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Why doesn't God
reveal himself in a spectacular display of Glory?
| God has,
during two basic periods of time: (1) The time of Moses, and (2) The time of Jesus.
Examples include: (1) Indisputable Divine miracles - like supernatural plagues [Ex
7-12], parting the Red Sea [Ex 14:13-31], the virgin birth [Lk 1:26-38; Mt 1:20-23] or
raising people from the dead [John 11:1-45], (2) Visual appearances of his Glory -
many times in the wilderness [Ex 16-40] or the radiant transfiguration of Christ [Mt
17:1-13], and (3) Speaking with his actual voice - [Ex 19:19; Deut 5:22] or at
Jesus’ baptism [Lk 3:22]. Yet the most important demonstration of supernatural Glory
was the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus [Lk 22-24]. Millions of people witnessed
these various displays of God. God chose those two periods to reveal
himself because they were the defining periods of the Old Covenant (resulting in the Old
Testament) and the New Covenant (the New Testament). There had to be absolutely NO DOUBT
about God’s existence, God’s expectations and God’s power. It motivated the
Hebrews to a rigid, precise system of worship and recording of Holy Scripture. And
it led early Christians to record vast quantities of documents of the account of
Jesus - even when it meant a horrible martyr death. Many accepted death in a joyous,
compelling way - verified by historians. |
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