... and the glory, forever,

       The term "glory" is commonplace. We speak of a "glorious" sunset, a "glorious" morning. How many synonyms can you think of for "glory"? You might think of magnificent, beautiful, awesome, fine, sumptuous; of great praise and honor; of renown; a source of pride and joy; radiant beauty, brightness, splendor, brilliant, lovely, superb, excellent, great, super, terrific, bright, or perfect. Holy, righteous, hallowed, to be praised—how many expressions are there?

        Shakespeare spoke of the "glorious planet sol," referring to the sun. Something having glory is that which deserves fame, something of such magnificence that it virtually defies description.

        Christ wants us to understand and appreciate the splendid magnificence of His heavenly Father; to understand that nothing on this earth—be it gold, silver or precious metals, the finest and rarest of diamonds, rubies and emeralds, the finest works of art, the most glorious sunsets or breathtaking scenery in nature—can compare with the awesome, stunning glory of God. Have you ever heard of religious people who speak of "glory"? Often, charismatics equate glory with "exultation," or "joy." During a particularly enjoyable charismatic meeting, one may be heard repeating, "Glory, glory, glory, glory... until the sound loses all meaning to both the speaker and the listener. As a commonly-used religious expression, the term has become synonymous with "good," or "praise." One might say, "Well, glory be!" as a happy exclamation. Of course, we're familiar with morning glories—the flowers—and who hasn't known at least one girl named "Gloria?" But none of these meanings were intended by Christ in the outline for prayer, as we shall see.

        I well remember an occurrence which illustrates a common misapplication of the term. Two friends of mine were conducting a tour, visiting and baptizing those who had written to the church requesting water baptism. Baptism was by immersion, just as practiced by Baptists, and many others. During one outdoor baptismal ceremony, the two men were standing hip deep in a small farm pond with a beaming, happy, black farmer's wife who had just been baptized. As they turned to wade back to shore, a pickup truck slid to a stop in a cloud of dust, a man jumped out with a shotgun, and shouted to his wife in alarm. Obviously, she hadn't told him of the event, thinking he would be away. He thought, for his part, that someone was trying to drown his wife. All he saw was two white strangers standing in the middle of his pond, dripping wet, with his wife between them. Seeing his anxiety, frightened over possible consequences, she happily shouted, waving both hands exultantly in the air, "It's all right, honey! These men is from the church, and I is in my glory"!

        It's a common expression. "She is in her glory," someone might say, referring to a debutante at a ball, or a bride at a wedding. I have related the true story about the farmer's wife many times, and it never fails to bring a chuckle from the audience.

        From time immemorial, men have attempted to depict the glories of God. The ceiling of the Cistine Chapel in the Vatican is a well-known example, with the magnificent painting by Michelangelo of the fantasized scene of The Creation. How many thousands of fine Belgian tapestries, beautiful paintings, frescoes, friezes, icons and sculptures are there which attempt to inspire concepts of the creation, or great religious events; of angels, Mary, Christ and God?

        We all know western art traces its origins to religious works; attempts to convey to the mind of man the splendor of God; of creation, of the birth of Christ; His passion; His resurrection; imaginary concepts of heaven.

        All of us enjoy gazing upon things which are inspiring, pleasing to the eye. Who cannot be moved by the spectacular scene of breakers crashing upon the rocks of a rugged seashore, the spray flung high into the air? Who is not inspired by fabulous landscapes; scenes of our National Parks like Yellowstone and Old Faithful; Yosemite; Mount Rushmore?

        For millennia the pastime, and sometimes the business, of the very rich has been to collect breathtaking works of art; porcelain, glass; sculptures of marble and bronze; tapestries, works of gold and silver; jewelry, inlaid, skillfully-made furniture, intricate, hand-made instruments such as an Amati or a Stradivarius violin. There is something deeply satisfying, rewarding, inspiring, about being surrounded by things of fabulous quality; of breathtaking beauty.

        The finest material things are made by the skilled hands of master craftsmen. We gasp in amazement at the intricately-carved ivory and jade of Chinese artists; at the minute stitchings of the finest Belgian lace; at a landscape by Bierstadt, or the stained glass windows of Notre Dame. I well remember a Louis XIV harpsichord owned by a multimillionaire in Pasadena, California. The inside of the lid featured a magnificent hand painted scene of stylishly-dressed men and ladies of the King's court; the case of the instrument was of the finest rare woods, bordered in gold. Such treasures are beyond price. Have you ever looked in awe at the British Crown Jewels in the Tower of London? Is anything more beautiful than the huge goose-egg sized diamonds in the crown, and the scepter?

