Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
The song was first sung when the ark was carried into Jerusalem as God's presence entered the city amid the call for the gates to lift up. It portrays again the welcome of Christ into heaven after His resurrection, when waiting angels within the city ask who is coming and the escorting angels answer that He is the Lord of hosts. The King of glory is Jesus Christ, the divine Commander and Son of God, entering triumphantly to take His place on the Father's throne as the conqueror of sin, death, the grave and the prince of darkness. Though worshiped in the courts of heaven, He veiled His glory to become man, living in poverty and toil and bearing the cross and bitter cup to redeem the fallen race. His kingdom of glory will be fully established when He returns with myriads of holy angels as King of kings, raising the righteous dead to immortal life and opening the city of God to those who kept the truth.
Setting and Dialogue
The verse was first sung when the ark was brought into Jerusalem, celebrating God's presence entering the city as the assembled people called for the gates to open and answered the question of who the King is by acclaiming the Lord of hosts as King. That earthly procession foreshadowed the welcome of Christ into the city of God at His ascension to the celestial courts, when He led the way upward with the multitude of captives set free at His resurrection while the heavenly host attended Him with shouts and celestial song. At the gates of the heavenly city the dialogue takes antiphonal form, with waiting sentinels inside asking who the King of glory is and the escorting angels answering that He is the Lord of hosts. The same exchange presents Him as the triumphant King entering heaven, the victorious ruler who has conquered death and the prince of darkness to take His place on the Father's throne.
The question is asked a second time and repeated, asked and answered again with the declaration that He is the Lord of hosts and King of glory. It is asked not because the angels do not know who He is and not from failure to recognize Him, but from desire to hear the answer of exalted praise, because they never weary of hearing His name exalted. The repeated question thus invites the sentinels to hear His praise as mighty in battle and Lord of hosts, celebrating Him as the victorious Redeemer.
When that answer is given the portals of the city of God are opened wide and the angelic throng sweeps through the gates amid a burst of rapturous music. The heavenly hosts announce His arrival, the everlasting doors lift up for the King to come in, and the heavenly train passes into the city with rich music and songs on golden harps to the Lamb who was slain yet lives again in majesty and glory. There the innumerable company surrounds their majestic Commander with deepest adoration and casts glittering crowns at His feet, while the full glory of that reception remains hidden and veiled from the disciples who watched Him ascend.
Ascension Triumph of Christ
The verse describes the triumphal entrance of Christ into heaven after His resurrection and ascension, welcomed by the heavenly host to take His place on the Father's throne. Heaven's gates open to receive Him as He enters the city of God to occupy His Father's throne, acclaimed by angels as the Lord of hosts and King of glory. He enters as the victorious King who has conquered sin, death, the grave, and the prince of darkness. He is announced as the victorious ruler and heaven's victorious Commander, mighty in battle, welcomed through the opened gates to take His place beside the Father on the throne.
He leads the way upward with the multitude of captives set free and raised at His resurrection as firstfruits of the dead, presenting them to the Father as evidence that He has conquered death and the grave. Moses himself is among that risen company attending Him at the opening of the everlasting gates, filled with indescribable joy, glory and light. The heavenly host attends Him with shouts and celestial song, a multitude escorting Him and an innumerable company awaiting His coming. At that entry He possessed the same exalted stature He had before He came into the world to die, returned to Him in infinite power after He had humbled Himself as a man to the death of the cross.
The glory of this heavenly reception was hidden and veiled from human sight, and from the disciples who watched Him ascend they saw Him go up but were not shown the full glory of His welcome in heaven. The glorified Redeemer went to occupy His Father's throne while angels acclaimed Him, yet that welcome remained veiled. He is adored by the heavenly host as the Son of God who was slain and lives again in majesty and glory. All the heavenly host surround their majestic Commander with deepest adoration, cast their glittering crowns at His feet, and fill heaven with rich music and songs on golden harps to the Lamb.
