Glory Belongs to the King

Watching the video of the Maverick City Music version of “Revelation 19:1,” the song takes me back to the unbridled days of my youth when Vacation Bible School singing would devolve into a noisy competition between the “Praise Ye the Lord” and “Hallelujah” sides of the sanctuary. Then, the sincerity on the faces of the Mav City Gospel Choir draws me in, inspiring me to turn to the book of Revelation and join the heavenly singing and shouting:

“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God” (Revelation 19:1, NIV).

“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” (Revelation 7:12, NIV).

When reading these verses, two seemingly insignificant words grab my attention: be and belong. Different English translations of the Greek vary between the two in both places. After my rusty Bible college Greek skills failed me, Vicar K, my more learned friend, reassured me that the verbs were hard to locate in the Greek because they aren’t there. Our English additions of be or belong are insertions to make the text more palatably complete to the reader of English, she explained.

I’ve spent a lifetime attempting to act and speak for the glory of Jesus, but recently I’ve felt disillusioned with glorifying. Part of the problem is a question I’ve had since my deeper study of Revelation 7 and 19. To me, the verb belong seems a better choice for our worship of the King of kings, but how can we give Jesus something that already belongs to Him? My exposure to Chinese culture and language helps me to understand this belonging in a better way.

In the Chinese language, the word belong comes up frequently in one context in particular. Knowing someone’s age is important in Chinese culture. If they are older, addressing them appropriately (older sister, uncle, grandma, for example) is especially important as is showing them a certain level of respect. One option is to ask directly, “How old are you?” Another is to inquire what year on the 12-year Chinese zodiac they belong to, “你属什么?”^ℹ️ Then, based on their appearance, experience, and your own place on the zodiac, you can figure out if they are older or younger and thus how much deference to show them.

Here in China, I’ve known of people who have gone to some trouble to change the year of their birth on official records. In actuality, however, your birth year—your place on the Chinese zodiac—is an unchangeable fact. Even more, Jesus’ glory is an immutable part of His nature as King of kings. People can ignore it, and some attempt to change or steal it, but in actuality no one can take it away. Neither can anyone give what already belongs to Him.

Another context in which I have been exposed to the concept of belonging in Chinese culture is connected to membership in one of China’s eight political parties. Although my friends don’t use the word belong to describe their membership, they have described how their affiliation with a party sets up a close connection that can be hard to shake. In his younger days, one friend applied for membership in a party but then didn’t follow through. Ten years later he discovered that he was required to write a letter revoking his belonging even though he never actually joined.

Followers of Jesus are members of a different sort of party. In fact, they 属耶稣^ℹ️ or belong to Jesus. They’ve pledged their allegiance to Him and no other; their classification has changed from darkness to light; they’re subordinate to the King of kings, slaves in His Kingdom. This state of belonging is also hard to shake. It begins with an adoption into His family in this life and has the power to endure into eternity.

Even more, Jesus’ glory shines out from Creation and endures into eternity. His glory is a classification of His character that is irrevocable and unshakeable as it emanates from the I AM who was and is and is to come. He doesn’t need me to glorify Him especially from my lowly place as a subordinate in His Kingdom; He honors Himself with glory that always has and will belong to Him.

I can’t give Jesus what He already owns, immutably, irrevocably, and eternally. However, from my place as slave, I can bow in submission to the King of kings and surrender to His glory. Body. Heart. Mind. Spirit. My outward observable behavior and also my inward hidden self, like in the unbridled days of my youth, can sing and shout repeated praises to the One on the throne, both now and forever.

“Salvation and glory and power truly belong to our God” (Revelation 19:1, The Voice).

Amen.

Photo by 1857643 from Pixabay