In the third book (Ps 73-89) things sink to their lowest point. To add to the godly remnant’s sorrow of rejection by both their brethren and Gentiles, terror strikes through them as they see the King of the North’s armies desolating the land (Dan. 11:40-42). This will be used of God to bring them to the bottom; to deep repentance (Joel 2:12-17) which will lead to confession of blood-guiltiness in the crucifixion of Christ at His coming. The key to the third book of the Psalms is Isaiah 18. That is, the Jews having been gathered back into their land are attacked by a northern army. The psalms in this book describe the feelings of the godly remnant at the time when two-thirds of the nation (the Jews) will be cut off in death (Zec. 13:8) by the northern invaders. Desolation, death, and destruction resulting from the invasion is seen throughout the book (Ps. 73:18-19, 27, Ps. 74:1-8, 19, JND Trans footnote, Ps. 75:3, Ps. 76:10, Ps. 78:62-64, Ps. 79:1-3, 10, Ps. 80:12-13, 15-16, Ps. 83:2-4, Ps. 84:3, Ps. 86:14, Ps. 88:1-18, Ps. 89:40-48). The godly remnant who will have fled into hiding from the persecution of Antichrist, will be preserved from the invading armies, but the apostate Jews in the land, however, will be slaughtered by the thousands.
The godly remnant will see the land of Israel devastated by the invasion of northern armies and cry to God for help. There is a difference in the prayers of the remnant in the second book from that in the third book. The prayers in the second book are primarily to God for the destruction of Antichrist and his wicked followers. The prayers in the third book are to God for the destruction of the northern invaders and for the restoration of the nation.
The third book has been referred to as the Leviticus section of the Psalms. Leviticus being the priest’s book, teaches approach to God in holiness on the ground of a sacrifice, and has much to do with the sanctuary (Lev. 1:1, etc.). The third book of the Psalms also has the sanctuary very much in view (Ps. 73:17, Ps. 74:2-4, 7, Ps. 75:2, Ps. 76:2, Ps. 77:13, Ps. 78:54, 60, 69, Ps. 79:1-2, Ps. 82:1, Ps, 84:1, 3-4, 7, 10, Ps. 87:1-2, 5, Ps. 89:5, 7).
The various series of psalms within this book are Ps. 73-78, Ps. 79-87, Ps. 88-89. Each series begins with the destruction of the land by the invading armies of the King of the North and goes on to show the coming of the Lord to deliver the godly Jewish remnant, the putting down of their enemies in judgment, and the restoration of the ten tribes of Israel.
Psalms 73-78
PSALM 73 The godly Jewish remnant are perplexed as they look on their apostate brethren living in wickedness in the land with all the wealth they have amassed to themselves (Isa. 2:7-8) during the period of their dispersion. Having returned to the land of Israel (vs. 10) in the tribulation, they live in open apostasy having no regard for God (vs. 1-12). The remnant complain of their lot. They have sought to be upright before God but apparently it has not brought them good. They are reproached and persecuted (vs. 13-16). But turning to God the remnant find a solace in His sanctuary. They learn that the apostates cannot go on long in their wickedness (vs. 17). The godly remnant then see swift destruction coming upon the apostate mass of Jews in the land as a penal consequence of their wickedness and apostasy (vs. 1820). The whole land is desolated by the invading armies of the north (Dan. 11:40-43). The remnant become ashamed of envying the apostates and look wholly to the Lord for their preservation as the northern armies pass through (vs. 21-28).
PSALM 74 Still feeling cast off the remnant take account of the destruction caused by the invading armies of the King of the North. They see the temple destroyed and burned with fire (vs. 1-11). The remnant cry to God for the nation as they see it desolated. They call upon Him Whose power has ordered creation to execute judgment on the invading enemy praying that they will be preserved from “the greedy troop” (vs. 19, JND Translation) vs. 12-23.
