This chapter interprets Psalm 24 as a prophecy of Jesus's return and reign, establishing His kingdom on earth. It emphasizes the Lord's ownership of the world and the unique qualifications for entering His holy place, which are fully met only by Jesus. The psalm culminates in an antiphonal song depicting the King of Glory entering His eternal kingdom.
Now Psalms 24:0 carries us on to the day of the kingdom, that kingdom intimated in verse 28 of Psalms 22:0. The day of the kingdom is the day of the Lord’s return and it is when He comes again that He comes as the Chief Shepherd, and so now you have a description of this world when Jesus comes to reign.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For He hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.”
Who has title to it?
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in His holy place?”
There is only One. Whatever title you and I have we get in association with Him, for there is only One to whom these words fully apply.
“He that hath clean hands.” The hands of Jesus were never stained with sin.“And a pure heart.” The heart of Jesus was never unclean.“Who hath not lifted up His soul unto vanity.” The soul of Jesus was never proud.“Nor sworn deceitfully.” There was no guile found in His mouth.
“He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of His salvation.”
And He receives it for us, and we are made “accepted in the Beloved.”
“This is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek Thy face, O Jacob.”
For in the day of the kingdom of Israel, Jacob will be restored to the Lord and will become a means of blessing to the whole world.
And now we have the antiphonal song that we have often heard. The King is coming; see, He is entering in to take possession of His royal palace, and as His outriders lead the way and draw near the royal palace, they shout aloud,
“Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors [really, doors of eternity]; and the King of glory shall come in.”
And from within there comes the cry,
“Who is this King of glory?”
And the retainers of the King cry,
“The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle,”
for the Son of Man is Jehovah incarnate.
“Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors [doors of eternity]; and the King of glory shall come in.”
And again from within comes the inquiry,
“Who is this King of glory?”
And the answer,
“The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.”
And Jesus takes the kingdom; the Crucified sits on the throne of David and reigns in power and glory. What a wonderful trilogy we have here in these three Psalms. The Psalm of the Cross, 22; the Psalm of the crook, the Shepherd’s crook, 23; the Psalm of the crown, 24. And they tell the whole wonderful story of His humiliation and His glory.