On the morning of His resurrection He ascended to enter the presence of God surrounded by angels like a cloud and by glory, to hear from the Father that His sacrifice was accepted and to receive all power in heaven and on earth. There the everlasting gates were opened for Him as He came before the Father, and after the Father accepted His sacrifice the angels worshiped Him. Having received power from the Father in order to impart power to them, He did not forget His disciples on earth but returned the same day and showed Himself to them to share power with them and then permit them to touch Him. He ascends to the Father's throne yet cannot yet receive the coronet of glory and the royal robe nor accept honor until before the heavenly universe His church on earth is justified and accepted. Meanwhile He pleads for His chosen ones and His church, identifying His interests with theirs with love and constancy stronger than death, asking that where He is there His people may be and that if He is to have glory they must share it, advocating the rights and titles purchased by His blood so that those who suffer with Him on earth must reign with Him in His kingdom.
Identity of the King
The King of glory is Jesus Christ Himself, the Lord of hosts, the divine Commander, the Son of God, and the Majesty of heaven worshiped by all the heavenly messengers in majesty and splendor in the heavenly courts. Though born in humble circumstances and appearing as a frail infant laid in a manger among the beasts of the stall, His humiliation does not lessen His majesty or His right to receive allegiance, and even in that lowliness He remained divine so that angels could bow before Him without forfeiting their loyalty to Jehovah. He is the same Majesty who bore the cross, the thorny crown, and the bitter cup to redeem souls, laying aside His royal robe and crown to meet people where they were, so that His glory is seen together with His self-sacrifice. As the source of power, strength, and efficiency, staying close to Him brings the Holy Spirit's influence and leads His people to work in His way with one mind and judgment and to remain united.
The title belongs to Him even in death, while His body lay in the tomb with a stone of great weight before the door, held as in a prison-house of death. There the angelic host guarded His resting-place with untold interest, earnestly waiting for the command to act their part in liberating Him in the resurrection. At His resurrection the title was proclaimed by an angel, and it was heard and repeated by the Roman guards as testimony that the crucified Son of God is the heavenly King and Majesty of heaven. As the risen King He rules in heaven, sits between the cherubim, and guards His people amid the strife of nations.
God the Father is also presented as the King of glory who will look upon His people in the closing scenes of this earth's history, when they stand on the very eve of the day of God and His judgments are in the land. He is to work in their midst with power and love and majesty and glory, sweeping back the cloud of darkness and unbelief. He will send the Holy Spirit into their hearts to break down every barrier, melting them with mercy and putting to shame listlessness in His work.
Humiliation and Majesty
The King of glory is the divine Commander beheld in majesty and splendor in the heavenly courts and worshiped there by all the heavenly messengers, yet He stooped low to take humanity and lay in a manger surrounded by the beasts of the stall, a humiliation so great that angels who had witnessed His glory were not prepared to find Him in it. Though born in humble circumstances and appearing as a frail infant, His humiliation does not lessen His majesty or His rightful claim to worship. Even in that humiliation He remained divine, so that angels could bow before Him without forfeiting their allegiance to Jehovah. He came among people in the lowly garb of humanity, bringing salvation, teaching the gospel, and healing the sick.
His earthly surroundings were rude and forbidding, and His glory was veiled so that the majesty of His outward form would not become an object of attraction. He shunned all outward display, because riches, worldly honor, and human greatness can never save a soul from death, and He purposed that no attraction of an earthly nature should call men to His side. Only the beauty of heavenly truth must draw those who would follow Him, and men were to accept Him upon the testimony of the word of God foretold in prophecy concerning the Messiah. His royal dignity was joined with the meekness and humility of a child, and He did not boast of His power, abilities, or attainments. As Majesty of heaven He did not exalt Himself by building rich habitations or dressing in linen or purple.
Though King, He lived among His disciples as one who served. The title of King of glory belongs to the humble Jesus, who worked as a carpenter and lived a life of toil. He humbled Himself to take fallen humanity's place and enter the ground where Adam failed and fell. There He confronted and overcame Satan, opening the way for those who believe in Him to be redeemed from the disgrace of Adam's failure and fall. Though exalted as Majesty of heaven, He came to earth and shared human weakness, poverty, work, temptations, and trials. He did this to reveal God to humanity and to know how to help those who are tempted, and to show what those who serve Him may become.
