Angelic Conflict part 317: Current work of Christ – Psa 110; Rom 8:35-39; Isa 63:1-6; Col 1:15-20.Title: Angelic Conflict part 317: Current work of Christ – Psa 110; Rom 8:35-39; Isa 63:1-6; Col 1:15-20.
The resurrection of Christ is essential to all His work as the Victor in the AC.
The theme of the resurrected Messiah reigning victorious over His enemies was prophesied in Psa 110:1.
Verse one is alluded to 25 times in the NT and verse four another 5 times. This lies behind many of the references throughout the NT to Christ being seated at the right hand of God.
Psa 110:1 The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand [place of power], Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet."
We noted last night that just a few days before His death Jesus brought up the question of this verse that apparently the Pharisees had never investigated. In it He proved His deity and the necessity of His bodily resurrection. When He posed the question He did not however identify Himself as the Lord in this verse directly, however, in His trial, the night before His death, when asked directly if He was the Son of God He did identify Himself as this Lord. This was directly followed by intense persecution.
From this we note a very important principle about the conflict that we are in as well as an application from this that must be applied if we are going to reign in life despite the continued persecution from the world system and the people in it.
Satan and the demons know who He is but these men do not know Him. Therefore, they persecute Him impersonally while satan and the KOD have a much more personal motivation.
We will develop this further in the next few hours of study, but as a preliminary point we note:
Col 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities
Satan/KOD - powers in heaven (personal) Structure - powers on earth (impersonal)
We see in Col 1:16 that there are thrones (seats of authority), dominions (lordships or governments), rulers, and authorities (powers who have the freedom to act) both on earth and in the heavens. One is pulling the strings of the other. Satan and the KOD hold the strings and the earthly aspects of this are the structure that is being so manipulated, and often in great ignorance (how great is your darkness when you think you're in the light) for the purpose of destroying the current work of Christ. Whatever work Christ would love to do in you these people and systems are set in motion to destroy that work. This is no way means that we hide ourselves in some commune fashion from the world system as some have thought was the proper solution, but to walk in it while reigning in life through Christ our Lord. And again, we must always remember, that from the world it is only impersonal and in regard to this impersonal attack we should each one be diligent to love all with the agape love of God and not suffer the persecution in our core or in our soul as a stress, but rather as an inconvenience that is easily handled and sufficiently quenched so that we fend off the enemies desire for us to relinquish our contentment.
George Washington, Circular Letter to the States, June 1783: There are four things, which I humble conceive, are essential to the well being, I may even venture to say, to the existence of the United States as an Independent Power: 1st. An indissoluble Union of the States under one Federal Head. 2ndly. A Sacred regard to Public Justice. 3rdly. The adoption of a proper Peace Establishment [national defense] 4rthly. The prevalence of that pacific and friendly Disposition, among the People of the United States, which will induce them to forget their local prejudices and policies, to make those mutual concessions which are requisite to the general prosperity, and in some instances, to sacrifice their individual advantages to the interest of the Community.
Just like a person may hate another person just for differences in color or ethnicity, the earthly structures of the world system hate the light of Christ, not because they know Him personally, but have some idea of Him that is taught to them in a system and so their attack is impersonal (the Bible makes it clear that this happens from believer to believer). Prejudice is never personal but impersonal. This is why we are not to take the attacks against us, the tribulations, persecutions, etc. as personal. You are not attacked because you are known but rather because something is known of you, which in ignorance, our attackers do not understand. This does not in any way exempt them from blame. They are responsible for their decisions.
Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
We defeat them by loving those humans who are involved in their structures with agape love while continuing to trust in our Father as Christ set the example. We don't defeat them by fighting back against humanity or spirit forces in the heavenlies (as it we could).
Luk 23:34 But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."
Rom 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
These things come upon us from people, human institutions of the world system, and from a cursed earth. Satan doesn't bring a sword to you, He uses someone to do it. Famine comes from a cursed earth and possibly the work of the KOD, or it might be the result of terrible policies from people in leadership positions who are greedy and power hungry. Yet, none of this will be able to separate us from the love of God, who is the only One who knows us so intimately, and if we walk in that love through faith, humility, grace, and resultant virtue, we will overwhelmingly conquer.
Psa 110:1 The Lord [Jehovah] says to my Lord [Adonai]: "Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet."
David is the highest ruler in the kingdom, therefore, his Adonai can only be the Lord of heaven.
In order to be his son, his Adonai must become a man through the incarnation.
Luk 1:31-33 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end."
