The Throne of David

And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.” (2Sam.7:12-13)

IF GOD EVER had a favourite it would have to be David yet David was far from perfect. He was born out of wedlock for he said “in sin did my mother conceive me”. When Samuel came to the home of Jesse to anoint one of his sons as King of Israel, David was overlooked and not even called by his father Jesse yet God knew David, even as a child, to have a heart for God and with all his blemishes the grace of God triumphed to establish David’s descendants to perpetually sit on the throne of Israel.

What is even more amazing is that one of David’s Descendants would be the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah prophesied that the Son of God whose name is “Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace” would one day rule this world from the Throne of David. And when He did, that throne would be established for ever! (Isa.9:6-7).

If anybody had any doubts that Isaiah was prophesying about Jesus Christ they need only turn to the New Testament and read what the angel Gabriel told Mary:

“And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33)

David’s descendants were not perfect either for many kings that sat on the throne of David were disobedient and were chastened by God. When Zedekiah reigned the nation had come under the judgment of God and the throne of David ceased temporarily. Ezekiel prophesied to Zedekiah:

“And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him” (Ezek.21:25-27).

Three times the throne of David was overturned by Nebuchadnezzar and would cease with the throne of Zedekiah in 586BC when Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem but it would be given to another of David’s descendants even our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Throne of David is Eternal

When God told David that his descendants would reign on his throne, He indicated it was “for ever”. In 2Samuel 7, God promised David an everlasting throne and that there would always be someone of his seed who would be qualified to sit upon the throne. Matthews Gospel begins with

“The generations of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Matt.1:1).

Joseph was the legal father of Christ because he married Mary but he was a descendant of David through Solomon. Mary was the mother of our Lord and she descended from David through another son of David; Nathan (Luke3:23-38). For about 1,000 years the two lines never crossed until Messiah was to be born and Jesus was the Son of David biologically and legally. Jesus therefore inherited the right to reign on the throne of David which had been broken down since the days of Zedekiah.

In Acts 15 we read that the Apostles met to decide how they would handle Gentiles in the Church and James declared their conclusion that after God had taken “a people for His name from the Gentiles” (Acts.15:14), Christ would return “and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down” and will set it up again, after which

“the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called:” (Acts 15:17).

When God told David that He would give him the throne of Israel we read seven times that David’s throne would be an everlasting throne; it would be “for ever” even though some of David’s seed would be disobedient and the throne would temporally lapse, the throne would be resurrected for the Lord Jesus to reign over Israel and the world in His millennial kingdom. The pronouncement by James confirms the Dispensational outline of Scripture:

1. Today God is calling out a people for his name from the Gentiles.

2. This will continue until the Lord returns.

3. When Christ returns He will sit on the throne of David and rule over Israel.

4. And then all the Gentiles will be blessed when Christ reigns.

The throne of David spells the doom of Amillennial teaching. The whole concept that God has finished with the nation of Israel and that all the blessings foretold for Israel in the last days must be applied “spiritually” to the church is a pipedream. It is a mere figment of men’s imagination and bears no resemblance to the clear statements of both old and New Testament scripture. God has covenants with Israel that guarantee possession of the land and the restoration of the throne of David when Christ returns. Jesus is the King of Israel and will one day soon reign on David’s throne!

The promises of God are not vague or symbolic ideas. They are sure, unbreakable, and anchored in His Word. The throne of David is not a spiritual metaphor but a literal, future reality that will be fulfilled in Jesus Christ when He reigns as King.

If this raises questions for you, what exactly is Amillennialism? Why do many hold to it? And does it truly align with the whole counsel of Scripture? We encourage you to examine it carefully.