Beauty is the possession and characteristic of God and is one of the qualities which are distinctive of Him. It emphasizes the form in which He reveals Himself in the external manifestation of His presence and the quality of His greatness, authority, dignity, preeminence, power, perfection, and majesty.
"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in Heaven and Earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name." (1 Chron 29:11-13 NIV)
The word "glory" is used throughout the Bible to describe God's beauty. It comes from the Hebrew word "kabhod" and the Greek word "doxa," which are often translated throughout the Bible to convey God's wealth, perfection of character, splendor, majesty, abundance, and honor well as to convey the ecstasy found in Heaven. The word's root meaning denotes weight, or heaviness, size, rarity, beauty, brilliance, brightness, desire, and adornment. This divine quality is beyond man's understanding because "The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, the one who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?" (Ps 113:4-6 NIV).
The Foundation of Beauty
Beauty is the universal foundation of all things. It is transcendent by nature. The beauty and glory of God are far more incredible and surpass any earthly beauty you could ever know. Everything about Him is beautiful. His power is beautiful. His love is beautiful. Beauty is rooted in Him. He is the foundation of all beauty in the universe. His beauty is what makes Him worthy of our worship. Beauty begins and ends in God. He is the revelation of all that is good, loving, and kind. He signs His name using a rainbow and uses beauty as His messenger, declaring across the universe that He is "altogether lovely" (Gen 9:13; Song 5:16).
Deeply rooted in every human heart is an unquenchable longing for beauty, a God-given sense that beauty must have a more significant and permanent meaning than ourselves. It can arouse pleasure, delight, and even bring rest. We long to observe and be a part of beauty. We seek a rare glimpse of greatness. We yearn for a vision of glory. We are moved by music, the words of a poet, the work of an artist, a newborn child, the uniqueness of all living creatures, the multicolored hues of a sunset, the brilliance of a sunrise, the majesty of mountain peaks, the melodic sound of a waterfall, the wind rustling through the leaves, the simplicity of a flower, the lightness of a snowflake. These things cultivate our sensory awareness and expand our consciousness as we learn and appreciate something of the Creator. Yet, they are all but token twinkles and shimmering shadows of the beauty of God that has been intricately woven through the fabric of all creation.
The Heavens Declare the Beauty of God
"God, the LORD, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the Earth and everything in it. (Isa 42:5 NLT)
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." (Ps 19:1 NIV)
"The whole earth is filled with his glory!" (Ps 72:19 NIV)
I remember as a young teenager gazing into the heavens one night while sitting around a campfire at a YMCA camp on Catalina Island, just off the California coast, and declaring to myself, "There is no way that this could have just happened on its own. It is just too magnificent to have happened by some random chance." That experience caused the beginning of an aching hunger in me to pursue knowing the God of all creation. And that hunger has never ceased to this day. I continually yearn to "gaze upon the beauty of the LORD" (Ps 27:4).
Beauty in creation draws us to the beautiful God, creating in us a deep hunger to know true beauty Himself. Yet, we often settle for an imitation, the created counterfeit, not the Creator Himself. We are drawn instead to beautiful things and people. Each year, tens of millions of dollars are spent on cosmetic surgery, clothes, jewelry, and cosmetics to make us look more attractive. Yet Adam and Eve didn't need clothes or make-up or jewelry as they walked naked in the Garden because they were clothed in the beauty of God. His beauty, the beauty of His presence, covered them. This longing for beauty exists because God is the ultimate Beautiful One. He is the absolute original pattern of all other beauty. He made you to long for Himself. Anything less than God will leave you unsatisfied.
The ancient Greeks used the word "beautiful" interchangeably with the words "excellent," "perfection," and "satisfying." Beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder, and yet it is not dependent upon or affected by anyone's perception of it. The beauty of a work of art is not based on the individual colors used or its shape and texture. The beauty is found in the harmony of how each element exists in a relationship with the others. Beauty is the manifestation of the Spirit of God that animates all of reality.
The attributes of God's character and nature obtain their infinite beauty from their relationship to each other. His love, wisdom, justice, power, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are beautiful (2 Thess 1:9; Gal 5:22-23). God is beautiful in all His ways. He relentlessly and lovingly pursues humanity, reaching out in a romantic passion with nail-pierced hands.
