"And The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we gazed upon His glory as of the only begotten of The Father,) full of grace and truth." [Jn 1:14]

In the New Covenant, the beholding of God’s glory is a privilege we get to enjoy. It is something that is possible through Jesus. Paul tells us, speaking about how the Children of Israel are veiled from the reality of Christ in the Old Testament scriptures, “nevertheless, when a man shall turn to The Lord, the veil shall be taken away.” [2 cor 3:16] The veil that prevents Israel in large part from seeing Christ is a spiritual veil; a veil which is taken away when one turns to God (and not to the law!). Paul then says later, in contrast to Israel, “but we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of The Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of The LORD.” [2 Cor 3:18] It is through this unveiling of the heart, this illumination of the heart, that we can see God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ. For Paul says again, “because it is God having said, from out of darkness light will shine, who hath shined in our hearts, to give illumination of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” [2 Cor 4:6] We see then that it is through God’s illumination, through The Spirit of God entering our hearts, (for “where The Spirit of The Lord is, there is liberty” [2 Cor 3:17]), that we are unveiled and thus free to view God’s glory in Jesus Christ.

This reality is distinctly different from the Old Covenant, even as Paul points out in the context of the above-referenced verses. Remember what The LORD commanded in Exodus by Mount Sinai. It is written, “and The LORD said unto Moses, go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto The LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.” [Ex 19:21] In the Old Covenant, when God appeared on the mount, it was forbidden except by those elected, mainly Moses, from approaching God and gazing upon Him. This was strictly forbidden. Though Israel had seen, and would see, the cloud of God’s glory and the fire of His glory, yet there was still limits, and no one could freely approach God in this glorious form, without dying. For it was said that “if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart.” [Heb 12:20] Compare this with our verse for today, where John plainly states regarding Jesus, “we gazed upon His glory.” Yes, they gazed upon the very glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, and we may do the same.

This privilege is given to those who are under the New Covenant. That veil is removed, and we are given the special ability to gaze upon God’s glory. And in stark contrast to the Old Covenant, we are not forbidden; no, but on the contrary, we are encouraged. For Jesus prays to The Father, “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.” [Jn 17:24] Jesus desires us to do this; it is something that God wants us to do!

So then, with such beauty to behold, let us gaze upon His glory by searching it out in the scriptures; for it is through the life of Jesus on earth and the reality of Jesus’ character revealed therein where we see God’s glory as in a mirror as Paul said. Like David, may our desire be that we “may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of [our] life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to look upon [Him] in his temple.” [Psa 27:4]

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