I.　The Psalms are fully Christ centered; Christ is not only the centrality but also the universality of the Psalms—Luke 24:44.

II.　The central thought of the book of Psalms is Christ, as revealed in plain words, and the church as the house of God and the city of God for His kingdom, as typified by the temple and by the city of Jerusalem—2:6-9; 26:8; 27:4; 46:4:

A.　The spirit, the reality, the characteristic, of the divine revelation in the book of Psalms is Christ as the centrality and universality of the eternal economy of God—2:6-9:

1.　For this, Christ is first the embodiment of the Triune God (Col. 2:9), then the house, the habitation, of God (signified by the temple—John 2:19-21), the kingdom of God (signified by the city of Jerusalem—Luke 17:21; Rev. 22:3b), and the Ruler of the entire earth from the house of God and in the kingdom of God (Dan. 2:34-35).

2.　Christ is therefore all in all in the entire universe—Eph. 1:23; Col. 3:11.

B.　The picture given in the book of Psalms is the same as that portrayed by the entire Bible: Christ, the church, and the reigning of Christ over the whole earth with the New Jerusalem as the center—Matt. 16:16, 18; Rev. 21:1-3, 24.

C.　The particular point related to the divine revelation in the Psalms is that such a high revelation is prophesied in the expressions of the sentiments of the ancient godly saints.

D.　The consummation of the divine revelation is the city of New Jerusalem as a sign of the habitation, the tabernacle, of God, through which the processed and consummated Triune God will be manifested and expressed in the all-inclusive Christ and will reign on the new earth in the new universe for eternity—Rev. 21:1-3.

E.　The five books of the Psalms are arranged in the same progressive way as the entire Bible is arranged:

1.　From the first book of the Psalms to the fifth book, the revelation progresses higher and higher; the fifth book is filled with the psalmists' praising of God.

2.　The central thought in this progressive revelation is that God is embodied in Christ, Christ is in His Body, and His Body is God's house and God's city for God's kingdom over the earth—Col. 2:9; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:19; Rev. 11:15.

III.　The book of Psalms covers four main points in a wonderful sequence: Christ—house—city—earth—2:6-7; 27:4; 48:2; 72:8:

A.　In the Psalms we see the details concerning the all-inclusive Christ in God's eternal economy:

1.　Christ in His divinity—45:6; Heb. 1:8.

2.　Christ in His incarnation—Psa. 8:4; Heb. 2:6.

3.　Christ in His humanity—Psa. 8:4; Heb. 2:6.

4.　Christ in His human living—Psa. 16:1-8.

5.　Christ in His death—22:1-21.

6.　Christ in His resurrection—2:7; 16:10; 22:22; Heb. 2:12; Acts 2:25-32; 13:33-37.

7.　Christ in His ascension—Psa. 68:18; Eph. 4:8.

8.　Christ in His exaltation—Psa. 80:17; 110:1.

9.　Christ in His being crowned—8:5; Heb. 2:9.

10.　Christ in His enthronement—Psa. 2:6.

11.　Christ in His dominion, kingship, and authority—v. 8; 8:6; 47:2; 72:8.

12.　Christ in His priesthood—110:4.

13.　Christ in His fighting—vv. 5-6; 45:3-5.

14.　Christ in His victory—110:5-6.

15.　Christ in His indwelling—22:22.

16.　Christ in His shepherding—23.

17.　Christ as the stone for the building—118:22.

18.　Christ in His coming—72; 96; 110.

19.　Christ in His reigning—93—101.

B.　The Psalms reveal many aspects of the church as God's house, such as:

1.　God's dwelling—68:18; 84:1.

2.　The ground, the site—24:3; 68:16; 76:2.

3.　Its foundation—87:1.

4.　The place of God's presence, which is God's glory—26:8; 27:4; 29:9.

5.　The place of revelation—73:17.

6.　The saints' desire—84:2, 10.

7.　Its loveliness—v. 1.

8.　The place where we may be planted, flourish, and bear fruit—92:13-14.

9.　The place of springs—87:7.

10.　The place of worship—99:9.

11.　The place where God is our portion—73:26.

12.　The place where we are mingledwithGod—92:10.

C.　The Psalms reveal aspects of the church as the city, such as:

1.　It is the city of the great King—48:2.

2.　There is a river with streams within it—46:4.

3.　God is in the midst of the city—v. 5.

4.　It is God's holy mountain—48:1.

5.　It is beautiful in elevation and the joy of the whole earth—v. 2.

6.　It is the perfection of beauty—50:2.

7.　It is the goal of God's good pleasure—51:18.

8.　It is the salvation of God's people—53:6.

9.　It is God's resting place forever—132:14.

10.　The city is built up by the Lord—147:2.

11.　The Lord blesses others from the city—134:3.

12.　The Lord is blessed from the city—135:21.

D.　Various aspects of the earth are also seen in the Psalms, such as:

1.　The earth has been given to Christ as an inheritance—2:8.

2.　The Lord's name will be excellent in all the earth—8:1.

3.　The earth and its fullness are the Lord's—24:1.

4.　Christ will come back to take the earth—96:13.

5.　Christ will reign over the earth—72:8.

6.　The earth will return to Christ—22:27.

7.　The earth will remember Christ—v. 27.

8.　The earth will worship Christ—vv. 27, 29.

9.　The earth will praise Christ—98:4.

10.　The whole earth will be filled with God's glory—72:19.

IV.　The book of Psalms reveals that the earth is the ultimate intention of God's desire—8:1, 9:

A.　The Psalms show us that God's intention is to recover His title, His legal rights, over the whole earth through Christ in the church as the house and the city—2:6-8; 36:8-9; 48:2; 72:8.

B.　God must conquer the earth, recover the earth, and bring the earth back under His rightful rule (8:1, 9); this is why the Lord taught us to pray, "Your kingdom come; Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth" (Matt. 6:10).

C.　God's purpose is to express Himself in a corporate way, and the key to the fulfillment of God's purpose is the building up of the church; without the church as the house and the city, there is no beachhead for the Lord to come back and recover the earth — 16:18; Eph. 3:9-11; 4:16; Rev. 11:15.

D.　When the church is enlarged from the house to the city for the recovery of the earth, God's purpose will be fulfilled, and we will declare, "O Jehovah our Lord, / How excellent is Your name / In all the earth!"—Psa. 8:9.