His priesthood is established by an oath. Ps.110:4. His kingly office is the subject
of a fixed decree. Ps.2:6,7. But the forever of his priesthood, as expressed by
this verse, is limited by the fact that at a certain point of time he is to cease to
plead for sinful men, and they are to be made his footstool.
It is important to observe that there are in this psalm two Lords, the Father
and the Son. One in the original is called Jehovah; the other is called Adonai.
The word "LORD" in small capitals is used for Jehovah. But the Lord at his right
hand (verse 1) is Adonai, the Son. So we read of the Son in verse 5. "The Lord at
thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath." This will
evidently be in the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Rev.6:15-17; 19:11-21;
Isa.24:21-23.
Our Lord does not thus destroy his enemies by virtue of his kingly office until
he has first judged them, for one of the first acts of his kingly power is to proceed
to the judgment of his enemies. He represents himself as judging by reason of
his kingly office. Matt.25:34,40. It is in the exercise of this power that he judges
his enemies. So Ps.110:6 reads thus: "He shall judge among the heathen, he
shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many
countries." This is the work in the day of his power, and to this work his people
shall consent. Verse 3. This is indeed the great day of his wrath, and none shall
be able to stand except those whose sins are blotted out. The wicked kings of the
earth shall fall before him when he is King of kings and Lord of lords.
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Instead of saying, as does our version, "He shall wound the heads over many
countries." Martin's bible uses the singular number, and says. "the chief who
rules over a great country." This is a plain allusion to Satan. The Hebrew word
rendered wound in this text is by Gesenius defined thus: "To smite through and
through; to dash in pieces, to crush." And such will be the punishment of Satan
when the God of peace shall bruise the prince of darkness under the feet of his
people. Rom.16:20; Gen.3:15; 1John 3:8; Heb.2:14.
These passages clearly mark the transition from the priesthood of Christ to
his kingly office. Human probation closes with the priesthood of Christ. Those
who are found in their sins after our Lord has taken his kingly power, must be
destroyed as his enemies. His priesthood terminates when he has obtained the
acquittal of his people, and secured the blotting out of their sins at the the tribunal
of his Father. Then and there he is crowned king; and from that coronation scene
he comes as king to our earth to deliver all who at that examination of the books
are accounted worthy to have part in the world to come, and in the resurrection of
the just. Dan.7:9,10; 12:1; Luke 20:35,36; 21:36.
The righteous dead are "accounted worthy" of a part in the resurrection to
immortal life before they are raised from among the dead. Luke 20:35,36; Phil.
3:11; 1Cor.15:52; Rev.20:4-6. They awake with the likeness of Christ. Ps.17:15.
We may be certain, therefore, that the investigation and decision of their cases is
an accomplished fact prior
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to their resurrection; for that event is declarative of their final justification in the
judgment.
But Luke 21:36 uses the same expression both in Greek and in English
respecting those that are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, that Luke
20:35,36 uses respecting those who are asleep. As the latter, before the
resurrection, are "accounted worthy" to be made like the angels, so the former
are "accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to
stand before the Son of man." The things that shall come to pass before the
deliverance of the saints, are the events of the time of trouble such as never was.
Dan.12:1. And those who are accounted worthy to escape these things are also
worthy to stand before the Son of man at his appearing.
This act of accounting worthy does, therefore, relate to their eternal salvation,
and is performed before they enter that great time of trouble at which they are to
be delivered; for that does not commence until the standing up of Michael, which
is but another term for the coronation of Christ, or the beginning of his reign upon
his own throne. But Michael, or Christ, does not take his throne till he has
finished his work as priest at the tribunal of his Father. It is at that tribunal that the
righteous dead are accounted worthy of the resurrection to immortality, and the
