THE KING OF GLORY

Behold He Comes by Danny Hahlbohm

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6,7)

The second part of the Messianic Hope promises the “King of Glory”, the prophecy of which foretells the Second Coming of Christ when He will subdue all enemies under His feet; put down all kingdoms, will sit on the throne of David, and ‘the government shall be upon his shoulder’ (Isaiah 9:6). His second advent will bring in one thousand years of His Millennial reign.  

The period of the Millenium will be so glorious it will overshadow the previous six thousand years of the history of this earth. There will be no sorrow, sickness, crime or death; all things will become new, the enmity between man and beast will cease, the knowledge of the Lord shall flood the earth and all will be revealed, even how the earth was made (D&C 101:23-34), Satan will be bound so he can tempt no man (D&C 101:28) and the pure language of Adam will be restored so that we can all serve Him ‘with one consent’ (Zephaniah 3:9).

And here is something brilliant. When we think of the ‘Messianic prophecies’, we usually think of the prophets and the scriptures, but in truth, every believer in Christ has a part in these prophecies.

“Every proper and perfect prayer uttered by a righteous man, woman, or child, from the day Adam stepped through Eden’s portals into his lone and dreary habitation, to the day the angelic hosts acclaimed the birth of God’s own Son, was in fact a Messianic prophecy.

“The mere saying, with sincerity and understanding, of the words of the prayer itself constituted a Messianic affirmation…..thus witnessing that they knew that salvation came through Him and His atoning blood.

“Similarly, every true prayer today is a reaffirmation that Jesus is the Lord and that through His blood the believing saints are redeemed.

“And so with every baptism, every priesthood ordination, every patriarchal blessing, every act of administering to the sick, every divine ordinance or performance ordained of God, every sacrifice, symbolism, and similitude; all that God ever gave to His people – all was ordained and established in such a way as to testify of His Son and center the faith of believing people in Him and in the redemption He was foreordained to make.

“The words of those who have spoken of Christ since He lived upon this earth, and believed in His coming, are ‘Messianic testimonies’……in fulfilment of the prophecies of His birth and His Second Coming..”  (Bruce R. McConkie, The Promised Messiah, 26,27

And so every testimony we bear of Christ, every prayer we utter, and every act done in His name, affirms that Christ lived and that He will return. Each time we do so, we confirm the fulfilment of the Messianic Prophecy of His birth and the Messianic Hope of His Second Coming. Every man, woman and child who believes and lives with expectation of salvation through His name, has the power of this prophecy. If you are a believer, this is Christ’s promise to you:

“In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee….No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.” (see Isaiah 54:12-17)

One day when You return

from your glorious throne

In Millenial splendour

Your power to display;

I will kneel and confess Your greatness;

I will join the heavenly throng in song,

And I will sorrow for the lost

For whom You suffered for so long.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

 

THE SUFFERING SERVANT

 

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ by Edit Voros

Christ’s salvation for mankind has been taught through the prophets from the beginning of time. This is called the Messianic Hope. And hope it certainly is…hope of redemption from the fall, sanctification from sin, justification to reconcile us with the Father. Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah in a dualistic manner which the Jews either didn’t understand or they ignored because their ignorance brought the Saviour to the cross.

Isaiah prophesied of the ‘suffering servant’ in Isaiah 53 who would be a ‘man of sorrows’ (v3); one who stands ‘as a sheep before her shearers’ (v7); and one who takes our transgressions upon Himself. The ‘suffering servant’ foretells the first advent and mortal life of Christ which was to offer spiritual deliverance of His people.  

The other picture of the Messiah that Isaiah painted was the “King of Glory”. This title promises physical deliverance, political power, and the destruction of Israel’s enemies.  The “King of Glory” prophecies foretell His second coming when He will subdue all Israel’s enemies under His feet; put down all kingdoms; will sit on the throne of David; and ‘the government shall be upon his shoulder’ (Isaiah 9:6).

The Jewish nation missed the importance of these two time periods and here is why. As Israel toiled under the oppression of different ruling powers such as Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Ptolemies and Seleucids from 586 B.C. until 70 A.D., they hungered for liberation and their hope of the Messiah gained political overtones. They wanted a Moses and a David, both of whom had delivered them from their enemies and thus they discounted the prophecies of the ‘suffering servant’. When Jesus came they recognised Him as the rightful heir of David’s throne due to His lineage, but when He refused to take up the sword against the Roman Empire, they used His refusal as proof that He could not be the promised Deliverer.

