[EDITORIAL NOTE: The wonderful article has been written by Chris Palios in which he addresses what the Bible teaches about who and what the anticipated “crown of glory” is and what it means for those believers who anticipated the arrival and presence of Christ in the first century]
The Crown đź‘‘ of Glory.
 
It’s important to know that Jesus and ALL the APOSTLE’S boldly taught and preached that Christ’s return was imminent in the 1st century.
It’s important to know that Jesus and ALL the APOSTLE’S boldly taught and preached that Christ’s return was imminent in the 1st century.Did you realize that the “Crown of Glory” and “Glory” are tied to the imminent return of Christ in the lives of the 1st century Church?
Let’s take a short hop through a few scriptures written by the Apostles Peter and Paul and see how “Crown of Glory”/ “Glory” is connected to Christ’s return in the lives of the 1st-century believers
The Bible often speaks of “Glory” and “The Crown of Glory” awaiting the saints when He returned.
Let’s see if we can understand what Peter believed and taught about WHEN His Master would return.
“And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (I Pet. 5:4).
In this verse, we can understand how the 1st century Church would believe that THEYÂ would be alive when Jesus came back.
The “Ye” in this verse refers to those to whom Peter wrote and the sense of his promise that “THEY”/ “YE” would be alive when He appeared and received the “crown of glory”.
“The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed” (I Pet. 5:1).
This passage contains the Greek word “Mello” which means “about to” or “on the verge of”.
Properly translated it would read “a partaker of the “glory” about to be revealed.
Since the glory” THEY expected to receive when He appeared was “about to”-be revealed” then Christ’s return was not far off, most certainly not thousands of years in the future!
Jesus promises His 1st century Saints that His coming/parousia (Matt. 24:3) was one of “all these things” to take place before His generation passed away.
“They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (I Pet. 4:5)
“But the end of all things is at hand; therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayers (I Pet. 4:7).
Peter wrote his first letter in about AD 64 Jesus coming was not far away in AD 70. It was judgment day and death to His enemies but to His saints -He brought a “crown of glory” that fadeth not away. Peter knew from the signs around him that judgment day was drawing near and that the Lord was “ready to judge”.
Thus, the coming of the Lord was only a few years away.
Paul too often wrote about the Lord’s coming as imminent in the lifetime of the 1st century Church.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).
Paul uses the Greek word “mello” Paul was saying the “glory” (about to) be revealed in us.
And “us” is Paul and the Roman Christians.
Peter (I Pet. 5:1) and Paul agree—the “glory” was about to come!
So, what is this “glory” and “crown of glory” both Peter and Paul speak of?
“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 from the Lord, the Spirit” (II Cor.3:18).
The Greek word for “glory” is used twice in the phrase “from glory to glory”, yet each usage refers to something different. The first “glory” is that of the Old Covenant, the Law of Moses—while the second “glory” is that of the New Covenant, the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The transformation was from the “glory” of the Old Covenant to the “glory” of the New Covenant, which far surpasses the Old in every way.Â
    The Crown 👑 of Glory.
The first half of Isaiah 28 is both a woe (a judgment) pronounced against Ephraim/Israel and an announcement of the Messianic hope for the remnant of faithful people who lived in Israel. Even in the midst of judgment, there would be “a crown of glory” and a diadem of beauty” (Isa. 28:5).
The kingdom of Israel was reveling in its own glory, but it was short-lived. When that glory faded, the remnant of the people—that smaller group who had trusted in God and was seeking to worship Him—would see that He was their “crown of glory” and diadem of beauty. Those who had stood for God even while much of the nation had opposed Him would be rewarded when God’s judgment arrived. God’s rule and the arrival of His justice would be beautiful to those who had long awaited it (Isa. 28:6).
Jesus the King 👑 of Glory was their “Crown of Glory” for the faithful remnant persevering to the end.Jesus is also our “Crown 👑 of Glory-as we live in the reality of their 1st-century expectations!
For many, this may be hard to believe but please keep in mind the words of our Lord that it truly was a promise made and a promise kept!
“For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” (Matt. 16:27-28).–[Chris Palios]