When the Assyrians Come, We'll Be Ready

Introduction

“And he shall be their peace.”

The theme of peace continues to develop in this book, peace being the mark of the Messiah’s rule. The rule of this chosen son of David will be the rule of GOd himself, and such an age was described back in Micah 4:3-4

Micah 4:3–4 ESV

He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore; but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

It is an age marked with prosperity without greed, freedom without conflict, complete submission to the government without tyranny, and all this by the purposes of God.

When Zecharia prophecied of the coming of the future king of Zion, he pictured him, not as a warrior coming on a war horse, but as a peaeful leader coming on a donkey.

Zechariah 9:9–10 ESV

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

A conquest not won by force of arms, but won completely. Violence indeed begets violence, those who live by the sword will die by the sword. But he who was put to death when he opened not his mouth will conquor by the Word of his mouth (Rev 19:15).

He is not peace to everyone, but he brings peace everywhere. To his church there is peace, no longer any hostility dividing us.

Ephesians 2:14 ESV

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility

Assyrian Initial Victory

So we turn back to the text when a violent nation seems to gain victry over God’s people. It seems so paradoxical to talk about a king that will be their peace one moment, and tthe next to talk about the Assyrians treading the royal palaces. There is no doubt that, for a time, Assyria appears to have the victory. But as we saw in chapter 4, its all a trap! Though they think they have gathered to claim the victory, they are really there to be threashed by God’s people and thereby unknowingly spread the Kingdom of God. Just as persecution in Jerusalem lead to missionaries going to the Gentiles, the Assyrians temorary victory will progress into Satan’s eternal defeat.

The Seven Shepherds and Eight Princes

In response to the Assyrian trampling of the palaces, the King raises up seven shepherds and eight princes.

These represent the church. While Christ is the great shepherd, he calls his disciples to be undershepherds to continue his great kingly ministry.

Revelation 1:20 ESV

As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Its not just that John happened to be addressing 7 churches, but they represent the entirety of the church in herr mission. When we understand the 7 shepherds as being representative of the seven churches, the Church that does not act by itself, but these 7 shepherds represent the leadership of the great shepherd.

Dominating the Earthly Powers

Conclusion

The King Messiah establishes a kingdom of peace for his chosen ones.

His chosen ones become shepherds of peace themselves that shepherd the nations to the great shepherd with the powerful “sword” of the Spirit through the Word of God.

The people of God are delivered from the world by leading the world to Christ.