The Gathering of the Kings of the Earth
Psalms 2 is prophetic of a yet future day, though of the up to a certain point fulfilled in the past, as Acts 4:25-3025Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. (Acts 4:25‑30) implies. Read Psalms 2 along with its application in Acts 4, and note the contrast. The kings of the earth did set themselves against Christ when He came in lowly grace; the rulers amongst the Jews did so too. But in Acts the Psalm is quoted no further than to show this hostility. The results in judgment are not touched on; no word about Jehovah having them in derision and vexing them in His sore displeasure. Christ was not placed as King in Zion; on the contrary, He was nailed to the cross. True, He has been placed higher than Zion, even in glory, and from thence His hand is stretched forth, not to “vex” in judgment, but to “heal” in grace. When this parenthetical period of grace is over, the gathering together against Christ of kings and rulers with apostate Israel will once more take place, to end in their complete discomfiture and destruction.
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