Who Shall Ascend on High – Psalm 24

In Psalm 22, David saw Messiah pierced for our salvation. In Psalm 23, David saw Messiah as the Shepherd who guides His sheep to God’s house. In Psalm 24, David saw Messiah as the ascended one, the King of Glory, who opens the gates for us to enter into God’s glorious kingdom. Praise the Lord!

“A Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” Psalm 24:1-2

We are not to think that the heavens only are the Lord’s. No, even the earth and all its fullness are His. Everything is His! Though His throne of glory is in the heavens, His kingdom rules over all, including over us who dwell on the earth. [1]

When God gave Adam dominion over the earth, Adam became the steward of God’s property. The rich mines in the belly of the earth, the fruits the land produces, and the creatures of the land, air and sea are all God’s. Wherever a child of God goes, he or she may be comforted in knowing that this is our Father’s world. [2]

We ourselves are God’s creations. God made our bodies and our souls. Genesis 2:7 says, “The Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” God’s breath gave us life. In Ezekiel 18:4, God says, “All souls are mine.” Hebrews 12:9 says, “Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?” God is the designer and sustainer of our bodies and He is the Father of our spirits. He deserves our respect.

What’s more, after we sinned, Jesus paid the ransom for our souls with His blood. In 1 Peter 1:18-19, Peter wrote, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” In 1 Corinthians 6:20, Paul wrote, “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

The Apostle Paul quoted Psalm 24:1 twice in 1 Corinthians 10:26-28. He wrote, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness. If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. But if anyone says to you, ‘This was offered to idols,’ do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.’”

God created every food that is good for consumption, so you are free to eat whatever is set before you. However, if your host, an idolator, proudly says that the food had been offered to idols, don’t eat it for his or her sake. You do not want to condone their misplaced trust in an idol by eating it. Idolators gave credit to their idols instead of to the Lord for making the food edible.

Psalm 89:11 says, “The heavens are Yours; the earth also is Yours; the world and all its fullness.” The Lord set the boundaries for the sea to keep it from covering the earth according to Psalms 104:9. It is God’s faithfulness that preserves the earth. Psalm 119:90 says, “Your faithfulness endures to all generations. You established the earth, and it abides.”

“Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. 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. Selah!” Psalm 24:3-6

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary says, “Hands, tongue, and heart are organs of action, speech, and feeling, which compose character.” “Compose character” means that their actions reveal what kind of people they are. The hill of the Lord and the holy place refers to the place where God’s glory dwells.

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Who shall go to heaven, and have communion with God? A soul that knows and considers its origin and immortality. A soul that is unsatisfied to be without God, and therefore, seeks Him until He is found.

“What shall I do to rise to that hill, where the Lord dwells and reveals Himself, that I may be acquainted with Him, and to abide in that happy holy place where He meets His people and makes them holy and happy? What shall I do that I may be of those whom God owns for His peculiar people?” One recommendation is to maintain clean hands. The ceremonially unclean were not allowed to enter into the temple of the Lord. Their sin had to be atoned for first. [3]

They must have pure hearts. Faith in God is heart-work. It is not enough that our hands appear to be clean before men, we must have clean hearts before God. A pure heart is sincere and without guile before God. A pure heart desires to see God and be conformed to His image.

Pure hearts crave not the wealth of this world, the praise of men, or the delights of senses. They deal honestly both with God and people in their covenants and in their contracts. They do not make oaths deceitfully or break promises. [4]

They are a praying people. In every age there is a remnant of people who join themselves to God in earnest prayer. They ascend up the hill of the Lord. As they commune with God, they also enjoy communion with His saints. In Acts 9:26, as soon as Paul was converted, he joined himself to the disciples. [5]

“’Whom shall stand?’ Standing is the posture of ministers or servants.” [6] They stand in the gap where others neglect to do so. With hands lifted toward God, they make intercession for the souls of people, and for their physical and mental wellbeing.

“Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah!” Psalm 24:7-10

Forty days after Jesus finished His work on the cross and at the empty tomb, He was ready to ascend to heaven and enter His place at the right hand of the Father. Acts 1:9 says, “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” The gates of heaven opened to the King of Glory. He conquered sin, death and the devil. He made a way for the Holy Spirit to fill and indwell those who believe in Him.

The everlasting doors had been shut, but our Redeemer, by His blood made atonement for our sin. He opened the everlasting doors for us.

Matthew 27:50-51 says, “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom...” This tearing apart of the veil in the Holy of Holies symbolizes the removal of the barrier between a holy God and sinful people. When Jesus died on the cross, it was to pay the ransom for our souls.

Hebrews 6:19-20 says “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence [of God] behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus...” Hebrews 10:19-21 says that we have boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which He consecrated for us. The new and living way is through the veil, that is, His flesh. Jesus gave His flesh as a sacrifice so that we who believe in Him may enter the everlasting doors. Jesus opens the kingdom of heaven to all who believe in Him. In His hand, He holds the keys not only of hell and death, but of heaven and life.

In Romans 8:33-35, Paul wrote, “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” Praise God! Jesus is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. He hasn’t stopped working for us. He hasn’t ceased to love us. He wants us to be where He is.

Thus, let us join with David in saying the first words of his next Psalm (Psalm 25:1)... “Unto You, O Lord! do I lift up my soul.” In His praying hands, His nailed scarred hands, our soul is safe.



[1] Matthew Henry Commentary (edited for readability)
[2] Ibid
[3] Matthew Henry Commentary (direct quote)
[4] Matthew Henry Commentary (edited for readability)
[5] Ibid
[6] John Wesley's Explanatory Notes