THE LORD OF GLORY ENTERS INTO HIS SANCTUARY Seeing, how the Lord has created the world and all what are in it for his sake, and watching the procession of the King of glory, ascending to His heavenly Sanctuary, the believer’s soul dissolves with love, and his heart kindles with a higher fire, longing to join this unique procession, to cross over through the opened-up gates of heaven, together with his Savior, to the bosom of the Father. It is the psalm of the glorious love. By love, God created everything for the sake of man; By love, He grants him the holiness, to join the procession of the Holy One; And by love, man would be brought up to heaven, opened-up by the conquest of the cross. … In other words, the true believer would see his enjoyment and the exultation of his soul in God, being the Holy Creator, the Grantor of conquest. The occasion of the psalm: 1- According to some, this royal, liturgical (worshipping) psalm, was sung on the occasion of bringing the ark of God up from the house of Obed Edom to Mount Zion (2 Samuel 6: 12 – 17). And according to the Jewish Historian Josephus, seven choirs of singers and musicians preceded the procession of the ark, singing this psalm in a marvelous way. The procession of the ark, representing the divine presence, or the Savior King of glory, crossing over from the domain of the king’s authority, to ascend up to the holy city of God on the tops of the high mountains. https://coptic-treasures.com/ 2- According to others, David wrote this praise to be sung on the occasion of the dedication of the temple, which he, by the spirit of prophecy knew that his son Solomon was going to build. 3- And according to a third party, this psalm was not written by David; but it was a song of conquest sung by those returning victorious from a battle; ascending to the temple of God, to glorify the ark of the covenant, the Grantor of conquest; the way the Romans used to do in their capital. Its relationship to the two preceding psalms: There is a kind of integrity between psalms 22, 23, and 24. Psalm 22 proclaims the Messiah, the suffering Savior…. Psalm 23 proclaims Him as the Good Shepherd, through whose salvation work, He brings His flock forth to paradise, the green pastures, to enjoy the waters of comfort, and to dwell together with the Lord forever… Whereas psalm 24 talks about the glorified King, who does not stop at having His people dwelling together with Him, or He dwelling in their midst, but brings them forth in a holy procession, through the open gates of heaven; up to His eternal heavenly glories, to enjoy the bosom of the Father. In other words, psalm 22 is the praise of the Golgotha; … Psalm 23 is the praise of the redeemed church; … And psalm 24 is the praise of the open heaven. According to tradition in our Orthodox church,, this psalm is sung in the feasts of resurrection and ascension. In the liturgy of the feast of resurrection, the priest and the deacons enter into a debate taken from this psalm, to proclaim the glory of the risen Christ, His conquest over death, and His ability to lift us up together with Him to His glory. The reader may notice some analogy between this psalm and psalm 15, despite the difference in the rites of worship; and the two psalms were probably used in the ministry of the temple at the same time. https://coptic-treasures.com/ Its Messianic interpretation: This psalm includes a prophecy concerning the ascension of our Greater High Priest to the court of the heavenly Zion, and to the glory of His kingdom. It is as though, bringing the ark of God up to the house of God (the tabernacle of meeting, or the temple), was a symbol of the ascension of the Lord Christ up to heaven, and our own ascension in Him, being holy members in His body. The psalm begins by proclaiming the kingdom of the Lord over the whole creation (1 – 2); Then it reveals our ascension to the Sanctuary of the Lord (3 – 6); And finally the ascension of the Lord Christ to heaven (7 – 10). In other words, the King came down to our world to reign through the cross, sanctifies our life, granting us the worthiness to enter into His Sanctuary. By His ascension, He raised us up to His heavens, commanding the whole heavenly choirs to open the gates of heaven before men. Here, the Savior appears as a Warrior King; on account of that our entrance into heaven needs conquest over our spiritual enemies. Hence, the Lord is called here: “The King of glory”, “the Lord of Sabaoth; namely, the Lord of hosts”.(10) According to some, the order of the rite of singing this psalm, during the entrance into the temple, was probably as such: a- In the procession: The visitors, or the choir of the procession, while still being outside the temple, on their way to it sing the first part (verses 1 and 2); which represents the praise of the visitors, celebrating the greatness of God the Creator. b- A debate between the leader of the group and the guard of the gate The leader of the group (3): enquires about the features required for those who ascend up to the house of the Lord. The guard of the gate (4 – 5): answers the question by presenting the spiritual features befitting to those who desire the enjoyment of the blessings of the fellowship with God in His holy house. https://coptic-treasures.com/ The leader of the group (6): glorifies those who enjoy the blessings of the Lord, and the grace of salvation. c- The praise of the choirs before their entrance into the temple: proclaiming God as the King. They probably meant that they came as a royal procession, glorifying God the true King, by their life, and their hidden and manifest behavior … In their visit and their entrance into the temple, they concentrate only on God. The choir of the procession (7) seek the opening of the everlasting doors, not for their own sake, but for that of the King of glory, being His procession The choir of the temple (a voice from the inside of the doors), say: “Who is the King of glory?” The choir of the procession answer; “The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle”; who entered the battle even to Hades, is risen; and now, He ascends together with His spoil to His heavens. The choir of the temple (10) again repeat their question: “Who is this King of glory?” The procession of the Levites (10): answer: “The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory” So the magnificent debate reveals the longing of those hidden in the victorious Christ, to ascend together with Him through the everlasting doors; and the heaven itself marvel before the salvation work of the Lord of glory, that granted humanity such unutterable things The title: According to the Septuagint version it is “For the first day of the week”; Namely, to be sung on the first day after the Sabbath; which was actually the case. https://coptic-treasures.com/ + “A psalm of David himself on the first day of the week”; glorifying the Lord, and His resurrection that occurred early on the first day of the week; hence is known as “the day of the Lord”. (St. Augustine) Its general frame: 1- The creator of all 1 – 2 2- The King, the Whole in holiness 3 – 6 3- The glorious and conqueror King 7 – 10 1- THE CREATOR OF ALL: ( 1 – 2) “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness; the world and those who dwell thereon. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters” (1, 2). Verses 1 and 2 talk about the Might of the Lord in creating the world, being the Creator, the King, and the Judge. Creation, in the Old Testament, is considered the foundation of God’s authority upon the whole world, namely, a collective authority (Psalm 24; 74: 16; 89: 11 etc.; 95: 4 etc.; 1 Samuel 2: 8). God – by Whom everything was – seeks His right in the whole creation, not to submit, but to embrace all to Him and to renew their creation, so that by love, He would reign upon the whole world. The day of His enthronement by the cross has come, “to take the nations for His inheritance, and the ends of the earth for His possession” (Psalm 2: 8). When David brought the ark of the covenant up with a glorious procession, praises, and joy; his mind, by the spirit of prophecy, raised up to see the church of the new covenant, https://coptic-treasures.com/ embracing all the nations, peoples, and tongues; and to see the new world or the new earth, where the Lord Himself dwells, he sang, saying: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness” (1). The psalmist presents to us an elaborate portrait of the holy church, as follows: a- The church is where God dwells in the midst of His people: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness”. The church that exists here on earth is the church of God, all its righteousness and holiness are from the Lord. The believers confess that, even the earth itself on which they walk, is the earth of their Lord and Savior, and is not theirs. The Lord has the right of authority and royalty. … The devil, on the other hand, although was called the prince of this world, yet, he has taken it by force, supported by his evil children; But as far as the believers are concerned, he has no right on the earth on which they walk; For God sanctifies their whole life, their clothes, and even their shadow. Ailments were healed by the handkerchiefs or aprons of St. Paul; and the evil spirits were driven out by the shadow of St. Peter, passing by on their followers (Acts 19: 12). The children of God perceive that “whether they eat or drink, or whatever they do, they do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10: 25 - 31); for He reigns on all. The earth is also a symbol of our body from which it is created; It is therefore, the possession of God, who sanctifies our earth (our body) with all its senses, emotions, and energies, as good things given by Him. + The Holy Book says: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness”. By this it teaches us that all good things are from God, presented to mankind by His divine power and might, and distributed by Him to support man. https://coptic-treasures.com/ (St. Clement of Alexandria) According to the psalmist: “The heavens, even the heavens, are the Lord’s. But the earth He has given to the children of men” (Psalm 115: 16). He granted us the earth to reign on it as kings and stewards of God. But having lost our authority and honor, He came down to reign on the whole earth, to mend our ways on it, and to make us kings again (Revelation 1: 6). Having become earth through sin, Our Lord came to reign upon us, and to dwell in us as His own world, in order to turn us from earth to heaven. Reigning on the hearts, the Lord Christ would never share His kingdom with any other king. He asks us to present to Him the fullness of our life, being his own possession; For, on His side, He longs to grant us His life. b- The members of the church are from all nations of the world: (1) As it was not possible for the Jews to accept the idea of the church open before the Gentiles, they got offended when the Lord said to them: “Many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land, but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian” (Luke 4: 25, 26). And they were also offended when St. Paul declared before them that the Lord sent him to the Gentiles; and that “In Jesus Christ there is no Jew or a Gentile” (Romans 3: 29). https://coptic-treasures.com/ + All men are the possession of God, for “The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness” (1). That is why St. Paul the apostle says in his epistle to the Romans: “There is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resist the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves” (Romans 3: 1, 2). (St. Erinaos) + Christ is not confined to one place. (St. Jerome) + A believer is not judged according to his place of residence, whether here or there, but according to the worthiness of his faith. (St. Jerome) c- The church is founded upon the water of baptism (1): The psalmist says: “For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters” (2). At the beginning of creation, “the Spirit of God swept over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1: 2), to create everything for the sake of His beloved man, to enjoy the earth and all its possibilities. And in the New Covenant, the Lord founds His church as a new creation established upon the seas of baptism, which embraced the new earth from the whole world. d- A holy church (3 – 6) https://coptic-treasures.com/ e- A victorious heavenly church (7 – 10) 2- THE KING, THE WHOLE IN HOLINESS: (3 – 6) The Lord, Creator of the whole world, presents His life delivered for the sake of the salvation of the whole world, according to the words of the apostle St. John: “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world” (1 John 2: 2). He adds to His body, members from all nations, peoples, and tongues, through faith in Him, gaining son-ship in the water of baptism. Now, proclaiming God, “the Whole in holiness”, the psalmist reveals the commitment of the church and everyone of its members, to live in the holy life befitting of the Holy Groom of the soul. “Who may ascend to the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place?”” (3) The church is lifted up as though on the Hill (The Heavenly and Righteous Lord Christ), being the holy body of the Holy One. + “Who may ascend to the top of the hill of the righteousness of God?”, or “Who may stand in His holy place?”. When we reach that holy place, founded upon the seas and established upon the rivers, Who can hold this foundation fast? (St. Augustine) The church life is a state of continuous ascension, which knows no stopping nor going down. With each day, the believer enjoys an experience of fellowship with the Lord Christ, the Holy Hill, in whom we rise up by the Holy Spirit, and enjoy the heights of glory. https://coptic-treasures.com/ We have not yet reached the summit, where we would enjoy the perfect image of the Lord Christ, conformed in our depths, and proclaimed in our practical life; But we surely hope to keep perpetually ascending. The enjoyment of the evangelic church life, is a divine grace for no favor on our part; and the abidance and perpetual growth in it, is the work of the Spirit of God dwelling in it; Hence the psalmist says: “Who may stand in His holy place?”; namely, Who can hold his position there? The law cannot hold us fast in the fellowship with God, nor even help us to approach Him; But it is the rich grace of God that qualifies us to exist In the divine presence. The Holy Spirit of God who carry us forth to the waters of baptism to gain the son-ship of God, and who sanctifies our members by the holy anointment, grants us the tears of repentance, as a perpetual cleansing of our sins, and purification of our depths. And He, Himself, grants us through the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the abidance in Christ, by having communion in His body and blood delivered for our sake. The Spirit of God grants us the spiritual fruit that brings joy to the soul in God, and opens up the heart wide by love to embrace the whole humanity, and to sanctify man completely. The church, being “a holy place” (3), her members are committed to purity (4), not think in vanity (4), but in heavenly things, and to love one another. For without holiness, no one can see the Lord; And without purity, there would be no church! Sheep are no goats; even if they mix with goats. God Knows how to separate between the saints and the wicked. The holiness of the church is expressed