        Yet, for all the loveliness of man-made or man-shaped things, what can surpass the things we behold in nature itself.? What can compare with the sight of a tiny ruby-throated hummingbird, hovering effortlessly over a bright red hibiscus, sipping of the nectar? I remember the story about a multi-millionaire owner of some of the big casino hotels in Las Vegas and South Lake Tahoe who, his fortune made, purchased a remote lodge in the most inaccessible part of the western mountains. He had to be flown in to the ranch in a small airplane, equipped with "STOL" (Short Take-off and Landing) equipment. There, he basked in the beauty of nature; fished for trout, observed the deer and elk which grazed in nearby meadows. There, he found peace—surrounded, not by the tapestries, objects of art, paintings and expensive furniture of his grand hotels or many mansions—but by God's creation.

        I have seen some of the most beautiful man-made buildings, works of art, jewelry: I have visited Versailles; The Vatican, with its famous museum and the huge, awe-inspiring basilica of St. Peters. Il Duomo in Milano is very impressive, as are the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace in London; the Louvre, El Escorial, and the Taj Mahal. I have been inside Notre Dame, in Paris, a number of times. I have seen the palaces of kings; been inside many beautiful mansions, chateaus, country homes of the super-rich. As a guest of Princess Lillian of Belgium, the second wife of King Leopold, I stayed in their lovely chateau at Hinteriss, in the Austrian Alps just over the Bavarian border from Bad Tolz. The structure was an exact replica of centuries-old Tyrolian mountain homes; constructed without the use of a single nail. It was situated alongside a rushing river, surrounded by soaring peaks. The royal family of Belgium enjoyed their many visits there, in a family-owned game preserve about the size of Yosemite National Park. It was, in every sense of the word as we commonly use it, glorious.

        And yet, what can compare with the glories of the sun; of the solar system; of the universe? Remember the description of the sun's awesome power in the preceding chapter? Such splendor pales into insignificance the little things created by the hand of man. Just as we acknowledge that God has all power; that He is able to intervene in our lives, when we become obedient to Him, when we go to Him as His own little children with our requests; so Christ wants us to acknowledge His great glory.

        The apostle Paul wrote of the glories of the universe; of earthly and celestial bodies. He said, "There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body ... As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, [die] but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (I Corinthians 15:40-52).

        What a striking passage! Can we begin to comprehend it? Can we take it all in? God tells us we can actually become changed from human to divine, from flesh to spirit, from mortal to immortal, from earthy to heavenly. From a physical, mundane, temporal, fleshly body with our worries and concerns; our aches and pains, our physical debilities and limitations, we can become glorious, godly, spirit beings—inducted into the divine family of God-born into His glorious Kingdom!

        It is always nice when a friend says, "My, you're looking well!" Or, when someone comments on our physical appearance—complimenting us by saying we look younger than our years, or saying our skin seems to have such a healthy glow. All of us want to look well; to exude vitality, energy, well-being, health; to appear robust. But what a contrast between our frail human bodies and the glorious picture Paul gives of the resurrection! What if our bodies suddenly took on the shine of a billion diamonds, of burnished gold, of translucent pearls and onyx, of the dazzling brightness of the sun? That is what Paul said the resurrection is like!

        As Isaiah wrote, "He giveth power to the faint: and to them that have no might He increaseth strength ... they that wait upon the Eternal shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. " And to the dead God will say, "Arise! Shine! for thy Light is come, and the glory of the Eternal is risen upon thee!" (Isaiah 40:29-3 1; 60:1).

        The Bible tells us men have been perennially curious about the glory of God. They have wanted to see His splendor. However, Christ said, "Ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape" (John 5:37). He also said, "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven" (John 3:13).

        When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, Moses was overcome by curiosity. After many encounters with this Divine Being, Moses could no longer contain himself. In a touching account, we read of how God understood, and partly relented, to satisfy a little of Moses' acute longing.

        "And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord [Yahveh] talked with Moses.

