Psalm 110 - The Last Days Psalm

Recently I was asked to teach Psalm 110 for my Sunday morning fellowship group. The first verse of this Psalm is posed as a question by Jesus in response to the Pharisees, during Holy Week in Jerusalem...

The Question

Matthew 22:41-46 (NASB95)
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question:
"What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?”
They said to Him, “The son of David.”
He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying,
‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET”’?
“If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?”
No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.

Jesus asked the Pharisees this question “how is He both David’s son and David’s Lord?” The Pharisees could not answer because they would have to admit:

1. The Messiah is eternal
2. The Messiah is divine
3. The Messiah was David’s Lord when he heard these words from heaven

David Guzik comments:

The Pharisees were partially right in saying that the Messiah is the Son of David. But they didn’t have a complete understanding of who the Messiah is. He is not only David’s Son (a reference to His humanity), but He is also David’s Lord (a reference to the deity of Jesus, the Messiah).

Introduction

I was inspired to memorize Psalm 110 many years ago due to its frequent quotations in the New Testament. In fact, this Psalm is “the most frequently quoted Old Testament chapter in the New Testament.” More on that later…

Psalm 110 is a “royal psalm”, meaning a psalm extolling the power and majesty of the king. But it’s much more than that - it’s a Messianic prophecy. It reveals many truths that are foundational to New Testament theology.

This is one Psalm where it really helps to know a little Hebrew, especially if you memorize it as I did. You see, “the LORD” in all caps is what most Bibles use for the name YHWH. "The Lord" in name case is how they translate the Hebrew word adoni (my lord) and Adonai - the title of the Messiah in this Psalm.

So, this little writing scheme comes out to be confusing when you are hearing or reciting this Psalm.

For this and other reasons, I have done a little extra translating of this Psalm, carefully studying the text and borrowing words from other translations where possible. As you might notice in your Bible footnotes, there are even a few places where the translators admit difficulties with the Hebrew meaning. In some cases, using the Septuagint (Greek) helps, but keep in mind that the Jewish scribes who translated the Septuagint before Christ didn’t even understand this Psalm!

Days to Come

Psalm 110 speaks of two days to come, and about the coming Messiah and high priest not yet visible to mortal eyes.

The days prophesied to come after David’s reign are:

• The day of the Messiah’s power (verse 3)
• The day of the Messiah’s wrath (verse 5)

These days are also prophesied by Isaiah:

Isaiah 61:1-2 (NASB95)
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn…

This prophecy is read by Jesus in Luke 4:17-19, proclaiming His commission to rescue His oppressed people.

Note that in Isaiah the Messiah proclaims two periods:

• The year of the LORD’s favor
• The day of vengeance of our God

But as Luke records Jesus introducing His ministry, the latter day of vengeance is omitted. That time will be prophesied shortly before His crucifixion and ascent to the throne of heaven (Luke 21:22).

Psalm 110

1 A Psalm of David.

The declaration of Yahweh to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

King David sees a vision and records it in this Psalm. It was understood to be a revelation of Messiah coming with power and wrath, even by the Pharisees in Jesus’ time. What they didn’t understand was the word “my Lord” used for the Son of David, and the fact that His kingdom would be based in heaven until His return on the “day of His wrath.”

This first verse is quoted in Mat 22 and 26, Mark 12 and 14, Luke 20 and 22, Acts 2, and Hebrews 1.

The position of Christ at the right hand of God is referenced in Romans 8:34, Ephesians 1:20, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 1:3, 8:1, 10:12, 12:2, and 1 Peter 3:22

In these scriptures, the Right Hand of God brings:

• Deliverance: Exodus 15:6
• Eternal Pleasure: Psalm 16:11
• Righteousness: Psalm 48:10
• Support: Psalm 63:6-8
• Salvation: Psalm 80:17-19

The “man of YHWH’s right hand” is:

• Mighty and Exalted: Psalm 89:13
• Valiant: Psalm 118:15-16
• The Creator: Isaiah 48:12-13

The Day of His Power

2 Yahweh sends forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”

David sees Jesus holding the scepter of His kingdom in a world full of enemies. But Jesus doesn’t just send out decrees, nor does He send out squadrons of soldiers to enforce His orders. Almighty God sends forth the scepter of His power - the Holy Spirit - to rule the hearts and lives of believers.

Note that this scepter is not the rod of iron (Hebrew “shevet barzel”) in Psalm 2. It is Hebrew “matté”, a word which is also translated as “tribe” in many verses. The use of this word teaches us that the power of the Holy Spirit is implemented through the “tribes” of the New Testament, symbolically being the church, founded on the testimony of the twelve apostles.

This prophecy is fulfilled in Jerusalem at Pentecost as His disciples “receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them” (Acts 1:8)

3 Your people - freewill offerings in the day of Your power. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men come to you like dew from the morning’s womb.

Verse 3 References:

• Freewill offering: Rom 12:1, Deuteronomy 16:10
• Day of your power: Acts 1:7-8
• Holy array: 1 Chron 16:28-29
• Dew from morning’s womb: Isaiah 26:19

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4 Yahweh has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

David Guzik commented:

This oath was so important that the author of Hebrews refers to it five times:

• Hebrews 5:5-6 and 5:10 emphasize that this was Yahweh’s declaration, not something that the Messiah claimed for Himself.
• In Hebrews 6:20, the emphasis is on the idea that Jesus the Messiah serves now and forever as a living, active High Priest for His people.
• Hebrews 7:17 emphasizes that the priesthood of Jesus the Messiah according to the order of Melchizedek is better than the priestly order of Aaron, because it is eternal and will never end.
• Hebrews 7:21 emphasizes that the priesthood of Jesus the Messiah according to the order of Melchizedek is better than the priestly order of Aaron because it was founded on a direct oath of Yahweh, unlike the priestly order of Aaron.

