CLEAR VIEWS OF HEAVEN IN THE PSALMS OF DAVID
by Peter MastersFROM SWORD & TROWEL 2002 No
1
How did David maintain his own spiritual life in the midst of so many
responsibilities and trials? His numerous reflections on future eternal glory show how this
helped in the ‘management’ of his own soul. It is clear that Heaven became an antidote to
backsliding, a check to being consumed by earthly riches and glory, an anchor from being
swept away by earthly fulfilment, a spur to regular repentance, an incentive to humility, a
consolation in pain, and an unfailing source of happiness. A regular viewing of eternity
will bless us also, in all these respects.
IT IS OFTEN SAID that King David possessed no clear hope of Heaven.
Even J J Stewart Perowne, a noted authority on the Psalms, wrote in typically
elegant language - ‘They who then feared and loved God, nevertheless walked in shadows,
and their hope was not yet full of immortality. Hence their earnest clinging to life, so
different from St Paul’s "desire to depart", to which there is nothing parallel in the Old
Testament.’
This is an extraordinary thing to say, because David’s psalms are full of his
glorious expectation of Heaven. No fewer than 46 of his psalms have something to say
about it - and more if we count oblique references. If we fail to see eternity in the psalms,
the greatest encouragements and consolations are taken from us, and David too is left ‘of all
men most miserable’.
Here we shall look at some of the amazing statements and sentiments about
Heaven from David’s pen, selected only from psalms specifically attributed to him. We
cannot review them all, for they are too numerous, but we will highlight those that reveal
some distinctive feature of Heaven.
Sometimes David’s language can be read in too general or ‘earthly’ a
manner, so that a reference to Heaven goes unnoticed. This article will try to show how
heavenly references may be recognised, with the result that sometimes an entire psalm
comes to life in a new way.
Psalm 6 is a good place to begin because it is in this very psalm that
David seems to show that he is ignorant about an afterlife. It is verse 5 that the
more liberal writers seize upon to claim that David had no clear view. Here he says - ‘For
in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?’ (He
makes a similar lament in Psalm 30 and twice in Psalm 88.)
The psalmist certainly appears to speak as though the heavenly
future of believers has not been revealed to him, but the context soon causes this idea to
vanish. It is clear that David is mortified because of his sin. From the opening words of the
psalm he is under deep conviction, crying - ‘O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither
chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me.’
He calls to God to deliver his soul and to save him. He speaks of being
weary with groaning so that his bed is wet with tears throughout the night. In the depths of
his anguish he feels utterly condemned by God, and beyond His forgiving love.
It is only because he sees himself as unforgivable that David
speaks of dying without any hope of viewing the Lord and giving thanks to Him. He says -
in effect - that if he should perish without forgiveness he will be eternally shut off from
God. It is that thought that makes him so very anxious to be forgiven, because he longs for
the opposite. He must not perish as a wicked and lost soul!
By the time David composed this psalm he had clearly received the longed-
for pardon, because he says (seemingly to those who had gloated as they observed him in
distress of soul) - ‘Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the
voice of my weeping. The Lord hath heard my supplication’ (verses 8-9).
These words turn the disturbing sense of verse 5 completely round, because
once he is reassured that he is the Lord’s, and has been forgiven, then he can rejoice in the
opposite case, namely, that in Heaven there is remembrance of the
Lord, and in the grave he will give thanks. This would not have been possible
if he had died impenitent and unforgiven (the marks of a deluded believer), but true if he
proves to be a forgiven soul.
So let us take the clearly implied positive information in this verse. David’s
stated reason for needing mercy and deliverance is that death would otherwise terminate all
delightful reflection upon the Lord, and all praise and worship to Him. But if he is forgiven,
then there is remembrance or recollection in Heaven of the walk on earth, and of all the
wonderful things that God has done.
The word ‘remembrance’ is literally a memento or memorial, so it looks
back. We learn that in some way our experiences of blessing on earth are to be preserved in
Heaven. This will be most necessary, because we will not have such experiences in Heaven.
