IN THE PSALMS
PA RT 1
Lesson 8 for May 24, 2025
“Then I looked, and
behold, a Lamb standing
on Mount Zion, and with
Him one hundred and
forty-four thousand,
having His Father’s name
written on their
foreheads”
Revelation 14:1, NKJV
Beyond its function as a hymnal to be used in public and
private worship, the book of Psalms is an eminently
prophetic book, written by prophets (Acts 2:30-31).
The New Testament authors used it as a prophetic text
to show that Jesus was the Messiah (e.g., Acts 13:33;
Heb. 1:8). are not limited to prophesying about Jesus'
But Psalms
earthly ministry, but are rich in various themes related
to the history of Redemption.
Psalm 122: The Heavenly
Sanctuary
Psalms 15 and 24: The Holy
Mountain
Psalm 119: The Name of God
Psalm 5: The Redeemed
THE CELESTIAL “I rejoiced with those who said to me,
"Let us go to the house of the LORD.’”
(Psalm 122:1)
SANCTUARY
By studying the details of Israel's Sanctuary and
Temple, we see how God related to his people and
how he taught the Plan of Redemption.
By moving the ark, David centralized divine worship in
Jerusalem. That was where the house of God was
located.
Psalm 122 prophetically points to the gathering of
the redeemed into the New Jerusalem, to worship
at the real, heavenly sanctuary (Heb. 8:1-2; 9:11-
12, 24; [Link]
Revelation 14:17; 21:3). visions of this Heavenly
several
Sanctuary (from which the Courtyard, which
represents the Earth (Rev. 11:2), is excluded):
Examining Psalm 122, we can also
THE GOLDEN appreciate other themes closely
THE THE ARK linked to the message of
ALTAR
LAMPSTAND Revelation
Revelation 8:3; Revelation: praise (v. 4); judgment
Revelation 4:5 11:19
14:18; 16:7 (v. 5); peace (v. 6, 8); security (v.
“Christ, our great High Priest, is “a minister of the
sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord
pitched, and not man.” Hebrews 9:9, 23; 8:2. […] The
prophet was permitted to behold the first apartment of the
sanctuary in heaven; and he saw there the “seven lamps of
fire” and the “golden altar” represented by the golden
candlestick and the altar of incense in the sanctuary on
earth. […] Here he beheld “the ark of His testament”
(Revelation 11:19), represented by the sacred chest
constructed by Moses to contain the law of God.
Moses made the earthly sanctuary, “according to the fashion
that he had seen.” Paul declares that “the tabernacle, and all
the vessels of the ministry,” when completed, were “the
patterns of things in the heavens.” Acts 7:44; Hebrews 9:21,
23. And John says that he saw the sanctuary in and
EGW (Patriarchs heaven. That
Prophets, pg. 324)
sanctuary, in which Jesus ministers in our behalf, is the
great original, of which the sanctuary built by Moses was a
“Lord, who may dwell in your
sacred tent? Who may live on THE HOLY
your holy mountain?” (Psalm
15:1) MOUNTAIN
He who walks uprightly does
righteousness and does not
Mount Zion occupied part of the city of lie
He who does not(Ps. 15:2)
slander
Jerusalem and, by extension, was used does no harm to his
to name the hill where the Temple was neighbor, nor does he allow
built (originally called Mount Moriah). It evil to be spoken of (Ps.
is also called the holy mountain (Ps. He who honors those who
15:3)
2:6), as it is a symbol of God's throne fear God and does not
In prophetic change, even if it is
(Is. 8:18).
writings, it is used to detrimental (Ps. 15:4)
define the place He who does not love money
where the redeemed nor can be bribed (Ps. 15:5)
will gather (Is.
He who has clean hands and
37:32; Ps. 74:2; Rev.
a pure heart, who is neither
14:1). Who will be proud nor a liar (Ps. 24:4)
able to stand on
Psalms 15 and
Mount Zion with24 It's clear that none of us, on our own,
define
Jesus? the meet all these requirements.
characteristics of Therefore, we can only be there by the
those who are grace and power of Jesus. Praise be to
“The vision of the prophet pictures them as
standing on Mount Zion, girt for holy
service, clothed in white linen, which is the
righteousness of the saints. But all who
follow the Lamb in heaven must first have
followed Him on earth, not fretfully or
capriciously, but in trustful, loving, willing
obedience, as the flock follows the
shepherd.”
