Central to the theme of national destruction and restoration is the departure of the glory of God from the Temple in Jerusalem and the prediction of its ultimate return. God's glory departed due to a lack of the fruit of righteousness, evident in Sabbath-breaking, idolatry, and violence among the people. Since Israel's witness was unrighteous, God was not being glorified, and thus, He removed His glory from the Temple as a sign of His displeasure. God expects His people to reflect His glory in their attitudes and actions as an example of righteousness to others. Glorifying God means to honor, magnify, and praise Him through body and spirit, synonymous with action and attitude. Christ reveals that God is glorified when His disciples bear much fruit, such as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If attitudes and actions reflect this spiritual fruit, God's glory shines in their lives. The glory of God is the revelation of His character and presence in the person and work of Jesus Christ, described as the brightness of the Father's glory. By producing the fruit of righteousness, Christ manifested God's glory. Through righteous conduct, God's people can reflect Christ's glory, akin to the moon reflecting the sun's brightness. In producing the fruit of righteousness in an atmosphere of peace, they let God's glory shine through them and make an acceptable witness of God before others. Violent and corrupt Israel did not represent and glorify God to the surrounding nations with the fruit of righteousness, leading to the removal of His glory from the Temple. However, when Israel turns back to God and produces the fruit of righteousness in peace, God's glory will again brilliantly shine. Therefore, whether eating, drinking, or in any action, all should be done to the glory of God.

In the pursuit of victory, we often chase fleeting moments of euphoria, as seen in athletes who, after triumph, immediately seek more glory. This mirrors a deeper, spiritual longing for a glory that endures. Glory, in its essence, is tied to light—not ordinary light, but a striking, bedazzling brilliance, especially when associated with God. It is also heavy, carrying weight and responsibility, as reflected in the Hebrew word kahbode, meaning heaviness or burden, signifying power, dignity, and nobility. This weight of glory is promised to be eternal, as Paul reassures the Corinthians that their light afflictions are temporary, leading to an abundant and authoritative glory. The Greek word doxa describes glory as the self-manifestation of God, revealing His nature and acts, particularly through Jesus Christ, who glorified God in every deed—whether healing the blind, raising Lazarus, or during the Transfiguration. The glory of God is the visible, radiant presence of His character and attributes, expressed in creation and experienced as the totality of His nature. Though it can be seen, no human can behold God in His full glory and live, as God warned Moses when he longed to see His glory. Moses, after spending time with God, reflected this glory so intensely that he had to veil his face before the Israelites. Similarly, Isaiah, upon witnessing a vision of God's glory, was humbled and transformed, eagerly desiring to serve. David, gazing at the heavens, marveled at God's greatness and questioned why such a glorious God would care for humanity, yet understood that God desires to share His glory with us. Ultimately, God's glory is like light illuminating a diamond—without it, we are nothing. As Isaiah and Revelation depict, in a future setting, God's glory will be seen upon His people, reflecting His light. This eternal weight of glory, promised to us through Jesus Christ, will be ours to share, revealing God as He is.

The concept of glory, particularly as it is reflected, emerges as a central theme in understanding our relationship with God. During the 40 days Moses spent with the being who later became Jesus Christ, his face came to reflect the glory of God, a visible sign to all that he had communicated with God and spoke on His behalf. This reflected glory could be obscured by a veil, allowing Moses to hide its shining forth. Glory is dynamic and reflective, emanating from God as its ultimate source. We are to mirror this glory back to Him, not hiding it under a veil or basket, but letting it shine as a sign of our connection to Him. This reciprocal relationship is likened to the sun and moon, where the moon reflects the sun's light; if something comes between us and God, we grow dark, losing that reflected glory. Our godly lifestyle becomes a sign to others, leading them to eventually glorify God as well. Christ instructs us to let our light shine so others may see our good works and glorify God in heaven, emphasizing that this reflected glory travels from earth to the highest heaven. When we glorify God, He reciprocates by sending blessings back to us, enriching our lives to continue His work. This cycle of glory grows, moving from heaven to earth and back again, expanding like a convection current, starting with a few and building into an avalanche of glory. Ultimately, the nations will bring glory to God, reflecting what they have seen in us as we walk with unveiled faces, mirroring the light we receive from Him.

God is perfecting the beauty of each of us, His very own beloved, separating us from satan's system of conspiracies that only produce destruction and death. Our life is specifically being directed from heaven, moving from the glory of man to the glory of God, to make each of us ready for complete glory in the family of God. Through the words of truth and the Son living within us, we can be in the Father and the Son, and Their glory is shared with us, that we may be one with Them and with each other now. Though this glory is not complete, despite the imperfections, the Father still loves you just as He loves His Son, because you are in Him and He is in you. God had chosen Moses for a role in His plan, and after much preparation, it was in the presence of God at Sinai that Moses radiated the glory of God from within him. This was not merely a reflection but a shining forth of God's glory, evident as he came down from the mountain with the Word of God not just in his hands but in his heart. Similarly, Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, calls us, the chosen, to shine and make manifest His light, radiating brilliancy from the inside out, not only to the world but especially to the household of God. We have been given the privilege to know God now, amidst the insanity of the world under satan's influence. God has shown us that we are His beloved, seeing us, His elect, in the same way He sees His Son. With open face, beholding the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord. God has commanded us to be here, giving us through His words and His Holy Spirit the direction to continue in His work without growing weary, continually radiating the glory of God.