by their works beside their inner feelings and will; Hence the psalmist says: https://coptic-treasures.com/ “He who has clean hands (the works), and a pure heart” (4) This touches our relationship with God, with our brethren, and with ourselves. “He who did not lift up his soul in what is vain, nor swore deceitfully” (4) In the Holy Book, he is counted to have clean hands, he who has not defiled them with blood, violence, bribes, or dirty profit, in any way against God or men. Hands are tools to realize works, but, as it is the heart that moves them; hence it has to be pure. Clean hands do not imply just the apparent act of washing them, lest “we would be making the outside of the cup and dish clean, but the inward part is full of greed and wickedness” (Luke 11: 39); Nor implies washing the hands as done by Pontius Pilate during the trial of the Lord Christ. The purity of hands confirms our concept of the true faith. “Faith working through love” (Galatians 5: 6) “Who did not lift up his soul to what is vain”; It is befitting of he who wish to ascend to the house of the Lord, or to enjoy the fellowship with the Holy God, not to lift up his soul to what is vain; namely, not to preoccupy Himself with the vain pleasures of this world, but to have his soul drawn to the heavenlies, to the everlasting joys. “Nor swore deceitfully”. A sign of the holy life in the true Christ, is that the mere word of the believer should be stronger and sounder than any https://coptic-treasures.com/ vow; That he utters the truth, on account of that he is united with the true Christ, and has become a son of the truth. But he who is bound to the liar devil, and the father of lies (John 8: 44), utters lies, even after he vows to tell the truth. Now, what are the fruits of this holy church life? “He shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face” (5, 6) The believers who walk in a holy life “will ascend to the hill of the Lord, and stand in His holy place”; … will start by the Spirit, and will not consummate by the body, but will be enflamed, and will grow by the Spirit. “They shall receive blessing from the Lord”; For they do not ascend to give, but to take. If they offer sacrifices, they are actually from the Lord, from what He has given them … But they will gain the Lord Christ Himself, their righteousness, joy, satiety of their souls, and everlasting glory. They will gain mercy from God their Savior, to experience the mercy through the salvation work of God; will enjoy God as their Savior; who will not only forgive them their sins; but they will receive Him, personally, as their glory. The believers will count themselves “a generation of those who seek the Lord, who seek the face of Jacob’s God” … By their ascension to the hill of the Lord, they will become more thirsty toward God, and will seek Him, not for the sake of His gifts, but to see Him face to face. According to St. Augustine: [They seek the face of God who gave the first-birth right to the younger son (Jacob) (Genesis 25: 23)]. Namely, we https://coptic-treasures.com/ seek the face of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who, while we are still young, made us a church of the firstborns who have the right of everlasting inheritance. And according to St. Clement of Alexandria, If David made it clear that God is his Savior ; who was called “the Face of Jacob”, for “He is the image of the Person of the Father” (Hebrew 1: 3); He who proclaimed the truth concerning the Father; He made it clear that the Mighty One is the One and the Only God, the Father “whom no one knows except the Son, and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matthew 11: 27) 3- THE GLORIOUS AND CONQUEROR KING: (7 – 10) Having presented God, as the “Creator of all” (1, 2); “The King, the Whole in holiness” (3 – 6), the psalmist presents Him as the “Glorious and Conqueror King”, Before whom the everlasting doors are opened (7 – 10). “Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in” (7) It so seems that David, having decided to bring forth the ark of God up to Mount Zion, and having seen by the eye of prophecy, the Lord who became Man, ascending to His heavens -- the eternal Zion, he used a military language to welcome the Lord in His conquest; quoting an early tradition, that the Lord is a Warrior King who conquered the enemies of His people; brought His people safely out of the bondage of Pharaoh, crossed with them over the wilderness (Numbers 10: 35-36), and brought them forth into the promised land. The book of Revelation, presents to us in more than one location, a magnificent portray of the Savior as the Conqueror, who grants victory to His people: https://coptic-treasures.com/ “And I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer” (Revelation 6: 2). “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself; … And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses” (Revelation 16: 11 – 14). The Word of God incarnated to enter into our world as a Warrior, to fight in our name and to our account; and was a conqueror in all His battles. the battle of the cross; He made the enemy of no reputation, and destroyed his dominion; And the climax