God has gone up amid shouting,
Jehovah amid the sound of the trumpet.
Psalm 47:5, Darby Translation.

Psalm 47 1 "Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. 2 How awesome is [Yahweh] Most High, the great King over all the earth! 3 He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet. 4 He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved. Selah 5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy, [Yahweh] amid the sounding of trumpets. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. 7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. 8 God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. 9 The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted." New International Version (Divine name supplied)

This Psalm, in its original application, was probably written for the occasion of the bringing of the Ark to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15:3), yet its wording is prophetic of the time yet to come, when all things are to be put under the feet of the Christ, head and body. The author is not given, but it could have been David.

Psalm 47:1: O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy. (New American Standard Version) Jesus tells this to the nations in the coming day when all nations will be invited to learn the ways of Yahweh. Oh, what a joyous time that will prove to be for all nations! (Isaiah 2:2-4; 26:19; 35:6,10; 51:11; Revelation 19:1,2) Thus the nations are told to clap their hands, in token of their joy and satisfaction in what God has done for them. Clap your hands, as men transported with happiness, that cannot contain themselves, for "Happy are those whom you discipline, [Yahweh], and those whom you teach from your law." (Psalm 94:12, New Living Translation) Shout to God, not to make him hear (his ear is not heavy - Isaiah 59:1), but to offer up sacrifices of praise (Hebrews 13:5) that all about may hear, and take notice how much you are affected and filled with the works of God.

Psalm 47:2 For Yahweh Most High is awesome. He is a great King over all the earth. Yahweh is awesome; all his sentient creation pales before him; indeed there is no power except that from God. All creation, therefore, has reason to stand in awe at their most wonderful Creator. And to know him through the revealed words of the Bible, cannot but increase the awe we have for such a grand personality, who is perfect in power, love, justice and wisdom.

Yahweh is the King over all the earth, and he has always been the great King over all the universe. However, in the Millennial Age his true right as the Supreme King will become generally recognized through the rulership of Jesus and the saints. -- Philippians 2:11; Daniel 7:14,22,27; Revelation 20:4.

Psalm 47:3 He subdues nations under us, And peoples under our feet. It was Yahweh who gave the victory to the armies of Israel, thus it is to Yahweh the credit is given. (Deuteronomy 33:29; Joshua 21:44) In a prophetic sense, this applies to Jesus and the saints. -- Daniel 7:14,27; 1 Corinthians 15:27; Romans 16:20.

Psalm 47:4 He chooses our inheritance for us, The glory of Jacob whom he loved. Selah. Yahweh had chosen the land of Canaan for Israel's inheritance. (Deuteronomy 32:8) The whole earth belongs to Yahweh (Deuteronomy 10:14), and he has a right to give to any whom he wishes any portion of land that he chooses. (Genesis 12:7; 13:15,17; 15:7; 28:13) Thus any others possessing the land would be squatters, who either must leave or be pushed out by force. And the setting up of God’s sanctuary in it made it the excellency, the honor, of Jacob (Amos 6:8); and he chose so good an inheritance for Jacob because he loved him, Deuteronomy 7:8.

Yahweh has also chosen an inheritance for spiritual Israel: all of the Israel by faith are sons and heirs of God -- heirs of the kingdom. (Romans 8:17; James 2:5) By heirs of the Kingdom we do not mean that they are just heirs to life in the Kingdom, but that they are heirs to rulership with Jesus in the Kingdom. (Daniel 7:14,27) Not all attain the same position in the Kingdom, however; the highest position awarded is that of joint-heirship with Jesus, the prize of the higher call. -- Philippians 3:12,13.

Psalm 47:5 God has gone up with a shout, Yahweh with the sound of a trumpet. "So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of Yahweh with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet." (2 Samuel 6:15) The presence of Yahweh himself is spoken as residing above the ark (Exodus 25:22; Leviticus 16:2; Number 7:89; 1 Samuel 4:4), so the bringing of the ark up to Jerusalem, was likened to Yahweh 'going up' to Jerusalem.

This scripture is often misused in connection with the ascension of Jesus, and is given as an alleged proof that Jesus is Yahweh. Some have claimed that the "shout" spoken here is that of the angels in heaven, when Jesus ascended into the heavens. Actually, as we have seen from verse one, as well as its original application, the shout is a shout of joy from the people. (2 Samuel 6:15) In the future application, from every corner of the earth mankind will yet applaud, a great clap-offering to Yahweh through Jesus, to the glory of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus! -- Philippians 2:11; Romans 1:7; 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 1:3.

