JESUS is Coming (Ps.98)

It is interesting that David speaks in the past tense of how the earth has seen the LORD's salvation, and the earth is and should be rejoicing...

 (Psalm 98:1-3)  O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.
2 The Lord has made known His salvation;  He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;  all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

The Israelites knew to expect their Messiah, but it's like David simply had faith that God was going to somehow use the Messiah to bless the nations - the world - which was also then a blessing to them in their day - which is actually very true.  There are a few verses in the New Testament like this one, which shows that this righteousness through salvation made possible by Jesus was retroactive...

(James 2:23)  and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.

As well, it's like David didn't even have to know HOW God was going to bring all this about, David just had faith and knew that God WOULD do it.  And even though David was king of Israel, David knew that the LORD was ultimately King!

4 (Psalm 98:4-6)  Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;  break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the Lord

And David in full faith KNEW that the LORD - the King - would come to judge the world fairly and with righteousness...

 (Psalm 98:7-9)  Let the sea roar and [all it contains, the world and those who dwell in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy
9 Before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth;  He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Even though not all the scriptures had been written yet, David knew that these things would happen - that Jesus would come to judge the world.  We now know that Jesus has already brought salvation via His work on the cross, but when He came to do that, it was not to judge the world...

(John 3:16-17)  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him."

And from scripture verses such as Revelation 19:11-16, we know that Jesus is coming again - and then Jesus WILL judge the world - with righteousness.  Justice will be served.  The sinners will be punished.  But our joy should be expressed louder because when we put our faith in Jesus - He saves us from that punishment.  Hopefully this isn't something we keep to ourselves, but that we boldly tell others the good news...

 (Romans 3:21-26)  But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.