As Majesty of heaven and King of glory He bore the heavy cross, wore the thorny crown, drank the bitter cup, and died to redeem souls by His precious blood. At His trial soldiers and rulers treated Him as a pretender and mocked His kingship, though He was truly heaven's King. Even while being crucified He showed pity for His persecutors and prayed for their forgiveness, and through His death He was earning the right to become humanity's Advocate before the Father. Because the Son of God tabernacled in humanity on this earth, where He lived and suffered and died, this little world under the curse of sin, the one dark blot in glorious creation claimed by Satan as his field, will be not only ransomed but exalted and honored above all other worlds in the universe of God. When He makes all things new the tabernacle of God shall be with men here, and through endless ages the redeemed walking in the light of the Lord will praise Him for His unspeakable Gift, Immanuel, God with us.
His glory is a humble, meek, and lowly spirit of strict self-denial with no seeking for outward show, revealed in His first advent as an example in all things. That same spirit is to be revealed in institutions for restoring the sick and relieving suffering, giving character to the work not by unnecessary expenditure on large buildings but by maintaining the true standard of religious principles with noble Christlikeness of character. Using the very best methods, the light of truth is thus to shine through good works to glorify God.
Second Coming and Resurrection
The kingdom of glory will be fully established at the second coming to this world, when the lifting of the gates happens again as He comes forth with ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of holy ones as King of kings and Lord of lords. He will return triumphantly as the conquering King attended by the heavenly angels. His voice and the trumpet will then summon the righteous dead from their graves to immortal life.
At the resurrection of the faithful dead He as the slain Lamb opens before them the gates of the city of God, so that the nations who kept the truth enter in to beauty and glory beyond this decaying earth. He restores to Adam and the redeemed what disobedience lost, granting them again access to the fruit and leaves of the spreading tree of life in Paradise regained through repentance and faithful obedience. He receives their adoration as Adam bows at His feet and joins the redeemed host in singing Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.
Call to Follow and Serve
The psalm displays the greatness of God as King and summons everyone to take a stand under the rule of Christ. Those who instead work on Satan's side in anarchy, war, and strife bring on themselves a fearful loss. At the last great day they will see how many souls were lost because they failed to stand under His rule. He gave Himself as a ransom, and the sacrifice revealed at Calvary proves His greatness and His claim to complete devotion and wholehearted service. Nothing possessed is too valuable to give Him, for the deepest homage, service, abilities, and means remain a poor offering beside what He has done.
Though He is the Lord of hosts, He trod on human behalf a hard, humble, self-denying and self-sacrificing path in order to save, meeting difficulties, disappointment, reproach, and affliction. By that life of humility, suffering, and sacrifice He led the way that His followers must follow without refusal. As Majesty of heaven He bore the heavy cross, wore the thorny crown, drank the bitter cup, and died to redeem souls by His precious blood. He went before His followers over the rugged way and endured reproach, scoffing, rejection, and crucifixion. Because the King of glory suffered so much for sinners, His followers must not recline at ease glorifying themselves and forgetting souls, but must share His sufferings in order to share His glory, giving while they have power, doing while they have strength, working while it is day, and devoting time and means to the service of God so as to have His approval and receive His reward.
He is the Son of God, the Majesty of heaven, and the source of power, strength, and efficiency. Staying close to Him brings the influence of the Holy Spirit, causing His people to work in His way, to share one mind and judgment, and to remain united. Those who pledge themselves to be followers of God will be presented to Him. Bearing the fruit of the true vine and seeking a higher life and higher education prepares them to stand before Him, and God promises to help and bless them as laborers together with Him who follow on to know the Lord. His death as the mighty Counselor who came and died for people is a great gift that must not be in vain but must be accepted by obeying the principles of God's Word and becoming laborers together with God. Those who accept Him live in simplicity, not living for the world nor seeking its flattery or compliments, because there is a world to save, and since Christ has done all He can for its salvation He desires His people to do what they can to raise up churches for Him in new places.
