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An Earthly Kingdom
RV227-01© Berean Memorial Church of Irving, Texas, Inc. (1993)
We are studying Revelation 19:1-6. Our subject is "Praise the Lord," segment number three.
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
Mr. Strobe Talbott has been nominated by the Clinton administration to be the Deputy Secretary of State. He is, in this position, next in line to
become the Secretary of State, and he is being groomed for that position. It is interesting that, as always, these critical positions in the American
government are held by men and women who are members of two powerful organizations. One is called the Council on Foreign Relations (the CFR). The CFR
was an organization which was begun after World War I when the League of Nations collapsed as an agency, when there was incapacity in the world in
controlling the direction of nations. This organization was organized with one explicit goal in mind, and that is to try to bring the world into one
united government. The Council on Foreign Relations has been in operation. It has a big headquarters in New York City, and its meetings are secret.
The CFR has 3,000 members – that's all, out of millions of Americans, these 3,000 men and women run the country. It doesn't matter who is in
authority, whether it's Democrats or Republicans in the White House or in Congress. These 3,000 people manage to be appointed to the positions of
power and authority, and they run the government. Their objective is to bring about world government.
The Trilateral Commission
President Clinton is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and also the sister organization, the Trilateral Commission, of which there are
only 100 members in North America. President Clinton is part of that group. These organizations are dominated by David Rockefeller. No one is
selected unless you are considered a world citizen; that is, unless you are considered a person who is looking to bring the United States into a
world organization under an economic system of socialism.
So, I want you to know, when you hear about the Council on Foreign Relations, that you are dealing with a world government organization, seeking a
united economy under the control of the international bankers. Prominently among them is the Rockefeller family and the Rothschild family. We won't
go into this in detail, but I thought you might just be interested in seeing, just from the looking, at how many Council on Foreign Relations people,
out of 3,000 Americans, run this government. Here is the White House staff. Here is the Office of Management and Budget; the Department of Commerce;
Department of Defense; the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Department of the Air Force; Department of the Navy; the Department of State; the United States
Mission of the United Nations; US Ambassadors; the Department of the Treasury; General Intelligence; Central Intelligence Agency; and, other Cabinet
appointments (Clinton administration appointments). And this does not even show you all the talking heads on television nightly news who are also
members of the Council on Foreign Relations. And some of these, you will see, have double-duty in the Trilateral Commission as well.
So, here is a powerful organization. Strobe Talbott is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations. He has been nominated to be Deputy Secretary of
State, and he was Bill Clinton's roommate at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. The Rhodes Scholar organization is devoted, as it was designed by its
founder and benefactor, Rhodes, to select men who are amenable to world government. You don't get selected to go Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar unless
you are viewed as a man who is amenable to world government, and will be willing to work toward that goal. When you become a Rhodes Scholar, you are
trained to move toward the world government idea. Strobe Talbott is amenable to world governments.
I would like to read a few quotes from an article in "The New American" magazine, February 7, 1994. First of all, the article is "Strobe Talbott,
World Citizen." On page 38, the article says, "Talbott perceives his prospective promotion as an opportunity to broaden out a bit, and to be part of
what I see as the great adventure of the United States, trying to lead the rest of the world in building a true post-Cold War international security
order." Translation: world government.
"Talbott has helped fashion a controversial component of the new international security order, the administration's Partnership for Peace plan,
through which former members of the Warsaw Pact, including Russia, will eventually be extended partnership status in NATO." To bring these nations
into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a big step toward getting nations together under a world government concept.
The article goes on to say: "Also, in a July 20th, 1992 'Time' essay entitled 'The Birth of the Global Nation,' Talbott wrote, 'All countries are
basically social arrangements, accommodations to changing circumstances. No matter how permanent, and even sacred, they seem at any time, in fact,
they are all artificial and temporary.' According to Talbott, the time is quickly coming in which nationhood, as we know it, will be obsolete. All
states will recognize a single global authority. A phrase briefly fashionable in the mid-20th century, 'citizen of the world' will have assumed real
meaning."
Those remarks from Talbott make it very clear that he, who is destined to be Deputy Secretary of State, has his eye on bringing the United States
into a world organization.
I'll read one more quote. "In the 'Time' essay, which was published months before American servicemen invaded Somalia on an U.N, errand, Talbott
wrote: 'The internal affairs of a nation used to be off-limit to the world community. Now the principle of humanitarian intervention is gaining
acceptance.' Other issues cited by Taliban as opportunities for 'collective action on a global scale' include 'the spread of terrorism; drug
trafficking; AIDS; and, environmental degradation.' Furthermore, Talbott contends that the piecemeal creation of a federally united world (world
government) is already well-advanced, referring to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; the European Community (now the European Union); and,
the International Monetary Fund, as proto-ministries of trade, finance, and development for united world. The creation of a world federation,
according to Talbot, would be a special force of pride for a world government's American constituents."
