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.
— 2 Corinthians 3:18
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
— 1 John 3:2
Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.
— 2 Corinthians 1:24
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
— 2 Corinthians 4:18
Seeing Christ by Faith and by Sight, by John Owen.
For we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face,
— 1 Corinthians 13:12 a-c
For we walk by faith, not by sight:
— 2 Corinthians 5:7
The view that we have of the glory of Christ by faith in this world is like looking into a mirror. 1 Corinthians 13:12 In a mirror we do not see the actual person but only an image of him which is imperfect. The shadow or image of this glory of Christ is drawn for us in the gospel. There we behold him as if we were seeing him only in a mirror. We see only his image or representation. By using this picture of looking into a mirror, Paul declares the comparative imperfection of our present view of the glory of Christ. But this mirror that Paul talks about could also refer to something like a telescope, by which we are able to see things more clearly, dithered a great distance from us.
The gospel functions in this way. Without it we can never know anything of Christ at all. But in using it, we are still far from beholding the true dimensions of its glory. This seeing through a glass darkly could also refer to words, especially to riddles or dark sayings. Psalm 78:2.
But the gospel itself is not dark or obscure. It is clear, plain, and direct. In the gospel, Christ is clearly set forth as crucified, exalted, and glorified. But Paul is not talking about how the revelation of Christ’s glory comes to us, but of the means of instrument by which we come to understand that revelation. This is our faith which is weak and imperfect and understands the glory of Christ very imperfectly and with difficulty.
While on earth we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7. See also Song of Solomon 2:9. There is, as it were, a wall between us and Christ. Christ looks at us through the windows of the ordinances of the gospel, and through the promises of the gospel we get further views of Him.
So our sight of the glory of Christ, which we have in this world by faith, is weak, transient, imperfect, and partial. We are like Job has said, Behold I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive him. On the left hand, where he doth thwart, but I cannot behold him. Job 23:8-9.
Now, let us compare the sight of Christ’s glory that we have by faith with a vision of that same glory that we shall have in heaven. In heaven we shall no longer have merely an image, a representation of Christ such as we have in the gospel. We shall see him, says Paul, face to face, 1 Corinthians 13:12, We shall see him as he is, says John in 1 John 3:2. As a man sees his neighbor face to face, so we shall see the Lord Christ in glory, and not like Moses who saw only the back parts of God. In heaven our physical eyes will be cured. See Job 19:25-27.
But this vision we shall have of Christ in heaven will be chiefly intellectual. It is not, therefore, the human nature of Christ that is the object of heavenly vision, but his divine person. I have no idea what understanding and sight we shall have of the union of Christ’s two natures, but this I do know.
In the actual sight of Christ we shall see a glory in this union of his two natures a thousand times more wonderful than we can conceive. The glories of infinite wisdom, love, and power will be continually before us, and all the glories of the person of Christ Himself will be seen by us forever. So our eternal blessedness is that we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17. There will also be a subjective glory in us as we see the glory of Christ. John says, it doth not yet appear what we shall be. 1 John 3:2. Who can understand what glory will be ours when we behold this glory of Christ? How excellent then must that glory of Christ itself be!
The actual sight of Christ is what all the saints of God desire in this life, more than anything else. To depart and to be with Christ, Philippians 1:23. To be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord, 2 Corinthians 5:8. Those who do not long for the sight of Christ’s glory as their highest joys. are unspiritual and blind. In order to see the glory of Christ, our present physical eyes will be given a new power. Without this power, we cannot see Him as He is.
When He was transfigured on the mount, the disciples were bewildered rather than comforted. Matthew 17:6. They saw His glory, but said foolish things in response. Luke 9:30-33. This was because their present sight could not behold the real glory of Christ. Similarly, when John saw the glorified Christ, he fell at His feet as dead. Revelation 1.17. Paul also fell to the ground. Acts 26:13-14.
The church in this life is no way fit to have fellowship with Christ by direct sight, despite the grace imparted to it. Therefore, those who dream of His personal reign on earth before the Day of Judgment are talking nonsense. unless they believe that all the saints will then be glorified also. This is why it is abominable to try to represent the glory of Christ by pictures and images. The only thing for which we are presently suited is to have Christ dwell with us and in us by His Spirit.
Under the Old Testament, Christ’s glory was represented by fleshly ordinances, and while on earth His true glory was hidden by His human flesh, But now, says Paul, we know Christ no more according to the flesh, neither as they did under the Old Testament, nor as they did in the days of its flesh. 2 Corinthians 5:16. For when Christ left the earth, he sent his Spirit. John 16:7. by whom the disciples had a clearer view of the glory of Christ than they could have had by beholding Him in the flesh.
This is our condition today. In heaven, the mind shall be freed from the darkness brought on it by sin. It’ll be a glorious aid to faith, rather than a hindrance. Under the power of sin, the mind was completely unable to discern spiritual things rightly. This inability is to some extent removed by grace, so that those who were darkness become light in the Lord, to have a new spiritual light communicated to them. But in heaven the mind will have a clear, unclouded understanding and sight of the glory of Christ. On earth our minds are also hindered by the flesh, it is corrupt and subject to sickness, tiredness, and old age. But in heaven a new light, the light of glory, shall be implanted in the mind. Man has in him now a natural light enabling him to discern the things of man. and ability to know, perceive, and judge natural things. This is that spirit of a man which is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of the heart. Proverbs 20:27. But this light does not enable us to discern spiritual things aright. 1 Corinthians 2:11:15.
So God gives a greater light, a supernatural light of faith and grace, to those whom he affectionately calls to the knowledge of his glory in the face of his dear Son. This new light does not make the light of nature useless or redundant, rather this new light directs it. and guides it to fulfill its true purpose. Yet this light is quite of another nature.