This is what blows my mind: the mortal life of Jesus was prophesied in such detail that it is hard to believe the Jews were so blinded that they ‘looked beyond the mark’ (Jacob 4:14) awaiting another Messiah.  Among many here are some details of His mortal life contained in ancient prophecies: he would be born in Bethlehem; He would be preceded by a forerunner; His ministry would begin in Galilee; He would teach in parables; He would perform miracles; His message would be rejected; He would enter Jerusalem in triumph on the back of an ass; He would be sold for thirty pieces of silver; smitten, spat upon and rejected. And the details of His crucifixion in ancient prophecies are staggering.

The Saviour’s death is a complex necessity to contemplate. I read a comment the other day on social media which was accusatory of the Jewish nation and which said: Jesus didn’t want to die. He was only 33 years old!”  I suppose there are people in the world who view the Saviour’s death as an unjustified murder because of our modern-day standards. And unjustified it was but yet the most sacred, dignified and necessary death in the history of mankind. I wondered what the person who made that comment would think of Isaiah saying that it ‘pleased God to bruise His Son and put him to grief ’….(Isaiah 53:10). Maybe she would be horrified at that and would miss the rest of the scripture that says ‘his soul was made an offering for sin’.

Elder Melvin J. Ballard explained that it was not a pleasure on the Father’s part but a sacrifice like no other to allow the murder and death of His Beloved Son:

“In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon His dying struggles until even he could not endure it any longer, and like the mother who bids farewell to her dying child, has to be taken out of the room, so as not to look upon the last struggles, so he bowed his head, and hid in some part of his universe, his great heart almost breaking for the love that he had for his Son.

“Oh, in that moment when he might have saved his Son, I thank him and praise him that he did not fail us, for he had not only the love of his Son in mind, but he also had love for us. I rejoice that he did not interfere and that his love for us made it possible for him to endure to look upon the sufferings of His Son and give him finally to us, as our Saviour and our Redeemer.

“Without him, without his sacrifice, we would have remained, and we would never have come glorified into his presence. And so this is what it cost, in part, for our Father in Heaven to give the gift of his Son unto men.” (Bryant S. Hinkcley, Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin Joseph Ballard, 154-155)

 

I carry my cross every day to the foot of Calvary

Where You carried yours so valiantly to the top;

I wait for You there to lift me

To the foot of Your gilded throne.

-      Cathryne Allen

THE MESSIANIC HOPE

 

Behold the Man by Simon Dewey 

The messianic hope is the expectation of an Anointed Deliverer that has its roots in pre-mortal life and that was prophesied about extensively in the scriptures (Abraham 3:27; Moses 4:1,2).

The English word Messiah comes from the Hebrew Meshiach, meaning ‘anointed’. The Greek equivalent is Christos. The Hebrew word Yeshua (Jesus in Greek) means ‘Saviour’ or ‘deliverer’. The two words combined denote one anointed of God to save or deliver His people.

The Old Testament prophets prophesied of the Messiah in incredible detail. The prophecies tell of him being born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14); that He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); that He would be raised a  prophet like unto Moses (Deut 18:15); that  He would be of the lineage of David (Genesis 49:10; Jeremiah 23:5-6) and that He would have the government upon his shoulder (Isaiah 9:6,7).

The New Testament prophecies revealed the life and mission of the Messiah in detail. The writers of the four Gospels especially pointed out how Jesus Christ fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies that referred to the coming Messiah, the references of which are too extensive to record here.

The most well known messianic prophecy belongs to Isaiah who spoke of Him dualistically. Isaiah 53 describes the role of Christ as a ‘suffering servant’, ‘a man of sorrows’, one who stands ‘as a sheep before her shearers’, one who takes our transgressions upon Himself. The other picture of the Messiah is that of the “King of Glory” contained in Isaiah 9, which paints a picture of deliverance, political power, and the destruction of the enemies of Israel. They speak of two time periods which the Jewish population of Christ’s time either did not understand or they chose to ignore. The ‘suffering servant’ was a reference to Messiah’s first advent when  He would deliver His people spiritually and the King of Glory who would be sitting on the throne of David and have the government upon His shoulder refers to the Millenial reign.