So, it is again evident that the United States is controlled by people who are devoted to bringing this nation into a world government. Strobe
Talbott, whose name you will hear more and more, is just another agent which is being used by Satan to prepare the world to accept his antichrist
as the world ruler. We are at this stage now where we are acclimating the people of America particularly, and of the other nations, to accept the
idea of a world community; and therefore, eventually controlling that community with a world government.
Consider yourself fortunate to have had that insight brought to your attention today. Most Christians are moving blindly through their daily
routines without realizing what momentous times they are living in, and how indeed we are on the last few years, in all likelihood, preceding the
Second Coming of Christ; and, of course, the rapture before that.
So, the Word of God is perfectly coordinated with what humanity is doing today. We have seen in Revelation 19 that John hears the occupants of
heaven shouting "Hallelujah," which means "Praise the Lord," on the eve of the Second Coming of Christ. These voices are the Old Testament and the
church-age saints. God is being praised for His destruction of the city of Babylon, from whence came the religion of idolatry, and of tyrannical
government. God is at last exercising His holy vengeance on Babylon by obliterating the city of evil. The saints and the angels in heaven rejoice
over this judgment of God on Babylon, which has persecuted and martyred them while leading mankind into moral corruption.
So, all believers are here admonished to praise God from all socio-economic levels of society. Praising God for His grace blessings is a proper and
wise activity for Christians today. As we showed you in the last session, whatever is important to you; whatever you value; whatever you esteem; and,
whatever you'd hate to lose, is something you better start thanking God for, and praising Him for. The Bible makes it clear that that for which you
are not grateful is what will slip through your fingers, and you will lose. When you start doing that, then you realize how much the grace of God has
given you.
It would be impossible for us to hold a Lord's Supper testimony meeting if everybody in this room really got to thinking how indebted we are
individually to God. There'd be no end to speakers, and no end of what you would have to say. And what you would do for yourself by telling that,
either publicly or privately to God, is to ensure preservation of the thing that is of value. So, the next time you look in your checkbook, and are
pleased with how well you're doing, you might want to thank God for that grace and provision, so that the checkbook would keep reflecting those good
numbers.
The Sacrifice of Praise
One of the church-age spiritual sacrifices of the Christian priest (we looked at last time) is the sacrifice of praise described in Hebrews 13:15.
This is the expression, we're told, of our lips giving thanks to God's name (meaning for what God is), and in prayer, privately expressing this
thanksgiving. Praising God for His blessings upon us is also testifying publicly before others what God has done. The sacrifice of praise should
not be neglected any more than a Jew would have thought about neglecting an animal sacrifice in the Old Testament. A Jew would never have thought
about failing to sacrifice the necessary animals at the feast days, and at the festival days, and at the times when he had been blessed, and he
wanted to thank God. He made the sacrifice.
We would probably be hard-pressed to get all of you to take a piece of paper now, and write down the spiritual sacrifices that you are required to
offer as a Christian. One of them is the sacrifice of praise. It's not hard to do. It's just that when we're not oriented to our grace position,
then we forget about thanking God. John himself is overwhelmed by the power and the loudness of the heavenly praise over the obliteration of Babylon.
The Sound of Many Waters and Peals of Thunder
So, we are now closing this section of Revelation 19:1-6. Verse says, "And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude." Once more, John
observes this huge number of people in heaven, who are all shouting in unison as a choir, "Hallelujah. Praise the Lord." Then he says, "And as the
sound of many waters, and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder." To John, it sounds like a Niagara of water going over a cataract, and like
reverberating peals love thunder, put together in this mighty sound of these people shouting praise to God. The water-flow and the thunder analogy,
of course, convey the sense of the majesty and the power of the praise of this multitude.
Hallelujah
Why are these people on such a high at this point? Some of these people have been in heaven for centuries. Some of these people are recent martyrs
out of the tribulation period. But here is an enormous, exuberant explosion of praising God because something is about to happen. The last part of
verse 6 has the word "hallelujah: once more. This is the fourth time that this word of phrase is used here in this passage of these six verses. It
is the last of the only places that this word is used in the New Testament. The word "hallelujah" is used nowhere else but in these 6 verses, and
here it is used four times in the New Testament. It is used many times in the Old Testament, but it is a special word that God the Holy Spirit has
reserved for this occasion alone, to dignify the great things that are happening.
