Prophecy in the Psalms

Scripture in the book of the Psalms contains several important prophetic themes, including those which are very significant for our current last days time period. Of course, one major theme that runs throughout, which I addressed in a prior passage, is that of King David’s battle versus his enemy- the anti-Christ Chaldeans of his day. His story and battle is a very relevant prophetic picture of the battle of our last days ‘Jacob’ figure and the Judah remnant against the Chaldeans. King David’s battle also foretells the story of the battle of our end times ‘Davidic Prince’ figure, which I have also addressed previously.

In this passage, I will cover additional major prophetic themes in the book of Psalms, which will still strongly draw upon and reference the central storyline of the spiritual battle between God’s Kingdom warriors and the anti-Christ Chaldeans and their attempt of a new world order.

Speaking of God’s Kingdom, it is readily apparent in King David’s psalms that he possessed an incredible heart and spirit for God’s eternal Kingdom. King David’s head was “in the clouds,” so to speak, but I mean that sincerely, and in the most respectful and admirable of terms. He constantly meditated upon and prayed on those things that were eternal and outside of his immediate purview. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he had been made aware directly by God that it would be his royal throne and house that would be established on God’s holy hill forever.

King David’s psalms, not surprisingly, are a large influence on the prophetic topics that are covered in the book of Psalms, overall, and that I will cover herein. Major prophetic topic areas that I will address in this passage include:

• The (initial and final) coming Messiah, Jesus Christ
• God’s heavenly Kingdom as seen through King David’s eyes
• God’s heavenly inheritance through the Davidic line

Each of these areas is addressed in its respective section below.

The Messiah who came to earth and will return- Jesus Christ

While there are many prophecies in scripture about Jesus’ eventual comings to the earth, it is interesting that the ones told about him in the book of Psalms also happen to be a good representation for what his people also go through (on a smaller scale) on their figurative pilgrimage back to the holy land. Jesus, in particular:

1. Gained initial victory by his death (and especially his resurrection), which proved him as God and his persecutors as being of the evil, world kingdom
2. Sits enthroned at the right hand of God
3. Has inherited the Kingdom from God, his father
4. Will return again to defeat his enemies
5. Will reign over the Kingdom as the King of glory

I will address each of these areas in more detail, but I have also shown in my prior passages at least a somewhat similar story for God’s people: They are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ; they (will) gain victory over their enemies as a result of their proven faith; they will inherit their own place in the coming Kingdom; and they will get to serve with and to worship Jesus Christ, even including a royal remnant who serve with him on his holy hill.

Meanwhile, the progression of Jesus Christ as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in scripture in the book of Psalms is as follows.

Initial victory

First, is the picture of his coming persecution and crucifixion at the hands of the false god-, false idol-worshiping anti-Christ Chaldeans- Pharisee/Roman variety- of his day. Initially, in Psalm 22, we are given a key prophetic marker as King David prophetically uses Jesus’ own eventual words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps. 22:1). King David then offers what appears to be an accurate description of Jesus’ treatment in his day.

• “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.” (Ps. 22:6-7)

David further calls these enemies of his, and of Christ, like “roaring lions” who tear their prey and “open their mouths wide” against him. Then, in what many believe to be a prophetic description of Jesus’ crucifixion. King David wrote:

• “For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.” (Ps 22:16)

Many other scriptures in God’s word tell us and prove that Jesus was subsequently resurrected following his death on the cross.

Enthroned at the right hand of God

As just mentioned, there is plenty of biblical evidence for Jesus’ resurrection and then his subsequent transfiguration and ascension. Just as is mentioned in the Psalms scriptures below, we know that he remains enthroned in heaven at the moment:

• “Yet their (the heavens’) voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.” (Ps. 19:4) (‘Sun’ here refers to “Son”).

• “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” (Ps. 110:1)

So the highly-revered King David, who was a God-chosen, God-anointed prophet, priest and king in his own right, here (in the last scripture above) refers to “my (his) Lord,” in a sign of Jesus Christ as Lord on the heavenly throne. And we know when Jesus eventually came, he referred back to this same verse in speaking with the Pharisees in making a point about who he was.

Jesus inherits the Kingdom

In the book of Psalms, we see plenty of prophetic scripture that demonstrates that God has given Jesus the Kingdom to come, and is in fact the “Great King” of Zion. Thus, he will leave his heavenly throne and return to us again here on earth for his Millennial reign. The following scriptures indicate this:

• “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.” (Ps. 2:6-7)

• “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in…Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.” (Ps. 24:7,10)

When Jesus returns, we are told in the book of Psalms that he is like a “bridegroom coming from his Chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course” (Ps. 19:4).

Returns to defeat his enemies

As we know, prior to the coming Millennial Kingdom, there will be a final battle that must take place to defeat the worldwide anti-Christ Chaldean army. Satan and his minions in the last days will be obsessed with Jerusalem and the temple, since the Anti-Christ will strive to set up his counterfeit kingdom. In the following scripture, the “mountains of many peaks” essentially represent the anti-Christ Chaldean leaders who are part of Satan’s evil, oppressive kingdom that is aligned against God’s Kingdom to come.