In that glorious place there will not be one case of our stumbling into sin and being
graciously restored. There will be no failure, weakness or woeful need, requiring rescue by
the hand of God. Everything will be perfect and wonderful.
Therefore, the record of God’s mercy and kind, restoring grace, will come
from the memory of our deliverances in earthly life. Somehow, we may suppose, the dark
and painful elements of sin and ugliness will be filtered out of recollection, but a
tremendous remembering of grace, deliverance and forgiveness will surely be preserved as
part of our appreciation of God’s kindness and ways.
We are told in Ephesians 3.10 that even the angels may only see
all aspects of God’s grace by observing what He does in the lives of believers on earth. Sin
and forgiveness have never been seen in Heaven, and never will be seen.
By the memorial of the work of restoration we keep in view throughout
eternity all aspects of the grace of God, including His mercy, kindness, sacrificial love,
power to save and transform, patience and other attributes.
From David’s fear of eternal loss, should he die unpardoned, we learn of his
sure, eternal hope, should he die a forgiven man. And in this reference we glean one special
feature of his view of Heaven - the ability to look back, and remember.
In Psalm 12 David gives another insight into the heavenly glory, saying
(verse 5) - ‘For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise,
saith the Lord; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.’ [‘Puffeth’ literally is
‘would ensnare’.]
In verse 7 he goes further - ‘Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt
preserve them [the Hebrew says ‘every one of them’] from this generation for
ever.’
We may be certain that these verses are speaking about the day when God’s
people will be finally and eternally delivered from all snares, pressures, hostility and every
other form of antagonism on earth. David speaks very definitely of a deliverance which will
embrace every oppressed child of God for ever.
As an experienced general, judge, and ruler he was not naïve about human
affairs, and would never have spoken so definitely had he been thinking only of
earthly deliverances. That is inconceivable. He knew perfectly well that the
poor and oppressed - including believers - frequently died in hard and even wretched
circumstances, without either deliverance or vindication. He obviously uses these absolute
terms because he is speaking not of earthly deliverances, but of a great and final deliverance
of the godly from their present earthly oppression.
Such confident statements as this occur very frequently in the psalms, and
they are either naïve and foolish and in no way true to life, or they are spiritual promises of
the heavenly state.
Let us try to imagine the reality of this future transformation. In this life we
embark upon each new day to be plunged into snares of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
There are temptations from within ourselves; our trouble with unwholesome and unspiritual
thoughts, and our battle with numerous temptations from the distractions and allurements of
the world.
If we slip, we become deeply unhappy at ourselves, and long to tear
ourselves free from these things. All the time the devil is active, first by one strategy, then
another, bringing us down, perhaps, to doubts, or to doubting our own salvation. And then
there are many other trials, and hardships, extending for some believers to much hostility
and persecution.
Imagine, then, a day when every snare is taken away for ever by the mighty
hand of the Lord, and we find ourselves gazing with indescribable anticipation into the
blessings of being with Him. This is David’s insight, given to him by the Holy Spirit.
There is a time coming when the Lord will bring all His people home, and
then there will be no snares at all, no slipping in thought, word or deed, no troubles, storms,
tragedies, sorrows, partings or disappointments. God will transform us into sinless people,
with hearts fashioned to adore our Saviour-King in endless purity.
On earth, says David in this psalm (verse 1), ‘the godly man ceaseth; for the
faithful fail from among the children of men.’ But when the Lord arises, then the day of
eternal safety and glory will dawn. The distinctive insight in this psalm is Heaven’s freedom
from all traps and snares - in other words, the end of the battle with sin.
Psalm 15 brings David to a different view of eternal glory. The first verse
brings an oft-repeated sentiment of his, which invariably refers to life in Heaven. He says,
‘Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?’
It is vital to see that he is using the Tabernacle in terms of its true meaning -
as a figure or illustration. The Tabernacle represented the dwelling-place of God, and the
holy of holies in particular pointed to the heavenly hereafter (Hebrews 9.8).
David speaks of both abiding and dwelling there, and these words
undoubtedly refer to his turning aside to live and stay permanently. He is not speaking of
merely being a regular worshipper.
