The Glory Of Elohim
Summary: The fall of humanity caused the glory of Elohim to diminish or be lost.
Call to action: As believers, let us do everything for His glory.Our theme at this time is the glory of Elohim.
This is an important theme found throughout the entire Bible, from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelation. The Hebrew term ‘kabod’, meaning ‘glory’, appears about 200 times in the Old Testament. The translators of the Old Testament (Hebrew) into the New Testament (Greek) chose the term ‘doxa’ to translate ‘kabod’.
In Greek culture, the term ‘doxa’ originally referred to the ‘opinion’ others held regarding a person’s actions and achievements. A high opinion or high regard would elevate someone above others, and this became the goal of many Greeks—to be glorified and praised by others. However, the meaning of ‘doxa’ changed when it was used to translate ‘kabod’. It no longer referred merely to human opinion but came to signify glory related to the personal revelation of Elohim. The term ‘doxa’ appears 166 times in the New Testament.
Let us begin by exploring the meaning of ‘kabod’ in the Old Testament. We will use the ‘first mention principle’, which holds that the first occurrence of a concept in the Bible carries a foundational meaning that remains consistent throughout Scripture. Although the term ‘kabod’ first appears in Genesis 31:1, its ‘demonstration’ appears much earlier.
Consider Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory (‘doxa’) of Elohim” (ILT). Therefore, to understand ‘kabod’, we must examine the ‘demonstration’ of humanity’s first fall in the Garden of Eden. By understanding this, we will grasp the meaning of ‘kabod’. According to the first mention principle, this meaning becomes the foundational meaning, while later occurrences only expand or complete it.
Now let us look at Genesis 2:25: “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” Meanwhile, Philippians 1:20 states: “My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed in anything, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.” In this verse, Paul connects ‘shame’ with the matter of Christ being glorified through his bodily suffering. Through Paul’s suffering, Christ is magnified and glorified. Because Christ is glorified through both his life and death, Paul is not ashamed.
However, Adam and Eve, who were not ashamed of their nakedness before, became ashamed after they fell into sin. From this, we conclude that their shame resulted from sin and from falling short of the glory of Elohim. Nakedness itself was not a problem as long as the glory of Elohim ‘covered’ them. But after they sinned and lost that glory, they experienced shame.
From this ‘demonstration’ of the fall, we understand that when a person is filled with the glory (kabod) of Elohim, they will not feel or experience shame. Therefore, the basic meaning of ‘kabod’ (of Elohim) is a ‘quality’ or ‘presence’ of Elohim that causes a person to be free from shame.
Let us continue examining the fall in Eden. Genesis 3:7 says: “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.” Before the fall, humans had no awareness of their naked condition. The knowledge they gained from eating the tree of the knowledge of good and evil gave them an awareness of themselves—what we call ‘conscience’. The function of conscience is to inform humans about good and evil.
Paul speaks about a pure, clean, and renewed conscience (1 Timothy 1:5; 1:18–19; 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:3). But he also warns about a conscience that has been “seared with a hot iron,” becoming insensitive and impure because it pays attention to deceiving spirits and the teachings of demons (1 Timothy 4:1–2).
We see that Adam and Eve’s conscience, after being deceived by Satan, caused them to no longer look at the glory of God but instead focus on themselves. This opened the way for Satan to accuse them regarding their naked condition. In reality, their nakedness was not a problem as long as they beheld the glory of God.
Next, Adam and Eve acted on their own to cover their shame and nakedness by making coverings from fig leaves. God was not pleased with this action. Therefore, Elohim made garments of animal skin to cover them (Genesis 3:21). Here we see that an animal was sacrificed, which many scholars believe symbolizes Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
We know that the glory of Elohim is seen in the face of Christ, and that Christ is the image of Elohim (2 Corinthians 4:4,6). Thus, when Elohim clothed Adam and Eve with animal skins, it was an act of covering their shame and nakedness with the glory of Elohim.
What, then, do the fig leaves represent? Clearly, they symbolize human glory. They also represent religion—human effort to cover nakedness. Religion is knowledge of good and evil, originating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve used religion as a ‘covering’ to replace the lost glory of Elohim.
