Exodus 34:35, commentary and pictures

After forty days and nights of communion on the mount, Moses' face shone with reflected divine glory without his knowing it. When he came down, Aaron and Israel drew back afraid and unable to look steadily on that brightness because conscious guilt made the heavenly light painful, though obedience would have made it joy. In compassion to reassure them of restored favor and speak what he had received, he put the veil over his face again and wore it whenever he came out to the people, removing it only when he went in to speak with God. The brightness was the impress of God's presence and goodness, and the righteousness of Christ embodied in the law and the light of the gospel already shining in the sacrificial system. What was seen on Moses will be seen again when the living saints are filled with the Holy Ghost at the announcement of the day and hour, their faces lighting up as his did so that the wicked cannot look upon them.

Sinai Descent and Veil

After forty days and nights of communion with God on the mount, the skin of Moses' face shone with dazzling light reflecting the glory of the divine presence, unknown to himself. God strengthened him to endure that excellent glory, which mortal man could not otherwise bear, and to bring a reflection of it down upon his face. During that time without food he was specially sustained and raised above ordinary human weakness, surrounded by God's glory. Coming down thus glorified, he was ready to direct the construction of the sanctuary according to the pattern shown him.

When the law was given on Mount Sinai, not only Moses' face but the faces of those who were with him shone with glory. This followed God's proclamation of Himself as 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 made haste to bow and worship, and again entreated pardon for his people and that God would take them for His inheritance. His prayer was granted with renewed favor to Israel and the promise to do marvels such as had not been done in all the earth nor in any nation.

When he descended, Aaron and the people shrank away afraid to come near him and could not look steadfastly upon the reflected glory, but were obliged to withdraw. The brightness was so great they could not bear to look upon it without fear, for in conscious guilt feeling themselves still under divine displeasure they could not endure the heavenly light. Their transgressions made that glory painful and terrifying to them, so that his brethren could not stand before him to hear the word of the Lord from his mouth unless veiled. Had they been obedient it would have filled them with joy, for there is fear in guilt while the soul free from sin will not wish to hide from the light of heaven.

Compassionating their fear so he could draw them near, assure them of God's reconciliation and restored favor, and communicate what he had received to tell them, Moses put the veil upon his face again. He covered his face with a veil as the people had begged, so they would not have to look upon its brightness. The children of Israel saw the shining, and he put the veil back on until he went in to speak with God again. He continued to do so thereafter whenever he returned to the camp from communion with God, covering his face when he came out to the people and when he was not speaking with God, until he went in again to speak with Him.

Meaning of Shining Glory

The shining of Moses' skin was the reflection of God's own glory and goodness and presence resting upon him after communion, marking him with the impress of God and testifying to his special nearness to God, though he remained a man guided by the Son of God. Personal experience of the knowledge of God gives power with God and therefore power with the people, and for those bearing responsibility as leaders and for those who devise and execute plans this connection with heaven is necessary for wisdom and foresight and discernment and keen perception and success. A messenger who has been with God brings divine truth to the people, as Moses descended from the holy mount with his face glorified by communion to bring truth, and even that coming in glory did not bring a greater or more precious truth than the doctrine of the cross and the imputed righteousness of Christ now coming not in word only but in the power of God to everyone who believes.

That experience of communion was of more value to Moses as a leader than all his former education in the learning of the Egyptians. The most brilliant intellect and the most earnest study and the highest eloquence can never be substituted for the wisdom and power of God and the grace of Christ and the knowledge of God's will. God listens to the appeals of His self-denying workers and condescends to talk with feeble mortals face to face.

Being in the presence of God and under the power of the Holy Spirit still lights the face with the glory of heaven. The face is lighted with heavenly glory when praising the Lord for His wonders and bearing testimony to Jesus and His love, and when the power of God is experienced in so great a degree that physical strength leaves and the person falls helpless, giving evidence of God's love and sustaining grace that convinces opposers the work is of the Lord. The shining comes when the cold formalism and pride that bind souls are broken and contrite, humble believers are filled with His glory, and a countenance overcome by God's power recalls this sign of divine presence. The light and glory imparted to Moses illustrates that people are accountable according to the privileges and light and benefits they have received.

Law Gospel and Ascension

The glory shining from the face was so bright the people could not look upon it without pain, and for that reason the face was covered with a veil. That reflected glory represented the righteousness of Christ embodied in the law. The law itself has no power to save, and all its glory comes from Christ revealed through it. What had been seen was the fulfillment in Christ of the ceremonial types and shadows, for Christ alone enables people to keep the moral law.

