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Using Human Examples to Illustrate Christ's Majesty and Glory

The New Testament writers faced a rhetorical challenge: how to communicate the transcendent majesty of Christ to audiences steeped in human categories of greatness. Rather than abandoning earthly analogies, Scripture consistently employs human examples—kings, priests, prophets, judges—to point toward Christ's surpassing glory, even while acknowledging these comparisons fall infinitely short.

Biblical Foundations for Analogical Language

The Psalms establish the pattern of declaring divine majesty through observable realities. "The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork" [4], demonstrating that creation itself serves as testimony to transcendent glory. Similarly, Psalm 145:12 speaks of making known "to the children of humankind his mighty deeds, and the glory of the majesty of his kingdom" [2], indicating that divine majesty must be communicated in terms accessible to human understanding. God's glory is "exhibited in His name," "His majesty," "His power," and "His works" [3]—all categories that require concrete reference points for human comprehension.

When Scripture catalogs the excellency of Christ, it systematically employs human offices and roles: "As Prophet," "As Priest," "As King," "As Judge," "As Shepherd" [1]. Each designation draws from established human institutions while simultaneously transcending them. Christ appears "as Mediator," "as the image of God," "as creator" [1]—titles that use familiar conceptual frameworks to gesture toward realities that exceed them. The Gospel writers themselves adopted this method: Matthew presents the Redeemer "as the promised King of the kingdom of God," while Mark declares him "a prophet, mighty in deed and word" [5], both using recognizable human categories as entry points.

The Incarnation as the Supreme Analogy

The incarnation itself represents the ultimate use of human form to reveal divine glory. John's Gospel declares that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father" [3]. This glory was "exhibited in Christ" in a manner that made the invisible God visible [3]. When John encountered the risen Christ in Revelation, he saw "His glorified form as man," which "could be recognized by John, who had seen it at the Transfiguration" [17]—the human form remained the vehicle for displaying divine majesty even in glorified state.

Calvin's commentary on Philippians 2:6 illuminates the logic: "Christ's humility consisted in his abasing himself from the highest pinnacle of glory to the lowest ignominy" [16]. The comparison operates "not between things similar, but in the way of greater and less" [16]. Human examples function not as equivalents but as minimal thresholds—if earthly kings possess a measure of glory, how much more the King of kings? The argument moves from the lesser to the infinitely greater.

The Function of Human Sinfulness in the Contrast

The use of human examples gains rhetorical force precisely because of the universal recognition of human fallenness. "All human beings are born sinners" [8], and even regenerate believers continue to struggle: "we have not sinned" is a false claim even "after regeneration and conversion" [13]. The contrast between flawed human exemplars and the sinless Christ sharpens the illustration. Where human judges are corrupt, Christ judges with perfect righteousness (Matthew 25:31) [6]. Where human priests require atonement for their own sins, Christ offers himself unblemished.

Augustine's observation applies here: "from the devil there is not generation, but corruption" [9]. Human examples, corrupted by sin, can only point toward uncorrupted glory by way of negation and contrast. The "heinous and aggravated" nature of human sin—"not simply eating an apple, but a love of self, dishonor to God, ingratitude to a benefactor" [10]—establishes the baseline from which Christ's obedience and majesty stand in relief. "Deliberate sins" committed with "an insolent or arrogant attitude" [11] characterize human rulers; Christ's humility becomes "an example" precisely because it inverts expected patterns of human greatness [7].

Pedagogical Necessity and Divine Condescension

The use of human analogies reflects divine accommodation to human cognitive limits. God's anger, for instance, "is not a spontaneous emotional outburst, but the holy God's necessary response to sin" [12]—yet Scripture describes it in anthropomorphic terms because humans understand emotion. Similarly, Christ's roles as king, priest, and prophet employ institutional categories familiar from Israel's history, allowing hearers to grasp unfamiliar realities through familiar forms.

Matthew Henry notes that "God's goodness is his glory" [14], and this goodness manifests in making himself known through accessible means. The "glorious honour of thy majesty" and "thy wondrous works" [15] become subjects of human speech precisely because God has chosen to reveal them in ways that permit human articulation. The seven-fold description of Christ in Revelation—though "seven" is "omitted in two of the oldest manuscripts" [17]—uses numerical symbolism rooted in human culture to communicate completeness.

The Eschatological Horizon

The use of human examples points forward to a future unveiling. "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory" [6]—the language of thrones and glory borrows from earthly courts while anticipating a reality that will eclipse all earthly referents. The present use of analogy acknowledges its own inadequacy, gesturing toward a day when "God's anger" will find "a decisive outpouring" [12] and all partial revelations will give way to direct vision.

The rhetorical strategy, then, is neither simple metaphor nor literal equation. Human examples serve as minimal indicators, establishing a floor beneath which Christ's glory cannot fall while simultaneously pointing upward toward heights that remain, in this age, beyond full comprehension. The method honors both human finitude and divine transcendence, using the former to testify—however inadequately—to the latter.

Sources

  1. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Excellency and Glory of Christ, The — As God -- Joh 1:1-5; Php 2:6,9,10. As the Son of God -- Mt 3:17; Heb 1:6,8. As one with the Father -- Joh 10:30,38. As the First-born -- Col 1:15,18. As the First-begotten -- Heb 1:6. As Lord of lords, &c -- Re 17:14. As the image of God -- Col 1:15; Heb 1:3. As creator -- Joh 1:3; Col 1:16; Heb 1:2. As the Blessed of God -- Ps 45:2. As Mediator -- 1Ti 2:5; Heb 8:6. As Prophet -- De 18:15,16; Ac 3:22. As Priest -- Ps 110:4; Heb 4:15. As King -- Isa 6:1-5; Joh 12:41. As Judge -- Mt 16:27; 25:31,33. As Shepherd -- Isa 40:10,11; Joh”
  2. Psalms “Psalms 145:12 (LEB) — to make known to the children of humankind his mighty deeds, and the glory of the majesty of his kingdom.”
  3. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Glory of God, The — Exhibited in Christ -- Joh 1:14; 2Co 4:6; Heb 1:3. Exhibited in His name. -- De 28:58; Ne 9:5. His majesty. -- Job 37:22; Ps 93:1; 104:1; 145:5,12; Isa 2:10. His power. -- Ex 15:1,6; Ro 6:4. His works. -- Ps 19:1; 111:3. His holiness. -- Ex 15:11. Described as Great. -- Ps 138:5. Eternal. -- Ps 104:31. Rich. -- Eph 3:16. Highly exalted. -- Ps 8:1; 113:4. Exhibited to Moses. -- Ex 34:5-7; 33:18-23. Stephen. -- Ac 7:55. His Church. -- De 5:24; Ps 102:16. Enlightens the Church -- Isa 60:1,2; Re 21:11,23. Saints desire to behold -- Ps 63:2; 90:16. God”
  4. Psalms “The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork. -- Psalms 19:1”
  5. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Gospels — The central fact of Christian preaching was the intelligence that the Saviour had come into the world (Matt. 4:23; Rom. 10:15); and the first Christian preachers who called their account of the person and mission of Christ by the term evangelion_ (= good message) were called _evangelistai (= evangelists) (Eph. 4:11; Acts 21:8). There are four historical accounts of the person and work of Christ: "the first by Matthew, announcing the Redeemer as the promised King of the kingdom of God; the second by Mark, declaring him a prophet, mighty in deed and word'; th”
  6. Matthew ““But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. -- Matthew 25:31”
  7. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Humility — Necessary to the service of God -- Mic 6:8. Christ an example of -- Mt 11:29; Joh 13:14,15; Php 2:5-8. A characteristic of saints -- Ps 34:2. The who have Regarded by God. -- Ps 138:6; Isa 66:2. Heard by God. -- Ps 9:12; Isa 10:17. Enjoy the presence of God. -- Isa 57:15. Delivered by God. -- Job 22:29. Lifted up by God. -- Jas 4:10. Exalted by God. -- Lu 14:11; 18:14. Are greatest in Christ's kingdom. -- Mt 18:4; 20:26-28. Receive more grace. -- Pr 3:34; Jas 4:6. Upheld by honour. -- Pr 18:12; 29:23. Is before honour -- Pr 15:33. Leads to riches, honour, ”
  8. Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 58:3: 58:3 All human beings are born sinners (see 51:5); however, whereas the wicked indulge their sinful nature, the godly fight against it (Rom 7:19-23; Jas 4:1-10).”
  9. 1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 3:8: He that committeth sin is of the devil--in contrast to "He that doeth righteousness," Jo1 3:7. He is a son of the devil (Jo1 3:10; Joh 8:44). John does not, however, say, "born of the devil." as he does "born of God," for "the devil begets none, nor does he create any; but whoever imitates the devil becomes a child of the devil by imitating him, not by proper birth" [AUGUSTINE, Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John, Homily 4.10]. From the devil there is not generation, but corruption [BENGEL]. sinneth from the beginning--from the time that any beg”
  10. Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 3:13: beguiled--cajoled by flattering lies. This sin of the first pair was heinous and aggravated--it was not simply eating an apple, but a love of self, dishonor to God, ingratitude to a benefactor, disobedience to the best of Masters--a preference of the creature to the Creator.”
  11. Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 19:13: 19:13 An individual who commits deliberate sins does so with an insolent (86:14) or arrogant (119:21, 69) attitude. • The great sin is rebellion (see 32:1).”
  12. Romans (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Romans 1:18: 1:18–3:20 Paul delays exploring the theme of righteousness through faith (see 3:21) until after he first teaches about universal sinfulness. Gentiles (1:18-32) and Jews (2:1–3:8) are equally under sin’s power and cannot find favor with God by any action of their own (3:9-20). 1:18 God’s anger is not a spontaneous emotional outburst, but the holy God’s necessary response to sin. The Old Testament often depicts God’s anger (Exod 32:10-12; Num 11:1; Jer 21:3-7) and predicts a decisive outpouring of God’s wrath on human sin at the end of history. While Paul usually de”
  13. 1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 1:10: Parallel to Jo1 1:8. we have not sinned--referring to the commission of actual sins, even after regeneration and conversion; whereas in Jo1 1:8, "we have no sin," refers to the present GUILT remaining (until cleansed) from the actual sins committed, and to the SIN of our corrupt old nature still adhering to us. The perfect "have . . . sinned" brings down the commission of sins to the present time, not merely sins committed before, but since, conversion. we make him a liar--a gradation; Jo1 1:6, "we lie"; Jo1 1:8, "we deceive ourselves"; worst of al”
  14. Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 8 (introduction): This psalm is a solemn meditation on, and admiration of, the glory and greatness of God, of which we are all concerned to think highly and honourably. It begins and ends with the same acknowledgment of the transcendent excellency of God's name. It is proposed for proof (Psa 8:1) that God's name is excellent in all the earth, and then it is repeated as proved (with a "quod erat demonstrandum" - which was to be demonstrated) in the last verse. For the proof of God's glory the psalmist gives instances of his goodness to man; for God's goodness is his glor”
  15. Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 145:5: I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty,.... Of the majesty of the divine Person of Christ; of the honour due unto him; of the glory of him as of the only begotten of the Father, as he is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person; of his glory as Mediator, and the honour that belongs to him as such, with which he is now crowned at the right hand of the Majesty on high, angels, authorities, and powers, being subject unto him as the Lord and King of glory; and of thy wondrous works; in becoming incarnate, in dying for the sins of his”
  16. CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, section 11.2: wished that the reader should be in possession of the very form of expression which Paul has employed. 6 Inasmuch as he was in the form of God. This is not a comparison between things similar, but in the way of greater and less. Christ’s humility consisted in his abasing himself from the highest pinnacle of glory to the lowest ignominy: our humility consists in refraining from exalting ourselves by a false estimation. He gave up his right: all that is required of us is, that we do not assume to ourselves more than ”
  17. Revelation (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Revelation 1:13: His glorified form as man could be recognized by John, who had seen it at the Transfiguration. in the midst--implying Christ's continual presence and ceaseless activity in the midst of His people on earth. In Rev 4:1-3, when He appears in heaven, His insignia undergo a corresponding change yet even there the rainbow reminds us of His everlasting covenant with them. seven--omitted in two of the oldest manuscripts, but supported by one. Son of man--The form which John had seen enduring the agony of Gethsemane, and the shame and anguish of Calva”
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