Psalms 24:7

Psalm 24:7

Psalms 24:7, “Lift up your heads, O, ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in.” God is the one who gives and takes away opportunity. Another way of saying it is that God opens and shuts a door. Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” The most important opportunity in life is the opportunity to be forgiven of sins. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God is no respecter of persons. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. It is appointed unto man once to die but after this the judgment. Even though Jesus died for all and even though Jesus wants to save all men, still salvation is an opportunity. And like any opportunity it can pass you by. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. How shall they hear except someone come to them and preach them the word of God? Psalms 29:7 says, “The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.” When a man hears the truth, then the Holy Spirit comes and touches that man so that they see their need for forgiveness of their sins. It is Jesus that knocks on the door of the hearts of men. Man must choose to open the door to Him.

Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega. He is Jehovah, the I am that I am, the eternally existent one. Men, however, have a beginning. Even though men die physically, the soul of man continues to exist and that destiny must be either heaven or hell. It is a lie and a false teaching to say than man exists no longer after death. It is also a lie and a false teaching to say that man is reincarnated into another life form on this earth. Both of these false teachings take away from the truth of the judgment for sin and the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed unto man once to die but after this the judgment.”

Psalms 24:8, “Who is this King of Glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.” When we think of the names of God we most often think of Jesus Christ, Jehovah, the prince of peace, Immanuel, the King of Kings. Another name for God is given here in Psalms 24, the King of Glory. Jehovah, or Jesus, is referred to as the king of glory. Glory is a manifestation of the holiness and the greatness of God. The Word “manifest” means to reveal or to make known. God’s glory can be revealed, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The heavens declare the glory of God. What is God’s glory like? It is like the brightness of the sun. Nothing symbolizes God’s Holiness better than fire. Deuteronomy 4:24 says, “For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.” Perhaps for this one reason hell is a place of eternal fire: so that those in it can spend eternity thinking about the Holiness of God. It is no wonder the Bible says that Hell was created for the devil and his angels. They stood in heaven among the presence of God the Father and saw his Holiness and glory in a way man never has yet seen. It is no wonder they will spend eternity separated from the presence of God, but surrounded by reminders of His glory. There can be no worse fate for sinful man than to reject Jesus and spend eternity in such a place.

The glory of God and the strength and might of God are mentioned together in this verse because you cannot have one without the other. There is none mightier than God and there is none more glorious. The might and the Glory of God have their full revelation in the person of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:5-7 says, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” These verses say, “according to the praise of the glory of his grace.” The glory of God is seen in his grace. His grace is greater than our sin. Because of the grace of God, He sent His Son to die on the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus became sin for us. Jesus was separated from God the Father. Jesus suffered the eternal punishment of hell. This is the grace and the judgment of God coming together in perfect harmony on the cross of Calvary. When you repent of your sins and trust in Jesus Christ, the glory of God is revealed.

Jesus is the good shepherd. All we like sheep have gone astray. Jesus is the one who knocks on the doors of the hearts of men. It is up to men to respond and to open that door. This is the most important opportunity of life for any man. That is why Psalms 24:9 repeats what was just said in verse 7. Verse 9 says, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.” Sometimes it can be redundant and pointless to repeat something too many times. However, if there is one message that cannot be over emphasized, it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Men are sinners. We sin every day. God’s grace is greater than our sin. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and He is just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Be sure to answer the door of your heart when you hear the Savior knocking. In these verses the word “everlasting” is used. The Word “everlasting” is a very important word. This word everlasting is also found in John 3:16 which says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

“Everlasting” is God’s way of saying eternal security. You cannot lose your salvation because it is based on grace through faith and not of works. It is based on the work of Christ when he lived a sinless life and paid the sin penalty on the cross. Salvation is not based on how well you keep the law. The promises of God are everlasting. Forgiveness of sins is everlasting. Once the door is open to Jesus and you let Him into your life, that door is going to remain open forever. Even if you try, you will not be able to shut it. Revelation 3:7 says, “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.” This life is not everlasting because the end of sin is death. But salvation is everlasting.

