[Verse 1]
The Levites returned with the Ark of the Lord
The presence and strength of the God they adored
The temple was shut with the gatekeepers near
The priests would sing out till their nation could hear
Be lifted up everlasting doors
The King of Glory shall come in
Who is this King of Glory?
The Lord strong and mighty
Open your gates to the Lord of Hosts
Who is this King of Glory?
The Lord mighty in battle
The King of Glory shall come in
The King of Glory shall come in
Who can ascend to the hill of the Lord
Those with clean hands and an innocent heart
Who can be found in His holy place
Those who are humble and seek his face
Now we are the temple, He dwells in our hearts
The priesthood of faith that His Spirit imparts
This King is the One who can save from sin
He stands at the door and He wants to come in
The King Of Glory Shall Come In
Song Meaning
Petra retells the Ark's return to Jerusalem in "The King Of Glory Shall Come In," keeping the ancient ceremony's own repeated question at the center of the song rather than paraphrasing it — "who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty... the Lord mighty in battle." The call-and-response structure of Psalm 24 stays intact, priests and gatekeepers included.
"Who can ascend to the hill of the Lord? Those with clean hands and an innocent heart" keeps the psalm's original condition for approaching God's presence unedited, a real barrier rather than a formality. The song's turn comes in its final verse, moving the ancient temple scene into a New Testament frame: "now we are the temple, He dwells in our hearts, the priesthood of faith that His Spirit imparts."
"He stands at the door and He wants to come in" closes the song by echoing the same lifted-gates image from the opening verses, but relocated from a physical temple gate to a personal one, treating the invitation as still active rather than only historical.