It was the beauty of Jesus that caused the disciples to drop everything and follow Him (Matt 4:19). It wasn't His looks or charisma that drew them to Him. It was His mystical beauty, the wondrous fragrance of love that emanates from Him and ever consumes those who draw closer and closer as they take on His fragrance and His beauty (2 Cor 2:14).
The Bible tells us that God has revealed Himself to every human being since time began in the beauty of the heavens, "for since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Rom 1:18-20 NIV).
God chose at times in the past to reveal His glory and perfection to man in a visible way such as the pillar of cloud and fire, (Ex 13:21) the deliverance of the Israelites at the parting of the Red Sea, (Ex 14) and His glory in the Tabernacle (Lev 9:23-24) and Temple (1 Kings 8:11 because the Father desires to have an intimate relationship with humanity. His original desire was for His Glory to always dwell with us.
The Bible tells us the first dwelling place for humankind was a place of beauty where "God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground--trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food." (Gen 2:9 NIV). And the last dwelling place we are shown is a city of beauty whose gates are "made of a single pearl," and the "great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass" (Rev 21:21 NIV).
The veil of sin, the works of the flesh, keeps us from seeing God's true beauty. Even the whole Earth sits under a curse, and all of "creation groans together and travails in pain together" because of sin. (Gen 8:20; Rom 8:22 Darby) Just imagine how beautiful the new Heaven and Earth will be when the curse is finally removed! (Rev 21:1-5)
The Bible states that all people "have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23 NIV). Moses was aware of this because of His sinfulness when God asked him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and to the promised land. Moses was very concerned about leading the people. In answer to his concerns, God told him, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
Still fearful and unsure, Moses responded, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the Earth?" And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory" (Ex 33:14-18 NIV).
The sin of Adam and Eve obscured God's personal and intimate beauty, and it was lost from constant view. However, in Jesus, it is found. Since the close of the Old Testament, the beauty of God has been shown in Jesus because He is the "brightness of the Father's glory" (Heb 1:3). Jesus "became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14 NIV).
Jesus is the "Lord of glory" and reveals His beauty through miraculous signs and wonders so that His followers will continually put their "faith in him" (1 Cor 2:8; John 2:11 NIV). All His followers share in that beauty. "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." Because Jesus willingly offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice, God's secret wisdom, "a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began," has been "revealed"… "to us by his Spirit" (1 Cor 2:6-10 NIV).
The House of His Beauty
As a Born-Again Christian, you are now the house of His glorious beauty, the "temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor 6:19). You are a reflection of His glory! God said, "I will glorify the house of My glory" (Isa 60:7 NKJV). God imparts to His house the beauty and majesty which belong to Him. You take on the brilliance of His nature and character! You share in the heavenly glory and partake of His divine nature! You are the Glory of God! You are His manifest presence! You are also His Bride! Jesus has given you His glory!
Jesus prayed to the Father, "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one" (John 17:22 NIV). Every Born-Again Believer reflects "the Lord's glory" and "are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Cor 3:18 NIV).
The Beauty Realm of God
The Prophets Daniel and Isaiah were given a glimpse into the Beauty Realm, the Secret Place of God. It so overwhelmed Isaiah that he cried out, "Woe to me!"…" I am ruined!" (Isa 6:5 NIV). The breathtaking beauty of God ruined him forever. He could no longer be content with what the world had to offer. Any Born-Again Believer who seeks after God with their entire being will also be ruined forever as they will take on the beautiful "fragrance of Christ" and become His reflection (2 Cor 2:15 NKJV). The cares of the world and what it offers won't mean that much anymore because you will finally understand your true destiny; to "dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple" (Ps 27:4 NIV).
The Apostle John, also known as John the beloved, was also given a prophetic revelation concerning Jesus when an angel visited him. At the same time, he was exiled on the island of Patmos (Rev 1). John made a valiant attempt to describe the indescribable what he saw and experienced with words we could understand. He provided a tiny glimpse into the transcendent glory of Jesus and the Beauty Realm.
I have combined various Scripture verses to build a portrait of what John saw. However, the depiction is at best insufficient and severely lacking in its representation but what John is able to describe is just how beautiful beyond description Jesus truly is and how one day soon every born again Christian will "share in the glory to be revealed" (1 Peter 5:1 NIV).
