PSALMS 149


1 Praise ye Yah. Sing unto Yahweh a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

The 144,000 occupy "the heaven" "before the throne," and "follow the Lamb," or Israel's King, "whithersoever he goes." This is a more exalted sphere of operation than that occupied by the agents of the third part. The transformed and risen saints with the Lord at their head, will be ready to "execute the judgment written" when the proclamation shall have produced its intended effect.

Hence they appear in another scene as the strateumata or staff and body-guard of the Great Captain, ready with him to judge and make war on "the Powers that be" in righteousness and truth; for it is their mission at the head of the armies of Israel,

"to execute vengeance upon the nations, and punishments upon the peoples; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written; this honour have all God's Saints." (v 9)

It would seem from the Mosaic type that the eyes of the nations, and of all Israel save the third part, will be holden; so that while the nations feel the vengeance of the Lamb and his companions, who co-operate with Israel as did the captains of the Lord's host in the days of Joshua, they see only the hosts of Israel with whom they fight.

For an illustration of this arrangement of things read the account of Elisha in Dothan, against which a mighty host of Syrians assembled for the capture of one man. This invisible co-operation is necessary; first, that the governments and their armies may be led on to their destruction; and secondly, that scope may be afforded to Israel for faith: for, the grafting of them "into their own olive tree" is to be effected by God "if they abide not still in unbelief."

'And so all Israel shall be saved" from all their enemies, and those that hate them; as it is written,

"there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, who shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 

for this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins,"

We cannot here forbear the expression of our astonishment at the ignorance and presumption of pious Gentiles who undertake to convert the Jews to the faith of Jesus. God only can accomplish it after the manner we are expounding. Gentile machinery may convert Jews into Gentiles; but it can never turn the seed of Abraham after the flesh into the seed of Abraham after the spirit.

They may persuade a few Jews to forsake the little of Moses they still adhere to, and to confess that Jesus is Christ and join a church; but to "turn away ungodliness from Jacob" is a work beyond their knowledge and ability. It is an honour reserved for the Deliverer, who when he returns to Zion will execute his mission as becomes a God.

Mystery of the Covenant of the Holy Land Explained

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Nov 1855



4 For Yahweh taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

Priesthood of the Kingdom

This is an order in the State composed of men who shall have become priests "after the power of an endless life," having been during the interregnum washed in baptism, sanctified by the anointing spirit, and consecrated by the blood of the covenant. These are "priests to God," who, saith the Lord,

"shall enter into my temple, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge."—Ezek. 44:16.

They are then the priests of Zion clothed with righteousness and salvation.—Ps. 132:9, 16.—the meek whom the Lord hath beautified.—Ps. 149:4. They are representatively styled "the sons of Zadok;" and are kings also as well as priests, and therefore priests "after the order of Melchisedec."

The priesthood of the kingdom is consequently a Royal Priesthood; and as it is "for ever," its officials are immortal and "equal to the angels." They are perfect as their Father who is in heaven, having no evil in their flesh, or impurity of character. Such are the priests of the kingdom when the saints shall possess it "under the whole heaven."

The Royal Priesthood is an order under one chief, who is called High Priest. He is the elder brother of the order, all the rest being "his brethren." He was once like them in the days of their sinful flesh, "a little lower than the angels;" but being also "made after the power of an endless life," he enjoys the spiritual, angelic, or higher nature, and sits as high priest for ever on his father David's throne, and bears the glory.

The sons of Zadok, or Jesus and his brethren, are constituted priests forever by "the word of the oath;" so that the royal priesthood of the kingdom is without predecessor or successor. Its officials do not derive their inheritance from Aaron and his sons; nor from the old covenant of the kingdom. They inherit under the New, which gives them all the privileges and honours they possess.

The word of the oath made their Chief, though a son of Judah and of David, High Priest contrary to the Mosaic law which created Aaron; it makes them priests also of the same order by constitution, when in the interregnum they were "made the righteousness of God in him" Being in him they are "complete in him," and "joint-heirs" with him of all his titles, honours, and real and personal estate.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Sept 1851



6 Let the high praises of El be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;

But the sword only prepares the way for the world's regeneration.‭ ‬It hews down embattled hindrances to the improvement of mankind‭; ‬but it adds nothing to the spirituality and intelligence of them that escape.‭ ‬The mission of Christ and his brethren,‭ ‬the saints,‭ ‬is to regenerate the world,‭ ‬as well as to‭ "‬break in pieces the oppressor‭" - ‬to heal the nations of all their maladies of soul,‭ ‬spirit,‭ ‬and estate.

The agency by which this great work is to be accomplished is‭ ‬the Spirit‭ ‬of God operating through Christ,‭ ‬the apostles,‭ ‬and the rest of the saints - the New Jerusalem association of God's kings and priests.‭ ‬The idea is represented by the pure river of living water,‭ ‬the Tree of Life,‭ ‬the twelve fruits,‭ ‬through one month yielding its separate fruit‭; ‬and the Leaves of the Tree for the healing of the nations.‭

That

"‬a pure river of water of life,‭ ‬clear as crystal,‭ ‬issuing from the throne of God and the Lamb,‭"

‭ ‬is the symbol of the Holy Spirit,‭ ‬may be perceived from these words:‭

‭"‬I will‭ ‬pour water upon him that is thirsty,‭ ‬and floods upon the dry ground‭; ‬I will‭ ‬pour my Spirit upon thy seed,‭ ‬and my blessing upon thine offspring‭; ‬and they shall spring up as among the grass,‭ ‬as willows by the water courses.‭"

 ‬If thou knewest‭ ‬the gift of God,‭ ‬thou wouldest have asked of Him,‭ ‬and He would have given thee‭ ‬living water.‭"

 "‬He that believeth on me,‭ ‬as the scripture hath said,‭ ‬out of him shall flow‭ ‬rivers of living water.‭ ‬This spake he of‭ ‬the Spirit,‭ ‬which they that believed on him should receive.‭"

‭Herald 1853 and Ambassador of the Coming Age, Nov 1868



9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye Yahweh.

Hitherto the saints in glory have not wielded this two-edged sword in punishing nations; nor have they bound their kings and nobles with iron fetters. It is true, Samuel hewed Agag in pieces, and David at the head of Israel executed all Yahweh's will upon contemporary nations; but then, Samuel and David were not saints in glory, nor were they "all the saints," nor were the punishments they visited upon the guilty "the judgment written."

Their wielding of the sword only proves that the slaying of the the wicked is not at all incompatible with holiness, provided it be done according to divine appointment. Nations deem it patriotic and honourable to slay the enemies of their altars and homes; and God has pronounced it to be an "honour" for his saints to execute His sentence upon his enemies and their's. The use of the sword by the saints is only a question of time. That they shall use it is a truth revealed; but when? The answer is, when they are in glory. Until they are glorified the decree is, "They that take the sword shall themselves die by the sword."

Till then the weapons of their warfare are not carnal, their present mission not being to slay the flesh, but to pull down the strong holds or reasonings, in which the enemies of the truth have entrenched their high thoughts against the knowledge of God and obedience of Christ.

But when he appears in their midst "his servants fight." The sword of the Lord is then put into their hands, and its scabbard thrown away until its dripping edges shall have broken the power of the wicked; and shall have executed due vengeance for the temple, land, city, and people of Yahweh.

Herald of the Kingdom Age to Come, June 1855.




Thus, you will perceive, that the honour of liberating mankind from the tyrants that now heel them in the dust, is reserved of God to a superior order of beings to those who are now the champions of liberty and the rights of men-it is an honour reserved for those who have acquired the mastery over themselves in

"bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

That you and I may share in this honour, is the earnest desire of, dear Sir,

Herald of the Kingdom Age to Come, August 1853

.



As to the setting up of the kingdom by war, reason and experience are with Scripture here. For a kingdom to be established in the Holy Land, whose king claims the dominion of the world, would, of necessity, superinduce a combination of all existing rulers of the world against him. The present war is being waged to preserve the balance of power, so that the greatness of one kingdom shall not overshadow the rest.

What would be the result of the kingdom of God among a constellation of godless powers? The absorption of all power to itself, and war on their part to prevent it. The world is guilty before God; and he intends to teach it righteousness with judgment; as it is written,

"When his judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness;" and "All nations shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, because thy judgments are made manifest."

Now, by whom is the world of nations to be judged?

Not by any one of those nations, certainly, for they are all guilty, and criminals at the bar. Mr. Coleman objects to the sword of judgment being put into the hand of the saints; he thinks (and it is but a think-so with him, for he knows not the Scripture) that they that take the sword shall perish by the sword absolutely. He does not understand that the use of the sword is interdicted only in the absence of Jesus; and that when he comes in power they will fight, as they would have done when he was in Palestine before, if his kingdom had pertained to that ancient kosmos.

Herald of the Kingdom Age to Come, Nov 1854