WHAT IS GLORY?
When I think about the glory of God, I imagine the seraphim flying continuously around the throne calling to one another, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory (Isaiah 6:3). Every bit of me agrees with what they are saying, but it’s hard to put into words why I feel that way. Because...what is glory? That word feels familiar but also ambiguous.
Several years ago, I was driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a day hike on Black Balsam Knob. It was the first time I had been on the Parkway, and every time I turned a corner, I started to giggle.
It was so beautiful, and each view caught me off guard. Giggling was an involuntary response to the awe and wonder all around me. That’s the glory most of us can relate to—the kind that comes from watching the sun rise, or listening to the roar of the ocean, or standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon. The beauty of creation reminds me how small I am compared to how massive it is. Yet, even creation’s vastness doesn’t come close to the awe and wonder of the One who made it.
For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature— have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
God’s glory can feel familiar because we see what he made in our physical world, but the fullness of his glory can’t be defined or contained within nature or the limits of our minds.
Several years ago, I was driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a day hike on Black Balsam Knob. It was the first time I had been on the Parkway, and every time I turned a corner, I started to giggle.
It was so beautiful, and each view caught me off guard. Giggling was an involuntary response to the awe and wonder all around me. That’s the glory most of us can relate to—the kind that comes from watching the sun rise, or listening to the roar of the ocean, or standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon. The beauty of creation reminds me how small I am compared to how massive it is. Yet, even creation’s vastness doesn’t come close to the awe and wonder of the One who made it.
For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature— have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
God’s glory can feel familiar because we see what he made in our physical world, but the fullness of his glory can’t be defined or contained within nature or the limits of our minds.
There is the glory in the throne room that the seraphim shield their eyes from as they declare it day and night without stopping.
ISAIAH 6:3
This is the glory which just the appearance of “the likeness” of it caused Ezekiel to fall facedown. EZEKIAL 1:28
This is the glory that passed by Moses on the mountain that God himself had to shield Moses from, warning that no one could see his face and live.
EXODUS 33:18–21
This is the glory on Mount Sinai that caused the Israelites to tremble with fear when they “saw the thunder and lighting and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke,” and asked that God not speak to them directly.
EXODUS 20:18–19
This is the glory that is experienced, that we feel in the depths of our souls. Words cannot explain or contain the extent of God’s glory.
That’s the tension of these mortal bodies. We were made to be close to God, we long for it. But we’re constantly fighting against the limits imposed on our humanity by sin, to process only glimpses of the God who created us. Because of that, his glory feels so separate.
To bridge that separation, he sent his one and only Son, and in love, the Son came willingly, to die so that sin and death would be condemned and that we would be free. He made us his children.
ISAIAH 6:3
This is the glory which just the appearance of “the likeness” of it caused Ezekiel to fall facedown. EZEKIAL 1:28
This is the glory that passed by Moses on the mountain that God himself had to shield Moses from, warning that no one could see his face and live.
EXODUS 33:18–21
This is the glory on Mount Sinai that caused the Israelites to tremble with fear when they “saw the thunder and lighting and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke,” and asked that God not speak to them directly.
EXODUS 20:18–19
This is the glory that is experienced, that we feel in the depths of our souls. Words cannot explain or contain the extent of God’s glory.
That’s the tension of these mortal bodies. We were made to be close to God, we long for it. But we’re constantly fighting against the limits imposed on our humanity by sin, to process only glimpses of the God who created us. Because of that, his glory feels so separate.
To bridge that separation, he sent his one and only Son, and in love, the Son came willingly, to die so that sin and death would be condemned and that we would be free. He made us his children.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co- heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed...that creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God (Romans 8:17-19, 21).
We were made to share in his glory, a glory that will be revealed in us and through us to help free creation and set it right. That truth puts glory into new perspective. It’s what we can see and what we can’t. It’s familiar, and yet, it’s beyond our comprehension. It’s hard to explain and yet, we
feel the absolute truth of it. He is at work within us right now, and at the same time, planning for when he will reveal to us, all of his glory. God’s glory is now, and it is yet to come.
We were made to share in his glory, a glory that will be revealed in us and through us to help free creation and set it right. That truth puts glory into new perspective. It’s what we can see and what we can’t. It’s familiar, and yet, it’s beyond our comprehension. It’s hard to explain and yet, we
feel the absolute truth of it. He is at work within us right now, and at the same time, planning for when he will reveal to us, all of his glory. God’s glory is now, and it is yet to come.
