The Great King
Who will reign the earth in the Millennial Kingdom?
Throughout the writings of the prophets, one may find the prevailing theme of “The Great King,” although this writer laments not hearing much from the pulpit on that topic. The LORD certainly must believe it important that we understand, since we find that subject sprinkled through much of the Bible, Old and New Testament. Also, not commonly discussed or perhaps realized, a few events must take place prior to The Great King’s reign.
The prophet Isaiah talks of some of these things, “O YHVH (Yah-Whah), Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it…the fire set for Your enemies will consume them! 12 O YHVH, You will establish peace for us…19 Your dead will live, their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For your dew is like the dew of the morning, and the earth will bring forth her dead. 20 Go, My people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. 21 For behold, YHWH is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain” (ISH 26:11-12, 19-21).
Isaiah here speaks of the coming judgment before the establishment of the peaceful kingdom (vs. 11-12); the Rapture of the Bride (vs. 19-20), first those dead and then those who remain alive (1 THS 4:16-17); and His reason for removing the Bride from the earth before He cleanses the earth of all the atrocities performed in it from the creation onward. Before the perfect kingdom can be established, the purging of the earth from the curse and justice for all evil done on the earth must take place. We see a glimpse of that in the following passage:
“And I saw Heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He Who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called ‘The WORD of YHVH.’ 14 And the armies of Heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 And from His mouth comes a sharp sword so that with it He might smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of ĔL SHADDAI. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND ADON OF LORDS” (RVL 19:11-16).
Even though the blood of the Messiah, shed for all mankind, removes the penalty of sin from man; the earth must be cleansed of all the consequences of the curses for sin. That involves judgment for the unrepentant man and the devils responsible for spoiling GOD’s beautiful and perfect Creation. Thus, another recurrent theme throughout the prophets’ writings remains “the Day of the LORD,” when the LORD cleanses the earth of all unrepentant mankind and all the curses of which the earth suffers (RMN 8:18-22) in preparation for setting up the New Eden, which encompasses the whole earth, under the reign of an eternal, righteous and just King.
Many today, frown upon teachings of “doom and gloom,” but the truth of the Scriptures cannot be denied. In their day, the prophets accurately predicted many events, which came about as described all the while the false prophets were crying, “peace”. All the prophets, Old and New Testament speak of an end-time judgment which comes to the whole earth, cleansing and preparing the way for the Great King. The theme seems to this writer, so pervasive throughout the Scriptures that one may not ignore it; but, praise be to GOD, it all concludes in a magnificent kingdom which encompasses the whole earth, ruled by a more magnificent King. Now with that introduction, let us take a look and see what the Scriptures say about the Great King:
Jacob prophesies before his final departure from earth for each of his children, but Judah has a special prophesy:
8 “Judah, your brothers shall praise you.
Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies;
your father’s sons shall bow down to you.”
9 “Judah is a young lion—
my son, you return from the prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down;
like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?”
10 “The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the staff from between his feet” (GNS 49:8-10).
This prophesy is the basis for the Davidic covenant found in 2 Samuel, Chapter 7, where the LORD promises David an eternal kingdom. The prophet Isaiah speaks for the LORD concerning the Messiah and King, “Behold, My Servant, Whom I uphold; My Chosen One in Whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations” (ISH 42:1).
In a night vision, Daniel sees the details about a glorious kingdom and its king, “I kept looking in the night vision and behold, with the clouds of Heaven, One like a Son of Man was coming and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. 14 And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed…27 Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom and all the dominions will serve and obey Him” (DNL 7: 13-14, 27). Interestingly, Jesus often referred to Himself as the Son of Man, the Messianic title found originally in the book of Enoch, indicating to the Pharisees and Scribes His true identity.
“He (GOD the Father) says, ‘It is too small a thing that You (GOD the Son, Messiah and the Great King) should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a Light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’ 7 Thus says YHVH, the Redeemer of Israel, and its Holy One, to the One abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers, ‘Kings shall see and arise; princes shall also bow down; because of YHVH Who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel Who has chosen You.’ 8 Thus says YHVH, ‘In a favorable time I have answered You and in a day of salvation I have helped You; and I will keep You and give You for a covenant of the people to restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages’” (ISH 49:6-8).
