Psalm 47:8

Psalm 47:8

The Lord reigns!

This verse is at first, a little perplexing. In the preceding verse we noted that the Satan is the Prince of this world and that most of its population pay him lip service even if they do not realise who he is. How then can the Psalm go on to say that, “God reigns over the nations?” It is because, despite all that the enemy does, he does not have the final say on the future destiny of our planet or its inhabitants. God does. It’s a bit like the leadership of the UK. A Prime Minister and his government run the country, but they come under the ultimate authority of the Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth, and they have to account to her. The Lord God is the Royal Sovereign; the Satan is not royalty, he is no more than a jumped-up dictator who is followed by the masses but who will have to give an account. His days are numbered, and his influence will be taken away. Never forget that there is a throne in heaven where God dwells; it is the place of final judgement and the God who sits upon that throne acts out of grace and great patience towards mankind. There will, however, be a day of reckoning, when the rebellion has gone far enough. This is echoed often in Revelation. Let’s end with a couple of verses from that last book of the Bible that disclose two aspects of the throne room of God.

“Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come and who can withstand it?” Revelation 6:15-17.

By contrast, and speaking of those who have escaped the trials and who are covered by the blood of the Lamb;“Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:15-17.

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