My interpretation of this passage is that it depicts the glorious culmination of God's redemptive plan—where heaven and earth are fully reconciled—achieved most perfectly in Christ's death and resurrection. From an eschatological and Christocentric perspective, this union is rooted in God's eternal, atemporal vantage point, whereby He justifies all things through covenant fidelity that bears the curse of sin and bestows blessing. This divine fidelity—unchanged and unchangeable—secures a cosmic harmony that is ultimately fulfilled in Christ. The imagery of divine attributes meeting and kissing signifies their perfect union in the atonement: love and mercy, justice and peace, are not in conflict but are united through Christ's sacrifice. My focus on God's atemporal perspective—seeing the beginning and end as united—aligns with Edwards's understanding. Edwards teaches that God governs creation for His glory, displaying all divine attributes in perfect harmony. Although time-bound creatures experience fragmentation—seeing justice and mercy as separate—the divine perspective sees them in perfect union. The curse on sin (Genesis 3:17–19) and the promise of redemption (Galatians 3:8–14) are eternally resolved in Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). 

The psalmist’s confidence rests on this divine self-justification: God's covenantal fidelity to His chosen people, which involves Him unchangingly upholding righteousness, even at great personal cost—entering into incarnation and sacrifice if necessary. Colossians 1:20 echoes this cosmic reconciliation: through Christ, God is reconciling all things, making peace by the blood of His cross, bringing heaven and earth into harmony. This cosmic scope underscores that Christ's atonement heals not only individual souls but the entire creation, fulfilling the psalm's vision of a land that bears fruit and divine visitation that restores harmony. Calvin, in his commentary on the Psalms, sees Psalm 85 as expressing post-exilic longing for full restoration, which finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ—the gospel's shalom where divine attributes converge without contradiction. The land's harvest (v. 12) points forward to the new creation, where righteousness will reign fully (Revelation 22:1–5), and believers walk in the way of Christ (Ephesians 2:10). 

Romans 3:25–26 underscores this point: God presented Christ as a propitiation "to demonstrate his righteousness... so that he might be just and the justifier." Here, the divine attributes of justice and peace—righteousness and reconciliation—are seen to "kiss" at the cross, confirming that God's justice is fulfilled and His mercy extended simultaneously. Isaiah 53:5 and Ephesians 2:14–17 further depict Christ as our peace, breaking down the dividing wall of hostility—pierced for transgressions and bearing iniquity—so that through His wounds, healing and covenantal blessing flow. The union established at the cross is validated by the resurrection, which signifies that faithfulness (the risen Christ as the firstfruits, per 1 Corinthians 15:20) springs from the earth, and righteousness (Christ's intercession in heaven, Hebrews 7:25) looks down from above. Psalm 85:10–13 is one of the most radiant and deeply eschatological passages in the entire Psalter. It offers a vivid vision of universal harmony—a cosmic and covenantal unity—where divine qualities are personified and brought into close, almost intimate relation, likened to a loving, nuptial embrace. In this poetic depiction, steadfast love (ḥesed) and faithfulness (ʾĕmet) come together to meet; righteousness (ṣedeq) and peace or shalom exchange a sacred kiss. 

Such imagery points toward a profound convergence of divine attributes, emphasizing their inseparable and harmonious relationship. The psalm suggests that righteousness, like a herald, precedes God's coming, preparing the way for His divine visitation, while righteousness looks downward from heaven, and faithfulness springs up from the earth like lush vegetation, symbolizing the fruitful results of divine covenant faithfulness. In this poetic landscape, the Lord grants goodness, the land produces its harvest, and divine grace ensures the ongoing renewal of creation—an image of ultimate reconciliation and restoration. Key theologians have commented on this profound unity. Charles Spurgeon, in his "Treasury of David," notes that "Mercy and truth are met together... Righteousness and peace have kissed each other," emphasizing that in Jesus, these divine attributes, once seen as distinct, are perfectly united. Romans 5:1 captures the fruit of this union: justified by faith, believers have peace with God through Jesus Christ. John Calvin, on Romans 5:1, highlights that Christ's work not only secures righteousness but also peace—so that God's justice, which was once adverse to sinners, now becomes a basis for reconciliation. 

Christian exegesis widely understands this psalm as prophetic of the atonement. In the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the seemingly opposing demands of divine justice—justice that requires satisfaction for sin—and divine mercy—mercy that seeks reconciliation—are harmonized flawlessly. Justice demands that sin be punished; love seeks to restore the broken relationship. This harmony is realized most profoundly when the righteous Son bears the curse (as Galatians 3:13 affirms), absorbs divine wrath, and secures peace (Colossians 1:20). The "kiss" in Psalm 85:10 becomes a symbol of justice satisfied and mercy triumphant—an embrace at Calvary where God's wrath and His love meet. In the broader theological landscape, figures like Jonathan Edwards have emphasized that the atonement harmonizes divine perfections—mercy does not nullify justice but satisfies it, allowing God's full self-communication to creation. Hebrews 9:14–15 and 2 Corinthians 5:21 depict the substitutionary nature of Christ’s atonement: He offers Himself to cleanse conscience and becomes sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God. Luther describes this as the "wonderful exchange," where mercy and truth, righteousness and peace, meet at the cross. 

Finally, the psalm's message provides hope amid a fallen world: God's covenantal self-justification sustains the universe, ensuring that His purposes of redemption and restoration will come to full fruition. The believer, united to Christ, experiences this divine unity in part now—through justification by faith, where heaven and earth meet in the believer's standing (Romans 5:1)—and in hope, awaiting the full manifestation of the new creation, where divine love and faithfulness, righteousness and peace, will kiss eternally at Christ’s consummate return and eternal throne. This vision is rooted not in human effort but in divine faithfulness—God's unwavering commitment to uphold His covenant, bringing about ultimate harmony in creation for His glory.