Now let us consider: did Jesus come to establish the Christian religion? Jesus said He came so that humanity might have life (‘zoe’), symbolized by the tree of life (John 10:10). He did not come to teach knowledge of good and evil (religion), because only Elohim is truly good. He came to give His life. In other words, Jesus came as the ‘garment of skin’ to cover the loss of Elohim’s glory caused by sin. The solution to humanity’s fall is the ‘garment’ of Elohim’s glory.
As we conclude this section, let us reflect: has Christianity become a religion? Those who observe carefully will recognize that it has. Human glory produced by false teachings—Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans—has become a kind of ‘covering’ that hides spiritual nakedness.
We have seen that the result of the fall is the loss of Elohim’s glory. We have also seen Adam and Eve’s attempt to cover their shame with fig leaves, representing human glory, in contrast to the garments of skin, which symbolize Christ’s sacrifice and glory. Fig leaves represent religion—human effort to cover nakedness. Religion, born from the knowledge of good and evil, is essentially human glory covering human shame.
Now let us consider Christianity. If Jesus did not come to bring a religion, where did the Christian religion come from? Revelation chapters 2 and 3 help explain this. The churches addressed by the apostle John had already changed in ‘nature’ from the early church of Peter and Paul. In the time of Peter and Paul, although the church faced many challenges, there was no call to ‘the one who overcomes’ as found in Revelation 2–3. This indicates that the earlier church had not yet fallen from its original nature. It was still an organism led directly by the Holy Spirit. That is why the Book of Acts contains around 70 expressions such as ‘led by the Spirit’, ‘the Spirit said’, ‘the Spirit forbade’, and ‘filled with the Spirit’.
However, the churches in Revelation 2–3 had changed in nature due to three false teachings: Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans. Briefly:
* The teaching of Jezebel justifies the usurpation of the Spirit’s authority by leaders.
* The teaching of the Nicolaitans justifies leaders dominating God’s people, dividing the church into ‘laity’ and ‘clergy’.
* The teaching of Balaam justifies leaders exploiting and profiting from the people of God.
These teachings transformed the church from a Spirit-led organism into thousands of denominations led by human leaders. This shift marks the transformation of Christianity from a life of fully following Christ into a system where people follow leaders, movements, or denominations. This is why Christianity can be called a religion today.
Religious leaders naturally receive human glory—at least from their followers—and this glory is outward. This contrasts with the inward glory described by Paul in his letter to the Corinthians.
Let us continue examining this contrast. The first appearance of ‘kabod’ in Genesis 31:1 refers to Jacob’s material wealth. Thus, ‘kabod’ can refer either to the glory of Elohim or to human glory—such as wealth, splendor, or outward appearance.
Now we will discuss “human glory” as obtained by religious (Christian) leaders, and the inward glory explained by Paul in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Paul explains about himself and his ministry because there were some false teachers who preached another Jesus (II Corinthians 11:4).
Paul uses several terms/expressions to describe his ministry, which he received based on the mercy of Elohim (II Corinthians 3:6–9). We will look at some of them. First, the ministry of the New Covenant. Paul explains the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. It is emphasized that the New Covenant does not consist of written law, but of the Spirit. The written law kills, but the Spirit gives life. This ministry of the New Covenant is an “inward ministry,” because it is not focused on outward and external things. This ministry is focused on how a person’s inner being is renewed day by day through the work of the life-giving Spirit.
Second, Paul uses the term ‘ministry of the Spirit’ (2 Corinthians 3:8). This ministry of the Spirit is contrasted with the ministry of the Old Covenant that leads to death. This ministry that leads to death was accompanied by the ‘glory of Elohim’, which was reflected on the face of its servant, Moses, so that the Israelites could not endure looking at it. Paul affirms that if the ministry that leads to death was accompanied by such glory of Elohim, how much more the glory of Elohim that accompanies the ministry of the Spirit. However, the glory of the ministry of the Spirit is an inward glory, ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’.
