The purpose of this study is to investigate the meaning of the "Glory of God" in the Old Testament. It will particularly focus on the meaning of the "Glory of God" in the Pentateuch and investigate the i) substantial Biblical symbol, ii) theological m...
The purpose of this study is to investigate the meaning of the "Glory of God" in the Old Testament. It will particularly focus on the meaning of the "Glory of God" in the Pentateuch and investigate the i) substantial Biblical symbol, ii) theological meaning, iii) real meaning of the "Glory of God," and iv) the characteristic of God by comparing the commentarial studies and illustration of 'Glory.'
Chapter Ⅰ presents the problem, which is the primary purpose of this study. Through research methods and limitations of this study, it will be revealed that the "Glory of God" is a shortcut to understanding the characteristics of God and the theological meaning as to how important it is to study this subject.
Chapter Ⅱ examines the general understanding of 'Glory' and the lexical understanding of it. The overall study of 'Glory' can be established by studying the illustration of 'Glory' in the Pentateuch.
Chapter Ⅲ provides annotations on the text focused on the appearance of the "Glory of God" in the Pentateuch and studies the interrelationship between God and His people. Related to the appearance of the "Glory of God", this chapter especially examines the various meanings of 'presence,' 'protection,' 'ratification,' 'divine assent,' 'judgment' and 'punishment' in connection with the word 'Glory.'
The study reaches its conclusion in Chapter Ⅳ which synthesizes all the chapters according to the following steps: First, the "Glory of God" appears in connection with the core events and the overall context of the presence of God in the entire Pentateuch. The "Glory of God" is therefore the symbol of the presence of God who wishes to dwell with His people. At the same time, it is an expression of the continuous love and concern that God has toward His people. Second, the "Glory of God" has a dual character of blessing and judgment according to each situation. It confirms that God is the Savior and Comforter of the world, and that He possesses the authority of reprobation and judgment of the world. Finally, the "Glory of God" deduces the contents throughout the response of the human against the presence of 'Glory' bringing about different results. It alludes that the intention of human beings cannot affect the "Glory of God" directly, but could affect the characteristic of 'Glory.'