PSALM 75 This psalm contains the Lord’s answer to the cry of the remnant in the previous psalm. He tells them (probably through the voice of prophets among them) that “when He shall reach a set time,” He will come in judgment on the enemies who have desolated the land. He encourages them that although “the land” and “the inhabitants” (the apostate Jews who have received Antichrist) have been desolated, He still is in full control behind the scenes bearing up the pillars (vs. 2-3, JND Translation footnotes). The “horn” that has been lifted up (Antichrist) has been put down not from the east, west, or south, but from the invading armies of the north (vs. 4-6). The remnant learn that it is really God who is the judge. He has ordered this judgment on the apostate mass of Jews and has executed it through the northern invaders. In spite of all that has happened they are assured that the Lord is about to intervene and pour out judgment on these enemies (vs. 7-10).
PSALM 76 The glory of the Lord has appeared in the land (vs. 4). The Lord has returned from heaven (vs. 8) to judge the armies who have gathered there (vs. 1-9). Compare Dan. 11:45, Joel 2:20. God has made “the wrath of man to praise Him,” in that the hatred of the King of the North and his confederate armies have been used to accomplish God’s will in executing judgment on the apostate Jews who have received Antichrist. But now the Lord has executed judgment upon these “kings of the earth” (vs. 10-12).
PSALM 77 The remnant is now delivered. The tribulation is over. They look back in retrospect at the goodness of God in answering their prayers and bringing them through the time of their greatest trial (vs. 1-3). Although delivered they are not yet in the enjoyment of their covenant blessings. There is no praise in this psalm. They still have many doubts and fears (vs. 4-9). But in turning to God their confidence is restored as they realize they have been delivered from their enemies by the judgment of God (vs. 10-20).
PSALM 78 This psalm in its prophetic application is a parabolic account of the return of the ten tribes to the land of Israel after the tribulation (Mt. 24:29-31). The psalm recounts the history of Israel when they journeyed from Egypt to Canaan. This historic journey is often correlated in the Prophets with the future journey of the tribes of Israel back to their promised land (Isa. 11:15-16, 51:9-11, Jer. 16:14-15, Ezk. 20:34-36, etc.). There is a definite analogy between the two journeys. The children of Israel set out from Egypt, passed through the wilderness where they were tested, and came into the promised land. The returning tribes of Israel will also come up out of every part of the world (of which Egypt is a type—Ezk. to the land of 20:34), into the wilderness where they will be tried (Ezk. 20:35-39), and then be brought into the promised land (Ezk. 20:40-44). As the tribes return to their homeland after being scattered over the whole earth for nearly 2800 years, they will no doubt go over their history with all its failure as this psalm shows. They will acknowledge that on the ground of responsibility they have utterly failed. Owning it to the Lord, they will learn that the restoration of Israel is only on account of the sovereign grace of God (see vs. 65-69). The psalm closes with a lovely picture of Christ (David being a type) reigning as King over His people in what typically speaks of the Millennium.
Psalms 79-87
PSALM 79 This psalm begins a new series taking us back again to the time when the armies of the King of the North will have passed through the land of Israel destroying both the city of Jerusalem and the temple in their conquest into Egypt (Dan. 11:40-42). The godly Jewish remnant cry to God as they see the land of their inheritance desolated by the northern invaders. They pray that God would speedily pour out His judgment upon them.
PSALM 80 While the remnant wait for God’s intervention they utter a 3-fold prayer for the restoration of the nation (vs. 3, 7, 19 JND Translation), They speak to God of the nation under the well-known figure of the vine, reminding Him of His marvelous care for them in times past (vs. 1-11). Confused and troubled they ask why He has allowed it to be trampled down by a “wild boar” (the unclean Gentile armies of the King of the North) and burned with fire (vs. 12-16). They pray for God’s hand to be upon the Man of His right hand (Messiah), knowing their only hope of restoration is in Him (vs. 17-19).
PSALM 81 Anticipating restoration the remnant yearn for the trumpet to be blown in the new moon (the feast of trumpets, Lev. 23) symbolizing Israel’s national ingathering and restoration (vs. 1-5). While they wait for the Lord’s intervention, He speaks, reminding them that when they cried to Him in the past and He delivered them, they afterward rebelled (vs. 6-16). In this He tests the reality of their desire for Him. The Lord then testifies that if they only would hear His word and walk in His ways, He would surely rid them of all their enemies.
