The Manifestation of the Glory of God as an Expression of Divine Love

Rezumat

This study explores the manifestation of God’s glory as a concrete expression of divine love, tracing continuity from the Sinai theophany through Israel’s cultic life to Christ’s Transfiguration. It begins with Moses’ encounter at the burning bush and the revelation of God’s name, grounding divine existence in self‑subsistence and historical action. The Exodus narrative and the covenant ceremony culminate in the descent of the divine glory (kabod) onto Sinai and its subsequent transfer to the Tabernacle, where God’s dwelling among Israel becomes the tangible sign of covenantal presence. The paper emphasizes kabod’s dual character: nearness and transcendence perceptible as radiant, heavy presence yet veiled within cloud and fire. The analysis connects biblical, rabbinic, and liturgical traditions (including the Shekinah motif and temple imagery) to the Johannine and patristic visions of divine presence. Moses’ plea, ‘Show me your glory,’ finds fulfillment in the mercy and steadfast love revealed in God’s self‑disclosure, while Israel’s apostasy complicates but does not nullify divine fidelity. The study then shifts to Christ, proposing that the incarnation and Transfiguration actualize Sinai’s glory in person: Christ bears the fullness of deity bodily, and the Transfiguration unveils divine light not as created luminescence but as uncreated energy accessible to transformed human perception. Drawing on Gregory Palamas and John of Damascus, the paper argues that witnessing divine glory effects theosis—restoring humanity toward its intended likeness—thus framing glory foremost as an act of divine love that sanctifies, judges, and consummates covenantal communion between God and creation.