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Resurrection part 4: The significance of Messiah’s resurrection

The belief in Yeshua as Messiah necessitates a belief in his resurrection, otherwise the whole of the Bible narrative falls apart and is robbed of its true meaning.

Core of the Bible podcast #124: Resurrection part 4 – The significance of Messiah’s resurrection

Up to this point in our resurrection series, we have covered a lot of ground in relation to the topic of resurrection.

In the first essay, we looked at individual resurrections in the Bible, and the teaching of Yeshua on the idea that eternal life was capable of being bestowed within this lifetime and then also to be carried on in the next.
Next, we reviewed how judgment and resurrection were described in the prophecies of Isaiah and Ezekiel. Although they each prophesied of a collective physical resurrection of Israel from its captivity, it was an allegorical resurrection which pointed to their restoration in their land and their inheritance after their captivities of judgment were completed.
Last time, we reviewed the timing of Daniel’s prophecy of a final resurrection of judgment which also included not just a restoration to the inheritance, but a bestowal of eternal life. Due to the corruption of that first century generation, it appeared that judgment was carried out in the final days of national Israel in 68-70 AD, and spiritual life was granted in the establishment of prophetic Zion, the eternal city/Kingdom of God.

Now we come to the most famous of all resurrections, the resurrection of Yeshua Messiah, himself. As mentioned previously, the apostle Paul believed that Yeshua’s resurrection was absolutely a central doctrine of the nascent believing community:

1 Corinthians 15:13-14 – But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Messiah has been raised. And if Messiah has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.

While in previous essays we looked at how Yeshua himself taught about the resurrection of others, today I would like to focus on Messiah’s own resurrection, and the meaning with which it is infused from the rest of the biblical writings in the Tanakh. To be clear, I will not be dealing with evidences for the resurrection of Messiah, as I believe that is well attested in many other commentaries and studies which are readily available for anyone to research further. I am assuming that most of you reading or listening to this today believe the resurrection of Messiah is true, as I do. In these studies I am choosing to look at resurrection as a theme or motif throughout the Bible, and what the implications are for the believer today.

To best understand Messiah’s resurrection, I think we would do well to understand it from his perspective, as much as possible. To do so, we will be looking at the evening of the day of his resurrection, and how he explained to his disciples what had happened. In two conversations, Yeshua was able to recount for his disciples the meaning of his resurrection in the context of the entire Bible.

Firstly, Yeshua encountered two unnamed disciples of his as they traveled from Jerusalem to Emmaus, debating between themselves the meaning of what had occurred since the crucifixion and empty tomb had just been discovered that morning.

Luke 24:15-16 – And while they were discussing and arguing, Yeshua himself came near and began to walk along with them. But they were prevented from recognizing him.

As they discussed the confusion of the events of the day, Yeshua began to instruct them.

Luke 24:25-27 – He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! “Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.

Later that same evening, Yeshua appeared to the eleven remaining disciples and repeated this same information.

Luke 24:44-47 – Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

While the details of these conversations that Yeshua had with these disciples and the explanation of how he fulfilled what was written in the Tanakh are not recorded for us, I believe we can still glean some of the passages that he may have represented to those disciples by reading how the early believing congregations interpreted key passages from Moses, the psalms, and the prophets. His followers would memorialize some of these passages within the New Testament writings which we can reflect on in the context of Yeshua’s fulfillment of these things.

WRITTEN IN THE LAW OF MOSES

Even during his ministry, Yeshua made it clear he was fulfilling the very scriptures in which the Jews continually searched for their Messiah.

John 5:45-47 – Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?“

In what ways did Moses write about Messiah over a thousand years before Yeshua even walked the earth? One of the most prominent statements from Moses was his prediction that God would raise up a prophet like himself from among their own people.

Deuteronomy 18:15 – “Yahweh your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear…”

Early in the gospel of John, we find Philip recognizing this very passage being fulfilled in the person of Yeshua as he excitedly tells Nathanael about him.

John 1:45 – Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Yeshua, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”

The apostle Peter even urgently preached this very passage to those Jews who witnessed the healing of the lame man in the temple courts:

Acts 3:22 – Moses said to the fathers, ‘Yahweh your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.’

That Yeshua was to be a prophet like Moses can be illustrated by reviewing some parallels between the lives of Moses and Yeshua:

They both spoke the words of God to the people

Exodus 4:12 – Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

John 12:44, 49 – And Yeshua cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. … For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment–what to say and what to speak.

They both provided the source of life

Numbers 21:8 – Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Make a snake image and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover.”

John 3:14-15 – “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

They both provided the bread of heaven

Exodus 16:14-15 – When the dew evaporated, a flaky substance as fine as frost blanketed the ground. The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. “What is it?” they asked each other. They had no idea what it was. And Moses told them, “It is the food Yahweh has given you to eat.”

John 6:32, 35 – Yeshua said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. … Yeshua replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

They both proclaimed the commands of God from a mountain

Exodus 24:12 – Yahweh said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay there so that I may give you the stone tablets with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”

Matthew 5:1-2 – When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit…”

Yeshua’s resurrection proved that everything Moses was for the natural, fleshly nation of Israel, Yeshua was going to be for the spiritual, heavenly kingdom of God.

That Yeshua was not just like Moses, but was also a prophet is illustrated by these few examples.