Therefore, the ‘glory of Elohim’ that accompanies the ministry of the Spirit is not reflected on Paul’s face in such a way that the Corinthian believers could not bear to look at him. Why was the glory of Elohim reflected on Moses’ face so that the Israelites could not endure looking at him? This is because the ministry of the Spirit is an “inward ministry”, whereas the ministry of Moses was an “outward ministry.” The glory of Elohim that accompanies the ministry of the Spirit resides within the inner being of its servant. Of course, there were those who could see the glory of Elohim radiating from within Paul. But those who could see it were surely those who also had the glory of Elohim within them.
Now, let us look at the glory of man that radiates within Christianity. We will take the example of the church in Laodicea to explain human glory within fallen churches. Revelation 3:17 states, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” Why did the church in Laodicea not realize that they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked? This is because they saw the glory of man that they possessed. However, the Lord saw the glory of Elohim within their inner being.
The seven churches in Asia Minor (Revelation 2–3) represent churches throughout the ages, where the false teachings of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans have been widely accepted. His chosen people can certainly discern the difference between the glory of Elohim and the glory of man within a Christianity that has become merely a religion.
We have discussed the demonstration of the glory of Elohim in the case of the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. From this demonstration, we understand that if a person is filled with the glory (kabod) of Elohim, then they will not feel or experience shame. Therefore, the basic meaning of kabod (Elohim) is a ‘quality’ or ‘being’ of Elohim that causes a person not to feel shame. In fact, the root meaning of the term ‘kabod’ is ‘heaviness’, ‘weight’, or ‘worthiness’. This root meaning is figurative language referring to a person’s value or worth.
Let us continue by looking at the demonstration of the glory of Elohim in the case of Moses. We will not cover all occurrences of ‘kabod’ in Moses’ story, but we will consider three aspects related to the glory of Elohim.
First, in the event of the golden calf. Exodus 33:18–23 states, “Please show me Your glory… you cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live… you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” From this we learn that humans cannot see the glory of Elohim in the full manifestation of His presence. Even Moses could only see “His back.” That is why Paul says that He dwells in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16).
Second, in worship. Leviticus 9:6 states, “…this is the thing which the LORD commanded you to do, and the glory of the LORD will appear to you.” Here Moses instructed Aaron and his sons to minister in the tent of meeting according to the commands of the Lord. The manifestation of God’s glory often appeared as a consuming fire (Exodus 24:17). When Nadab and Abihu offered unauthorized fire, which He had not commanded, they died before the Lord (Leviticus 10:1). From this we learn that worship must be according to His command so that His glory does not consume His servants.
Third, concerning the Tabernacle. Exodus 40:34 states, “Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” Likewise, Leviticus 16:2 says that Aaron must not enter the Most Holy Place at just any time… “for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.” The cloud of Elohim’s glory was above the mercy seat in the Most Holy Place. Therefore, the glory of Elohim was in the Most Holy Place. Aaron, as High Priest, could only enter once a year on the Day of Atonement (Exodus 30:10).
Let us apply this. When Jesus entered the temple in Jerusalem, He found people trading in the temple courts (Matthew 21:12). The Jewish leaders conducted trade in the outer courts, not in the Most Holy Place. That is why Revelation 11:2 says the outer court is given to the nations to be trampled.
In the context of Christianity, where the teaching of Balaam (commercialization in the church) has become widespread, we understand that such practices cannot occur in the Most Holy Place, where the glory of Elohim dwells. If by God’s grace we move from the outer court into the Most Holy Place, following our High Priest Jesus Christ according to the order of Melchizedek, then we will not engage in such practices in our ministry.
Now let us consider the demonstration of the glory of Elohim in the salvation of Israel as a nation. Exodus 14:4 says, “I will gain honor over Pharaoh… and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.” Here we see the connection between Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and the glory of the Lord. God revealed His glory through mighty acts.
After Israel’s rebellion in the incident of the twelve spies, Numbers 14:22–23 declares that those who had seen His glory and miracles but tested Him repeatedly would not enter the promised land. Again, we see that Israel’s salvation is closely tied to the glory of the Lord.
Isaiah 60:1–2 declares that although darkness covers the earth, the glory of the Lord rises upon His people. Not only Israel, but also the nations are brought to God through His glory (Zechariah 2:5–11). Thus, salvation is closely connected to the glory of the Lord. This aligns with the earlier discussion of Adam and Eve—Christ, as the radiance of Elohim’s glory (Hebrews 1:3), covers human shame.