• “Why do you gaze in envy, O mountains of many peaks? This is the mountain God chose for His dwelling, where the Lord will surely dwell forever.” (Ps. 68:16)

So, the anti-Christ Chaldean power and spirit will still be entrenched until the very last days and must be defeated. This is why scripture in the book of Psalms (and elsewhere in God’s word) says many times about Jesus that he, “crushes kings,” “judges nations,” and “crushes rulers of the whole earth” (Ps. 110:1). Other psalms describe his coming battle cry such as:

• “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” (Ps. 2:9)

• “Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” (Ps. 24:8)

These scriptures are obviously consistent with others elsewhere in the bible, such as: (with the) “breath of his lips,” he will slay the wicked (Is. 11:4); he will “rule the nations with an iron scepter” (Rev. 12:9); and he will be the stone that strikes the statue “on its feet of iron and clay” (Dan. 2:34), and crushes them. (The latter is the statue in the book of Daniel, with the feet made of iron and clay, representing the last days mingled anti-Christ Chaldean kingdom).

Jesus reigns as King of glory

Once Jesus returns and defeats his anti-Christ Chaldean enemy representing all evil and wickedness here on this earth, then he will reign in the Millennial Kingdom. People in the whole earth will finally rejoice and worship him as the one, true God. Recall at the end of my last passage, I offered a scripture from Micah (4:2) that describes how “many nations” will come to Zion to worship and to learn the Lord’s “ways” and his “paths.”

We further learn in the book of Psalms (Ch. 72) how Jesus will be glorious and highly exalted in his reign:

• “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” (Ps. 72:8)

• “His name shall endure forever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.” (Ps. 72:17-19)

• “Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.” (Ps. 72:11-14)

God’s Heavenly Kingdom

As I mentioned earlier, King David had a true, single-focused heart and mind for the heavenly kingdom and God’s royal throne. Of course, it was David, upon coming to Jerusalem, who was foremost concerned with establishing God’s temple. Those in his house commented about David in the psalms:

• “How he sware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob; Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, Until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.” (Ps. 132:2-5)

Accordingly, it is not surprising that some of David’s psalms describe his longings for and visions of God’s heavenly kingdom. In exploring them, we find some prophetic insights.

To begin, in several of his psalms, David envisions and describes a liturgical procession marching through the gates of the temple in a last days picture or context at the time when Jesus assumes his throne. This is after Jesus defeats his people’s enemy, thereby saving his righteous remnant and his servants with justice, setting them free. In these psalms, David describes singing, music, and praise amidst “shouts of joy and victory.” David pronounces, “This is the day that the Lord has made…” and, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Ps. 118:22). So, this celebration punctuates the last phase of the prophecy of Jesus Christ in the book of Psalms that I described in the section above. That is, Jesus Christ assumes his heavenly throne in glory with his saints at his side. We read:

• “Let us go to his dwelling place, let us worship at his footstool, saying, ‘Arise, Lord, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. May your priests be clothed with your righteousness; may your faithful people sing for joy.’” (Ps. 132:7-9)

King David in God’s heavenly Kingdom

While King David remarkably writes about the very day Jesus Christ will begin his reign, it is apparent that he longs to be there in the Kingdom himself. He repeatedly emphasizes the righteousness and holiness of Jesus and his saints, the beauty of God’s palace, and in his prayers and visions he practically transports himself to be among them. Recall he concludes his famous Psalm 23 with, “…and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever.” Consider also the following scriptures:

• “How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God…Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.” (Ps. 84:1-2, 4-5)

• “O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.” (Ps. 43:3-4)

• “Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord: This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.” (Ps. 118:19-21)

So, there is no question that David is intimately connected to his promised eternal throne and God’s Kingdom. His strong, near obsessive (in a good way) focus on Jesus Christ’s ultimate righteous reign and eternal kingdom show why he is referred to in other scripture as, “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14). We shall ultimately get to see how King David’s spirit manifests in heaven.

Meanwhile, David recognized his own mortality in his day and envisioned the time “when he awakes” and is with the Lord. The following scriptures show firsthand what he expects to see and experience:

• “As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.” (Ps. 17:15)

• “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Ps. 16:11)

• “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” (Ps. 27:13)

• “Because of my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.” (Ps. 41:12)

Not surprisingly, given King David’s character, he associates the principles of righteousness, “goodness,” and “integrity” with God’s Kingdom to come- those things he always desired and longed for.

House of David- Inheritance

King David was not solely focused on himself with regard to God’s coming Kingdom. He was extremely aware of and thoughtful about his Davidic line to follow, which may be referred to as his “house” (of David) or inheritance. The covenant promise that God made to him for his eternal family throne was no doubt influential in David’s thoughts for himself and his future royal family’s throne in the heavenly Kingdom.

Through his Godly anointing, King David appeared well aware of the nature of his inheritance and family line to come, including how they will be “preserved forever,” blessed (i.e. “will flourish in the courts of God” – Ps. 92:13), and how they will represent his house and serve Jesus Christ in the heavenly Kingdom to come. As the Millennial Kingdom’s royal house, King David’s “house” is considered to be a big part of God’s inheritance. (See my prior passage on the Judah tribe remnant for additional description). Meanwhile, several of the following psalms highlight King David’s certain awareness about the coming blessing for his future eternal heavenly Kingdom inheritance.

