Advent 2021: An Unfulfilled Promise To David
Christ is now exalted at the right hand of God in the New Jerusalem, our heavenly home. He is seated, waiting for all His enemies to made a footstool. (Heb 10:13) But this is not the end of the story. What began in a manger in Bethlehem will end on a throne in Jerusalem. There is still an unfulfilled promise to David.
After he set up the tabernacle and established the worship order night and day, God made a promise to King David.
When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.'" – 1 Chronicles 17:11
From this throne, David’s Son would destroy Satan, and the earth would be restored. When this King sat on David’s throne, He would judge on behalf of the poor, He would tear down every system of oppression, He would restore the environment (even causing the deserts to blossom), He would cause the nations to lay down their arms, He would rebuild the cities that have been devastated, He would crush injustice and exalt righteousness, He would heal the disparity between rich and poor, the enmity between races, and would remove demonic influence from the human experience. The earth, with all its peoples would rejoice and be glad under the rulership of David’s Son. The Old Testament prophets spoke about this promise as the hope of Israel and the nations.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. – Isaiah 9:7
…then a throne will be established in steadfast love, and on it will sit in faithfulness in the tent of David one who judges and seeks justice and is swift to do righteousness." – Isaiah 16:5
"For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel… - Jeremiah 33:17
"In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name," declares the LORD who does this. - Amos 9:11-12
At the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel tells Mary that the child who will be placed in her womb will not only be Son of God; He would be the Son of David, the One to fulfill this promise to David.
And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." - Luke 1:30-33
Peter stood up on the day of Pentecost and spoke to the residents of Jerusalem, “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne…” Peter reminds the crowd about the promise of a King who would reign from Jerusalem over the nations. Peter then makes this definitive and history defining statement, “he [David] foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.” (Acts 2:29-32)
The baby in the manager gives us confidence that He will fulfill every word of these promises with accuracy and power on earth in the same way. If Micah was spot on that He would be born in Bethlehem, then Zechariah is spot on that He will return to Jerusalem. If Zechariah saw clearly that the King would first come humbly, riding on a donkey, then we can be confident that John saw clearly that He would return on a white horse. Isaiah saw a son born to a virgin, and that same Son carrying the government of the earth on His shoulders. The manger gives us courage. This is how Jesus intends to fulfill every word spoken. This is what gave Peter courage and clarity that Jesus was raised from dead to sit on David’s throne. Advent is not just about what has happened, Advent is the celebration of what is coming. We keep Advent because there is still an unfulfilled promise to Adam, to Eve, to Abraham, and to King David: a King on the throne in Jerusalem, ruling the earth. Jesus sits on a heavenly throne now as the Son of God in the New Jerusalem having been given authority over all things by the Father. He will return and on that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east…and the Lord will be King over all the earth. (Zech 14:4,9) He will march through the eastern gate in Jerusalem and take His seat on the throne of David as the Son of David. He will exercise that authority that has been given to Him in fullness and restore all things. What began in a manager in Bethlehem will end on a throne in Jerusalem.
“The Advent season is a season of waiting, but our whole life is an Advent season, that is, a season of waiting for the last Advent, for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God Is In the Manger
Prayer:
Jesus, I bow before You. You are my Savior and my King. I worship You as the rightful King of the earth. I believe You will fulfill every promise! I believe You will finish what You started, in my life and in the earth.
Father, You do all things well!
Holy Spirit, stir my heart to long for the coming of David’s Son. Awaken my eyes to see the glory of His return. Let me be counted among all those who love His appearing. Let an ache grow in my heart this Advent for the King to return to Jerusalem. Amen.
