Glory in the Smoke

Glory in the Smoke, from the album Glory, is a story-song drawn from Isaiah 6, where the prophet Isaiah has a vision of the Lord seated on a high and exalted throne. The temple is filled with smoke, and seraphim cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” In the presence of this overwhelming holiness, Isaiah is undone—aware of his unclean lips and the sin of his people. Yet God sends a seraph to purify him with a burning coal, and Isaiah responds to God’s call, “Here I am, send me.”

The song explores Isaiah’s emotional and spiritual journey—from awe and fear to cleansing and calling. Rather than explaining God's glory outright, it lets the experience of being undone and then sent unveil it. The glory is shown not just in brightness or grandeur, but in holiness that humbles, cleanses, and calls.

Devotion

When Isaiah stepped into the temple, he didn’t expect a vision. But in a moment, the veil between heaven and earth seemed to dissolve. He saw the Lord, high and lifted up, the hem of His robe filling the temple, smoke curling through the air, and fiery beings crying out the eternal song: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!”

Isaiah’s reaction wasn’t bold worship—it was terror: “Woe is me! I am undone.” God’s glory didn’t flatter him; it shattered him. But that breaking made room for grace. A burning coal touched his lips, cleansing what he could not cleanse himself. Only then did Isaiah hear the call: “Whom shall I send?” And only then could he answer: “Here I am. Send me.”

This is the pattern of glory: God reveals His holiness, we tremble in unworthiness, but His mercy draws near, purifies, and sends. Glory is not a feeling—it’s the radiant presence of a holy God, and it humbles before it heals.

In Christ, we see that glory most clearly—not in smoke, but on a cross. The Holy One who should have cried “Woe to you” took our judgment instead, so we could be purified, commissioned, and made whole.

Lyrics

Verse 1
I stepped inside the temple gate, just hoping for a word
But the silence broke like thunder, by a voice I'd never heard
The pillars shook with every cry, the floor began to quake
And smoke rolled in like judgment day—my soul began to break

Verse 2
I saw the throne, high and raised, no face could I behold
But the train of His robe, like a river of flame, filled the room with gold
And angels circled, burning bright, with wings they veiled their face
They sang a song too pure to touch: “Holy is the Lord of grace”

Glory Declaration
Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty
the whole earth is full of his glory.

Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty
the whole earth is full of his glory.

Chorus
Glory in the smoke, terror in the flame
I cried, “Woe to me, I’m ruined—I cannot bear His name!”
But mercy flew with fire, a coal upon my tongue
He cleansed the place where curses live, and called me as His son
O glory, fierce and beautiful—Your fire made me whole
You met me in the trembling, where the smoke unveiled the soul

Verse 3
I stood there trembling, laid out bare, no hiding left to find
The weight of all my sins undone, the ruin of my mind
But heaven did not crush me down; a seraph took the flame
And placed it where my shame had lived—and called me by my name

Verse 4
Then came the voice that calls the world, the sound that split the seas:
“Whom shall I send? Who now will go?” And trembling, I said, “Me.”
Not brave, not proud, not worthy still, but chosen all the same
For glory had undone my guilt and called me through the flame

Chorus
Glory in the smoke, terror in the flame
I cried, “Woe to me, I’m ruined—I cannot bear His name!”
But mercy flew with fire, a coal upon my tongue
He cleansed the place where curses live, and called me as His son
O glory burning through the veil, You crushed me into grace
You found me in the ashes, in the place I feared to face

Bridge
Now in a world of fading light, I carry what I saw
Not just a word, but wonder burned in me by holy awe
The call is born in holy fear, where mercy takes its place
And glory moves through wounded lives, now burning with His grace

Final Chorus
Glory in the smoke, rising through my soul
You took the ruin I confessed and made the fractured whole
The throne still shakes, the angels cry, the coal still makes us new
And in the fire, the gospel lives—Your glory shining through

O glory wrapped in judgment’s flame, yet mercy held me near
You met me where the sinner stood, and whispered, “Do not fear”

Final Glory Declaration
Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty
the whole earth is full of his glory.

Themes in the Song

1. God’s Glory as Radiant Holiness
   • The glory Isaiah sees is not abstract but tied to God's holiness revealed visibly.
2. The Fearful Beauty of God
   • God's presence undoes Isaiah; the song captures the terror and awe of being in the presence of One so wholly other.
3. Unworthiness and Confession
   • Isaiah’s immediate reaction is, “Woe is me!”—a theme echoed in the song’s portrayal of brokenness as the beginning of true sight.
4. Cleansing Through Fire
   • The coal from the altar symbolizes God’s purifying grace. The song reflects how holiness does not crush but refines.
5. Calling and Commissioning
   • God doesn’t just cleanse Isaiah—He sends him. The call to serve flows from a heart transformed by glory.
6. Transformation Through Encounter
   • Seeing God reshapes Isaiah’s identity. The song echoes this transformation: from undone to entrusted.
7. Mystery and Majesty
   • The refrain of “holy mystery” and “glory in the smoke” emphasizes that God’s glory is not always clear, but it breaks in through awe, fire, and calling.
8. The Gospel Foreshadowed
   • Though rooted in the Old Testament, the imagery of purification, grace, and being sent hints forward to Christ—the one who ultimately purifies and sends.