Introduction: Seeing, hearing, and experiencing the glory of God is breathtaking. We read of personal testimonies in the Scriptures of those who encountered God’s glory.

1. Moses did! (Exo 3:2-6)

“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.”

Imagine a burning bush that is not consumed. Moses was never the same after that experience. He became one of the greatest leaders of Israel.

2. Paul did! (2Cor 12:1-3)

“1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I can not tell: God knoweth; How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”

It seems only fitting that Paul was caught up to the third heaven, especially since he denied the Lord Jesus for years. He became one of the greatest missionaries that ever lived, if not the greatest.

3. Ezekiel did! (Ezekiel 1:28)

“As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.”

4. John did! (Revelation 1:17,18)

“17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

After attempts to martyr John failed, he ended up on the isle of Patmos where he encountered Jesus Christ.
Recognizing who He was, John fell as a dead man at His feet. Then he was ready to write concerning the things which will come hereafter.