The Nature of Christ and the Plan of God in the Psalms

The Psalms Show Christ

Luke 24:44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

Duality of the Godhead

The Psalms show the divinity of Jesus Christ and that He was not a created being, but God with God

More evidence of the two YHVH’s can be found in Psalms 2, 16, 22, 89, 90, 110 and 118.

Psalm 110

Psalms 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord,”Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

This is called the most quoted verse from the New Testament. When we look at these verses it is VERY clear that this phrase is “The LORD said to my Lord” is God the Father speaking to the Son, the one that would become Jesus on Earth.

In explaining to those who doubted who He was, Jesus spoke the following words quoting Psalm 110:1:

Matthew 22:41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
Matthew 22:42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.”
Matthew 22:43 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘LORD,’ saying:
Matthew 22:44 ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, TILL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES YOUR FOOTSTOOL” ‘?
Matthew 22:45 If David then calls Him ‘LORD,’ how is He his Son?”
Matthew 22:46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.

Psalm 45

Psalms 45:6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
Psalms 45:7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God [elohim], Your God [elohim], has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.

Hebrews 1:8 But to the Son He says: “YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER; A SCEPTER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS THE SCEPTER OF YOUR KINGDOM.
Hebrews 1:9 YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS MORE THAN YOUR COMPANIONS.”

We also see insights into the relationship between Them both which implies hierarchy

  • the Anointed of God
  • the Son of god

God the Father is over Christ in authority

We also saw it previously in:

Psalms 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord,”Sit at My right hand

God the father overall

Ephesians 4:6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

John 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

He created all things through Him:

Psalms 8:3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
Psalms 8:4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?

Ephesians 3:9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;

Psalms 33:6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

Psalms 104:4 Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.
Psalms 104:5 You who laid the foundations of the earth, So that it should not be moved forever,

Along with everything else He created the angelic realm. He is not a created being but they are.

David was a king, a warrior, a song writer AND a prophet. One of the more interesting things to me are all the prophecies contained in the Psalms about the Messiah.

The pre-incarnate Christ who is also called YHVH, the interactive God of the OT, had inspired David to write about Himself.

1st Coming

Why is this important?

It shows the power of God to inspire people and orchestrate events to bring prophecy about nearly 1000 years in advance.

Shows that Christ was who He said He was.

[see Authority and Authenticity of the Bible] There are somewhere between 300 to 456 prophecies made about Jesus and ~28 of those were fulfilled on the last day of His life of which we find nearly half of those are given in the Psalms.

It reveals what was necessary to be our Savior.

Psalm 22

Jesus’ Physical Sufferings

Psalms 22:1 To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn.” a Psalm of David. My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?

Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”

Psalms 22:7 All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
Psalms 22:8 “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

Luke 23:35 And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.”
Luke 23:36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine,
Luke 23:37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”
Luke 23:38 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Luke 23:39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

We can understand if it was just the Romans saying these things, not being familiar with scripture,

but the Jewish people and the rulers: the chief priests, Scribes, and elders, the members of the Sanhedrin. They were so carried up in the moment and their own carnality that these verses in Psalm 22 were not brought to remembrance. Part of this was that the Jews did not understand the two-part coming of Christ. They were looking for a deliverer from their present distress – a King of kings coming with a rod of iron in power and might. They did not realize the necessity of having someone deliver them from their own sins.

Psalms 22:16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;

John 20:25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

Faith – what if you only had Psalm 22:16

John 20:26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”
John 20:27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

Psalms 22:18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

Matthew 27:35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “THEY DIVIDED MY GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND FOR MY CLOTHING THEY CAST LOTS.”

Psalms 22:22 I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.

John 18:19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.
John 18:20 Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing.
John 18:21 Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.”

This is representative of His ministry. He spoke on the mount, at the seaside, as He walked – He was about His Father’s business

Hebrews 2:12 saying: “I WILL DECLARE YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN; IN THE MIDST OF THE ASSEMBLY I WILL SING PRAISE TO YOU.”
Hebrews 2:13 And again: “I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM.” And again: “HERE AM I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME.” (Psalm 16:1)

Jesus knew exactly what was about to happen. He had known how He would die since the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).

Revelation 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Psalm 16

Psalms 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Psalms 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.
Psalms 16:10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

This reference to the Holy One was in fact a prophecy of the Messiah.

Peter clarifies that David was prophesying of Christ and his resurrection

Acts 2:25 For David says concerning Him: ‘I FORESAW THE LORD ALWAYS BEFORE MY FACE, FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, THAT I MAY NOT BE SHAKEN.
Acts 2:26 THEREFORE MY HEART REJOICED, AND MY TONGUE WAS GLAD; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL REST IN HOPE.
Acts 2:27 FOR YOU WILL NOT LEAVE MY SOUL IN HADES, NOR WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO SEE CORRUPTION.

