Psalm 24:7-10 – “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall 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 ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.”
We continue our study of Psalm 24, turning our focus to verses 7-10. The subject of these verses is the coming Messiah, the “King of glory”. Five times the LORD is identified as “King of glory”. He is the LORD, Yahweh, Jehovah, Eternal, Self-existing God; the “LORD of hosts” (24:8, 10).
Psalm 24:7 – “Lift up [hold up; take; carry; bear] your heads [chief; captain], O ye gates [doors; city gates]; and be ye lift up [hold up; take; carry; bear], ye everlasting [perpetual; old; ancient] doors [entrance; opening]; and the King of glory [splendor; honor; abundance] shall come in.”
David would have had in mind the city gates of Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel. In ancient times the gates of the city were where both private and government business was transacted and served much as our city hall does today. The city elders and ambassadors to the king would sit in judgment at the gates of the city.
Beginning with the elders and chief leaders of the city, David commanded the people to hail the coming of the “King of glory”. I believe these verses point to the Second Coming of Christ, the “Lord of hosts” (24:10).
Psalm 24:8 – Who is this King of glory [splendor; honor; abundance]? The LORD [Yahweh; Jehovah; Eternal God] strong [mighty; powerful] and mighty [heroic; valiant; warrior], the LORD [Yahweh; Jehovah; Eternal God] mighty [heroic; valiant; warrior] in battle [war; combat; warfare].”
The world will soon celebrate the first coming of Christ whose humble birth, though announced and celebrated by the angels of heaven, went unnoticed but by a few lowly shepherds privileged to gaze in wonder upon the very face of God made flesh, the Son of God born of the virgin Mary.
Psalm 24:9 – Lift up [hold up; take; carry; bear] your heads [chief; captain], O ye gates [doors; city gates]; even lift them up [hold up; take; carry; bear], ye everlasting [perpetual; old; ancient] doors [entrance; opening]; and the King of glory [splendor; honor; abundance] shall come in.”
Jesus Christ, though hailed, as king as He passed triumphantly through the city gates of Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-9), was a few days later led through those same gates to be crucified, bearing the sins of the world in His suffering and death (Matthew 27:24-31; 1 Corinthians 2:8).
Perhaps this is why David announces, not once, but twice for the “gates” (23:7, 9) to lift up their heads and hail the coming of the LORD, Yahweh, Jehovah, Eternal God whose Second Coming will be seen by the nations of the world for Who He is: Strong, Mighty, Mighty in battle, the LORD of hosts!
Psalm 24:10 – Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts [army; battle; warfare; conflict; soldiers], he is the King of glory. Selah [pause; think or meditate on that].”
Hail to the King, the LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory!
Revelation 1:7 – “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.”
Revelation 22:20 – “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
Copyright 2015 – Travis D. Smith