Please explain the second half of the "Glory Be" prayer to me

[Gamera]

“Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

So far, so good.

“As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.”

Huh? As WHAT was in the beginning? God’s glory? God’s status as triune? How do the final three words, “world without end,” connect to the rest of the prayer? I’m so confused.

 

[Tonks40]

“As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.”

Huh? As WHAT was in the beginning? God’s glory? God’s status as triune? How do the final three words, “world without end,” connect to the rest of the prayer? I’m so confused.

To answer your questions, God is infinite. He cannot be measured as having a beginning, or and end. The words here cannot express his omnipresence, nor can He be bound to time and space. If anything, the words, “in the beginning” could be in relation to our own beginnings here on earth.

As far as God’s status, we’re just acknowledge the fact that he is comprised of the Trinity, that it has always been in existence, and that existence will never end. Thus glory and honor should be exulted unto him.

 

[LilyM]

All of God’s creation (even the inanimate elements) gives glory to Him. That is its purpose. So it could refer to the very beginnings of the created Universe.

But then surely the co-eternal and only begotten Son, being a different person to the Father, and the Holy Spirit, also being a different person, give glory to the Father too. Since the Son is of His begetting and the Spirit proceeds from Father and Son. So it really could mean all eternity, since they have all always existed.

 

[mike182d]

“Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

So far, so good.

“As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.”

Huh? As WHAT was in the beginning? God’s glory? God’s status as triune? How do the final three words, “world without end,” connect to the rest of the prayer? I’m so confused.

The “it” refers to the situation of God as Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It was in response to the Arian heresy and is stating that God is Father, Son, Holy Spirit and was so from the very beginning.

“World without end” is a poor English translation. The literal translation of Greek is “Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.”

It is a poetic way of saying God exists as Trinity within time, from beginning to end, as well as *outside *of time “unto the ages of ages” or for all eternity.

 

[ricmat]

“As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.”

Huh? As WHAT was in the beginning? God’s glory? God’s status as triune? How do the final three words, “world without end,” connect to the rest of the prayer? I’m so confused.

This may not be the official interpretation, but I think of this as saying that God exists (always has and always will), and that everything else is temporary. All will return to dust eventually (as it was in the beginning). Or even more basically, that even the dust which was created ex nihilo will cease to be held in existence by God. The material world was a speck in time and will cease to be, and all that REALLY exists will continue to be our “rock” = God = I AM.

World without end is the non-material spiritual world of God and those in heaven.

Well, this is my interpretation for what it’s worth.

 

[lak611]

The second half of the prayer comes from the book of Revelation. From the NASB:

Rev 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Also from the NASB:

Rev 22:13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

 

[Alane]

Huh? As WHAT was in the beginning? God’s glory? God’s status as triune?

I’d say both. I love this prayer. It is so exulting and pure, especially if it means both things. God has existed since “the beginning” (since we are “within time”, we think in beginnings and ends, of course) and his very existence evokes glory and praise and love from every created being, and even from Himself. He bleeds glory.

The phrase “world without end” does seem a little disconnected because there are no articles inbetween, but I think it’s part of the exultation - God’s glory be “ages upon ages” long - world without end. The translation may be choppy but it still evokes the awe of the prayer. “Forever” is just boring.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

The Glory that is The Blessed Trinity, One God, always has existed and always will. All other glory of any kind at all is a reflection of this - a minutest spark of it as it were…and since all glory of any kind and all good of any kind comes from God alone…all glory is always His alone and to Him alone too. We can claim none for ourselves nor for any other person etc. Hence “hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom come and Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”.
http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_4_10.gifBlessings - Barb