The Glory of the Lord

For centuries the Roman Catholic Church has presented Jesus Christ as a light, along with Mary and numerous saints, but the glory of the Lord was revealed in the Protestant Reformation. The glory of the Lord is present whenever the Holy Spirit is manifest, convicting people of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and glorifying Jesus. This happened frequently after the world received the “little book”.

“And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud; and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.” Revelation 10:1-3.

Queen Victoria declared that the reason for Britain’s greatness was the Bible. Whenever the Bible is preached and believed, revival is possible, and the glory of the Lord can be revealed. If any part of the Bible is rejected by men, the glory of the Lord departs. Our understanding or interpretation of any part of the Bible may be in error, but the Bible itself is never in error. The influence of this book began to spread like fire after the Protestant Reformation.

When Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley were being burned at the stake by the Roman Catholic Church, Hugh Latimer declared, “Be of good comfort, brother Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust never shall be put out.” The candle became a fire that spread through the British Isles and then across the ocean to America, and has now spread into all parts of the world. It is the belief in the supremacy of the Bible over the doctrines of men. This has sparked many revivals in many parts of the world which continue to this day. Today we are witnessing the completion of Israel’s work of sending the Bible into all nations.

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Revelation 14:6,7.

Billions, yes billions, of people have read or heard at least parts of the word of God. The gospel went throughout much of the world in the days of the British Empire. By 1931, 92% of the world’s missionaries were of the Anglo-Saxon race, according to John J. Morey in his book “Parables of the Kingdom”. Today the work is being completed with the tremendous financial backing of the churches of the United States of America. So, we have reached the world, but who will reach us?

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63.

The words of the Bible are more than just food for our intellects; they are food for our spirits. The Holy Spirit uses the Bible to show us Jesus Christ and God the Father. People throughout the world can now see the glory of God because the Bible has gone into all parts of the world.

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” II Corinthians 3:18.

If any church or denomination is losing members and suffering spiritual death, it is because they have rejected or ignored parts of the Bible. Let each of us pray that God would continually fill us with His Holy Spirit so that the Bible would come alive to us and we would see the glory of God.

God has not forgotten us, and His arms are always open. Our time of trouble is coming, but we shall be saved out of it (Jeremiah 30:7). Looking beyond that dreadful time, we expect a much greater glory than any past or present revival, when Jesus Christ descends from heaven. Beginning at that wonderful day, the glory will never depart from us.

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:13, 14.