Acts 2:29 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
Acts 2:30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,
Acts 2:31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.
Acts 2:32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
Acts 2:33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
Acts 2:34 “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,

Paul further adds:

Acts 13:35 Therefore He also says in another Psalm: ‘YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO SEE CORRUPTION.’
Acts 13:36 “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption;
Acts 13:37 but He whom God raised up saw no corruption.

 

Now here is something else that we need to keep in mind: in regards to the fulfilling of these prophecies there is no challenger to all of these events. The witnesses recorded what they saw and even gave their lives rather than recant or deny Jesus and what He did and said!

Psalm 34

Psalms 34:20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.

John 19:33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.
John 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
John 19:35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.
John 19:36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “NOT ONE OF HIS BONES SHALL BE BROKEN.”

These chapters show the great love, compassion and mercy that God has for mankind in that He gave His partner of eternity to us a substitutionary sacrifice – that we may have the opportunity to partake of the invaluable gifts that He has waiting for us.

2nd Coming

Not only do the Psalms talk about the first coming, but as you can imagine they reveal aspects of the return of Christ and beyond.

Psalm 2

Mostly Millennial and 2nd coming

Warnings to kings then and in the future

Psalms 2:1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?
Psalms 2:2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointedsaying,

In Hebrew this word is masiah, from which we get Messiah. In Greek it is translated from Christos to Christ.

Psalms 2:6 “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”

Daniel 7:13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.
Daniel 7:14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.

Revelation 19:16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Psalm 47

Triumph Over the Entire World

Psalms 47:1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
Psalms 47:2 For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.
Psalms 47:3 He will subdue the peoples under us, And the nations under our feet.
Psalms 47:4 He will choose our inheritance for us, The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah
Psalms 47:5 God has gone up with a shout, The LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
Psalms 47:6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
Psalms 47:7 For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding.
Psalms 47:8 God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.
Psalms 47:9 The princes of the people have gathered together, The people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.

Psalms 89:27 Also I will make him My firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth.

Psalms 89:36 His seed shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before Me;
Psalms 89:37 It shall be established forever like the moon, Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah

Psalms 2:7 “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
Psalms 2:8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

This reference is speaking of His first coming, but it is an explanation of the following verse.

First let’s just clarify that the son being talked about is Jesus and not David or any of the saints.

Acts 13:33 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’

Hebrews 1:2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
Hebrews 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Hebrews 1:4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Hebrews 1:5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”? And again: “I WILL BE TO HIM A FATHER, AND HE SHALL BE TO ME A SON”?

Psalms 2:8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
Psalms 2:9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ “

We have seen this already in Psalm 110:1-2

Revelation 12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.

Revelation 2:26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—
Revelation 2:27 ‘HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON; THEY SHALL BE DASHED TO PIECES LIKE THE POTTER’S VESSELS’— as I also have received from My Father;

Acts 13:33 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’
Acts 13:34 And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: ‘I WILL GIVE YOU THE SURE MERCIES OF DAVID.’
Acts 13:35 Therefore He also says in another Psalm: ‘YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO SEE CORRUPTION.’
Acts 13:36 “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption;
Acts 13:37 but He whom God raised up saw no corruption.

Psalm 72 (Millennial)

Messianic (have to study, cannot just read)

Some of the beginning applies in part to Solomon, but this points to Christ as the Son of David, who is returning to set up His kingdom on Earth.

Psalms 72:1 A Psalm Of Solomon. Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.
Psalms 72:2 He will judge Your people with righteousness, And Your poor with justice.
Psalms 72:3 The mountains will bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness.
Psalms 72:4 He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor.
Psalms 72:5 They shall fear You As long as the sun and moon endure, Throughout all generations.
Psalms 72:6 He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, Like showers that water the earth.
Psalms 72:7 In His days the righteous shall flourish, And abundance of peace, Until the moon is no more.
Psalms 72:8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.
Psalms 72:9 Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him, And His enemies will lick the dust.
Psalms 72:10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles Will bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba Will offer gifts.
Psalms 72:11 Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him.

Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”

Psalms 72:12 For He will deliver the needy when he cries, The poor also, and him who has no helper.
Psalms 72:13 He will spare the poor and needy, And will save the souls of the needy.
Psalms 72:14 He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; And precious shall be their blood in His sight.
Psalms 72:15 And He shall live; And the gold of Sheba will be given to Him; Prayer also will be made for Him continually, And daily He shall be praised.
Psalms 72:16 There will be an abundance of grain in the earth, On the top of the mountains; Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon; And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
Psalms 72:17 His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; All nations shall call Him blessed.
Psalms 72:18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things!
Psalms 72:19 And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.

Isaiah 9:7 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.

From this time forward there will be no end to His rule!

Conclusion:

Depth of study necessary

Nature of God; the first coming and the suffering of Christ; the second coming and the eventual peaceful eternal reign of God

Isaiah 45:21 and 46:9-11 God is the only one that could bring these things to pass and has the power to continue to do so for the future. We can rest assured that what God has indeed spoken he will do and fulfill in the end-time that is just ahead.

Can you imagine having read this Psalm and then been present for the fulfilling of it before your very some 1000 years later? Insert 3000 into that!