King of Israel and All the Earth!
Published on: 30.6.2023
By: David Parsons, Vice President & Senior Spokesman

Our Feast theme this year is taken from Psalm 47:7… “For God is the King of all the earth.”

This speaks of the Creator God who rules over all He has made, even those who do not acknowledge His existence. He reigns supreme over all things, which were made for His enjoyment and splendour. “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Revelation 4:11 / KJV)
King David Playing the Harp (1622); by Gerard van Honthorst (Wikipedia)

When we consider earthly kings, we often think of sovereignty – the right and authority to rule over a people. Do they have sole, absolute authority or is it limited by some compact with the king’s subjects? Hopefully, he is a benevolent monarch. And those with victorious armies, grand palaces and immense wealth often leave a lasting legacy.

Yet of all the kings in human history, none stand out quite like King David. Under his rule, the Kingdom of Israel took on a glory and fame that resonates to this day. Of course, his son Solomon only added to that majestic aura when he built the Temple in Jerusalem, transforming it into a city of universal significance and acclaim.

Even today, kings do not look to the Egyptian pharaohs and Roman emperors of the past as their models for emulation. They look to King David!

We witnessed this in the recent coronation of King Charles III in Great Britain. Whatever one thinks of Charles’ character and globalist agenda, it was astonishing to watch his traditional coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey infused with so many powerful passages from Scripture and so much symbolism from the Davidic line. For instance:
Orthodox priests in Jerusalem prepare the anointing oil from the Mount of Olives for the coronation of King Charles III (Getty Images)

>> Charles was anointed with a special oil from the Mount of Olives scented with spices from the Holy Land, much like David was anointed by Samuel (1 Samuel 16:13) and Solomon by Zadok (1 Kings 1:39).
>> Trumpets were blown in the Abbey just like when Solomon was crowned as king according to the instructions of David, who also gave us the phrase “God save the king” (1 Kings 1:34).
>> Charles was handed a “sceptre of equity”, reminiscent of Israel’s kings (see Psalm 45:6).
>> Finally, he sat on an old wooden throne which rested on the “Stone of Scone” (or “Destiny”), which Scottish legend claims was the rock where Jacob laid his head and dreamed of a ladder to heaven (Genesis 28:10-12) and where Davidic kings later sat when crowned.
Trumpeters announce the recent coronation ceremony in London’s famed Westminster Abbey (Facebook/Westminster Abbey)

Whether that legend is true or not, the main takeaway here is that the monarchs of Britain and most other European thrones have all historically looked to the royal House of David as the highest and purest example of a God-ordained king. And the Christian themes and symbols present in these European coronations over the centuries are rooted in the belief that Christ is the rightful heir to the throne of David.

Yet the fact that King David would be the forerunner and prototype of the Messiah is something of an enigma. This is because God made clear to ancient Israel that He was their King, and thus they had no need of an earthly king.

As my colleague Dr. Jürgen Bühler pointed out in the last issue of the Word From Jerusalem magazine, when God brought Israel out of Egypt, He called them to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). And God Himself became their “King in Jeshurun” (Deuteronomy 33:5). For He alone was worthy to rule and reign and give direction to this people.

Yet later, Israel insisted on having an earthly king like the other nations around them, a demand which sorely displeased God. It happened under the prophet Samuel, who complained to the Lord and received this reply: “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.” (1 Samuel 8:6-7)

So how could God go from forbidding Israel an earthly king to allowing one? And how was this earthly king suddenly elevated to being the progenitor of the King Messiah; that is, Jesus, both the Son of David and Son of God!

Flawed Kings, but a Faithful God
To unlock this riddle, it first must be noted that the people were demanding a king most likely out of fear that what happened under Eli the priest would occur again once Samuel was gone. If you recall, Eli had not disciplined his sons, who were robbing the people at Shiloh, and God sent such a harsh judgment and defeat that the ark of the covenant wound up in the hands of the Philistines. Now, an aging Samuel had just appointed his two sons as judges, and they too were not corrected for their corruption, just like the sons of Eli, causing the Israelites to fear what might lie ahead (1 Samuel 8:1-3). So, they actually had a legitimate cause to be concerned.

Second, God already knew Israel would demand a king long before they actually did so (Deuteronomy 28:36), and He had pre-emptively set out certain rules and restrictions for these kings in the Law of Moses. We find these in Deuteronomy 17:14-20, which instruct the Israelites to make sure to select a king of God’s choosing; one who would not enrich himself by demanding their gold and silver and livestock, and taking their daughters as wives; one who would fear the Lord and keep His word.

So when Samuel faced the mob demanding a king, the Lord permitted it but told the prophet to sternly warn the people concerning the kind of ruler they were about to get. “Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behaviour of the king who will reign over them.” (1 Samuel 8:9)

So, Samuel spelled it out clearly, that these kings would surely turn their sons into his servants and soldiers, take their daughters as his cooks and concubines, and heavily tax their crops and livestock. And if they came complaining to the Lord about it, He would not hear them (1 Samuel 8:10-18).

Then when Samuel coronated Saul as Israel’s first king, he prayed for the Lord to give the people a sign they indeed had committed an error, and the Lord answered by sending rain and thunder in the time of the wheat harvest, which is normally a dry season. Yet Samuel also assured the people that God would remain by their side, saying: “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart… For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people.” (1 Samuel 12:20, 22)

In truth, God has always promised that He would never abandon His people. “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:15) “And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake My people Israel.” (1 Kings 6:13) “For the Lord will not forsake His people; He will not abandon His heritage.” (Psalm 94:14)

Therefore, we can conclude that God had not changed His mind about Israel, but rather He knew they would one day demand an earthly king. It was just a difficult moment to go through for the Lord and for the prophet Samuel given the sense of rejection they both felt.

The Path to Royal Priesthood
Finally, it is fascinating to note a clear pattern in the changing modes of leadership which ancient Israel went through. For roughly their first 400 years they were led by Patriarchs, from Abraham to Moses. Then for the next 400 years they were ruled by Judges, from Joshua to Samuel. After that came 400 years of rule under the kings of Israel and Judah, from Saul and David to Josiah, the last upright king in the Davidic line. Finally, over the next 400 years Israel was basically ruled by a royal priesthood.

We can see Israel’s priestly role coming to the fore as they returned from the Babylonian exile and Joshua the high priest was anointed to rule the people. This key moment of transition for Israel is recounted in Zechariah chapter 3. If the Jews returning from exile had placed a king over themselves, their Persian overlords would have been upset. So to play it safe, they appointed Joshua the high priest as their head.

Remarkably, God sent a prophetic word through Zechariah endorsing this move. Why? Because “My servant the Branch” is coming to “remove the iniquity of that land in one day” (Zechariah 3:8-9). Thus, Israel was essentially ruled by a royal priesthood so that, in due time, they might offer up the sacrifice Lamb for the sins of the world.

In all this, we can see God’s redemptive plan for the whole world playing out in Israel’s journey down through time under different forms of rulership. The Patriarchs received God’s sworn covenant promises to bless and redeem the world through their descendants. The Judges helped possess the Promised Land where redemption would play out. King David was promised a son who would one day rule over an eternal kingdom, and he became the precursor for the King Messiah and the envy of all earthly kings ever since. And that promised Son of David gave himself up as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, thereby earning what was already rightfully his, the eternal throne of David, from where He will rule over Israel and all the earth forever.

This Soon Coming King
With all this in mind, it is encouraging to consider all the prophetic passages still awaiting ultimate fulfilment concerning this most worthy Son of David, who is the “Desire of all Nations” (Haggai 2:7) and “King of all the Earth”.

For instance, the prophet Hosea speaks of a long season when Israel would have neither kings nor priests, but one day that would change. “For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.” (Hosea 3:4-5)

Note here that the prophet is speaking well after King David was dead and buried, which means he is clearly referring to the King Messiah to come. And the promise is that Israel will not only accept this Messiah but earnestly seek Him.

The prophet Isaiah speaks of the everlasting nature of Messiah’s kingdom: “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:7)

Jeremiah speaks of His righteous rule: “I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.” (Jeremiah 23:5)

Elsewhere, Jeremiah assures that Israel will serve this Messiah: “But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.” (Jeremiah 30:9) Again, in the days of Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry, David was already in his grave, so this is speaking of the King Messiah.
The prophet Samuel anoints David as the next King of Israel (Painter unknown/Wikimedia)

Another incredible prophetic vision came through Ezekiel, at a time when the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were bitterly divided, at war with each other, and hopelessly headed for exile. Yet the Lord vows that one day: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again… David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them… and My servant David shall be their prince forever.” (Ezekiel 37:21-25)

Finally, the prophet Zechariah foresees the day when “the Lord shall be King over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9). He also sees a vision of the nations flocking to Jerusalem “to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16).

This is your invitation, straight from the pages of Scripture, to come worship King Jesus at this year’s Feast. There is no better way to prepare your heart to receive Him at His soon coming!