The Throne Room of Heaven
Surrounding the great throne of Jesus are "seven gold lampstands"… "with burning flames. They are the seven spirits of God" (Rev 1:5,12). The glory of Jesus illuminates all of Heaven. He is "as brilliant as gemstones--jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow" (Rev 4:3 NLT).
Jesus "is wearing a long robe"… "dipped in blood" (Rev 19:13)… "with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were bright like flames of fire. 15 His feet were as bright as bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves.
Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations (Rev 19:15). He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was as bright as the sun in all its brilliance (Rev 1:12-16 NLT). "and on his head were many crowns" (Rev 19:11 NLT). "He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, and a river of fire" pure "water of life, clear as crystal flowed"… "from his presence" (Dan. 7:9-10; Rev. 22:1 NLT).
"Twenty-four thrones" surround Jesus, "and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads.".. "Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense--the prayers of God's people!".. "And from the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder" (Rev 4:5-6,8 NLT).
The "twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God" fall" on their faces" and worship Him saying; "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who always was, for now you have assumed your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry with you, but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants. You will reward your prophets and your holy people, all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest. And you will destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth" (Rev 11:15-18 NLT).
Around the throne and the twenty-four elders are "four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back."… "each having six wings"… "The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle" (Rev 4:6-8 NKJV). "Hovering around him were mighty seraphim, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with the remaining two they flew" (Isa 6:2 NLT).
The four living creatures "Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty--the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come" (Rev 4:8 NKJV). Whenever the living creatures "give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one who lives forever and ever. And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, "You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created" (Rev 4:1-11 NLT).
As the twenty-four fall down in worship, they sing a new song; "You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were killed, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become God's Kingdom and his priests. And they will reign on the earth" (Rev 5:9-10 NLT).
Throughout eternity, as Jesus continually reveals more of His transcendent beauty, the mighty Seraphim call to one another; "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isa 6:1-5 NIV). Millions upon millions of angels surrounding the throne sing in a mighty chorus: "The Lamb is worthy--the Lamb who was killed. He is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing" (Rev 5:11-12 NLT).
Those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior appear as "a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language," and stand "in front of the throne and before the Lamb." They are "clothed in white" and hold "palm branches in their hands," shouting, "Salvation comes from our God on the throne and from the Lamb!" All the angels stand "around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings" and then fall "face down before the throne" worshipping Jesus, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and forever. Amen!" (Rev 7:9-12 NLT). Every created being "in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea" cry out: "Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever." "And the four living beings said, "Amen" (Rev 5:13-14 NLT).
In front of the throne is a "shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal"…mixed with fire" And on it stands "all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number representing his name. They were all holding harps that God had given them. And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are your actions, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed" (Rev 4:6; 15:2-4 NLT).
The vast crowd shouts out, sounding like "the roar of mighty ocean waves, or the crash of loud thunder: "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself…" (Rev 19:4-9 NLT).
Reflecting His Beauty
You reflect His beauty and give glory to God when you confess your sins (Josh 7:19; Jer 13:16). It takes humility to admit or confess that you are wrong. Humility opens the doors for the glory to shine forth.
Remember the Fun House carnival mirrors. One would make you look tall or short, fat or skinny, distorting how you really are. Just like those mirrors, you can distort the glory of God by your behavior, by your pride and arrogance, your fear, anxiety, anger, resentment, bitterness, lack of trust, rebellion, the things you watch and listen to, the way you treat others and the words you use
If you want to be a clear and brilliant reflection of God's beauty in a dark and ugly world, you must walk in humility. Pride and unforgiveness cause the brilliance to dim. It dulls the image and fogs His reflection like the steam rising from a long hot shower fogs a bathroom mirror.
Because of the "hope of the glory of God," every born again Christian stands "justified through faith" and has "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," and has "gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand" (Rom 5:1-3 NIV). Since you share in the glory of Jesus and have been "raised with Christ," you must "set your hearts on things above"… "not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory" (Col 3:1-4 NIV). The majestic God who created the universe with all its galaxies and solar systems longs to know you intimately and died to prove it. By setting your heart on those things that have eternal value and releasing the cares of this world by trusting in Him, you will become a true reflection of the wondrous brilliance of His beauty.