Well, this word comes from the hearts of people who delight in being at one with the will of God. That's the greatest thing in the world for a human
being – to be at one with the will of God. These people are so pleased and so delighted that they are in sync with God. They approve His
actions. So, they shout "Hallelujah." Then the word "for" explains: "For the Lord our God." "The Lord" refers to the deity of God. It is the
God, so it's referring to God the Father. Then it refers to what in the Greek language is called: "God, the 'pantokrator.'" "Pantokrator" means "the
almighty." This refers, of course, to the omnipotence of God which accomplishes all His plans. Nothing can frustrate the will of God. This is in
contrast to the limited finite power of Satan, who has a lot of power, but it is finite. He cannot overcome God's will, and he can't even control
the evil in his own followers. Satan is trying to create a millennium without God, and he's always running around and stomping out the brush fires
of the sin nature that his followers create.
Almighty
This word "almighty" is used nine times in Revelation in describing God. It's only used one other the time in the New Testament, in
2 Corinthians 6:18. So, here you have another word. Isn't it interesting? You would think that "almighty" would be as many places in the New
Testament. No. It is used here in the Revelation nine times, and only one other place in the rest of the New Testament. This tells us, again, that
there's a special emphasis, at this point in time, on the omnipotence of God.
Babylon is to be brought down. World government has been established. The Strobe Talbotts of the world have done their work, and done it well, and
the antichrist has reigned supreme. And not the almighty God comes in and shows that it's all a house of cards, and He knocks it over.
The Second Coming of Christ
Then we come to the keyword of what all this happiness is about. Why are these people so exuberant? That is: "The Lord God, our Father, the
omnipotent, almighty one, reigns." The Greek word is "basileuo." "Basileuo" is a word that describes what an imperial majesty does. It is referring
specifically to the return of Jesus Christ to rule the world, indeed in a world government, in His Millennial Kingdom. And the saints in heaven have
been seeing Jesus Christ. They have noticed that He is sharing the Father's throne. He is not on His own throne. He is sitting and sharing the
Father's throne at the Father's right hand. They notice suddenly that the Father turns to the Son; gives Him the nod; and, Christ begins to stand.
That's why they explode, because they know what's coming now. The time has arrived for Jesus Christ to return to this earth, even as had been
predicted would come centuries ago.
A Footstool
Please turn to Psalm 110:1. I want you to be aware of the fact that we're looking at something that has been in God's plan for a long time –
the return of Christ to run this world. Here we read, "The LORD says to My Lord, 'Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your
feet.'" I think you will notice in your Bibles that you have the word "LORD" in all capital letters. In the English Bibles, when the word "LORD" is
placed in capital letters, that is the most sacred name of God. It is this name right here in the Hebrew: "Yahweh." Sometimes it's pronounced
"Jehovah." That's not quite right. It's "Yehowah." "Yahweh" is the most sacred name of God. It's called the Sacred Tetragrammaton – the
four-letter name. Here, at this point, you have this name which refers to God the Father. When God is referred to in His essence, the word "Elohim"
is used. That's another name for God. So, it is significant when this word comes up here: "Yahweh." This refers to the most powerful Creator God the
Almighty.
David says that he is saying something to "My Lord, but notice that its capital "L," but small "ord." That is because this is a different Hebrew
word, and it looks like this: "Adoni." This is a word which can be used of humanity. People can be called "Adoni," because it means "Lord." The
king is called "Your Majesty, My Lord" (this word "Adoni"). But nobody could be called "Yahweh." Only "Adonai" could be used of either deity or
humanity. Isn't it interesting that here it is used to point out the unique person of Jesus Christ as the God-man.
So, God the Almighty Father (the "Yahweh") says to the God-man, Jesus Christ, to sit at His right hand, and to put Himself where He's in a place of
honor. This is a command in the Hebrew language to the humanity of Jesus Christ. Christ in His humanity, in His resurrection body, is commanded to
sit next to the right hand of God the Father. That's a place that no angel has ever been given. It's a place of great power.
Isaiah 41:10 describes the right hand as the place of power. Colossians 3:1-2 and Matthew 26:64 indicate that it is a place of great honor. God the
Father says to the Son, "Son, sit on My throne with Me," sharing it from the time of His ascension, "until," the Father says, "I have taken care of
all the dumbos and dodos on planet earth, and all the guys who are putting together a world government, and until Satan has had his final fling, and
I'm going to make your enemies (which all these men are) the footstool of Your feet." What do you do with the footstool? You put your feet on it.
Here you have the image of Jesus Christ putting His feet on the neck of His enemies. Satan and his angels are going to be the footstool upon which
Jesus Christ places His conquering foot.
