Psalm 97:7
All who worship images are put to shame,
those who boast in idols—
worship him, all you gods! (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Psalm 97
The author of Psalm 97 is unknown. We surmised a couple of days ago that the author might have been Moses. The author of the Septuagint regarded this as a psalm of David. The Septuagint heading for this psalm says, “For David, when his land is established.” However, the early Syriac Christians’ heading for this psalm says, “A psalm of David, in which he predicts the advent of Christ, and through it his last appearing.”
Now we are getting somewhere! If the Syriac Christians thought this was a prophetic psalm, let’s examine the possibility that they were correct. Hint: I think they were absolutely correct.
There is a footnote in Hebrews chapter 1 found in the American Standard Version that says to compare verse 6 to Psalm 97:7. Hebrews says, “And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him’ (Heb 1:6). Whereas Psalm 97 says, “All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols—worship him, all you gods!” (vs. 7).
In both verses, we see the worship of Jesus. Psalms says the worshipers are gods with a lower-case “g” and Hebrews says God’s angels. Generally speaking, the New Testament understanding is that the gods of the pagan people are actually angels and likely fallen angels or demons. Paul said, “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness” (2 Cor 11:14-15).
All that to say, the author of Hebrews is either directly quoting Psalm 97 or is restating the same concept in quoting Deuteronomy that there will be a day when even the demons will worship Jesus. This is prophetic of Jesus’ second coming when “The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all peoples see his glory” (vs. 6).
Working backwards in our psalm, verses two through five give us a vision of what Jesus’ second coming will look like:
“Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes on every side.
His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.” (vs 2-5).
Likewise, John in his book of Revelation declares, “ I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place” (Rev 6:12-14).
Both Psalm 97 and Revelation 6 speak of a great earthquake (earth trembles), thick darkness (sun turned black), moon turned blood red (fire goes before him and consumes his foes) and mountains melting before him or being removed from their place.
Without a doubt, the early Christians read this psalm correctly as prophecy pointing to Jesus’ second coming. What should be our response? “Zion hears and rejoices and the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments, Lord… Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name” (vs. 8, 12).
Christ in the Old Testament 
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