Who is the King of Glory? I have been thinking about this question that was asked of us in Psalm 24. David says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths. Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior. Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob. Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle. Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of Heaven’s Armies—he is the King of glory.”

So who is He to you? I have had to wrestle with this question in my life. This question is important because as we wrestle with our sin nature we tend to forget the answer to this question. How we answer it helps all of us live our lives and puts all of our events into perspective.

Who is the King of Glory? Maybe before we answer that one we need to ask what is the King of Glory? What does the phrase mean? We all know what a king is. Here where we live it does not strike us like it would someone who is from a country who has a monarch. But think about it. A king has all the power. He declares the rule of law. He has authority and sends out decrees all across his kingdom, no matter the population.

When a country has a good king the people are eager to serve, obedience is not an obligation; it’s a joy. When people, under a king, love and trust him, they want to obey him and they are willing to fight to the death for his honor. It does not matter where he is, he is their king, and they fight for him and serve him.

Now I ask, who is this King of Glory? In Psalm 24, glory means an abundance or honor. So the King of Glory is the supreme ruler of heaven and all creation. He is the King of all kings, He is fair and good. His decrees are righteous, His judgments are fair and final, and He loves His people so much He was willing to die for them. The King died for you! I don’t know what you are thinking or feeling right now, but I know that really causes me to want to shout. He died for me!

Verse 2 of Psalm 24 says, “The world and all its people belong to him.” The earth and everything in existence belongs to Him. He put the planets into place. He causes the sun to shine. He put the earth and its inhabitants into motion. He is the owner and controller of all things.

The last three verses say, “The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle. Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of Heaven’s Armies—he is the King of glory.” Who is this King of Glory? The Lord, Jesus Christ, that’s who!

He is the One who is and He is the One to come. He is the Lamb who was slain for all sins. He is the Lion who reigns. Death could not hold Him; death could not conquer Him. He is the King. He has dominion over everything and He is coming back for His subjects. He is going to escort us to His eternal kingdom, which He has prepared specifically for each of us. I can hear Dr. S.M. Lockridge as he proclaims:

Now that’s my King! David says, The Heavens declare the glory of God And the firmament showeth His handiwork No means of measure can define His limitless love No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing

He’s enduringly strong He’s entirely sincere He’s eternally steadfast He’s immortally graceful He’s imperially powerful He’s impartially merciful

Who is this King of Glory? He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Lift up your heads today! Yes, we are a mess, but He loves His messy subjects. He loves those who do not know what true love is. He loves those of us who have blown love. He loves those of us who feel as though we do not deserve it. Take heart! The King of Glory is coming and our redemption is drawing near.