        "And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man at his tent door.

        "And the Eternal spake unto Moses face to face [in a cloud—not literally; Moses could not see His face, as is proved in the context] as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp; but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

        "And Moses said unto the Eternal, 'See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.

        " 'Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way that I might know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.'

        "And He said, 'My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.' And he said unto Him, 'If thy presence go not with me, carry us up not hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? Is it not in that thou goest with us? So shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are on the face of the earth.'

        "And the Eternal said unto Moses, 'I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.' And he said, 'I beseech thee, shew me thy glory'!

        "And He said, 'I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Eternal before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.'

        "And He said, 'Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.'

        "And the Eternal said, 'Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 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'" (Exodus 33:9-23).

        What an inspiring account! Can you imagine it? Moses actually beheld the back of God Almighty! God would not allow Moses to see His face; but He understood, and tried to satisfy insofar as He could, Moses burning curiosity. It is a touching story, this interrelationship between God and His prophet Moses, a man unique among all other human beings, a man to whom God spoke "face to face," out of a cloud, as if "to a friend."

        When Christ was about to be crucified, He prayed the real "Lord's Prayer." This is not an outline for prayer, as is the case with the words we have been studying, but the prayer Jesus prayed just before He was led away to be killed. Toward its conclusion, Jesus prayed,

        "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they may all be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

        "And the glory which thou gavest me have I given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

        "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 lovest me before the foundation of the world" (John 17:20-24).

        Have you ever wanted to share some accomplishment, some ability, some performance, with a dear friend? Does an artist paint rare masterpieces only to be stored in the closet? Does a superb athlete perform only for the physical exercise? Does an operatic quality singer perform only in the shower?

        How well I remember learning to swim, as a boy. My parents had been away, and I was spending the summer at my grandmother's farm. When they left me there, I was unable to swim. When they came to pick me up, I was swimming, diving, enjoying outings in the Molalla River, in Oregon. I well remember my frustration when, piping shrilly to my parents to watch my new accomplishment, they seemed preoccupied. I called, "Look Mom! Look Dad! I can swim!" whereupon I dove through a big truck inner-tube, to come to the surface only to find my parents were engrossed in conversation with my uncle and grandmother on the shore. How badly I wanted to show off my newfound ability. It's a common human desire. I find it very touching that Jesus Christ prayed to His Father that He could ultimately show His disciples His great glory He had shared with the Father from eternity; that He wanted them to really see Him, as He really is, in all the splendor of His Kingly office!

        The Bible pictures Christ in His glorified state in metaphorical language. In the first chapter of Revelation, John describes how he was given a vivid vision of events to occur during the famous "Day of the Lord" of prophecy. He wrote, "I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, 'I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, what thou seest, write in a book,'...And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks One like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

        His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters.

        "And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

        "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His hand upon me, saying unto me, 'Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell [Greek: hades, meaning "the grave"] and of death. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter'"(Revelation 1: 10-19).

        Can our minds picture such a radiant vision of glory and splendor? Christ appeared as if His face shone with the full strength of the sun; His eyes like leaping flames of fire; His head as white as snow; His feet as burnished brass. When He spoke, John thought His voice was as powerful as the roar at the foot of Niagra Falls. No wonder the vision was so overpowering, so awesome and magnificent that John fell down in a faint!

        There is no more detailed picture in all the Bible of God's throne than that of Revelation the 4th chapter. Let's notice what it tells us. "After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, 'Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.'

        "And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.

        "And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine [sardonyx] stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

        "And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

        "And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

        "And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne were four beasts [Greek: "living creatures"] full of eyes before and behind.

        "And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature was like a calf [an ox], and the third living creature had the face of a man, and the fourth living creature was like an eagle.

        "And the four living creatures had each of them six wings about him: and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying 'Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.'

        "And when those living creatures give praise and honor and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 'For thou art worthy, OLord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure [will] they are and were created" (Revelation 4th chapter).

        The Bible reveals that cherubs, far from appearing as naked babies with bows and arrows, appear as a lion, an ox, an eagle, or a man. Study the apparition of God's throne which appeared to Ezekiel (Ezekiel I and 10), how each creature had the four faces of a man, a lion, an eagle, or an ox. God placed two cherubim to guard the way to the tree of life after the expulsion of Adam. Remember, Adam lived almost one-sixth of earth's recorded history until now. The garden was no doubt there until destroyed by the flood of Noah's time, about ten centuries later.

        Cherubim are pictured in the ancient monuments. In the British Museum and the Louvre are casts of the huge creatures carved from solid stone guarding the palaces of ancient Babylonian and Assyrian kings such as Sargon and Asherbannipal. Each features the huge bodies of lions or oxen, with the heads of men, wings of an eagle, and hooves of an ox or claws of an eagle. Various representations of these four creatures are found throughout the ancient Middle East. The Sphinx is a case in point, as are many other representatives of "the host of heaven" in ancient art and monuments.

        From whence came the fabulous myths of the dragon (or the giant, or the beast) who guards castles filled with treasures—the fable of St. George and the Dragon, for example—but from the oft-told stories handed down through the generations of those intrepid adventurers hundreds of years after Adam's expulsion who ventured too close to the entry of Eden, and were repulsed? The Mexican aboriginals, the Aztecs and other races, worshiped a "winged flying serpent" they called Quetzalcoatl. Quetzal means flying creature, or bird; coatl means serpent. The Hebrew word for "serpent" in the account of the Garden of Eden is nachash which means, not so much a snake, as an upright, serpentine-like creature with wings, like an artists conception of a dragon. Satan is called a "dragon" in Revelation 12:9. He was called "the cherub that covereth" (Ezekiel 28:14) when in his pre-Satanic state, as "Lucifer," or "Light Bringer." As such, he was in close relationship with God's throne. Cherubim appear to have four wings (as in Ezekiel 1), while seraphim (Isaiah 6) have six. Why the living creatures surrounding God's throne in Revelation 4 have six wings, yet seem to evince the characteristics of cherubim, which usually have four, is puzzling. Perhaps they are cherubim of a different order which are not otherwise mentioned in the Bible. In any event, they are huge, powerful, spiritual creatures, after which families of fleshly creatures are patterned.

        The cherubim surrounding God's throne evince the characteristics of the four creatures supreme in their own domain: the eagle, as king of all flying creatures; the ox, as largest, most versatile and useful of all domestic animals; the lion, as king of beasts, and emblem of many nations; and man, under whose hands God has placed all other creatures.

        Can our minds imagine it? We see the brilliance of a rainbow shining with bright, emerald-like hues, behind which are rolling clouds, lightning and thunder flashing and roaring. A dazzling throne with the brightness of several suns radiates from beneath the rainbow, upon which God is seated. A translucent, sparkling, clear, quartz-like "sea of glass" or large floor stretches toward the throne. Seated on each side are twelve (twenty-four in all) white-haired sages, or elders, wearing dazzling garments white as snow, their heads adorned with sparkling golden crowns. Guarding the throne are four huge cherubim, each with four different faces (hence, many "eyes"). Billions of angels are there; heavenly choruses singing, the elders fall to their faces, casting their crowns at the feet of Him that sits on the throne, and sing honor and praise and glory to Him. Such a breathtaking spectacle is simply too magnificent, too bright, too beautiful and overwhelming to imagine! Such is the GLORY of Almighty God!

        To most of us, God is somehow remote, distant, unseen. Only by drinking in of these glorious scenes, thinking deeply about them, meditating profoundly over what we have read, can we begin to envision the magnificent glory and power of God. What a difference it makes when we talk to God in a personal sense-directing our prayers to Him seated on His glorious throne, and not just some figment of our own imagination.

        Jesus Christ prayed fervently that His disciples and "those that should believe on Him through their word, " which includes us, you and me, could some day see His glory! For now, we must be content to envision it as the Bible portrays it. Yet, the time is coming, God says, when "We shall be like Him, for we shall SEE HIM AS HE IS !" (I John 3:2). Paul said so! When we are resurrected, or physically changed, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," we shall inherit God's own glory! Then, our visage will no longer be mottled flesh. No more aches and pains. No more tears. No more physical limitations, sickness, debility. Then, boundless energy! Endless youth! Limitless vitality! Eternal life! And glory, beyond our ability to imagine! Yes, we must acknowledge God's great glory when we address Him in our prayers. God loves our praise—He returns our love, many times over. So pray to Him, as Christ outlined we should. Pray in faith, believing!