This verse is very important in a New Testament. It is repeated often, for example, in Matthew 22:44, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:43, Acts 2:35, and
Hebrews 1:13. These are passages that repeatedly referred to Psalm 110:1, to make it clear that Jesus is coming again. He's going to come at the
point when God the Father says, "Now is the time for you to return to the earth. Your enemies are now a footstool for You to put Your foot on. And
You are now ready to take over the government of the world, which they have struggled and tried to do.
Now, this in the New Testament, of course, is no secret indeed, because when the angel came to Mary to tell her that she was going to bear the long
awaited Messiah, in Luke 1:32, one of the things pointed out to Mary about this Son would be that: "He will be great. He will be called the Son of
the Most High. He is going to be the Son of God, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David." The Lord God is going to give Him
the throne of His father David. It is this purpose for which Christ came to become the king of the world.
So, this is the reason that the return of Jesus Christ is greeted with such a mighty shout of praise from the multitude of saints in heaven. The
praise of multiplied millions of saints, like a mighty waterfall, like earsplitting crashes of thunder, is shouting "Hallelujah." because they see
Christ rising from the Father's throne, and getting ready to come in His Second Coming. And all of us are there. This is a preview. These are coming
attractions that we are showing you now of the theater in heaven. You will be there to see this rise of Christ, and your voices are going to join
into this hallelujah, because you know what's coming. The volume of praise grows in intensity, and reverberates throughout the universe in joyous
exuberance.
The Almighty Lord God is taking over the government of the world from Satan, and the saints praise Him for it. This is the moment which, earlier in
the book of the Revelation, was anticipated when we read in Revelation 11:15: "And the seventh angel sounded, and there arose loud voices in heaven
saying, 'The kingdom of the world.'" Noticed that the word "kingdom" is singular. There is only one kingdom. It is the antichrist's kingdom at this
point: "The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever." That was an anticipation
of what now is about to take place.
Premillennialists
After 6,000 years of the domination of the kingdom of man, now comes the 1,000 years of the Kingdom of God. That is what the Bible teaches. Before
that Kingdom begins, Jesus Christ must return to this earth to reign over it, and to put it into motion. That's why we at Berean Church say that we
are premillennialists. Jesus comes before the millennium.
An Earthly Kingdom
I want you to understand that in most of the churches of this city, what you have just heard now would be laughed to scorn. The preacher would shake
his head, and the congregation, who had been trained in error, would say, "I can't believe that you still think that the Jews are going to run this
world. I can't believe that you think that Jesus Christ is going to rule on this world instead of in heaven.
Amillennialists
In the word "amillennialist," the "a" means no millennium. You should understand that this is pretty important information. This is extremely
critical, because if you miss the boat at this point, all the rest of the Scripture goes awry. It means nothing. And that's what the amillennialist
is always having to do. He cannot treat the Bible literally. He is always having to twist it into a spiritual analogy, because how in the world
could you accept Gabriel's statement to Mary: "He will be given His father David's throne to reign on? What do you think Mary thought of? Mary knew
exactly what that meant: "My son is going to take over the throne of the kingdoms of this world. The Millennial Kingdom, the kingdom of God on this
earth, is going to finally be put together, and my son is going to rule."
Yes, premillennialism is clearly what the Bible teaches, and it is a literal Kingdom of God on this earth. This is in fact the fulfillment of the
petition in Christ's model prayer when He said, "Thy Kingdom come." Here it is. God the Almighty is able to establish on earth His kingdom of peace
and prosperity, where Satan's efforts have ended in the dismal failure of Armageddon.
This is not merely a spiritual regeneration of individuals. Please remember that we're talking about reorientation of whole nations – the
political regeneration of nations. Isn't that going to be something? We will have a government in Washington that runs things by the will of God.
Mow that's sent a cold chill through you, didn't it? Some of you, who like to get those checks from the government say, "Oh, I hope that's not going
to happen too soon. Some of you who like the domination and the imposition of liberalism upon your liberty may like that kind of a government. But
God says that that's not His style. The government is going to be run by the principles of God.
So, what we're saying is that there will be regeneration spiritually of the governmental system. That means that there's going to be the removal of
the old pattern of tyranny; corruption; the abuse of power; bureaucratic oppression; equality by coercion; and, the denial of personal freedom. This
is the fulfillment of Isaiah 9:6-7 which describes the government that Christ will reign over. The Supreme God reigns supremely on the throne of
David from Jerusalem over a world government of peace, and of prosperity, and of great prestige. This is the total replacement of the kingdom of man
by the Kingdom of God which had been predicted in the Old Testament in Daniel 2:31-45, where Nebuchadnezzar sees a stone from the mountains crush
the image representing world governments so that they are no longer in existence, and God's government fills the earth. This is what was meant when
the mother of Jesus was told that her son was destined to be king of the world.
