Smoodock's Blog

What would it mean to say, “God is King!”? What would that look like? Is God King, simply because he says so? If so, through whom or how does he rule? I don’t see him ruling the nations in the sense that the oppressed are suddenly freed, do you? Do you see justice, real justice, so embraced by the nations, that justice characterizes their government? Who among the nations call upon God to be their King and don’t ever terrorize their people (cp. Psalm 10:16-18)? Where, then is the throne of God, and in what context does he rule, if, indeed, he does rule as King of the Earth?

Where would God reign, if, indeed, he had returned as the King of the Jews during the first century AD, or any century later? From Moses to the Babylonian captivity, God’s throne had been the Mercy Seat or the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. Nevertheless, since the Babylonian captivity the scriptures offer no evidence that the Lord had ever returned to the 2^nd Temple. Moreover, the first century AD Jewish historian, Josephus, claims that inside the Holy of Holies during the 2^nd Temple period, there was nothing at all.

219 But the inmost part of the Temple of all was of twenty cubits. This was also separated from the outer part by a veil. In this there was nothing at all. It was inaccessible and inviolable, and not to be seen by any; and was called the Holy of Holies.[1]

The Ark of the Covenant was not among the furniture that was returned to the Jews to be placed in the Temple, when they were released to return to their homeland by Cyrus. Apparently, the Ark was destroyed, melted down for its gold, because, according to Jeremiah, the Ark of the Covenant wouldn’t be discussed; it wouldn’t come to mind, remembered or visited. Neither would another one ever be made (Jeremiah 3:16). What does this say about the throne of God? If God would have become King of the Jews during the first century AD? From where would he rule?

According to the second Psalm, the nations conspired with the people, vis-à-vis the Jews, but they plotted in vain. They took counsel together against the Lord’s Anointed, vis-à-vis the Messiah, but the Lord laughs at their efforts, because he has set his King in Zion. He will address the evil conspirators in his wrath. To the Messiah, the Lord says, “You are my Son; this day have I begotten you, ask of me and I’ll give you the nations…” (cp. Psalm 2).

This Psalm has been used in the New Covenant text to point to Jesus (Acts 4:25-28; 13:33; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5). If Jesus, God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14) is King, in what sense is that true, because it seems obvious there isn’t a single nation on earth that would agree that Jesus is King over their people?

Consider, for a moment what the Lord told David, when David decided to build the Lord a permanent Temple in Jerusalem, instead of his dwelling in the Tabernacle (a tent, a temporary dwelling). I believe we get a sense of what it would look like, if God reigned over men in what is called the Kingdom of God. When David made it known that he wished to build God a house, he was stopped by Nathan, the court prophet. Nathan told David that God said instead of David building God a house, God would build David a house. Notice what the Lord told David! What did David’s house look like? David’s house was his descendants. David’s family was his house and they would always reign on the throne in Jerusalem (2Samuel 7:11-16).

Therefore, if this is what the Lord considers a house, what should we expect the House of God to look like? It is from this House, or Temple, that the Lord would rule! Moreover, it was prophesied that the Lord would suddenly come to his House (Malachi 3:1). If we can agree that the Lord did, indeed, come suddenly to dwell in his Temple with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles (Acts 2:1-4; cp. 1Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; 2Corinthians 6:16), then we have a context in which the Lord, our God, rules as King. Just as the Lord built David a house (2Samuel 7:11-16), so Jesus, our Lord and Savior claimed he would build his House or Church (Matthew 16:17-19). In other words, the kind of House or Temple that Lord wanted to reign from was from within the hearts of his people, vis-à-vis those who believed in Jesus (cp. Luke 17:21). Also, the Lord’s reign would be characterized by mercy, justice and love, not violence, oppression or forced submission. Those characteristics, violence, oppression and forced submission, would be the ways of the world, and Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36).

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[1] Josephus, Wars of the Jews, 5.5.5.