Manifest Glory of God
Ever since the “word became flesh,” the glory and knowledge of God are found in Jesus by everyone who believes – John 1:14.
During her sojourn in the wilderness, the nation of Israel carried
the “tent of meeting,” the Tabernacle, wherever she went. That was where Yahweh visited His people through their priestly representatives, the
temporary dwelling place where His presence was occasionally seen, though access
was limited and sometimes rather fleeting.
MOSES AND THE TABERNACLE
Only Moses on one occasion was privileged to behold the presence
of God, but he only saw Yahweh’s “backside.” Apparently, full exposure
to the Divine glory would have ended the Great Lawgiver’s life then and there - (Exodus 33:17-23, 34:1-6).
The Tabernacle was always a temporary structure, and its various
functions foreshadowed the True and Greater Tabernacle to come. And, as John confirms,
that “tabernacle” is none other than Jesus Christ, the “word made
flesh.” In fact, John applies the verbal form of the Greek word for “tent,”
meaning that in His Son God now “tabernacles” among His sons and daughters.
In him, all believers behold the glory of God and experience the
Divine presence. Access to Him is no longer confined by the physical walls of the
Temple or Tabernacle, nor is it limited to the geographic boundaries of the
land of Canaan or the city of Jerusalem– (John 1:14).
Both the ancient Tabernacle and the Jerusalem Temple foreshadowed
the greater reality that is found in Jesus now and forevermore. In Him, the Father
is seen and revealed, and apart from him, there is no accurate knowledge of
God.
Thus, every man or woman who believes the words of Jesus “will see the glory of God.” The Son of God is the “way, truth, and life, and no one comes to the Father except through him” – (John 11:40, 14:6).
ONLY IN JESUS
The Father can only be known in His Son. Anyone who knows Jesus
also knows his Father and “has seen Him.” The man or woman who beholds
him “beholds Him who sent me.” No one can experience the presence and
knowledge of God apart from the “word made flesh,” the only place where God’s
“glory” is manifested openly to all men who believe in Jesus Christ – (John
12:45, 17:24).
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| [Photo by Daniele Franchi on Unsplash] |
When Philip asked Christ to reveal the Father, the Messiah of Israel responded, “he that has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, Show us the Father?” Had he not declared earlier that “He that believes on me believes not on me, but on him, that sent me”– (John 2:44, 14:7-9):
Thus, in Jesus, the glory of God is revealed both now and
forevermore. Unlike Moses and the Tabernacle in the wilderness, believers behold
God’s full glory in His Son, not just His “backside” but the full
presence of Yahweh.
Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God. And though John maintains
the distinction between Jesus and his Father, they speak and act as one. Jesus
only declares the words he first hears from his Father, and the glory that he manifests
is the Father’s own glory; therefore, Christ declares that “he who has seen
me has seen my Father!”
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