But here lies a problem. David could not literally make his permanent home
in the Tabernacle. He has no intention of moving his bed from his house into the
Tabernacle. He was not even a priest. The truth is, whenever David speaks in this way, he
has in mind the eternal dwelling-place of God. This is the obvious and the only sensible
way of taking his words.
As it happens the fifteenth psalm is fundamentally about Christ (being
similar to Psalm 24). Asks David (in effect), ‘Who shall live in the Tabernacle
of the Lord, the heavenly place? He that walketh uprightly.’ In other words - the Lord Jesus
Christ, Who lived a perfect life for us. Holiness will also mark the behaviour of all the
redeemed occupants of Heaven. The verses of this psalm, though firstly about Christ, also
provide an insight into conduct in Heaven.
Turning his attention from his own society (and even from his own conduct) he
breathes longingly for that coming, heavenly society, a place where everyone - ‘walketh
uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart’ (verse 2).
David longs for the place where there is no backbiting or gossip or animosity
(verse 3), a place characterised by unblemished trust and love between all, with never a hint
of betrayal.
He looks for a place peopled by those - ‘in whose eyes a vile person is
contemned’ (verse 4). Of course, there will be no sinners in Heaven, but this tells us that
there will not be the slightest inclination to wrong, and not the slightest sneaking admiration
or sympathy towards wrong. In that place we only see the person who - ‘putteth not out his
money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent’. No one there will take advantage
of anyone else in any shape or form, for oppression cannot breathe the pure air of glory. The
beauty of holy, friendly character is the distinctive feature of Heaven longed for by David
in Psalm 15.
An entirely new train of thought about Heaven emerges in Psalm
16 where David announces - ‘The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my
cup: thou maintainest my lot’ (verse 5). We know that this refers to his future
inheritance, because it is in this very psalm that David (speaking as a prophet according
to Acts 2.30) sees the resurrection and eternal life of Christ, and points to
fulness of joy at His right hand for evermore (verses 10-11).
Why do we want to go to Heaven? As Christian men and women, sometimes
the first ideas that come into our mind are the peace, beauty, purity and companionship of
Heaven. If this is so, we are not as ‘spiritual’ as David, for he thinks in these terms -
‘The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance.’
What will he enter into and receive? His chief hope is - the Lord. He is all;
only He matters; every other benefit is subsidiary to seeing Him. David supremely desires to
enter into His presence, and to step into the fulness of His love. This is surely the greatest
possible fulfilment for human nature.
The world is full of heroes, and everyone at some stage in their life selects
(consciously or otherwise) a hero - who becomes their model or aspiration. It has been said
many times that we are all hero-worshippers at heart. Believers in Christ make Him their
only great hero, but once we reach Heaven and see Him as He is, then every
ounce of human tendency to subordination and admiration will be wholly drawn to Him,
and our souls will be profoundly fulfilled as human nature finds its intended objective.
David means us to know that there is none greater, higher, more marvellous,
or more wonderful than the Lord - the goal of all his best instincts, and the One for Whom
he lives on earth.
The last verse of the psalm reads: ‘Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy
presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’ The
expression ‘fulness of joy’ means that the joy will come in many forms, and we may think
of the view we shall have of the attributes of Christ, and the record of His actions and the
observing of His power and glory, seen first in Himself, and then in all the things that He
will create in that new, heavenly earth to reflect His glory. The joy will come in so many
forms, it will take all eternity for us to receive it.
The distinctive insights about Heaven in this psalm are - Christ as the
substance of our ‘lot’, and the gaining of multi-faceted joy.
Should there be the slightest doubt that this psalm is about the heavenly
hope, David concludes with the words - ‘At thy right hand there are pleasures for
evermore.’ The best Hebrew authorities agree that the original term, considered in context,
means ‘for all eternity’. How can anyone say that the king had no light on the afterlife?
David’s Christ-centred view of Heaven comes again in Psalm
17.15 where he exclaims - ‘As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall
be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.’ (He refers here not to himself, but to seeing
the visible likeness of Christ.)
