April 1928
T h e K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s
247
wise indicates that the atheistic note is the dominant one in the conference, for no genuine believer in God would presume to take the stand which this convention takes. Among the babel o f motives prompting the convening of such a conference may be discerned that o f anti-Semitism in the expression “ against the Lord,” who is the God of Israel. W ho I s T he “A nointed O ne ” ? The question arising at this point is, Who is the (‘anointed” against whom the nations revolt?- In answer ing this question various commentators have chosen d if ferent monarchs o f the Davidic house, claiming in tliem the fulfilment o f the passage. Among those suggested have been David himself, and Hezekiah. Some go to such an extreme as to claim the bloodthirsty Alexander Jannaeus o f the Hasmonean line (175-63 B. C .). It is true that each o f the kings who sat upon David’s throne was a messiah “ anointed” of the Lord, when he had been anointed by an authoritative representative of God (see 1 Sam. 12:3; 2 Chron. 6 :42 ). A t various times in the past, as is shown in the his torical portions of Israel’s, monarchical history, some of the surrounding nations formed an aggressive alliance against Judah and her king; but none of them could in anywise be considered as the fulfilment o f this prophetic picture. Evidently, then, the passage, though it may have had a partial and limited or typical fulfilment in the past, awaits its complete and full fulfilment in the 'future. The Messiah against whom this international con vention raves, is Israel’s Messiah, par-excellence, the one for whom the nation through the centuries has longingly waited and who will be preceded by Elijah the prophet (Mai. 4:5, 6 ). In confirmation o f the position that the Psalm awaits its complete fulfilment in the future is the political situation which is. assumed by the Psalmist,— namely, mutual understanding among the nations, adjust ment of world problems by a world court or convention, and concerted effort on the part o f the nations to put in effect the decisions o f said court. Never in the. past have such political conditions existed until in the most recent years. It is now considered .an axiomatic truth in political economy that the day has arrived when no longer each individual nation can live its independent life irrespective o f the other nations, but that there must be a league of nations, and a world court where all international prob lems are discussed, and whose decisions will be enforced by thé combined forces o f the nations; therefore, since the world has only recently begun the development’ which is assumed by this Psalm, it is absolutely certain that its fulfilment lies in the future. From the seventh chapter of the prophecy o f Daniel it is very clear that such a league or confederacy o f nations is scheduled to develop in the end time; therefore, it follows from the above facts that this Psalm will find its complete fulfilment in “ the time o f the end,” which is the time o f Jacob’s trouble (Ter. 30 :7 ). J T he R esolution A dopted by the C onference The resolution which will be put before this world con ference to be voted upon is, “ Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us,” The pro noun “ their” has for its antecedent the wordsrff'Lord” and “ anointed” of the preceding verse. The words “ bonds” and “ cords” are evidently figurative expressions setting forth the obligations to and the restraining influence of both God and His Messiah. The supposition upon which this resolution is founded is that the nations have pre
viously been brought under the influence and power, more or less, o f the God o f Israel and His anointed one. Refus ing to acknowledge allegiance to Israel’s God and His Messiah, unwilling to tolerate any longer Their influence among the nations, but determined to blot out every ves tige o f influence and memory of both the God o f the He brews and His anointed, the nations through their repre sentatives adopt this resolution. One cannot “ break bonds asunder and cast away cords from” himself unless he has already been bound. Therefore, the attitude and actions o f this conference prove positively that not only Israel, but the nation^ o f the world have, more or less, been brought under the influence o f Israel’s God and her Mes siah. The determined action o f the nations in the person o f their delegates in this world convention, to blot out the influence o f Israel’s Messiah from the world, is posh tive proof that He has lived and has gained a tremendous grip upon the world. These assumed facts are corrobor ated by the proof which is seen in a study o f Gen. 49:10 and Dan. 9 :26. Permit the writer to paraphrase and to change the thought in two expressions o f a noted Hebrew scholar concerning the object o f this conference: “ They are, therefore, at the time o f their rebellion, subject to the Lord and His anointed; and that not simply because the whole world belongs to the Lord, but also because He has enabled His anointed to obtain a grip upon them. It is a contest for freedom upon which they are entering; a freedom, however, which is hostile to God.” Since the evidence as set forth above proves conclu sively. that the Hebrew Messiah has already been in the world and has obtained a grip upon it, one will imme diately ask, “ Where is He from the time of His coming into the world and gaining a grip upon it, to the time of this anti-religious and anti-Messianic world conference?” The Psalmist here omits the desired information on this point; but the inspired author of Psalm 110 supplies it, for he says: “ The Lord saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” In this quotation the divine singer and seer claims that the eternal God spoke unto His Lord, requesting -Him to take a seat at His right hand until He makes His (Mes siah’s) enemies the footstool o f His feet. 1 L ight F rom 110 th P salm That the Psalmist is speaking o f the Messiah in Psalm 110 will be seen by a brief study of it. This pas sage shows clearly that the Lord invited David’s Lord to leave the realm o f those who were his enemies and to remain with Him, taking a seat at His right hand until the time arrives when He, the Lord, shall place the Mes siah’s enemies under His feet. The enemies o f the Mes siah are His personal enemies, for they came in touch the one with the other and they have become His personal enemies. Who are these enemies ? The second verse un mistakably identifies them: “ The rod o f thy strength the Lord will send out o f Z ion : rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.” The first half of this verse shows that Messiah reigns in Zion and the second half, completing a Hebrew parallelism, identifies the enemies o f the Mes siah as the inhabitants o f Zion in the midst of which he eventually will reign. In a servant passage (Isa. 49 ), appears a statement concerning the servant of the Lord, ,which doubtless throws light upon this 110th Psalm, and which is as fol lows: “ Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer o f Israel, His
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