以色列和全地的王！
發佈於：2023年6月30日
作者：副總裁兼高級發言人 David Parsons

我們今年的節日主題取自詩篇 47:7……「因為神是全地的王，你們要用聖詩歌頌！」

這談到了造物主上帝統治著祂所創造的一切，甚至包括那些不承認祂存在的人。祂掌管萬物，萬物都是為祂的享受和榮耀而造的。「「我們的主，我們的神，祢配得榮耀、尊貴、權柄，因為祢創造了萬物，萬物因祢的旨意被創造而存在。」」 （啟示錄 4:11 / KJV）

大衛王彈奏豎琴 (1622)； 作者：杰拉德·範·洪霍斯特（維基百科）

當我們想到地上的國王時，我們經常想到主權——統治人民的權利和權威。 他們是否擁有唯一、絕對的權力，還是受到與國王臣民的某種契約的限制？希望他是一位仁慈的君主 那些擁有勝利的軍隊、宏偉的宮殿和巨大財富的人往往會留下永久的遺產。

然而，在人類歷史上的所有國王中，沒有一個像大衛王那樣脫穎而出。在他的統治下，以色列王國獲得了至今仍令人迴響的榮耀和聲譽。當然，他的兒子所羅門在耶路撒冷建造聖殿時才增添了這種宏偉的光環，將其變成了一座具有普遍意義和讚譽的城市。

即使在今天，國王們也不會以過去的埃及法老和羅馬皇帝為榜樣。他們敬仰大衛王！

我們在最近英國國王查理三世的加冕禮上見證了這一點。無論人們如何看待查爾斯的性格和全球主義議程，看到他在威斯敏斯特教堂舉行的傳統加冕儀式充滿瞭如此多有力的聖經段落和如此多的大衛家族的象徵意義，都是令人驚訝的。 例如：
耶路撒冷的東正教牧師為國王查理三世的加冕禮準備來自橄欖山的聖膏油（蓋蒂圖片社）

>> 查爾斯被用來自橄欖山的特殊油膏抹，這種油帶有來自聖地的香料的香氣，就像撒母耳（撒母耳記上16:13）和撒督（列王記上1:39）所膏抹所羅門一樣。
>> 修道院裡吹起了號角，就像所羅門按照大衛的指示加冕為王一樣，大衛也給了我們一句“「所羅門王萬歲！」（列王記上 1:34）。
>> 查理被授予「公平權杖」，讓人想起以色列的國王（見詩篇 45:6）。
>> 最後，他坐在一個古老的木製寶座上，寶座上有「斯康之石」（或“命運”），蘇格蘭傳說稱這塊岩石是雅各布頭枕的岩石，夢想著通往天堂的梯子（創世記28章：10-12）以及後來大衛王加冕時坐的地方。
號手們宣布最近在倫敦著名的威斯敏斯特教堂舉行加冕儀式（Facebook/威斯敏斯特教堂）

無論這個傳說是否真實，這裡的主要結論是，英國和大多數其他歐洲王位的君主在歷史上都將大衛王室視為上帝任命的國王的最高和最純粹的典範。幾個世紀以來歐洲加冕禮中出現的基督教主題和象徵都源於這樣的信念：基督是大衛王位的合法繼承人。

然而，大衛王將成為彌賽亞的先驅和原型，這一事實仍然是一個謎。這是因為神向古代以色列明確表明他是他們的王，因此他們不需要地上的王。

正如我的同事於尤根布勒博士在《耶路撒冷話語》雜誌上一期中指出的那樣，當神將以色列帶出埃及時，他稱他們為「祭司的國度，聖潔的子民」（出埃及記 19:6）。 神親自成為他們的「耶書崙王」（申命記 33:5）。 因為只有祂配得統治和掌權，並給這個人民指明方向。

然而後來，以色列堅持像周圍其他國家一樣擁有一位地上的國王，這一要求令上帝非常不悅。 這件事發生在先知撒母耳的統治下，他向耶和華抱怨並得到這樣的答覆：「6撒母耳不喜悅他們說「立一個王治理我們」，他就向耶和華禱告。7耶和華對撒母耳說：「你只管聽從百姓向你說的一切話，因為他們不是厭棄你，而是厭棄我，不要我作他們的王。」 （撒母耳記上 8:6-7）

那麼神怎麼可能從禁止以色列有一位地上的君王到允許有一位君王呢？ 這位地上的君王是如何突然被提升為彌賽亞君王的祖先的？ 那就是耶穌，既是大衛的子孫，又是神的兒子！

有缺陷的國王，但卻是信實的上帝
要解開這個謎團，首先必須指出的是，人們之所以要求一位國王，很可能是因為擔心一旦撒母耳離開，祭司以利統治下發生的事情就會再次發生。如果你還記得的話，以利沒有管教他的兒子們，因為他們在示羅搶劫人民，上帝給予瞭如此嚴厲的審判和失敗，以致約櫃最終落入非利士人手中。 現在，年老的撒母耳剛剛任命他的兩個兒子為法官，他們也沒有因腐敗而得到糾正，就像以利的兒子們，使以色列人害怕即將發生的事情（撒母耳記上 8:1-3）。 所以，他們實際上有合理的理由擔心。

