A Long Awaited King

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Introduction: Why Israel was awaiting a new king

As I have mentioned before, advent is all about anticipation. We’ve seen how the world was anticipating the perfect Son of God, the perfect prophet from God, and the perfect priest from God. Today, we will consider how God’s people waited patiently for a perfect king, and what happened when he finally arrived.

God’s people were no strangers to kings—Saul, David, Ahab, Hezekiah, and Josiah to name a few. Some of the kings were exceptional, such as David and Hezekiah. Others were a mixed bag, like Saul. But most were wicked like Ahab. When there was a good king, the nation tended to reflect it. The same was true when there was a wicked king. Thus, we can place all of Israel’s problems with kings into two categories: the death of good kings and the existence of wicked kings.

The Death of Good Kings

First, the death of good kings. It is true that Jesus is the only perfect king, but it isn’t true that he was the only good king, if by good we mean generally obedient to God and competent in their position as ruler. David was a good king. Josiah was a good king. Hezekiah was a good king. Israel prospered under their rule. Their problem was not so much that they made mistakes here and there, rather, it was that they were mortal; they died. God’s people longed not just for a good king, but for an undying good king.

This is one of the reasons we can’t place our ultimate trust in mortal kings and princes: not only do they sin, but they also die. Besides Christ, the reign of every good king comes to an end. It is one of the great tragedies of history, especially since good kings are so rare. It is rare to find a man who rules sacrificially, upholding justice and benevolence, often at his own expense. That is a good king.

The Existence of Wicked Kings

The second problem Israel faced pertaining to kings is related to the first: the existence of wicked kings. When a good king died, his righteous rule died with him and was often immediately replaced with a wicked idiot who led the nation into darkness. The evil kings brought the nation into further and further disobedience until God had to destroy it and scatted his people abroad.

God’s people longed for a king who would not be selfish. One that would be fully submitted to God. And it is with this background in mind that we can now consider this great king who was to come.

As we unpack the truth that Jesus was the long-awaited king, we will consider three things as we look to Isaiah chapter 9:

The Identity of the King

The Enthronement of the King

The Kingdom of the King

IDENTITY OF THE KING

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Wonderful Counselor

This title means that the king would have wisdom unsurprising. Think of King Solomon, the wisest of men. Kings and nobles came from far and wide to learn from him. That is the idea here. Kings and nobles will come from far and wide to learn wisdom from Christ.

And that is exactly what we have seen throughout history. Countless kings, princes and nobles have sought wisdom from Christ through his written Word and through his Church.

The first King we are aware of that bowed the knee to Christ was King Tridates III of Armenia, who brought his nation out of paganism and into the Christian Faith around the year 301.

The king of Ethiopia in 330 AD

The king of Georgia in 337 AD

Of course, the roman emperors who were devoted Christians: Constantine the Great, Theodosius I, and Justinian I

Charlemagne, who is considered the Father of Europe and the first Holy Roman Emperor.

Many Russian kings/emperors in the 11th century onwards

King Alfred of England, along with many other kings and queens

George Washington, a presbyterian Christian, along with many other presidents of the United States.

And not just for kings and princes, but for our personal lives too. Think of how often you have been helped by the wisdom of Christ found in his written Word. Or how often his Holy Spirit has guided you. Or how often you receive good counsel from a Christian brother or sister. That is Jesus being a wonderful counselor to you.

This is an important truth to consider, because we often forget that God wants to give us wisdom. Listen to what the Scriptures say:

James 1:5 ESV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

So we can go to Christ, the wonderful counselor for wisdom, and he will give it.

Mighty God

This title is significant because the Jews would never dare give a mere mortal the title of “Mighty God”. Thus, this king to come would be none other than God himself. This means, amongst other things, that this coming king will be worshipped as God.

But we shouldn’t neglect the adjective “mighty”. It conveys the idea of a conquering king. One who wages war and slays his enemies. One that defends his people and his kingdom.

