Psalm 110
“Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever After the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4, texts from ASV).
This psalm, yet another composed by King David, contains elements of both prophecy and doctrine. It musically winds together these components to create a piece that magnifies the work of Israel’s future Messiah who is both a priest and a king.
Verse 1 — “Jehovah saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” The psalm begins with a declaration from Jehovah Himself for the “Lord” to sit at his right hand. Who is the “Lord” here? This was the very question that Jesus asked the Pharisees!
“While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, What think ye of the Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I put thine enemies underneath thy feet? If David then calleth him Lord, how is he his son? And no one was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions” (Matthew 22:41-46).
We see from Jesus’ words that the Pharisees seemed to realize that the “Lord” did refer to Messiah. But Jesus stumped them with his question. They were unable to answer because they had no idea about the necessity of Messiah coming first in the flesh. All they saw was a martial Messiah who would crush all their adversaries of which Rome was the biggest at that moment.
But Messiah was to be born in the family of David, as Jesus was. And King David, under inspiration, was moved to call him “my Lord.” In his masterful presentation of Jesus in the book of Hebrews, the Apostle Paul writes: “But of which of the angels hath he said at any time, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet?” (Hebrews 1:13).
This “Lord” was no mere angel, but the Son of God, a mighty spirit being who came to earth, born in the line of David, to give his perfect human life for the sin of the whole world. This was the perspective the Pharisees missed.
Verse 2 — “Jehovah will send forth the rod of thy strength out of Zion: Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.” This “Lord” of King David is backed by the power of God. Just as King David exerted his own power from his stronghold of Zion, so would this new king do so. His rule would be extended while his enemies yet existed.
“In the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” (Daniel 2:44).
Daniel here refers only to God. But Jehovah God executes this plan through his Son. This is declared in Psalm 2:2-6, “The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against Jehovah, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bonds asunder, And cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens will laugh: The Lord will have them in derision. Then will he speak unto them in his wrath, And vex them in his sore displeasure: Yet I have set my king Upon my holy hill of Zion.”
This psalm clearly identifies the “anointed” of Jehovah as one who the antagonists of earth are against. And it goes further in letting us know that this “anointed” one has been stationed on “Zion” as Jehovah’s appointed “king.” Zion is identified with Mount Zion in Jerusalem as the seat of the King of Israel. This “anointed” king is empowered by Jehovah himself to rule in the “midst of his enemies,” the nations of the earth.
Verse 3 — “Thy people offer themselves willingly In the day of thy power, in holy array: Out of the womb of the morning Thou hast the dew of thy youth.” This verse is quite beautiful. When Jehovah’s anointed king takes power and vanquishes his enemies, the resultant kingdom will bless all. It is the realization of the Kingdom of God. People who find themselves under the reign of this king will relish the blessing of life under his beneficent rulership.
In the Kingdom of God under Christ all mankind will be invited to consecrate their lives unto the Creator. This is required to walk on the highway of holiness (Isaiah 35:8). And the people will willingly make that consecration. In that Kingdom, youth and vitality will return to all who cooperate with the Kingdom ideals. The “dew of youth” will return to anyone who commits unto a life of righteousness.
Verse 4 — “Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever After the order of Melchizedek.” Now we get to an important doctrinal point. This “anointed” one is designated as a “priest,” and not just any priest, but a priest of the order of Melchizedek.
Melchizedek was a curious figure who was introduced very briefly in Genesis 14:18-20. “Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be God Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him a tenth of all.”
This man was both a priest and a king. For the Israelites this was a forbidden combination. In Israel, after the judgeship of Samuel, the kingship and priesthood were separate. One king took it upon himself to perform a priestly function. It did not turn out well.
“When he was strong, his heart was lifted up, so that he did corruptly, and he trespassed against Jehovah his God; for he went into the temple of Jehovah to burn incense upon the altar of incense” (2 Chronicles 26:16).
The Levitical priestly service of burning incense in the temple was the purview of the priests. Even kings, with all the power the throne brings, were not permitted to usurp that divine service. The priests tried to intervene. “They withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It pertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto Jehovah, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honor from Jehovah God” (2 Chronicles 26:18).
Uzziah committed a sin of presumptuousness. The result? “While he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy brake forth in his forehead before the priests in the house of Jehovah, beside the altar of incense. And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out quickly from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because Jehovah had smitten him. And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a separate house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of Jehovah” (2 Chronicles 26:19-21).
