12 But You, O LORD, will sit on Your throne forever. Your fame will endure to every generation.
13 You will arise and have mercy on Jerusalem—
and now is the time to pity her,
now is the time You promised to help.
14 For Your people love every stone in her walls and
cherish even the dust in her streets.
15 Then the nations will tremble before the LORD.
The kings of the earth will tremble before His glory.
16 For the LORD will rebuild Jerusalem.
He will appear in His glory.
17 He will listen to the prayers of the destitute.
He will not reject their pleas.
18 Let this be recorded for future generations,
so that a people not yet born will praise the LORD.
19 Tell them the LORD looked down
from His heavenly sanctuary.
He looked down to earth from heaven
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to release those condemned to die.
21 And so the LORD's fame will be celebrated in Zion,
His praises in Jerusalem,
22 when multitudes gather together
and kingdoms come to worship the LORD.
23 He broke my strength in midlife,
cutting short my days.
24 But I cried to Him, "O my God, who lives forever,
don't take my life while I am so young!
25 Long ago You laid the foundation of the earth
and made the heavens with Your hands.
26 They will perish, but You remain forever;
they will wear out like old clothing.
You will change them like a garment
and discard them.
27 But You are always the same;
You will live forever.
28 The children of Your people
will live in security.
Their children's children
will thrive in Your presence."
This is a prophetic Psalm speaking of the fulfillment of God's promise to put a King on the throne whose reign will be without end. For this King "multitudes will gather together, and kingdoms come to worship the Lord" (v. 22).
After the psalmist cries out again for help (v. 24), he speaks of God the Creator, and foretells of the coming new heavens and new earth spoken of in
Isaiah 65:17 and 2 Peter 3:13.
Let us take to heart Peter's exhortation that we should be "...looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along" (2 Peter 3:12). "Maranatha - Come quickly Lo