This scripture is also often crossed with 1 Thessalonians 4:16, and offered as an alleged proof that Jesus is Yahweh: "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God's trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first." If one does not read the scriptures closely, one might find a parallel between the two scriptures. However Psalm 47:5 tells of Yahweh "going up", not descending, as we read in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. However, some reply that this indicates that "manner" in which Jesus ascended, that it provides commentary on Acts 1:11 that Jesus Christ will come (with shouts and trumpet sounding) in "like manner" as you have seen Him go into heaven (Acts 1:11), and then they tie this back Psalm 47:5. Actually, the people were not shouting or clapping in Acts 1:11, nor was there a trumpet blowing; the fact is that Jesus' ascension was seen only by the disciples, not the world in general. Thus Jesus ascended quietly, in secret. It is in a similar manner that Jesus first returns, "as a thief in the night," the world does not know that they are in "days of the Son of Man". -- Luke 17:26-30; Matthew 24:39.

The voice and the trumpet in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 correspond in every way with the same figures used in Revelation 11:15-19 (see also Daniel 12:1-4) -- "The seventh angel sounded, and there followed great voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!.... The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged," etc. The same events are referred to in Daniel's prophecy: "And at that time shall Michael [Christ] stand up [assume control], the great Prince,... and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time,... Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake." And Paul adds to his mention of the voices and the trumpet the statement, "And the dead in Christ shall rise first." In 2 Timothy 4:1 he further states that Christ shall judge the living and the dead, at this time of his appearing and kingdom. The judgment eventually brings gladness to all nations, but at first Jesus' presence brings trouble, which we now see in the world.

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See: http://www.agsconsulting.com/htdbv5/kjv0052.htm#0059 -- Various links discussing 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

We might also note that the word translated "gone up" is Strong's Hebrew #5927. In verse 9 of the same Psalm (Psalm 47:9) the same Hebrew word is translated as "exalted" in the KJV: "The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly *exalted* [Strong's #5927]."

There are those who tell us that it is Jesus that is exalted, and thus Yahweh is Jesus. Of course, Yahweh is Supreme and cannot literally be exalted to a higher position than he now holds. (Hebrews 6:13) But God's human creation can exalt Yahweh in their own estimation of who Yahweh is, thus giving recognition to his supremacy. "Yours, Yahweh, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heavens and in the earth [is your]; your is the kingdom, Yahweh, and you are exalted as head above all." (1 Chronicles 29:11) "Stand up and bless Yahweh your God from everlasting to everlasting; and blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise." (Nehemiah 9:5; see also Psalm 21:13; 46:10) However, Jesus is exalted by his God from the lowly human plane of life by the One that Jesus referred to as his God, thus Jesus is not the Supreme Being who exalts him to high position above the angels, so that all dominions, including the angels, are to bow before him, and this to the glory of the only true God. -- Acts 2:32,33; 5:30,31; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:2-4,6; 1 Peter 1:21; 3:22; Daniel 9:27.

Psalm 47:6-8 Sing praise to God, sing praises. Sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth. Sing praises with understanding. God reigns over the nations (Goyim, heathen). God sits on his holy throne. Today only those who are desire to worship God in spirit and truth God can sing praises with understanding (Psalm 25:14; Matthew 3:11,12; John 7:17); the world cannot sing praises with understanding, for they are still in darkness. (Psalm 82:5; Isaiah 59:9; Isaiah 60:2; 1 John 1:6) They do not understand the truth of Yahweh's Anointed, nor of the purpose of the coming kingdom age. (Job 12:23,24; Isaiah 6:1,9,10; Mark 4:12) In the age to come, God will rule over all the heathen through his Son and the saints. (Acts 17:31; 1 Corinthians 6:2; Daniel 7:14,22,27; Revelation 20:4) Then those who have erred in this life will come to understand (Isaiah 29:24), that way will be made plain to all, so "whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray." (Isaiah 35:8, New King James Version)

Psalm 47:9 The princes of the peoples are gathered together, The people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God. He is greatly exalted! The New American Standard translation renders this: "The princes of the people have assembled themselves {as} the people of the God of Abraham, For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted." This depicts the princes of the heathen assembling themselves as the people of God. This is similar to that described in Isaiah 2:2-4, where we read of the heathen learning the ways of Yahweh, and becoming his people, and the peace that comes over the whole earth.

Overall, Psalm 47 is discussing the approaching time when Yahweh subdues the nations [the heathen] under the feet of Jesus and his saints. (Psalm 110:1; Daniel 2:44,45; 7:14,22,27; 1 Corinthians 15:25) Then the whole earth sings praises to Yahweh, and Yahweh will be glorified in Christ and his church, as Jesus is gloried in the church. (John 15:8; Philippians 2:10; 2 Thessalonians 1:10,12; 1 Peter 4:11) Thus Yahweh is exalted in the eyes of all the heathen in that day.

Related studies:
We do not necessarily agree with all conclusions given.

Our Lord's Return Part 2
http://www.heraldmag.org/archives/1951_8.htm#_Toc36212500
Herald of Christ's Kingdom, August/September, 1951. The first part of this study may be found in The Herald of Christ's Kingdom, July, 1951.
http://www.heraldmag.org/archives/1951_7.htm#_Toc36210149