It is dark and suddenly there appears a dazzling light, shining, a splendor of brilliance, magnificently luminous, overwhelmingly beautiful in it’s radiance, and overpowering in it’s nature.
Not an ordinary source of light but one that has been referred to as “the glory of the Lord”, Shekinah Glory, a visible manifestation of the very presence of God.
Moses witnessed this in his time with the Lord on Mt Sinai and upon returning to his people, his face shone so brightly the people were afraid to come near him and he had to cover his face with a veil. His face reflected the glory of God!
In leading God’s people to the promised land,God provided the glory of the Lord in THE angel of the Lord (preincarnate Christ) in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to give them light, a spectacular light to guide over a million Israelites. (Numbers 1:46 lists 603,550 counting only men over twenty.)
When the Tabernacle was completed the cloud covered the tent of meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the Temple. Exodus 40:34. The cloud covered the Tabernacle by day and the appearance of fire by night. When the cloud moved the people moved, constant protection and guidance from the glory of the Lord.
Over the years God’s people became increasingly disobedient. Israel practiced evil in the sight of the Lord, served the Baals, adopted the gods and goddesses of the pagans until finally there were abominations of pagan rituals being performed in the very temple of God, Ezekiel 8-9. Finally God removed His glory from the Temple. “Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. When the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them.” Ezekiel 10:18-19, “The glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city.” Ezekiel 11:23 (some of the saddest Scripture in the Bible)
The departure of the glory of the Lord would endure for the next 580 years!
The return would be the most spectacular event!! The glory of the Lord returned, Jesus Christ Himself arriving as a tiny baby in Bethlehem!
This magnificent miracle needed a dramatic announcement. So in the dark of night, in the fields just outside Bethlehem, sheep and lambs we’re bleating, baaing, and maaing as they settled for the night. The shepherds watching, guarding them, vigilant in the protection of their livelihood.
Suddenly, the darkness vanished and a brilliant light enveloped them and an angel “stood” before them. Scripture says they were terribly frightened (Luke2:9). In the Greek the connotation is alarmed, terrified, exceedingly fearful and reverent. The glory of the Lord overwhelmed the shepherds, the first witnesses.
After 500 some years the glory of the Lord had returned. How awesome, and the shepherds, some would say the most unlikely, were the witnesses to the miracle. Those who would have thought they should have been honoured by this were not… not the religious establishment , not the Pharisees, not the Sadducees, the chief priests, the scribes, or the elders, and not King Herod.
The greatness of the event increased as the angel spoke to them. “Do not be afraid; for behold I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Saviour who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” Luke 2:10-12
Those shepherds understood “manger” a feeding trough for animals. What must they have thought? But they wouldn’t have much time to process this for suddenly a multitude of angelic celestial beings appeared with the announcing angel praising God and saying (not singing), “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” Luke 2:14-14
The shepherds went in haste and found the baby in the manger. The glory of the Lord had arrived and the shepherds stood before the One who would become The Great Shepherd.
Shepherds whose lives would be forever changed made known what was told them and all who heard it wondered and the shepherds who had witnessed the glory of God went back glorifying and praising God.
The glory of God shines forth with magnificent brilliance still today. In the dark of night or dark times, His presence always illumines.
Hear the announcement, run and find Him, He has the greatest gift imaginable waiting for you.
Bring the Light of the World into your life.
Romans 10:9. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.”
Believe in the God of Glory and you will shine with the glory of God. Now, and for eternity in Heaven.
Image by Layerace on Freepik
Love this!!!! You draw us right into the story of this miraculous, glorious event!!!
So as I read this this morning it made me wonder about the different churches and things now that are doing detestable things in their churches. Whether it’s in the things that they allow in their church, their worship of prior evangelist who have died and the different things that they hold holy or can draw from them by being around their graves – this is just scary. It made me wonder in part thanking about our nation and how we have truly been blessed by God because our government had built everything based upon him and faith in him alone. Now there is so much in our country that goes against God‘s word so you just kind of wonder how much he has left this country to endure now. He has left and given us to our own desires.
But the best part is that his glory comes again and those who believe in him have been marked for eternal salvation so when the time comes and there are gonna be times of destruction and Mayham in this country – those who are marked with God‘s salvation as God’s children will be saved.
This is wonderful!