Psalm 97 declares God's reign over all the earth and looks ahead to the time when God's Kingdom will come in its fullness.
God's rule is good news for everyone (v 1) because "righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne" (v 2).
Psalm 97 describes a theophany, the coming of God to rule. This is a Day of the Lord, a time of God's intervention in world affairs leading up to the final one. Such times are described in the Bible in terms familiar from the Exodus. Verse 2 says that "clouds and thick darkness are all around him," reminding us of the Exodus plague of darkness. We see such imagery also in the Day of the Lord prophecies in Joel 2:2 and Zeph 1:14-15.
God's coming is accompanied by fire, lightning, and earthquakes (Ps 97:3-5), as at Mount Sinai. All of the heavenly beings worship him, their creator, and so how much more should all the inhabitants of the earth (vv 6-9).
God brings light and joy (v 11), as in Isa 60:1-3. We are blessed already, but more lies ahead. We rejoice in God's mighty works in past, present, and future---that's what God's name connotes (v 12).
