IN HIS TEMPLE ALL SPEAKS OF HIS GLORY

On a few occasions the word “temple” does not have its usual meaning; we include this psalm to show to the reader this important difference. Usually, the words “tabernacle”, “temple”, “house” refer to Moses’ tabernacle, to David’s tabernacle on Zion, to Solomon’s temple, and later to Zerubbabel’s temple and Herod’s temple. The antitypes are, of course, the local church, 1 Cor. 3. 16; the church as the body of Christ, Eph. 2. 21, and the believer’s body, 1 Cor. 6. 19. But occasionally it refers to the vast span of the heavens above.

Solomon realized this: he said, “I have surely built thee an house to dwell in … will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?”, 1 Kings 8. 13, 27. Thus David implied this in Psalm 11. 4, “The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven”. Again, “From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth”, 33. 14; “The Lord on high …holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever”, 93. 4-5. In the book of Revelation, this is also sometimes the obvious meaning, “the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament”, Rev. 11. 19.

In Psalm 29, David, recalling his experiences as a shepherd, describes the manifestation of God’s glory in a fearful phenomenon of nature in the heavens, namely the passing overhead of a thunderstorm. In verses 1-2, we have worship from a mighty one to the Mightiest One. In verses 3-4, we have the oncoming storm—the voice of the Lord is in the firmament. In verses 5-7, the storm is overhead—the voice of the Lord is in the forest. In verses 8-9, the storm is receding—the voice of the Lord is in the wilderness. Hence in verses 10-11, the Mighty Lord gives peace.

Thus “every whit of it speaks of his glory”, v. 9. The voice of the Lord is the voice of (what we call) nature. He speaks from His temple to those who have minds capable of recognizing His deeds. Oh that men would recognize these “wonderful works” is the burden of Psalm 107, where many of these powerful works in nature are described. May we also wonder at this glory!

“For thy pleasure they are and were created”, Rev. 4. 11.