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Hoyte Nelson's Poems/ Reflections & Biblical Essays
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Essay David’s Eternal Kingdom, Confirmed in the Resurrection (NASV, unless otherwise indicated, highlighted for emphases) “The
angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name
Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; ‘and
the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He shall reign
over the house of Israel forever, and His
kingdom shall never end’” (Luke 1:30-32, LB). “Blessed
be the kingdom of our father David,
that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest”
(Mark 11:10).
The Apostle Peter, on the day of Pentecost, reveals this truth, saying,
“... Men and brethren let me speak freely to you of
the Patriarch David, that he is
both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore (David),
being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with oath to him that the fruit
of his body, according to the flesh, He
would raise up Christ to sit on His throne, he (David), foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ…;
therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this
Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2: 29,30,37, NKJV). The Psalmist prophesied in (Psalms 132: 11):
“The Lord has sworn in truth to David; He (the Lord) will not turn from
it. I will set upon your throne, the
fruit of your body.” Then the psalmist quotes from Samuel 7:12, saying, “and I
will (at that time) establish his kingdom.” The fruit of his body is speaking of the resurrection of Jesus and
his enthronement at the right hand of the Father where he is making intercession
for you and me (Isaiah 53:12; Hebrews 7:25, etc.). It would be well for the student of the Word of God
to study a brief outline of God’s covenants and promises as they effect the
believer today. For example: The
Adamic Covenant: This
covenant has to do with a restored relationship that was broken by Adam and Eve
in the Garden of Eden. What a relationship it was before our father Adam broke
that relationship with God in what we know as “the fall.” It was because of
disobedience that Adam was cast out of the garden with the curse of sin upon him
and upon his posterity. The only hope given to Adam, and to us, is stated in
these words, “by the seed of woman” (Genesis 3: 15). Oh yes, we know now
that this prophecy was fulfilled when the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus,
God’s only begotten Son, and as our sacrificial Lamb (Luke 1). The
Abrahamic Covenants: The
Abrahamic Covenant (promise) has to do with a universal covenant of promise
concerning salvation by faith that was to be given through his “seed” for
redeemed people of the world. It was said, “that in you all the families of
the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Although the nation of Israel
would be the conduit (channel) through which God would accomplish his purpose;
they were, however, never the objects of the promise – although they are, by
faith, truly included in the promise. Apostle
Paul makes it clear that it was not the nation of Israel that God was
referencing, but the person of Jesus Christ: This is what he said, “Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith that are sons of
Abraham. The scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,
preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations
will be blessed in you... So then those who are of faith are blessed with
Abraham” (Galatians 3:7-9).
Then the apostle gives further explanation about Abraham when the writes:
“Now the promises were spoken to Abraham
and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” (referring
to Israel), but rather to one,
“And to your seed,” that is, Christ” (Galatians 3:16); therefore,
it is not the nation of Israel that is being referenced, but the person of Jesus
Christ. Thus he continues: “But now that
faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor (Law). For you are all sons of
God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ. (See: 1 Corinthians 12:13) There is neither
Jew nor Greek (Gentle); there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither
male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to
Christ (by faith in the promise, fulfilled in Christ), then you are Abraham’s
descendants, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:25-29). [And so it is,
that, when all the Gentiles become one with the remnant of the saved Jews,
“All Israel” will then be one in Christ – that is, all of the redeemed,
saved by grace through faith (Romans 11:26).
The difference in the three covenants: (The Mosaic,
Abrahamic, and the Davidic Covenants are as follows): The Mosaic Covenant
was fulfilled in the perfect life of Jesus; the Abrahamic Covenant was fulfilled
in the sacrificial death of Jesus, and the Davidic Covenant was fulfilled in the
resurrection of Jesus. In other words, in His life, He filled the demands of the
Law; whereas, in His death He paid the penalty required by the law, and in His
resurrection He established forever His eternal Kingdom, promised to David, and
from which Jesus will come, judge this old world and reign forever.
Therefore,
we have the fulfillment of the “promise,” recorded by Luke in the book of
Acts, wherein Peter says, “Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding
the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to
this day. And so, because he was a
prophet and knew that God had sworn to
him with an oath to seat one of
his descendants on his throne; he
looked ahead and spoke concerning the resurrection of Christ,
that He was neither abandoned to Hades,
nor did His flesh suffer decay.
This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.
“Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received
from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which
you both see and hear. “For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he
himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit
at My right hand, Until I make
Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” ’ “Therefore let all the
house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this
Jesus whom you crucified”
(Acts 2: 29-36). Today we have the Old Covenant as the foundation upon
which the New Covenant is established, (Luke 24:25-27); therefore, the New
Covenant is built, not upon a nation of imperfect people, but upon the person of
Jesus Christ the perfect One. Thus it is
written, “For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere
copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us; nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest
enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise, He
would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now
once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by
the sacrifice of Himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once
and after this comes judgment, so
Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him” (Hebrews 9:
24-28). The
interesting thing about our New Covenant is that it not only is it complete in
Jesus Christ, but it includes both Jew and Gentile as one in the eternal Kingdom
of God: “There is neither Jew or
Greek, there is neither slave not free, there is neither male nor female, for
you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are
Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” Galatians 3:28,29). And,
so it is that the Davidic covenant was fulfilled at the Resurrection of our
Lord, and, in Him, we will be as one when He “appears the second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who
eagerly await him” (Hebrews 9: 29b). |