Psalms 24:10 says, “Who is the King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.” Once again what was said in verse 8 is repeated. It is important to think about the glory of God. Jesus is the king of Kings. There is none greater than He. With God all things are possible from the forgiveness of sins to victory over your enemies. Jesus is more powerful than the devil. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. If you want to see the glory of God, then the best way to do so is by believing His promises.

There are very few times in which God has spoken with an audible voice so that men could hear him. One of those times was during the baptism of Jesus. Another time in which God the Father spoke with an audible voice so that all could hear was in the days just before Jesus’ crucifixion. John 12:28-30, “Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, this voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.”

Who is the King of glory? Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the King of glory. How important it is that men understand this. It is so important that God the Father spake with an audible voice. Of course this voice came at a very important time just before the crucifixion of Christ. If you want to glorify the king of Glory then repent of your sins and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is very important that Jesus Christ is magnified both in the things that we do and in the things that we say because He is the king of Glory and because if He is lifted up, He will draw all men unto him.

We live in the last days. There is a falling away. The mystery of iniquity is at work. Jesus said in Luke 18:8, “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” The day is coming when all the world shall see the glory of God manifested unto them. This will be a glorious moment for God and his children because of how much man has turned away from God and refused to repent of sin. It says in Romans 1:23, “And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man.”

There is going to be a final culmination in this world at the end of the 7-year tribulation. When Jesus Christ, the LORD of hosts, with all the hosts of heaven comes forth to this earth, all those who have joined hand in hand with the anti-Christ to oppose Jesus will see the glory of God and experience the power of the Word of God.

Revelation 19:11-15 says, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” It is much better to kneel at the cross of Calvary and experience the glory of God through His grace than through opposing His will and remaining unrepentant of your sins and seeing His glory through judgment. Psalms 25:1-2 says, “Unto Thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.”

Psalm 25 begins using the same phrase that we saw used 3 times in Psalm 24: “Lift up.” This can also be translated “forgiven.” Unto Thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee.” Faith in Christ begins with repentance of sin. You can be sure whenever you confess your sins to Jesus that He will forgive you because He already paid the debt for your sins when He died on the cross of Calvary over 2000 years ago.

In John 12:32-33 Jesus said, “And I, If I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.” Because Jesus was lifted up on the cross for the sins of the world, we can lift up our souls unto God for forgiveness of sins. And then we can find faith in Him through the Bible because the Bible is His Word. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

Verse 2 says, “let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.” How important it is to repent of sins. By lifting up your soul unto Jesus, you will be able to trust in him and to be freed from the shame of your sins. By trusting in the one true living God, your enemies will not triumph over you. All of these things happen simply by repenting of your sins to Jesus Christ and believing His promises.

Psalms 25:3 says, “Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.” To wait on God and to trust in God are not the same thing. To trust in God means to believe His promises, to believe that Jesus Christ forgives you of your sins when you repent. To wait on God refers to us looking for the Lord’s leading in our lives.

Revelation 3:7 says, “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.” God is in control. He works in the circumstances of our lives. He works in the hearts of men. And therefore, He will open and close doors. Do the practical things in life and don’t make big decisions without prayer and the peace of God. Examine your circumstances carefully and pray to Christ for wisdom. The best example of what it means to wait on God is the patient waiting of the saints for the return of Christ. Christ has promised to return and take his children from this wicked world. There is nothing we can do about this situation except to believe His promise, endure, and wait patiently for what only He can do. What will happen if you do not wait on God is that you will transgress without cause. In these last days we are in the patient waiting for Christ. It is important to trust in God and it is also important to wait on Him.

The only thing you should not wait on is repentance of sin. Today is the day of salvation. If you have not turned from your sins and turned to Jesus Christ, then do so today. Romans 10:9, “For if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved.”

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