Exodus 34:32, commentary and pictures

After forty days and nights of communion on the mount where he received the second stone tablets written by the Lord, Moses descended with his face unknowingly shining with reflected divine glory, and after Aaron and the guilt-stricken people shrank back in fear he called them with love until they ventured near to receive all the Lord had spoken. What he gave them as commandment was more than the tables of testimony, for he had also received the ceremonial law and the full pattern for the sanctuary and its worship, down to every vessel and fringe, as God's truth entrusted to Israel for the world. The brightness on his face was not his own but the light of close intercourse with God, even the glory of the gospel of Christ who founded the sacrificial system and was shown to Moses in His taking humanity, death as ransom, and ending of types in antitype. Because of transgression the guilty could not steadfastly behold that light which would have filled obedient souls with joy, for the moral law engraved on stone condemns sin but cannot pardon, and only repentance and faith in Christ's atoning blood and righteousness dispel fear and give power to endure the brightness. That same lighting up of the face will be seen on the 144,000 living saints when God speaks the day and hour of Jesus' coming and delivers the everlasting covenant, shining with glory the wicked cannot look upon to strengthen them to stand through the final trouble and gaze on Jesus at His appearing.

Historical Setting and Sequence

Afterward all the children of Israel came near when Moses descended from forty days and nights of communion with God on the mount, where he had been miraculously sustained. On the mount God had covered him so he could see God and live and behold heavenly things. There he received the two tables of stone with the Ten Commandments written by the Lord, the second stone tablets.

His face, unknown to himself, reflected the glory of the divine presence and shone with dazzling light and heavenly brightness from his time with God. Aaron and the people in conscious guilt, feeling still under divine displeasure, shrank away afraid to come near, unable to endure heavenly light that would have filled obedient souls with joy. Moses called them and urged them to come near with love and entreaty, holding out the pledge of God's reconciliation and assuring them of restored favor until they ventured to approach. He spoke first with Aaron and the rulers, and afterward all the children of Israel came near.

Moses could stand alone unafraid in the presence of the Eternal One because his soul was in harmony with the will of his Maker, while to the transgressor it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. On the mount God proclaimed Himself merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and by no means clearing the guilty. Moses bowed his head and worshiped and entreated God to pardon the iniquity of His people and take them for His inheritance. His prayer was granted with a gracious promise to renew favor to Israel and in their behalf to do marvels such as had not been done in all the earth nor in any nation, and this is what Moses afterward delivered to the children of Israel as commandment.

Content of the Commandment

After their fear at his shining face was overcome at his call, all the children of Israel ventured to come near, first Aaron and the rulers and afterward the whole congregation, and Moses gave them in commandment everything the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. He conveyed to them as a human servant the words and instructions of One greater than himself, delivering what he had received after close face-to-face intercourse with God on the mount. Coming down with his face lit up and shining with divine glory, he laid before Israel all the commands spoken to him, and the same pattern of receiving glory in communion and then delivering commandment will be seen when the living saints are lighted up at God's voice giving the day and hour of Jesus' coming.

What he delivered when they came nigh was more than the tables of testimony, for in the mount during forty days of direct communion he had also received the ritual or ceremonial law and full instructions for building the tabernacle and making the sanctuary. Those directions were to be followed strictly according to the pattern shown him as God's ideal of heavenly things, which he had been covered so he could see and live to behold. Still further directions for sanctuary worship were afterward spoken by an audible voice from the divine glory above the mercy-seat bidding him come nigh, with definite directions about sacrificial offerings given through Moses to show that something of vastly more importance than the mere outward act was signified. That ceremonial system was designed to represent ministry and death when type should meet antitype, and stands distinct from the moral law of ten commandments engraved by God's finger on stone which endures as the throne of Jehovah.

In those sanctuary directions not even a bell, a pomegranate, a tassel, a fringe, a curtain, or any vessel was left to his own zeal or to the skill of the most talented men at his command. Every detail was fixed by the divine pattern, leaving no room for human invention in God's ideal. By receiving all that had been spoken in Sinai, Israel was entrusted with God's truth for the whole world.

Glory on Moses' Face

The light on the countenance was not his own but light given by God and reflected back after close face-to-face intercourse with Him. He had seen as much of the divine glory and goodness as he could bear, and it shone from his face so brightly that the people could not look upon him, as upon a bright angel from heaven. When the law was given, the faces of Moses and of those who were with him shone with glory and beamed upon those around them.

In compassion for their fear he put a veil upon his face, and he continued to do so thereafter whenever he returned to the camp from communion with God. Glory rested upon him so that he had to cover his face before his brethren could stand before him and hear the word of the Lord from his mouth. The covering made it possible for them to approach and receive what had been spoken on Sinai.

That glory was painful and terrifying to them because of transgression and conscious guilt while still under divine displeasure. Guilty Israel could not steadfastly behold or endure the heavenly light, which would have filled obedient souls with joy, and they feared it would slay them and asked that it be covered. Their inability to endure the glorified face foreshadows how much less transgressors of the law and rejecters of the atonement will be able to look upon the Son of God when He appears in His Father's glory with the heavenly host to execute judgment.

Law, Gospel, and Christ

The brightness on Moses' face was the light of the glory of the gospel of Christ, who is the foundation of the whole sacrificial system. Christ himself gave through Moses the definite directions for sacrificial offerings to impress that something vastly more important than the mere outward act was signified. On the mount Moses was shown Christ taking humanity, His teaching, His death as ransom for sin, and the ending of the typical offerings when the perfect Offering should be made. The ceremonial types and shadows thus revealed the promised Saviour, being designed to represent His own ministry and death when type should meet antitype in His death.

