(mobile friendly version-click here) The Promise of the Kingdom - 2nd Samuel 7 After the promises of eternal life and an eternal inheritance in the land of Israel, God declared that His purpose involved the filling of the whole earth with His glory, see Numbers 14v21. This was part of the promises. In due time, God revealed how this should be accomplished. The promise of the Kingdom was given to David, who ruled as king over Israel. He had wanted to build a house for God, as a place for the ark. However, God told David that He would build him a house, and establish his kingdom for ever, through His own Son, also the "seed" of David. "I will set up thy seed..I will be his father, and he shall be my son"- 2nd Samuel 7 v12,14. So we see the clear link between the promises; the seed of the woman, the seed of Abraham, and the seed of David. This "seed" would also be Son of God.See Jesus' words in Matthew 22v41-46. Some have claimed that all these things have already been fulfilled by Solomon, a son of David, who ruled Israel after his father. However, any such attempt is doomed to failure for the following reasons: 1.The "seed" was to be "set up..after (David)..when (his) days (were) ful- filled, and (he would) sleep with (his) fathers". Solomon, by contrast, was established as king by David whilst he was alive- 1st Kings 1 & 2. 2. David was promised- "thine house and thy kingdom shall be estab- lished FOR EVER BEFORE THEE: thy throne shall be established FOR EVER". David is still dead, & the kingdom has been taken away. David's hope, as with all believers, was the resurrection from the dead- "Thou..shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side"- Psalm 71v20,21. Cp Abraham– Hebrews 11v8-16; and Jesus showed that Abraham, Isaac & Jacob must rise again- Luke 20v 27-38. Link to 'mortal' or via 'Index'. Cp Acts 23v6; 24v14,15; 26v6-8. Jesus Christ is "the resurrection and the life"-John 11v25. The last king of Israel was Zedekiah, and he was told- "Thus saith the LORD God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and IT SHALL BE NO MORE, UNTIL he come whose right it is; AND I WILL GIVE IT HIM". Ezekiel 21v26,27. Since that time, BC586, there has not been a kingdom of Israel. The kingdom of Israel in the past was the Kingdom of God on earth. The future Kingdom of God will be the kingdom of Israel restored. The restoration of the people of Israel (which has already begun) will be completed by the time of the setting up of the Kingdom of God. 1st Chronicles 29v23; 2nd Chronicles 13v8; Psalm 22v28;114v1,2; Isaiah 1v26;Amos 9v11;Matthew 19v28;Acts 1v3,6,7;Micah 4v6-8;Daniel 2v31-45; Isaiah 11v12;Jeremiah 30v1-11;31v10;Ezekiel 37v21,22;Zechariah 8v7,8. Set out below is a comparison between 2nd Samuel 7 & Luke 1. 2nd Samuel 7v8-16 Luke 1v30-35 prophesied of the "seed" applied by the angel to Jesus To be Son of God-v14-"I will be "the Son of the Highest"- his father, and he shall be my son" v32, and cp v35 To be son of David-v12-"thy seed" "his father David"-v32 His kingdom to be for ever-v13- "of his kingdom there shall "I will stablish the throne of his be no end"-v33 kingdom for ever" David's throne to be restored-v16- "the Lord God shall give unto "thy kingdom shall be established for him the throne of his father ever..thy throne shall be established David"-v32 for ever" Israel to form the nucleus of this "And he shall reign over the kingdom-"I will appoint a place house of Jacob for ever"-v33 for my people Israel (and they shall) move no more..thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever"-v10,16 To be a Saviour-v14,15-"If he commit "thou shalt call his name Je- (or, "in his suffering for") iniquity..my sus"(sig, 'God will save')-v31 mercy shall not depart away from him" "he shall save his people from and a sacrifice-"I will chasten him with their sins"-Matthew 1v21 the rod of men, and with the stripes of "And they shall..put him to the children of men"-cp Isaiah 53v5- death: and he shall rise again"- "and with his stripes we are healed" Luke 18v33 To build (a) a spiritual house and (b) "whose house are we"-Hebrews a physical house-v19-"thou hast spok- 3v6-"ye are the temple of the en also of thy servant's house.."cpv29 living God"-2nd Corinthians v13-"He shall build an house for my 6v16-"My house shall be called name"-Zechariah 6v13-"he shall the house of prayer"- build the temple of the LORD" Matthew 23v13 FURTHER RE ISRAEL, link to 'Bible' - page 2 - & 'the time of the end' |