Early Stages of the Kingdom Rule

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.—Matthew 6:10

Charles Redeker

The Book of Psalms has long been treasured for its devotional character—for the deep feelings of praise and confidence in the heavenly Father which it evokes, for the thankfulness and hope that it sets forth. There could be no more beneficial way to spend our time than in reading, studying and memorizing some of its verses and the precious promises contained therein. Another significant aspect of the book is its prophetic import, an area we would like to examine in this study.

The prophecies found in the psalms cover a wide field. They pertain to the future of Israel and to the nations of the world. They touch on the exaltation of the Church and judgment of the unrighteous. Then there are those that concern our Lord Jesus: his pre-human existence, his sufferings during his earthly ministry, and his resurrection and eternal throneship. Still other prophecies point to his second coming and earthly reign with his Church. It is this latter grouping that will hold our special attention as we consider the conditions and circumstances prevailing during the early phases of the kingdom rule.

It is evident to students of Scripture that the grand promises of God to his earthly creation—restitution blessings, global peace, economic prosperity, everlasting life—are destined to come about as a consequence of the establishment of his kingdom on earth. Whereas the term "kingdom" is used variously in the Bible, its main depiction is as a divine ruling government, such as in Daniel 7:14,18. There the kingdom is given to the Son as an everlasting dominion in which "all people, nations, and languages should serve him." Moreover, "the saints of the Most High shall [also] .;.;. possess the kingdom for ever." (See also Psalm 145:11-13.)

The character of the early stages of this kingdom rule, when Christ returns with kingly power to assume his rightful inheritance, will be of special concern. This is where the prophetic insights of the psalms are instructive and upon which we intend to draw heavily. Surprising to some will be the clear indications that the early stages of Christ’s reign are not all peaceful and serene, with blessings immediately available to all mankind. On the contrary, the Scriptural setting depicts dark clouds and trouble, nations in rebellion, and powerful enemies resisting the incoming kingdom. Global conflict and social distress characterize this period when Messiah returns and begins to assume control of earth’s affairs.

Let us now note some of the pertinent passages in the psalms that spell out this sequence of events, much of it in language that is most colorful and descriptive. Sometimes the references are clear and unmistakable; other times they are only veiled foreshadowings which need to be illuminated by parallel texts and various translations of the Hebrew. By bringing them all together, we hope to reveal the underlying meanings and clarify the otherwise obscure teachings bearing on our subject.

Jehovah’s Anointed King

Psalm 2:6-8 declares that God has anointed his king upon his holy hill of Zion—Zion representing the heavenly phase of the kingdom. By decree, it is his Son who receives the dominion and all nations are to become his inheritance. Psalm 72:8 defines this dominion as reaching "from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth." Psalm 72 further notes that the king will rule in equity and bring justice to the people because his judgments and righteousness are received directly from God. Psalm 110 then informs us that it is by God’s own unchangeable oath that his Son was ordained to rule, "after the order of Melchizedek," that is, as both king and priest.

Nations In Rebellion

With the bleak record that history portrays of the inhumanity of the fallen race and its inability to properly govern itself, one would think that the nations of the world would welcome the thought of divine intervention in their affairs. But the Scriptures declare the opposite to be true. Psalm 2:1-3 graphically portrays the uprising of earth’s people and rulers against God and Christ, and the principles of truth and righteousness. In a tumultuous assembling of the nations, the rulers take counsel against Jehovah and his anointed, seeking to throw off all moral and religious restraints. Deluded and blinded by the Adversary, they continue to believe that they do not need divine assistance and do their utmost to oppose and weaken all godly influence.

As part of the biblical end of the age scenario, there have already been flagrant examples of this uprising, uprisings which continue and which intensify. Early on, the communist ideology openly attacked all religion as such; subsequently, disregard for religious standards spread to every land, accompanied by rapid growth of materialism and a humanistic world view. The deterioration of moral standards is now everywhere evident, with a seeming preoccupation with violence, sexual immorality and worldly pleasures. Even mainline churches are succumbing to the so-called "new morality." Abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia have also become common, and acts of genocide are regularly making the news.

These developments are occurring on an alarming scale and, though diverse and seemingly loosely related, all have one common denominator—rebellion against divine law. Hence, from God’s standpoint, it is fitting to express them in figurative language as "tak[ing] counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us" (Psalm 2:2,3). This defiance is pictured elsewhere as warring against the returning king, as in Revelation 19:19, in the vain attempt, unwittingly perhaps, to resist the establishment of the incoming kingdom of righteousness.

Yet Psalm 2:4 states that "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord [Hebrew: adonai*] shall have them in derision. Who is this one? We submit that it is not God as many commentaries state, but his right arm, the Lord Jesus. In Psalm 110:1 we read: "The LORD said unto my Lord [adon], Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Adon here is the Messiah, who although depicted as "sitting" at Jehovah’s side, is not inactive, but the very reverse; his appointment is to a position of authority, the exercise of which involves activity. Isaiah 40:10 states clearly "his arm [Messiah] shall rule for him [Jehovah]." And Psalm 98:1 adds that it is "his [Jehovah’s] right hand, and his holy arm, [that] hath gotten him the victory." Hence it appears to be Messiah himself who disdains the defiant stance of the nations and their unwise efforts to resist his taking charge of their affairs.

Messiah’s Conquering Reign

Psalm 2:10-12 depicts God’s warning to the rulers of earth not to oppose the incoming kingdom, but to serve him in reverence and obedience. If they are foolish enough to spurn his good counsel and refuse to submit to his loving authority, the Son’s wrath will be kindled: he will speak to them in deep anger andconfound them in sore displeasure. He has been given the power and right, as the anointed returning king, to break the nations with a rod of iron and to dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.

Psalm 97:1-7 provides an especially insightful account of the early phase of Messiah’s reign, prior to the time when his presence as returned king is clearly recognized. Although Jehovah is credited with reigning, it is actually accomplished in the person of his great representative, Christ Jesus. (See Reprints page 5989.) Characteristics of this period which are vividly portrayed in this psalm are (a) storm clouds of trouble (see Luke 21:27), (b) the gloom of darkness (see Joel 2:1,2), (c) fire which burns up the enemies of God (see Zephaniah 3:8), (d) the earth trembling under the onslaught and judgment of God, as everything out of harmony with divine standards of righteousness is removed (see 2 Peter 3:10-12 and Hebrews 12:26,27), and (e) flashes of lightning, lighting up the earth: truths along many lines flashing out to provide enlightenment for the people in the midst of all the gloom and perplexity. All of these signs are part of the present distress, as the injustices and errors of the past begin to give way to the light of the new day.

Psalm 110 correlates perfectly with this account. Jehovah sends the rod of the Lord’s strength out of Zion to rule in the midst of his enemies, who, as already seen, are to be made his footstool (verses 1 and 2). The Lord at his right hand shatters earthly kings in the day of his wrath. He executes judgment upon the nations, filling them with dead bodies, while crushing the leaders of even strong countries (verses 5 and 6).

These prophecies of the psalms interlace closely with the word pictures of Revelation that bear on this same time period. Revelation 11:15 highlights the transfer of the kingdom of this world to Jehovah and his Christ at the sounding of the seventh angel. As Messiah assumes his position of power and begins his reign, the nations are angry and kindle his wrath. But nothing can prevail against his conquering power, for those who would oppose him and destroy the earth will themselves be destroyed in the conflict (verses 17 and 18)

Revelation 19:11-21 enlarges the picture further to identify in symbol various participants of the battle. Included in this are the false religious systems—the beast [mother church] and the false prophet [daughter churches]—which cooperate with the kings of the earth andtheir armies to make war against the Word of God [Christ] and his armies [the true Church]. A sharp sword proceeds out of the Lord’s mouth, with which he smites the nations. He rules with a rod of iron and treads outthe winepress of the wrath of God. The outcome is certain as the beast and the false prophet are taken and everlastingly destroyed; and the kings of earth with their armies are slain.