The Jews of Christ’s first advent recognized that Jesus was from the lineage of David  but when He refused to take up the sword against Rome and take upon himself the government of their nation, His crucifixion was seen by the majority as a proof that He could not have been the promised deliverer. Remember the mocking: “He saved others, himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.” ( Mark 15:31, 32).

This is where the Jewish nation went wrong in their expectation of the Messiah:

From the time of the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. until the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70….the Palestinian remnant of Israel was subjected to the rule of many great powers: the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, the Ptolemies, the Seleucids, and finally the Romans.

During this great period of bondage to different powers, the Jewish people came to see the Messiah not as one who would provide Atonement for their sins but one who would deliver them from their enemies by physical force. They wanted freedom from people who ruled them.

And so the Jews looked beyond the mark which was Christ (Jacob 4:14) and crucified their God. When He did not come in a manner that they anticipated, they looked beyond Him for another who should come…..and they wait still.

Oh that I were an angel and could have the wish of mine heart!!!! I would shout from the rooftops to unbelieving Israel: your King will come!!!!

“Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle….then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations….and his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives…and one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” (Zechariah 13:6; 14:1-4)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

THE MESSIANIC HOPE

 

I recently studied, for the second time, the concept of “Messianic Hope”. I am amazed that the Jewish component of the House of Israel  ‘missed’ the Messiah when He came. In short, this is why: The Messianic Hope was taught from the beginning of time. Basically, the prophecies of Him portrayed the Messiah in a dualistic manner. He was to be the ‘suffering servant’ as prophesied in Isaiah 53 who would be a ‘man of sorrows’ (v3); one who stands ‘as a sheep before her shearers’ (v7); and one who takes our transgressions upon Himself. The other picture of the Messiah paints Him as the “King of Glory”. This title promises deliverance, political power, and the destruction of Israel’s enemies. Of course, the “suffering servant” foretells His mortal life and spiritual deliverance of His people. The “King of Glory” prophecies foretell His second coming when He will subdue all Israel’s enemies under His feet; put down all kingdoms; will sit on the throne of David; and ‘the government shall be upon his shoulder’ (Isaiah 9:6). The Jewish nation missed these two time periods and here is why.

 

As Israel toiled under the oppression of different ruling powers such as Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Ptolemies and Seleucids from 586 B.C. until 70 A.D., they hungered for liberation and their hope of Messiah gained political overtones. They wanted a Moses and a David, both of whom had delivered them from their enemies and thus they discounted the prophecies of the ‘suffering servant’. When Jesus came they recognised Him as the rightful heir of David’s throne due to His lineage but when He refused to take up the sword against the Roman Empire, they used His refusal as proof that He could not be the promised Deliverer.

 

This is what blows my mind: the mortal life of Jesus was prophesied in such detail that it is hard to believe the Jews were so blinded that they ‘looked beyond the mark’ (Jacob 4:14) awaiting another Messiah. And who was ‘the mark’? The Saviour Jesus Christ. Among many here are some details of His mortal life contained in ancient prophecies: he would be born in Bethlehem; He would be preceded by a forerunner; His ministry would begin in Galilee; He would teach in parables; He would perform miracles;  His message would be rejected; He would enter Jerusalem in triumph on the back of an ass;  He would be sold for thirty pieces of silver; smitten, spat upon and rejected. And the details of His crucifixion in ancient prophecies are staggering. All this foreknowledge could not have been given to the children of men unless it had come from God who knows all things from beginning to the end and who had revealed it to prophets throughout the ages by the power of the Holy Ghost. 

 

The Messianic Hope lives still. The Jews await the Messiah who they think will come for the first time. We await the true King of Kings who will RETURN. We are told that ‘the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy’ (Revelation 19:10). It is by this spirit that we can gain the sight to see the signs of His return as they “are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy’ (2 Nephi 25:4). We cannot afford to ‘miss the mark’….because if we do we will be unprepared. The extent of our eagerness to do this and to await His coming is a good indication of our love for Him and our testimony of His divinity.

 

The parable of The Ten Virgins is about us. Christ is the bridegroom and we, the members of His Church, are the bride, because we, the House of Israel, are the covenant people. The parable tells us only half of us will be prepared to meet Him. Put on thy wedding garments O Israel for the bridegroom cometh (D&C 88:92) and prepare to meet your Everlasting King!

 

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Divine Dignity by Stephen Sawyer)