WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY

Psalm 24: 1-10

D L Moody said “Glory is such a fundamental quality of Heaven that the word “glory” itself is often used as a synonym for Heaven.” SO! Here we are faced with a Psalm that should melt our hearts with joy and adoration to the praise of His glorious name. Here we approach a psalm that oozes the glory of God. Here we approach this psalm and it reminds us why Jesus had to die for sinful man and woman. This psalm is a powerful reminder to who gets the glory in your life; the eternal Son of God. But this is also a psalm that should concern us for lost loved ones and remind us who can enter in Heaven’s Gate. As Jesus said “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." John 6:63-65. I want to start off asking you a couple of questions as we approach this Messianic Psalm

Who has the right to enter such a holy and glorious place?

Who has the right to speak to these gates?

No man has ever come to the gates and lives to tell about! Adam was banished from the garden because created man was defiled and sinful! Guards were put into place by God so that they could never enter in again and cause such destruction. “Therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” Gen 3:23-24. This act of treason and rebellion has affected and reached each and every one of us. Mankind at this point apart from Christ has been banished from the eternal inheritance that God promised Adam.

THE BIBLE SAYS...

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal 5:19-20

  

“For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” Eph 5:5

  

“But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.” Rev 21:27

  

This should really burden our hearts or the concern for lost souls that are going to spend an eternity in Hell! Who can enter these gates and declare this command? There is only one man who is allowed to enter these gates! It’s not Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David or the Prophets, not even the Apostles had a right to speak to these doors! No man can ever enter or approach such gates without being destroyed! Why? We are a fallen race, a fallen generations that is unclean! For “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” Rom 3:23. Which means: we all have missed the mark of God’s perfection found in His holy Law and character. Remember Uzzah? When they escorted the Ark back to the tabernacle! Instead of carrying the Ark like they were supposed to found in the Letter of Numbers....they placed it on a cart. Seems innocent enough right? Wrong, what God commands is what God demands from His people. “And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry.” Num 4:15. You had to be a Levite priest. So what happens? The ox stumbled and the Ark was tilted and looked like it was about to fall over into the mud. What does Uzzah do? He touches and holds up the Ark which was God’s holy and glorious presence to His chosen people. We would imply this was a natural reaction anyone would do right? But what happened? This is what happened! “And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to take hold of the ark, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark, and he died there before God.” 1 Chron 13:9-10. God killed him on the spot! Why would He do that? An unlawful sinner touched the holies of holies.......the presence of God’s glory!

There is only one person able to enter these gates and live. HIS NAME IS JESUS CHRIST! The Saviour....the Messiah......The Son of God........The Lord....The King of glory. Look what He says to these ancient doors....the gates of Heaven! (v7) The Heavens must have been speechless or amazed that a man would dare speak to these doors with such authority and boldness! Look at the response by one brave soul who speaks up and says “Who is this King of glory” (v8a) “Who dares speak to these doors that way?” I love the answer by Jesus! (v8b) Jesus Christ the God man...............Is our King who is strong and mighty! So strong and mighty He engages in War. Not just any war but the war against evil and the bondage of sin! Do you realize that Jesus singlehandedly defeated the enemy by Himself? He needed no one’s help....... He stood on the front lines when everyone retreated! This is why the young shepherd boy David, is a great picture of our Lord Jesus Christ when he defeated the giant Philistine! This man who spoke to these gates proclaimed that He was the King who has conquered all things by His sovereign power and might! He tells the gate keeper who spoke up that He is a mighty warrior who is the True King of glory

  

AMAZING PICTURE OF THIS IS PENNED BY JOHN! Rev 19:11:16 “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

  

This is why He boldly proclaims once again these words (look at v9) And once again the gate keeper proclaims “What man dares to speak to these doors” (v10a) I love the answer the man, Jesus Christ gives (v10b). The Creator God is the King of glory and has come down to dwell in the midst of the city of men as a man........Jesus Christ!

