A Comforting Word

KEY VERSE: “The glory of the LORD shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” —Isaiah 50:5

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11

INDEED, what a comforting prospect to realize in this clear scriptural declaration that the divine character of God will not forever be shrouded in darkness. In search of an expression of God’s grace men’s minds are often impressed by displays of splendor which are to be seen throughout the world in the various temples of public worship. To the extent that these might lift our minds and hearts to the true and living God of wisdom, justice, love, and power, and inspire us to serve him, they serve a useful purpose. But may we ever realize that the true God of our worship, and to whom we are devoted, could not be expected to dwell in temples made with hands, as Paul explained to the Athenians.—Acts 17:16-19

King Solomon of Israel recognized this many long centuries before Paul’s day. Solomon’s Temple was probably the most magnificent ever constructed up until that time. But when it was complete, he realized that the glory of the great God of Israel could not be confined within its walls, and in his prayer of dedication said, “Will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!”—II Chron. 6:18

Jesus also confirmed this larger viewpoint of the true and living God. A Samaritan woman raised the question with Jesus as to where God should be worshiped, whether at Mt. Gerizim, or Mt. Zion in Jerusalem? Jesus’ reply did away with the necessity of limiting the worship of God to specific locations. He explained that “God is a Spirit,” hence invisible to human eyes, and that the true worship of him is “in spirit and in truth.”—John 4:20-24

To find and to know God is a glorious experience. The Prophet Jeremiah wrote. “Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.”—Jer. 9:23,24

Yes, the true glory of God can only be appreciated by coming to know his character and his purpose, and for the world of mankind this revelation is still future. Eventually, and in the Creator’s own due time, he will reveal himself to his human creatures. They will see him as one who loves and cares; who is sympathetic and understanding; and also an all-powerful God who is able to rid the world of everything which contributes to human unhappiness.

The prophecy of our text tells us that this coming time of revealment, now close at hand, is heralded by a “voice”—a voice which instructs the ‘Zion’ class to get up into the high mountain and, thus viewing the world from the standpoint of the coming kingdom, to lift up their voice with strength with the good tidings that the glory of God is about to’ be revealed. “Say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God. … Behold the Lord God will come with a strong hand and his arm [the Christ] will rule for him. … He shall feed his flock [the world of mankind] like a shepherd, he shall gather the lambs with his arms.”

It is the great privilege of those who see this aspect of God’s glory now to speak words of hope and comfort to a very troubled world. And while for the present they fall mostly upon deaf ears, they nevertheless are preparing the world to more readily accept the voice of the Lord when shortly he speaks from heaven. The Bible in another wonderful prophecy of Christ’s kingdom, speaks of this future voice. “There was a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”—Rev. 21:3,4

Only in this way can the glory of God be adequately revealed to humankind who, though not literally able to see God, will see him through the eyes of their understanding, all flesh together!

| Home Page | Table of Contents |