On an earlier post, I mentioned the veil being hung on four pillars creating three gateways leading to the throne of God in the Holy of Holies. Bible scholars have identified three traits for these three sections of the veil, and the traits are uprightness, righteousness, and truth as identified in Psalm 15:2.
Psalm 89 is loaded with temple and covenant imagery and connects one of these traits with a specific symbol. The trait is truth, which is translated as faithfulness in this psalm. The Hebrew word is ’emuwnah, and it appears seven times in this psalm. The word faithfulness only appears six times, but in verse 49, emuwnah is translated as truth. One of the definitions of ’emuwnah is “truth, truly, or verily.” Something that is truthful is reliable, and therefore faithful.
The Hebrew word hesed appears seven times in this psalm. This is the word that President Nelson made famous. It is translated as mercy five times and as lovingkindness twice. One of the concepts of hesed is favoritism. This is tied to covenants. The Lord loves everyone and is not a respecter of persons, but there are certain blessings only attainable through covenants. Nephi said, “Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God” (1 Nephi 17:35).
Psalm 89:7 states, “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.” Let’s clarify some of this verse. The word for feared is not being afraid of the Lord, but it’s actually a feeling of awe and deep respect. The “assembly of the saints” is the Hebrew cowd, so it’s talking about a divine council.
Verses 3, 4, 29, and 36 speak of an eternal throne and kingdom. The Davidic throne would be established forever according to the covenant, and his throne would be “as the days of heaven” spanning “all generations.” This has to be the throne and kingdom of Jesus Christ. The kings of Judah (David’s line) only held rule until the Babylonian exile. The “assembly of the saints” in Psalm 89 must be the “innumerable company of angels and the general assembly and church of Enoch and of the Firstborn” (D&C 76:67).
The Hebrew word for generations in verses 1 and 4 means “to go in a circle.” Verse 8 states, “O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?” The phrases, “round about thee” in verse 8 and “all them that are about him” in verse 7 is the Hebrew word cabiyb, meaning “compass or circle.”
If we visualize this divine council with an innumerable company of angels, we could only imagine the theophany Lehi and Alma saw with “God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.” (1 Nephi 1:8). The concourses of angels would be in concentric circles.
D&C 88:6 describes Jesus Christ as “the light of truth.” Psalm 89:8 describes God’s truth as a circle or compass (cabiyb), and truth is one of the three traits mentioned in Psalm 15:2, which scholars have associated with the veil.