The order of Melchizedek was something entirely different. It combined the two offices in one individual. There was no one else like him in the Hebrew scriptures. And Jehovah God had sworn to give this “Lord” a priesthood like that of Melchizedek, an eternal priesthood.
The Apostle Paul provided an understanding of this type. In Hebrews 4:14, he said that Jesus is our “high priest.” “Having then a great high priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”
By itself, it seems an audacious claim that Jesus is a high priest. Being from the tribe of Judah, which was public knowledge among the Jews, would seem to rule out any such application (Hebrews 7:14). But Paul’s inspired insight into the types and shadows of Hebrew scripture, recognized that the priesthood of Jesus was unrelated to the Aaronic priesthood.
It was a kingly priesthood, just like Melchizedek’s. “Named of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:10). Paul takes his assertion further with a masterful argument that the priesthood of Melchizedek was superior to the Aaronic priesthood. How?
By the fact that Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek. “And, so to say, through Abraham even Levi, who receiveth tithes, hath paid tithes; for he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchizedek met him” (Hebrews 7:9).
Verse 5 — “The Lord at thy right hand Will strike through kings in the day of his wrath.” As we have already seen, the “Lord,” Jesus Christ, will stand up in the midst of his enemies and destroy all of them, making way for the reign of righteousness. This describes the overthrow of the kingdoms of this world in that transition period. Jesus Christ, Jehovah’s chosen King, the one at God’s “right hand” has the right of ownership of the nations of the earth. This has been true since 1914 and will manifest undeniably to those nations that come against Israel (Ezekiel 38).
“Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance … the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Psalm 2:8, 9). The expression “day of his wrath” conveys an emotion that might seem at odds with a loving God. We are told that “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and this must characterize the Messiah King as well. The Kingdom of God is beautifully described in numerous ways.
“The ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10). “When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9).
To reach this ultimate condition, unrighteousness must first be dealt with. There is an appropriate time time for everything, even “wrath.” “For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3).
God has permitted wickedness on the earth for millennia. He has, from time to time, stepped in to thwart it. But its eradication was delayed until the experiential cup of sad lessons was filled up (compare Genesis 15:16). That brings us to Armageddon, the full day of his wrath. It is an appropriate and necessary action of judgement. “Is God unrighteous who visiteth with wrath? (I speak after the manner of men.) God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?” (Romans 2:5, 6).
This “wrath” is not a haphazard action. Rather, it is precisely directed upon those who deserve it. “Because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6). The disobedience referred to here is not the inadvertent disobedience that comes with human imperfection. Rather, it is directed at those whose hearts are cold and characters are corrupt; those who resist the righteous principles of the kingdom and seek to preserve their evil positions in the world.
“Behold, the day of Jehovah cometh, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it … I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity: and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible” (Isaiah 13:9, 11). “Fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; for which things’ sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience” (Colossian 3:5, 6).
While unrighteousness and corruption are widespread among men, God’s wrath is especially directed toward those possessing earthly power. This includes the political, economic, religious, and social leaders of the world. They see the impending realignment with the principles of Christ’s Kingdom and attempt to evade the just punishment coming to them.
“As the trouble increases, men will seek, but in vain, for protection in the ‘dens’ and caves, the great rocks and fortresses of society (Free Masonry, Odd Fellowship, and Trades Unions, Guilds, Trusts, and all societies secular and ecclesiastical), and in the mountains (governments) of earth; saying, ‘Fall over [cover, protect] and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come’ (Revelation 6:15-17)” (B139).
The rich of this world will be particularly targeted by the wrath of God due to their excessive greed and extravagant lifestyle that exploits worker’s labor. James forcefully detailed how that justice will be assessed on them. “Come now, ye rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth eaten. Your gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have laid up your treasure in the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers who mowed your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth out: and the cries of them that reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Ye have lived delicately on the earth, and taken your pleasure; ye have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned, ye have killed the righteous one; he doth not resist you” (James 5:1-6).
Prior to that, leading up to and contributing to their final destruction is the devaluing of their riches. “They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be as an unclean thing; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of Jehovah” (Ezekiel 7:19).
One reason assets lose their value is that there is nothing to buy. Economic or other crises often eliminate products from the marketplace. On a smaller scale, something similar occurred during the COVID pandemic, due not only to health scares but to poor government management. Some products, toilet paper for instance, disappeared from the shelves and no amount could buy what was not available. Extrapolate such a crisis to a global scale, and the “gold” and “silver” of the rich becomes worthless.