He foresaw his own death and resurrection. Mark 8:31: “He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.“
Yeshua also prophesied of the expansion of the worship of the one true God beyond the land and leadership of Israel. John 4:20-21 – [The woman at the well said] “Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.” Yeshua told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
He foresaw the complete destruction of the temple within that generation. Matthew 24:1-2, 34 – As Yeshua left and was going out of the temple, his disciples came up and called his attention to its buildings. He replied to them, “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down.” … “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place.“

What other kinds of things can we find in the books of Moses that illustrate the work of Messiah?

In God’s condemnation of the serpent in the opening chapters of Genesis, we find a prophecy about the “seed of the woman” who would gain dominion over the power of the serpent:

Genesis 3:15 – I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.

After sparing Isaac on the altar, God related to Abraham how his offspring would bring blessing to the rest of then nations.

Genesis 22:18 – “And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed my command.”

This blessing to all nations was to come through the seed of Abraham. The apostle Paul writes about the nature and identity of this seed.

Galatians 3:16 – Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed, who is Messiah.

It was through this Messiah, the seed of Abraham, that these blessings would be poured out into the world.

Additionally, the entire narrative of the closing fourteen chapters of Genesis, 28% of the whole book, are consumed with telling the story of Joseph, one who was separated from among his brothers, was considered dead, and yet was discovered to be alive and ruling over the entire known world at the right hand of the supreme ruler of the world of that time, Pharaoh. The parallels in the story of Joseph to the life of Messiah have been enumerated over the centuries and illustrate in true allegory the role and character of Messiah.

Even the biblical calendar described in the law of Moses explains the work of Messiah. While all of the annual moedim or seasonal appointments illustrate Messiah, two in particular are stark indicators of his ultimate glory:

Day of Atonement: the sacrifice of Messiah for Israel’s sin illustrated by the double-goat ceremony, one who dies and one who yet lives.
Yom HaShemini/Eighth Day: the eternal Kingdom illustrated by the Eighth Day, the day beyond the seven days of this natural world cycle.

These examples only scratch the surface of the ways Messiah had been prefigured in the writings of Moses, and how his work was to move Israel from the natural (represented by following Moses and doing the letter of torah) into the spiritual (represented by following Messiah and doing the torah of God from the heart). Only a resurrected Messiah could accomplish what was to become eternal and spiritual.

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Yeshua not only represented to his disciples that Moses had written about him, but also the prophets. What are some examples of prophetic writings that he may have discussed with them on that road to Emmaus?

WRITTEN IN THE PROPHETS

From Peter’s speech in the temple:

Acts 3:24 – “In addition, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, have also foretold these days.

What kinds of things were foretold within the writings of Israel’s prophets?

Israel was promised a King

Most believers are very familiar with a verse in Isaiah which usually becomes very prevalent around Christmastime:

Isaiah 9:6 – For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

But if we keep reading into the very next verse, we find that a very great promise is provided to Israel:

Isaiah 9:7 – The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will accomplish this.

This prophetic announcement of the permanent rule of Messiah over God’s Kingdom, a David-like figure, became the hope of Israel. Even to this day, Jews are expectantly awaiting their Messiah. Sadly, they do not recognize that he has come and he is already reigning in the eternal kingdom of God.

The angelic messenger Gabriel is also recorded as conveying this kingship of Yeshua to Mary, Yeshua’s mother, of the significance of her miraculous child:

Luke 1:31-33 – “Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Yeshua. 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. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.“

Micah 5:2, 4 – Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times. … He will stand and shepherd them in the strength of Yahweh, in the majestic name of Yahweh his God. They will live securely, for then his greatness will extend to the ends of the earth.

Zechariah 9:9 – Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

This prophecy is even declared by the writers of scripture to have been fulfilled by Messiah in the final week of his life.

John 12:12-16 – The next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Yeshua was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him. They kept shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord – the King of Israel! ” Yeshua found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written: Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion. Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt. His disciples did not understand these things at first. However, when Yeshua was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

Most importantly, within the prophetic books Israel was promised an eternal inheritance:

Daniel 2:44 – “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.

We see how this eternal kingdom would be set up “in the days of those kings”. The kings mentioned in the vision were the feet of iron mixed with clay, which most commentators equate with the Roman empire. This kingdom to be established by God was to be set up in those days, and it was to endure forever.

That this Messianic figure would be killed and rise from the dead is not only illustrated allegorically by the story of Joseph (said to have been killed by wild animals, but is then discovered alive), but the resurrection is conveyed by Yeshua’s own use of the story of Jonah from that prophetic book:

Matthew 12:40 – “For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.

Luke 11:30 – “For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.

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WRITTEN IN THE PSALMS

Now that we have looked at some of the indications of Messiah in the writings of Moses and the Prophets, we turn to the Psalms. While there are many psalms which have Messianic overtones, Psalm 110 is one of the most quoted passages in the New Testament writings.

Psalm 110:1-4 – A Psalm of David. Yahweh says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” Yahweh sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. Yahweh has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

This teaches us how Yeshua’s resurrection established him not only as the permanent ruler of God’s Kingdom, but also a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. The writer to the Hebrews explains how this oath of God ensured that Messiah had to rise from the dead in order to establish the eternal priesthood within his Kingdom.

Hebrews 7:20-25 – And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “Yahweh has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.'” This makes Yeshua the guarantor of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently,because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

The Psalms also speak of his resurrection before his dead body would become decayed.

Psalm 16:10 – For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

Yeshua’s resurrection demonstrated that he was truly the Son of God, his King, receiving the Kingdom assigned to David.