• “The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.” (Ps. 132:11-12)

• “Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace. Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields; our oxen will draw heavy loads. There will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets.” (Ps. 144:12-14)

• “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing…” (Ps. 92:12-14)

• “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You. Selah. Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.” (Ps. 84:4-5)

Other psalms along these lines describe the eternal existence of the Davidic line who will have “years without end,” “seed (that) endures forever,” and children who sit upon the throne “forever more.”

In fact, it appears as if King David was deliberately and consciously writing some of his psalms for a future generation of his family line to come. David, in his wisdom and thoughtfulness, prayed, “I will make thy (God’s) name to be remembered in all generations,” (Ps. 17:1); and when he recognized he was in older age with few days left, he requested of God, “…do not forsake me until I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come” (Ps. 71:18). David showed that he was truly in-tune with his family/”house” in generations to come and communicated to them through his psalms.

King David’s prophetic psalms about his people’s deliverance

It is clear through King David’s additional psalms and prayers that he had been given insight and prophetic knowledge of the last days battle between his and Jacob’s descendants versus the end times anti-Christ Chaldean army. In their prayers/psalms, it is clear that King David and those in his house of his day could tell that his future inheritance would experience an “evil time,” “years wherein we have seen evil,” and that this remnant would need to be saved and rescued at the hands of God himself. The following scriptures demonstrate this amazing prophetic foreknowledge:

• “Deliver me; rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.” (Ps. 144:11)

• “The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.” (Ps. 28:8-9)

• “For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.” (Ps. 37:28-29)

(Note: There is much more in the prophetic psalms referring to God’s end times deliverance of his people, and his judgment to come, which I may address in a future passage).

Last days ‘Davidic Prince’ servant

Given that the house of David in his day had prophetic foresight and concern into his last days inheritance, as discussed in the section above, it stands to reason that they had similar prophetic foresight for God’s individual end times house of David saints and servants.

In a prior passage, I addressed the last days Millennial Kingdom ‘Davidic Prince’ who King David appears to refer to several times in his psalms. This ‘Davidic Prince’ is sometimes prophetically referred to in the context and background of a (future) “day of trouble.” I have described previously how King David almost appears to be writing about a future mirror image of himself- which is our ‘Davidic Prince’ figure. Just like King David, we have already learned (from my prior passage) how the end times ‘Prince’ goes through his own last days battle with the same ancient foe that his forefather David was so familiar with. The ‘Prince’ is a victorious warrior figure who leads the exodus of his people back to their land and is a major influencing force behind the building of the Millennial Kingdom temple. This happens as a second fulfillment of the original event of King David entering Jerusalem and planning for God’s temple to be built.

Below, I provide some additional scriptures and justification from the psalms that show support and prayer in King David’s day for the end times ‘Davidic Prince.’ Just as for other end times biblical characters that I have referred to, the ‘Davidic Prince’s experience can be thought of as generally representative in a lot of ways of other servants of Jesus Christ in these last days.

The ‘Davidic Prince’ in scripture

It is possible that the ‘David Prince’ figure is the one who is prophetically referred to in various ways in the psalms. While he is generally referred to as a servant, he also appears to be referred to with other terms such as: “the horn of David”; “the horn of his people”; “the anointed one”; “the Lord’s right hand”; and “the son you (God) have raised up.” The latter term was used by King David’s Levitical servants at the time in relation to this future servant being a leader of the “vine” God has planted, but has then since been “ravaged.” (See my prior passage on God’s Vineyard). In the prophecy of their calling out to God in their distress, God’s people ask:

• “Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.” (Ps. 80:17)

The ‘Davidic’ Prince may also be prophetically referred to, at least in a loose sense, in some other areas of the book of Psalms. Some examples of psalms that certainly seem to fit the ‘Davidic Prince’s character, given what we know about him from this passage and my prior ones, include:

• “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place?” (Ps. 24:3) (In my prior passage, “Prophetic Questions and Answers,” I explain the answer to this question is likely the ‘Davidic Prince’)

• “Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.” (Ps. 112:1-2)

• (“He who dwells in the shadow of the Most High”) “…because he loves me, I will rescue him; I will protect him; for he acknowledges my name.” (Ps. 91:1, 14)

• “There (Zion) will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.” (Ps. 132:17-18)

I provide additional scriptures from the book of Psalms about the Lord’s deliverance of his end times ‘Davidic Prince’ servant in my prior passage entitled, “A Davidic Line Prince and the Picture of Zerubbabel.”

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In summary, through King David and other psalmists, we learn prophetically about Jesus’ future comings, including his initial coming and subsequent death and resurrection. We also learn about Jesus’ final triumphant return to his righteous throne. And we learn somewhat about the heavenly kingdom as described by King David, who also informs us about his end times inheritance and his protégé, the ‘Davidic Prince,’ for the Millennial Kingdom.

Grace & Peace,

Lion’s Lair (LL)