The Doctrine of Revelation: The Storyline of Scripture (Part 13)

Sometimes we miss the big picture for all our focus on the details. Sometimes we miss the forest for the trees. In the Biblical storyline this happens often. We can get so focused on the details of Israel’s history, so focused on who was king, and when they were king, that we miss the entire point of the monarchy. The monarchy of Israel was not primarily about Israel’s history. In God’ providence He had set it up to point us to the divine kingship of Jesus. The monarch of Israel is all about King Jesus!

That the technical phrase “The Kingdom of God” does not really occur in the Old Testament does not mean that it is non-existent. The concept is prevalent throughout the Old Testament and begins in Genesis at creation, what John Walton calls the cosmic temple idea. Here God is establishing a kingdom. But Adam and Eve disobey God and are evicted from that Kingdom. Much of the rest of Scripture, then, is about a return to and a re-institution of the Kingdom of God. The Psalms make speak often of God’s reestablishing His Kingdom (see the Psalms of Yahweh’s Kingship: 47, 93, 96-99). But it is in the nation of Israel that this Kingship takes a new shape.

Israel’s demand for a king was not itself sinful (1 Samuel 8:5). The book of Judges anticipates a king who will bring order (Judges 21:25). And even in His promises to Jacob God had planned for Kings to rule of Israel (Genesis 35:11). But God was displeased with Israel’s request to have a king “like all the nations around” them. God had anticipated their request but the King chosen to rule over them was to be God’s chosen man, not Israel’s choice (Deuteronomy 17:14-15). Not just any king would do, and Saul (Israel’s first King) proved to be a disaster for them. Following Saul would be Israel’s greatest king: David. David was God’s chosen servant (1 Samuel 16:12), and yet his rule was far from perfect. The reality, of course, is that Israel’s monarchical history is littered with the disastrous choices of their kings, eventually leading to a complete disintegration of the kingdom and Israel’s exile. So, then, how does this point to the great King that was to come?

God had promised a great and future King. He had declared one specifically from the line of David too. God promises that his reign will last forever (2 Samuel 7). But the reign of David ends, as does the reign of Solomon. Then the kingdom is split into two warring factions. How can God make this promise? He makes it because in one of David’s descendants there is an eternal reign. It is the heir of David named Jesus who will reign forever (Revelation 11:15).

The monarchy of Israel both failed and succeeded. It failed in the sense that it never led to the peace and shalom that God said it would. Under each King things went from good to bad to worse. Ultimately that kingdom was destroyed. But it succeeds in pointing Israel, and pointing us to King Jesus who is the Prince of Peace. Who comes to bring real Shalom, and who, by His death, brought the Kingdom of God into this world. The big picture of Israel’s monarchy is wrapped up in King Jesus! Long live the King!