The mystery of glory is revealed by wisdom but hidden from ambitious scrutiny which seeks to puff up pride. When wisdom is awakened, pride is humbled, because vainglory subjects glory to vanity instead of restoring glory to God. Hell is what happens to heaven when pride rides roughshod over wisdom, preferring arbitrary opinion to wise discernment. That is why self-condemnation to hell gave Saint Silouan the Athonite and Saint Sophrony the Hesychast a way to restore glory through humility, self-condemnation to hell, just as long as trust is secure from despair.
Glory remains mystery even when revealed, because wisdom without humility degenerates into pride, empty speculation without substance, contentious argument without discernment. Holy hiddenness sustains ineffable humility, quietly centring in God without presumption, trusting in God’s grace to save, avoiding destructive despair. Trust has confidence in God, a holy paradox, combining trust (in God) with despair (of vainglory). The beauty of holiness is the fruit of humility, because humble trust itself is beautiful.
Wisdom is precious because ineffable glory is valuable beyond words, being God’s way of knowing God, through God. Holy Trinity teaches God’s knowledge of God, which wisdom knows and imparts to sinners, transforming them into saints. Gnosticism perverts knowing into pride, vainly despising faith in the name of superior gnosis. Montanism does something similar with prophecy and Messalianism with prayer, but wisdom knows that true prophecy and prayer humbly serve holy wisdom, not perverse pride.