[Pss 97:1] Jehovah reigneth; let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad.
[Pss 97:2] Clouds and darkness are round about him: Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
[Pss 97:3] A fire goeth before him, And burneth up his adversaries round about.
[Pss 97:4] His lightnings lightened the world: The earth saw, and trembled.
[Pss 97:5] The mountains melted like wax at the presence of Jehovah, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
[Pss 97:6] The heavens declare his righteousness, And all the peoples have seen his glory.
[Pss 97:7] Let all them be put to shame that serve graven images, That boast themselves of idols: Worship him, all ye gods.
[Pss 97:8] Zion heard and was glad, And the daughters of Judah rejoiced, Because of thy judgments, O Jehovah.
[Pss 97:9] For thou, Jehovah, art most high above all the earth: Thou art exalted far above all gods.
[Pss 97:10] O ye that love Jehovah, hate evil: He preserveth the souls of his saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
[Pss 97:11] Light is sown for the righteous, And gladness for the upright in heart.
[Pss 97:12] Be glad in Jehovah, ye righteous; And give thanks to his holy memorial [name].


Psalm 97 is one of the great hymns in Israel's song book. As we approach this passage, let us remember that many of the psalms are the poetical versions of the messages of the prophets. This one proves to be of that class.

It falls into four distinct sections: I. The throne of the Father in heaven (vss. 1,2). II. The return of the Lord Jesus to earth (vss. 3-7). III. Evangelized and convinced Israel expectantly awaiting the return of the Lord (vss. 8,9). IV. Instructions and promises to the people of God (vss. 10-12).

In order that one may understand this psalm, one must know the import of Israel's Great Confession, Deuteronomy 6:4, which is one of the most important of all passages in the Bible and which literally rendered reads as follows: "Here, O Israel, Jehovah our Gods is Jehovah a Unity." This verse is an affirmation of the unity of the divine personalities constituting the Supreme Being. Thus we see echoed in this statement the doctrine of The Trinity combined indissolubly with that of the unity of the Godhead. The word, Jehovah, has four connotations. Sometimes it refers to God the Father; at other times, to God the Son; while in still other instances it connotes God the Holy Spirit; and finally, it at times indicates the Trinity. Where ever this word appears, the facts of the immediate context must be studied carefully to determine which of the four meanings is intended.

In verses 1 and 2 we have a vision of the throne God the Father seated upon it during the time of the great Tribulation. That the time is the Tribulation is to be gathered from the context--especially from the fact that in verses 3-7 we have a prophecy regarding the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ at the end of the Tribulation. Further confirmation of this position is seen in the fact that emphasis is laid upon the additional fact that God's throne rests upon righteousness and justice. When one looks at the Book of Revelation, one sees that emphasis is likewise laid upon the fact that God is righteous in all His dealings--in His sending the judgments of the Tribulation.

According to verse 1 the nations are called upon to rejoice because of the fact that Jehovah reigneth. The universe is an ordered system. Originally, before the rebellion of Satan, there was perfect regularity and harmony everywhere--even in the most minute details. Satan, the anointed cherub of Ezekiel, chapter 28, endeavored to overthrow the throne of God and to seize the power. He was defeated. God maintained His authority. Nevertheless certain disorders and irregularities were introduced into the material, physical universe. Notwithstanding this foreign element and enemy, God is ordering all things and nature is lapped, as the poet has said, in universal law. Thus we rejoice in God's sovereignty and His dominion.

From verse 2 we see that there are "clouds of darkness" that surround the throne of God in heaven. God's throne is in a position north of this earth. There are a number of scripture references which prove this position. But this throne is surrounded by clouds and darkness. Why such phenomena? one may ask. Do not men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil? With men this is true, but not with God. No man, in his present sinful condition, could see God and live. He would be consumed by the effulgence of His glory and the splendor of His might, if it were not for the fact that God screens Himself behind these clouds and this darkness. It is therefore for man's protection that He thus retires behind these clouds and this vale of darkness.

In verse 3-7 we have one of the most vivid descriptions of the return of the Lord Jesus, which occurs at the end of the Tribulation. His second coming must not be confused with the rapture of the church which takes place before the Tribulation. According to the teaching of the New Testament the Lord Jesus will descend from heaven to the air prior to the Tribulation and will raise the dead in Christ and catch up the living saints to be with Him. This decent of the Lord to the air for His saints is not to be confused with the second coming of Christ at the end of the Tribulation.

Jehovah whose coming is described in Psalm 97:3-7 is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ as we shall presently see. This Jehovah must be distinguished very clearly from Jehovah of verses 1 and 2 who is Jehovah the Father.

When the Lord Jesus returns, He is coming in flaming fire which will devour His adversaries. This prediction is found in verse 3. Isaiah, in chapter 66, likewise referred to the same phenomenon. The Apostle Paul also, in II Thessalonians, spoke of the Lord's coming in this manner.

From verse 4 we learn that, when the Lord comes, His lightning's will lighten the world. This is the phenomenon about which the Lord Jesus spoke in His "Olivet Discourse" (Matt., chap. 24). He declared, "For as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of man." Thus we see that the psalmist, inspired by the Spirit of God, foretold the same thing about which our Lord spoke. When He thus makes His appearance, the entire earth will see and all men will be thrown into consternation.

When the Lord returns bodily to this earth, the mountains will melt like wax at His presence. What is the significance of this language? The answer can be but one thing; namely, that the mountains will be thrown down by the terrific earthquake by His coming to earth. Habakkuk the prophet (chap. 3) referred to the same thing.