Applying this to the church, Israel symbolizes the church. Just as Israel’s salvation is tied to the glory of Elohim, so is the church’s salvation. Paul explains salvation in Romans: justification by faith (chapters 1–5:11), sanctification by faith (5:12–7), and glorification by faith (chapter 8).
In Christianity today, ‘glorification by faith’ is rarely preached, though it is the climax of salvation. If salvation is preached only as justification, it is incomplete. True salvation culminates when we are glorified with Christ at His coming, and creation itself is set free into the glorious liberty of the children of Elohim (Romans 8:19–21).
Finally, let us consider the case of the Ark being captured by the Philistines and the departure of God’s glory in Ezekiel. In 1 Samuel 4, Israel brought the Ark into battle, but instead suffered defeat; 30,000 soldiers died, and the Ark was captured. Eli died upon hearing the news, and Phinehas’ wife named her son Ichabod, saying, ‘The glory has departed from Israel’. This teaches us that humans cannot force the presence and glory of Elohim according to their own will. His servants must follow His ways for His glory to be present.
In Ezekiel, after idolatry filled the temple, the glory of the Lord gradually departed (Ezekiel 10:18; 11:23). This shows that idolatry will surely cause the glory of the Lord to leave His dwelling place.
Let us apply the two cases above concerning the ‘glory of Elohim’ to the context of the seven churches described in Revelation 2–3. Consider Revelation 2:14, regarding the false teaching of Balaam: “…there are some who hold to the teaching of Balaam…so that they eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.” Likewise, concerning the teaching of Jezebel: “…you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and deceives My servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols” (Revelation 2:20). Note that the false teachings of Balaam and Jezebel have caused ‘idol offerings’ to enter the church. In such a condition, it is not surprising that the ‘glory of the Lord’ departs from the churches described in Revelation 2–3.
Many Christians, including Bible teachers, do not pay attention to the false teachings of Jezebel and Balaam, even though these teachings are precisely what have allowed idol offerings to enter the church. It is no wonder that the glory of Elohim has been replaced by human glory within Christianity, as mentioned earlier.
Now we will discuss the ‘manifestation’ of the glory of Elohim in the prophecy of the prophet Haggai concerning the glory of the Temple. Haggai 2:4, 8 states: “Is there anyone among you who saw this house in its former glory (‘kabod’ = glory)?… I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory (‘kabod’ = glory), says the LORD of hosts.”
This prophecy of Haggai was delivered to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, as well as to the remnant of Israel who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem and were rebuilding the Temple on its original site. This prophecy was given
so that the returning Israelites would be strengthened and continue rebuilding the Temple, which had been delayed for about 14 years.
We need to understand some historical background to properly grasp Haggai’s prophecy. When the Israelites returned from Babylon to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel’s leadership to rebuild the Temple, their number was very small (only about 50,000) compared to the Israelites who remained in Babylon, Assyria, and surrounding regions. Scholars estimate that there were about 2–3 million Jews scattered throughout Babylon, Assyria, and nearby areas during the time of Esther, which coincided with Nehemiah and Ezra. Most Jews were unwilling to return to Jerusalem because the journey was risky. Moreover, they had already established synagogues where they gathered and studied the Law. Only a small number, moved by God, returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple (Ezra 1:5).
Under such circumstances, the Temple built by Zerubbabel could not compare in glory with the Temple built by King Solomon, which had been destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar. Therefore, the Jews rebuilding the Temple became discouraged because its glory seemed insignificant. It is in this context that Haggai prophesied: “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former…” (Haggai 2:9).
When was this prophecy fulfilled? It was not fulfilled in the Temple renovated by King Herod. Rather, its fulfillment occurred when Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again…,” but He was speaking of the temple of His body (John 2:19, 21). Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies; therefore, Haggai’s prophecy that the latter glory would surpass the former refers to the glory of the body of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Through His death, resurrection, and ascension, the physical body of Jesus was “expanded” into the Body of Christ, which is the church. Thus, whereas the glory of Elohim was manifested in the Temple building (Old Testament), now it is manifested in and through His people (New Testament).
