“Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.” Psalm 24:7
Dear Ones:
In the book of the Revelation, in Christ’s letter to the church at Laodicea, He says: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and dine with him, and he with Me.” (3:20) The context of this declaration is Christ’s address to a church which has replaced Him, and His Life and power, by that which is material, and of this earth. The result is that the Lord is like the bridegroom, depicted in the Song of Solomon, who comes to visit His bride. Scripture reveals that she is in her dwelling, and from within, hears the voice of her beloved who is outside. She declares: “…the voice of my beloved that is knocking.” (5:2) He bids her to come and open the door. However, she hesitates, explaining “…that she has put off her coat, and washed her feet.” She even sees Him “…put his hand by the opening in the door.” Her heart yearns for him, but the blessings of her circumstances, restrain and diminish her affection for the Beloved. As she moves slowly to the door, and opens it, she finds that her beloved had “…withdrawn himself, and was gone.” (v.4,5,6) The church of Laodicea thought this of herself: “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing,” (Rev. 3:7) to which the Lord responded: “…(You) do not know, or realize, that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.” (v.17) Why? It is simply because of the everlasting worth of the Beloved. The whole of creation is nothing compared with Him, and yet, this bride, and the church of Laodicea, had traded the incomparable knowledge of Christ, for that which is of this creation. So, what does the Lord do? He calls her to change her mind, attitude, and radically so, by embracing the truth of what He declares. Then comes His invitation which begins with the declaration of the perpetual and present reality: “I (the Eternal Christ, and Beloved) am standing at the door (constantly standing), and knocking…always knocking.” (v.20) The question then becomes: “Who will hear His voice, the specific call of Christ’s heart?” “IF ANY MAN…” What wonderful words, that the King Eternal, would address Himself to all men, to each individual who is willing to hear Him calling! Then the Lord says: “… open the door.” What does He mean by this statement? It means to give Him access to the heart and life, not just to come in as He has promised to do, but to be received as the KING OF GLORY, the very Glorified Christ. The point is that He cannot come in, denying what He is. Yes, He is principally the Beloved, for He has called us to love Him in response to His love for us. But He is also what He declares Himself to be eternally…the KING, the Sovereign God and Lord.
In Psalm 24, we find the same call, but this time to a nation, as well as to the individual: “Lift up your heads, O gates; even lift them up, you everlasting doors.” (v.7) Here is the invitation of the Beloved, an eternal invitation to KNOW Him, to commune with Him. Who is it who knocks here? It is “…the King of glory…the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle…the Lord of hosts…HE IS THE KING OF GLORY.”
Dear Father, give us grace to first of all, hear the voice of the Lord Jesus, knocking at our heart’s door. Save us from the preoccupation and dominance of things, in order to run to open the door to Christ, flinging wide the gates, to let the KING of glory come in. We thank and praise You in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad