Psalms 102—106 form a group. The title of Psa. 102 indicates that it is a prayer of an afflicted one, one who was suffering. The psalmist, a godly one, was suffering because of the destruction and devastation of Zion with the temple and the holy city. This psalm has three sections: vv. 1-11, concerning suffering and affliction; vv. 12-22, concerning the rebuilding of Zion, the restoration of the destroyed temple and the holy city; and vv. 23-28, unveiling the Lord as the One who is everlasting in His resurrection. That this psalm concerns Christ is indicated by the fact that vv. 25-27 are quoted in Heb. 1:10-12.

Verses 25-27, quoted in Heb. 1:10-12, speak of Christ’s continuing existence in His resurrection. Christ is the key that turns the earth to the Lord because of His eternal and unchanging existence (Rev. 1:18; Heb. 13:8). Christ’s suffering (vv. 6-8) was for redemption, and His redemption was to produce the church as the house of God and the city of God (John 19:34 and note John 19:34^1b). It is in Christ’s resurrection, by Christ’s resurrection, and through Christ’s resurrection that the church continues its existence and will consummate in the restoration (vv. 12-22; Matt. 19:28; Acts 3:21), in which the entire earth with the peoples of all the nations will turn to the Lord (vv. 21-22; Isa. 2:2-3; Zech. 8:20-22).

Verses 21-22 indicate that it is through the established, restored Zion (signifying the church) that all the nations and kingdoms will be brought into the praise and worship of Jehovah. The rebuilding of the devastated church, typified by the rebuilding of Zion (v. 16), will turn all the nations to the Lord, and the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of God and of Christ (Rev. 11:15).

Heb. Jah; a shortened form of Jehovah.

Here the rebuilding of Zion typifies the rebuilding of the church. The history of Israel is a portrait of the history of the church (1 Cor. 9:24-27; 10:1-11). After existing on the earth for a time, Israel passed through a period of destruction and devastation, and the people of Israel were carried away to captivity in Babylon (2 Kings chs. 24—25). Likewise, the church was produced through Christ’s death and in Christ’s resurrection, and then it existed on earth for a time before it became degraded (see note 2 Tim. 1:1^1c, note 2 Pet. 1:3^1a, and note Rev. 2:4^2b) and was eventually devastated. The book of Revelation shows that Babylon the Great is versus the church (Rev. 17:1-6). Eventually, Babylon the Great will fall (Rev. 17:16; 18:2) and the church will be fully established (Rev. 21:2-27; 22:1-5).

In this verse the stones typify the believers as the building materials of the church (1 Pet. 2:5), and the dust, the soil, typifies the ground of the church. We should take pleasure in all the members of the church and should favor the ground of the church, which is the ground of oneness (Deut. 12:5-28; 14:23-25; John 17:11, 21-23; 1 Cor. 1:10-13a; Eph. 4:3-6; Rev. 1:11).

This psalm unveils Christ’s death and His existence in His resurrection (vv. 23-28 and note Psa. 102:25^1a). The product of Christ’s death and resurrection is the church, typified by Zion with God’s house and God’s city (Gal. 4:26; Heb. 12:22-23). Zion is the center of the city of Jerusalem (vv. 16, 21), and in this psalm it typifies the church as the center of God’s kingdom (Matt. 16:18-19 and note Matt. 16:19²). See note Psa. 48:2^1b.

The affliction of the psalmist refers to the affliction of Christ (vv. 6-8). This verse is a particular verse concerning Christ’s suffering, which was related to His zeal for God’s house (John 2:17; Psa. 69:9). Here Christ is likened to a lone sparrow on a housetop, referring to the flat roof of a Jewish house, where people would often go to pray (Acts 10:9). This indicates that when the Lord Jesus was on earth, probably there were times when in the night He, like a lone bird on a housetop, would watch and pray (Matt. 14:23; Luke 6:12), caring not for His own interest but for the interest of God and of God’s house.

In typology, Psa. 102 first refers to Christ’s suffering, especially to His death. Christ’s suffering consummated in His death, and through His death the church, God’s house, came into existence. Eventually, the church as God’s house becomes God’s city, God’s kingdom (Matt. 16:18-19; Rom. 14:17; Eph. 2:19).