其次，上帝早在以色列人實際要求國王之前就已經知道他們會要求一個國王（申命記28:36），並且他在摩西律法中預先為這些國王制定了某些規則和限制。我們在申命記 17:14-20 中找到這些內容，它們指示以色列人確保選擇上帝所選擇的國王；不會索要他們的金銀牲畜，娶他們的女兒為妻；一個敬畏耶和華並遵守祂話語的人。

因此，當撒母耳面對暴民要求立王時，主允許了，但告訴先知嚴厲警告人民，他們將要得到什麼樣的統治者。「現在你只管聽從他們的話，不過要嚴厲警告他們，告訴他們將來王會用甚麼方式管轄他們。」 （撒母耳記上 8:9）

所以，撒母耳明確指出，這些王必將他們的兒子變成他的僕人和士兵，將他們的女兒納為他的廚子和妃嬪，並對他們的莊稼和牲畜課以重稅。 如果他們為此向主抱怨，祂也不會垂聽他們（撒母耳記上 8:10-18）。

然後，當撒母耳加冕掃羅為以色列的第一位國王時，他祈求上帝給人們一個他們確實犯了錯誤的跡象，上帝的回應是在麥子收割的時候降下雨和雷，這通常是乾旱的季節。 季節。 然而撒母耳也向百姓保證，上帝會留在他們身邊，說：「20撒母耳對百姓說：「不要懼怕！你們雖然行了這惡，卻不要偏離耶和華，只要盡心事奉祂。21不可偏離去隨從那沒有益處、不能救人的虛無的神明，因為它們是虛無的。22耶和華必因他大名的緣故不撇棄祂的子民，因為耶和華喜悅你們作祂的子民。」 （撒母耳記上 12:20, 22）

事實上，神一直應許他永遠不會拋棄祂的子民。 「看哪，我必與你同在，無論你往哪裏去，我必保佑你，領你歸回這地。我總不離棄你，直到我實現了對你所說的話。」 （創世記 28:15）「我必住在以色列人中間，並不丟棄我的百姓以色列。」 （列王記上 6:13）「因為耶和華必不丟棄祂的百姓，也不離棄他的產業。」 （詩篇 94:14）

因此，我們可以得出結論，上帝並沒有改變對以色列的看法，而是祂知道他們有一天會要求一位地上的國王。 對於主和先知撒母耳來說，這只是一個艱難的時刻，因為他們都感受到了被拒絕的感覺。

皇家祭司之路
最後，令人著迷的是，古代以色列所經歷的領導模式變化中存在一個清晰的模式。大約在最初的 400 年裡，他們由從亞伯拉罕到摩西的族長領導。然後在接下來的400年裡，他們由從約書亞到撒母耳的士師統治。此後，從掃羅、大衛到大衛家族最後一位正直的國王約西亞，以色列和猶大諸王統治了 400 年。最後，在接下來的四百年裡，以色列基本上是由皇室祭司統治的。

當以色列人從巴比倫流放歸來時，我們可以看到祭司的角色凸顯出來，大祭司約書亞被膏立來統治人民。 撒迦利亞書第 3 章詳細敘述了以色列過渡的這一關鍵時刻。如果從流放歸來的猶太人為自己立了一個國王，他們的波斯霸主就會感到不安。 因此，為了保險起見，他們任命大祭司約書亞為他們的領袖。

值得注意的是，上帝通過撒迦利亞發出了預言，支持了這一舉動。 為什麼？ 因為「我的僕人苗裔」將要「一日之間除掉這地的罪孽」（撒迦利亞書3：8-9）。 因此，以色列本質上是由皇室祭司統治的，以便在適當的時候，他們可以為世界的罪孽獻上祭品羔羊。

在這一切中，我們可以看到上帝對全世界的救贖計劃在以色列不同形式的統治下的歷史旅程中上演。 族長們接受了上帝宣誓立約的應許，將透過他們的後代來祝福和救贖世界。 士師們幫助佔領了應許之地，救贖在那裡展開。大衛王被應許有一個兒子，有一天他將統治一個永恆的王國，他成為彌賽亞國王的先驅，從此成為所有地上國王羨慕的對象。那應許的大衛之子為世人的罪捨了自己作為祭物，從而贏得了本來就屬於他的東西，即大衛永恆的王位，他將從那里永遠統治以色列和全地。

這位即將到來的國王
考慮到這一切，令人鼓舞的是，考慮所有關於這位最值得尊敬的大衛子孫的最終實現的預言段落，他是「萬國所羨慕的」（哈該書2：7）和「全地的王」。

例如，先知何西阿談到以色列的一個漫長季節。