38 All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.

The Royal House of the Kingdom

Though the kingdom belonged to Yahweh,

"the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords: who only hath deathlessness, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see," 1 Tim. 6:15

—though He is Israel's eternal, incorruptible, and invisible King, 1 Tim. 1:17—yet he had predetermined that his kingdom should be ruled by a visible representative of his majesty. He resolved, however, that the occasion developing his purpose of choosing a Vicegerent, should be a manifestation of their disaffection to himself—1 Sam. 8:7. He provided for the exigency in the Mosaic Law, saying to Israel,

"When thou art come into the possession of the land, and shalt say, "I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are about me;" thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, who is not thy brother."—Deut. 17:14.

Hence, the law contemplated the establishment of the kingly office, which was at some future period to be inherited by the Seed of Abraham, who is to possess the gate of his enemies; and in whom all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.—Gen. 22:17, 18.

But neither the covenant confirmed to Abraham, nor the covenant promulgated through Moses, defined the tribe and family whence the person should be manifested as the progenitor or father of the Seed; though it was understood in Israel from the prophecy of Jacob, that He should come of the tribe of Judah, and that there should be "unto him the obedience of the peoples," or tribes—ve-lo yiquhath ammim.

To determine the things, then, which were undefined in the covenant with Abraham, and the superadded covenant of Moses, Yahweh availed himself of the rejection of himself by the nation, to choose for it a king from whom Shiloh should descend to rule the tribes when established under the New Constitution of the kingdom. He gave them a king in his anger, and took him away in his wrath.—Hos. 13:11.

He gave them Saul, son of Kish of the tribe of Benjamin; but as he did not do all his will upon the idolatrous tribes around Israel, Yahweh set him aside, and chose a better man. This was David, son of Jesse of the tribe of Judah. He was born in the 29th year of Eli's judgship, and was 11 years and 5 months old at the capture of the ark by the Philistines at the battle of Ebenezer.

In the 18 years and 7 months, which succeeded, he killed the lion and the bear, smote Goliah, was anointed Yahweh's king elect to rule his people Israel, and passed through much tribulation that he might inherit the kingdom, if approved. Saul was killed in battle; and David succeeded him, first as king of Judah, and two years afterwards as sole king in Israel.

He had long wars with the surrounding nations, which at length ended in their conquest and an enduring peace. In his career as a king raised up to execute Yahweh's vengeance upon the heathen, he acquitted himself as "a man after God's own heart;" and with all his faults, as one "of whom the world was not worthy;" because he honored God by devout and earnest faith in

"his word, which he has magnified above all his name."—Heb. 11:32, 38; Ps. 138:2; Acts 13:22.

David being approved as a suitable progenitor of "the Seed," Yahweh made an everlasting covenant with him, which he confirmed with an oath. By this he established the sovereignty of his family over Israel for ever.

Henceforth, the House of David was the royal house of the kingdom of God; and to rebel against David, or a descendant of his, lawfully occupying his throne, was to rebel against Yahweh himself to whom the throne and kingdom as certainly belonged as if he had no visible representative in Jerusalem.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, 1.9.

Hear what the Strength of Israel proclaims—

"I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, saying, Thy Seed (zarecha, singular,) will I establish for ever (ad olam) and build up thy throne for all generations (le-dor-vahdor) * * * I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people. I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: with whom my hand (power) shall be established: mine arm shall also strengthen him.

* * * In my Name shall his horn be exalted. I will set his power (who bears Yahweh's name) also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers He shall cry unto me, Thou art my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. Also I will make him my First-born, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His Seed also (zaro, David's Seed, singular,) will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. * * *

My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that has gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His Seed (zaro) shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven."—Ps. 89.

Hear again the word Yahweh sent to David by Nathan concerning his Seed who was to bear Yahweh's name—

"It shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy Seed after thee, who shall be of thy sons: and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build me a temple, and I will establish his throne for ever. I will be his Father, and he shall be my Son. I will settle him in my house (temple) and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore."—1 Chron. 17:11 14.

From this covenant, it is clear as a sunbeam, that David was to have a Seed who should be both Son of David and Son of God; that this Seed should be a king, and heir to all David's prerogatives; that the throne and kingdom of Israel should be everlasting in David's family; that his Seed should be raised up from the dead to sit upon his throne; that he should then build a temple; and that he should be settled in that temple forever, that is, should be a priest continually there.

Paul makes it absolutely certain, that "the Seed after David of his Sons" is the Lord Jesus, and not Solomon, by applying the saying in the covenant, "I will be his Father, and he shall be my Son," to Christ.—Heb. 1:5. And that David himself so understood it, is obvious from innumerable passages in his writings. David believed the Son here spoken of was to be raised from the dead to sit upon his throne; and that when he sat upon it, he was to be an immortal king, and an undying priest after the order of Melchizedek. Peter declares this; for in reasoning upon what David wrote in the sixteenth psalm, he said,

"David being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne: he foreseeing this spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his dead body was not left in the tomb, neither did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up."—Acts 2:30.

Being raised from the dead, and therefore, Son of God according to a holy spiritual nature which he should possess in common with the angels, than whom he was then no longer "lower," he saw him in possession of his dominion as Yahweh's king on Zion, the hill of his holiness, with the nations for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession.—Ps. 2:6–8. He discerned also what would be his own character and that of his government; for, says he, concerning him,

"Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a righteous sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness; therefore, O God, thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness (the Holy Spirit) above thy fellows."—Ps. 45:6.

And when thus sitting upon his throne in Zion, he beheld him with the eye of faith, as one who had subdued his enemies, and become the royal high priest of the kingdom. Speaking of his Son and Lord, he says,

"Yahweh shall send the rod of thy strength from Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Yahweh hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck."—Ps. 110.

Yahweh swore this, when he swore to David, that he would settle him in his house and in his kingdom for ever.

Thus by "the Word of the Oath" was David's family constituted the Royal House of the kingdom under both constitutions, or covenants, old and new; and the transfer of the priesthood declared from Aaron and his sons, to David's Son for ever. Hence the carrying out of this purpose necessitated the future abolition of the Covenant of Sinai, and the introduction of a constitution better suited to the case.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, 1.9.