The King of Glory Goes Up

The question. “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place?” (Psalm 24:3). The answer sets the bar: “He who has clean hands and a pure heart” (24:4). Clean hands are right actions. A pure heart is right desires.

No one qualifies. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). By the psalm's own test, every one of us is shut out of God's holy place.

One Man does. Jesus alone came with clean hands and a pure heart. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). The One who could go up died for those who could not, and God raised Him from the dead.

Open wide. “Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in” (24:7). The gates are spoken to like people. They are told to rise higher and open wider, because the King coming in is too great for them.

The King of glory. “Who is this King of glory?” (24:8). God's glory is His greatness, His beauty and His worth. No king on earth comes close.

Mighty in battle. The answer is “The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle” (24:8). This is a King coming home from a war He has won. Paul wrote, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

The Lord of hosts. The call is repeated, and so is the question, and the final answer is “The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory” (24:10). The Lord of all the armies of heaven is the King.

The ascension. Many Christians see Psalm 24 and Psalm 47 as a picture of Jesus going up to heaven, the victorious King entering His Father's presence after defeating sin and death.

Gone up. “Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!” (Psalm 47:1). “God has gone up with a shout, The Lord with the sound of a trumpet” (47:5). “God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne” (47:8). Every people is called to praise this King.

For you. You could never climb God's hill on your own record. Jesus did, and He went up for you. Trust Him, and one day you will stand in God's holy place because of His clean hands, not yours.

The psalm. “You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, Even from the rebellious, That the Lord God might dwell there” (Psalm 68:18). The psalm celebrates God marching in victory and taking His place on high.

The victory parade. In the ancient world a winning king often came home leading a line of captives, and the people brought him gifts. Psalm 68 pictures God as that King.

About Christ. “Therefore He says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men’” (Ephesians 4:8). Paul shows that the King in the psalm is Christ, who went up after His victory.

Anabaino. The word for ascended is anabaino (say: ah-nah-BAI-noh), to go up. It is the ordinary word for climbing a hill or going up to a city. Paul uses it for Jesus going up far above all the heavens.

Captivity captive. The words picture a winning King leading His captives behind Him. Christ went up as the Victor over sin and death.

Received, then gave. In the psalm the King receives gifts. When Christ ascended, He gave gifts. “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (4:7).

First descended. “Now this, ‘He ascended’—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?” (4:9). Going up means He first came down: born in Bethlehem, laid in a manger, nailed to a cross, buried in a tomb.

To fill all things. “He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things” (4:10). The humble Servant and the reigning Lord are the same Person.

Far above every name. God raised Him “and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named” (Ephesians 1:20-21).

For you. “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3), and the One who came down that far now gives grace to each of His people. Trust Him, and use the gift He has given you.