The moral law of ten commandments engraved by God's finger on stone stands distinct from that ceremonial law and endures as the throne of Jehovah. The law exposes the transgressor to death, condemns sin, but cannot pardon or save. Its glory comes from Christ's righteousness embodied in it, revealed through those types and shadows as the promised Saviour. Pardon that dispels fear comes only through the atoning sacrifice and cleansing blood of Christ, received by repentance toward God and faith in Jesus. Had Israel discerned by faith the gospel light opened to Moses and looked steadfastly to the end of that which was to be abolished, when type would reach antitype, they could have endured the brightness.

Guilty Israel's inability to endure that reflected glory foreshadows how much less transgressors of the law and rejecters of His atonement will be able to look upon the Son of God when He appears in the glory of His Father with all the heavenly host to execute judgment. The same contrast will appear just before Christ's second coming, when the saints are glorified while the wicked shrink from the glory they see.

End-Time Glory of Saints

The same lighting up and shining of the face with God's glory seen on Moses when he came down from Sinai will be seen on the 144,000 living saints, the Israel of God. It will come when God speaks with a voice like many waters giving the day and hour of Jesus' coming, pours the Holy Ghost upon them, and delivers the everlasting covenant. Those who know and understand God's voice are then glorified as Moses was, while the wicked think it thunder and earthquake. The saints' faces likewise shine with God's glory as they listen to God speak and receive the covenant, with the blessing resting on those who have kept the Sabbath holy.

While listening with eyes fixed upward, the Israel of God will stand through pauses while the words roll through the earth like loudest thunder, speaking one sentence at a time. They hear and understand God's voice as their deliverance and rejoice, shouting Glory Alleluia at the end of every sentence, and have their countenances lighted up to shine as Moses' face shone. The wicked hear but do not understand, thinking it thunder and earthquake, and fear and tremble. The shining comes with the never-ending blessing pronounced on those who honored God in keeping His Sabbath holy and honored His holy law, followed by a mighty shout of victory over the beast and over his image.

That brightness the wicked cannot look upon for the glory. Those who exulted to destroy the saints cannot endure the glory resting upon the delivered ones and fall like dead men to the earth. Satan and his angels flee from the glorified saints, and their power to harm them is gone forever. The despisers of the law bow at the saints' feet in fear of God's voice.

Glory will be poured on them as it was poured on Moses, filling them with the Holy Ghost to prepare them to gaze on Jesus and stand before Him at His appearing, for in the present state none could stand a moment before the brightness of that coming. Their faces will shine with the glory of that light which attends the third angel, as the third message swells to a loud cry with great power and glory attending the closing work, and the latter rain will revive and strengthen them to pass through the time of trouble and the time of Jacob's trouble. As Jesus was glorified before His betrayal and crucifixion to strengthen Him for His last sufferings, those who grow up into Christ and partake largely of His Spirit will partake of His glory. The faces of the living saints likewise begin to shine with God's glory when God speaks and pours out the Holy Spirit, and after the signs are acted over again and the day and hour are made known and the sea boils like a pot, their faces will shine like Moses' as Christ appears in the east with His sword girded on His thigh to bring perfect and entire deliverance, when God's people are caught up on the white cloud.

That shining glory given with the law is the pattern for the last days, when the commandment-keepers who have honored the law are glorified with countenances lighted up with glory at the appearing of Christ in splendor and glory. That shining will be repeated when God speaks from His holy habitation and shakes the heavens and the earth by His voice to make the covenant of peace with His commandment-keeping people, when the countenances of the saints are lighted up with glory and beam upon those around them. At the appearing of Christ in splendor and glory they are translated to heaven without seeing death to enter through the gates into the city, into the land of Eden.

Leadership and Christian Experience

Moses gave Israel all the Lord had spoken with him in Sinai only after close face-to-face intercourse with God and seeing as much of the divine glory as he could bear, and that personal experience of the knowledge of God, with harmony with the divine will and assurance of the divine presence, prepared him to lead and to bear the message. That communion was of more value to him as a responsible leader than all his former education in the learning of the Egyptians. All who bear responsible positions and devise and execute plans must first have power with God in order to have power with the people, and must connect with heaven for wisdom, foresight, discernment, keen perception, and knowledge of God's will. No brilliant intellect, earnest study, human learning, skill, or highest eloquence can ever be substituted for that wisdom and power of God, the presence of God, and the grace of Christ.

The glory that shone from Moses' face was not his own but reflected light God had given him, and as a human servant he followed the direction of One greater than himself in conveying God's words. The greater light and privilege so received brought greater responsibility, for people are judged according to the light and benefits they have received. Moses descending from the holy mount with face glorified by communion to bring truth is like the high priest reappearing from the holy of holies and like Isaiah coming fresh from beholding the Lord high and lifted up with the train of His glory filling the temple. The doctrine of the cross and the imputed righteousness of Christ now to be borne to the people is not truth greater or more precious than what he bore, nor is it lesser truth, and it must be borne as messengers of God not in word only but in the power of God to every one that believeth.

The holy light that shone on Moses' face after speaking with God on Sinai reappeared as the same holy radiance on Stephen's face before the council, as a sign of God's presence recalling that earlier light. Those who honored Moses could have recognized the likeness in Stephen, yet prejudice kept many from responding, though the sight made some tremble. The temple's former glory would not be seen there again. Enoch's face likewise shone with holy light as he instructed his hearers, reflecting close communion with God as a visible mark left by time in God's presence like that on Moses. The same sign is echoed when a believer's countenance shines with heavenly light after experiencing God's power, and when revealings of God's glory to the contrite and humble break the cold Phariseeism that binds souls and make the very faces shine.