Psalm 48--Zion, the City of Our God

Psalm 48
English Standard Version

Zion, the City of Our God
A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
48 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised
    in the city of our God!
His holy mountain, 2 beautiful in elevation,
    is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
    the city of the great King.
3 Within her citadels God
    has made himself known as a fortress.

4 For behold, the kings assembled;
    they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
    they were in panic; they took to flight.
6 Trembling took hold of them there,
    anguish as of a woman in labor.
7 By the east wind you shattered
    the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen
    in the city of the LORD of hosts,
in the city of our God,
    which God will establish forever. Selah

9 We have thought on your steadfast love, O God,
    in the midst of your temple.
10 As your name, O God,
    so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11     Let Mount Zion be glad!
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice
    because of your judgments!

​12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
    number her towers,
13 consider well her ramparts,
    go through her citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
14     that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
    He will guide us forever.

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I've been singing the beginning of this psalm for years without knowing that its reference was Psalm 48.  This Psalm tells us that the LORD has a special relationship with Jerusalem, which is seated on Mount Zion (a mountain fortress), for it is "The City of the Great King."  That's not just talking about King David who reigned from there, but the fact that one day (soon, and very soon) we are going to see the King of Kings and Lord of Lords rule and reign from Jerusalem and the city which comes from heave when God makes His dwelling place with man will be called the New Jerusalem.

Yes, the Conquering King is coming, and He arrival will strike fear in the hearts of all of His enemies.  Even those far away from Israel in places like Spain (known as Tarshish at the time) would not be safe from the coming judgement--in other words, there will be nowhere on earth to run and hide from him (remember that Jonah will try to flee to Tarshish because it will be the farthest place that he could think to try to away to, yet the LORD will still find him, just as an example.

The Temple somehow will be rebuilt in the end times, and it will be a place where the steadfast love of the LORD is declared (until the Antichrist desecrates it).  I hope that it is rebuilt for the sake of once again having the nations come to Israel to hear the gospel.  There is no reason to rebuild it for the purposes of ritual sacrifices, for Jesus has taken care of all of them, but there may be a day that we once again desire to build a place like Solomon did that declares the greatness and glory of the LORD to all that see it, and it will be a place for people from near and far to come to Jerusalem--The City of the Great King--to hear about the wonderful salvation that King Jesus has achieved for them.

God will defend Israel, even if they look poorly defended against the nations.  We still see and hear modern-day examples of this with God bringing a strong wind to blow the missiles off-course that intend to attack Jerusalem and He blows them into the Mediterranean Sea.  The attackers can't explain it other than they know that the LORD is fighting for Israel and defending her.  He will save His people Israel (even when they don't deserve it) for the sake of His Great Name, for He has made an everlasting covenant with them that He would be their God and they would be His people.