The psalmist has been praying for moral preservation, protection and divine
love. He has also lamented the depravity of the rich, who derive all their satisfaction from
this life, and who establish an enduring fortune, name and family. But then he affirms that a
child of God will have far more than the greatest earthly gain, for he will behold the face of
the Lord.
David knows that the coming Messiah will be a visible Lord both on earth
and then in Heaven. God will wear a human form. David serves Him on earth as his unseen
Lord, but when the momentous day comes that he enters into glory, then he will be
‘satisfied’. The translation is barely sufficient, because the Hebrew means - filled to the
full.
No one could be more filled, more satisfied, more overjoyed, and more
amazed than a believer in the eternal glory. We may think of experiences that we have had
on earth, such as great deliverances that moved and amazed us beyond all expectation, but
these will be multiplied millions of times by our first glimpse of the Saviour in glory.
In the light of the whole of Psalm 21, the opening verse is
clearly a reference to Heaven; looking to some future event David says, ‘The king shall joy
in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!’
The salvation he has in mind is the great deliverance at the end of life’s
journey, for he speaks of having received life ‘for ever and ever’ (verse 4). He also speaks
of being ‘most blessed for ever’ (verse 6), and by God’s mercy never to be moved (verse 7).
He speaks further of a coming event when the wicked shall be, like a fiery oven, swallowed
up by the mouth of God (verse 9) - clearly the day of judgement.
Then, in the last verse of the psalm, David says: ‘Be thou exalted, Lord, in
thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.’ When we take all these
sentiments together, it is certain that the final, triumphant demonstration of God’s strength
is in mind - the ending of the present order and the dawn of eternal heavenly glory. In this
last verse David calls it a place of song. He expects to do much singing - joining in the
songs of the united choirs of Heaven. Perhaps this is the distinctive piece of information
about Heaven revealed in this psalm-song.
The best known psalm of all - the twenty-third - includes much about
David’s hope of Heaven. He speaks of the Lord as the perfect Shepherd, leading His sheep
on a journey. This is plainly figurative language for the spiritual life, in which David sees
himself as dependent on the Lord.
‘I shall not want,’ he says, which would be a vain hope if it referred to
material or emotional needs, because believers lack many things in this present life. Viewed
spiritually, however, David’s hope is sound, because his spiritual Shepherd
gives forgiveness and eternal life freely and abundantly.
The One Who provides us with spiritual life, transformation of character and
heart, and all needed spiritual food is Jesus Christ, and with Him we take our journey to
Heaven.
The Lord makes His sheep lie down in (literally) ‘pastures of tender grass’,
and leads them beside the (literally) ‘waters of quietness’. These waters are not still or quiet
in the sense that they are stagnant and lifeless, but in the sense that they make no clamour or
turbulence. Here is a beautiful stream, and one that sparkles with life and movement, but it
flows gently, suggesting the calm and settled peace of one who knows he is going to the
Lord for ever.
David’s descriptions refer to beauty rather than to pasture and water for
bodily sustenance. He tells us that his heavenly Shepherd has brought him into a situation of
calm certainty, where he has no fear as he looks into the future, beyond the present life, into
eternity.
David mentions (verse 3) that he is led into paths of righteousness by his
Shepherd - ‘for his name’s sake’. For the honour of God, David must be a worthy bearer of
His name. But more - the Shepherd’s name is at stake if He loses a lamb, because He is
the perfect Shepherd. The name of God, and His omnipotence, is at stake
should He lose one of us, because He has promised to keep us (John 10.28-29).
The verse is partly about eternal security.
The fourth verse supposes the possibility of some deeply horrific event, such
as death. But even this has no fear for David - rather comfort - because there is a glorious
life beyond death. He fears nothing, knowing that the fatal valley is not the end.
In verse 5 David’s glorying leaves the shepherd analogy behind, as he says,
‘Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.’ Surprisingly, this great
feast is prepared under the noses of his enemies (the devil and his hosts) who see it, but
cannot do anything about it.