Although we find the theme of the Great King throughout the prophets, also evident is the opposing theme of the Suffering Servant. Jewish scholars could not anticipate that those opposing ideas might prove themselves one and the same in one Messiah. Daniel received revelation of exactly when the Messiah should come on the scene. Other prophets gave details of the Messiah’s life and death, but in spite of all these things, the religious leaders rejected Him and plotted the death of the One Who came for the purpose of dying for them.
Isaiah also prophesies the coming of the Great King and hope of all the earth, “For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty ĔL, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of YHVH of Hosts will accomplish this” (ISH 9:6-7). Isaiah emphatically states the Messiah will be GOD Himself in flesh and that He is a descendant of King David.
Although the Israelites saw GOD in different manifestations in the wilderness, such as the Pillar of Cloud and the Pillar of Fire; the Glorious One Who made the mountain of GOD quake and smoke; the One Who illumined the face of Moses at the Tent as He spoke to him; they, as have others, struggled in their understanding of GOD Who became a Man, for it was too wonderful for them. Moses tells the people he leads in the wilderness, “For YHVH your ELOHIM is a consuming fire, a jealous ĔL” (DTR 4:24 ESV). This verse expresses GOD’s potential wrath in His jealousy. He made Man, He has provided for and protected Man, GOD even became a Man, living a perfect and holy life, then gave Himself for Man’s redemption on the cross, so that Man might be restored to the original state of his creation. Man belongs to GOD! Man owes GOD very much! And GOD is jealous for him.
Isaiah also declares, “Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?” (ISH 33:14). GOD is a consuming fire, for by nature, the glory of GOD is fire and light and energy pouring out continually. Imagine that man cannot look directly at the sun, but GOD made the sun and innumerable other stars like it and Himself is greater than all of them put together. In fact, the prophet Isaiah says that all of creation fits into the span of GOD’s hand (PSM 40:12 ESV).
As a solution to this issue, the inapproachability of GOD, He took a form that could interact with mankind without destroying him. This form was also convenient for working with His angelic hosts. Most remarkably perhaps, this form allows GOD’s first-hand experience of enjoying mankind as GOD, King, Father, Husband, Savior and Brother and gives mankind the joy of relationship with the Most Amazing and Loving Personage. However, the religious leaders looked for the final work of GOD, the physical restoration of Israel, and not for the more necessary restoration of their souls, even though GOD’s plan also includes physical restoration which culminates in Zion during the Millennial Reign.
Paul in the book of Colossians writes, “And He is the image of the invisible ELOHIM, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For in Him all things were created; things in Heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church (the called out assembly); and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place (pre-eminence) in everything; 19 for it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness (of the Holy Godhead) to dwell in Him 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in Heaven” (COL 1:15-20). Here we see a clear picture of the ministry and purpose of Messiah, that He became “GOD with us;” us, who could not otherwise draw near to the glory of the Holy Father or GOD the consuming fire. We also, see that GOD the Father glorified Him with all things created and subjected under Him all things created.
The author of the book of Hebrews records, “YHWH, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, through Whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature and upholds all things by the WORD of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…4 For to which of the angels did He ever say, ‘THOU ART MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN THEE?’ And again, ‘I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM, AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME?’… 8 But of the Son He says, ‘THY THRONE, O ELOHIM, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM’” (HBR 1:1-3, 4, 8). The writer of Hebrews adopts the words of Isaiah, confirming the Messiah IS GOD in the flesh.
“YHVH says to My ADONI: ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.’ 2 YHVH will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, ‘Rule in the midst of Your enemies’…4 YHVH has sworn and will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’” (PSM 110:1-2, 4).
Also written in the book to the Hebrews, “For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to YHVH …5 so also Messiah did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He Who said to Him, ‘THOU ART MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN THEE’” (PSM 2:7)…6 just as He says also in another passage (PSM 110:4), ‘THOU ART A PRIEST TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK’…8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered 9 and having been made Perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, 10 being designated by YHVH as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek” (HBR 5:1, 5-6, 8-10). The “Order of Melchizedek” meaning, He became a combination King and High Priest as Melchizedek, who served in Salem (Jerusalem).
“‘Behold, the days are coming,’ declares YHVH, ‘When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as King and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, ‘YHVH Tsidqenu[1]’” (JRM 23:5-6).
“‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares YHVH, ‘when I will fulfill the good WORD which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she (Jerusalem) shall be called: ‘YHVH is Our Righteousness’” (JRM 33:14-16).
