For Yours Is the Kingdom, the Power and Glory, Forever

These words contain a reason of all the former petitions: whereby we are moved to crave things needful at God's hand.

Yours is] Earthly kings have kingdom, power, and glory (Daniel 2:37). Yet not from themselves, but from God, whose vicegerents they are on earth. Therefore to make a difference between God's kingdom, power, and glory, and those of earthly kings, it is said, Yours is the kingdom, etc. that is, that God has all these in himself, and from himself, and men from him.

The kingdom] These words (1 Chronicles 26:11) are fully expounded, Yours, O Lord, is greatness, power, and victory, and praise: and all that is in heaven and earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, and you excel as head over all, etc. The kingdom is said to be God's, because he is absolute possessor and owner of all things that are; and also has sovereign rule over all things at his will. Now out of this first property of God we may gather a strong motive to induce us to pray to him alone. For seeing all things are his, both in heaven and earth whatever; therefore we must come to him for the graces and blessings which we desire.

The power] Oftentimes earthly princes have kingdoms, yet lack power: but God has kingdom and power also: indeed his power is infinite, and he can do all that he will, and more than he will: as for those things which come of impotence, he cannot do them; and if he could, he should not be omnipotent. And as he is omnipotent in himself, so all the power which any creature has, is from him alone.

Question. How can this be, seeing the devil has power to sin; which is not from God? Answer. To sin is no power, but rather a lack of power: otherwise all the strength and power Satan has, is of God.

And from this second property is taken another motive to move us to pray to God. Because all power being his, we can never do any of the things which we ask, but by power received from him.

Yours is the glory] This third property of God arises from the two former, for seeing the title and interest in all things, and the power whereby they are disposed and governed, is of God: therefore it follows that all glory is his: indeed in him is fullness of glory, and the glory of the creature is all of him. To sinful men belongs nothing but shame and confusion (Daniel 9:7).

This third property ministers a third motive to induce men to pray to God alone. For seeing all glory by right is his, therefore we must invoke his holy name, that in so doing, we may give him the glory due to him.

For ever] The words in the original are, for ages. Now an age signifies the space of a hundred years: but here it is taken for eternity: because eternity is nothing but multiplication of ages. And as eternity is here noted by ages, so on the contrary we read, that eternity is taken for a certain and distinct time. Genesis 17:8. God promised Abraham to give him the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession: that is, for a long season. For else Abraham's seed should inherit the land until this time, which it does not. Wherefore, as often the whole is put for the part, namely eternity for a certain time: so here the part is put for the whole, ages for eternity. This also makes a difference between earthly princes and the mighty Jehovah. They have kingdom, power, and glory for a short time, but he absolutely and forever.