A Glimpse of Glory

A glimpse of Glory is to see heavenly things, God or His throne.  In the Bible, there are many references or accounts of the glory of God.  Today, we will be taken up in the spirit and revisit the Bible’s accounts of the glory of God.   The first account is taken from the prophet Ezekiel. This is the account of Ezekiel in chapter 1. “On July 31 of my thirtieth year, while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. This happened during the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity”.

The Lord gave this message to Ezekiel son of Buzi, a priest, beside the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians, and he felt the hand of the Lord take hold of him. Ezekiel continued “As I looked, I saw a great storm coming from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light. There was a fire inside the cloud, and in the middle of the fire glowed something like gleaming amber. From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human, except that each had four faces and four wings.  Their legs were straight, and their feet had hooves like those of a calf and shone like burnished bronze. Under each of their four wings, I could see human hands. So each of the four beings had four faces and four wings.  The wings of each living being touched the wings of the beings beside it. Each one moved straight forward in any direction without turning around.”

“Each had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back. Each had two pairs of outstretched wings—one pair stretched out to touch the wings of the living beings on either side of it, and the other pair covered its body.  They went in whatever direction the spirit chose, and they moved straight forward in any direction without turning around.”

“The living beings looked like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches, and lightning seemed to flashback and forth among them. And the living beings darted to and fro like flashes of lightning.  As I looked at these beings, I saw four wheels touching the ground beside them, one wheel belonging to each.  The wheels sparkled as if made of beryl. All four wheels looked alike and were made the same; each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it.  The beings could move in any of the four directions they faced, without turning as they moved.  The rims of the four wheels were tall and frightening, and they were covered with eyes all around.”

“When the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. When they flew upward, the wheels went up, too. The spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. So wherever the spirit went, the wheels and the living beings also went. When the beings moved, the wheels moved. When the beings stopped, the wheels stopped. When the beings flew upward, the wheels rose up, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.”

“Spread out above them was a surface like a sky, glittering like crystal.  Beneath this surface, the wings of each living being stretched out to touch the others’ wings, and each had two wings covering its body.  As they flew, their wings sounded to me like waves crashing against the shore or like the voice of the Almighty or like the shouting of a mighty army. When they stopped, they let down their wings.  As they stood with wings lowered, a voice spoke from beyond the crystal surface above them.”

“Above this surface was something that looked like a throne made of blue lapis lazuli. And on this throne high above was a figure whose appearance resembled a man.  From what appeared to be his waist up, he looked like gleaming amber, flickering like a fire. And from his waist down, he looked like a burning flame, shining with splendor.  All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me.”

Ezekiel had a glimpse of the glory and that was his account.  John also had a glimpse of glory as recorded in Revelation 4. Here is John’s account: “Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.’  And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it.  The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God. In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal.”

“In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front, and back.  The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face, and the fourth was like an eagle in flight.  Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,  ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.’  Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne, the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne–the one who lives forever and ever. And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, ‘you are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power.  For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.’”

John not only saw a glimpse of God’s glory but so did Isaiah. Here is his account taken from chapter 6: “It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!

“The whole earth is filled with his glory!’ Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. Then I said, ‘It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, ‘See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.'”

John again saw the glory that was promised to us. The account of this is recorded in Revelation 21. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.’”

“And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making everything new!’ And then he said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.’ And he also said, ‘It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty, I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.’”

“Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, ‘Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.  It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone-like jasper as clear as crystal. The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. There were three gates on each side—east, north, south, and west.  The walls of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”

“The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick–according to the human standard used by the angel. The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.  The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,  the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.”

“The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass. I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temples. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory.  Its gates will never be closed at the end of days because there is no night there.  And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”

These are some of the accounts of the glory of God and of His throne.  Sometimes it is good to take a glimpse of God’s glory so we can reaffirm and make ready the preparation of what is prepared for us.  Jesus gave us that promise in John 14:1.  He said “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”   God wants you to have eternal life, but only those who believe in Him and keep His commandments will inherit and share in the glory.  Today, you have heard and envision a glimpse of His glory.  Will you decide in your heart to share it with Him?  If you are serious in this commitment, pray!  Pray to God and claim the promise.