The world Kingdom of Jesus Christ did not come at His First Coming. He came to do that, but the people rejected Him. They would not come to national
regeneration. Consequently, that kingdom was postponed. But the kingdom is inevitable.
Here is where the amillennialists make their mistake. They say, "Well, the Jews rejected the kingdom, so God abandoned them." But the promises to
Abraham were eternal. The promises to David were eternal, and they were non-conditional. It didn't depend upon what David did. It didn't depend upon
what any individual human did. It only depended upon what God would do.
The Times of the Gentiles
So, here's the kingship of God that we're talking about on this earth. When Adam and Eve were sinless in the Garden of Eden, they were in total
subjection to God. Now this has been reversed. Israel began as a theocracy in which God was the nation's King. And Israel enjoyed then enormous
peace, prosperity, and prestige because people obeyed God's laws. Israel was a wonderful nation, and all the nations around her were envious of her.
But when the Jews demanded (and finally were given) a human being so they could be like the other nations, the clock began ticking on what the Bible
calls "the times of the gentiles." The gentiles came with the captivity of Israel by Babylon. The gentiles became the dominant force in the world,
and will continue to be so until the Second Coming of Christ. During the reign of the gentile nations, there's been no peace in the world, and
freedom has been under attack by tyrannical governments. Until the theocracy of God is again restored on the earth, in the Millennial Kingdom of
Jesus Christ, there is never going to be a government of peace and prosperity.
Liberal Government
Mankind has experimented for 6,000 years with government, and it always has ended in failure brought on by the lust patterns of the sin nature. But
as I say, there are people living today who love the governments we have, because they love government patronage. They love living off the plunder
that government gives them from what it takes from productive citizens. So, they're enthusiastic for the philosophy of liberalism. The philosophy of
liberalism is exactly counter to the divine institution of human government. The philosophy of liberalism is: "Take it away from those who earn it,
and give it to those that we think deserve it." Such a government dominating the citizens pampers the greed and the godlessness of the indolent in
society. So, those people, on the receiving end, love that kind of government. But the citizens who are robbed by an oppressive government of the
fruits of their labor through excessive taxation – they sigh in helpless frustration.
Well, a lot of those people who are shouting hallelujah in heaven are going to be those who have sighed in helpless frustration, probably including
some among you. History has shown that, as the Bible is abandoned as God's Word, the best of human governments always degenerated to tyranny;
bureaucratic domination; injustice; corruption; abuse of power; oppressive taxation; and, redistribution of wealth to create equality in society.
And that's where the United States is today. Decent citizens are understandably outraged by the arrogance of those who exercise political power, and
it makes no difference that citizens are outraged, until Jesus Christ returns to take over the ruling authority of governments.
The U.S. Constitution
The United States Constitution has not been in operation for several decades. If you ever read through the Constitution, you'll have the same
experience that Martin Luther did when he read the Bible. When Martin Luther read the Bible, and found out what God had to say about salvation, he
said, "This isn't what I've been taught. The Roman Catholic Church is not here in the Bible. It's totally different." If you were to read the
Constitution, you'd say, "How come we have what's going on in government today? That government that we have in Washington isn't authorized by this
constitution. How did this happen?" It's because the judges let it happen. It's part of the deterioration that is going to play right into the hands
of the antichrist. Freedom is compromised by liberalism. After Babylon is destroyed by God, and Jesus Christ returns to the earth, political tyrants,
and moral rulers, and immoral governments, and government oppression will be no more.
The Abrahamic Covenant
Let's take a look more closely at this promised reign of Jesus Christ. I don't want any amillennialist ever to intimidate by suggesting that there
is no basis for the idea that Jesus Christ is going to really run this world. Let's go back to the beginning in Genesis 12:1-3. In these verses, we
have what is called the Abrahamic Covenant, or the great promise to Abraham. God has called this man Abram, who lives in a very sophisticated but
evil society in Ur of the Chaldees. He is told to leave his relatives, and he is told that if he does that, God will give to him certain eternal
promises and blessings. Abraham obeys God, and he leaves.
Genesis 12:1: "Now the Lord said to Abram (which was his name before it was changed to Abraham), 'Go forth from your country, from your relatives,
and from your father's house to the land which I will show you (the land of Canaan, which was to become the Promised Land of Israel). And I will make
you a great nation. I will bless you. I'll make your name great. So, you shall be a blessing. And I'll bless those who bless you, and the one who
curses you, I will curse. In you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'"
Land
Please notice three keywords. Number one is the promise of a land: "To the land which I will show you." A nation has to have a territory to inhabit.
