Who is the new king of Ezekiel 37:22–25 that will reign on
David’s Throne over the reunited kingdom of Judah and Israel?
This prophecy is very important because it says that at that
time God makes Israel one nation again, he would gather
them from every side and bring them into their own land;
and one king shall be over them.
Some take this prophecy as a literal return of Israel to the
land of Palestine citing 1948, as its fulfillment. Premillennialists
have gone on record saying that 1948 was a “Super Sign of
the End ” of the age, meaning the Rapture was imminent and
that Israel had to be restored at that time so that the Rapture
could occur.
Hal Lindsey went so far as to predict the end of the age
within 40 years (one generation) identifying 1988 as the
year it would all come to pass. Well, why are we yet here?
The late John Walvoord wrote that Ezekiel 37:24–25, in
prophesying of David’s rule over the united kingdom, meant
that it requires the second coming of Christ, the establishment
of David’s kingdom on earth, the resurrection of David, and
David’s sharing the throne of Israel as coregent with Christ.
Major Bible Prophecies, p. 393
He further states:
“The fact that David will share the throne of Christ in the
millennial kingdom is brought out in many other passages
(Jer. 30:9; 33:15–17; Ezek. 34:23–24; Hose. 3:5)” He
concludes, “This prophecy cannot be fulfilled today because
David has not been resurrected and because there is no
Davidic throne on earth.
Premillennarians cannot claim that the millenium (thousand
year reign of Christ) has begun, because there has been
no Rapture, and neither David nor Christ are reigning on
a literal throne in Israel.
This means that if the modern state of Israel is in the
land without David ruling over them, they have no
promise from God that they will remain in the land
forever. That promise applies to the time when David
reigns (v. 25).
But the Premillennarian interpretations have more serious
problems. When “David” reigns over them, they would
have a covenant of peace, and a temple to signify that
God would be their God and they his people. They have
neither. So what do we make of the modern state of
Israel and 1948, according to Ezekiel 37?
The facts of the matter are that none of the conditions
of Ezekiel 37 have were met in 1948. How then can this
be a fulfillment of the regathering of Israel? Observe:
- The Ashkenazi people who predominately make up
the “Jewish” state are not descendants of Abraham.
Abraham is a descendant of Shem, through Noah,
Gen. 11:10–27. Ashkenzi Jews are Germans from
the Rhineland, (Wikipedia). They cannot think
within themselves that they have Abraham as
their father.Further, the genealogical tables allowing the Jews
to trace their lineage were destroyed in the A.D. 70,
destruction of the temple, so even the ethnic people
of Palestine who may be descendants of Abraham
cannot trace their lineage.If those who established the state of Israel in 1948
are not the descendants of Abraham, then it is not
the regathering of Israel as was prophesied in the
Scriptures.This is not to say that the modern state of Israel
should not be recognized politically, but they are
no more “the” holy nation, that is Iran, Iraq or the
U.S. - God did not pour out his Spirit prior to setting up
the state of Israel in 1948, a requirement to bring
them into the land. - God did not resurrect Israel. Walvoord is correct
in reasoning that “David” had to be resurrected
to reign over the reunited kingdom but is incorrect
in that it would be a joint reign between Christ
and the ancient Israelite king. - The modern state of Israel was not “born again”
according to the prophecy in Ezekiel 36:25, 26,
as demanded by Christ in John 3:3–8. In fact,
the majority of the Jews in Israel reject Christ,
and yet, will not have “this man reign over them.” - Per number four, they as a nation have not been
washed from their idols, nor preempted from the
ravages of war. Such would constitute the new
kingdom under “David” according to the prophecy
in Isaiah 2:3, 4). - There is no covenant of peace in Israel today and
they certainly have not turned their swords and
spears into plowshares and pruning hooks. They
have exchanged them for weapons of mass
destruction!
Not only is the absence of “David” among this modern
state of Israel a testimony that God has not recognized
them as the regathered kingdom, it is necessary to
understand what and who this David is to further
support this point.
David’s Throne is Now in Heaven Not on Earth
The promise of Isaiah 9:7, is that the Son born, (meaning
the Messiah, Christ Jesus) would reign upon the throne
of David. Luke records this prophecy saying of the Christ
born of the virgin Mary, that:
“He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest;
and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His
kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:32, 33).
So God would give to Christ, the throne of David. Thus,
Christ is the “David” of the prophecy who sits on the
throne, only that throne is not literal and on earth, but
in heaven at the Father’s right hand.
Peter states in Acts 2:29–35:
- Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of
the patriarch David, that he is both dead and
buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. - “Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that
God had sworn with an oath to him that of the
fruit of his body, according tot he flesh, He
would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, - he, foreseeing this, spoke, concerning the resurrection
of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades,.. - This Jesus has God raised up, of which we are all
witnesses. - Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God,
and having received from the Father the promise of
the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see
and hear. - For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he
says himself: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My
right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.
David himself prophesied that God would raised up the Christ
from the dead to sit on David’s throne. That means David’s
throne is no longer on earth, but in heaven.
God prophesied through Jeremiah that no one would prosper
sitting on the throne of David and ruling any more in Judah.
(Jeremiah 22:30). Thus, if Christ were on earth, he could
not occupy the throne of David.
Further, God poured out the Spirit through Christ, signifying
that the time for the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy had
begun through Christ.
In addition, Israel is commanded to believe, repent of their
sins and be baptized or washed from their uncleanness. Thus,
the new birth for Israel had begun on that Pentecost as well.
(Acts 2:37–41)
Further, the gathering of Israel into one nation begins during
the apostolic age. Hosea’s prophecies are fulfilled through the
ministry of Paul to the Gentiles. (Romans 9:25–26). Likewise,
Peter tells the Jews of the Diaspora in his day, they are the
fulfillment of Hosea 1:10, 11, 2:23).
Follow Peter’s message concerning the Gentiles in Acts 15:7–9,
James declares that the tabernacle of David was then being
rebuilt with the inclusion of the Gentiles. (Acts 15:15–17).
This was the manner in which God was regathering Israel to
himself through Christ.
Even the unbelieving Jews in who plotted to kill Christ recognized
that significance of the death of Christ and the consequent
regathering of the nation, (John 11:50–52).
Ezekiel’s prophecy of the two sticks joined together representing
Israel and Judah is the message of unity in Paul’s epistle to the
Ephesians which culminates in the rebuilding of the temple,
(2:11–22), all of which takes place through Christ who reigns
from heaven on the throne of David.
Premillennarians overlook these prophecies as being the
fulfillment because they reject the spiritual nature in which they
are fulfilled. Rather, they opt for revivification of all the Old
Testament shadows and types in lieu of the substance
through Christ.
God says that which was natural was first, afterward that which
is spiritual (1 Cor. 15:46) Premillennalism reverses God’s order
opting for the natural and national as the conclusion of God’s
redemptive program.
In conclusion, it should now be clear that David’s throne is set
up in heaven. Christ was raised up to reign on David’s throne
forever, and to regather the nation, in him. The Holy Spirit was
poured out, Israel received her new birth as a nation (2 Cor. 5:17)
and the new temple and covenant resulted in their salvation and
resurrection from the dead. (Hebrews 8:6–13)
