When Jesus returns he will come with clouds, the sound of a trumpet, and angels. He will also come in glory.
- For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. (Matt. 16:27)
- Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. (Matt. 24:30)
- When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. (Matt. 25:31)
- while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, (Tit. 2:13)
- But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (1 Pet. 4:13)
What is glory?
The word is used almost 300 times in the Bible. In certain contexts it means “honor” or “praise” so give glory simply means give praise. But it also refers to something visible.
- in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord . . . While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud. (Ex. 16:7-10)
- And I, because of what they have planned and done, am about to come and gather the people of all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory. (Is. 66:18)
Glory, in this sense, refers to the Lord’s visible majesty. What does that look like?
In 2 Chronicles it is described as a cloud: “Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God” (2 Chron. 5:13b-14).
In the Gospel of John, glory is seen in Jesus’ “signs” or miracles.
- What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him (Jn. 2:11).
- Before he raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus said: “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (Jn. 11:40).
Lastly, God’s glory appears as light. Notice how light and glory are interconnected below:
- Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn. (Is. 60:1-3) - The shepherds were in the dark of night when an angel appeared to them “and the glory of the Lord shone around them” (Luke 2:9).
- John writes: “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” (Rev. 21:23).
Since clouds have already been mentioned and there’s no indication that Jesus will be performing individual miracles when he returns, coming in “great glory” probably indicates that he will be coming in great light. This corresponds with Jesus’ transfiguration, which serves as a foretaste of his future glory.
About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. (Luke 9:28-32)
“As bright as a flash of lightning” is linked with “they saw his glory.” Matthew highlights the brightness in this way: “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light” (17:2).
So the “great glory” that will be seen when Jesus returns is most likely great light. As Luke writes: “For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other” (17:24).
Lastly, there’s another kind of light that will shine when Jesus returns. Paul says,
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. (1 Cor. 4:5)
The exterior light will be matched by an interior beam that will illuminate our hearts. And all will be revealed.
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. For a deep dive into church history and the character of God, see my book Surprised by Hell.