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Psalm 24:1-10 (Three triumphal entries)

INTRODUCTION: Today is Palm Sunday, a day that we normally look at the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. But we’re going to do something a little different today. Instead of just looking at Jesus’ triumphal entry on Palm Sunday, we are going to look at three triumphal entries in the Bible as reflected in one of the Old Testament psalms. So, three for the price of one! (Read Psalm 24:7-10 and pray.)

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When we hear the phrase, “the triumphal entry,” we automatically think about Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. But there are actually three triumphal entries in the Bible. 1) We have the triumphal entry of the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem in the Old Testament. 2) We have Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. 3) And we also have Jesus’ triumphal entry into heaven at his ascension.

All three of these are triumphal entries in that they are triumphant processions accompanied by songs of victory and gladness. And we find all three reflected together in Psalm 24.

I first learned Psalm 24 in the form of a song as a teenager. It was just one of the many praise songs that were floating around at the time, but I always enjoyed it. It had a Jewish feel to it and it went like this:

The King of glory comes, the nation rejoices.
Open the gates before him, lift up your voices.

Who is the King of glory; What shall we call him?
He is Immanuel, the promised of ages.

The King of glory comes, the nation rejoices.
Open the gates before him, lift up your voices.

And then of course there were other verses that went along with it. But it wasn’t until later that I discovered it came from Psalm 24. I was just reading through the Psalms, and I came to Psalm 24, and there were the words to the song! It was kind of fun to discover that on my own!

So, we are going to look at three triumphal entries in Scripture this morning all through the lens of Psalm 24. And as we do, I hope you will see how all three are connected to each other. In many ways the triumphal entry of the ark into Jerusalem prefigured Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem prefigured his triumphal entry into heaven.

So, let’s look at Psalm 24 now as we reflect on these three triumphal entries together.

I. The earth is the Lord’s (1-2)

Psalm 24 begins with the important truth that the earth is the Lord’s. Look at verses 1-2 with me now:

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2 for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. (Psalm 24:1-2)

The whole earth belongs to God because he is the Creator. He who made it all owns it all. The earth is his and everything in it. The world is his and everyone in it.

   A. The ark – a physical symbol of God’s presence on earth
      – Exodus 25:22

This truth is reflected first of all in the ark of the covenant because the ark was a physical symbol of God’s presence on earth. We find God’s instructions for building the ark in Exodus 25, and in verse 22 God tells Moses: “There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.” (Exodus 25:22)

And so, the ark was where God met with his people on earth. It was a physical sign of his presence. It taught the people of Israel that God is not a God of the heavens only, but he also inhabits the earth. God owns the earth and everything in it because he made it all.

   B. Palm Sunday – Jesus and the donkeys (“The Lord needs them”)
      – Matthew 21:3

This truth is also reflected with Jesus on Palm Sunday when Jesus told the disciples to go get the two donkeys. Remember, before Jesus began his triumphal entry into the city, he sent his disciples to get the mother donkey and her colt. He told them precisely where they would find them, and he instructed them: “If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” (Matthew 21:3)

In other words, Jesus can take charge of the donkeys because he is the Lord. And as Lord, he owns it all! He is not stealing the donkeys or taking them without permission. He doesn’t need permission to take what is already his. The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, and that includes the donkeys on Palm Sunday.

   C. Christ’s ascension – “All authority in heaven and on earth…”
      – Matthew 28:18

And then, this truth is also reflected in the third triumphal entry, Christ’s ascension into heaven. It had been forty days since Jesus died and rose from the dead. Jesus gathers his disciples to a mountain in Galilee where they will witness his ascension. But before he ascends to heaven, he first tells them: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18) Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. This is simply a continuation of the teaching in Psalm 24 that the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.

So that’s the first truth we learn from Psalm 24. The earth is the Lord’s. And we see this truth reflected in all three triumphal entries in Scripture.

II. Only the righteous may approach God (3-6)

The second truth we learn from Psalm 24 is that only the righteous may approach God. Look at verses 3-6 with me now:

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. 5 He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. (Psalm 24:3-6)

There is important moral instruction for us in these verses. We should all strive to have clean hands and a pure heart. We should not lift up our souls to an idol or swear by what is false.

But the Bible also tells us that none of us are righteous in and of ourselves. So, how are we supposed to ascend the hill of the Lord? Only the righteous may approach God, and we find this truth reflected in all three triumphal entries.

   A. The ark – Uzzah’s death reminds us that none of us are righteous
      – 2 Samuel 6:1-6, 12-15

First, Uzzah’s death at the first triumphal entry reminds us that none of us are righteous. We read about David bringing the ark to Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 6, and, like Palm Sunday, it is an occasion of great joy and celebration. There is a huge procession. David has thirty thousand men with him. They set the ark on a new cart, and Uzzah is guiding the cart along with others. The people are all playing musical instruments and singing songs. Suddenly the oxen stumble, and Uzzah reaches out to take hold of the ark. He is instantly struck down by God and dies right there next to the ark.

David was so afraid of the ark after this incident that he waited three months before trying again. This time he took extra precautions. This time he made sure the ark was carried properly. This time he made sure that there were sacrifices. He wouldn’t even let those carrying the ark take six steps without first sacrificing a bull and a fattened calf first.

Uzzah’s death reminds us that none of us are righteous. The ark represented God’s presence here on earth. Do you think you could have grabbed hold of the ark without dying? Can you ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in his holy place? Do you have clean hands and a pure heart? Not apart from Jesus!

And so even though there are important moral instructions for us in these verses from Psalm 24, they are only truly fulfilled by one person. Only Jesus can ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in God’s holy place. Only Jesus has perfectly clean hands and a pure heart. Only Jesus is perfect and without sin. Only Jesus can grab hold of the ark and not die.

   B. Palm Sunday – Jesus is righteous and makes us righteous
      – 2 Corinthians 5:21

And that’s what we see when we come to Palm Sunday. Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday as the sinless lamb of God who has come to die for sinners. The animals that David sacrificed before the ark pointed forward to Jesus, the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

We read in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus is the righteous one who died for our sins and makes us righteous in him. Only Jesus can make us righteous. Only Jesus can cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. Only in Christ may we ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in the holy place before our holy God.

   C. Christ’s ascension – Jesus brings the righteous dead to heaven
      – Ephesians 4:8; Hebrews 12:22-24

And then, we also see this truth reflected in the third triumphal entry at Christ’s ascension. After Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, he went to Sheol, the place of the righteous dead, to free all those who were held captive until Christ came and finished his work.

We get a glimpse of this in the book of Ephesians. We read in Ephesians 4:8: “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.” (Ephesians 4:8) Ephesians 4:8 tells us when Jesus ascended to heaven, he brought the righteous dead with him to present before his heavenly father. Why couldn’t they go to heaven before? Because Jesus hadn’t died for their sins yet. God in his forbearance left the sins committed beforehand unpunished until Christ should come (Romans 3:25), but no one could ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in the holy place of heaven until Christ had died for sins and risen from the dead.

So, when Christ ascended to heaven, he brought all the righteous dead with him. Now that Christ has come, we can finally go to God’s dwelling place. That’s why when believers in Christ die today, we go directly to heaven to be with Christ. We do not have to spend any time in Sheol because Jesus has already made us righteous.

That why we read in Hebrews 12: “You have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God … to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven … to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant.” (Hebrews 12:22-24) When we go to heaven, we ascend the hill of the Lord dressed in the righteousness of Jesus our Mediator and Savior – forgiven, cleansed, perfected and made whole.

It’s interesting. At the first triumphal entry a sinner died when he touched the ark. At the second triumphal entry on Palm Sunday, the sinless Savior marched into Jerusalem in order to die. At the third triumphal entry at Christ’s ascension all the righteous dead live!