“But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain. 7 I will surely tell of the decree of YHVH: He said to Me, ‘Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee. 8 Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance and the very ends of the earth as Thy possession. 9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware’” (PSM 2:6-9), referring to the expansive, world-wide realm of the Great King and to the strict, though righteous, judgment during the Millennial Kingdom. Here we see one of several conversations between the Father and the Son recorded in Scripture. “He,” Abba YHVH, gives a promise to the Savior, His Son, the “Me.” In the next sentence, the Father, “Me” tells the Son to ask for the nations and promises Him that He will have all the earth for His possession.
“Therefore thus says the ADON YHVH, ‘Behold, I AM laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed. 17 And I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level’” (ISH 28:16-17). Isaiah refers to the “iron” rule in Zion and to the justice and righteousness which will mark that reign and to its permanency. Jeremiah identifies that cornerstone as coming from Judah (JRM 10:4). The Psalmist prophesies, “The stone the builders (the religious leaders) rejected has become the cornerstone” (PSM 118:22). This verse particularly ties the Suffering Servant to the Great King, but that went unnoticed. The Cornerstone is Messiah, the Great King, Who is both the foundation of this Kingdom and a costly sacrifice for its construction.
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of ELOHIM is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and ELOHIM Himself shall be among them’” (RVL 21:3). In the book of Revelation one finds all these things coming to pass as Messiah, the Great “Lion” King from the the tribe of Judah brings in the Millennial Kingdom which covers the entire earth and subjects all of mankind to His rule.
“‘Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I AM coming and I will dwell in your midst,’ declares YHVH. 11 ‘And many nations will join themselves to YHVH in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst and you will know that YHVH of Hosts has sent Me to you.’ 12 And YHVH will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be silent, all flesh, before YHVH; for He is aroused from His holy habitation” (ZCH 2:10-13). Zechariah comforts the exiles that GOD has not completely forsaken them, but has made plans for their future.
One reason this writer chose to translate the titles for GOD into the original Hebrew titles in this work becomes apparent in this verse as one clearly sees that GOD Who calls Himself YHVH, also says that YHVH has sent Him, showing YHVH as Father and Son. This manifests more obviously when the original Hebrew/Aramaic/Chaldean names appear in Scripture.
“And they will be My people and I will be their ELOHIM. 24 And My servant David will be King over them and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them…25 and David My servant shall be their prince forever. 26 And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. 27 My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their ELOHIM and they will be My people. 28 And the nations will know that I AM YHVH Who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever” (EZK 37:23-28).
These verses also tie the Suffering Servant to the Great King. “My servant David” in this case, identifies Jesus Christ, the “son of David,” meaning from King David’s lineage in fulfillment of the LORD’s promise to David that he would never lack a man on his throne forever, “And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever” (2 SML 7:16). Unlike Saul, Israel’s first king, whom GOD eventually rejected because of his continual disobedience, the LORD made a covenant with David that he would never be rejected but that his descendants would be chastised instead if they rebelled.
Next, we see a description of the rule of the Great King, “Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; they will see a far-distant land…21 but there the Majestic One, YHVH …22 is our Judge, YHVH is our Lawgiver, YHVH is our King; He will save us” (ISH 33:17, 21-22).
“Shout joyfully to YHVH, all the earth. 2 Serve YHWH with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing. 3 Know that YHVH Himself is ELOHIM; it is He Who has made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (PSM 100:1-3). One may not have considered before that this psalm indirectly refers to the Millennial reign of the Messiah, but David quotes other similar Scriptures which identify the “Good Shepherd.”
“So they will fear the name of YHVH from the west and His glory from the rising of the sun, for He will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of YHVH drives. 20 And a redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,’ declares YHVH” (ISH 59:19-20). Again, we find a reference to the Messiah coming on the clouds for judgment and to establish His dominion and rescue the righteous of the earth who will enter the Millennial Kingdom.
“And He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of YHVH, in the majesty of YHVH His ELOHIM and they will remain, because at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth” (MCH 5:4); this represents one of several passages that imply that the Father may also be present in some form. Micah also refers to the Millennial Reign of Messiah. Even as in His earthly form, Jesus refers to GOD the Father as His Father and His GOD. Being made as a perfect Man, it was fitting that the Messiah worship as the Perfect Man should and therefore, though GOD Himself, in the form of Man, He worships GOD the Father.
