The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Pentecostals, with their feet firmly embedded in Old Testament imagery, often talk about the glory of God. The dominant picture is the shekinah glory, the visible presence of God that overshadowed the ark of the covenant. We long for God's glory to be revealed in the church. Surely the revelation of His glory will bring about revival. Any unusual manifestation or experience is viewed as a token of the glory of God, a sign that suggests that maybe God is again revealing himself for every eye to see.
In the Old Testament God could not be seen. He lived in unapproachable light. Only his radiance in blazing light and fire could be apprehended. Exodus recounts how Moses asked to see God's glory. Significantly God's response was to reveal his goodness, proclaiming his name, his mercy and compassion. (Exodus 33:19-20). God's attributes, his nature and character are a self-communication of his glory. The Exodus passage illustrates God desire to reveal himself not simply in His transcendent power but in the fullness of his attributes. Each revelation of his glory is a further revelation of his infinite perfections. Isaiah saw the glory of God and gained a new revelation of God's holiness.
In the New Testament the glory of God is often described in the context of the future. The second coming of Christ will be associated with power and great glory. 'When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.' (Matthew 25:31) For Matthew, Mark and Luke the glory of God remains veiled in Christ awaiting His return. John, however, announces that 'we have seen his glory' (John 1:14). Moses pitched a tabernacle in the wilderness, which God filled with His presence. Now the presence of God has returned and is again dwelling in an earthly tent. The 'Word became flesh' is God's ultimate revelation of Himself. The 'one who came from the Father' did not just embody the occasional flash of grace and truth, he was 'filled with grace and truth'. Glory in John's gospel is not simply a power encounter, nor transport to some mystical realm; it is a fresh unveiling of the nature and character of God especially to those who believe. This is true of the 'signs' in John's gospel. The wedding at Cana 'revealed his glory' (John 2:11) and the disciples believed. The raising of Lazarus from the dead was again a revelation of the glory of God to those who believed. It is especially true of the cross which was the occasion where the Son of man was glorified (John 13:31). At the cross we have the greatest revelation of God's goodness, his compassion and mercy. The one who is light and love and life endures darkness, hatred and death and overcomes. In his conquering love we see the depths of his glory. It is the suffering servant, the one acquainted with grief, the lamb of God who is the radiance of God's glory (Hebrews 1:3). With Moses we gaze upon the glory of God.
We miss the mark if we conceive of the glory of God as some otherworldly manifestation of His presence. His glory is much more than that. It is the horizon of his self-revelation. It is God communicating to us the wonder of his nature. As we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives we also are being transformed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). We reflect his character and so bring glory to him. The glory-less image of God in humanity, defaced by sin, is being restored through Christ. Paradoxically, as it was with Jesus, the glory of God is so often revealed in the midst of afflictions and trials, his power is made perfect in our weakness.
Perhaps the pursuit of the 'glory' is another manifestation of the desire for a 'quick-fix' for all our frailties. Our revivalist heritage hankers for God to show up in transcendent power overcoming all obstacles and sweeping thousands into the Kingdom. Having 'tasted the powers of the coming age' we will never be satisfied until Jesus is finally revealed in unveiled glory. I suspect that until that time we will continue to discover the necessity for the sufficiency of His grace and He will be glorified as we demonstrate His goodness, mercy and compassion to a lost world.