Topical Bible: Glory of God: Saints Desire to Behold

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The concept of the "Glory of God" is a central theme throughout the Bible, representing the majesty, holiness, and divine presence of God. For the saints, or believers, the desire to behold God's glory is a profound longing that reflects their deep spiritual yearning and devotion.

Biblical Foundation

The desire to behold the glory of God is rooted in the biblical narrative, where God's glory is often revealed in powerful and transformative ways. In the Old Testament, Moses expresses this desire explicitly. In Exodus 33:18, Moses pleads with God, saying, "Please show me Your glory." This request signifies a deep yearning to experience God's presence more fully. God's response, allowing Moses to see His goodness and hear His name proclaimed, underscores the profound nature of this divine glory.

The Psalms frequently echo this longing. Psalm 27:4 articulates the heart of the saint's desire: "One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple." Here, the psalmist expresses a singular focus on experiencing the beauty and majesty of God, which is synonymous with His glory.

New Testament Revelation

In the New Testament, the glory of God is most fully revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. John 1:14 declares, "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." For the saints, beholding the glory of God is intrinsically linked to knowing and experiencing Christ.

The Apostle Paul speaks to this transformative vision in 2 Corinthians 3:18: "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." This passage highlights the ongoing process of sanctification, where believers, by beholding the glory of the Lord, are progressively transformed into His likeness.

Eschatological Hope

The ultimate fulfillment of the saints' desire to behold God's glory is eschatological, pointing to the future consummation of God's kingdom. Revelation 21:23 provides a vision of the New Jerusalem, where "the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp." This imagery conveys the eternal and unmediated presence of God's glory, which the saints will experience in its fullness.

Practical Implications

For believers, the desire to behold God's glory is not merely a future hope but a present pursuit. It involves seeking God's presence through prayer, worship, and the study of Scripture. The saints are called to live lives that reflect God's glory, as Jesus instructs in Matthew 5:16: "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

In summary, the saints' desire to behold the glory of God is a profound and multifaceted theme in Scripture, encompassing a longing for divine presence, a transformative vision in Christ, and an eschatological hope for eternal communion with God.

Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 63:2
To see your power and your glory, so as I have seen you in the sanctuary.
Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 90:16
Let your work appear to your servants, and your glory to their children.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Blessed Privilege of Seeing God Explained
... She afterwards grew blind upon it, but the saints can receive no detriment from
the inspection of glory. ... be in its perfection till it comes to see God. ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/17 the blessed privilege of.htm

Behold all Ye that Kindle a Fire, that Compass Yourselves About ...
... Now I am to show some things in which true saints and deceived persons may agree,
and some ... The true convert has his heart set on the glory of God, as his ...
/.../finney/lectures to professing christians/behold all ye that kindle.htm

The Death of the Righteous
... we now live in, but a place of banishment from God? ... O ye saints, desire death; it
is your ascension-day to heaven ... man said, Lord, lead me to that glory which I ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/1 the death of the.htm

The Excellencies of the Saints' Rest.
... O happy day of the saints' rest in glory, when, as there is one God, one Christ,
one Spirit, so we shall have one heart, one church, one employment for ...
/.../baxter/the saints everlasting rest/chapter iii the excellencies of.htm

The Abiding of the Spirit the Glory of the Church
... as the saints desire when the Lord of saints is with ... of all nations shall come" in
power and glory; and this ... Here is our last resource; here are God's reserves ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 32 1886/the abiding of the spirit.htm

Ebenezer!
... But to God be the glory"to God"to God"to God alone! ... us from our sins in his blood,
unto him be glory." This is the song of perfect saints above; shall ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 9 1863/ebenezer.htm

Of the Endless Glory of the Church.
... by God's grace be manifested a glory so pervading ... to the present time, in which the
saints are reigning ... the calamities of this mortal state, God's people, or ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 17 of the endless glory.htm

Sermon for the Third Sunday in Advent
... They cleave with steadfast desire unto God, as Job says ... the same image from glory
to glory, even as ... thou mayest follow the example of God's saints in pureness ...
/.../iii sermon for the third.htm

Spiritual Desolation.
... We cannot see God while we remain here on earth; hence the saints have yearned for ...
True, we should esteem the things that make for the glory of God, but we ...
/.../de liguori/uniformity with gods will/6 spiritual desolation.htm

The Perseverance of the Saints
... this doctrine of the perseverance of the saints and the certainty thereof, which
God has most abundantly revealed in His Word, for the glory of His ...
/.../anonymous/synod of dort/the perseverance of the saints.htm