My objective for this article is to illustrate how the Lord Jesus is the ruler of all kings and nations of the earth.
The need for this teaching is great. Most Christians only think of Jesus as their personal Savior instead of as the exalted Lord of heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18). This is the reason why much of the church thinks they can separate politics and religion.
Humanity will eventually face the question, “Do I believe the presidents, prime ministers, kings and elected officials of the earth have the final say, or do I believe Jesus does?” One significant portion of Scripture gives us a clear answer regarding this.
To understand the purpose of the ministry of Jesus Christ, we must understand several significant psalms: Psalm 2, 22, 24, 45, 72 and 110 (Psalm 110 is the most quoted in the New Testament).
In this article, we will specifically examine Psalm 2. This psalm will expand your view of the purpose of the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. In light of all the civil, political and economic turmoil we are presently experiencing in the world, it is crucial to understand this psalm.
“Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His anointed, saying” (Ps. 2:1-2).
Human history has shown that since the rebellious Cain, son of Adam, built a city, humankind has attempted to build civilizations in rebellion against God (Gen. 4:17). Examples of this are the Tower of Babel, ancient Egypt, ancient Babylon, ancient Assyria, the old Roman Empire, the Ming Dynasty and in recent times, Nazi Germany, Japan, the European Union, the Soviet Union, China and the greatest dynasty of them all, the U.S.A.
King David asks in this psalm, “why do the nations rage” against their Creator? From reading Scripture, we find that the reason is, ultimately, since the fall in the Garden of Eden, humanity desires to be autonomous from God and not submitted to anyone’s authority. Consequently, the primary idol in the world today is not sex, money or power, but the “freedom of expression,” which has its foundation in total autonomy.
That being said, all of the nations of the world, in general, have one thing in common: They have devised plans, philosophies, religions and schemes against the Lord.
1 John 5:19 (NKJV) says, “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”
In his letter to the church of Ephesus, the apostle Paul taught that the world is under the prince’s control of the power of the air, which is the spirit that operates in the children of disobedience (Eph. 2:1-2).
The Bible teaches us that Satan’s goal is to exert dominion in this world over the nations through the political, economic, pop culture leaders, educators and philosophers.
Jesus did not deny this when the devil offered to give Him all the kingdoms of this world in return for worshipping him (Matt. 4:8-10).
“Let us break Their bonds in pieces. And cast away Their cords from us” (Ps. 2:3).
Verse 3 teaches us that the leaders and peoples of this world do not want any boundaries, laws or restraints from their creator. Unfortunately for the rebellious, God gave the world the Ten Commandments, not the ten suggestions! Thus, God’s design regarding marriage, family, gender, sexuality, economics and justice has to be followed to maximize the fullness of divine blessing.
“He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure” (Ps. 2:4-5).
In verses 4-5, when God sees the unrest and rebellion of the nations, He doesn’t get nervous. Instead, He laughs and holds them in derision. God then releases distress upon the nations through His spoken word or decree. We see glimpses of this taking place in the courts of heaven when God’s decrees go forth regarding the fate of the nations of the world (1 Kings 22; Isa. 6; Jer. 23; Rev. 5, 8).
And boy, we see much distress, turmoil and anxiety in all the world nations today, don’t we?
“Yet I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion” (Ps. 2:6).
God’s authoritative response is that I have already set my Son Jesus as the nations’ ruler! I have already done my thing, and there is nothing the United Nations, China, Russia, Iran or the USA can do about it! Consequently, whether the nations approve of Jesus or not, God already set Jesus above the heavens and the earth as the ruler after His ascension.
Next week in part 2 of this article, we will see the consequences of Jesus’s reign as King over the nations. {eoa}
Purchase Joseph Mattera’s latest book, The Jesus Principles, available now on Amazon here.
For the original article, visit josephmattera.org.
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