What Is GLORY in the Sense of God’s (Shekinah) GLORY?
God’s glory is linked to the LORD’s presence. When you hear a minister pray “God, show us your glory” it’s referring to the LORD manifesting glory to the people thereof. This is where we get the phrase God’s ‘manifest presence.’ The Almighty is omnipresent, of course — present everywhere at the same time in the sense of knowing what’s going on everywhere and nothing can be hidden from the Creator (Jeremiah 23:24 & Proverbs 15:3) — but this does not mean that God lacks a central presence and form (Psalm 11:4), it just means that the LORD manifests his presence and the corresponding glory to people at a certain time/place.
Some refer to this as shekinah glory, a phrase coined by Hebrew rabbis in reference to a visitation of the LORD on Earth and the corresponding glory. ‘Shekinah’ literally denotes the dwelling or settling of the presence of the Almighty, such as on the lid of the Ark of the Covenant (Leviticus 16:2). Although this Hebrew term doesn’t technically appear in the Holy Scriptures, the concept of shekinah glory does.
One of the meatier passages on God’s glory pertains to the time when Moses was leading the Israelites through the Sinai wilderness after escaping Egypt:
Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. 10Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. 11The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
12Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ 13If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”
14The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
15Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
17And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”
18Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
19And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
21Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”
Exodus 33:7-23
When Moses went to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” To explain, the Ark of the Covenant was housed in the Tent of Meeting and God’s shekinah glory dwelt on the top of the lid of the Ark (Numbers 17:4). “Face to face” in this context is a metaphor for intimate communion between God and Moses “as one speaks to a friend.” It’s not a literal statement, but rather refers to experiencing God’s spiritual presence and the relationship thereof, not physical presence. We know this because the LORD plainly says in verse 20, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
Forms of God’s Manifest Presence
Someone asked me if God’s glory is a cloud, likely due to the pillar of cloud mentioned in verses 9-10. The LORD’s glory manifested as a cloud on this occasion perhaps because this cloud pillar was used to guide the Israelites through the desert wilderness for 40 years during the day and as a pillar of fire at night (Exodus 13:21). God’s glory also manifested as a cloud at the Temple on another exceptional occasion (1 Kings 8:10-11 & 2 Chronicles 5:13-14), which we also observe in the heavenly Temple in John’s vision (Revelation 15:8).
Yet God’s glory doesn’t always manifest in the form of a cloud or “holy smoke.” You might even call such manifestations exceptions. For instance, when the LORD passed before Moses and the prophet saw God’s back parts there is no mention of a cloud (Exodus 33:18-23). Furthermore, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, after he had communed with the Creator for 40 days, his face was radiant with splendor, but there was no cloud wrapped around his face.
Moreover, when the LORD passed by Elijah on the mountain, God’s glory manifested as a gentle whisper or “still small voice” rather than a powerful wind, earthquake or fire (1 Kings 19:11-13). This shows, by the way, that we can experience God’s glory without some great spectacle occurring, like a pillar of cloud or fire. You can be sitting in a field and quietly experience shekinah glory.
Jesus Christ often went to solitary places in the wilderness to pray “as was his habit,” as shown in Mark 1:35, Matthew 14:23 and Luke 22:39-41. Do you think he experienced the Father’s presence & corresponding glory on these occasions? It’s a rhetorical question in light of the exceptional anointing Christ walked in during his earthly ministry.
The Result of Experience God’s Presence (Glory)
There are a lot of wonderful things we can get from this passage — Exodus 33:7-23 — such as the fact that Moses’ aid, Joshua, would linger in the LORD’s presence after Moses left the Tent of Meeting, and guess who God chose to lead the Hebrews into the Promised Land after Moses’ passing? Joshua! So anyone who wants to be used greatly of the LORD, spending time in God’s presence is a prerequisite, which is linked to praise & worship.
What we want to focus on here is simply how God’s shekinah glory is linked to the LORD’s manifest presence. Both the Greek word and Hebrew word for ‘glory’ bespeak of God’s splendorous intrinsic substance or essence. Since praising God naturally attracts the LORD’s presence and worship (adoration) is the natural response to being in God’s presence, a spirit of praise & worship are key to experiencing shekinah glory (Psalm 95:1-7 & Psalm 100).
Also, since the Living Word said that his words “are spirit and life” (John 6:63) it stands to reason that you’ll be filled with spirit and life if you fill yourself up with the LORD’s word. In other words, the more you spend time with the Lord and soak in the things of God in general, the more glory you’ll experience, but you’ll have to recognize & avoid the life-stifling pitfall of legalism, a horrible spiritual disease.
It is said that we become like those we hang around. For instance, if you spend a lot of time with a certain person, you’ll tend to pick up his/her traits. If you hang around smokers you’ll have an aroma of smoke. The same principle is at play with the LORD and the things of God in general. This can be observed in Moses’ hanging out with the LORD:
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. 30When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.
33When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.
Exodus 34:29-35
Spending intimate time with the LORD on the top of Mount Sinai and experiencing the glory of God’s presence had a noticeably effect on Moses. His face was radiant with God’s glory, which caused the Israelites to separate from him because they were uncomfortable, even afraid (verse 30).
The New Testament brings up this occasion (2 Corinthians 3:13-16) and ends with this thought:
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Those who “contemplate the Lord’s glory” are transformed into God’s image with ever-increasing glory. In the Greek, “ever-increasing glory” literally means going from glory to glory. In other words, there are levels of glory that we will experience in our earthly pilgrimage corresponding to our spiritual growth. But we have to make sure we’re exposing ourselves to the LORD’s glory on a regular basis, not to mention soaking up the things of God in general. I’m talking beyond trips to your local assembly once or twice a week, although that’s good too of course (assuming the fellowship is biblical & godly and not legalistic).
All of this explains the idea of ministers with a high level ‘anointing.’ It’s the result of soaking up the presence of God & the corresponding glory, not to mention the things of God in general.
Several years ago we had a neighbor who regularly smoked. When Carol went to visit her I could always tell when she came back because she smelled like smoke. The same principle applies to those who regularly “hang out” with God. They’ll have the Lord’s light & aroma about them (2 Corinthians 2:15-17). It’s an anointing of glory.
One last thing, which is only for those interested in details…
Experiencing God’s Glory Is Distinguished From Having an “Altar Experience”
You can experience God’s manifest presence and the corresponding shekinah glory on a regular basis as you enter into the LORD’s presence (Psalm 95:1-7 & Psalm 100). This is different from having an “altar experience,” which is an encounter with God wherein you receive a potent revelation and make the necessary sacrifices. Such encounters are separate from – and should not be confused with – one’s daily fellowship with the LORD where the believer has (or, at least, can have) a 24/7 rapport with God by the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:17), which you can read about here.
Again, altar experiences are distinguished from entering into the Lord’s presence during Praise & Worship. How are they different? Simple: altar experiences occur infrequently and naturally involve a fresh directive and the appropriate sacrifice, physical or mental. That said, one can certainly have an “altar experience” during praise & worship when encountering God’s manifest presence. If you are not familiar with altar experiences, you can read about the topic here (or see the video).
Related Topics:
Praise & Worship—What’s the Difference? Why are they Important?
DRINK UP from the Fountain of Life (video)
Is Christianity a “Relationship with God”?
Spiritual Growth — The Four Stages
Spiritual Growth is Like Climbing a Mountain
Ark of the Covenant — Why Isn’t it in the New Testament?
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