God is unchangingly full of glory. We don’t usually ascribe the attribute “glory” to something or someone today. The word isn’t used often anymore. We might say a sunset is glorious but it’s hard to think of anything else. Because of this, we don’t completely relate to God being full of glory. The power of the word is lost on us.

Glory is a significant word used 100s of times in the Bible.

The Hebrew word for glory is kavod, meaning “weight” or “heaviness.” It signifies “important, intense, significant, gravitas.”

The Greek word for glory is doxa, meaning “honor, radiance, and splendor.”

In the Bible, the word “glory” can refer to different subjects, including the splendor of God, the worth of a person, and the honor given to someone. 

When referring to God’s glory, it means
~the brightness of God’s person and presence.
~the magnificence of God’s presence, which is so dazzling that humans cannot see God directly.
~the moral attributes of God, which are considered the highest degree of importance, greatness, and honor.  


God’s glory is multi-faceted, like a flawless diamond. God is in a class by Himself.

Let’s look at Scriptures in both the Old Testament and New Testament to develop a picture of God’s glory.

Picture compliments of Duygu (Pexels.com).

The glory of God in the OT

Exodus 40:33-38 NIV
33 Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.
36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.

How many of you have watched Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark? In the Old Testament, The Ark of Covenant is where God’s glory resided, and it was kept in the tent of meeting. The tent of meeting was portable and was moved from place to place. In the movie, Indiana Jones found it, and his enemy stole it. In the enemy’s greed, he opened it up to see the magnificent treasure despite Jones’ warning. There was no gold as the enemy had anticipated. Instead, the glory of God was released and decimated every person in the area, except for Indiana Jones and his girlfriend, Mirian. They managed to keep their eyes closed and not gaze at the irresistible glory of God.

Of course, this version is completely wrong, and the glory of God gives a creepy, evil vibe. But it does display God’s unlimited power.

This next account occurs during the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Israelites constructed a majestic place of worship to replace the portable Tent of Meeting.

2 Chronicles 7:1-3 NIV
1 When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it. 3 When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “He is good; his love endures forever.”

Look at how the Israelites worshipped. After seeing a visible sign of God’s glory, they declared “He is good; his love endures forever.”

It’s God’s goodness and love that brought His glory to dwell among us.

The glory of God in the New Testament

Remember the Christmas story. Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a feeding trough. An angel appeared to the shepherds who were in the fields nearby watching their sheep. What did the angel and heavenly hosts proclaim?

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14 NIV).

People can’t exist near the glory of God. He created humans in His image, but their disobedience marred His image. From the beginning, God planned to restore us. God shared His glory as He came to earth in human flesh as God the Son, the God-Man named Jesus Christ.

John 1:1-5 tells us:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

God the Son, in His glory, was clothed in human flesh. He walked among us. He shared life with His disciples. He taught and ministered to the crowds. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and performed miracles. Jesus looked like a regular human being. Scripture tells us that he wasn’t attractive or physically remarkable in any way. There is one account, though, where God’s glory broke through.

Matthew 17:1-8
1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

Jesus revealed the glory of God in His life, death, and resurrection. When we trust Jesus as our Savior and Lord, our sins are forgiven, and we are made new. The Holy Spirit makes His home in us, and we become more like Jesus. The Lord God Almighty touches us with His glory.

The earth is still broken. One day Jesus will return and make all things new. We get a glimpse of this in the Book of Revelation. Read Revelation 21:18-27 for a description of the New Jerusalem, God’s Holy City. Until that glorious day, we live in the tension of the now and not yet. Meanwhile, we don’t despair, because as followers of Jesus, our God has shared a bit of His glory with US!

The glory of God shines through us.

Psalm 8:3-9 NIV

3When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
 human beings that you care for them?
5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
 you put everything under their feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
 and the animals of the wild,
8 the birds in the sky,
 and the fish in the sea,
 all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 Lord, our Lord,
 how majestic is your name in all the earth!

God made us a little lower than the angels and crowned us with glory and honor. God is in a class by Himself, but He shares a little glory with us. If God’s Word hadn’t said this, it would seem ridiculous, even blasphemous.

Romans 8:10-11 NIV
10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Do you love Jesus? Do you follow Jesus? Then His Spirit lives in you. The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. That’s glory!

You have good news to share! You have the power of God to share it! You have the message of hope that others desperately need. You aren’t left by yourself to reach people who don’t yet follow Jesus. Don’t keep it to yourself. The Holy Spirit lives in you and is with you.

Jesus has called us to be His disciples, and He has called us to make disciples. They go hand in hand. We can’t have one without the other. We’re in this together with Jesus and His Spirit. The days are gone when we keep our beliefs to ourselves, when we hold to a private faith, and be a good, law abiding person. People need Jesus!

It’s normal to be fearful or timid. It’s normal to worry about offending someone. If that’s you, join the club. And…know that the Spirit will give you the courage you need when you ask Him. Now is the time for you to be led by your passion for Jesus. You can be a disciple of Jesus. You can make disciples of Jesus, because you are filled with the Holy Spirit. God has shared a bit of His glory with you. Just imagine what the two of you can do together!