The Lord has gone to prepare a place for us, and our place in glory is secure
and certain. Satan looks on, and can only rage, because whatever he does he cannot keep us
from the supper of the Lamb.
Says the psalmist, ‘Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.’
David knows he has been anointed to Heaven just as certainly as he was once anointed to be
king.
The view that this psalm points to something much higher than
only the earthly part of the believer’s journey is proved by the last verse - ‘Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of
the Lord for ever.’ Although the Hebrew says ‘length of days’ the correct translation here
must be ‘for ever’, because David (as elsewhere) speaks of dwelling in the house of the
Lord, which would be quite improper if the earthly Tabernacle is meant. As we have already
noted, the house of the Lord is intended as a picture of Heaven.
There is a remarkable statement in Psalm 37.3, where David
says, ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt
be fed.’ This is not just about dwelling in the land on earth, but about Heaven, as we can tell
from other verses, such as verse 9 - ‘For evildoers shall be cut off [the
judgement]: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’
There is a judgement coming, says David, but those who wait upon the Lord
have instead an inheritance, which is the entire earth. David clearly has been shown by the
Spirit that Heaven is not just an ethereal, spiritual place, but is somehow united with land.
This is nothing other than a glorious replacement of the ‘land’ that was lost by Adam and
Eve when they were shut out of Eden. This is the ultimate fulfilment of the land promise
made to Abraham and to his spiritual successors. Such a land will one day be eternally
occupied by the people of God.
After the earth’s destruction in the final judgement, it will be rejuvenated
and reconstituted, amalgamated to the eternal spiritual heavens, and given to Christ’s
people. There they will dwell on an amazing, spiritual, yet gloriously ‘physical’ earth.
David knew all this.
In the eleventh verse the king tells us that - ‘The meek shall inherit the earth;
and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.’ The Hebrew word used here for
peace is not the peace which is the opposite of war, but the word for safety, health,
happiness and friendliness. This is about a place and time when the ungodly will not be
present, and the earth will be restored, beautified, and made fit for occupation by
resurrected, glorified bodies.
David obviously knew about the resurrection to speak so much of the ‘earth’.
What would be the point of having a physical earth if God’s people did not possess glorified
bodies? The distinctive heavenly feature, therefore, of this psalm, is Heaven as the
fulfilment of the promised land, for resurrected saints. Verse 18 confirms the interpretation,
for David says - ‘The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be
for ever,’ and then says (verse 22) - ‘For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth;
and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.’
He repeats the point in verse 29 - ‘The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell
therein for ever.’ Once again, in verse 34, he says, ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and
he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off [surely the day of
judgement], thou shalt see it.’
It is necessary at this point to quicken the pace, in order to glance at other
magnificent characteristics of Heaven known to David. In Psalm 86.12, he
says, ‘I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for
evermore.’ Does he use the word ‘evermore’ in an extravagant, poetic way? Or does he
merely think of an everlasting succession of sons for his earthly throne? No, for he speaks
personally. He himself will enjoy eternal worship, and the chief theme of his
worship will be the attributes of God (for God’s ‘name’ refers to His attributes).
Like David, when we reach Heaven we will understand these attributes as we
never could on earth, and grasp them with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Heaven is
supremely a place of worship.
Psalm 101 could easily be unrecognised as a heavenly psalm, yet it
undoubtedly is one. David opens singing of ‘mercy and judgment’, which immediately
suggests final events. Verse two seems to confirm this, for the psalmist wistfully looks
forward to a special future experience, saying, ‘O when wilt thou come unto me?’
Then he begins to speak of how he will order his household, seeming to
suggest he can accomplish a perfect life completely separate from all wrongdoers,
employing in his service only perfect and spiritually faithful people. Indeed, he undertakes
to ‘destroy all the wicked of the land’, and quickly, and to keep the city of the Lord free
from them.
Once again, we find extravagant language and unattainable aims. It is one
thing to pledge oneself to a high standard, but quite another to absolutely commit oneself to
its achievement. We immediately realise that although David certainly pledges himself to a
high standard in his royal court, his confident, emphatic language has more to do with his
future heavenly home.