The brightness attending the giving of the law was the light of the glory of the gospel of Christ. Christ is the foundation of the sacrificial system, and what had been shown was His work and mission to earth to take humanity, to teach and guide the world, and to give Himself a ransom for sins. In the same showing the end of the sacrificial offerings in the perfect Offering was made plain. Because of transgression that brightness was painful and terrifying, so the face could not be looked upon steadfastly and the veil was put on again. Had there been discernment by faith of that gospel light, and a steadfast looking to the end of that which was to be abolished, the light reflected from the countenance could have been endured.

That the revealing of God's presence under the Jewish economy was so glorious it could not be borne by mortal man proves that period was not a Christless time without mercy or grace. It was a time of wonderful manifestations of divine power, when the gospel was already preached. The veiling of the face hid the glory of the law reflected upon it. In the same way the heavenly glory of Christ's ascension was veiled from human sight, in keeping with the meekness and quietness of His earthly life. The disciples saw Jesus ascend, but not the heavenly escort nor the glory of heaven welcoming Him.

Stephen Enoch and Witnesses

The holy light that Israel saw shining from Moses' face, which he then veiled again until he went in to speak with God, appeared again on Stephen as he stood before the council. His face shone like the face of an angel, with the same holy radiance that had shone from Moses after speaking with God. That radiant countenance recalled the glory on Moses and displayed the same holy light as a sign of God's presence, which those who honored Moses could recognize. The comparison also marked the temple's glory as departed, for the shekinah glory would no longer be seen there.

The shining face shows how communion with God makes a person reflect the divine image. While communing with God, Enoch's face shone with holy light after the pattern of Moses' shining after he had been with God and spoken with Him. That light remained upon him as he taught others, his face becoming radiant so that even the ungodly saw heaven's impress upon him.

End-Time Saints Shining

What befell Moses will be repeated upon God's people at the end, for when God announces the day and hour of Jesus' coming He pours the Holy Ghost upon the living saints, the 144,000, and their faces begin to light up and shine with the glory of God just as Moses' face shone when he came down from Mount Sinai. When God speaks the day and hour and delivers the everlasting covenant, one sentence at a time rolling through the earth like peals of loudest thunder, the Israel of God stand with eyes fixed upward listening to the words from the mouth of Jehovah. At the end of every sentence they shout Glory, Alleluia, and their faces are lighted up with the glory of God and shine as Moses' face shone. In that same speaking the never-ending blessing is pronounced on those who honored God in keeping His Sabbath holy, followed by a mighty shout of victory over the beast and over his image.

That glory is so bright the wicked cannot look upon the saints because of it, just as sinfulness made Moses' reflected glory painful to behold when Israel was afraid and could not bear to look steadfastly upon him. The same contrast between God's glorified saints shining with glory and the wicked who cannot bear it will appear just before Christ's second coming, when the saints shine as they hear His voice. As Moses covered his face with a veil, so this shining marks the glory resting upon those who have been in God's presence.

The verse illustrates the glory that will attend God's faithful people in their final time of trouble, for as the third angel's message swells to a loud cry they will share in the glory of the light accompanying that closing work. Their faces will shine with reflected glory as the latter rain revives and strengthens them for the time of trouble. The same cause will produce the same effect when God speaks from the Holy City to all His people as He did to Moses, with glory poured on them as it was poured on Moses so that his brethren could not stand before him unless he veiled his face. This outpouring is the Holy Ghost given before the second advent to fill the saints, deliver them from every outward foe, and prepare them to gaze on Jesus and stand before Him at His appearing, because in the present state none could stand a single moment before the brightness of that coming.

The shining belongs to the commandment-keepers who honored the law, whose countenances will be lighted up with glory and beam upon those around them just as Moses' face shone. The righteous at Jesus' coming will have faces lit by God's glory shining like Moses' face and reflecting the image of Jesus. At the appearing of Christ in splendor and glory they will be glorified and translated to heaven without seeing death, rising with songs of triumph to enter through the gates into the city, into the land of Eden. In the time of trouble, when the signs are acted over again and the day and hour is made known and the sea boils like a pot, their faces will shine like Moses' face as Christ appears in the east to bring perfect deliverance when God's people are caught up.

Christ's Return and Judgment

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. This followed God's proclamation of Himself as 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, after which Moses hastened to bow and worship and again entreated pardon for his people and that God would take them for His inheritance. His prayer was granted with renewed favor to Israel and the promise to do marvels such as had not been done in all the earth nor in any nation.

The children of Israel saw that the skin of Moses' face shone after he had spoken with the Lord, and he put the veil upon his face again until he went in to speak with Him, for the glory was so great that they could not look upon it without fear and were afraid to come near him. Guilty Israel coming down from the divine presence on the mount after the receiving of the tables of the testimony could not endure his countenance glorified by light. That inability to look steadfastly on Moses' glorified face is far less than the inability of transgressors to look on the Son of God when He appears in the glory of His Father surrounded by all the heavenly host with the angels to execute judgment on transgressors of His law and rejecters of His atonement, which those who disregard God's law will not be able to face.