Psalm 2:6-8 – “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree: Yahweh said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.

This psalm confirms that the King that Yahweh desired to place on the throne of his Kingdom, the prophetic New Jerusalem of Zion, was to be his own Son. He would inherit not just the land of Israel, but have the nations before him.

These qualities were also brought out in Paul’s sermon in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, as he quoted several of the psalms regarding the resurrection of God’s own son, reigning on the throne of David:

Acts 13:30-35 – But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Yeshua, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ Therefore he says also in another psalm, “‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’

We have already seen how strongly Paul felt that the resurrection of Messiah was central to the story of redemption, and here we see him piling on these several passages from the Prophets and Psalms that we have just reviewed to corroborate that Yeshua fulfilled what was written and promised to their fathers in generations past.

1 Peter 1:3-4 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua Messiah. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Yeshua Messiah from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.

An inheritance that was to be imperishable, undefiled, and unfading would only be possible with an ever-living Prophet, King, and Priest. Israel’s eternal inheritance was bound up together with a living representative of an everlasting covenant so that the Kingdom of God would be firmly established and would never pass away. The resurrection of Yeshua accomplished all of these things.

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We saw in our last essay how the kingdom was always meant to be spiritual, because only spiritual things can last forever.

2 Corinthians 4:18 – So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

The resurrection of Yeshua enabled all of these qualities to become true, not just for a generation or even for a particular earthly reign, but forever.

Israel was promised a prophet like Moses, and Yeshua’s resurrection allows him to be that prophet forever.
Israel was promised a king like David, and Yeshua’s resurrection allows him to be that king forever.
Israel was promised a priest like Melchizedek, and Yeshua’s resurrection allows him to be that priest forever.

Therefore, the resurrection of Yeshua was an absolute necessity which is why Paul would write:

1 Corinthians 15:14 – and if Messiah has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith.

The belief in Yeshua as Messiah necessitates a belief in his resurrection, otherwise the whole of the Bible narrative falls apart and is robbed of its true meaning. One cannot be true without the other: a resurrected Messiah makes no sense without the full context of the rest of the biblical narrative and promises made to Israel, and the biblical narrative and promises require an eternal Prophet, King, and Priest.

Without an eternal Prophet, we cannot know the will of God. Without an eternal King, we have no righteous authority. Without an eternal Priest, we have no atonement for sin. However, the whole thing put together results in a beautiful harmony of God’s three-fold provision for his people, and for any who choose to align themselves with the God of Israel. He has established his eternal King upon his throne, an eternal Prophet who reveals the will (or Word) of God to his people forever, and an eternal Priest who always lives to intercede for those who come to him.

This is why Messiah has supremacy over Adam, because he has conquered not only sin but death.

Romans 5:17 – If by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man [Adam], how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Yeshua Messiah.

This is why Messiah has supremacy over Moses, since Moses faithfully created and cared for the Kingdom of God on the earth (the house of Israel) in his generation, but it is through Messiah that the new creation of the eternal Kingdom of God has been built.

Hebrews 3:2-3 – He [Yeshua] was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was in all God’s household. For Yeshua is considered worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder has more honor than the house.

If Yeshua truly is our Prophet, King, and Priest, then for believers there really is no need any longer for earthly prophets, kings, or priests. Our primary allegiance belongs to Yahweh through his provision of our ultimate Teacher, Authority, and Intercessor, Yeshua, not to some earthly counterfeit. While we still need to abide by the rulers of this earth, our ultimate allegiance belongs only to Yahweh through his Messiah, Yeshua. This is why no natural nation, entity or organization can claim supreme authority as the “true” people of God or belief system because only a spiritual entity, the Kingdom of God, is eternal; all else is subject to death and corruption. Only God’s Word and his Kingdom with his designated and chosen Prophet, King, and Priest is eternal.

Because of his resurrection, only Yeshua Messiah has the right to stand in authority over all other belief systems. By conquering death he has validated forever the truth that he taught, fulfilling all that was written about him in the writings of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, just as he had explained to his disciples. By being raised from the dead, he became the genesis of a whole new creation, a new heavens and a new earth!

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 – So from now on we have known no one according to the flesh, and even if we have known Messiah according to the flesh, yet now we know him no more; so that if any one is in Messiah — he is a new creature! The old things did pass away; behold, all things have become new.

God has renewed, restored, and resurrected his people in Messiah Yeshua. The very real and tangible resurrection of Messiah after his crucifixion was the physical token revealing the genesis of this new creation; in Messiah, all things are already new! Because of Messiah’s resurrection, believers today can have not only hope through the struggles in this life, but the ultimate hope in an instantaneous and eternal existence in God’s presence once this life is through.

Speaking to Martha at the tomb of her brother Lazarus, Yeshua uttered what I believe were the most important words to give believers hope in this life:

John 11:25-26 – Yeshua said to her, “I am the resurrectionand the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Well, this series has been a long journey and has taken us into some areas that are not typically reviewed in the context of resurrection. However, I truly hope that through all of these scriptural detours and rabbit holes that there are at least a couple of concepts and ideas to encourage you to meditate on and to study out further on your own. But remember, if you have thoughts or comments that you would like to explore further with me, feel free to email me at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

The authority of the eternal kingdom

Messiah purchased a people and delivered an eternal kingdom to his Father, the God of the universe.