PSALM 82 God’s presence is now known in Israel. The Lord has returned (the appearing of Christ) in answer to the cry of the remnant in the preceding psalm. He is seen judging those in the place of authority in the land of Israel (Antichrist, the willful king and other of his government officials Dan. 11:39). Judgment must begin at the house of God (1 Pet. 4:17). Those who have taken that responsible place are judged first (vs. 7). The Lord applied this psalm to the time of His first coming (Jn. 10:34), but did not speak of judgment at that time because He had come in grace to save. But when He comes the second time He will execute judgment in Israel beginning with the responsible (apostate) Jewish rulers. This psalm then describes the judgment the Lord will execute in the day that He comes to deliver the remnant. The remnant also call for the Lord’s judgment to extend to the Gentile nations of the earth (vs. 8).
PSALM 83 Having returned the Lord’s judgment continues. In this psalm His judgment is seen extending (as requested by the remnant, Ps. 82:8) to the confederated nations under the Assyrian who have desolated the land. The judgment executed upon these nations is because of their hatred of God’s earthly people the Jews (vs. 1-8). It is correlated with two significant victories in Israel’s history (Barak and Gideon, Jud. 4-8) when God intervened for them in the plain of Megiddo (Armageddon). Those victories were a foreshadow of this judgment (vs. 9-17). As a result of the destruction of these nations under the Assyrian the Lord’s name becomes known in the earth (vs. 18). “JEHOVAH,” His covenant-relationship name to Israel is now introduced. The bringing of the name of JEHOVAH marks a change in the book from the so called Elohistic psalms to the Jehovahistic psalms. From Psalm 42 to this psalm the cry of the remnant has been addressed to God (Elohim), but from Psalm 84 onward they are addressed to the LORD (Jehovah), This indicates the remnant has been delivered and are now realizing their covenant blessings in Jehovah.
PSALM 84 The heading of this psalm again indicates the godly Jewish remnant (the two tribes, Judah and Benjamin) have been delivered. Korah and his company who were destroyed are a figure of the apostate Jews who reject God. His children (“the sons of Korah”) are a picture of the spared remnant (Num. 26:10-11). The psalm goes on to give the exercises of the ten scattered tribes as they return to the land of Israel after the Arab confederacy under the Assyrian (Ps. 83) has been judged. Desires after God arise among them. As true Israelites they long for their proper earthly place in “the courts of the Lord” (vs. 1-4). They envy the sparrows and swallows who have found a place in Jehovah’s house and desire to be there also. Yearning for God and His dwelling place His elect from the four winds (Mt. 24:31) begin a journey that leads them there (vs. 5-8). Verse 5 could be better rendered, “Blessed is the man...whose heart is in the highways to Zion” (JND Translation). Compare also Isa. 11:15-16, 19:23, 35:8-10, 49:9-12. Their pathway leads them through the valley of Baca (“weeping,” JND Translation footnote) which indicates there will be a work of repentance in their hearts (Jer. 31:9, 18-21) as they return. They will go from “company to company” (vs. 7 margin). The Israelite pilgrims will grow stronger in numbers as they meet other groups of their brethren in the way, until there will be an enormous band making their way to Zion. The psalm closes with their desire to see the Messiah (“thine Anointed”) whom they acknowledge as their Sun and Shield (vs. 9-12).
PSALM 85 The remnant of Israel is now viewed as brought back from the four winds (Mt. 24:31) into the favor of Jehovah with their sins forgiven and God’s wrath taken away (vs. 1-3). The psalm goes on to show that there will be a further restoration in their souls after they have been outwardly delivered and brought back to their land before they are at liberty to enjoy of the Kingdom blessings (vs. 4-7). Their calling upon the Lord that His anger be turned away indicates they have need of realizing the extent of the deliverance that is now theirs. They are not yet sure of His heart toward them and are consequently not at peace. To quit their fears and settle their doubts, the Lord speaks peace unto them. He tells them of the greatness of the salvation that has been brought nigh unto them and instructs them in the true meaning and value of the cross where mercy and truth met together and righteousness and peace kissed each other (vs. 8-10). They learn as a result that Christ’s finished work on the cross is the foundation for the blessings of the Kingdom and is theirs to enjoy (vs. 11-13).