This idea is often foreign the modern concepts of Jesus. Many perceive him as a pacifist guru of sorts. Now it is true the Jesus is the prince of peace—we’ll get to that in a moment—but it is decidedly untrue to say Jesus is a pacifist. In this present age, Jesus in his providence causes judgement to fall on many wicked people in this life. He usually does this through means like the civil authorities, but he also does it through disease and disaster. That isn’t to say that all disease and disaster is judgement from the king, but sometimes it is.

Of course, when Christ returns, he will obliterate Satan and his wicked armies who have gathered to destroy the Church, casting them into the lake of fire.

But there is another, more glorious sense in which he conquers his enemies, and that is through converting them into his friends. He is the great king who conquers sinful hearts with his love. When he choses to, he breaks down the stone walls that sinners have built to protect their sin that they treasure so dearly.

This is a great comfort for us when we are telling others about Jesus.

Everlasting Father

This title is not invoking the Trinitarian title “Father”, but is rather a statement of this coming king’s benevolence. This king is “Father” in the sense that he provides for and protects those under his care. It also implies he is our source, which is true, since he is our creator and sustainer.

Christ the King is benevolent to us, meeting our needs. Think of how often has he provided for us, often times miraculously.

Psalm 37:23–26 ESV

23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; 24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. 26 He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.

Prince of Peace

This title means that this king, in contrast to many in Israel’s history, would bring peace to God’s people and to the world.

Christ, through his Word, Spirit, and Church, has brought and is bringing peace to the world nearly put an end to slavery and up until abortion was legalized, had nearly ended human sacrifice. He has unified people from every tribe, tongue and nation who were ordinarily hostile to one another.

Christianity has changed viscous pagan nations into civilized societies.

He also gives peace to his people who suffer various trials.

ENTHRONEMENT OF THE KING

“…on the throne of David and over his kingdom…”

Is Jesus King Now?

Is Jesus ruling as king now? This answer to this question for most of church history is a unanimous “yes”, but of late, largely due to the dawn of dispensationalism, many answer “No, not until his second coming.”

It is common for Christians these days to say something to this effect: “At his first coming, Jesus came as a suffering servant, but at his second coming, he’ll come as a conquering king.” This is true to an extent, since Jesus will come as a conquering king, but the saying is misleading, as it implies Jesus is not a conquering king right now. But as we discussed already, he is a conquering king.

This topic is important to me because understanding Christ and his kingdom properly is essential for having a full understanding of God’s plan of redemption as laid out in the Scriptures. If we don’t understand the King and his kingdom, then we will not understand what our time on earth is for and what the trajectory of history will be.

So for the sake of making sure we are fully convinced of his present reign as king, let’s look to the scriptures more throughly on this point:

1. He was anointed as king

The first proof that Jesus is presently king is that he was anointed as king during his earthly ministry. When was Jesus anointed as king? I mentioned earlier in this series that there were three offices in the old covenant that required anointing for ordination: prophet, priest and king. It was common for kings to be anointed by a prophet. Consider how Saul and David were anointed by the prophet Samuel. Jesus was anointed as a prophet as well: John the Baptist.

This anointing happened at Jesus’ baptism.

And it is no accident that immediately after Jesus is baptized, we find him begin his ministry of preaching about the kingdom:

Matthew 4:17 ESV

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Mark 1:15 ESV

15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

2. He was coronated as king

The next proof we will consider is that he was coronated or crowned king while on earth.

Mark 15:16–20 ESV

16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.

The Romans placed on him:

A purple cloak, symbolizing royalty

A crown of thorns

A reed, symbolizing a scepter

They saluted him saying, “Hail! King of the Jews”

The knelt down to worship him

They raised him up for all to see on the cross.

What they didn’t realize is that in God’s masterful providence, the most powerful empire in the world—Rome—was crowning the Son of God as king. They did it through mockery of course, which is a perfect example of how upside down Christ’s kingdom is. What they meant for evil, God meant for good.

Furthermore, we know that Jesus’ crucifixion is tied to his kingship because of the book of Hebrews:

Hebrews 2:8–9 ESV

8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

3. He was enthroned as king

The final proof that Jesus is presently king that we will consider is that he ascended to the throne.

Daniel 7:13–14 ESV

13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And 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 one that shall not be destroyed.

This prophecy of Daniel was fulfilled when Jesus gave the great commission to his disciples and ascended on the clouds to heaven.