In the New Testament context, the glory of Elohim is manifested in and through the individuals who follow Christ. Colossians 1:27 states: “…Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Therefore, the glory of Elohim dwells within the inner being of His people.
Some denominational leaders within Christianity teach that the fulfillment of Haggai’s prophecy occurs when the wealth of nations flows into church buildings (Haggai 2:8–9). Such teaching arises from a misunderstanding of the glory of Elohim. In Christianity in general, the glory of Elohim that dwells within believers has often been replaced by human glory in its leaders.
Now we turn to the manifestation of the glory of Elohim in the person of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1:3 states: “He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature.” The meaning of ‘radiance’ here is like the shining of the sun. Jesus Christ, the Son of Elohim, is the radiance of the Father’s glory—the expression of who the Father is.
Let us consider Philippians 2:7 and John 2:11. Philippians 2:7 states: “…but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” Many have discussed the Greek term ‘kenoo’ (emptied). Marvin R. Vincent, in Word Studies of the New Testament, vol. 3, p. 433, writes: “His personality remained the same. His self-emptying did not involve the cessation of His person, nor did His divine nature change into merely human existence.” In relation to our discussion, the glory of Jesus Christ as the Son of Elohim remained inherent in Him, but as the Son of Man, His glory could not be seen by unbelievers.
John 2:11 says: “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.” The miracle at Cana was a manifestation of His glory before His disciples, leading them to believe. However, when Jesus raised Lazarus before the Jews, some reported it to the Pharisees (John 11:46). Truly, to see the glory of Elohim, one must believe (John 11:40). The Pharisees and teachers of the Law did not see the glory of Elohim in Jesus; instead, they regarded Him as a deceiver and put Him to death. Yet Jesus prayed for His disciples: “…that they may behold My glory which You have given Me…” (John 17:24).
The glory of Elohim cannot be seen by just anyone. In the Old Testament, the glory of Elohim was often visible to the physical eye. Exodus 24:17 states: “The appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the Israelites.” Anyone among Israel could see it. But in the New Testament, the glory of Elohim can only be seen by those who believe.
John 1:14 declares: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory…” When Jesus, the Logos, became flesh, His disciples saw His glory. Yet as the Son of Man, He likely had little outward human glory. The prophecy of Isaiah 53 states: “…He has no form or majesty that we should look at Him…” (v. 2). Nevertheless, His disciples could still see the glory of Elohim in Him.
We conclude with the manifestation of the glory of Elohim in and through the church. Hebrews 2:9–10 states: “…Jesus…was crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death…bringing many sons to glory.” To understand this, we must grasp the overall context of Hebrews.
The writer of Hebrews addresses Jewish Christians who were inclined to return to Judaism. He emphasizes that “we have a High Priest, Jesus” (Hebrews 8:1). From chapters 1–10, he compares the New Testament priesthood (order of Melchizedek) with the Old Testament priesthood (order of Aaron), concluding that the New Covenant is ‘better’. Because they were slow to hear (Hebrews 5:11), chapter 11 explains faith, and chapters 12–13 provide practical exhortations.
Returning to Hebrews 2:9–10, Jesus was crowned with glory through suffering and, as High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, brings many sons to glory (doxa). This glory is the culmination of salvation, described in Romans 8 as glorification by faith. As the forerunner (Hebrews 6:20), Jesus leads many into the Most Holy Place where the glory of Elohim dwells—something the Aaronic priesthood could not accomplish.
Thus, the manifestation of the glory of Elohim in the church occurs when the children of Elohim experience full freedom and complete salvation in His glory. This glorification is described in Romans 8:19–21, where all creation longs for the revealing of the sons of Elohim.
Applying this to Christianity today, many—including leaders—fail to realize the severe damage caused by the false teachings of Jezebel and the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2–3), especially to the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9). Many believers follow leaders, movements, or denominations instead of following the Lamb wherever He goes (Revelation 14:4). In such a condition, how can Jesus bring all believers into the glory of Elohim?
Indeed, many are called but few are chosen. By His grace and sovereignty, the Father has been pleased to give the kingdom to a “little flock” (Luke 12:32). While most believers hope to leave the earth for a distant heaven, His chosen people will be glorified on this earth to bring liberation to creation from its bondage to decay. Amen.