eschatology, the Lord's Kingdom (Ps.22)

King David was a man after God's own heart, and had been chosen by God to receive a covenant that his kingdom would be eternal.  But David was not perfect, and was suffering at the hands of his enemies.  Some of those experiences were consequences as a result of his sins, even though he had confessed...

(Psalm 22:2-8)  O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but I have no rest.
3 Yet You are holy,
O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
4 In You our fathers trusted;
They trusted and You delivered them.
5 To You they cried out and were delivered;
In You they trusted and were not disappointed.

6 But I am a worm and not a man,
A reproach of men and despised by the people.
7 All who see me sneer at me;
They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying,
8 “Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”

Yet some of what David described applied to Jesus Christ at His crucifixion - the ultimate and perfect, sinless King who would make the eternal kingdom possible.  While Jesus hung on the cross...

(Luke 23:35)  ...the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.”

Now looking back, the first sentence of this psalm was David just processing his feelings!  When Jesus, the Son of God, uttered these words, He was taking on all the sins of the world to die and pay the price for them.  And God the Father, who is holy and cannot look on sin - had to look away while this was happening...

(Psalm 22:1)  My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?

Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.

As well, these verses are prophetic of Jesus' crucifixion...

(Psalm 22:16-18)  For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me;  They pierced my hands and my feet.  17 I can count all my bones.  They look, they stare at me;  18 They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.

Even though David suffered through many hardships, he remained humble and obedient, fully realizing that his kingdom really belonged to the Lord (Jesus).  David ends this psalm with a prophetic description of the Millennium (note the highlighted portion)...

19 (Psalm 22:19-31)  But You, O Lord, be not far off;
O You my help, hasten to my assistance.
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
My only life from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth;
From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.

22 I will tell of Your name to my brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him;
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.
24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.

25 From You comes my praise in the great assembly;
I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him.
26 The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
Let your heart live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations will worship before You.
28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s
And He rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.
30 Posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.
31 They will come and will declare His righteousness
To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.

All believers will be raptured (caught up to heaven).  Then during the Tribulation, there will be those who become believers, as well as the Israelites who will see "the signs" (the judgments) and become believers and know that Jesus was and is their Messiah.  They will be crying out for Jesus to deliver them!  Then when Jesus comes again - they will be delivered (from the sword), and the things highlighted above will be fulfilled on earth in the Millennium. 

Today's takeaway:  Believers in the Church Age do not have to worry about going through the Tribulation!  With God - there is purpose!  So while here on earth, when we experience some "tribulations" (trials) - even still - we have no need to worry!  As king David did, and as Apostle Paul did - look to our great Deliverer and Savior...

(2 Timothy 1:8-14)  Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. 12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. 13 Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.