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Mark 16:19 ESV

19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

When we see the phrase or concept in Scripture of being “seated at God’s right hand”, it is another way of saying being seat on the throne, with the power of God. Listen to these scriptures:

Hebrews 12:2 ESV

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Ephesians 1:20–23 ESV

20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Psalm 110:1 ESV

1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

Acts 2:33–34 ESV

33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,

Colossians 3:1 ESV

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

1 Peter 3:22 ESV

22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Hebrews 10:12 ESV

12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

There are dozens more texts like these that I could quote, but this should suffice to prove that Jesus is seated at the Father’s right hand, on the throne, right now.

But Is he sitting on David’s throne right now?

This is an interesting question that dispensationalist pose, as thing think in order for Jesus to be seated on David’s throne, he has to be in Jerusalem.

But Jesus is enthroned in Jerusalem: the True Jerusalem from Heaven

Galatians 4:21–26 ESV

21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

Revelation 21:1–2 ESV

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

As with so many things in Scripture, the earthly Jerusalem in the land of Israel is typological and preparatory for the true, eternal Jerusalem. The same is true of the promised land as a whole. Abraham’s offspring were not merely promised a large portion of real estate in the Middle East. Far more than that, they were promised the world. Listen to Romans 4:

Romans 4:13 ESV

13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

In other words, God was ultimately promising Abraham and his faithful descendants a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

Some argue that this view undermines the promises that God made to Abraham so he didn’t give Abraham exactly what he was promised. But that logic doesn’t hold up. If I promised you $100 and instead I gave you $1,000, I know for a fact you wouldn’t complain. In the same way, if God chose to give Abraham and his true offspring (those of faith, not of the flesh), a new earth forever and ever instead of merely land in the Middle East, I don’t think we should complain either.

In fact, Hebrews tells us that this is exactly what Abraham and God’s people understood by the land promises:

Hebrews 11:13–16 ESV

13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Hebrews 13:14 ESV

14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.

Having considered the identity and enthronement of the king, let us finally consider the kingdom of the king.

KINGDOM OF THE KING

“Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

The Eternal Kingdom’s Relation to Temporal Kingdoms

The heavenly kingdom is fundamentally spiritual in this age, ruled by Christ who is in heaven, and is visible in part through the church. The heavenly kingdom will be physical in the age to come.

The earthly kingdom is fundamentally physical, being ruled by fall men, and will be redeemed when heaven and earth are united and made new when Christ returns.

The two kingdoms are distinct, being neither confused nor separated.

Local churches are like embassies of Christ’s kingdom on earth. The church seeks first the kingdom of Christ before anything else, though that doesn’t mean she neglects the kingdoms of this world.

Earthly rulers have an obligation not to neglect the heavenly kingdom, and to lead their kingdoms in such a way that it is directed towards the heavenly kingdom. In other words, they should seek both the earthly and heavenly good of their people.

They should understand that their kingship is subservient to the kingship of Christ, for Christ is the king of kings and lord of lords.

Often time this gets labeled by those who oppose it as “Christian Nationalism”, and if that is the case, so be it.

Do we want rulers who love Christ or hate him? Rulers who seek to rule in a way that pleases him or displeases him?

There is obviously much more to say about these things, but the time is not now.

Christ’s Kingdom Progressively Invades Earth

“Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end…”

The phrase “of the increase of his government” implies an expanse of his dominion overtime, not all at once. This is what Jesus taught in his parables:

Matthew 13:31–33 ESV

31 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” 33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”

Christ’s rule will permeate the earth, conquering sinful hearts, until the world is full of citizens of his kingdom.

This is what the great commission is all about.

Until one day, we will be able to see the following:

Revelation 11:15 “15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.””

Conclusion

“…The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”

This latter part of verse 7 is so important because the idea that this sinful world will be healed progressively by Christ sounds too good to be true. It sounds impossible, really. But we know that with God, all things are possible.

As much as our participation and obedience is important to this mission’s fulfillment, it is not our willpower, wisdom, or strength that will accomplish this; it is the LORD’s—he will do it. So take heart, Christian. History is in his hands.