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When the Apostle wrote concerning a glorious church, just exactly what was his vision of such a church and what is the objective of the Lord in producing a glorious church? Is there anything more glorious than a woman who is clothed with a glory equal to the shining forth of the Sun? Because she is to be the Bride of Christ she must be of equal bearing and status. The prophecy pertaining to the Son was, that He would come as the Sun of righteousness. Mal. 4:2 On the mount of transfiguration, the veil was pulled back and the disciple who were with Him saw Him in His true splendor and glory. His face shone as the sun (Mt. 17:2) and His clothing became exceedingly white and began to glisten and shine with light. Luke 9:29 He who is light, (1 John 1:5) clothes Himself in light, Ps. 104:2 and dwells in light. 1 Tim. 6:16.
The glory of the Lord frequently was made manifest that we might know what to expect when He speaks of a glorious church. The glory of the Lord was revealed in the cloud to Israel as they murmured in the wilderness. Ex. 16:10 After his visitation with the Lord, in His presence on the mountain, Moses face shone with the glory of the Lord until the people were afraid to approach him. Ex. 34:29-30 It is interesting that Moses himself was not aware of it. No room for pride. The glory of the Lord appeared at the dedication of both the tabernacle in the wilderness (Num. 20:6) and the temple in Jerusalem. 2 Chron. 7:1-3 Note that there was a shower of the fire of the Lord along with the glory of the Lord. They actually saw the fire and the glory of the Lord as it was made manifest. Then of course we have the experience of the day of Pentecost where visible cloven tongues of fire came upon the one hundred twenty as they were filled with the Spirit. Acts 2:3.
Paul wrote of the experience of the true church which will be made manifest in the end of the age. They are a people who have a great thirst, a gut* wrenching hunger for the truth of the Word of the Lord and are not satisfied with the mediocre. ( * Sorry for being crude but it is the best way to describe that travail, the hunger pangs of the inner man, that groan and cry from deep within to be fed the meat of the Word of the Lord.) With open face, heart and mind we see the promises of the Lord and are ready to move on from glory to ever deepening and increasing glory. There must be a change, a metamorphoses take place until the church has reached the same, identical image of the Christ of God. The ultimate being that glorious, majestic, sun clothed woman of Revelation twelve. The book is filled of example and symbol of this great woman. A person must be deliberately blind not to be able to see the vision of the Lord as it begins with Adam and Eve and will conclude in Christ and His glorious church.