EGW (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 59
THE NAME OF GOD
“In the night, Lord, I remember your name, that I may keep your law!” (Psalm
119:55 NIV )
Mount Zion is also closely linked to the name of
God (Is. 18:7; Rev. 14:1). The name, especially in
biblical times, was associated with a person's
character (Gen. 32:28).
Therefore, the name of God, inscribed on the
forehead of the redeemed, goes beyond the four
Hebrew letters that define it: ( יהוהYWHW).
God’s name is his unique and unrepeatable
character: “I AM WHO I AM” (Ex. 3:14). His name—
which is his character—is his glory and his
goodness (Ex. 33:18-19).
When the psalmist evoked the
name of God (meditated on his
character), he was overcome
with the desire to keep God's
Law (Ps. 119:55 NIV).
Why? Because God's Law is a transcript of His character. God's
name will be inscribed on the foreheads of those who love
“The glory of Christ is his character, and his
character is an expression of the law of God.
He fulfilled the law in its every specification,
and gave to the world in his life a perfect
pattern of what it is possible for humanity to
attain unto by cooperation with divinity. In
his humanity Christ was dependent upon the
Father, even as humanity is now dependent
upon God for divine power in attaining unto
perfection of character.”
EGW (The Signs of the Times, December 12, 1895)
THE REDEEMED
“For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not
welcome” (Psalm 5:4)
Psalm 5 draws a sharp contrast between those who
accept God and those who reject him. This psalm
anticipates the definition of the two groups facing
each other in the end-time: those who receive the
name of God, or the name of the beast (Rev. 13 and
14).
THE NAME OF THE BEAST THE NAME OF GOD
They shall not dwell with They will dwell with God
God (Ps. 5:4) (Rev. 14:1)
They worship the beast They worship God (Ps.
(Rev. 13:8) 5:7)
They do not lie (Rev.
They are liars (Ps. 5:9)
14:5)
They will be punished (Ps. They will be redeemed
5:10) (Rev. 14:4)
They proclaim salvation
They blaspheme against
with joy (Ps. 5:11; Rev.
God (Rev. 13:6)
14:6-7)
“Difficulties will arise that will try your faith and patience. Face
them bravely. Look on the bright side. […] Heaven is full of joy.
It resounds with the praises of Him who made so wonderful a
sacrifice for the redemption of the human race. Should not the
church on earth be full of praise? Should not Christians publish
throughout the world the joy of serving Christ? […]
If you make a mistake, turn your defeat into victory. The lessons
that God sends will always, if well learned, bring help in due
time. Put your trust in God. Pray much, and believe. Trusting,
hoping, believing, holding fast the hand of Infinite Power, you
will be more than conquerors.
EGW (Testimonies for the Church, volume 7, page 244)
THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL
“Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you” (Psalm 51:13)
We cannot deceive ourselves: we are all sinners (Ps.
14:3;
Rom. 3:10; 1 Jn. 1:8). As sinners, we are not worthy
to proclaim the gospel of salvation. That was the
sentiment ofgood
But there is Isaiah (Is. 6:5)
news: our and of King can
experience David
be (Ps.
the
51:3-5).
same as that of these two prophets. Both were
forgiven of their sin (Is. 6:7;
Ps. 51:12); and both began proclaiming God's
message to the world. (Is. 6:8; Ps. 51:13).
Of the threefold message
proclaimed to the world in
the last generation, the
last two are a call to
abandon sin (Rev. 14:8-
10). Therefore, it is
essential that, before
pointing out sin, its
solution be proclaimed
“The prophecies in the eighteenth of
Revelation will soon be fulfilled. During the
proclamation of the third angel's message,
“another angel” is to “come down from
heaven, having great power,” and the earth
is to be “lightened with his glory.” The Spirit
of the Lord will so graciously bless
consecrated human instrumentalities that
men, women, and children will open their
lips in praise and thanksgiving, filling the
earth with the knowledge of God, and with
His unsurpassed EGW
glory, as the
(Maranatha: waters
The Angel cover
of Revelation 18, July
EGW (Education, p. 125)
«The central theme of the Bible,
the theme about which every
other in the whole book clusters,
is the redemption plan, the
restoration in the human soul of
the image of God. From the first
intimation of hope in the
sentence pronounced in Eden to
that last glorious promise of the
Revelation, “They shall see His
face; and His name shall be in
their foreheads” (Revelation
22:4), the burden of every book
and every passage of the Bible is
the unfolding of this wondrous
theme, —man's uplifting, —the