The designation as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek made Christ Jesus “the source of eternal salvation … to all those who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9-10).

The Day of His Wrath

5 The Lord at Your right hand has shattered kings in the day of His wrath.

• The Lord - this is Christ Jesus, at the right hand of almighty God.
• Shatters kings - this is a prophetic past tense verb, action that is foreseen to have happened on this day.
• Day of His wrath - this could be a day or months or years (Revelation 6:16-17).

6 He will judge among the nations, He has filled them with corpses, He has shattered Rosh (the head) over the whole earth.

• He will judge - during His judgments there will be opportunities for repentance, but the nations will not repent. (Rev 9:20-21, 16:8)
• He has filled them with corpses - this scene is like that at the end of Revelation 19, when the armies of the beast are being fed to the birds.
• He has shattered Rosh - Rosh is a Hebrew word meaning “head” or “chief”. In this verse it is singular, likely the mystical title of the Beast and his dominion. (See Ezekiel 39:1)

7 He will drink from the brook by the wayside; in like manner He will lift up Rosh (head).

This last verse is the hardest to translate and the hardest to understand. Most translations make this verse seem mundane and anticlimactic.

But the phrase “lift up head” is enigmatic.

I will offer two possible explanations. The two are used in this story about Joseph in prison, interpreting dreams

Genesis 40:13 (NASB95) within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer.

…

Genesis 40:19 (NASB95) within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh off you.”

One interpretation:

After kneeling to drink water from the brook, like David when he conquered Goliath, the Messiah cuts off the head of his Satanic enemy with the sword coming from His mouth. Lifting up the head He shouts a proclamation of victory while his armies rush in to lay claim to the land (1 Samuel 17:51-52)

A second possibility:

After the battle is ended and the enemy is defeated, Christ kneels to drink from the brook by the wayside. (Could this be the brook that flows from the throne of temple in Ezekiel?)

Being refreshed He lifts up His head, symbolizing His exaltation as the victorious Lord of all creation.

In defense of the first interpretation, there is the first Messianic prophecy of Jesus’ victory over the serpent of old in Genesis 3:

Genesis 3:15 (NIV) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

The offspring of the woman is Christ Jesus. The offspring of the serpent is the antichrist beast of Revelation.

But the phrase “lift up head” usually has a more positive connotation in the Psalms, signifying blessing and honor. On balance I think this favors the second interpretation, or perhaps both!

After some more study of the Old Testament and Psalms, I also see the Lord lifting up my head to give me victory through His strength. Here are some verses to remember as we seek to be more like Jesus…

Psalms 3:2-3 (NASB95)
Many are saying of my soul,
“There is no deliverance for him in God.” Selah.
But You, O LORD, are a shield about me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head.

Psalms 27:5-6 (NASB95)
For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

Summary

• Psalm 110 establishes the deity of Messiah the Son of David as the only begotten Son of God. Jesus identified Himself as the subject of this prophecy through His life and testimony on earth, and through His resurrection and ascension to the throne of heaven.
• This Psalm affirms the power of the Holy Spirit working in these last days through the church.
• It offers assurance that the Lord Jesus will always be at the right hand of God to forgive and intercede for us as the high priest of heaven.
• Finally, it gives us the assurance that God will avenge the cruel wickedness of the enemy and his evil kingdom in the final day of judgement.

 

The Curse on the Dragon

I was reading Psalm 140 one day recently.  It's one of those Psalms that don't get quoted a lot in church because it's a prayer for vengeance.

"As for the head of those who surround me,
     May the mischief of their lips cover them.
"May burning coals fall upon them;
      May they be cast into the fire,
      Into deep pits from which they cannot rise.
"May a slanderer not be established in the earth;
            May evil hunt the violent man speedily."
Psalm 140:9-11 NASB

Many of the Psalms have this mysterious double meaning, one as a prayer and one as a prophecy. In this Psalm David is praying for deliverance from his enemies who have surrounded him. This is the most obvious meaning when you are reading or reciting the Psalm.

But if you look closely you will see an underlying prophecy regarding the final fate of Satan and his followers. The "head" of those who surround David is also their "leader" or "chief". David in a prophetic sense is Christ and His kingdom.  The "head" of those who surround Christ is Satan.  The curse which is repeated every time this Psalm is recited is that Satan, the beast and the false prophet will be cast into a fiery pit from which they shall never arise.

When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Revelation 20:7-10 NASB

There are two interesting men mentioned in verse 11. In Hebrew they are Ish-Lashon (man of the tongue) and Ish-Hamas (man of violence). These are most surely the false prophet and the beast of the Revelation in a prophetic sense. I also found it interesting that the word "Hamas" is used in the context of those surrounding the camp of David. I don't think it's a coincidence that Hamas means "zeal" in Arabic and "violence" in Hebrew.

Those who are on the wrong side in this cosmic battle constantly participate in this ancient curse.  An ever expanding chorus of martyrs in heaven join in this prayer. Choose this day whom you will serve...as for me and my house we will serve the Lord!