Millennial Psalms - 48, 46, 2

The Bible predicts a time when a Righteous King will rule over Zion, and indeed over the whole earth from Jerusalem (see Isaiah 2 or Micah 4). He will judge righteously and it will be a time of peace and abundance, and all nations will come to Jerusalem to be taught of the Lord and to worship him. Many of the descriptions of this time are in the OT, but the NT clarifies it in that this King will be Jesus Christ, at his return, and that it will be for a period of 1000 years, which is why it is called the Millennium. While many of the descriptions are in the OT books of the prophets, many of the Psalms also describe this period of time, and it is likely that many people read over them without realizing it.

The major characteristics of the Millennium that we see confirmed in the book of Psalms include:

1.    That God himself (Jesus) shall come to earth and destroy his enemies

2.    That Christ will reign out of Jerusalem

3.    Mighty and fearsome judgment upon the nations and enemies of his people

4.    Righteous government under the King

5.    Universal worship

6.    The inheritance of the meek

Because all these characteristics are interwoven throughout the references, I will simply go through the Psalms that I believe describe the millennial reign of Christ, and show how they support the list above.

Psalm 48

One short reference is in Psalm 48:1-2 – “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” This shows how God is to be praised in the holy city of Jerusalem, and specifically on mount Zion. It is described as the joy of the whole earth and the city of the great King, something which must be seen as future.

That Jesus is this great King was recognized immediately by Nathanael in John 1:49 – “Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.” He also fulfilled the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 – “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” Though he was ridiculed at his crucifixion as a “king”, and died under a sign proclaiming “JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS”, we know that the full revelation of his Kingship will be manifested at his return.

Psalm 46

Ps. 46:4-11 – “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”

This passage shows that

1.    There will be a river flowing out of Jerusalem, which is also described in Ezekiel 47 and Revelation 22 as rivers of living waters.

2.    It shows that “God is in the midst of her”. While this has been true in the past, as when his glory filled the temple, it will be quite literally fulfilled when Jesus is reigning there.

3.    It describes a time when the heathen rage, and all nations will be gathered together against Jerusalem, but that God will put down all the armies of the earth (Zech. 14).

4.    It will be a time of peace, with no more wars. This is also shown in Isa. 2:4 – “And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”

5.    It is a time when God will be truly, openly, and universally exalted in the earth.

Psalm 2

Ps. 2 – “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cord from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 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. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

Here again is a description of the hearty opposition of the kings of the earth against God and his rule. Unregenerate mankind rebels at the notion of a Creator God and King who commands righteous judgment and condemns their sinfulness. They resent the moral restraints of the Bible, and despise the people of God (Jews and Christians), and attempt to throw off all restraint. But in the midst of their haughty rebellion God’s wrath is shown and he installs his KING (Jesus) on the holy mount Zion. God will proclaim the Sonship of Christ to all the world, and set him over all the nations, giving him the world as his inheritance. All opposition will be destroyed, and the survivors will enter into this “golden age” of peace, prosperity, and worship of our holy King Jesus.

People tend to think of Jesus only as a meek teacher, prophet, teacher, and healer who willingly died as a sacrifice for our sins (all most assuredly true), but do not see him as a mighty King eventually returning in mighty judgment and vengeance against the unbelieving world and for the deliverance and reward of his own elect people. The descriptions of his return in Revelation 19 and Isaiah 63 show him, not in the meekness of his life and death on earth, but in the horrible and awesome, fiery judgment of his return along with the angels and all his saints.

The lesson and warning we are to take from this is right now, when we have the opportunity to believe on him, to receive his forgiveness, and walk in newness of life: to be instructed, to serve him with fear, to rejoice with trembling, to “kiss the Son lest he be angry”. Those who put their trust in him now will be blessed and do not need to fear the mighty destruction that will come upon his enemies. Right now the invitation and warning is to all, but that day of opportunity will not continue forever, either for us as individuals, or for the world itself.

Malachi 3:1-2 – “…and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap”