“While he was saying this, a cloud appeared and overshadowed them. They became afraid as they entered the cloud.” Luke 9:34 HCSB

The Difference Between the Cloud and Glory

“As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly, two men were talking with Him — Moses and Elijah. They appeared in glory and were speaking of His death, which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and those with him were in a deep sleep, and when they became fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who were standing with Him.”
Luke 9:29-32 HCSB

The Glory of God is what made Jesus, Moses, and Elijah appeared to be changed. Jesus’ clothes were changed and the appearance of His face changed. Peter, John, and James saw Jesus in His glory, the glory of Jesus overpowered the glory of Moses and Elijah.

This is the same glory that Moses experienced in the wilderness while talking to God up on the mountain.

“As Moses descended from Mount Sinai — with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands as he descended the mountain — he did not realize that the skin of his face shone as a result of his speaking with the Lord.”
Exodus 34:29 HCSB

Elijah experienced on a mountain in the small voice after the wind, earthquake, and fire. 

“Then He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.” At that moment, the Lord passed by. A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah? ”
1 Kings 19:11-13 HCSB

The glory is to change us every day. When we have spent time with the Lord of Lords, we come out changed. Whether it is in worship, in His word, or in prayer we cannot come out unchanged. If we do we must take a good hard look at our selves to see why. 

The glory is there to let other people know we have been with Jesus. It is not always apparent to us at the time whether we have His glory or not but the people would see the change in us.

“The Lord said to Moses, “Cut two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be prepared by morning. Come up Mount Sinai in the morning and stand before Me on the mountaintop. No one may go up with you; in fact, no one must be seen anywhere on the mountain. Even the flocks and herds are not to graze in front of that mountain.”
Exodus 34:1-3 HCSB

The glory comes during time spent with God. Moses had a plan laid out by God. 

1.  Make two stone tablets.
2.  Be prepaid in the morning.
3.  Come up on Mount Sinai.
4.  Stand before Me.
5.  No one may come up with you or be seen in front of the mountain.
6.  Remove the flocks from the front of the mountain.

This pattern helps me to do my Quiet times each morning. I want to hear from God and have His glory shine through me.

1.  Moke sure to be rested the night before.
2.  Get up in the morning before everyone else.
3.  I keep the house quiet. I don’t turn on music or multitask. 
4.  Spend adequate time in the Bible to meditate on what He is speaking to me.

The Cloud

While Jesus’ glory was shining a cloud overshadowed them all. It was so dark the glory of Jesus was not even penetrating it. If it was a light fog Jesus would have been shining like a headlight. The cloud is God’s presence masked in something to not overpower us.

Moses experienced it after setting up the Tabernacle.

“Next Moses set up the surrounding courtyard for the tabernacle and the altar and hung a screen for the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work. The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”
Exodus 40:33-35 HCSB

“On the day the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony, and it appeared like fire above the tabernacle from evening until morning. It remained that way continuously: the cloud would cover it, appearing like fire at night. Whenever the cloud was lifted up above the tent, the Israelites would set out; at the place where the cloud stopped, there the Israelites camped.”
Numbers 9:15-17 HCSB

“Then Moses said, “Please, let me see Your glory.” He said, “I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name Yahweh before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” But He answered, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.” The Lord said, “Here is a place near Me. You are to stand on the rock, and when My glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back, but My face will not be seen.”
Exodus 33:18-23 HCSB

Moses desired to see God’s glory but was unable to see God’s face. So God hid Moses with His hand until only God’s back could be seen. Maybe God hid in the cloud of His hand.

The cloud that arose out of the sea was the hand of God binging back the rain and His glory in the time of Elijah.

“On the seventh time, he reported, “There’s a cloud as small as a man’s hand coming from the sea.” Then Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Get your chariot ready and go down so the rain doesn’t stop you.’ ”
1 Kings 18:44 HCSB

Both of these experiences with Moses in the tabernacle and Elijah on Mount Carmel came after great sacrifices. Moses had the people donate all the materials needed for the Tabernacle and Elijah had just offered a bull and 12 jugs of water in front of all the prophets of Baal and all Israel. 

The presence of God will come to us at a price. We must pay something to offer  God an adequate sacrifice. 

The glory is the result of our obedience and the cloud is the result of our sacrifice. The glory is when we were/are in God’s presence. The cloud is when God’s full glory has invaded our presence. The glory is a light to the world to flow Jesus. The cloud stops normal life in awe of the awesome God.

“When the priests came out of the holy place, the cloud filled the Lord’s temple, and because of the cloud, the priests were not able to continue ministering, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple.”
1 Kings 8:10-11 HCSB


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