Psalm 73:24 - Thou wilt guide me with thy counsel, And afterward receive me to glory.
Psalm 73:25 - Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. -- American Standard Version.
The above verses are sometimes cited or quoted in an effort to prove that either the soul or spirit of a person is alive and thus that the righteous go to their eternal reward at death. We assume that the argument is that the writer of the Psalm went to heaven when he died. Verse 24 is often read as though the Psalmist, in speaking of God's receiving him in glory, was speaking his alleged immortal soul or spirit being glorified immediately when he died. That is not, however, what the Psalmist wrote.
However, the first part of verse 23, which is often left out when quoted, quotes the Psalmist as saying to his God: "Nevertheless, I am continually with thee." The thought is that the Psalmist was continuing to look to Jehovah in this present life. The Psalmist said nothing about going to heaven when he died, thus, any such idea has to be thought up beyond what is actually stated, added to what is stated, and read into what is stated.
Ellicott states regarding Psalm 73:24: "The thought is not of a reward after death, but of that true honour which would have been lost by adopting the views of the worldly, and is only to be gained by loyalty to God." Psalm 73:23 appears to support this. Thus, Ellicott seems to believe that this is not speaking of life after death at all. The verses could be entirely speaking of being received into glory in this life, before death. However, we believe that it could be speaking of being received into glory in the last day, after the resurrection. The verses, however, do not say anything about any expectation that this glory would be in heaven.
Of course, Jehovah is in the invisible realm of heaven, but the Psalmist does not say anything himself as going to heaven. It is stated that he would be received to glory. It is not stated when this was to take place. As Paul explains, there are many kinds of glory, as related to two general glories, that of the celestial, and that of the earthly. (1 Corinthians 15:40,41) He corresponds this will two kinds of bodies assigned to the seed (1 Corinthians 15:37,38), one that is spiritual and the other that is physical, and he states that the physical body is first assigned, and then the spiritual. -- 1 Corinthians 15:44,46. -- See our studies: "With What King of Body Will We be Raised?" and "The Manner of the Resurrection".
Was the Psalmist speaking of being taken to heaven when he died and glorified in heaven? There is nothing in the Old Testament about anyone being given any hope of going to heaven. When David spoke of dying, he did not speak of being glorified in heaven, but he spoke of those in sheol as being silent (Psalm 31:17), and that when he was to go into sheol he could not give thanks to God. (Psalm 6:5) David was in agreement with the description of sheol as given by Solomon in Ecclesiastes 9:5,10. Jesus spoke of both those who believe in him, as well as those who rejected him, as being raised in the "last day", or the "age to come". (Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; John 5:28,29; 6:39,40,44,54; 12:47,48) We have every reason to believe, then, that the glorification spoken of in Psalm 73:24 takes place in the resurrection day, not at death.
However, the first part of verse 23, which is often left out when quoted, quotes the Psalmist as saying to his God: "Nevertheless, I am continually with thee." The thought is that the Psalmist was continuing to look to Jehovah in this present life. The Psalmist said nothing about going to heaven when he died, thus, any such idea has to be thought up beyond what is actually stated, added to what is stated, and read into what is stated.
Ellicott states regarding Psalm 73:24: "The thought is not of a reward after death, but of that true honour which would have been lost by adopting the views of the worldly, and is only to be gained by loyalty to God." Psalm 73:23 appears to support this. Thus, Ellicott seems to believe that this is not speaking of life after death at all. The verses could be entirely speaking of being received into glory in this life, before death. However, we believe that it could be speaking of being received into glory in the last day, after the resurrection. The verses, however, do not say anything about any expectation that this glory would be in heaven.
Of course, Jehovah is in the invisible realm of heaven, but the Psalmist does not say anything himself as going to heaven. It is stated that he would be received to glory. It is not stated when this was to take place. As Paul explains, there are many kinds of glory, as related to two general glories, that of the celestial, and that of the earthly. (1 Corinthians 15:40,41) He corresponds this will two kinds of bodies assigned to the seed (1 Corinthians 15:37,38), one that is spiritual and the other that is physical, and he states that the physical body is first assigned, and then the spiritual. -- 1 Corinthians 15:44,46. -- See our studies: "With What King of Body Will We be Raised?" and "The Manner of the Resurrection".
Was the Psalmist speaking of being taken to heaven when he died and glorified in heaven? There is nothing in the Old Testament about anyone being given any hope of going to heaven. When David spoke of dying, he did not speak of being glorified in heaven, but he spoke of those in sheol as being silent (Psalm 31:17), and that when he was to go into sheol he could not give thanks to God. (Psalm 6:5) David was in agreement with the description of sheol as given by Solomon in Ecclesiastes 9:5,10. Jesus spoke of both those who believe in him, as well as those who rejected him, as being raised in the "last day", or the "age to come". (Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; John 5:28,29; 6:39,40,44,54; 12:47,48) We have every reason to believe, then, that the glorification spoken of in Psalm 73:24 takes place in the resurrection day, not at death.
Man, however, was originally given the earthly, fleshly glory that is a little lower than the angels. (Psalm 8:5; Hebrews 2:7) Due to sin, all of mankind descended from Adam falls short of the glory originally intended for him. (Romans 3:23; 5:12-19) Nevertheless, this glory is to be restored to all the faithful of old in the age to come. Thus, when the Psalmist wrote of his being received into glory, we have no reason to think that he was talking about going to heaven. The glory to which the Psalmist will be received "afterward" will more than likely be to the glory man lost but which will be restored in the resurrection. -- Psalm 8:4-6; Hebrews 2:6-8.
See also our resource page on "Life After Death".
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