The Power of Calling God the "King of Glory"
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God has always possessed the quality of glory - it is part of His essence. This truth is reflected all through Scripture, and in the world He created. The theologian Thomas Merton found excitement and delight in the idea, writing, “The whole world is charged with the glory of God and I feel fire and music under my feet.”
King David was another author inspired by this trait. From youth into old age, he tried to capture a sense of the Lord’s majesty by using powerful images in his songs. One in particular, Psalm 24, announced the ultimate sovereignty of God with the evocative phrase, “King of glory.” This wonderful name sets God in His proper place, and reminds us of ours.
Starting with verse 1 of the Psalm, David clearly stated that God is the Creator and Owner of all. He went on to describe the people who are allowed to come into His holy presence, and how they will find blessings there. We can be part of that chosen group today, if we follow David in claiming God as our glorious King.
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What Does “King of Glory” Mean?
The word used for “glory” in this passage is kabad, which is Hebrew and means “heavy in weight.” This definition applies literally to measures and scales, but the word is used figuratively here to mean something that is heavy in importance or value.
Holman’s Bible Dictionary explains further, saying glory is “the weighty importance and shining majesty which accompany God's presence.” It continues on: “To give glory is to praise, to recognize the importance of another, the weight the other carries in the community. In the Psalms people give such glory to God, that is they recognize the essential nature of His Godness that gives Him importance and weight in relationship to the human worshiping community.”
When David added “King” to this word, he was confirming that YWHY was indeed “Lord of all.”
Where God Is Called This
Psalm 24:7-10 is where the phrase “King of Glory” is actually found. Those verses were used at that time as part of a corporate worship service in the temple, perhaps as a call and response between the people and the priests.
“Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty—
he is the King of glory.”
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Where Else Do We See God’s Glory on Display?
David’s title for the Lord was built on many other verses that had spoken of God’s glory. In fact, the Old Testament records Moses and the young Israelite nation experiencing the radiance of God first-hand.
Exodus 24:17 - “To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.”
Exodus 33:18 - “Then Moses said, ‘Now show me your glory.’”
Exodus 40:34-35 - “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”
Later, David and other Psalmists declared God’s brilliance.
Psalm 19:1 - “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Psalm 72:19 - “Praise be to his glorious name forever; May the whole earth be filled with his glory.”
The final book in the Bible describes a vision the disciple John had of heavenly beings affirming the Lord’s splendor.
Revelation 4:9, 10, 11 - “Whenever the living creatures give glory honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever…They lay their crowns before the throne and say: ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power…”
David calling God the King of Glory was a recognition of His perfect holiness. He is, was, and will always be higher than any other living thing.
In the New Testament, Jesus was given the name “Lord of glory.” The writers believed the Old Testament prophecies that called Jesus “Immanuel,” or “God with us.” Therefore, He both bore and reflected God’s glory.
Jesus claims this during His prayer just before His arrest in John 17: “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”
The Apostle Paul tied them together beautifully in 2 Corinthians 4:6: “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.’ ”
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Why It’s Important for Us and Our Faith That God Is the King of Glory
Our world is full of people and things that can pull us away from God. If we’re not careful, we may be distracted and turn our focus from Him toward idols instead. The image David evokes in Psalm 24 reawakens our hearts to God’s majesty, and reignites our desire to give Him our worship.
I’ve sung settings of this Psalm, and have been struck by this powerful picture of God: the holiest of beings that is worthy of all our acclaim. And as I’ve learned about and experienced Him working in my life, I’ve found joy in the truth of this name.
Seeing God as the King of Glory can inspire awe and even some fear in us. But amazingly, these verses of Psalm 24 were written not only to offer a proclamation about God, but to extend an invitation to Him. David boldly asks this King to enter into the temple and join His people in worship, confident that He will come.
Recognizing God as the King of Glory who also delights in being with His people has added such depth to my faith:
I have a greater sense of His big-ness, and my small-ness.
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him…” (Psalm 8:3).
Along with that, I have a fuller sense of His compassion for me:
“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him…” (Psalm 103:13).
Therefore, I have a more complete sense of trust in His Lordship over my life.
“The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one” (Psalm 28:8).
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Why We Use Titles for God
We follow a God who has a many-sided character, and no one name, however descriptive, can fully capture His nature. But each name or title provides us with a glimpse that is able to draw us into a deeper relationship with Him. Some of these titles have been revealed to us by God Himself, and others were bestowed on Him by men. Either way, they are meant to lead us to humble and dynamic worship.
Assigning titles to the Lord (King, Creator, and Great Physician are just three of many) serves several purposes:
- They indicate value, and lead us to realize the significance of God.
- They cause us to give God the respect He deserves.
- They teach us about what God is like.
- They inspire us to grow more like God.
All his days, David sought to bring honor to his Lord, something believers still long to do. If we can catch David’s vision of God as the “King of Glory,” we too will find a new sense of awe and delight in lifting Him up. Then, worship will be more than obedience - it will become a celebration.
"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods” (Psalm 95:1-3).
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