Who is the "King of Glory" mentioned in Psalm 24:8? KING OF GLORY (Psalm 24:8) Text “Who is this King of Glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.” (Psalm 24:8) Immediate Literary Context Psalm 24 forms a three-part liturgy (vv. 1–2 creation; vv. 3–6 covenant holiness; vv. 7–10 royal procession). Verse 8 is the responsive cry when the gates of Jerusalem—or, in typology, the portals of heaven—are commanded to open (v. 7). The interrogative heightens awe, the reply discloses identity. Historical Setting: David, the Ark, and Jerusalem David composed the psalm ca. 1000 BC (Ussher 2982 AM) amid the celebratory ascent of the Ark from Obed-Edom’s house to the newly captured Jebusite stronghold (2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 15). Archaeological work at the Ophel and the stepped stone structure (Eilat Mazar, 2005–2015) affirms a 10th-century city expansion matching biblical chronology. The antiphonal singers facing the city gates dramatized the invisible Commander of Israel’s armies entering His throne city. Divine Identity: Yahweh of Armies Psalm 24:8 explicitly identifies the King of Glory as YHWH Himself—Creator (vv. 1–2) and covenant Lord (vv. 3–6). No created being, angelic or earthly, fits the ascription. The title underscores omnipotence, moral perfection, and sovereign kingship over cosmic and human realms. Christological Fulfillment The New Testament applies the title to Jesus: • “They would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Corinthians 2:8) • “Our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.” (James 2:1) The Greek kyrios tēs doxēs mirrors the LXX’s ho kyrios krataios kai ischyros (Psalm 24:8). The early church read the psalm typologically: Christ, having conquered sin and death, ascends and is welcomed into the eternal gates (Acts 1:9–11; Hebrews 9:24). Athanasius (On the Incarnation 56) calls Psalm 24 the “ascension hymn of the Word.” Trinitarian Implications Because Scripture affirms one God in three Persons, identifying Jesus with the King of Glory neither diminishes the Father nor excludes the Spirit. John 17:5 speaks of the Son sharing the Father’s glory “before the world existed,” harmonizing with Psalm 24’s creation prelude. The Spirit’s role in raising Christ (Romans 8:11) connects the “mighty in battle” victory to the Triune operation. Messianic Expectation in Second Temple Literature The Aramaic Targum on the Psalms paraphrases vv. 7–10 with explicit Messianic hope: “Who is this King of Glory? The LORD of Hosts—He is the King of Glory for ever and ever.” (Tg. Psalm 24:8–10) Qumran manuscript 11QPsᵃ (1st c. BC) preserves Psalm 24 nearly verbatim, showing textual stability antedating Christ. New Testament Echoes and Use • The triumphal entry (Matthew 21:9) employs royal acclamation rooted in Psalm 24 and 118. • Revelation 19:11–16 portrays the Faithful and True Rider—“King of kings”—fulfilling “mighty in battle.” • Hebrews 1:3 links “the radiance of God’s glory” to the enthroned Son, merging psalmic kingship with priestly session. Early Christian Witness Justin Martyr (Dialogue 64) cites Psalm 24 in proving Jesus’ ascension. Augustine (Enarrationes in Psalmos 24) envisions angelic hosts querying at the resurrection: “Who is this?” The unanimous patristic reading identifies Christ as the King of Glory. Eschatological Vision Psalm 24 anticipates the consummation when “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” (Revelation 11:15). The heavenly Jerusalem’s gates (Revelation 21:25) stand perpetually open to the ever-present King of Glory, reversing Eden’s barred entrance (Genesis 3:24). Liturgical and Devotional Usage Jewish tradition reads Psalm 24 on the first day of the week; the early church continued the practice, aligning it with resurrection Sunday. Handel’s Messiah (Scene II, chorus “Lift up your heads”) embeds Psalm 24 in Christ’s passion narrative, reinforcing the Messianic identity. Archaeological and Manuscript Corroboration Dead Sea scroll 11QPsᵃ dates c. 100 BC, affirming the text’s antiquity. Septuagint codices Vaticanus (4th c.) and Sinaiticus (4th c.) harmonize with the Masoretic consonantal line, demonstrating textual integrity. No variant alters the core identification of YHWH as the King of Glory. Summary Answer The “King of Glory” in Psalm 24:8 is Yahweh Himself—“the LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle”—and, in the fullness of revelation, the risen Jesus Christ, whose victorious ascension fulfills David’s prophetic liturgy and guarantees the salvation of all who trust in Him. |
    |