The Days Are Surely Coming

Psalm 25:1-10 / Jer 33:14-16

The Prophecy

The Promise (restoration & rescue)

Jeremiah 29:10 ESV

10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.

The Branch

Jeremiah 23:5 ESV

5 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

Isaiah 11:1 ESV

1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

Jeremiah 33:17 ESV

17 “For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel,

The Setting

Ch 30-33 = the Book of Comfort

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 6667 צִדְקִיָּה, צִדְקִיָּהוּ

Zedekiah = “Jehovah is righteous”.

Israel & Judah had been divided for ~ 300 years

Zedekiah was a puppet king

2 Kings 24:17 ESV

17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon, bringing on the complete destruction and enslavement of Judah

Fulfillment: What and When?

The Davidic Line

Even Zedekiah was in the Davidic line, but was not

2 Kings 24:18–19 ESV

18 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

Although Zedekiah brings on the final destruction, in doing so He is the last (earthly) king on the throne of Jerusalem. No king sat on the throne not of David’s line.

A restoration

It would be more than 70 years before the Temple would be rebuilt

Ezra & Nehemiah chronicle the return and restoration efforts

Nehemiah 13:29–30 ESV

29 Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. 30 Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work;

THE RESTORATION

Luke 21:25–28 ESV

25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Christ Jesus crowned in thorns as a coronation… the Davidic King

The restoration and rescue of Israel & Judah is being fulfilled by both Jews and Gentiles being united to Jesus in faith

Galatians 3:7 ESV

7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.

Galatians 3:29 ESV

29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Romans 11:25–27 ESV

25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; 27 “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

Advent

Incarnation

Matthew 1:21 ESV

21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

The Old Testament Saints had the prophecies to point them to Christ as the fulfillment

Consummation

Revelation 21:3–4 ESV

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

We, as believers and as a church, now too look forward to Jesus’ coming to finally and fully fulfill the prophecies of restoration and rescue.

Application

Psalm 25:10 ESV

10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

Love People Genuinely

1 Thessalonians 3:11–13 ESV

11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Love God Supremely

Revelation 22:20–21 ESV

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

May God in our day move among us to love others genuinely, especially the family of God, to seek lives of holiness, and to keep our hearts and eyes turned upward in love and expectation. Knowing that day is surely coming, may we look with anticipation and say, “Come, Lord Jesus!”