NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF GOD’S GLORY
(A fire can burn as well as bless!)
When one does a careful study of the glory of God, an interesting fact becomes evident: that the appearance of the Glory of Yahweh brought JUDGEMENT, a great percentage of the time, sometimes resulting in the bloody deaths of many people, including the people of God.
Ex 16:10, 17; Num 14:10; 16:19,42; Deut. 5:24 are just a few of the places where glory and judgement occupied the same story.
God’s glory appeared when Korah and his extended family were all killed by God.
The Israelites were killed by the multiplied thousands in the midst of the Glory of God when they disobeyed. Num.16.
When Uzza reached out his hand to steady the ark of the covenant, God struck him dead. 2 Sam.6
A New Testament example would be that of Ananias and Sapphira, in Acts 5, whom God struck dead, simply because they told a lie, in the midst of the greatest revival the world has ever known!!! Even more modern revivals record the deaths of certain ones who fought against the people and the move of God. While we greatly desire that the hand of God be upon us to bless, yet the Bible declares that it is “a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God!!!” Heb.10:27,35. A fire can bless, or it can burn. A knife or sword can cut its owner! So, with the glory. The glory, communion, God's Presence can heal, or it can kill, depending on our state of being, our attitude, our heart condition. 1 Cor.11:29,30 The devil believes, and trembles. We should also tremble. Yahweh explained to Moses that no one could see Yahweh, and live. Yet, God prepared a special cockpit seat, and carved out a hollow spot in the mountain for Moses to fit into, and God allowed Moses to see just a part of Him. Ex.33. "We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is":!!! 1 Jn.3:2
The film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, features a time when evil men looked into the ark, and were slain, yet, as was the case with the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, the flames burned off the bonds of the good guys and set them free, while killing the bad guys.