David had the Ark of the Covenant moved to Jerusalem and placed on Zion. Did the Ark sit next to David or David next to the Ark? Wars with the Edomites and Syrians had been accomplished. Soon after, the war with the Ammonites and their allies, the greatest, longest, and most glorious of David's wars, ended in the second year, when David himself joined the army, with the conquest of Rabbah. These two contemporary connecting links [the placement of the Ark and the conquering of all enemies] are to be recognized, but they only furnish the Psalm with the typical ground-color for its prophetical contents.
In this Psalm David looks forth from the height upon which Jehovah has raised him by the victory over the Ammonites into the future of his seed, and there He who carries forward the work begun by him to the highest pitch is his Lord. Over against this King of the future, David is not king, but subject. He calls him, as a commoner amongst the people, "my Lord." This is the situation of the prophetico-kingly poet. He has received new revelations concerning the future of his seed. He has come down from his throne and the height of his power, and looks up to the Future One. The Lord too sits enthroned on Zion. He too is victorious from then on. But the Lord's fellowship with God is the most intimate imaginable, and the last enemy is also laid at His feet. David finally defeated Ammon, but the Lord is going to finally and completely defeat all enemies of God. And He is not merely King, who as a Priest provides for the salvation of His people, He is an eternal Priest by virtue of a sworn promise.
The Psalm therefore relates to the history of the future upon a typical ground-work. It is also explicable why the triumph in the case of Ammon and the Messianic image have been thus to David's mind disconnected from himself. In the midst of that war comes the sin of David, which cast a shadow of sorrow over the whole of his future life and reduced its typical glory to ashes. Out of these ashes the phoenix of Messianic prophecy here arises. The type who is David, come back to the conscious of himself, here lays down his crown at the feet of the Antitype who is his Lord and ours.
Psa 110:1 The Lord [Jehovah] says to my Lord [Adonai]: "Sit at My right hand [place of power], Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet."
The sitting implies settled dominion, as of one having an established sovereignty. "Until" implies a process of subduing. He sits in victory now, but the process of subduing all enemies unto final judgment is ongoing until the end of human history.
In verse 1 God will defeat His enemies.
In verse 2 God will extend His kingdom.
Psa 110:2 The Lord will stretch forth Thy strong scepter from Zion, saying, "Rule in the midst of Thine enemies."
In verse 3 God will give Him a victorious army who fight out of joy as they volunteer freely.
David might have had in mind Deborah:
Jud 5:2 "That the leaders led in Israel, That the people volunteered, Bless the Lord!
Psa 110:3 Thy people will volunteer freely in the day of Thy power; In holy array [clothed in beauty], from the womb of the dawn, Thy youth are to Thee as the dew [beauty, vigor, and countless numbers].
The fulfillment of this is stated in Rev 19:14 in which we see the Church as the bride of Christ clothed in fine, white linen at the wedding feast of the Lamb, which follows the Rapture, and then returning with Christ at His Second Coming.
Rev 19:14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean were following Him on white horses.
We are voluntary, clothed in beauty, and full of vigor and countless in number at His Second Coming due to the eternal priesthood of our King.
Psa 110:4 The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, "Thou art a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek."
Melchizedek was a king and priest as a type of Christ who is not from Levi, but from Judah.
On earth, in the dispensation of Israel, He wouldn't qualify as a priest because He was of the tribe of Judah. Yet He is an eternal priest as well as an eternal King and He will appear as the Lion of Judah and roar in wrath at the proper time. All priests have died. Melchizedek died, however, as a type of Christ, neither the birth or the death of Melchizedek is recorded, plus, Melchizedek lived contemporary with Abraham and there were no tribes as of yet, nor was there a Law.
The eternal King and Priest that possesses the heavenly throne at the right hand of God has the same offices apply to the earthly throne of David as He will sit in rulership and priesthood for His thousand year Millennial reign.
Psa 110:5 The Lord is at Thy right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath.
Psa 110:6 He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men [head - Gen 3:15] over a broad country.
Psa 110:7 He will drink from the brook by the wayside; Therefore He will lift up His head.
He shall be like an ardent warrior who, in pursuing the enemy ("in the way"), does not turn in to any place of entertainment to refresh himself, but contents himself with water, which he hastily drinks from any brook or pool. The point is His hasty refreshment amidst His untiring zeal for the honor of God.
Isa 63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength?"It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save."
Isa 63:2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press?
Isa 63:3 "I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger, And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment.
Isa 63:4 "For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come.
Isa 63:5 "And I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me; And My wrath upheld Me.
Isa 63:6 "And I trod down the peoples in My anger, And made them drunk in My wrath, And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth."
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