The wrath of God is displayed to the nations of this world at the end of the Gospel Age. “The nations became wrathful, and your own wrath came, and the appointed time came for the dead to be judged and to reward your slaves the prophets and the holy ones and those fearing your name, the small and the great, and to bring to ruin those ruining the earth” (Revelation 11:17, 18, NWT).
The “earth” here is the Christian world which was corrupted and exploited by the “higher powers” during the Gospel Age. They are judged during the present Seventh Trumpet and ultimately will be brought to destruction.
Verse 6 — “He will judge among the nations, He will fill the places with dead bodies; He will strike through the head in many countries.” This sounds terrifying. That judgment has been ongoing since 1914 and two world wars have filled the battlefields with many dead. The final conflict of nations coming against Israel will certainly result in widespread death.
In Bible prophecy the term “nations” has two distinct applications. The first describes the civil and governmental arrangements, such as kings, kingship, or kingdom. There will be no kings allowed to continue to exist in competition with God’s Kingdom. All such will be thoroughly dismantled by the glorified Christ. The texts of scripture that refer to the destruction of “nations” captures this sense of the word. Here are two examples.
“In that day … I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:9). “I am with thee, saith Jehovah, to save thee: for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have scattered thee, but I will not make a full end of thee; but I will correct thee in measure, and will in no wise leave thee unpunished” (Jeremiah 30:11).
The second application of “nations” is in the sense of ethnic or family groups. This describes the “nations” as coming into harmony with God’s Kingdom. Here are two more texts that utilize this sense of the words.
“All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O LORD; And they shall glorify thy name” (Psalm 86:9). “In the latter days … the mountain of Jehovah’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains … exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it” (Isaiah 2:2).
This verse does declare that the earth would be filled with “dead bodies.” In the war to establish righteousness waged by God’s King, there will be casualties. The wicked will be killed. Anyone or anything that opposes the full setting up of Christ’s Kingdom will be removed. Those who are slain at this time will still be raised from the dead when any unrighteous behavior can be controlled.
You can defeat enemies by killing them or turning them into friends. The wicked of mankind will need to repent and reform. That is the purpose of God’s Kingdom. Wickedness will be eliminated, transforming the characters of men to righteousness during the Millennium. We have an example of this in scripture.
Jonah was sent to the wicked city of Nineveh. His prophecy, as recorded in Jonah 3:4, proclaimed: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” However, forty days later, the city remained. Was his prophecy false? No, the wicked city of Nineveh was indeed overthrown. Not by fire from heaven, but by the repentance of the people, wicked ways replaced by good.
Lastly, the psalmist declares that “He will strike through the head in many countries.” This is a similar refrain from verse five of striking through “kings” in the day of wrath. The sword of truth will do the work of exposing the corrupt rulership of all of the “heads” of the nations. “Truth — widespread and increasing knowledge of it — is the sword … perplexing and wounding the heads over many countries” (B102).
This reminds us of Genesis 3:15, saying that the serpent’s “head” will be crushed. The demonic influence of Satan will be symbolically crushed as the rulers, kings, powers, and heads of the old heavens and earth will be removed by Jehovah’s appointed King. This important work will precede Satan’s eventual death at the end of the Millennium.
Verse 7 — “He will drink of the brook in the way: Therefore will he lift up the head.” After the stark descriptions of God’s vengeance against evil in verses 5 and 6, the psalm shifts to a more encouraging and uplifting prediction. The divinely appointed King will drink of the waters of a “brook in the way.” We generally understand water as a symbol of truth. In a similar way, the Pastor suggested that the waters of this brook are the waters of experience.
“Now we come to a point of special interest … we perceive that if it was necessary for our glorious Lord from the heavenly courts to drink of the brook of experience, and gain wisdom by the things he suffered, endured, and thereby to demonstrate his confidence in God, it is equally necessary that all the members of his body should likewise drink of the brook in the way, if they would hope to share with the Lord in the Kingdom blessings — glory, honor and immortality, the divine nature” (R2936).
The drinking from the “brook” is the same as the sharing of the cup that Jesus himself had to drink. The result for our Lord was that he was perfected for the role of high priest (Hebrews 5:9). He understands imperfect and sinful humanity and can be merciful to those who wish to advance on the highway of holiness.
Of course the church, his body, drink from the same brook and share the cup of experiences as our Lord. And like our head, we will be exalted and uplifted to the glory of the divine nature — the lifting of the “head.”
“The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: and if children, then … heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if … we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him” (Romans 8:16, 17).