In the case of the Jews, it was the Promised Land of Canaan. This was from the Euphrates River on the north down to the Nile, and from the Arabian
Desert in the east to the Mediterranean Sea on the west. This was a huge piece of real estate. The Jews have never fully occupied it.
The Palestinian Covenant
The Palestinian
Covenant, given later, amplified this land promise with the assurance of a final and permanent ownership. This is spelled out for us in
Deuteronomy 30:1-10. This is the basis upon which the Jews have a right to claim the land of Palestine. It does not belong to the Arabs. The land of
Canaan was promised to the Jews: "So, it shall be, when all of those things have come upon you, the blessings and the curse which I have set before
you. And you shall call to mind all the nations where the Lord your God has banished you."
The Jews have disobeyed God. They've been scattered around the world. God says, "When you start thinking, remember this: If you return to the Lord
your God, and you obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons (the Jews have not yet done
that), then the Lord your God will restore you from captivity and have compassion on you, and will get you again from all the peoples where the Lord
your God has shattered." Never let any amillennialist or postmillennialist tell you that there's no future for the Jewish people as a nation. One of
the last things Moses made clear to them was that they were going to be scattered, because of their disobedience, throughout all nations.
And God's going to bring them together.
Verse 4: If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the Lord your God will gather you. From there, He'll bring you back. And the Lord
your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. And He will prosper you, and multiply you more than
your fathers. Moreover, the Lord your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your descendants to love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul, in order that you may live." They will recognize Christ as their true Messiah.
"And the Lord your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies, and on those who hate you and who persecute you, and you shall again obey the
Lord and observe all His commandments which I command you today. Then the Lord your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in
the offering of your body, and in the offering of your cattle, and in the produce of your ground, for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good,
as He rejoiced over your fathers; if you obey the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statues, which are written in the book of the law,
and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul."
So, the Bible says, "The land of Palestine belongs to the Jews forever. That was part of the Abrahamic covenant. There are "ifs" about that. But it
does say, "I'm going to take you out of the land, where you will not enjoy its blessings, when you disobey Me," and that's what's happened to the
Jews.
Seed
Secondly, in the Abrahamic covenant, there's a second word, and that is "seed." This is expressed in the terms: "I'll make you a great nation."
There is going to be a huge posterity to Abraham: "I will bless you, and your name will be great." The great name indicates a great posterity.
Abraham's descendants would be so numerous as to require that his name be changed from Abram to Abraham, which means father of many nations, in
Genesis 17:1-6.
The Davidic Covenant
Later on, the Davidic Covenant amplifies this progeny promise in 2 Samuel 7:12-16. We will look at that shortly. The Davidic Covenant
amplifies this having a great nation.
Blessing
There is also a third word in this covenant, and that is "blessing." in this covenant: "I'll bless you personally. I'll make you a blessing." The
book of Galatians tells us that that blessing is to be understood as having provided salvation through Christ which came from Abraham's line: "And in
you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed." They are blessed in Christ. Abraham and his descendants would be blessed spiritually. They
would be made channels of blessing to the world.
The New Covenant
The New Covenant later amplified this blessing promise. Jeremiah 31:31-34 amplify that part.
It looks like this: The Abrahamic covenant promised land, and the Palestinian covenant amplifies that in Deuteronomy 30:1-10. The Abrahamic
Covenant also promised seed, and the Davidic covenant amplifies that in 2 Samuel 7:12-16. The Abrahamic Covenant also promised blessing, and that is
amplified in the New Covenant to the Jews in Jeremiah 31:31-34. These are specific things promised in every one of these covenants, but they're all
based (I want you to see) upon the Abrahamic Covenant. Either God has lied to Abraham, or he has told him the truth. You can't have it both ways.
Under the Palestinian covenant, they were sure they would have ownership unconditionally of the land; that occupation would be based on their
obedience, otherwise they'd be scattered out of it; and, that they would have the land forever. Genesis 17:8 means forever. How long is forever?
The seed (of the Davidic Covenant) would have a house; a kingdom; and, a throne. We shall look at that in a moment. Concerning the blessing, they
would have the indwelling (the filling) of the Holy Spirit. They would have a new nature within them, and they would have forgiveness of their sins.
They were given a new covenant. They were no longer going to try to struggle it along on the basis of the old covenant of the Mosaic Law.
So, the Abrahamic covenant is confirmed many times later on in Scripture, and these three verses in Genesis are pivotal to the rest of Scripture. If
you don't understand the Abrahamic covenant and the promise of these three things, then the rest of the Bible doesn't make any sense. Please remember
that the Abrahamic covenant was unconditional. Once Abraham decided to obey God and move, the covenant was in force, and it was then dependent upon
the character of God to fulfill it. If Abraham's descendants were disobedient, they'd be punished. But the covenant would never be terminated.
