Manifested Glory

Text:  John 2:11, Exodus 33:13-23

The Prayer of Moses when he talked one to one with God on Mt. Sinai, was “Show me thy Glory…”  At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus said in John 11:40, “if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” I am weary of the mundane, the mediocre, the average and the typical.  I have a desire to experience the glory of God, manifest in this hour, and in this Church.  If God has promised it to anyone in this day that we are living in, then I desire to likewise be a partaker of what glory He would see fit to reveal unto us.

I.  Introduction

The word “manifest” means “to be made known.

The word “glory” appears over 402 times in 371 verses in the Bible.

The word Glory is used to described the splendor and majesty of God’s presence.  It comes from the Hebrew word “kabod” which means “weighty”.

II.  Isaiah saw the glory of God in his vision of the Temple in Isaiah 6:1 

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

2  Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3  And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

4  And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

III. Ezekial saw the glory of God in Ezekial 10:3-5

3  Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.

4  Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’S glory.

5  And the sound of the cherubims’ wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.

IV. For the Glory to Be manifest, there must be a place for it to dwell

The word “Shekinah” which is used to refer to the glory of God literally means “a dwelling place of God”.  If we want the glory to appear, we have got to create a dwelling place of God.  God is looking for a place to put His presence.

-When Abraham Brought Isaac to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice him, he was creating an opportunity for God’s glory to be revealed.

-When Moses stretched his rod across the Red seas, he was creating an opportunity for God to show His glory!

-When Joshua marched around Jericho for 7 days, he was creating a place for God’s power to fall and His Glory to be revealed!

a.     Moses Built the Tabernacle, and God’s Glory Came to rest upon it

Exodus 40: 33  And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.

34  Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

35  And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

b.     Solomon Built the Temple, and God’s Glory Came upon it

II Chronicles 7: 7:1  Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.

2  And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’S house.

3  And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

V.  Jesus Christ was the manifestation of God’s glory

Isaiah promised that the greatest manifestation of God’s glory of all was to come,

(Isa 40:5 KJV)  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

When Phillip asked Jesus in John 14:6 to “shew us the Father” he was asking what Moses had asked on top of Mt. Sinai.  Show us God.  We want to see Him for ourselves. Jesus said, “Have I been so long time with you and you don’t know ME Phillip?  He that hath seen me hath seen the father!”

VI.  Jesus was  the manifestation of the Glory of God

(John 1:14 KJV)  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

(Heb 1:3 KJV)  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,

(1 Tim 1:17 KJV)  Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

(Luke 2:9 KJV)  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

(Luke 9:26 KJV)  For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.

(Luke 9:31 KJV)  Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

(Luke 9:32 KJV)  But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

(2 Cor 4:17 KJV)  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

VII.  He Has Called Us to Manifest His Glory

(Col 1:27 KJV)  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

(1 Th 2:12 KJV)  That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

(2 Cor 11:30 KJV)  If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

We rejoice in His glory

(1 Pet 1:8 KJV)  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

(1 Pet 4:14 KJV)  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you

(1 Pet 5:1 KJV) a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

(1 Pet 5:4 KJV)  And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

(1 Pet 5:10 KJV)  But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

(2 Pet 1:3 KJV)  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

(Jude 1:24 KJV)  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

(Rev 21:23 KJV)  And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.