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Who created light and knows its nature would use it as a figure with full intention, and
we can demonstrate the apostle's use of the word "brightness" by appealing to the
threefold disposition of light.
The Father.
Invisible.
Likened to the infra red rays.
The Son.
God Manifest.
Likened to the central rays of the spectrum,
the only part of light by which we "see".
The Holy Spirit. Invisible.
Likened to the ultra violet rays.
The only way in which we can "see" the glory of God, is "in the face of Jesus Christ",
and the passage in II Cor. 4:, which makes this statement, contains the only occurrence
of augazo in the New Testament, namely in II Cor. 4: 4.
As the epistle to the Hebrews naturally speaks of the Tabernacle, its furniture, its
priesthood and its offerings, it is a thing to be expected that, if Christ is set forth as
"better" than all these types and shadows, then even in this initial setting forth of His
office as "the brightness of His glory" we shall have a link with the typical teaching of
the Old Testament. The cherubim are called "the cherubims of glory" in association with
the mercy seat (Heb. 9: 5), and Psa. 78: 61 uses the word "glory" as a name for the
ark, and Phinehas' wife said "the glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is
taken" (I Sam. 4: 22). The Son of God is therefore comparable to the Shekinah glory of
the tabernacle. John 1: 14 tells us that He "tabernacled" among us, and Col. 2: 9 that
"in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily". Moses, it will be remembered,
said "I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory", but the Lord told him "Thou canst not see My
face . . . . . and live . . . . . I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts:
but My face shall not be seen" (Exod. 33: 18-23). This request apparently arose out of
the promise "My presence shall go with thee" (Exod. 33: 14). Although it was made
clear to Moses here that he could not see the face of God and live, yet in the same chapter
we read "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his
friend" (Exod. 33: 11). These words seem to involve a contradiction. Verse 11 says
that the Lord spake face to face with Moses, yet verse 20 says "Thou canst not see My
face and live". The reader will readily call to mind other apparent contradictions. Jacob
said:
"I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved" (Gen. 32: 30),
yet John 1: 18 categorically denies that anyone at any time has ever seen God.
In
Numb. 12: 8 the Lord said concerning Moses:
"With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches;
and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold".
"Apparently" is the translation of the Hebrew mareh "pattern" (Num. 8: 4);
"appearance" (Num. 9: 15); "countenance" (Jud. 13: 6) and Ezek. 1: 26 "the
appearance of" a man. The pattern was shown to Moses in the mount, and the comment
in Heb. 8: 5 shows that all these "serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly
things". The "appearance" of Numb. 9: 15 is the presence of the Lord rendered terrible