Literal
Concepts in the Abrahamic covenant are to be interpreted literally. We're talking about real people and real territory. It is also forever. It is also
unconditional. It is made with the nation of Israel (Abraham and his descendants).
When I was in college, I was speaking to an amillennialist schoolmate in the Bible department, and I was saying, "You have a real problem with your
position, because God has promised a land forever to the Jewish people. How can that apply to we who are gentiles?" And he said, "What? Don't you
believe that God has given us the United States as a nation under God?" And what did he do? He took Scripture that was literally to the Jews alone,
to the territory of Palestine, and he was spiritualizing it into get into the United States.
Well, this particular person was my roommate also at Baylor University. He was a brilliant guy, and he became pastor of one of the largest churches
in the Southern Baptist Convention. And he was twisting Scripture, as they do, to spiritualize a real person and a real place in the territory of
Israel today. So, I stress to you the literalness of this covenant. God is talking about the nation of Israel and the descendants of Abraham. Only
the Jews have this covenant. They will possess this land. The Arabs are not part of it. It goes through the specific line of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. And Abraham is going to be a blessing to all nations.
The confirmation of the seed part of the Abrahamic covenant is in the David Covenant in 2 Samuel 7:12-16. With these two, you'll be well-briefed on
what it means to be a premillennialist, and why we hold that that is what the Bible teaches. King David at this time is a successful king, and he's a
victorious soldier. He is now at peace with his enemies. He looks out the window from his magnificent palace, and he sees that shabby old tabernacle
tent in which the worship of God is being conducted. It occurs to him that they ought to build a nice place for God to be worshiped in a
magnificent temple. At first, Nathan the prophet says, "Go for it." God comes to Nathan and says, "Nathan, I didn't tell you to tell him that. Nathan
goes back and says, "I spoke too quickly, David. God is not going to let you build a temple. Instead, God is going to do something for you. This is
1,000 B.C. when this information comes.
Beginning at 2 Samuel 7:12, we have the Davidic Covenant. Again, I tell you that it is literal, and it is going to be fulfilled in detail. Nathan
says that God says to give you this message: "When your days are complete, and you lie down with your fathers (a poetic expression for 'when you
die'), I will raise up your descendants after you, who will come forth after you, and I will establish his kingdom." This refers to Solomon. After
David dies, God is going to raise up a son to a position of honor, which would be Solomon, and Solomon's kingdom would be established by God in
permanence.
Verse 13: "He shall build a house for My name. (Solomon will build the temple.) And I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." God would
establish a throne of Solomon's kingdom forever – that throne which he inherited from his father David. The word "throne" means a seat of
government over Israel. Kingdom means a sphere of rule on this earth as a nation. Just read verse 13. Don't let the words slip by you: "He shall
build a house for My name (the literal temple, which he did), and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever."
You cannot say that God switched gears; threw the Jews out; and, substituted the church. That is a great distortion of Scripture, and it tears the
Bible apart in its meaning.
Verse 14: "I will be a Father to him, and he will be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes
of the sons of men." God says, "I'm going to treat Solomon as I would a son. I will discipline him when he disobeys Me, to bring him to correction.
And I will use human agents to impose that discipline upon him.
However, verse 15 ways, "My lovingkindness shall not depart from him as I took it away from Saul whom I removed from you." There is a clear
declaration of Almighty God who says, "Even if Solomon and his posterity drift off from Me, I'll punish them. But I will not go back upon My covenant
with David. There will be an eternal earthly kingdom. David's throne will reign upon this earth over all nations. Verse 15 says that the royal line
would not be terminated as it was in the case of the disobedience of Saul.
A House; a Kingdom; and, a Throne
Verse 16: "And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever. Your throne shall be established forever." There is a clear declaration
that what David has been promised, and would be fulfilled through Solomon, is something that is forever. David's house is a dynasty. David's kingdom
is a national entity. David's throne is reigning authority. They're eternal, and they're God's power. And please notice the same three critical words:
your house; your kingdom; and, your throne. These are the things that were also promised to Jesus when the announcement was made to Mary – that
He would have a house; a kingdom; and, a throne that He would rule forever. All of this is referring to an earthly kingdom. These are the three main
features: house; kingdom; and, throne. It's unconditional. It's going to be fulfilled by God.
The years have gone by. Centuries have gone by. Israel is in dispersion. The House of David has fallen into decay. And suddenly, 1,000 years later,
comes on the scene the birth of the God-man, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was born, as He had to be, in the line of David, in order to qualify as King
of the Jews, and to fulfill the Davidic Covenant. Please notice Luke 1:32-33. We are back to that promise again to the mother. Gabriel says of Jesus,
"He will be great. He will be called the Son at the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David (throne). And He will
reign over the house of Jacob forever (house). And his kingdom (kingdom) will have no end." You see the three keywords again: house; kingdom; and,
throne. These are exactly what were promised in the Davidic Covenant to David and the descendants of David. This is now fulfilled in the last King
in the line of David, which is Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ was, as the Jews all knew, authorized to be king. His foster father, Joseph, came through the line of Solomon. His mother, Mary, came
through the line of another son of David: Nathan. Jesus had the right to the throne through the line of Solomon through Joseph, but He had the right
to reign as king through the line of Nathan through his mother Mary. And the Bible is very explicit about this. Because of Solomon's great sin, God
said to him, "Christ is not going to come through your genetic structure. It's going to come through your brother Nathan's structure instead." And
Solomon was denied the privilege and the honor of being the one in whose line Christ was born. Mary came from Nathan.
So, everybody knew that Jesus had the proper lineage on both sides of His parents. If Israel was to set up a king, Christ is the one who it had to be.
He's only qualified one. So, He was born in the line of David, and these same keywords are applied to Him. Mary clearly understood the angel's
promise. She took it literally. She took it earthly. These keywords cannot be converted into some spiritual meaning. The Jews rejected Jesus Christ
as the Messiah King. They knew what He was claiming to be, and that is how they rejected Him.
So, we had that poignant expression of Jesus in Matthew 23 on the eve of His crucifixion. He stands on the Mount of Olives, and He looks out across
Jerusalem. I've done that myself. I have stood on the Mount of Olives, and looked down the Kidron Valley, and there is Jerusalem laid out before you.
In Matthew 23:37, Jesus says, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your
children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate," and
today, the house of David is desolate. The house of the Jewish people is desolate.
Verse 39: "For I say to you, 'From now on you shall not see Me until you shall say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.''" He says,
"You have rejected Me.
In John 1:11, He said that He came to His own, and His own wouldn't accept Him: "You have rejected Me. And Jerusalem, you're never going to see Me
again. Once you have executed Me, and I've risen from the dead, you will never see Me again. The Jewish nation will never see Me again until you
say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, the Messiah, King Jesus Christ."
So, rejection of David's son Jesus Christ resulted in the national dispersion and great suffering for the Jewish people. There's no relief for the
Jews today until they admit their error, and they return to Christ as Messiah King. And He is going to return. He will do this at His Second Coming
to bring about the correction, and to restore the nation of Israel.
Amos 9:11 says, "In that day, I will raise up the fallen booth of David, and all of its breaches. I will also raise up its ruins and rebuild it, as
in the days of old."
Jeremiah 23:5-6 says, "'Behold, the old days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and He will reign
as King, and act wisely, and do justice and righteousness in the land (referring to Jesus). In His days, Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell
securely. (The two parts of the nation will be brought together.) And this is His name by which He will be called the Lord our Righteousness."
God Himself will be reigning over the people of Israel.
So, Israel has to be preserved as a nation on this earth. She most certainly has been. It was a black day for the amillennialists in May of 1948,
when Israel became a nation again. Some of them are bald to this very day, as they tore their hair out in frustration, because this was not supposed
to happen. They thought that the church was the new Israel, and that Sunday was the new Sabbath Day, and all that other nonsense that around went
along with it. Suddenly, Israel is a nation. It's on the world scene. Now, those who have not previously been bald among the amillennialists are
rapidly becoming so, because the worst thing of all is happening. The nations of the world are fighting each other over the Jew. And the
amillennialist says that the Jew is no longer a factor in the world.
Now all the world is holding its breath on whether the Jews and the Palestinians can get together, or there's going to be an explosion in the Mideast
that's going to bring other nations into it. Well, there is going to be. David's son Jesus Christ is going to return bodily and literally to reign
over the future Davidic kingdom which is going to be on this earth. That's why all these people in heaven are shouting, "Hallelujah. Hallelujah." The
reign of Christ is about to begin. It will be an earthly, literal kingdom, and it will be under the Lord our righteousness, and it will extend over
all nations.
We close with 1 Timothy 6:15: "And He will bring about at the proper time, He who is blessed and only sovereign, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords."
Jesus Christ is going to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Here in Revelation 19:16, we read about Christ returning: "And on His robe and His thigh,
He has the name written: 'King of Kings and Lord of Lords.'" What is He going to be King of Kings over? He is the King who rules over all the kings.
He is the Lord who lords over all the Lords: over the kingdoms of this world; and, over the nations of this world. He is taking over, and the people
in heaven saying, "Hallelujah, Christ reigns."
Dr. John E. Danish, 1993
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