I believe one of the reasons the gospel of the kingdom is so misunderstood today is because people fail to see that the kingdom is all about authority. If there is a kingdom, there is a king, and if there is a king, then that king has authority. So to admit that there is a kingdom of God is to admit that God has authority to rule and reign over all kingdoms.

I have mentioned before that most people who consider themselves believers in the Bible would likely view this eventuality of God ruling all nations as a future event. However, I am in a minority of those who consider this to be a current fact, a fact that will remain so for all time and eternity.

In the absolute sense, he is God, after all, and therefore has in a primary sense always ruled all of his Creation. However, in a specific sense, God had, through ancient Israel, prepared a people who would become his representatives and light of instruction to the rest of the world. There was a point in time when he began an earthly kingdom through Moses and David up to the time of Messiah. It was then that another aspect of the kingdom, a spiritual one, was to be enacted to fulfill the earthly model, and then to remain into eternity.

Yeshua repeatedly urged the people to be repentant of their own ways because of the nearness of the impending spiritual kingdom of God, and how it was to be earnestly sought after even in those days.

Matthew 4:17 – From then on Yeshua began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 5:10 – “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

As the fulfillment of all of Israel’s hopes and prophecies, Yeshua stood as the promised seed of Abraham who was the true King of Israel, faithfully representing God the Father in all his ways.

John 12:50 – “… So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me.”
Galatians 3:16 – Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed, who is Christ.
John 1:49 – “Rabbi,” Nathanael replied, “You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel! “
John 12:12-13 – The next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Yeshua was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him. They kept shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of Yahweh – the King of Israel! “

Yeshua ruled and reigned as the true king as God’s Son, inaugurated in his resurrection to the right hand of the Father.

Acts 13:32-34 – “And we ourselves proclaim to you the good news of the promise that was made to our ancestors. God has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising up Yeshua, as it is written in the second Psalm: You are my Son; today I have become your Father. As to his raising him from the dead, never to return to decay, he has spoken in this way, I will give you the holy and sure promises of David.

This was the fulfillment of Psalm 110, one of the most repeated prophetic statements applied to Messiah in all of the New Testament.

Psalm 110:1 – This is the declaration of Yahweh to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”

Messiah had to reign at God’s right hand until his enemies, the unfaithful Jewish leaders and apostate Jews who had fallen from their own God-given belief system, were dealt with. This occurred at the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, when Jerusalem and the physical temple system was destroyed, never to be rebuilt. It was then, having achieved the victory over his enemies, that Yeshua handed the kingdom back over to the Father, as had been prophesied.

1 Corinthians 15:24-28 – Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he abolishes all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign until he puts all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be abolished is death. For God has put everything under his feet. Now when it says “everything” is put under him, it is obvious that he who puts everything under him is the exception. When everything is subject to Christ, then the Son himself will also be subject to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

Since his enemies have been destroyed, the kingdom has reverted to God the Father. As the passage above from Paul relates, the last enemy that was to be abolished was death. This was evidenced through the destruction of his enemies. This is the good news of the kingdom! Death has been abolished! For believers, there is no cessation of existence at physical death! This was the great message of faith in Messiah.

John 11:25-26 – Yeshua said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. “Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? “

The authority of God has been firmly established for all eternity by his Messiah accomplishing all that the Father sent him to do. God now rules and reigns over all nations, illustrated by the idealized city of Zion, the New Jerusalem, reigning over all the kings of the earth.

Revelation 21:10, 24, 26 – He then carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, … The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. … They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.

This is the God whom we serve, the authority over all the earth, King of the earthly and spiritual kingdom once for all fused into eternal unity through his Messiah, Yeshua.

Revelation 22:17 – Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come! ” Let anyone who hears, say, “Come! ” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.

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The eternal kingdom of faithfulness

Believers are challenged to demonstrate their true allegiance as citizens of an everlasting kingdom.

If one thing is abundantly clear from the Bible, it is that the fate and longevity of the kingdom of Israel depended on the integrity and righteousness of the king. While there are numerous examples of this, Jeroboam son of Nebat , the first king over the ten tribes of the northern kingdom, set an awful precedent of idolatry which was followed by many kings after him. He created idols of golden calves in the north and south so people would not have to go to Jerusalem to worship. He created his own made-up holiday in the eighth month encouraging the Israelites to have a festival and make sacrifices. In short, he corrupted the northern kingdom with extreme idolatry. Other northern kings followed in his footsteps:

2 Kings 15:8-9 – In the thirty-eighth year of Judah’s King Azariah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria for six months. He did what was evil in Yahweh’s sight as his fathers had done. He did not turn away from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.

2 Kings 15:17-18 – In the thirty-ninth year of Judah’s King Azariah, Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel, and he reigned ten years in Samaria. He did what was evil in Yahweh’s sight. Throughout his reign, he did not turn away from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.

2 Kings 15:23-24 – In the fiftieth year of Judah’s King Azariah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. He did what was evil in Yahweh’s sight and did not turn away from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.

The two southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin also had their own bad representative in the person of Ahaz.

2 Chronicles 28:1-4 – Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in Yahweh’s sight like his ancestor David, for he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and made cast images of the Baals. He burned incense in Ben Hinnom Valley and burned his children in the fire, imitating the detestable practices of the nations Yahweh had dispossessed before the Israelites. He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

The account in Chronicles relates that the result of this wickedness and rampant idolatry of Ahaz led to the humbling of the kingdom of Judah:

2 Chronicles 28:19 – For Yahweh humbled Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah, who threw off restraint in Judah and was unfaithful to Yahweh.

I could equally list a group of good kings who did what was right and good in God’s eyes, such as Joash or Hezekiah, who accomplished great reforms and sought to remove all idolatry and wrongdoing from the land.

But the point remains that the conditions in the kingdom were dependent on the attitude and actions of the king. If they obeyed, they were blessed; if they disobeyed, they suffered from foreign oppression, poor harvests, and war.

The good news is that the eternal kingdom of God has a righteous king! When Yeshua arrived to announce the kingdom of God, he represented it as a kingdom of repentance, holiness, integrity, peace, and faithful obedience to God.

Matthew 5:3-10 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.”

The writer of Hebrews tells us that the kingdom of Messiah is patterned after the example of Melchizedek, whose very name means “king of righteousness.”

Hebrews 6:19-20 – We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Yeshua has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 7:1-2 – For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, met Abraham and blessed him as he returned from defeating the kings, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means king of righteousness, then also, king of Salem, meaning king of peace.

However, Yeshua instructed Pilate that his kingdom was not one that was to be set up in this world. It was not to be a physical kingdom that would be established at that time to overthrow the Roman oppression that Israel was facing .

John 18:36 – “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Yeshua. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

The apostle Paul continued this teaching that the kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom, and not one that is on this earth.

1 Corinthians 15:50 – What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption.

The kingdom that was established at that time was a spiritual kingdom, because only a spiritual kingdom can last for eternity. And the king of this kingdom must be immortal, as Yeshua demonstrated by his resurrection. Anything that is physically of this world is temporary, even if it were a kingdom to last a thousand years or more. According to Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the kingdom that God set up through his Messiah was to be an everlasting kingdom.

Daniel 2:44 – “In the days of those kings [i.e., the Romans], the God of the heavens will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be left to another people. It will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself endure forever.

True to form, every kingdom of Daniel’s prophecy, including the rebellious kingdom of ancient Israel, had to be brought to an end. In the death of the national kingdom was the birth of the spiritual and everlasting kingdom. The physical kingdom by its very nature could not and would not last forever.

Daniel 12:6-7 – One of them said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the water of the river, “How long until the end of these wondrous things? ” Then I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the water of the river. He raised both his hands toward heaven and swore by him who lives eternally that it would be for a time, times, and half a time. When the power of the holy people is shattered, all these things will be completed.

The power of the holy people, national Israel, was shattered after three and a half years of fighting with the Romans, and the city and temple fell in 70 AD. That was the time of the end spoken of by the angel to Daniel.

Daniel 12:8-9 – I heard but did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things? ” He said, “Go on your way, Daniel, for the words are secret and sealed until the time of the end.

Paul said that at the time of the end the kingdom of Messiah would be placed under the authority of God the Father for all eternity

1 Corinthians 15:24, 28 – Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he abolishes all rule and all authority and power. … When everything is subject to Messiah, then the Son himself will also be subject to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

This is the kingdom that exists today. All rightful rule and authority belongs Messiah under the auspices of God the Father, not to the temporary nations and kingdoms of this world. Believers may be living in various kingdoms and nations today, but they are first and foremost citizens of the eternal spiritual kingdom that continues to grow throughout the earth. This is the high calling of those who have been drawn to God through faith in his Messiah. The kingdom of Messiah is a kingdom of repentance, holiness, integrity, peace, and faithful obedience to Yahweh. Nations of this earth may come and go, but it is the kingdom of God which will last throughout all eternity, and the eternal open invitation will continually remain for all who will hear:

Revelation 22:17 – Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come! ” Let anyone who hears, say, “Come! ” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.

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Only the best for the King

This is the ideal that we should be continually striving for within the Kingdom.

Proverbs 22:29: “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve kings. He won’t serve obscure men.”

In reading the proverbs, one of the ways of drawing out the meaning of the proverb is by stating its opposite. For example, in this case, the skillful worker is the one who will be selected to serve the king, which implies that the unskilled worker would not be selected to serve the king. This makes sense, after all. Why would someone who is unskilled be tasked in working for a noteworthy individual, and certainly someone as influential as the leader of the land?

This principle is borne out in Samuel’s warning to Israel regarding their desire to have their own king over them like all the other nations.

1 Samuel 8:11, 14, 16 – And he said, “This will be the practice of the king who will reign over you: … “He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. … “He will also take your male servants and your female servants, and your best young men, and your donkeys, and use them for his work.”

This obviously came to pass as Samuel had predicted and is a also principle that was borne out during the reign of Solomon when he selected Jeroboam to become a leader for his workers.

1 Kings 11:28: “The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon saw the young man that he was industrious, and he put him in charge of all the labor of the house of Joseph.”

Even in the parables of Yeshua, he encourages diligent and faithful behavior as that which will be rewarded.

Matthew 25:23: ““His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’”

Generally, even in business dealings today, it’s the highest performers who typically are able to attain to the greatest positions within a company. So why is it we can see how this makes sense within a physical hierarchy but then somehow not translate this over into our spiritual service? If we truly believe that we are serving the King, then shouldn’t he receive our absolute best at all times?

Paul encourages this among the Roman believers, and also with his protege Timothy in the carrying out of his leadership tasks.

Romans 12:11: “not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;”
2 Timothy 4:2: “preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching.”

So, in what ways can we improve on our service within the Kingdom? Perhaps there are areas in which we are being gently convicted without yet having taken the initiative to increase our skills with the gifts that have been given to us. It may be in finally agreeing to that volunteer position that a ministry team has been asking about or committing to increase our learning in a study course or discipleship program. Whatever tools and opportunities we have been given, we can hone those resources into creating the finest level of service that we are capable of. It’s all about striving our hardest, not to impress others, but to bring only our best before the King, because he is worthy of only our absolute best.

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Two faithful kings with differing outcomes

Believers are called to be faithful, but how that faithfulness is recognized by God remains within his Providence.

2 Kings 18:5-7 – Hezekiah relied on Yahweh God of Israel; not one of the kings of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. He remained faithful to Yahweh and did not turn from following him but kept the commands Yahweh had commanded Moses. Yahweh was with him, and wherever he went he prospered…

Hezekiah is a great example of faithfulness rewarded. His reforms throughout Israel an the removal of idolatry throughout the land served to demonstrate his faithfulness to Yahweh. He is recorded as having maintained the commands of Moses and not having turned at all from Yahweh. His faithful pleading before Yahweh spared the city of Jerusalem from an Assyrian invasion.

Years later, we come to the reign of Hezekiah’s great-grandson Josiah, a king who also is known for his faithfulness to Yahweh and his sweeping reforms throughout the land, removing idolatry and pagan practices from all aspects of the life of Israel that had arisen during the time of his grandfather, Manasseh. Yet, we find a differing result of his faithfulness than was exhibited towards Hezekiah.

2 Kings 23:25-27 – Before [Josiah] there was no king like him who turned to Yahweh with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength according to all the law of Moses, and no one like him arose after him. In spite of all that, Yahweh did not turn from the fury of his intense burning anger, which burned against Judah because of all the affronts with which Manasseh had angered him. For Yahweh had said, “I will also remove Judah from my presence just as I have removed Israel. I will reject this city Jerusalem, that I have chosen, and the temple about which I said, ‘My name will be there.’ “

The wickedness of the previous king, his grandfather Manasseh, had been so great that God had determined that judgment was necessary upon the nation. Is this an indication that the faithfulness of Josiah was to no avail? Did Josiah conduct all of those great reforms only to have God ignore all of his faithful efforts? We may find an answer in the response of Yahweh to Josiah that he had received through the prophetess Huldah.

2 Kings 22:18-20 – “Say this to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of Yahweh: ‘This is what Yahweh God of Israel says: As for the words that you heard, “because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before Yahweh when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and because you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I myself have heard’ – this is Yahweh’s declaration. “‘Therefore, I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster that I am bringing on this place.’ ” Then they reported to the king.

God knew that Josiah’s heart was right, so he himself was blessed with peace during his lifetime. However, God also knew that the people’s hearts were not right, because they kept falling back into the idolatry that they had been commanded to avoid at all costs, even by Moses himself. No matter how faithful the king was in abiding by the law of Moses, God knew the heart of the people had not been changed.

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 – “When you enter the land Yahweh your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable customs of those nations. “No one among you is to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire, practice divination, tell fortunes, interpret omens, practice sorcery, “cast spells, consult a medium or a spiritist, or inquire of the dead. “Everyone who does these acts is detestable to Yahweh, and Yahweh your God is driving out the nations before you because of these detestable acts.

The people were receiving the judgment they deserved because of their continued refusal to follow the torah or the instruction of God, and instead continued to abide by the wicked practices of the pagan nations that had been driven out before them. Josiah was spared because he had demonstrated himself faithful. He had done everything he could to ensure that, as much as possible, he had afforded the people an opportunity for repentance and faithfulness, as well. Had they whole-heartedly repented, there is the possibility that the destruction of the city could have been avoided, and they could have remained in the land.

From this, we may be able to take away an understanding that we, as believers in Messiah, are tasked with being faithful to God. The rest of society may not agree with our stance on issues that are based on pagan propositions, just like the idolatry that ancient Israel faced. But that does not mean we should lose hope, or fall from our faithful stance.

Hebrews 11:6 – Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

God is a rewarder of the faithful, but it may not be in the form or ideas that we have about what that may look like. He may choose to save and deliver from the results of unfaithfulness, or he may choose to allow judgment to fall around us on those who remain resistant to the truth of God’s Word. However, we can be sure that, regardless if we receive any perceived benefit at all, our individual faithfulness will not go unnoticed by him.

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Worshiping the King through obedience to his Word

The ninety-ninth psalm is a majestic call to worship the God of the universe right here and now on this earth.

The ninety-ninth psalm is a majestic call to worship, a call to worship and serve the God who is exalted above all people.

Psalm 99:2 – Yahweh is great in Zion; he is exalted above all the peoples.

In the context of ancient Israel, this psalm illustrates where God allowed his Presence to dwell: within the sanctuary of the temple. The first verse says, “He is enthroned between the cherubim.” The cherubim were two massive, winged angelic beings that dominated the Holy of Holies, the perfectly cube-shaped room at the center of the temple into which the High Priest entered only once a year on the Day of Atonement.

The psalmist urges the hearers to “worship at his footstool” or at the place of his feet. In the symbolism of the temple, if Yahweh was enthroned between the wings of the cherubim, then his feet would have rested at the Ark of the Covenant, the place of the Ten Commandments.

Psalm 99:4 – The mighty King loves justice. You have established fairness; you have administered justice and righteousness in Jacob.

Within this cascading symbolism, prostrating oneself at the footstool of God is a recognition of the justice of God through his commands. To bow at his footstool is to submit oneself to the administration of his justice through the observance of his commands.

As Yahweh is the King, it stands to reason that the foundation of his kingdom is based on righteousness, fairness, and justice. These, the psalm says, have been administered “in Jacob.” The whole history of Jacob or Israel is an example for the rest of the world to see how fairly God has dealt with his people. In viewing this example, we can understand how God desires to interact with his people.

Isaiah 55:3-4 – “Pay attention and come to me; listen, so that you will live. I will make a permanent covenant with you on the basis of the faithful kindnesses of David. Since I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples…”

In other places, the heavens are considered the throne of God and the entire earth is considered the footstool of Yahweh. This is referenced by Isaiah who is quoted even by Yeshua himself.

Isaiah 66:1 – This is what Yahweh says: Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. Where could you possibly build a house for me? And where would my resting place be?
Matthew 5:34-35 – But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; or by the earth, because it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.

Ultimately, Yahweh says, as the Creator of all, there is no one place that could contain his Presence, but as the King of all he will honor the individual who humbly submits to his word.

Isaiah 66:2 – “My hand made all these things, and so they all came into being. This is Yahweh’s declaration. I will look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at my word.”

All of this imagery combines to demonstrate the majestic holiness of the God of the universe. He cannot be contained within a temple, or even the earth itself, since it can only represent his footstool. His majesty is so great that it fills the universe, and yet he reveals to us, through his dealings with “Jacob” and with “David” that he respects those who honor his word. His word is the foundation of all justice and fairness that was symbolically kept within the footstool of his Presence in the temple, within the Ark of the Covenant.

If we are to worship at his footstool, and the entire earth is his footstool as both Isaiah and Yeshua reference, then it behooves all people to worship him on this earth by submitting to his timeless word represented by his commands. This is how we worship the God of the universe; not only by lifting holy hands in prayer or song, but by living out his commands in all we think, do and say.

Colossians 1:9-10 – “… we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God…”

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The gospel of the kingdom is the hope of the future of this world

Our high calling is to stand for the truth of God’s sovereignty amidst those who have not recognized him as king.

1 Corinthians 15:50 – What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption.

The kingdom of God will only be established on this earth as he rules and reigns in our hearts; this is a spiritual process, not a political one. There is no army that will rise up to fight against the armies of the world to establish a kingdom for God and his Messiah; Yeshua made this abundantly clear.

There is an ongoing revolution, to be sure, but it is not one that is accomplished with the weapons of this world, but with the Word and Spirit of God.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 – For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Messiah.

As hearts are captured for him, the resulting repentant fruits of forgiveness, good deeds, and compassion continue to spread in concentric rings outward from the believers into the void of darkness around each one of them until they overlap in waves of rejoicing and glorifying the God of the universe. When this is accomplished, then the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of God and his Messiah.

Revelation 11:15 – The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever.

In one sense, this is already accomplished because it is a foregone conclusion according to the immutability of God’s counsel in his Word. In another sense, it is still being accomplished within each generation as believers continue to spread the message of the kingdom.

The gospel, or the good news we have to share, is of the kingdom of God, not of personal salvation.

Mark 1:14-15 – After John was arrested, Yeshua went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news! “
Luke 4:43 – But he said to them, “It is necessary for me to proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose.”
Luke 8:1 – Afterward he was traveling from one town and village to another, preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,
Luke 16:16 – “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urgently invited to enter it.
Acts 8:12 – But when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Yeshua Messiah, both men and women were baptized.

We have the emphasis on the wrong aspect of what God intends for human existence if we focus on the personal over the collective enlarging of the kingdom of God. We have been taught for so many decades and centuries that the gospel is about us and our personal salvation, when in reality it is all about God and his kingdom. God ruling over all of the kingdoms of the earth is an inevitable conclusion that just hasn’t come to full fruition yet in this reality because we have sidelined the main purpose of God with our preoccupation with our own selfish needs and desires. Certainly, the promise of God through Messiah is eternal life in him, but that’s only because believers will be living within the parameters and fulfillment of obedience in his kingdom. The kingdom is the primary objective, not individual salvation.

This is why the world struggles now: not because it is nearing an ending but because things are not as they are supposed to be. Stress is induced when what is meant to happen does not occur. This unrealized potential is the cause of all conflict, as individuals refuse to recognize the sovereignty of the God of the universe. When the kingdom is not the focus, there is no urgency or motivation to obey the king.

Having the focus on individual salvation causes a silo effect, where believers retreat into pockets of safety and shelter from the raging storms around us. We receive what we hoped for and pray that God accomplishes his will in the lives of others, but we want him to do so by using someone else. But the heroes of the faith did not act in this way; they recognized their independent salvation was only a means for others to profit by, and they stood for the truth of the kingdom in every aspect of their lives. This caused friction among the unrepentant, who took out their anger on the faithful, wounding and killing them to rid the world of their conscientious stand for the truth.

We need to stand for the truth for the sake of others.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 – First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Yes, God desires all men to be saved, but this only occurs as they come to the knowledge of the truth, the other part of that verse. The truth of God is that he already reigns over all in the spiritual realm, and he is choosing to only rule over the physical realm when all will willingly come to him in repentance and understanding.

