Psalm 16:15
making your appearance
But as for me, I will appear before thy sight in justice: I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear. (Psalm 16:15 DR)
The Psalmist opened this Psalm by pouring out his prayer in the sight of God: he asks that his judgment come forth from the countenance of the Lord, that God would behold what was equitable in him, culminating in the Lord keeping him as the apple of His eye.
As the Psalm progresses, it is the Psalmist’s enemies who now behold him, as it were, lying in wait to destroy him, seeking after ways they may cause him to stumble, to ambush him, to draw him into their snares. Whereas the eyes of the Lord are upon the Palmist, their eyes were bowing down to the earth in their sins and wickednesses; they did not desire the things of God or of heaven, but have their vision fixed upon the love of this world. This orientation of their eyes and thus of their heart and will creates within them an evil will in which they cannot behold the righteous without contempt and desire to take away the souls of the upright. Like lions lying in wait, the wicked watch for the moment to strike.
But as this Psalm reaches its conclusion, the Psalmist recapitulates the theme of God beholding judgment and justice. For as the Psalmist initially asked that the Lord’s judgment would come forth from His countenance, now that is brought to fruition, for I will appear before thy sight in justice. In both the Vulgate and the Old Latin the perspective is of God beholding the Psalmist in justice in His sight; that is, the Psalmist understands himself as being seen by the Lord; he will appear (apparebo) before the sight of the Lord in or with justice. The justice or judgment of the Lord that comes forth from the countenance of the Lord in verse 2, now beholds the things which are equitable from the same verse, in that the Psalmist in that same justice appears before the Lord, vindicated from his enemies.
St. Jerome’s Hebrew translation renders this from the perspective of the Psalmist: Ego in justitia videbo faciem tuam—“I shall see Thy face in justice.” In both cases the justice of the Lord is the operative element which brings the Psalmist into the sight of the Lord, but also enables him in justice to behold, as it were, the face of God. Unlike the men of this world who set their eyes upon the love of the things of this world, he has set his eyes upon heaven.
This sets forth both the purgation of his heart and its sanctification, so as to appear in God’s sight, as has been set forth throughout this Psalm where he was proved in his heart and tried by fire and not found in iniquity (v. 3), his mouth spoke not like other men and he kept hard ways (v. 4), his goings were perfected and he was secured from falling into sin (v. 5), and ultimately set his prayer to the Lord and was heard (v. 6).
The Psalms are ultimately about Christ, and in application to our Lord in His perfection, there was never any movement from injustice to justice. In that sense then this Psalm is the voice of His Body the Church, her members who—as united to Him—now stand before God’s sight in justice, having been justified through the infusion of God’s very justice in their souls. They now set their minds and hearts upon eternal things, set apart from those who love this world and its pleasures:
The difference herein consists, they covet an abundance of the good things of this world. “But I,” as well as the rest of the just, will “hunger after justice” here, to have satiety of glory and happiness hereafter; and, as I study to live in justice, in thy sight here, your glory will appear to me hereafter; and then will I be truly satisfied, having no more to seek or to desire. (St. Robert Bellarmine, A Commentary on the Book of the Psalms, 16, 15)
There are two “appearings” here, the first being the Psalmist who will appear before the sight of God in justice, and the second in that this first appearance is the forestate or promise of God’s appearing when thy glory shall appear. The Psalmist recognizes that in this vale of tears we do not have a permanent home and have not arrived; this pilgrimage has a heavenly destination and looks forward to that final glory which shall appear. The charity of God poured forth in the soul in Baptism becomes the dwelling of the Blessed Trinity in the heart, which is the pledge of future satisfaction. For while we sojourn in this our exile, we still hunger and long to be satisfied, when faith shall be made sight, as this final passage expresses in hope.
Those who love this world are filled with either swine’s flesh or with children, as the previous passage explains, both symbols of filling oneself with impermanent things. We are always tempted to fill our hearts or thoughts or any other desires with the pleasures of this world, which promise satiation but which have no lasting good. The only thing that can fill the soul to satisfaction is the glory of the Lord, which is why the Psalmist empties himself out in the mortification of his flesh and the fixation of his sight upon heavenly things, so that, as it were, the things of this world do not crowd out the things of God.
In St. Jerome’s Hebrew translation the final clause is implebor, cum evigilavero, similitudine tua—“When I awake, I shall be filled with Thy likeness.” To be filled or satisfied with the likeness of God is concomitant with the glory of God from the Vulgate and Old Latin, for God’s glory is co-extensive with His likeness. St. John links the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father directly to the Incarnation of the Word, in that in His taking flesh we now see that glory which no one has seen, but which is now declared by Him. In the Incarnation the glory of God is revealed not primarily in a blazing or overwhelming fire of radiance but in the face of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who as both God and man is the brightness of God’s glory and the image of His substance. United to Him in His Body we thus awake into the likeness of Him through Baptism, being buried with Him and being raised with Him to new life. The soul that is filled with the charity of God finds its fullness and satisfaction, looking forward in hope to when what is held onto by faith gives way to the Beatific Vision, when the glory of God shall appear.
Holy and divine words, brothers, are wholesomely recited to us constantly, indeed daily, so that our souls may be fed: but in the world to come, they will be fattened for eternal feasts; as the prophet says, “I shall be satisfied when Thy glory appears” (Psalm 16:15).
But what this future glory will be like, with what riches it may flourish, and with how much splendor it may shine, we can praise, but we cannot explain. Why? Because we read, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what things God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Therefore, if the eternal and celestial good things are so great and of such a kind, which the Lord almighty has prepared for His catholic and faithful people, what is God Himself, who has prepared such and so great things? What is, I say, almighty God? What, if not inestimable, ineffable, incomprehensible, beyond all things, outside of all things, surpassing all things? For He exceeds all His creation, He surpasses every made thing, He excels all things.
If you should seek His greatness, He is greater; if His beauty, He is more beautiful; if His sweetness, He is sweeter; if His splendor, He is more brilliant; if His justice, He is more just; if His strength, He is stronger; if His mercy, He is more merciful. For no reason allows that either the thing made should be equal to its Maker, or the work be compared to the artisan: as it is read in the prophet, “He who made powerful things is more powerful; and he who made beautiful things is more beautiful than them.” (Wisdom 13:4, 3) (St. Augustine, Sermon 384.1)
In this animation I found an image of Christ in glory and brought it into After Effects. I applied some glows and eventually some pixel sorting to drive the main portion of the animation, to sort of give the idea of the glory going forth or something like that. I added in some glitches and other color correction effects to finalize. Pretty simple but I think it turned out nicely.
Enjoy.
But as for me, I will appear before thy sight in justice: I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear.
(Psalm 16:15 DR)
View a higher quality version of this gif here: