Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovest Me before the foundation of the world. John 17:24 KJV
Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. John 17:24 NASB
I make no pretense of being able to understand all that these words are meant to convey. In truth, all of John 17 is beyond my feeble grasp. We stand by, with bated breath, as Deity addresses Deity. Requests are made, and prospects are unfolded. We feel like children playing with our small buckets by the vast ocean of divine truth.
But taking the words at face value, even though we recognize a depth that begs for deeper understanding, we can appreciate these truths:
The Lord was expressing a Confident Expectation
His desire was and continues to be to have His own with Himself in glory. There we will know the company of divine persons, the comfort of a divine Shepherd, and a consciousness of divine love. We will begin to appreciate something of the Father’s love for a Son, a Son’s love for a Father, and their love for us. 
It will involve a new sphere, heaven and not earth; a new society, the redeemed and not the world we come in contact with daily; and a new state when we will be beyond sin, failure, and sorrow.
The Lord was Unfolding a New Occupation
“That they may behold My glory.” For the Church, His Bride and for each of us individually as His own, this will constitute our greatest hour. People stand in line for hours to catch a glimpse of earthly dignitaries. They boast to their children and grandchildren that they had a fleeting look at a king or queen, a president or star on one occasion. We will have the highest of all honours to behold His glory, not for a fleeting moment but a forever eternity.
It will constitute our highest honour. To be ushered into the throne room of heaven to gaze on a glorified Man bearing mortal wounds in His body and to not be moved along so others can have their glimpse. We will belong there. We will be home.
What I now write I wish were the honest confession of my heart. Sadly, we become so earthbound that we lose sight of this wondrous prospect. But that sight will satisfy our deepest hunger. David could write centuries earlier of being satisfied when he would awake to behold His face in righteousness (Ps 17:5). To see Him, to see His glory, to begin to understand His magnificence and majesty, will unloose hitherto unknown depths of wonder and worship from our hearts.
The Lord was Pointing to a Continuing Revelation
He had come to reveal the Father. He could say, “I have manifested Thy Name and will manifest it … “
This reveals His Essential work. He has always been the brightness of His glory, the Word Who reveals all that the Father is. His Incarnation and sojourn amongst us was an Expressed Work, as Incarnation brought the Father into full view. He could say that whoever had seen Him had seen the Father. There is nothing of the Father’s essential character which is not seen and revealed in the Son! But now it will become an Eternal Work. He shall continue to reveal the Father to us for all eternity; and the Father shall delight to reveal the Son. Divine persons will take delight in unfolding the beauties of each to the redeemed for all eternity.
His “I will” of desire will be answered by a resounding “amen” from the throne room of God and we shall one day behold that glory.
Idioms and Metaphors #4 “I have Bigger Fish to Fry.”
Consider:
In Psalm 2 God addresses His Son and says, “Ask of Me and I will give …” Can you see any connection between that open-ended invitation and the requests of John 17?