Isaiah 45:22-23 – “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

We need to pick up the banner, not the banner of some cause du jour, the latest meme-worthy event circulating through social media, but the banner of THE cause of causes: standing for the King and his kingdom amidst a generation of darkness.

1 Thessalonians 5:5-6, 8 – For you are all children of light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness. So then, let us not sleep, like the rest, but let us stay awake and be self-controlled. … But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled and put on the armor of faith and love, and a helmet of the hope of salvation.
Philippians 2:13, 15-16 – “For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. … so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life…”

This is the fulfillment of the kingdom of God on the earth. This is the end-goal of all Scripture and teaching within the Bible. This is how God chooses to reign over all those whom he has created. As the spiritual kingdom is established in the hearts of his people, it spreads throughout the earth until the physical kingdoms of the world are subservient to the King, and he is all in all, in both the spiritual and the physical realms. Let us hold firmly to the Word of life and be the lights of the kingdom to every generation. This is the restoration of all things, and our unwavering motivation providing hope for all time in the future to come.

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Trust in God is the refuge of believers

We can stand firm on the proven foundation of biblical wisdom that has been handed down to us.

Psalm 31:2, 5, 6, 14, 19, 23-24 – Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly. Be a rock of refuge for me, a mountain fortress to save me.
5 Into your hand I entrust my spirit; you have redeemed me, Yahweh, God of truth.
6 You hate those who are devoted to worthless idols, but I trust in Yahweh.
14 But I trust in you, Yahweh; I say, “You are my God.”
19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge and trust in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!
23 Love Yahweh, all his faithful ones. Yahweh protects the loyal, but fully repays the arrogant. 24 Be strong, and let your heart be courageous, all you who put your hope in Yahweh.

Psalm 31 is a psalm attributed to King David. If anyone knew about God being a refuge for those who trust in him, it would have been David. Hunted and pursued by Saul and his men, David was quite literally seeking refuge from danger every day.

1 Samuel 23:8, 14 – And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. … And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.

Yet in this psalm, David, in his typical poetic fashion, likens the physical refuges he had found in the caves and strongholds in the wilderness to trusting in Yahweh. The trust, faith, and hope in Yahweh itself becomes a haven of protection against the designs of detractors.

In verse 19, David says there is abundant goodness stored up for those who trust God in the sight of others. Imagine what a blessing we can be to others as our solid trust and faith in Yahweh stands firm against the swirling doubts and shifting opinions of this generation in everything from social identity to political ideals. God’s people can stand firm on the proven foundation of biblical wisdom that has been handed down to us.

Psalm 119:97-100 – Oh how I love your Torah! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.

When we can learn to let go of the cyclical patterns of conjecture by consensus and fully place our hope and trust in Yahweh, we enter that refuge, that stronghold fortress which cannot be assailed by the shifting opinions of our culture. We will then be able to say with David: “Be strong, and let your heart be courageous, all you who put your hope in Yahweh.”

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Yahweh the King

Yahweh has always been, and always will be, the rightful king of his people.

Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me as the king over them.
1 Samuel 8:7

The political kingship of Israel began with a rejection of Yahweh as their king.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel to Ramah. They said to him, “Behold, you are old, and your sons don’t walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” Samuel prayed to Yahweh. Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me as the king over them.
1 Samuel 8:4-7

Even when presented with all of the tyrannous things a national king would do: the taxes, the conscription, the giving over of land, children, and slaves to the service of the king, the people would not relent.

Yahweh told Samuel that their desire for a political king, and their forsaking of Samuel as judge over them, was akin to their idolatry.

According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, in that they have forsaken me and served other gods, so they also do to you.
1 Samuel 8:8

Throughout their tumultuous political kingdom, Yahweh still had plans to use Israel’s national kingdom as an object lesson for all time. Although Saul had originally been God’s choice for ruler, Saul became corrupt and demonstrated he was not obedient whole-heartedly to the torah, or instruction, of God. So instead, God raised up David as a man after his own heart to firmly establish the kingdom.

While David was originally rejected by the people of Israel, through him and his son Solomon, the pinnacle of the earthly, political kingdom of God was reached. The corrupted initial kingdom was replaced with a king who was yielded to Yahweh and who ruled wisely as God’s faithful representative with the wisdom of God.

Just like the kingdom of David and Solomon, God always had plans to consummate his rulership over his people with a representative who would honor and represent him whole-heartedly. The coming of a Messiah, a son of David, an anointed one (i.e., a king), was foretold through the prophets and longed for by the Israelites who suffered under each rebellious king and through exile in foreign lands.

Yeshua arrived into a world of immense national and political corruption, just like the conditions of the kingdom of Saul. However, just like the house of David, Yeshua demonstrated through his faithfulness that he was truly anointed of God, and the rightful king of God’s people.

True to form and the cyclical pattern of torah, Israel rejected God’s anointed king (for that is what the word “Christ” means). But God’s plan to go full circle back to his own rulership over his people was not yet complete. Through the demonstration of his power and through the resurrection of Yeshua, Yahweh maintained a rightful ruler of his people, one who would oversee the affairs of his kingdom as if he himself were king. Through his Messiah, his anointed king, the rightful rulership and all honor would ultimately return to Yahweh himself.

Then the end comes, when he (Messiah) will deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father, when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power. …When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all.
1 Corinthians 15:24, 28

Through the faithfulness of his Messiah, Yahweh remains as rightful king over his people for all time, and is worthy of all honor and praise.

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