Looking-Glass
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In biblical times, the term "looking-glass" refers to what we would understand today as a mirror. However, the mirrors of ancient times were quite different from the glass mirrors we are familiar with today. They were typically made of polished metal, such as bronze or brass, and were used for personal grooming and adornment.

Biblical References:

1. Exodus 38:8 : "He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting." This passage highlights the use of mirrors in the construction of the Tabernacle's bronze basin. The mirrors, donated by the Israelite women, were melted down and repurposed for sacred use. This act signifies the transformation of personal vanity into a tool for divine service, reflecting the biblical theme of consecrating one's possessions and talents to God.

2. Job 37:18 : "Can you, like Him, spread out the skies to reflect the heat like a mirror of bronze?" Here, the comparison of the sky to a bronze mirror illustrates the grandeur and majesty of God's creation. The imagery suggests a firmament that is both expansive and reflective, emphasizing God's power and the beauty of His handiwork.

3. 1 Corinthians 13:12 : "Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." In this New Testament passage, the Apostle Paul uses the metaphor of a mirror to describe the partial and imperfect understanding of divine truths in this life. The "dim reflection" signifies the limitations of human perception, which will be fully clarified in the presence of God.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In the ancient Near East, mirrors were luxury items, often owned by the wealthy or used in religious contexts. The process of creating a mirror involved skillful metalwork, as the metal had to be polished to a high sheen to provide a reflective surface. The use of mirrors in biblical texts often carries symbolic meaning, representing self-examination, reflection, and the pursuit of spiritual clarity.

Theological Implications:

The concept of the looking-glass in Scripture invites believers to consider the importance of self-reflection and the pursuit of holiness. Just as a mirror reveals physical imperfections, the Word of God serves as a spiritual mirror, exposing the condition of the heart and prompting believers to seek transformation through Christ. James 1:23-24 further elaborates on this idea: "For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."

In summary, the looking-glass in biblical literature serves as a powerful metaphor for introspection, spiritual growth, and the ultimate revelation of God's truth. Through the lens of Scripture, believers are encouraged to examine their lives, align themselves with God's will, and anticipate the day when they will see Him "face to face."
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(n.) A mirror made of glass on which has been placed a backing of some reflecting substance, as quicksilver.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
LOOKING-GLASS

look'-ing-glas (Exodus 38:8 the King James Version margin "brasen glasses").

See GLASS; MIRROR.

Greek
2072. esoptron -- a mirror (ie an object for looking into)
... Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: esoptron Phonetic Spelling:
(es'-op-tron) Short Definition: a mirror Definition: a mirror, looking-glass (made ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2072.htm - 7k
Strong's Hebrew
4759. mar'ah -- vision
... looking glass, vision Feminine of mar'eh; a vision; also (causatively) a mirror --
looking glass, vision. see HEBREW mar'eh. 4758, 4759. mar'ah. 4759a . ...
/hebrew/4759.htm - 5k

7209. rei -- a mirror
... Word Origin from raah Definition a mirror NASB Word Usage mirror (1). looking glass.
From ra'ah; a mirror (as seen) -- looking glass. see HEBREW ra'ah. ...
/hebrew/7209.htm - 6k

Library

Seen in a Looking Glass
... Chapter 12. Wesley's Letter to an Editor; Impositions and Declarations; the
Speaking Statue; Wesley's Pentecost Seen in a Looking Glass. ...
/.../wesley/the journal of john wesley/seen in a looking glass.htm

Moody and his Little Willie.
... No. I just took him up in my arms, and carried him into the house, and showed
him his face in the looking-glass. He had not a word to say. ...
/.../moody/moodys anecdotes and illustrations/moody and his little willie.htm

Solitude, Silence, Submission
... Most people have seen themselves in a looking-glass, but there is another
looking-glass, which gives true reflections, into which few men look. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 42 1896/solitude silence submission.htm

That God Should Love in the Soul is Most Easy to Believe
... For as a looking-glass is nothing in comparison of the world, yet containeth all
the world in it, and seems a real fountain of those beams which flow from it ...
/.../traherne/centuries of meditations/84 that god should love.htm

The Heavens and the Earth Serve You
... They illuminate a mirror, and are illuminated by it. For a looking-glass without
them would be in the dark, and they without the glass unperceived. ...
/.../traherne/centuries of meditations/78 the heavens and the.htm

The Beatific vision
... When we have looked on the Bible, he has been above us and looked down upon it;
and we have looked there as into a looking glass, and have seen him "as in a ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/the beatific vision.htm

The Loftiness of Humility
... sake of others, he found himself going on, and liking his labour, for his own sake:
for the virtues of those great men served him as a looking-glass, in which ...
/.../kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon xx the loftiness of.htm

The Formula of Sanctification
... Whether we like it or not, we live in glass houses. The mind, the memory, the
soul, is simply a vast chamber panelled with looking-glass. ...
/.../the formula of sanctification.htm

Kept from Iniquity
... others. We hold up our hands as if we were quite shocked. Better look
in the looking-glass than look out at the window. Looking ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 41 1895/kept from iniquity.htm

That when the Mind Loves Itself, it is not Unknown to Itself.
... that anything of that kind can be applied also to the contemplation of incorporeal
things, so that the mind should know itself, as it were, in a looking-glass. ...
/.../augustine/on the holy trinity/chapter 3 that when the mind.htm

Thesaurus
Lookingglass
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia LOOKING-GLASS. look'-ing-glas (Exodus 38:8 the
King James Version margin "brasen glasses"). See GLASS; MIRROR. ...
/l/lookingglass.htm - 6k

Looking-glass (1 Occurrence)
Looking-glass. Lookingglass, Looking-glass. Lookingglasses . Noah Webster's
Dictionary ... Lookingglass, Looking-glass. Lookingglasses . Reference Bible.
/l/looking-glass.htm - 7k

Glass (12 Occurrences)
... In Job 37:18, the word rendered "looking-glass" is in the Revised Version properly
rendered "mirror," formed, ie, of some metal. (Comp. ...
/g/glass.htm - 21k

Mirror (4 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) A looking-glass or a speculum; any glass or polished substance that forms
images by the reflection of rays of light. ... MIRROR. mir'er. See LOOKING-GLASS. ...
/m/mirror.htm - 8k

Looking (883 Occurrences)

/l/looking.htm - 7k

Lookingglasses (1 Occurrence)

/l/lookingglasses.htm - 6k

Polished (23 Occurrences)
... black stone. (BBE). Job 37:18 Will you, with him, make the skies smooth,
and strong as a polished looking-glass? (BBE). Psalms 144 ...
/p/polished.htm - 13k

Skies (36 Occurrences)
... (WEB JPS ASV DBY RSV). Job 37:18 Will you, with him, make the skies smooth,
and strong as a polished looking-glass? (BBE NAS RSV NIV). ...
/s/skies.htm - 15k

Spectacle (6 Occurrences)
... noteworthy sight; a show; a pageant; a gazingstock. 2. (n.) A spy-glass; a
looking-glass. 3. (n.) An optical instrument consisting of two ...
/s/spectacle.htm - 9k

Smooth (39 Occurrences)
... perfectly smooth. (DBY). Job 37:18 Will you, with him, make the skies smooth,
and strong as a polished looking-glass? (BBE). Psalms ...
/s/smooth.htm - 18k

Resources
Will there literally be streets of gold in heaven? | GotQuestions.org

Is it wrong to kill spiders or step on bugs? | GotQuestions.org

Should Christians recycle? How should a Christian view recycling? | GotQuestions.org

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