Sunday, 10 August 2008

The Messianic Prophecy Concerning Christ's First Coming

According to the book of Jeremiah

In Jeremiah 22:30 the curse was given by the Lord to the line of Solomon when the Lord said, “Thus saith the Lord, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.” This curse was pronounced by God to the king of Judah, Jehoiachin the son of Jehoiakim, the son of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. Although this line is the Royal line in which the coming King can come from this line but the Lord has cursed it. When the Lord says that the Messiah will sit on the throne of David, He did not contradict God’s curse on Jehoiakim because Jesus was not born to Joseph, but to Mary.

The study of this passage in the light of the New Testament Scripture (Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38) proves that Mary was not from the line of Solomon. In Luke 3:23 the father in law of Joseph was Heli, the actual father of Mary. Thus Mary’s genealogy goes back to Nathan the son of David. Nathan was not under the curse. Therefore Jesus was born of the house of David but from the different line which was not from the curse line. He got the kingship by being adopted by the man who inherits in that line but he did not give him the curse. A virgin born King missed the curse, but had the correct lineage back to David.

According to the book of Psalms

Psalms 2:6-9

“Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”

The prophecies in the book of Psalms are most of them written by David. In Psalm 2:7-9 David gave the Messianic prophesy by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In verse 6 we are told that the coming King will be set upon the holy hill of Zion. When Jesus Christ returns to this earth, the millennial kingdom will begin and Jesus will reign over the world.

In verse 7 we read “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” What does it mean when God the Father said “this day I have begotten thee”? This is definitely not relating to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ because he was not begotten. However it is related to his resurrection from the death as Paul said in Romans 1:4 “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

Psalms 72:8-11

“He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.”

In this passage, we can see the clearest proclamation of the coming King of kings that will reign the world. In the Millennial age, all nations shall serve the Lord Jesus and worship. Psalm 72:17 is another precious passage that tells us about the Lord Jesus Christ as says “His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.” The same expression also is given by the prophet Zechariah in Zechariah 9:10 “And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.” All these verses tell us that unto Him (Jesus Christ) all the nations in this earth will bow and offer their submission and total obedience when he speaks peace to the nations. When Jesus returns to this earth there will be peace and harmony in the nations of the earth. Only Jesus Christ can bring peace to us who are in trouble in sinful demonic world.

Psalms 110: 1

“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”

This verse tells us about the God the father and the Son, Jesus Christ. And this verse can be rephrased in this way: the Lord (God the Father) said unto my Lord (God the Son). This was given by David through the help of the Holy Spirit a thousand years before Jesus was born. In fact it is so wonderful how the Lord Jesus Christ quoted this verse to tempt and rebuke the Pharisees. We read in Matthew 22:44-45 “The Lord said unto My Lord, Sit thou on My right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?” Having said this to them, in Matthew 22:46 tells us “And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.” However the real answer to the question that Jesus gave the Pharisees was because Jesus has two natures. He is the Son of David physically, genetically through Mary but He is the Son of God by the virtue of his divine nature. All these have already been given to the Jews in the Old Testament Scriptures a thousand years before Christ’s first coming.

It is important also to notice that not only Jesus Christ quoted this verse when He was in this earth but even the apostle has quoted the same verse to prove that Jesus Christ is the Son of David and yet the Son of God. Peter in his sermon in the day of Pentecost said in Acts 2:34-36 “For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, the Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” When the people heard this message the people were crying out “what shll we do?”(Acts 2:37). The people who were gathered there knew that they will be the ones, the enemies and crushed when Jesus Christ comes back. Thus everyone was present in that day expected Jesus’ coming. They expected that Jesus Christ will return and establish his kingdom on earth (ref. Acts 1:7). “Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). And three thousands of people believed in that day (Acts 2:41).

Psalms 110:4

“The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Who is Mechizedek? And how can be the king at the same time is also a priest? In the Old Testament, no king could ever be the priest because the priest can only come from the tribe of Levi and the king from the tribe of Judah. However in the history of the kingdom of Judah there was one king by the name of Uzziah who “went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense. And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men: And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God. Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him” (2 Chronicles 26:16-20). God will never tolerate to the Judean king to be the priest.

On the other hand the prophet Zechariah tells us something about the priesthood and kingship at the same time will be held by the BRANCH. As he said, “And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both” (Zechariah 6:12-13). Who is the BRANCH here? The BRANCH is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. In His second coming to this He will be the King of the universe and every nations will bow and serve Him at the same time he will be also the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek in the Millennial Temple.

Who is this Melchizedek? A thousands years earlier, God told the story of Melchizedek in the Old Testament Scripture whose genealogy did not mention at all. However in Genesis 14:18-22 it tells us that Melchizedek was the king of Salem and also the priest to whom Abraham gave tithes of all. What the Psalmist says here is that the coming King of kings will be after the order of Melchizedek the priest. This truth was further elaborate by the writer of Hebrews a thousand years after the Psalmist declared this truth. He says that Jesus Christ will be the High priest forever and ever after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:5-6). Therefore God put all His Word together in the marvellous, mysterious way. Yet, there is a need to be careful to compare Scripture with Scripture that we may see the unveiling truth concerning the future kingdom. Hence in the Millennial we shall have a Melchizedekian High Priest with Zodakian priests. The High Priest is also the King of the tribe of Judah, the seed of David ruling over all the nations of the world who will pay total respect and in complete submission to him forever. God never has made one falsehood, nor any mistake in thousands of years of the unfolding Old Testament prophecy, so that when Christ finally appears we know what is the program of the Lord.

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