This is the second truth that Psalm 24 teaches us. Only the righteous may approach God. And we find this truth reflected in all three triumphal entries in Scripture.

III. Open the gates for the King of Glory! (7-10)

Finally, the last part of Psalm 24 speaks of opening the gates for the King of Glory. Look at verses 7-10 with me now:

Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – he is the King of glory. (Psalm 24:7-10)

God is the King of glory. He is majestic, strong, mighty in battle! And when the King of glory comes, our job is to open the gates for him.

   A. The ark – God’s glory fills Solomon’s temple
      – 1 Kings 8:10-11

We see God’s glory in the Old Testament when the ark is finally brought into the completed temple. The ark was brought to the temple in three stages. We have already looked at the first two. The first time was when Uzzah died, and David stopped the procession. The second time was when David made the sacrifices and brought the ark the rest of the way to Jerusalem. The third time was after David’s son, Solomon, completed the temple and brought the ark from its temporary dwelling to its final resting place.

We read about this in 1 Kings 8. Once again, there is a triumphal procession. The whole nation of Israel assembles. They process before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted. The priests bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place. They put it beneath the wings of the cherubim.

And then we read in 1 Kings 8:10-11: “When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. 11 And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.” (1 Kings 8:10-11) David likely wrote Psalm 24 when he first brought the ark up to Jerusalem, but the filling of the temple with glory under Solomon becomes a later fulfillment of these words. Open the gates for the King of Glory who fills the temple with glory!

   B. Palm Sunday – Jesus cleanses the earthly temple
      – Matthew 21:10-13

And then we see this reflected again on Palm Sunday when Jesus cleanses the temple. We read in Matthew 21:10-11: “When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’ 11 The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’” (Matthew 21:10–11)

Notice the people of Jerusalem ask the same question as Psalm 24. Who is this? The crowds answer this is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth. The crowds were both right and wrong in their answer. They were right that Jesus was a prophet. But their answer did not go far enough. Psalm 24 provides the fuller answer for us: “Who is this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – he is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:10) Yes, Jesus was a prophet, but he was so much more than a prophet. He is the Lord Almighty; he is the King of glory.

Jesus demonstrated his identity even further with the cleansing of the earthly temple. Matthew 21 goes on to say in verses 12-13: Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’” (Matthew 21:12-13) Notice Jesus calls the temple “his house.” They are not following his house rules, so he cleans house, driving out the buyers and sellers.

Here at the second Triumphal Entry, God’s glory fills the temple once again. His glory may be hidden in Christ’s flesh, but it is no less real. And so, Psalm 24 takes on a new context. Open the gates for the King of Glory who triumphantly enters Jerusalem and cleanses the earthly temple!

   C. Christ’s ascension – Jesus returns to the heavenly temple in glory
      – John 17:1,4-5; Hebrews 9:24

And then we see this again at Christ’s ascension when Jesus returns to the heavenly temple in glory. Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you…. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” (John 17:1,4-5) Later we read in Hebrews 9 that Jesus “did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.” (Hebrews 9:24)

When the ark was brought into the temple, Jesus is the King of glory who fills the temple with his glory. On Palm Sunday Jesus is the King of glory whose glory remains hidden in his flesh. At Christ’s ascension Jesus is the King of glory who is glorified once again with the same glory he shared with the Father before the world began. And so, Psalm 24 takes on a third context in these verses. Open the gates for the King of Glory who returns to the true heavenly temple in divine majesty and glory!

CONCLUSION: And so, there are three triumphal entries in Scripture, and they are all fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus is the King of glory. He is the second person of the Trinity who shared in God’s glory with the Father before the world began. He was prefigured by the ark of the covenant in the Old Testament. He entered Jerusalem to cleanse the temple and offer his life for our sins. He rose from the dead and ascended to heaven where he sits at the right hand of the Father in glory forever.

Who is this King of glory, strong and mighty, mighty in battle? Who is he, this King of glory? His name is Jesus! Open the gates of your heart to him!

© Ray Fowler

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