12
The Desire of Ages
Father’s hands, and to step down from the throne of the universe, that
He might bring light to the benighted, and life to the perishing.
Nearly two thousand years ago, a voice of mysterious import was
heard in heaven, from the throne of God, “Lo, I come.” “Sacrifice and
offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me.... Lo,
I come (in the volume of the Book it is written of Me,) to do Thy will,
O God.”
Hebrews 10:5-7
. In these words is announced the fulfillment
of the purpose that had been hidden from eternal ages. Christ was
about to visit our world, and to become incarnate. He says, “A body
hast Thou prepared Me.” Had He appeared with the glory that was His
with the Father before the world was, we could not have endured the
light of His presence. That we might behold it and not be destroyed,
the manifestation of His glory was shrouded. His divinity was veiled
with humanity,—the invisible glory in the visible human form.
This great purpose had been shadowed forth in types and symbols.
The burning bush, in which Christ appeared to Moses, revealed God.
The symbol chosen for the representation of the Deity was a lowly
shrub, that seemingly had no attractions. This enshrined the Infinite.
The all-merciful God shrouded His glory in a most humble type, that
Moses could look upon it and live. So in the pillar of cloud by day and
the pillar of fire by night, God communicated with Israel, revealing
to men His will, and imparting to them His grace. God’s glory was
subdued, and His majesty veiled, that the weak vision of finite men
might behold it. So Christ was to come in “the body of our humiliation”
(
Philippians 3:21
, R. V.), “in the likeness of men.” In the eyes of the
world He possessed no beauty that they should desire Him; yet He was
the incarnate God, the light of heaven and earth. His glory was veiled,
His greatness and majesty were hidden, that He might draw near to
sorrowful, tempted men.
God commanded Moses for Israel, “Let them make Me a sanc-
tuary; that I may dwell among them” (
Exodus 25:8
), and He abode
in the sanctuary, in the midst of His people. Through all their weary
wandering in the desert, the symbol of His presence was with them. So
Christ set up His tabernacle in the midst of our human encampment.
He pitched His tent by the side of the tents of men, that He might dwell
among us, and make us familiar with His divine character and life.
“The Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us (and we beheld
His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father), full of grace
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