The song was first sung when the ark was carried into Jerusalem as God's presence entered the city amid the call for the gates to lift up. It portrays again the welcome of Christ into heaven after His resurrection, when waiting angels within the city ask who is coming and the escorting angels answer that He is the Lord of hosts. The King of glory is Jesus Christ, the divine Commander and Son of God, entering triumphantly to take His place on the Father's throne as the conqueror of sin, death, the grave and the prince of darkness. Though worshiped in the courts of heaven, He veiled His glory to become man, living in poverty and toil and bearing the cross and bitter cup to redeem the fallen race. His kingdom of glory will be fully established when He returns with myriads of holy angels as King of kings, raising the righteous dead to immortal life and opening the city of God to those who kept the truth.
Setting and Dialogue
The verse was first sung when the ark was brought into Jerusalem, celebrating God's presence entering the city as the assembled people called for the gates to open and answered the question of who the King is by acclaiming the Lord of hosts as King. That earthly procession foreshadowed the welcome of Christ into the city of God at His ascension to the celestial courts, when He led the way upward with the multitude of captives set free at His resurrection while the heavenly host attended Him with shouts and celestial song. At the gates of the heavenly city the dialogue takes antiphonal form, with waiting sentinels inside asking who the King of glory is and the escorting angels answering that He is the Lord of hosts. The same exchange presents Him as the triumphant King entering heaven, the victorious ruler who has conquered death and the prince of darkness to take His place on the Father's throne.
The question is asked a second time and repeated, asked and answered again with the declaration that He is the Lord of hosts and King of glory. It is asked not because the angels do not know who He is and not from failure to recognize Him, but from desire to hear the answer of exalted praise, because they never weary of hearing His name exalted. The repeated question thus invites the sentinels to hear His praise as mighty in battle and Lord of hosts, celebrating Him as the victorious Redeemer.
When that answer is given the portals of the city of God are opened wide and the angelic throng sweeps through the gates amid a burst of rapturous music. The heavenly hosts announce His arrival, the everlasting doors lift up for the King to come in, and the heavenly train passes into the city with rich music and songs on golden harps to the Lamb who was slain yet lives again in majesty and glory. There the innumerable company surrounds their majestic Commander with deepest adoration and casts glittering crowns at His feet, while the full glory of that reception remains hidden and veiled from the disciples who watched Him ascend.
Ascension Triumph of Christ
The verse describes the triumphal entrance of Christ into heaven after His resurrection and ascension, welcomed by the heavenly host to take His place on the Father's throne. Heaven's gates open to receive Him as He enters the city of God to occupy His Father's throne, acclaimed by angels as the Lord of hosts and King of glory. He enters as the victorious King who has conquered sin, death, the grave, and the prince of darkness. He is announced as the victorious ruler and heaven's victorious Commander, mighty in battle, welcomed through the opened gates to take His place beside the Father on the throne.
He leads the way upward with the multitude of captives set free and raised at His resurrection as firstfruits of the dead, presenting them to the Father as evidence that He has conquered death and the grave. Moses himself is among that risen company attending Him at the opening of the everlasting gates, filled with indescribable joy, glory and light. The heavenly host attends Him with shouts and celestial song, a multitude escorting Him and an innumerable company awaiting His coming. At that entry He possessed the same exalted stature He had before He came into the world to die, returned to Him in infinite power after He had humbled Himself as a man to the death of the cross.
The glory of this heavenly reception was hidden and veiled from human sight, and from the disciples who watched Him ascend they saw Him go up but were not shown the full glory of His welcome in heaven. The glorified Redeemer went to occupy His Father's throne while angels acclaimed Him, yet that welcome remained veiled. He is adored by the heavenly host as the Son of God who was slain and lives again in majesty and glory. All the heavenly host surround their majestic Commander with deepest adoration, cast their glittering crowns at His feet, and fill heaven with rich music and songs on golden harps to the Lamb.
On the morning of His resurrection He ascended to enter the presence of God surrounded by angels like a cloud and by glory, to hear from the Father that His sacrifice was accepted and to receive all power in heaven and on earth. There the everlasting gates were opened for Him as He came before the Father, and after the Father accepted His sacrifice the angels worshiped Him. Having received power from the Father in order to impart power to them, He did not forget His disciples on earth but returned the same day and showed Himself to them to share power with them and then permit them to touch Him. He ascends to the Father's throne yet cannot yet receive the coronet of glory and the royal robe nor accept honor until before the heavenly universe His church on earth is justified and accepted. Meanwhile He pleads for His chosen ones and His church, identifying His interests with theirs with love and constancy stronger than death, asking that where He is there His people may be and that if He is to have glory they must share it, advocating the rights and titles purchased by His blood so that those who suffer with Him on earth must reign with Him in His kingdom.
Identity of the King
The King of glory is Jesus Christ Himself, the Lord of hosts, the divine Commander, the Son of God, and the Majesty of heaven worshiped by all the heavenly messengers in majesty and splendor in the heavenly courts. Though born in humble circumstances and appearing as a frail infant laid in a manger among the beasts of the stall, His humiliation does not lessen His majesty or His right to receive allegiance, and even in that lowliness He remained divine so that angels could bow before Him without forfeiting their loyalty to Jehovah. He is the same Majesty who bore the cross, the thorny crown, and the bitter cup to redeem souls, laying aside His royal robe and crown to meet people where they were, so that His glory is seen together with His self-sacrifice. As the source of power, strength, and efficiency, staying close to Him brings the Holy Spirit's influence and leads His people to work in His way with one mind and judgment and to remain united.
The title belongs to Him even in death, while His body lay in the tomb with a stone of great weight before the door, held as in a prison-house of death. There the angelic host guarded His resting-place with untold interest, earnestly waiting for the command to act their part in liberating Him in the resurrection. At His resurrection the title was proclaimed by an angel, and it was heard and repeated by the Roman guards as testimony that the crucified Son of God is the heavenly King and Majesty of heaven. As the risen King He rules in heaven, sits between the cherubim, and guards His people amid the strife of nations.
God the Father is also presented as the King of glory who will look upon His people in the closing scenes of this earth's history, when they stand on the very eve of the day of God and His judgments are in the land. He is to work in their midst with power and love and majesty and glory, sweeping back the cloud of darkness and unbelief. He will send the Holy Spirit into their hearts to break down every barrier, melting them with mercy and putting to shame listlessness in His work.
Humiliation and Majesty
The King of glory is the divine Commander beheld in majesty and splendor in the heavenly courts and worshiped there by all the heavenly messengers, yet He stooped low to take humanity and lay in a manger surrounded by the beasts of the stall, a humiliation so great that angels who had witnessed His glory were not prepared to find Him in it. Though born in humble circumstances and appearing as a frail infant, His humiliation does not lessen His majesty or His rightful claim to worship. Even in that humiliation He remained divine, so that angels could bow before Him without forfeiting their allegiance to Jehovah. He came among people in the lowly garb of humanity, bringing salvation, teaching the gospel, and healing the sick.
His earthly surroundings were rude and forbidding, and His glory was veiled so that the majesty of His outward form would not become an object of attraction. He shunned all outward display, because riches, worldly honor, and human greatness can never save a soul from death, and He purposed that no attraction of an earthly nature should call men to His side. Only the beauty of heavenly truth must draw those who would follow Him, and men were to accept Him upon the testimony of the word of God foretold in prophecy concerning the Messiah. His royal dignity was joined with the meekness and humility of a child, and He did not boast of His power, abilities, or attainments. As Majesty of heaven He did not exalt Himself by building rich habitations or dressing in linen or purple.
Though King, He lived among His disciples as one who served. The title of King of glory belongs to the humble Jesus, who worked as a carpenter and lived a life of toil. He humbled Himself to take fallen humanity's place and enter the ground where Adam failed and fell. There He confronted and overcame Satan, opening the way for those who believe in Him to be redeemed from the disgrace of Adam's failure and fall. Though exalted as Majesty of heaven, He came to earth and shared human weakness, poverty, work, temptations, and trials. He did this to reveal God to humanity and to know how to help those who are tempted, and to show what those who serve Him may become.
As Majesty of heaven and King of glory He bore the heavy cross, wore the thorny crown, drank the bitter cup, and died to redeem souls by His precious blood. At His trial soldiers and rulers treated Him as a pretender and mocked His kingship, though He was truly heaven's King. Even while being crucified He showed pity for His persecutors and prayed for their forgiveness, and through His death He was earning the right to become humanity's Advocate before the Father. Because the Son of God tabernacled in humanity on this earth, where He lived and suffered and died, this little world under the curse of sin, the one dark blot in glorious creation claimed by Satan as his field, will be not only ransomed but exalted and honored above all other worlds in the universe of God. When He makes all things new the tabernacle of God shall be with men here, and through endless ages the redeemed walking in the light of the Lord will praise Him for His unspeakable Gift, Immanuel, God with us.
His glory is a humble, meek, and lowly spirit of strict self-denial with no seeking for outward show, revealed in His first advent as an example in all things. That same spirit is to be revealed in institutions for restoring the sick and relieving suffering, giving character to the work not by unnecessary expenditure on large buildings but by maintaining the true standard of religious principles with noble Christlikeness of character. Using the very best methods, the light of truth is thus to shine through good works to glorify God.
Second Coming and Resurrection
The kingdom of glory will be fully established at the second coming to this world, when the lifting of the gates happens again as He comes forth with ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of holy ones as King of kings and Lord of lords. He will return triumphantly as the conquering King attended by the heavenly angels. His voice and the trumpet will then summon the righteous dead from their graves to immortal life.
At the resurrection of the faithful dead He as the slain Lamb opens before them the gates of the city of God, so that the nations who kept the truth enter in to beauty and glory beyond this decaying earth. He restores to Adam and the redeemed what disobedience lost, granting them again access to the fruit and leaves of the spreading tree of life in Paradise regained through repentance and faithful obedience. He receives their adoration as Adam bows at His feet and joins the redeemed host in singing Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.
Call to Follow and Serve
The psalm displays the greatness of God as King and summons everyone to take a stand under the rule of Christ. Those who instead work on Satan's side in anarchy, war, and strife bring on themselves a fearful loss. At the last great day they will see how many souls were lost because they failed to stand under His rule. He gave Himself as a ransom, and the sacrifice revealed at Calvary proves His greatness and His claim to complete devotion and wholehearted service. Nothing possessed is too valuable to give Him, for the deepest homage, service, abilities, and means remain a poor offering beside what He has done.
Though He is the Lord of hosts, He trod on human behalf a hard, humble, self-denying and self-sacrificing path in order to save, meeting difficulties, disappointment, reproach, and affliction. By that life of humility, suffering, and sacrifice He led the way that His followers must follow without refusal. As Majesty of heaven He bore the heavy cross, wore the thorny crown, drank the bitter cup, and died to redeem souls by His precious blood. He went before His followers over the rugged way and endured reproach, scoffing, rejection, and crucifixion. Because the King of glory suffered so much for sinners, His followers must not recline at ease glorifying themselves and forgetting souls, but must share His sufferings in order to share His glory, giving while they have power, doing while they have strength, working while it is day, and devoting time and means to the service of God so as to have His approval and receive His reward.
He is the Son of God, the Majesty of heaven, and the source of power, strength, and efficiency. Staying close to Him brings the influence of the Holy Spirit, causing His people to work in His way, to share one mind and judgment, and to remain united. Those who pledge themselves to be followers of God will be presented to Him. Bearing the fruit of the true vine and seeking a higher life and higher education prepares them to stand before Him, and God promises to help and bless them as laborers together with Him who follow on to know the Lord. His death as the mighty Counselor who came and died for people is a great gift that must not be in vain but must be accepted by obeying the principles of God's Word and becoming laborers together with God. Those who accept Him live in simplicity, not living for the world nor seeking its flattery or compliments, because there is a world to save, and since Christ has done all He can for its salvation He desires His people to do what they can to raise up churches for Him in new places.