Psalms 73:24 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, &c.— See Psalms 49:15. That the future wretched state of wicked men is understood in the preceding verses, seems further evident, from its being opposed to the happy state of the righteous in this verse; where the very term glory is used, whereby the happiness of heaven is described in the New Testament. The two next verses are no less remarkable; for no Christian could express his hope of being for ever with God in more apt words. It follows, Psalms 73:27. They that forsake thee shall perish. What can be meant by this, but the future perdition of wicked men? For, do they perish? i.e. Are they certainly punished here? Are they so universally? if not, How is it possible to understand these words of any thing temporal? or how, in short, can this knot be untied, this difficulty solved, which has so often perplexed good men, but by the doctrine of future rewards and punishments? This was then that doctrine of the sanctuary, which set the Psalmist's heart at rest. If it be still asked, What was there in the sanctuary to quiet and compose the Psalmist's doubts, or to confirm him in the belief of another life? The answer is easy; that his entering the sanctuary of God would naturally turn his thoughts towards heaven, the habitation of God and his holy angels; of which the tabernacle and temple were a sort of standing symbol or memorial. The figures of the cherubim, which were not only placed in the Holy of Holies, but sculptured on the walls of the temple round about, have been generally believed, both by Jews and Christians, except a few moderns perhaps, to represent the hosts of angels that attend upon the divine Majesty as his ministers to do his pleasure; and there is so near an affinity between the doctrine of angels and that of the human soul subsisting after death, that they who believed the one, could scarcely be ignorant of, or disbelieve, the other. There is, I think, a promise made to Joshua the high-priest, Zechariah 3:7 that if he discharged his office with fidelity, God would hereafter give him a place in heaven among the blessed angels his attendants. I will give thee places to walk among them that stand by; or among these ministering angels. See Peters, p. 292.