When the Lord returns, the saints who have been caught up before the Tribulation will return with Him. But there will be others who will accompany Him. We are told that, when God brings the First-born again into the world, all the angels will fall down and worship Him. Hence there will be ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of seraphim, cherubim, and angels who will declare His righteousness as is set forth in verse 6. This scene is referred to in such passages as Revelation, chapter 5, where we see some hallelujah choruses that will be sung by the angelic host as they proclaim the absolute and complete righteousness of our God and of His Christ.

When the Lord returns, as just stated, all the angels will worship Him. The last clause of verse seven, "Worship him, all ye gods," is quoted in Hebrews 1:6 and is applied to the angels who worship the Lord Jesus Christ at His return. We have therefore divine inspiration confirming our understanding of Psalm 97:3-7 as a prediction of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In verse 8 of our psalm we read:

Zion heard and was glad, And of the daughters of Judah rejoiced,
Because of thy judgments, O Jehovah.

Zion here does not mean the material, literal buildings of Jerusalem, but the people themselves. Expressed in their parlance of today, Zion means the Zionist--the Jewish people. What is affirmed of them is that they hear and are glad. The question arises: What do they hear? There can be but one answer; namely, that they hear of God the Father's reigning supreme in heaven and of the Lord Jesus Christ's return to this earth to take the government of the world into His own righteous hands. The development of the thought of this context demands this interpretation and precludes all others. This verse therefore is a prediction that the Jewish people will be told of the sovereignty of God the Father and of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ at the end of the Tribulation.

But who will tell them about the Lord Jesus? There is but one group upon the face of the earth who can and who will tell her of this glorious event. That group of people can be none other than the born--again individuals who desire to proclaim the gospel to God's ancient people, Israel. This passage presupposes that we who know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and who know the plan of God will obey His command found in Isaiah, chapter 40, to bring a message of comfort and of good cheer to the people of Zion. In this connection may I urge the reader to study carefully Isaiah, chapter 40, which passage has been considered the most wonderful piece of oratory in existence today. Isaiah was an orator. About that fact there can be no doubt. But he was inspired infallibly by the Spirit of God to deliver this marvelous oration. The subject matter is such an important message that God used the oratory of this great statesman-prophet and inspired him verbally to write this earnest appeal to the people of God today to give the truth of the gospel to Israel in order that she may rejoice in the coming of the Lord and accept Him.

According to the Apostle Paul they cannot believe on Him of whom they have not heard. Neither can they hear without a preacher; nor can people go who are not sent. God has made a special appeal to us who know Him and who know His plan concerning blessing the world through Israel to give her a three-fold message which is found in Isaiah 40:1,2.  That the prophet was speaking to the believers of today and urging them to proclaim this message of comfort to Jerusalem is evident from the fact that those who are urged to do this are to tell Israel that the time of her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, and that she has received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins. When her warfare is a thing of the past, when she has been forgiven her iniquity, and has received double for all her sins, she will not need any words of comfort. In view of these facts one is driven to the irresistible conclusion that this exhortation is directed to the people of God who know that they are in the very end of the age and who know that Israel's long period of suffering is so very near its close that they can, speaking relatively, tell her that her warfare is over. The time yet remaining for her to suffer is negligible in comparison with long centuries of persecution and sorrow through which she has past. They therefore comfort the people of Israel with the message that their deliverance is just at hand. No generation prior to our own could go with perfect assurance and confidence and tell the Jewish people that, practically speaking, the time for their deliverance is at hand. From these facts I am absolutely convinced that God is urging the believers of today to proclaim this message to all Israel.

Dear Christian friend, have you heeded the call? Are you doing what you can to give this message to Israel? May God help us, one and all to do it!

Those who heed this call proclaim the gospel in such a clear, logical, and convincing manner that the nation will be glad and rejoice in what is told it.

The message will be so very clear that Israel will rejoice in the Lord Jesus and recognize Him as Jehovah who is exalted above all gods. Verses 8 and 9 are therefore a vision of evangelized Israel being convinced and waiting jubilantly for the visible, bodily appearance of the Lord, whom they in their hearts will, at the time here foreseen, have received.

That verses 10-12 are directed to the believers today is certain from the first statement: "O ye that love Jehovah, hate evil." If you, my good friend, really and truly love Jehovah and are born again, these words are directed to you. The first thing the Lord instructs His people to do is to take a definite, uncompromising stand against sin in every form. They are to hate it and, as the New Testament says, flee from the very appearance of evil.

In the second statement of verse 10 He promises to preserve the souls of the saints. Every born-again person will be preserved unto the coming of the Lord in glory. No one can keep his own soul. But the Lord Jesus can. Moreover, according to the last statement of this verse, the Lord will deliver out of the hand of evil those who are trusting in Him.
From verse 11 we see that:

Light is sown for the righteous, And gladness for the upright in heart.

Whenever a child of God faces a difficult situation and cannot see the light, he must look patiently to God, trusting Him who will at the proper time bring the light and will show him what he must do.

God does not want His people to be discouraged and downhearted. On the contrary He urges them in verse 12 to:

Be glad in Jehovah, Ye righteous; And give thanks to his holy memorial name.

The Lord puts love and joy and peace in our hearts and expects us to allow them to find expression in our lives. He in-works salvation in us and urges us to work it out in godly, consecrated, devoted lives in His service.

May God enable us to take Psalm 97 to heart and give this message of redeeming love to lost Israel and to live for Him, letting our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven.