When the Glory of Christ Appears

August 12, 2026/Ayrian Yasar/
Photo Credit: manaemedia / iStock.com

Photo Credit: manaemedia / iStock.com

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Because the world is full of sickness, darkness, dirtiness, and evil, it’s hard to think of something that is perfectly clean, holy, or splendid—something that has not been touched in some way by darkness. Things like light and fire are helpful in understanding glory.

The Hebrew word for “glory” also conveys the idea of weight.

When we speak about the glory of God, it can be tricky to pin down its meaning, maybe because the word glory is used in different contexts and ways. We often use “glory” in ways like Psalm 29:2: “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness,” but we also use it to describe God: “Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in” (Ps. 24:9; emphasis added).

A good starting place for understanding a little about “glory” is to see how the word is used in the original language of the Old Testament. In Hebrew the word that is translated as “glory,” kavod, also has to do with something being heavy. Thus, giving glory to God is giving him the “weight” or, one could say, the importance due to him.

God’s glory reflects his character.

God’s glory, however, is also associated with light and splendor. Take, for example, Exodus 24:16-18:

The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

It’s helpful then to also think of glory as being how God visibly shows his presence—in light, fire, and splendor. This magnificent display of God’s presence would have encouraged the people to give the right “weight” to God himself, but more than that, it reflects the character of God:

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5; emphasis added)

Our “blessed hope” will be realized in full when the glory of Jesus Christ appears.

The splendor of God’s glory reminds us that God is pure and holy and that sin and evil have no place in him, and this splendor is also displayed in Jesus Christ! As Paul wrote to Titus:

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Tit. 2:11-13)

Even though we live in a world riddled with sin and suffering, sadness, illness, and death, by the grace of God we are being changed by his Holy Spirit, who is transforming us to be like our heavenly Father. And we look forward to the day our “blessed hope” is realized in full when the glory of Jesus Christ appears. For on that day sin and death will be destroyed, every person will give Christ the due he deserves, and those who love him will bask in his splendor and themselves be glorified (Rom. 8:17) and reign with him (2 Tim. 2:12).

No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. (Rev. 22:3-5)

This article is adapted from “When the Glory of Christ Appears” in BCL’s July 2025 monthly newsletter “Glory.”

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