| | Q. What is the glory of God? Specifically, what are we referring to when we say the "glory of God", or "give God the glory"? (Submitted by: Gwen) A. Your question about what is the Glory of God is a beautiful truth about God our Father. Most people in the world as well as many Christians think of God as old when they wonder what God looks like. When we humans are born, we are in a most healthy or incorruptible state. From that point on we grow to maturity and then decay or corruption sets in until we get old and die. Only the physical creation including humans get old (1Corinthians 15:42). Let's look at 1Corinthians 15 : "All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. "So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. . . . "The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man." (1Corinthians 15:39-44, 47-49, NKJV)
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| | Notice, we humans are born in dishonor (corruptible) but in the resurrection, we will be incorruptible. The Apostle Paul states earthly bodies (terrestrial) have a glory but are corruptible. Celestial bodies like the stars have a different glory which is beautiful and age-lasting. Then in 1 Corinthians 15:48-49, Paul said we are going to have the image (likeness) of the heavenly. Therefore, when God's Word speaks of glory, it refers to a being's image or how they appear. Since Paul tells us we are going to look like the celestial (like God), it is a beautiful truth to see how God looks. Psalm 104:1-2 states God's garment is light and in Psalm 27:4, David writes God is beautiful. In Revelation 4 and many other scriptures, we see God is so beautiful to look upon that He is like beholding every precious gem there is with the entire spectrum of the rainbow. In fact, round about His throne, there is a rainbow. (Revelation 1,4). Since white is what God is clothed with and white is the containment of the entire color spectrum, God changes His brilliance and Glory as He chooses. In Revelation the first chapter God's eyes are a flame of fire. God is the source of all life or energy. His Glory is perpetual energy or self-producing energy which radiates all the beauty of the color spectrum as a glorious jewel. In Revelation 21, the bride of Christ which is New Jerusalem contains twenty different gems besides gold. God's Glory represents, besides His unbelievable beauty, all His power (complete energy), His righteousness, perfection, holiness (without blemish) goodness and love. This is God's Glory and our God and loving Father. In Daniel 7:9, God is known as the Ancient of Days (always existed) but not old. God does not want us to make an image of Him because His Glory is so awesome it would only be a counterfeit. This is God's Glory. May we love and praise Him for what he is. | | | Written by: Art Mokarow |
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