Worship: Revelation

Glorious

“Glorious” is easy to define and difficult to describe. It means, “full of glory.” But what is glory?

· The Hebrew words are “tip’ret” and “kadowd” meaning: “beauty; ornament; distinction” And “weight, but only figuratively in a good sense, splendor or copiousness”
· The Greek word is “doxa” which “signifies an opinion, estimate, and hence, the honor resulting from a good opinion.”

To be glorious is to be filled with beauty, distinction, honor, and significance.

Yes! Jesus, today, at this moment, is glorious and worthy of our praise. He is no longer pinned to a cross.

The Lord is glorious on a throne of majesty, dominating Heaven’s architecture, the focus of thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly and an ever-increasing gallery of sanctified saints, witnesses from earth to His heavenly glory.

The Lord is glorious, bearing that glory in scars. Look closely at His hands and feet and his riven side and you will see His glory, the glory of blood, innocent blood, shed for the sins of all of us, and the glory of nail-scars, wounds by which we are healed.

The Lord is glorious in majesty. Here is a reason to play our instruments in a fitting and orderly way! Here is a theme for a new song and for an old song, songs for all the generations to sing. Here is a cadence to which we, as the Army of God, can march, singing into battle, “The Lord is Good and His Mercy Endures Forever!” Here is a beat we can dance to letting our joy overflow into witness. Because Jesus is glorious in majesty, we have to “make His praise glorious,” too!

The Lord is glorious in truth. Opinions fly around like aimless insects, buzzing here and there. But His truth is marching on! He has never been wrong so He has never had to amend His words! His truth is for all, no matter from what continent or climate, culture or circumstance, generation or gestalt. Read it. Believe it. Obey it. It works.

The Lord is glorious in love. God is love, the Scripture says and Jesus has revealed the details of that love to us. The love of God is glorious in mercy, compassion, kindness, and long-suffering. It is also stern and demanding, full of justice and equity. The glorious love of the Lord is not always to be felt, but it is always there making all things work together for good to those who have covenanted with Him with this New Covenant in His blood. His ways are past finding out, it is true, but His love is not past finding; glorious it is and readily at hand.

The Lord is glorious in His faithfulness. He is there for us because He promised to be. He is coming for us because He promised He would. Our joy is to seek Him now and to prepare to meet Him then. As we are faithful to Him we enjoy of a foretaste of what is to come. A trumpet will sound and we will be ready for a glory never before seen!

Splendor and majesty are before Him. Justice and peace are the foundations of His throne. A River of Life flows from a spring beneath that glorious throne. Let us enter that River today, ankle-deep with thanksgiving, knee-deep with praise, waist-deep with worship, and let us swim in the glorious grace of His fullness, a river indeed that one cannot cross. (see Ezekiel 47)

Let us make His praise glorious—it is only right that we do so!

Scriptures

Psalm 145
I will exalt you, O God my King, and bless your Name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless you and praise your Name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; there is no end to his greatness. One generation shall praise your works to another and shall declare your power. I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty and all your marvelous works. They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts, and I will tell of your greatness. They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness; they shall sing of your righteous deeds. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great kindness. The Lord is loving to everyone and his compassion is over all his works. All your works praise you, O Lord, and your faithful servants bless you. They make known the glory of your kingdom and speak of your power; That the peoples may know of your power and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; your dominion endures throughout all ages. The Lord is faithful in all his words and merciful in all his deeds. The Lord upholds all those who fall; he lifts up those who are bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, and you give them their food in due season. You open wide your hand and satisfy the needs of every living creature. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving in all his works. The Lord is near to those who call upon him, to all who call upon him faithfully. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he hears their cry and helps them. The Lord preserves all those who love him, but he destroys all the wicked. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever.

Psalm 66:1-4 NIV
Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious! Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name.”

Isaiah 12:4-6 NIV
“Give thanks to the Lord , call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord , for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

John 1:14 NIV
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NKJV
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Isaiah 60:13 NKJV
“The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, The cypress, the pine, and the box tree together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I will make the place of My feet glorious.

Song of Glory
Glory to the Lamb
Words and Music: Larry Dempsey

Glory! Glory! Glory to the Lamb!
Glory! Glory! Glory to the Lamb!
For He is glorious and worthy to be praised,
The Lamb upon His throne
And unto Him we lift our voice in praise.
The Lamb upon His Throne!
Glory! Glory! Glory to the Lamb!
Glory! Glory! Glory to the Lamb!

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2016 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved