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THIS Glory has a twofold meaning in the inspired Scriptures.  First: It designates the One living and true God, the only object of all true religious worship.  In Exod. 19.20, it is said—“And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mount.”  And in chapter 24.16—“And the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days; and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.”  One of the meanings of “the glory of the Lord,” in the latter of which texts is “the Lord” in the former.  Again: in Isaiah 43.7, we read—“Every one that is called by name: for I have created him for ‘my glory.’  I have formed him; yea, I have made him;” where ‘my glory’ corresponds with ‘myself,’ in verse 21—‘This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise.”  Accordingly the apostle, intimating the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, says—“For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him and ‘for him.’” (Col. 1.16.)  And in writing to the Hebrews, Epistle, chap. 1.3—“Who, being the brightness of his ‘glory,’ and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by ‘himself’ purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”  And further, that the two expressions are synonymous will appear by comparing such passages as these—“And the cloud of the ‘Lord’ was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.  And it came to pass when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, ‘Lord,’ and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.  And when it rested, he said, {302} Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel.” (Numb. 10.34-36.)  “The Lord will go before you, and the ‘God’ of Israel will be your rereward.” (Is. 52.12.)  “‘The glory of the Lord’ shall be thy rereward.” (Is. 58.8.)

Whence this glory, in such passages, belongs to God, and accordingly is independent of the creature, even as the ultimate end of its existence, but describes essentially the Divine nature.  And thus, we read—“The Lord hath made all things for himself.” (Prov. 16.4.)  “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Rev. 4.11.)  But, Secondly, and most frequently, This glory is put for the manifestation of the Divine Being, and Perfections, and Purposes, in the works of creation and providence, which is made by the GREAT FIRST CAUSE and LAST END of being.  Moses prayed that he might see this glory when he said, “I beseech thee, show me thy glory.” (Exod. 33.18.)  But the answer from on high came to him—“Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me and live.” (Verse 20.)  The man of God, notwithstanding, was allowed to behold a limited degree of this manifestation, as appears from verses 22, 23: “And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift 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.”  As the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance, so Moses himself was not enabled to see the glory of God which should be displayed thereafter.  Such an endowment was reserved for believers in the Gospel times.  “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor. 4.6.)

In his dying speech and declaration, the proto-martyr Stephen said to the Jews—“Men, brethren, and fathers, the God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran.” (Acts 7.2.)  And to God, so entitled, he ascribed the calling and disposal of the children of Israel, and offered Divine worship, while he beheld a heavenly vision; clearly recognising the Divine Being, omniscience, omnipresence, sovereignty, supreme authority, infinite power, and goodness and mercy.  The title “God of glory” stands in Psalm 29.3: “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God (El) of glory thundereth; the Lord (Jehovah) is upon many waters.”  The inspired writer, David, here addressing the sons of the mighty, counsels them to give—that is, to ascribe—unto the Lord, glory and strength; also the glory due unto his name that is, to all that whereby He makes himself known; and to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; thus to offer Divine homage to Him for the manifestations which He makes of his Being, and perfections, {303} and will, and righteous moral government.  The psalmist, next, in the use of a figure of speech, compares to thunder, the most sublime of sounds in the world of nature, the voice of the Lord, who effects with infinite power and majesty what he commands.

In Psalm 96.7-9, there is addressed to all a command similar to that enjoined upon the mighty in Psalm 29.1,2—“Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.  Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.  O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; fear before him all the earth.”  In the course of which psalm, also, all the earth are commanded to sing unto the Lord a new song; to bless his name; to show forth his salvation day by day; to declare his glory among the heathens, his wonders among all people.  And reasons for this worship are given: “The Lord is great, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the nations are idols; but the Lord made the heavens.  Honour and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.” (Verses 4-6.)  And after His infinite greatness and creative acts are thus celebrated, his dominion, his righteous moral government, and just judgment, are revealed as the grounds of praise.

In Psalm 19.1, it is said—“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handy-work.”  Also, in Psalm 24.1—“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”  And He who receives this homage is the Lord of hosts, called in this Psalm, five times, the King of glory.  And his right of possession in the earth arises from the work of creation.  “In his hand are the deep places of the earth; the strength of the hills is his also.  The sea is his, and he made it; and his hands formed the dry land.“ (Psalm 95.4,5.)  The glory celebrated, therefore, is the manifestation of the attributes of the Eternal, which was made in the work of creation.  Without multiplying texts, it may be added that in one passage both the meanings of this ‘glory’ are found.  In John 17.5, the Redeemer makes intercession thus:—“And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”  This glory was the glory of God; but no manifestation of God to a creature, because no creature existed to behold any such display.  Accordingly this glory is descriptive of the infinite and unchangeable excellences of the Godhead, undivided, subsisting from eternity in the person of the Father, the person of the Son, and, according to the expression, “the Spirit of ‘glory’ and of ‘God’” (1 Pet. 4.14) the person of the Holy Ghost.  Neither to the Father, nor the Son, nor the Holy Spirit, could this glory be communicated, seeing it belonged to the Godhead, necessarily, from everlasting.  But the human nature of the Mediator could be glorified.  And that it should be so, he makes intercession here.  But the glory communicated to that nature is {304} not the essential glory of God, for that is incommunicable.  It means, therefore, the manifestation of that glory, in the highest degree, and which is made only to the human nature of the exalted Redeemer, on the throne of the Universe.  And this is the second of the two acceptations of the word ‘glory.’ But because of the unity of the person of Christ, where his human nature was glorified, He himself was said to be glorified.  And such was the lofty subject that engaged the investigations of the prophets of old; and which things the angels desired to look into.” (1 Pet. 1.11,12.)

The glory of God being then revealed, we are called to meditate with admiration and wonder, and adoring awe, on Him who said, “I am the Lord; that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another.” (Is. 42.8.)

And He who manifests his glory, shining forth, enjoins by the display, obedience to his holy will.

Further, true believers are encouraged to use the means, and seek to enjoy the blessedness of being changed into His image from glory to glory.  The wicked, also, should take care lest because of impenitence, the wrath of God should burst forth upon them, as the effulgence of this glory did upon the sinners in the wilderness—a precursor of final ruin.

And, O! how ought the members of the body of Christ, in the exercise of the graces of the Holy Spirit, to seek to be made meet for the glory dispensed by Him, their glorified head, who said—“And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one.”  And whose intercession on their behalf was—“Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17.22,24.)