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456_The coming King of glory

Psalm 24 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
2 for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory! Selah

In 1953, the world watched as Queen Elizabeth II was crowned at Westminster Abbey. The event was marked by grandeur—ornate carriages, trumpets blaring, cheering crowds. A military parade stretched for miles, and the whole nation paused to witness their sovereign take the throne. Yet with all that regal splendor, the monarch was painfully subject to the limits of time, mortality, and fallibility.

But a coronation is coming, that will mark the coming to power of a King far more majestic, infinitely more powerful, and eternally glorious. Psalm 24 points us to the moment when the King of Glory will make His triumphant entry. This is no mortal, but Jesus Christ—the One who came in humility to taste death for every man, but will return in the divine majesty of immortality.

Psalm 22 presented Him as the suffering Savior. Psalm 23 showed Him as the Good Shepherd. And now, Psalm 24 lifts our eyes to see Him as the Coming King of Glory. David, the psalmist, was writing more than poetry. This was prophecy, as Peter declared in Acts 2:30: “Being therefore a prophet…” David glimpsed something far in the future, the day of the Lord’s power.

Psalm 24 begins with the declaration, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.”

No billionaire, no ruler, no global leader can claim universal ownership – of every continent, every ocean, every breath of every living thing – for none can claim universal creatorship but our God. Psalm 50:12 reinforces this: “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.” Acts 17:24 reminds the Athenians that God “made the world and everything in it… nor is He served by human hands as though He needed anything.”

But the question is, “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place?” (Psalm 24:3). For man was made in God’s image, and our spirits were made to be one with His. We were made for fellowship with God. Anything less is not life, but a doomed existence—“death.”

Psalm 24:4 reveals the answer, “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.” Keeping our hands clean and our hearts pure is not a self-righteous act but the result of faith in God. If God had not revealed himself, could any of us claim this to be true? Does our own heart hold us to this standard? Paul quotes the psalmist in piercing denial, in Romans 3: “None is righteous, no, not one… no one seeks for God… all have turned aside… no one does good, not even one.” But those who seek God in response to his revelation obey him in faith. Those who have heard his word and received it in faith fear him beyond all else.

Acts 10 describes Cornelius, a devout Roman centurion who feared God, gave generously to the poor, and prayed regularly. He heard the law of God and responded in faith. And he was led further in faith. In Acts 11:14, Peter recalls the angel’s instruction: “Send to Joppa and bring Peter; he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.” And as Peter spoke the word of Christ, he received it in faith. Therefore the Spirit of God was poured out on him, a sign of his acceptance by God.

Psalm 24:6 continues, “Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.” As Zephaniah 2:3 pleads, “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land… seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord.”

And for such, the King of Glory himself is the way. Verse 5 of Psalm 24 says this: “He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” Those who respond to the King’s command in faith receive righteousness – not earned, but given as a blessing from the God we fear and trust.

But now the new question is. “Who is this King of Glory?” No longer is it about the people ascending. The King himself is entering, and the gates are commanded to lift up their heads.

The first coming of Jesus Christ was in poverty and weakness, as he came to seek and save the lost. He was born, a helpless baby, to parents only able to offer a pair of pigeons – the sacrifice reserved for the poorest (Luke 2:24). He had nowhere to lay his head, as he served his Father’s will. Zechariah 9:9 prophesied, “Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey.” This marked his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Days later, He was crucified.

Yet He was none other than “The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle… the Lord of hosts—He is the King of Glory.” The Lord came in flesh, not to overthrow the Roman Empire, but a far more ancient and powerful array of foes. Through death he overcame the Devil, who had the power of death, the tempter of our souls.

And for his people, united with him in baptism, they are not just his subjects but his flesh and his blood. As Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12 put it, we too are buried into death with him, that we might also live with him. Our old self, our past life, our self-desires, are all gone. Our life is now hidden with Christ in God. He ascended the hill of God in holiness, and we in him.

When He appears in glory, we shall be manifested with him. And His second coming will be nothing like the first. No longer an obscure carpenter’s son, He will return as the Sovereign of the world. His coming will be in power and glory, to reign and to judge the wicked, and deliver his saints.

Revelation 19 describes his coronation: “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters… crying out, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns!’” Every knee shall bow. Every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. What gladness for those who joyfully humble themselves before their King right now! What rage and defeat for those who oppose themselves in pride and rebellion, for those who say, as in Luke 19, “We do not want this man to reign over us.”

Let us open up the ancient gates for the Lord of Glory to ride in and be enthroned in victory, not just in the heavens, but in our lives. He is our Shepherd, our Savior, and our Sovereign. Let us live today in holy reverence, and in surrendered obedience to the King of Glory. Then with joyful expectation, let our lips declare, with our lives, “Come, Lord Jesus!” God bless.