Psalms 110:1

The Bible says in Psalm 110:1, “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” This is a Messianic Psalm, like many of the other Psalms. Jesus Himself quoted from this verse in the Gospel of Matthew. It says in Matthew 22:41-46, “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,[42] Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.[43] He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,[44] The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?[45] If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?[46] And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.” Jesus used this verse to demonstrate that He is God. Everyone knew that the Messiah would be a descendent of King David, but in this verse King David calls the Messiah “my Lord.” How could the Messiah be both the son of David and David’s Lord? That was exactly the situation when the divine Son of God left heaven and took upon Himself human life in the lineage of King David. The obvious message of verse one is the great truth that Jesus is now at the right hand of God, and the day is coming when Jesus will rule over all nations from the throne of David in Jerusalem.

The Bible says in Psalm 110:2-3, “The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.[3] Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.” Verse two tells us that the Lord shall rule with a “rod” of iron out of Zion. Zion is Jerusalem. Jesus will be King of the whole earth. His throne will be in Jerusalem in order to fulfill the promise that God made to David. God promised King David in Second Samuel 7:16, “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” Part of this fulfillment will take place when Jesus rules for a thousand years over the whole earth from the throne of David in Jerusalem. Notice that it says in verse three that during the reign of the Messiah, the people “shall be willing.” They are not willing now. Many are in rebellion. But God will use the period of the Great Tribulation to get the people ready, and when Jesus returns all Israel shall be saved. They will see Him whom they pierced. The Spirit of supplication and repentance will be given to them. Verse three tells us something else about the Messianic kingdom. It speaks of the “beauties of holiness.” No kingdom of man has ever accomplished true holiness. But the kingdom of Christ will. And it will be beautiful. We are not talking about outward beauty. This is the inner beauty that only God can give by His grace.

The Bible says in Psalm 110:4, “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” This is another great Messianic verse that tells us some important aspects of who Jesus is. The book of Hebrews uses this verse and goes into great detail about Jesus. For one thing this verse tells us that the time of the Old Testament was limited and it was ended with the death of Christ. This verse says that Jesus was a priest “after the order of Melchizedek.” Melchizedek is referenced in Hebrews chapters five, six, and seven. Jesus was not a priest after the order of Aaron. All the priests who were under the law were of the order of Aaron. Jesus’ priesthood lasts forever. Jesus is the last priest. There are no other priests. That is one of the reasons that a supposed Christian denomination should not call its leaders “priests.” Jesus is the last priest. The leaders of churches should be called according to their New Testament designations: pastors and deacons. Elders and bishops are other names for pastors.

One of the important duties of the priests of the law was to perform the sacrifice of the animals at the temple. Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross. Jesus is a better priest because His priesthood lasts forever, and because He represents a better covenant: the New Covenant. Jesus is a better sacrifice because His sacrifice was one time for all sins forever. Animals had to be sacrificed over and over. One of the great statements of the Bible describing Jesus and who Jesus is definitely Psalms 110:4, “Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”

The Bible says in Psalm 110:5-7, “The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.[6] He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.[7] He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.” Verse five speaks of the day of His wrath. That is talking about the Messiah. Why does He have wrath? Is He not the God of love? He offers His love, but those who wickedly reject His love that is manifested through Christ put themselves in danger of the wrath of God. The wrath is always there, ready to be unleashed. It says in Romans 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;” Why is not the wrath of God unleashed now? God wants to save more souls, and God is so patient and kind even to the guilty sinners. It says in Second Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

It says in Psalms 110:5 the “day of his wrath.” In spite of how patient God is, the day of His wrath is coming. The book of Revelation explains it in much detail. It says in Revelation 6:16-17, “And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:[17] For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” The Lamb will turn into a Lion. Interesting that the people of the earth will know that Jesus is bringing the Great Tribulation upon them, and still they will not turn from their sins. Sin and a hard heart have a powerful hold upon people. After the seven years of the Great Tribulation, Jesus will come back and there will be a great event called the Battle of Armageddon. Psalm 110:6 is a reference to the Battle of Armageddon and says, “he shall fill the places with the dead bodies.” That battle is described in Revelation 14:14-20, “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.[15] And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.[16] And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.[17] And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.[18] And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.[19] And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.[20] And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” Turn to Jesus and find His mercy while there is time and opportunity. The day of His wrath will come.

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