This man who stands at the gates commands them to open those doors!  Why? He is Jesus Christ the God man. And for the first time a man enters in those gates......walks up to His Father with boldness and says “it is finished” and sits down and the Father looks at His son and says “it is finished in deed” Jesus sits on the throne in all His glory! The King of king’s sits on the throne is all His glory! Not just any King, but the One who created all things for His glory (v1-v2)

The One that said “let there be light”

The One who said “lets create man in Our image”

The One that said “it is was good”

The One who establishes everything by His authority and power.

  

Who has the right to speak to these gates?

  

What man can enter this place and live?

Look at (v3-v6) those who have clean hands and a pure heart! Those who are washed by the cleaning blood of Jesus Christ! Those who put their faith in trust in the finishing work on the Cross! Those who are have an outward expression of an inward change! Someone who has been transformed by the Gospel that saves. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Cor 5:17

It’s Hands that are lifted up with affections set on things that are pure...lovely...holy and just....a practical holiness which is a mark of His precious grace. A heart that has their affections set on the things of God and glorifying Him. Remember what David said when he was faced with his dreadful sin “create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10. This is the true king of glory and we are allowed…..we have access to enter these gates through His Son Jesus Christ, and his shed blood for our sins. This is what the King of glory did for you and me! He made it possible for us to have clean hands and a pure heart! That’s what the Gospel delivers to sinners who put their trust in Jesus Christ alone. The mighty King who is our powerful and faithful warrior who has defeated the grave and Hell and all things for His GLORY! Though one man’s disobedience that spread to all of us has now has been paid for through one Man’s obedience though His death and resurrection. And those who rest in Christ alone are declared His son or daughter! That’s what this King did for me and you!

  

2Cor 6:17-18 says “Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty."

This man Jesus Christ walked up to those gates and said “Let me in because the King is here” This is a beautiful picture of our Lord’s great ascent into Heaven. To realize that the King is seating on the throne in all His glory and He has made it possible for us (fallen sinful depraved people) to enter in through His precious Gospel! John Piper said “The ultimate good of the gospel is seeing and savouring the beauty and value of God. God’s wrath and our sin obstruct that vision and that pleasure. You can’t see and savour God as supremely satisfying while you are full of rebellion against Him and He is full of wrath against you. The removal of this wrath and this rebellion is what the gospel is for. The ultimate aim of the gospel is the display of God’s glory and the removal of every obstacle to our seeing it and savouring it as our highest treasure. “Behold Your God!” is the most gracious command and the best gift of the gospel. If we do not see Him and savour Him as our greatest fortune, we have not obeyed or believed the gospel." There is only one man who is capable and allowed to enter into the glory of Heaven and live to tell about it. His name is Jesus Christ the Son of man. And we can now enter in as well through His saving grace!

  

Charles Spurgeon said “Dear reader, it is possible that you are saying, “I shall never enter into Heaven of God, for I have neither clean hands nor a pure heart.” Look then to Christ, who has already climbed the holy hill. He has entered as the forerunner of those who trust Him. Follow His footsteps, and repose upon His merit. He rides triumphantly into Heaven, and you shall ride there too if you trust Him.”

The ascended Saviour is seated on the throne and He is calling out to the hillsides, alleys and streets, for people to come and enter into His rest. This is the only way you or I can enter into such a holy place. A place that is so glorious that words cannot express how beautiful He truly is. Jesus is the glorious representation for creation to see and look upon with adoration and praise! As the Hebrew writer penned “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” Heb 1:3. Take hold of this wonderful truth and worship Him for who He is! The one and only King of Glory. This King of heaven triumphed over Satan, sin, and death in His resurrection and ascension. Christ is still the King of glory today, and in heaven we will be greeted by a scene more glorious than anything we could imagine.

John’s vision of the risen and exalted Christ gives us a taste of what it will be like when we see Jesus. “Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals." And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth." Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.” Rev 5:1-14

The house of the Lord. “God's house” is His Presence Himself. 

Psalm 22 tells of the Cross and His great sacrifice. 

Psalm 23 speaks about the Great Shepherd who goes before His sheep. 

And Psalm 24 reminds us of His Crowning glory over sin and death.

Can you say Amen to that?