In Numbers 23:19, we are told this foundational truth: “God is not a man that He should lie.” We should find solace in this promise, this character of God. In our last look at Psalm 110, we found the most quoted Old Testament passage. In it we see Jesus the King, the High Priest, and that He is powerful and strong. Jeremiah is writing to the southern kingdom of Judah; this is about 627 BC. He is warning the people that there is no hope for rescue. Sadly, many false prophets had told the people that God would rescue the people and destroy the power of Babylon, and the people were holding on to this false hope. The people hated Jeremiah; look at Jeremiah 20:1-6, 18:18 – and the people turned to false prophets (Jeremiah 7:5-11).

When Jeremiah tells them God’s judgments, they say they will repent, but they don’t really repent; they are just doing lip service. So, God sends Jeremiah to tell them that there will be judgement; they will not be able to resist the power of Babylon. They will either die or be taken away as captives. In the midst of this judgment, God gives them a bit of hope. There is a need for a bit of hope because the situation is so bad that, back in Jeremiah 15:1-4, God tells us that even if Moses and Samuel were to plead for Israel, He would not relent. Even these two men could not help. The judgment that was coming is secure and sure. Nothing will stop it.

In the midst of this, God offers a two-stage prophecy for hope. Verses 3-4 offer prophecy that will be fulfilled in the short term, 70 years to be exact, and then in 5-8, there is a yet-to-be-fulfilled future prophecy. The people were captured; we have the story of Daniel and his three friends who end up in Babylon with him. These are a part of that group that is taken as captives into Babylon. Others are left to care for the broken land of Judah and the destroyed city of Jerusalem. Hundreds of thousands die, and their bodies are left to the birds of the air and beasts of the fields.

But around 538 BC, as is recorded in Daniel 5 and prophesied in Isaiah 44-45, a man named Cyrus the Mede invades Babylon and takes the nation. He soon begins to send the Jews back to their homeland, and the prophecy of Jeremiah 23:3-4 is fulfilled. The scattered people do come back; they once again are a people, and they stay that way until 70 AD, when General Titus of the Roman Empire invades Israel, kills about 1,000,000 Jews, and burns the temple; yes, that same temple that Jesus walked in.

But there is a future promise that is yet to be fulfilled; in this, we see a man called The Branch of Righteousness. Jesus is referred to as the Branch in Jeremiah 33:14-18, Isaiah 11:1-5, Zechariah 3:6-10, and then again in Zechariah 6:12-13. They are told about a temple that this Branch will build, and we see that prophesied and described in Ezekiel 40-46. Here we are promised, just like in Psalm 110, that He will both be King and Priest, an office only for Melchizedek, whom we established in the last post of Jesus.

We are told in Jeremiah 23:6 that in the day of the Branch, Israel will dwell in safety. They do not dwell that way now, so this is a future, yet-to-be-fulfilled promise. But make no mistake, this will happen. God says so!! One day soon, God will deliberately seek out the Jews from the four corners of the earth, bring them back to the Promised Land, and begin a head-to-head battle between those that hate Israel and the Lord Jesus Himself that culminates in Revelation 19.

It is high time to repent. Call on Jesus and fall on His mercy. The next time you see Him, He will come as the Almighty, All-Powerful Living God whose words will kill millions. Now is the day to be saved.

seangooding@yahoo.ca

Dr. Sean Gooding
Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church
70 Victoria Street, Elora, Ontario

There are many parts of the Old Testament that are mentioned in the New Testament. An example of that is Habakkuk 2:4, “the just shall live by faith.” It is also mentioned in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38. But no other passage of the Old Testament is mentioned or referenced more than Psalm 110. It is mentioned or referenced in Matthew 22:44, 26:64; Mark 13:36, 14:62, 16:19; Luke 20:42, 22: 69; Acts 2:34-35, 5:31, 7:55-56; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3, 13, 8:1, 10:12-13, 12:2, and 1 Peter 3:22-24.

Why is this Psalm so important? I mean, Psalm 22 is about the day and the events surrounding the crucifixion; why not quote this one over and over again? Well, this Psalm is about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. In it, along with Matthew 22, we are exposed to the Trinity and see YHWH, Adonai, and the Holy Spirit all working together. Jesus tells the Pharisees in Matthew 22:43 that the Spirit allows David to see this conversation in Heaven, 1000 years before Jesus was born. We have the entire Godhead; YHWH speaking to Adonai, and that is being allowed by the Spirit.

We have a world of churches that talk about Jesus, and all they preach is Jesus and His love – He loves everyone; He is love, love, love, and they never talk about the Jesus that is coming. But here in this Psalm, we get to see the entire person of the Jesus that will return shortly.

Let us set the tone; Jesus is told by YHWH (LORD) to sit at His right hand. Here we learn two things: that Jesus is sitting, meaning the job is done, and He is sitting at the seat of power. He is at Yahweh’s right hand. In Acts 7:56, Stephen sees Jesus standing at the Father’s right hand as He welcomed Stephen home. Jesus was in the seat of Power before He was born, and He returned to the seat of Power when He went back home to Heaven.

In verse 2, we see that he will reign in Zion, and He will reign in power and strength. By the way, Zion is Israel.

Verses 3-4: not only is He going to rule and be the King there, but He will also be the Priest after the order of Melchizedek. We first meet this Melchizedek in Genesis 14 when Abram is returning from rescuing Lot. He is met by the High Priest of Salem, who is also called the Prince of Salem. Salem will later be conquered by the Jebusites and be called Jebu-Salem, which is later conquered by David and comes to be called Jerusalem. Here is where Melchizedek lives, reigns as a King (called a Prince) in those days, and also is the High Priest. We are told in Hebrews 7:1-10 that this Melchizedek, whom Abraham met (verse 4), has no father and no mother, no genealogy. He has neither beginning of days nor end of life and is made like the Son of God. Jesus is this Priest forever, and He is also the King (Prince of Salem), which translates to Prince of Peace. This is Jesus!!!

Verses 5-7: What will Jesus, the High Priest and King, do when He comes? He will judge the nations (verse 6); also see the last part of Matthew 25: the judgment of the sheep and the goats. Then He will fill the place with dead bodies, and in Ezekiel 39:11-16, we see that when the Messiah returns, He will kill so many people that they will take 7 months to bury all the bodies, and they will use the armaments of war to burn fires for 7 years without cutting down any trees. And back in Psalm 110:6, Jesus will EXECUTE the heads of many nations.

Wow, justice will be done! Too many of us forget that Jesus is the God of wrath as well. When He comes the next time, there will be no humility, no meekness, and no loneliness. HE will come, and the skies will be filled; billions will die for their rebellion against the Most High God, and He will bring justice to the widows, the orphans, and the mistreated. He will kill the people who think their power and/or money camouflages them. They are wrong; Jesus sees it all, and it is all recorded. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

But in all this, God is still not willing that any should perish. His patience is longsuffering, and His grace is extended to all who will call on the name of the Lord Jesus, who will humble themselves and beg for God’s mercy on us rotten sinners. He will hear and save.

seangooding@yahoo.ca

Dr. Sean Gooding
Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church
70 Victoria Street, Elora, Ontario