He speaks as a prophet with an insight into that place where he will one day
be wise, perfect and sinless, living in an atmosphere of honesty and love, and freed from the
wicked, who will have been utterly banished. He must work toward this in his own home,
but in Heaven the standard will be wonderfully and eternally accomplished.
Psalm 139.12 gives yet another burst of knowledge about Heaven. David
says - ‘Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness
and the light are both alike to thee.’ Leading up to this verse are the words - ‘If I ascend up
into heaven, thou art there.’ Certainly, David speaks metaphorically, but reality underpins
his thoughts.
He tells us that Heaven is a place of dazzling, radiant light in every sense.
There will be no ignorance, but all truth; no despair, no loneliness, no mourning, no fear,
and no emptiness. David is expecting the glorious light of God both literally and spiritually
in Heaven.
Psalm 144.11-12 reveals some remarkable features of Heaven, as David says
- ‘Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity,
and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood: that our sons may be as plants grown up in
their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a
palace.’
It could be that David is asking here for deliverance from an earthly trial, but
if he is, his deeply spiritual mind at the same time looks ahead to his ultimate deliverance at
the high calling of God to glory. He cries to the Lord to send His hand from above to deliver
him out of great waters, and rid him of ‘strange’ (godless) children.
The language is grand, suggestive of his being plucked out and lifted up
above such trials at the last day. He seems to say, ‘Oh Lord, speed the day when finally I
shall be rid, not only of my own sins, but of this whole environment.’
This heavenly interpretation of the psalm is more than confirmed by David’s
prayer for faithful children. This deserves deep thought. He sees believing sons as plants,
grown up while still children. He sees them as prematurely mature - in the very best sense.
Heaven is in his mind, where all children will be mature.
There will be no imaginable limitation, handicap, or hindrance in Heaven.
Even those who die as youngsters in the Lord, safe under the blood of Christ, will manifest
maturity in Heaven. It must be so, because in various places Scripture tells us that we will
all have complete liberty from infirmity, and this surely includes limitations of
understanding.
Says David - Bring me to the place where we are rid of all the unhappiness,
misery, and the limitations (through sin) of this present life. Even our children will be
gloriously filled with light and with understanding.
Who would want their daughter to look like a corner-stone - a great slab of
stone at the corner of a building, the angles of which have been perfectly machined to
provide the line for the adjacent walls? But, of course, David is speaking spiritually. Our
daughters will no longer be the weaker sex, born for submission, limited by God’s order for
this world, but they will have the significance of corner-stones. The sexes will be equal,
everyone emancipated and made glorious.
And if we should die while our children are still young, never mind, because
when we see again those who are in the Lord, they will be fully flowered, or polished, cut,
after the similitude of a palace. In Heaven, we repeat, there is no immaturity, no imperfect
childhood, but everyone is brought home in perfection - fully grown (Ephesians
4.15).
David sees that in this wonderful city - the perfect city of God - storehouses
will be full, ‘affording all manner of store’ (every kind of fruit). Every inhabitant will
possess all the graces and fruits.
Also, there will be many occupations there. There will be a vast range of
pleasures, understandings, pursuits and occupations. David’s language is obviously
figurative, for it is spectacular and grandiose. He declares his expectation - ‘That our sheep
may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets: that our oxen may be strong to
labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our
streets. Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is
the Lord.’
Only in Heaven will there be such a community, possessing every
conceivable provision, unlimited strength and vigour, invincible security and total
satisfaction and happiness. Here is the happiest society, because Christ is all in all.
Many other psalms of David provide light on Heaven. We have already
mentioned that there are at least 46 (of those specifically credited to David) that contain
significant insights into David’s expected heavenly future.
Are we absolutely sure that we are saved, in order that we might know this
glorious future? Are we certain we are going to that place of glory? Can we be sure that one
day we will cross the threshold of death into eternity, and be brought into the kingdom of
God, into the presence of Christ? We may be certain of this if our sins are forgiven, because
we have sincerely repented and sought the Lord with all our heart, believing in Christ and
trusting solely in His atoning death on Calvary.
|
