Ephesians 4:3-6; One Lord – The Mediatorial King, part 4.Sunday March 21,2021We are currently studying Jesus as the one Lord and one Mediatorial King as foretold by the OT prophets.
We have seen the nature of the coming Ruler. He is both human and divine; God and Man; undiminished deity and true humanity in one Person forever.
We then looked at His origin. As might be expected, the paradox of a Ruler who is both human and divine will inevitably present a further paradox in the description of His origin. In it we find elements that are both natural and supernatural, earthly and heavenly.
The paradox of the God/Man who is both natural (born of a woman) and supernatural (born of the Holy Spirit) has another paradox rightfully associated with His nature and origin.
Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Zec 14:4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.
If the OT believers had the eyes that we do, then they might see two advents of the Messiah. If any of them did, they don’t make a clear indication that they did. We have seen the first prophecy, Zec 9, literally fulfilled, and on the colt He rode to the Mount of Olives.
Luk 19:35-37 And they brought it to Jesus, and they threw their garments on the colt, and put Jesus on it. 36 And as He was going, they were spreading their garments in the road. 37 And as He was now approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives
Therefore, we know the second one to be literally fulfilled. In the first He is humble, and in the second He is a conquering warrior.
One of the many incredible things about the Day of the Lord is that, according to Zechariah, the attack on Jerusalem is initially successful.
Zec 14:1-2 Behold, a day is coming for the Lord when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. 2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished, and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.
In this apparent victory of the anti-God rebellion, the world comes to its darkest hour in the long night of Satanic power, but the dawn is about to break.
Zec 14:3-4 Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. 4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.
It is quite lovely to read of this glad day. The day when the Lord Jesus Christ makes everything right on earth and finally fulfills His promises to Israel.
Isa 25:6-9 And the Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine. 7 And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken. 9 And it will be said in that day, "Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation."
Isa 40:9-11 Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, Lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; Lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!" 10 Behold, the Lord God will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him, And His recompense before Him. 11 Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs, And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.
Psa 118:22-26 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. 23 This is the Lord's doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 O Lord, do save, we beseech Thee; O Lord, we beseech Thee, do send prosperity! 26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord; We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
The importance of this grand event cannot be overemphasized. For the arrival of the divine King from heaven to take over the kingdoms of the world will mark the most crucial turning point in human history since Calvary.
The deep darkness of man’s day will then pass into the glorious light of God’s day. The times of the nations are fulfilled and the Lord will sit on David’s throne.
Luk 21:24 Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
The day will dawn, the moment the Lord stands on the mount to the east, but only after the long night of man’s misgovernment of himself and the earth, in which the godly longed for the dawn. The godly in every generation of men have asked the same question as the prophet Isaiah, “How long Lord?”
Isa 6:11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered, “Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant, Houses are without people, And the land is utterly desolate,”
It is truly an axiom that the night is darkest before the dawn.
And under His strong hand the action will be swift, with no more heartbreaking delays to try the faith of God’s elect. Best of all, the change from darkness into light will be irreversible, leaving no room for any point of return back to the dismal failures of man’s attempts to govern himself. The “Sun of Righteousness” will have risen upon the world, and it will not set again.
Mal 4:1-2 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear My name the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.”
Isa 60:20 “Your sun will set no more, Neither will your moon wane; For you will have the Lord for an everlasting light, And the days of your mourning will be finished.”
3. The Character of the Coming Ruler
Over against the dismal background of Israel’s kings, the prophets picture the coming King in sharp contrast.
Isa 11:1-5 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; 4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. 5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.
In the glad day of His arrival, the inhabitants of Zion will sing and shout.
Isa 12:5-6 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.
Notice also that the members of the Kingdom of God are to be witnesses to the rest of the world. Israel failed at that as have many Christians. Israel was said to have become blind and deaf themselves, so how could they have made the other nations see and hear. The same is true of us, since this is the way of the Kingdom of God in all its aspects – the members are to see and hear the Lord and then be heralds of that truth to their neighbors.
He will be the “Servant” of Yavah, revealing in His character and leadership all the perfections which were so sadly lacking in even the best of former rulers in the historical kingdom, Isa 42-53.
David in prophetic vision sees this glorious Ruler and describes Him as the “King of glory,” with clean hands and a pure heart, ascending the hill of the Lord.
Psa 24
A Psalm of David.
1 The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it [Universal Kingdom]. 2 For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the rivers. 3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, And has not sworn deceitfully [only the King is qualified]. 5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord And righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Thy face — even Jacob. Selah.
7 Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! 8 Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift them up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.
He would have to stand on His hill (representing His Kingdom – Zion) alone if He had not redeemed them and us.
Eph 4:8-10
"When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men."
9 (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
He loves righteousness and hates wickedness; His chief majesty consists of truth, meekness, and righteousness.
Psa 45:1-7 My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my verses to the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. 2 Thou art fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Thy lips; Therefore God has blessed Thee forever. 3 Gird Thy sword on Thy thigh, O Mighty One, In Thy splendor and Thy majesty! 4 And in Thy majesty ride on victoriously, For the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; Let Thy right hand teach Thee awesome things. 5 Thine arrows are sharp; The peoples fall under Thee; Thine arrows are in the heart of the King's enemies. 6 Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. 7 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee With the oil of joy above Thy fellows.
The second half of this wonderful poem speaks of the wedding of the King. It is worth your time to read it because you are the bride.
Psa 45: 6-15 45:6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 45:7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows. 45:8 All Your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made You glad. 45:9 Kings' daughters are among Your noble ladies; At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir. 45:10 Listen, O daughter, give attention and incline your ear: Forget your people and your father's house; 45:11 Then the King will desire your beauty. Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him. 45:12 The daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; The rich among the people will seek your favor. 45:13 The King's daughter is all glorious within; Her clothing is interwoven with gold. 45:14 She will be led to the King in embroidered work; The virgins, her companions who follow her, Will be brought to You. 45:15 They will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing; They will enter into the King's palace. 45:16 In place of your fathers will be your sons; You shall make them princes in all the earth. 45:17 I will cause Your name to be remembered in all generations; Therefore the peoples will give You thanks forever and ever.
The King is hated, but it is without cause.
Man does many sinful and selfish and lustful things that make him seem weak and ridiculous. It is the ultimate testimony of the quality of mankind that the one King is hated by so many.
Psa 69:1-4 Save me, O God, For the waters have threatened my life. 2 I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me. 3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; My eyes fail while I wait for my God. 4 Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; Those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies, What I did not steal, I then have to restore.
Isa 53:9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. |