The Glory of God

The glory of God is the visible manifestation of his greatness, his holiness, and his splendor. When the prophet Isaiah beholds the Lord seated on a high and exalted throne, the seraphim proclaim, "The whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6:3). This glory is not merely a dazzling light, but the radiance of all that God is: his power, his justice, his faithfulness, and his love. All creation bears witness to it, for "the heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1). Scripture calls us to live for this glory and to do everything for the honor of the Lord: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). The believer is invited not only to contemplate the divine glory, but to reflect it in his own life, like a mirror that returns the light it has received. The apostle Paul affirms that we are transformed "from glory to glory" into the image of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18). The ultimate promise of the Bible is that one day the glory of God will fill the whole earth, and that the new Jerusalem will need neither sun nor moon, for "the glory of God gives it light" (Revelation 21:23). These verses call us to give to God the honor that he alone deserves.