“Shepherd Your people with Your scepter, the flock of Your possession which dwells by itself in the woodland, in the midst of a fruitful field. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old. 15 ‘As in the days when you came out from the land of Egypt, I will show you miracles.’ 16 Nations will see and be ashamed of all their might. They will put their hand on their mouth, their ears will be deaf. 17 They will lick the dust like a serpent, like reptiles of the earth. They will come trembling out of their fortresses; to YHVH our ELOHIM they will come in dread; and they will be afraid before You” (MCH 7:14-17). The prophet Micah here again explains that when the nations see the favor of GOD on His people, they will respect them and the nations will tremble before the Great King because they mistreated His people and they will know they cannot stand against Him.
“Behold, on the mountains the feet of Him Who brings good news, Who announces peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah; pay your vows. For never again will the wicked one pass through you; he is cut off completely” (NHM 1:15). The LORD’s arrival on the mount announces the commencement of His Kingdom and peace, so Judah must celebrate and pay his vows in gratefulness.
“Behold, a King will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice. 2 And each will be like a refuge from the wind, and a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry country, like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land” (ISH 32:1-2). Those who inherit Zion, who rule with the Great King, are refreshment to the peoples for like the Great King they also will rule in righteousness and justice, carrying out the will and justice of the LORD.
“YHVH reigns, He is clothed with majesty; YHVH has clothed and girded Himself with strength; indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved. 2 Thy throne is established from of old; Thou art from everlasting” (PSM 93:1-2). This verse, again, refers to the Great King/Messiah as YHVH, GOD and King and to His eternal purpose for the earth. “GOD with us;” us, who could not otherwise draw near to the glory of the Holy Father GOD.
“YHVH reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake! 2 YHVH is great in Zion, and He is exalted above all the peoples. 3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name; holy is He. 4 And the strength of the King loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Exalt YHVH our ELOHIM, and worship at His footstool; holy is He… 9 Exalt YHVH our ELOHIM, and worship at His holy hill; for holy is YHVH our ELOHIM” (PSM 99:1-5, 9). The YHVH spoken of in this passage is YHVH the Son, the LORD Jesus, the Great King.
“He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; let not the rebellious exalt themselves” (PSM 66:7). This warning goes to those who rebel at the end of the thousand years under the leadership of the temporarily released Satan, who attempts another coup.
“May He also rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. 9 Let the nomads of the desert bow before Him; and His enemies lick the dust. 10 Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. 11 And let all kings bow down before Him, all nations serve Him… 17 May His name endure forever; may His name increase as long as the sun shines; and let men bless themselves by Him; let all nations call Him blessed. 18 Blessed be YHVH ELOHIM, the ELOHIM of Israel, Who alone does wonderful things. 19 And blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory; amen and amen” (PSM 72:8-11, 17-19). In this prayer, the psalmist prophecies, as do the other prophets, that all the nations will come before Him bearing gifts and that the Great King is YHVH the Elohim of Israel and that His throne endures forever.
“O clap your hands, all peoples; shout to ELOHIM with a voice of joy. 2 For YHVH Most High is to be feared, a Great King over all the earth. 3 He subdues peoples under us and nations under our feet. 4 He chooses our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob whom He loves. 5 ELOHIM has ascended with a shout, YHVH, with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to ELOHIM, sing praises; sing praise to our King, sing praises. 7 For ELOHIM is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a skillful psalm. 8 ELOHIM reigns over the nations; ELOHIM sits on His holy throne. 9 The princes of the people have assembled themselves as the people of the ELOHIM of Abraham; for the shields of the earth belong to ELOHIM; He is highly exalted” (PSM 47:1-9).
“Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You wilt judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth. 5 Let the peoples praise You, O ELOHIM; let all the peoples praise You. 6 The earth has yielded its produce; ELOHIM, our ELOHIM, blesses us. 7 ELOHIM blesses us, that all the ends of the earth may fear Him” (PSM 67:4-7).
“Worship YHVH in holy attire; tremble before Him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations, ‘YHVH reigns; indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.’ 11 Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar and all it contains; 12 Let the field be exultant and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy 13 before YHVH, for He is coming; for He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness. YHVH reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the many islands be glad” (PSM 96:9-13, 97:1). When the Psalmist speaks of YHVH judging the earth in this verse, he refers to the Messiah’s Millennial Reign, as the Great King’s role as the “Lawgiver and Judge of Zion,” and not necessarily to the judgment of the nations which precedes His reign.
“Let the sea roar and all it contains, the world and those who dwell in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains sing together for joy 9 before YHVH, for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity” (PSM 98:7-9). Again, in these verses the LORD says not that He brings judgment as for destruction, although that may happen at times as He rules with a “rod of iron,” but that He rules with justice and in righteousness upholding the laws of GOD’s equity for all people. There will be no prejudice among the peoples of His Kingdom.
“YHVH is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. 6 And He shall be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; the fear of YHVH is His treasure” (ISH 33:5-6). The Messiah/Great King being the “perfect” man, although Himself YHVH, MUST worship GOD the Father in the divine order; therefore the “fear of YHVH” is appropriately His treasure.
“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to YHVH, all the families of the nations will worship before Thee 28 for the kingdom is YHVH’s and He rules the nations” (PSM 22:27-28). This goes back to “for the shields of the earth belong to Elohim; He is highly exalted” (PSM 47:9); meaning all dominions belong to the Great King.
“‘And it shall be from new moon to new moon and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down before Me,’ says YHVH” (ISH 66:23). The Sabbaths, New Moon assemblies and the feasts of the LORD recommence during the Millennium, although their performance may differ from before the time of the Messiah.
“The Mighty One, YHVH ELOHIM, has spoken, and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, ELOHIM has shone forth. 3 May our ELOHIM come and not keep silence; fire devours before Him, and it is very tempestuous around Him. 4 He summons the heavens above, and the earth, to judge His people; 5 ‘Gather My godly ones to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice’ 6 and the heavens declare His righteousness, for ELOHIM Himself is judge” (PSM 50:1-6).
The prophet Zechariah also comments and gives an example, “Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the (Great) King, YHVH of Hosts and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 17 And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, YHVH of Hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which YHVH smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths” (ZCH 14:16-19).
“So the nations will fear the name of YHVH and all the kings of the earth Thy glory. 16 For YHVH has built up Zion; He has appeared in His glory…18 This will be written for the generation to come; that a people yet to be created may praise YAH …21 That men may tell of the name of YHVH in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem; 22 when the peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve YHVH” (PSM 102:15-16, 18, 21-22). This speaks of the Millennial rule of the Great King.
“Praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things; let this be known throughout the earth. 6 Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel” (ISH 12:5-6). “I will give thanks to YHVH with all my heart; I will tell of all Thy wonders…4 for Thou hast maintained my just cause; Thou dost sit on the throne judging righteously. 5 Thou hast rebuked the nations; Thou hast destroyed the wicked; Thou hast blotted out their name forever and ever. 6 The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins, and Thou hast uprooted the cities; the very memory of them has perished. 7 But YHVH abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, 8 and He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity. 9 YHVH also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble” (PSM 9:1, 4-10). In the Day of the LORD, all the enemies of the Messiah and His people will be permanently removed as well as their memory and the Kingdom of the Great King will rule the earth in peace, justice and righteousness.
“Cease striving and know that I AM ELOHIM; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ 11 YHVH of Hosts is with us; the ELOHIM of Jacob is our stronghold” (PSM 46:10-11).
“Great is YHVH, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our ELOHIM, His holy mountain. 2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the Great King. 3 ELOHIM, in her palaces, has made Himself known as a stronghold” (PSM 48:1-3).
“O come, let us sing for joy to YHVH; let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. 3 For YHVH is a Great ĔL, and a Great King above all gods” (PSM 95:1-3).
“ELOHIM is known in Judah; His name is great in Israel. 2 And His tabernacle is in Salem (Jerusalem); His dwelling place also is in Zion. 3 There He broke the flaming arrows, the shield, and the sword, and the weapons of war” (PSM 76:1-3). This verse refers to the “Day of the LORD,” in which the Great King established His kingdom and brought peace to the whole earth.
“Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King. Let them praise His name with dancing; let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre 4 for YHVH takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation” (PSM 149:2-4).
“They have seen Thy procession, O ELOHIM, the procession of my ĔL, my King, into the sanctuary. 25 The singers went on, the musicians after them, in the midst of maidens beating tambourines. 26 Bless ELOHIM in the congregations, even YHVH You Who are of the fountain of Israel” (PSM 68:26). Here we see a fascinating description of the Great King as a river flows from His throne (EZK 47:12; RVL 22:1), both figuratively and literally.
“And YHVH roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth tremble. But YHWH is a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the sons of Israel. 17 ‘Then you will know that I AM YHVH your ELOHIM, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain; so Jerusalem will be holy and strangers will pass through it no more’” (JOL 3:16-17). King David, a warrior, established and expanded the kingdom of Israel around Jerusalem; the kingdom which, at his death became the kingdom of his son, Solomon. King Solomon, the greatest and richest king who ever lived, whose prosperity and wisdom was renowned throughout the earth, who represents a type or picture of the Great King coming.
Some scholars may argue that there were much greater and richer kingdoms than Solomon’s, consider for a moment, the building of the temple: “Then King David said to the whole assembly, ‘My son Solomon, the one whom Elohim has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great because this palace is not for man, but for YHVH Elohim. 2 Now with all my ability I have made provision for the house of my Elohim —gold for the gold articles, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and slabs of marble—all in abundance. 3 Moreover, because of my delight in the house of my Elohim, I now give for it my personal treasures of gold and silver, over and above all that I have provided for this holy temple: 4 three thousand talents of gold (the gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the buildings, 5 for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now who is willing to consecrate himself to YHVH today?’”
6 Then the leaders of the families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. 7 Toward the service of Elohim’s house, they gave 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze, and 100,000 talents of iron[2]. 8 Whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of YHVH, under the care of Jehiel the Gershonite” (1 CHR 29:1-8). This was just for the construction of the temple. This writer feels certain that David also, did not die a poor man after his enormous offering, but rather, in each of his conquests, he set aside some for the temple and gave moreover from his personal assets.
“So Solomon overlaid the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. 22 So he overlaid with gold the whole interior of the temple, until everything was completely finished. He also overlaid with gold the entire altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary…29 Then he carved the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. 30 And he overlaid the temple floor with gold in both the inner and outer sanctuaries. 31 For the entrance to the inner sanctuary, Solomon constructed doors of olive wood with five-sided doorposts. 32 The double doors were made of olive wood, and he carved into them cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with hammered gold (1 KNG 6:21-22, 29-32). This is but a small part of detail concerning the magnificence of the temple.
Additionally we read about Solomon, “Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 15 The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills” (2 CHR 1:14, 1 KNG 10:26-29). “All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon” (1 KNG 10:21 ESV). Solomon collected yearly tribute, “Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold” (I KNG 10:14 ESV) or according to the NLT, “Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold.” When the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon, she said, “But I did not believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not half of the greatness of your wisdom was told to me. You have far exceeded the report I heard” (2 CHR 9:6).
After Solomon’s reign, the temple over the years suffered many raids and paid tributes before its final destruction, in which large amounts of treasure were taken and expended, to Shishak of Egypt (2 CHR 12:9) during Rehoboam’s reign, to Sennacherib king of Assyria (2 KNG 18:13-16, 2 CHR 32:1-8), to Egypt again, in Jehoahaz reign (2 KNG 23:33, 2 CHR 36:1-4). The Babylonians took Jerusalem in Jehoiachin’s time, “As YHVH had declared, Nebuchadnezzar also carried off all the treasures from the house of YHVH and the royal palace, and he cut into pieces all the gold articles that Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of YHVH” (2 KNG 24:13). In the final Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem, they carried off anything left of gold and silver and “bronze beyond measure” (JRM 52:12-23). We see here, Jerusalem and other cities of Judah, making other nations rich.
The rule of the Great King will greatly exceed that of King Solomon and will be like no other kingdom. He represents the King Who cannot be bought or bribed in any way. A King Who both desires the welfare and prosperity of His subjects and His kingdom and has the power of carrying out those desires. As GOD, He has no personal needs, but that His character remains unstained and that all His work is perfect. He reigns in holiness, truth and righteousness as the eternal King of Heaven and Earth. “‘For from the rising of the sun, even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,’ says YHVH of Hosts” (MLC 1:11).
Christian Stratiotes
[1] “Our Righteousness”
[2]Vs. 4, 3,000 talents is approximately 113 tons or 103 metric tons of gold and 7,000 talents is approximately 264 tons or 239.5 metric tons of silver. Vs. 7, 5,000 talents is approximately 188.5 tons or 171 metric tons of gold, plus 10,000 gold drachmas; that is, approximately 185.2 pounds or 84 kilograms of gold coins. Also, 10,000 talents of silver is approximately 377 tons or 342 metric tons of silver. Also, 18,000 talents is approximately 678.6 tons or 615.6 metric tons of bronze. Also, 100,000 talents is approximately 3,770 tons or 3,420 metric tons of iron.