compassion, unlimited mercy, and the fulness of forgiving grace. |
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d) |
The heavens declare His creating and sustaining glory, but how
much greater will be the eternal glory which shall arise to Him
when with celestial anthems the redeemed of a thousand
generations raise their voices in praise and sing, “Thou art
worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou
wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made
us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the
earth (Rev. 5:9-10). Then to that number is added one hundred
million (ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of
thousands (Rev. 5:11) who say, “Worthy is the Lamb that was
slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength and
honour, and glory, and blessing” (Rev. 5:12). Then as a mighty
chorus, “every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth,
and under the earth, and such as are in the sea”, in unison
praise saying, “Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be
unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for
ever and ever” (Rev. 5:13). |
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What glories belong to Him who holds the distinguishing titles
of: |
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The great Almighty
Saviour
The Shepherd of God's
Flock
True God and Righteous
Advocate
The Way, my Lord and
Rock. |
Rev. 1:8; Lk. 2:11
Mk. 14:27
1 Jn. 5:20; 1 Jn. 2:1
Jn. 14:6; Acts 7:59; 1 Cor. 10:4 |
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The Gift of God, Last
Adam
Emmanuel, God with us
O Friend of sinners,
Jesus
Blest Bearer of God's
curse. |
2 Cor. 9:15; 1 Cor.
15:45
Isa. 7:14
Matt. 11:19; Matt. 1:21
Gal. 3:13 |
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Arm of the Lord,
Redeemer
Redemption and Righteous
Branch
Plant of Renown and
Prince of Life
Creator of all, not
chance. |
Isa. 53:1; Isa. 59:20
1 Cor. 1:30; Jer. 23:5
Ezek. 34:29; Acts 3:15
Rev. 3:14 |
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The Lamb of God, Great
Shepherd
My Prince of Peace and
rest
Blessed and only
Potentate
Great Lord of the
Harvest. |
Jn. 1:29; Heb. 13:20
Isa. 9:6; Matt. 11:28
1 Tim. 6:15
Matt. 9:38 |
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The Captain of Salvation
First Begotten from the
Dead
Fountain of every
blessing
Of every man, the Head. |
Heb. 2:10
Rev. 1:5
Zech. 13:1
1 Cor. 11:3 |
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Prophet and Root of
David
Righteous Servant,
Branch and Judge
King of the Jews, yea
King of Kings
As man many miles you
trudge. |
Deut.18:15; Rev. 5:5
Isa. 53:11; Jer. 23:5; 2 Tim. 4:8
Matt. 2:2; 1 Tim. 6:15
1 Tim. 2:5 |
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Horn of Salvation, Image
of God
Holy Thing and Great I
Am
Shiloh and Son of the
Father
Typified by Abraham's
Ram. |
Lk. 1:69; Heb. 1:3
Lk. 1:35; Jn. 8:58
Gen. 49:10; 2 Jn. 1:3
Gen. 22:13 |
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The Covert from the
Tempest
True Neighbor and
Defense
The Offerer, Offering
and Altar
Both Myrrh and
Frankincense. |
Isa. 32:2
Lk. 10:36; Psa. 94:22
Heb. 10:12; Eph. 5:2; Heb. 13:10
Ex. 30:23; Ex. 30:34 |
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Well might we sing “O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord” |
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May the Holy Spirit lift our eyes to gaze unashamedly on the
glories of our wonderful Lord. |
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