Creator, Judge and King: God in the Heavenly Temple in the Psalms

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to make a preliminary exploration of the Psalms to observe this rich spectrum of ideas on the heavenly sanctuary. The chapter is divided between two themes: God as King, and God as Judge. Underscoring these main themes are the subthemes of creation and worship. The first part will examine the passages about God being the eternal King enthroned in heaven. This will include his conquest over evil, his throne’s position in heaven instead of on earth, his holiness and his praise. The second part will examine the theme of God as Judge, first as the one presiding in the heavenly council, then his observance of events on earth – including the pleas for rescue from his subjects – and finally his decision to come in judgement to the earth. In this endeavour only verses from the Psalms that refer to the heavenly palace/temple will be examined. To date there have been few studies on the theme of the heavenly temple imagery in the Psalms, so this chapter aims to offer an initiatory exploration of this fascinating topic.