of His victory was declared by His resurrection and ascension to heaven; to which the King of Glory set forth carrying us in Him. According to St. Augustine, In this psalm, the psalmist refers to the ascension of the Savior in the body to heaven; and to that the angels accompanying Him, call on the heavenly hosts, the officers on the doors of heaven, to open up those heavenly gates for the King of Glory to come in; the gates that open up to eternity. By the ascension of the Lord Christ, the heavenly gates were opened before the believers; For their Heavenly Head ascended, and where the Head is, the body will also be. Lift up your heads , O you gates, and lift them up, you everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in” (9) As the gates of the temple would never be called “the everlasting doors”, we have to search for a concept more exalted than the mere ascension of the ark of covenant up to Mount Zion; For the language of the prophet exalts to what is greater than what we find on earth. He crossed over with his mind to the things that the ark of the covenant, the https://coptic-treasures.com/ tabernacle of meeting, and the temple, were provided as shadows thereof. If those things were symbols of the Lord Christ, the ascension of the ark of covenant to Mount Zion, would be a faint shadow symbolizing the ascension of the Lord Christ, the Lord of Glory, up to where He will receive those before whom the heavens will open their everlasting doors. + The Lord Christ closed shut the doors of death, and opened the heavens for Himself; realizing His divine promise: “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16: 33). The price was completely paid, when the Lord wrestled against death, and conquered it. “Lift up your heads, O you gates”; The gates of the everlasting justice, love, and compassion, where the soul is united with the One and the Only true God; and refuses to practice the worship of adultery to those several false gods. “And the Lord of glory shall come in”. Yes, the King of glory will come in, He who sits on the right hand of the Father, interceding for our sake. (St. Augustine) + The gates were never closed before Him (the Lord Christ), the Lord and Creator of all; but that was written for our sake, before whom the door of paradise was closed shut. Therefore, through the body relationship, because of the body He has taken by incarnation, it was said: “Lift up your heads, O gates”, as though He would come in like any man; But, concerning His Godhead, it was said: “The Word was God”; the Lord, and the King of glory. + The gates lifted up their heads to see Him “He who comes from Edom” (Isaiah 63: 1) + The Word was not in need for the gates to be opened; as, being the Lord of all, nothing can stand in His way; but it is us who are in such a need. He carried our https://coptic-treasures.com/ body; delivered His body to death on our behalf, and by it He, again, paved for us the way to heaven. (Pope St. Athanasius the apostolic) + The Groom says: If you wish for the doors to be opened before you; and for the doors of your soul to be lifted up for the Lord of glory to come in, You are committed to receive My longing in your soul; according to the words of the Evangelist, saying: “Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, is My brother, and sister, and mother” (Matthew 12: 50). It is befitting of you to approach the truth, and to become His fellow, so as not to separate from Him. (St. Gregory, bishop of Nyssa) + It was written about Him, that “He lay down and slept, and awoke, for the Lord sustained him” (Psalm 3: 5). He, who commands the rulers in heaven to open up the everlasting gates for the Lord of glory to come in; proclaiming ahead of time His resurrection from the dead, and His reception in heaven. (St. Erinaos) “Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts; He is the King of glory” (10) This marvelous debate proclaimed in this psalm reveals that no one could pass through the everlasting gates, and enters the heavenly sanctuaries, except the Mighty Lord, the Lord of host, the King of Glory. Before Him alone, the everlasting gates of the heavenly city would open up; the gates of the temple, not made by human hands; the Savior Jehovah, “the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19: 16); the Mighty in wars; the unconquerable Prince of salvation. https://coptic-treasures.com/ “The Lord of Sabaoth”; a glorious title concerning only the Lord, came twice in the New Testament (Romans 9: 29; James 5: 4). ----------------------- AN INSPIRATION FRPM CHAPTER 24 THE OPEN DOORS + Open up the doors of my heart, to come in and reign; You who open the gates of heaven before me; + O Holy One, sanctify me by Your Spirit; Qualify me to dwell in the mountain of Your sanctuary; And stand in our holy place. + You who ascend to Your heavens, lift my heart up to the throne of Your grace; Receive me in the procession of Your victory, to cross over, with and by You, the everlasting doors. + O Lord of Sabaoth, the Lord of Gory; Pour Your splendor over my soul; To become a queen, and fit for royalty (Ezekiel 16)
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