PSALM 86 This psalm shows that although the remnant of Israel (the ten tribes) have returned to their land (Ps. 84) and are restored to the Lord (Ps. 85), they are still not fully at rest in their promised inheritance. Distress resulting from enemies having surrounded them (“the assemblies of violent men,” vs. 14) leads them to call upon the Lord for their preservation (vs. 1-7). They express confidence in the Lord that He will arise in power to put down their enemies until all nations be subdued under Him (vs. 810). Their recognition of His power is indicated in their sevenfold use of the name “Lord” (Adonai) which refers to the exercise of His all-powerful Lordship, rather than “LORD” (Jehovah) which is His covenant relationship name. They recall the marvelous deliverance He wrought for them in destroying their previous enemies and now trust He will do the same to “the assemblies of violent men” who have risen up against them (vs. 13-17). The enemy (“the violent men”) on this occasion is the Assyrian who in its final form is Russia. Prophecy reveals it is the Russian hordes (Gog) that will come down from the north in attempt to overthrow regathered Israel (Ezk. 37-39, especially Ezk. 38:11-12). Their character of godless atheism is revealed in that they have not set the Lord before them (vs. 14).
PSALM 87 All enemies having been put down Zion (Jerusalem) is now established in the earth as the city of God (vs. 1-3). The remnant of Israel (the ten tribes) learn of the various nations such as, Rahab (Egypt, Isa. 51:9, Ps. 89:10), Babylon (the Beast, the western powers), and others who were judged before they returned to the land. They were not in the land when these nations were judged hence learn of it after the fact (vs. 4). As the Millennium begins the fame of Jehovah’s people will spread throughout the world (Isa. 61:9) as being born of God and connected by grace with Zion (vs. 4). The Lord will keep a record of everyone from among the nations (“the peoples” JND Translation) that are also born again (vs. 6). The closing verse indicates that all earthly joy will have its center and spring in Zion (vs. 7).
Psalms 88-89
PSALM 88 This psalm begins the final series of this book. It brings us to the lowest point in the third book, beginning with night and ending in darkness. There is no light or deliverance in it for the remnant. Psalm 88 describes the hour of the Jew’s greatest calamity; when the armies of the King of the North and his Arab confederacy invade and desolate the land.
Although the actual armies of the northern invaders are not mentioned, the effect of their inroads is described. Deut. 28:45-57 states that if Israel broke Jehovah’s law the curse of an invading army would come upon them in judgment leaving the young and the old in death. Death is written across this psalm in the most solemn way. It describes the remnant representing the nation under a deep and dreaded sense of having broken Jehovah’s law and consequently feeling the curse of it. As they view the apostate nation being slaughtered by the thousands, they learn in their conscience the reality and horror of God’s wrath against sin. Compare Joel 2:1-17 (especially verses 12-17).
PSALM 89 In this psalm the picture has wholly changed. The Lord has returned according to His mercy and faithfulness (mentioned 10 times) and is seen among His people (vs. 5. 7). The remnant instead of being under the dreaded sense of having broken Jehovah’s law (Ps. 88), are singing and rejoicing over the fact the Lord in His mercy and faithfulness has delivered them. Psalm 88 gives Israel’s failure under the law (or rather the consequences of their failure); Psalm 89 is the Lord’s faithfulness to restore them according to the promises made to David. Honoring His covenant with David, the Lord has come in for the restoration and blessing of Israel (vs. 1-4). Having been received by His people the Lord is seen among them (vs. 5-8). He then judges their enemies with justice and judgment (vs. 9-14). Redeemed Israel rejoice in the Lord their God and walk in the light of His countenance (vs. 15:18). Christ takes His place as the King of Israel (under the figure of David) and is made higher than the kings of the earth (vs. 19-37). The latter part of the psalm appears to be kind of an appendix giving the general theme of the third book; namely the nation trodden down by invading armies and the remnant looking for deliverance (vs. 38-52).