The Church in Battle Array

The role of the consecrated followers of Christ during the early stages of the kingdom rule is likewise vividly portrayed in the prophetic psalms. Psalm 149:5-9 leads off by saying, "Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud upon their beds." Displaying "the high praises of God .;.;. in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand," they "execute vengeance upon the heathen [nations], and punishments upon the people." They "bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written." The psalmist adds, "this honor have all his saints."

In seeking the most satisfactory explanation of these verses, we note first that the language parallels that of Psalm 2, Psalm 110 and Revelation 19:11,15 where the early phase of Christ’s conquering reign is depicted. Hence, the involvement of "all his saints" is best viewed as contemporaneous with these events—actually occurring during the worldwide distresses of the present time. Psalm 149 pictures the joyful participation of the saints on both sides of the veil in kingdom work. (See Reprints page 5451.)

In this view, the Lord’s followers in the flesh are credited with executing vengeance upon the disobedient nations by their zealous engagement in the proclamation of truth and in their wide-ranging witnessing activities. In God’s eyes, this would be equivalent to the more direct confrontation of the risen saints against the enemies of righteousness. A similar kind of reckoning is illustrated in the Old Testament role of Jeremiah. By faithfully proclaiming God’s message, the prophet was credited with being "set over the nations and kingdoms [of his day], to root out, to pull down, and to destroy." (Jeremiah 1:4-10)

Psalm 110:3 provides additional insights into the work of the saints, in language which is highly figurative: "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning." The time element identified here as "morning" may suggest that the activity takes place in the beginning of the new [symbolic] day—the long-awaited seventh thousand-year day of earth’s history. Psalm 46:5 [margin] indicates that God directly intervenes to help the saints "when the morning appeareth," suggesting the resurrection of the sleeping saints and the instantaneous change of individual believers as they finish their course. As the Church in the flesh discerns their Lord’s return and the world-shaking events accompanying it, they become willing participants with Christ, fully desirous of sharing in the early phases of his conquering reign.

Other translations of Psalm 110:3 describe the participation of the saints in wording that has a distinctly military tone. Rotherham’s footnote renders it, "Thy people will be ready to volunteer in the day of thy host" (or "army"). The phrase, "in the beauties of holiness," may likewise be translated "in holy array" (American Standard version), suggesting an orderly, cooperative stance not unlike a military formation. This is further borne out in the final portion of the verse, "thou hast the dew of thy youth," which could also be rendered, "thy young men spring forth to thee, fresh as the dew." For "young men" Rotherham further suggests, "figuratively of young warriors of the king with flashing weapons like dew drops." Hence, participation in the work of Christ during the early stages of the setting up of his kingdom may be likened to the combined efforts of dedicated, disciplined warriors carrying forward their king’s objectives.

The Glorious Aftermath

Thus may be seen how various utterances of the psalms offer insight into the early stages of the kingdom work and how these may be viewed as being fulfilled in the present tumultuous events of the world. Happily, the psalmist goes on to give us a satisfying glimpse of the glorious aftermath of Christ’s conquering reign as well. In a climactic burst of poetic praise, Psalm 150 fittingly extols God for his "power," his "mighty acts" and his "excellent greatness," all of which will soon culminate in bringing blessings to all the families of the earth. Then truly it will be said, "let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD." (verse 6)

The psalms then specifically portray some of the wonderful conditions that are to prevail during the blessing phase of Christ’s reign:

"The mountains shall bring peace to the people;" "he shall save the children of the needy and shall break in pieces the oppressor"; "men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed."—Psalm 72

"He maketh wars to cease unto the ends of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire."—Psalm 46:9

"The meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." —Psalm 37:11

"He shall judge the world in righteousness .;. The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed."—Psalm 9:8,9

"Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth .;.;. Let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us."—Psalm 67:4-6

What a glorious preview of the kingdom in full operation and God exalted in all the earth at last!

* Adonai (Strong’s #136) is from the root adon, which is defined simply as "sovereign, i.e., controller (human or divine."