Shone around
“And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.” Luke 2:9
Shone around – The glory of the Lord. A few men have seen it in this world. Paul was one of them (Acts 26:13). Here the shepherds were witnesses to the glory of the Lord. It must be something incredible. It usually scares people to death. You might remember that when Moses came down from the mountain his face still reflected the Lord’s glory and he had to cover it with a veil. Paul describes this as a light brighter than the noonday sun. No wonder it blinded him.
The day is coming when we will all see the glory of the Lord. The day is coming when we will stand in His presence and bask in that glory. It will not be blinding or frightening on that day. It will be a universal celebration of joy. It will be the visible fulfillment of the greeting, “Rejoice!”
Today we live in the promise of YHVH’s glory. We hope for the day when His presence outshines the noonday sun. On a few occasions, He has pulled back the covers of this world and let His glory shine into our existence, just to give us a peek at what is coming. It doesn’t surprise me at all to read that the sun and the stars will no longer be needed for light when we arrive in heaven. YHVH’s glory will be more than enough. We will be transported back to the age before He created those celestial bodies – to a time when He said, “Let there be light”. Oh, I can’t wait. My eyes might be blinded but I will still certainly see.
The Greek word perilampo is easy to remember. Peri means “all around” and you can already guess what lampo means – to shine, of course. God’s glory shines all around. In Him is no darkness at all. He is light, a light so bright, so powerful that it is pure holiness.
Are you looking ahead to the day of His glory? Will you be caught surprised and in fear or will you say, “Rejoice, the day of my Lord has arrived.”
Topical Index: shone around, glory, perilampo, Luke 2:9