But even this new light enables us to see the glory of Christ in this world only very imperfectly. But in heaven, there shall be a supernatural light of glory added. And as the light of Christ does not destroy or make redundant the light of nature, but rather rectifies and improves it, So the Light of Glory does not destroy or make redundant His Light of Faith and Grace, but makes it absolutely perfect. It is by the Light of Nature we cannot truly understand the Light of Grace. So by the light of grace we cannot fully understand the light of glory.
The best idea we can have of this light of glory is that it perfectly transformed the soul into the image and likeness of Christ. This is how we are brought to rest and blessedness. Grace renews nature and glory perfects grace. In this way the whole soul is brought to its rest in God.
We have a picture of this in Christ’s healing of the blind man, Matthew 8:22, 24. This man was completely blind, and his eyes were open, but he could not see clearly. He saw men like trees walking, but at the second touch he saw clearly. So our minds are blind.
Grace gives them a partial sight of spiritual things, but the light of glory gives perfect sight and understanding. The glorified body will also play its part. In our resurrected glorified bodies we shall see our Redeemer with glorified eyes. We do not know what power and spirituality our glorified bodies will possess, but it is clear that they will play a part in our eternal blessedness.
While still on earth, Stephen saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. Acts 7:55-56. If this is what he was unable to see while still in his body, what power of sight shall we have in eternal glory? Christ himself indicated how great a privilege it was to see him on earth. Matthew 13:17. How much greater a privilege it is then to see Christ in eternal glory. There are some of the differences between our beholding Christ by faith here and by direct sight in heaven.
Here, we often struggle. We who have the first fruits of the Spirit. Even we ourselves groan within ourselves. waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:23. The more we grow in faith and spiritual light, the more we groan for deliverance, the nearer we are to heaven and to Christ, the more earnest is our desire to be there and to be with Christ.
Groaning implies a strong desire mixed with sorrow, because we do not yet have what we long for. The desire has sorrow in it, but the sorrow has joy in it. Like a heavy shower of rain falling on a spring day while we are in a garden, we get wet. But when we smell and see what the shower has done, we are happy even though we groan because we are so thrilled.
So groaning shows we long to be delivered from our present state and to be lifted up to that heavenly glorious state. see Romans 7:24. In longing for this present sight of Christ, we can learn from the saints in the Old Testament, the sight that they had of the glory of Christ.
For they also saw his glory obscurely, through their ordinances and sacrifices, was weak and imperfect, even in the most enlightened believers. It was much inferior to what we now have by faith through the gospel, yet they were encouraged to study and search diligently into what was revealed. 1 Peter 1:10-11. Nevertheless, what they learned was dark and confused. In the continuance of this veil on the revelation of the glory of Christ, while a veil of ignorance and blindness was upon their hearts and minds, proved the ruin of that church and its apostasy. 2 Corinthians 3:7, 13-14. God promised to take away this double veil. Isaiah 25:7. And then they shall turn to the Lord. Then they shall be able to behold clearly the glory of Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:16. But real believers among them desired and prayed for these veils to be removed. so that the Son of Righteousness should arise with healing in His wings. Malachi 4:2.
Their spiritual wisdom was outstanding. They rejoiced and gloried in the ordinances of divine worship that they did enjoy. Yet they longed for this removal so that they might enjoy the reality they symbolized. But those who did not desire this, but trusted in their present institutions, were not accepted with God. Meanwhile, those spiritually illuminated looked for the revelation of the whole mystery of the wisdom of God in Christ.
So did the angels, 1 Peter 1:3, Ephesians 3:9-10. So there was more of the power of true faith and love under the Old Testament. than is found amongst most Christians today. They saw the promises afar off, were persuaded by them, and embraced them. Hebrews 11:13. Simeon is a great example. Luke 2:28-29.
Our present darkness and weakness and beholding the glory of Christ is not like theirs. His glory is not hidden from us as it was under the Old Testament. Nor does our poor vision arise from the lack of a clear revelation of the person and office of Christ, but it is hidden from us by the nature of faith itself in comparison with actual sight, and it is hidden by the way it is to be brought to us through a glass darkly. 1 Corinthians 13:12 That is, we see an image by faith only and not the reality. But in heaven all will be clear, and the sight of Christ shall indeed be glorious. Now if Old Testament saints prayed and desired the removal of the divine ordinances for worship, so that they could see the reality those ordinances symbolized, How much more should we pray and desire the removal of all weakness, all darkness, and of everything that now prevents us from seeing Christ in reality?
So, to sum up, there are three things concerning the seeing of the glory of Christ. There is a shadow, the perfect image, in the reality itself. Those under the Law had the shadow. They did not have the perfect image, Hebrews 10:1. Under the Gospel we have the perfect image, which they did not have, have a clear, complete revelation and declaration of it in Scripture.
But the actual enjoyment of reality is reserved for us in heaven. If then those under the Old Testament longed to be freed from their state of types and shadows, to enjoy the glory of Christ represented to us in the Gospel, how much more we ought to long for and pray to be delivered from our present state. so that we may enjoy the reality in heaven. Let us then examine ourselves. Do we long and desire to see the reality of Christ’s glory in heaven? Are we meditating on that perfect image of Christ’s glory given to us in the gospel? Or are we too filled with this world and its concerns?
As believers beholding the glory of Christ in the glass of the gospel, we are changed into the same image and likeness by the Spirit of the Lord. So those beholding the beauty of the world and the things that are in it, through the cursed glass of self-love, are in their minds changed into its image. But we have not so learned Christ Jesus.
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