Our previous lesson looked at promises that God made to Abraham, in particular the seed promise. We also touched on the throne promise which God made to David, and now we
Through Nathan the prophet God promised David, "When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Your house and your kingdom shall endure before you forever. Your throne shall be established forever"
The Psalms recall this promise. "The Lord has truly sworn to David, and will not turn back from it, 'The fruit of your body I will set upon your throne'"
This seed or descendant of David is none other than the seed of Abraham to whom God referred when he said to Abraham, "In your seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed"
As we noticed in our last lesson, Solomon reigned after David, but Solomon did not fulfill the promise that God made to David that he would establish the seed of David on the throne of David forever. Solomon died in disgrace and the kingdom was divided in two. Later the division known as Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians. Later still the remaining kingdom known as Judah was destroyed by the Chaldeans. A remnant returned to Jerusalem in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. Their descendants awaited the fulfillment of the promise
They would have been encouraged by the words left by Isaiah (a prophet in Judah around the time of the northern kingdom's destruction). Isaiah said, "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, and the government will rest on his shoulders. And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of his government or of poace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness, From then on and for ever more. The zeal of the Lord of hosts
will accomplish this."
Centuries later, the angel Gabriel appeared to the virgin Mary in Nazareth. The angel said to her, "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 forefather David"
After the death of Jesus, Peter said that David, to whom the throne promise had been made, had understood that it referred to the Christ who would sit on the throne and rule from heaven, and Peter proclaimed that Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended into heaven to sit forever on David's throne
Among the visions of Revelation there is one who is called the Faithful and True, and the Word of God. He also carries the name "King of kings and Lord of lords"