What is the Glory of God?

The best definition I have heard was by Dr. Michael Eaton, who has been called by many people “the world’s greatest living theologian”. I feel privileged to have been able to listen to him in person. I was working at Carmel Christian Holiday Resort when he was the keynote speaker at one of the Conferences there. You can download an 8 part teaching series by him on the subject of “Glory” here. What the Glory of God is the outshining of God’s character. The radiation of His character: His goodness, grace, favour, mercy, His Name, loving-kindness, His Will, His sovereignty.

The time is coming when the earth fills up with awareness of God's glory as the waters cover the sea. (Habbakuk 2:14)

There are two ways of obtaining Glory. You can glorify yourself. Or you can let God do it. The Glory of God will not stick around where there is too much sin. And yet sin is burned up in the Glory! When Isaiah was faced with the Glory of God, he said, I'm as good as dead!

Every word I've ever spoken is tainted—
   blasphemous even!
And the people I live with talk the same way,
   using words that corrupt and desecrate.
And here I've looked God in the face!
   The King! God-of-the-Angel-Armies!"
Then one of the angel-seraphs flew to me. He held a live coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with the coal and said,

   "Look. This coal has touched your lips.
   Gone your guilt,
   your sins wiped out." (Isaiah 6:5-6)

One of my favourite songs at the moment on the Glory is by Jaeson Ma. I love the lyrics, especially the bridge:

I’ve been waiting my whole life

for this one special moment

i got just to be with you

For me the song really points to purpose. We were designed to glorify God and love Him forever.