2 Samuel 7:12-17

Well, let’s look over in the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel, chapter 7. This chapter reveals that David, who is now king, had purposed to build a house for God. He himself had a fine cedar house that he now lived in, and he was, no doubt, feeling a little bit of a guilty conscience, because he had a house in which he dwelt and God did not. And so, he proposed that he would build a house for God. We see that God rejected David’s proposal to build this house. He said, rather, that David’s seed would build this house, verses 12-15: “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.” Well, we know that this would eventually take place, that, indeed, the seed of David—his name is Solomon—would be the one to build the house for the Lord that David, his father, desired to build.

We see, then, that David’s seed will follow him. But this is actually a prophecy of the Lord that really has two sides to it. Yes, in the short term, it is Solomon who is in view—Solomon who will build the temple, Solomon who will be the king over Israel and whose reign God will bless. But there is a long-term prophecy here, as well, a long-term prophecy that looks forward to another of the seed of David. He is the Messiah, the Son of God, and His reign will last forever. This prophecy also looks forward to another “house,” which will be “built” and which will be “blessed.” Notice the last two verses, verses 16 and 17: “‘And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.’ 17 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.”

Well, what is this “house” that will be built? What is this reign that will last forever? Did that have to do with Solomon? Did that have to do with the temple that he built? Certainly not. If that’s the case, then God was wrong. God was mistaken, because Solomon reigned for forty years, and then he died. The temple that he built would be destroyed. And so, what is it that this prophecy has in view? I don’t know of any scholar who would argue the point that what he has in view here is the church and the reign of the seed of David, Who is Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

On the Day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter said that God had sworn unto David that He would raise up Christ to sit on his throne, Acts 2:30 [“Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him (David) that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne.” And the announcement of the reign of Christ was given on the Day of Pentecost.

Isaiah 2:1-3

“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD's house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. 3 Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His Ways, And we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”

This is another Old Testament prophecy concerning the coming of the church. We see that the prophet will say that it will “be established on the top of the mountains.” No, it’s not going to be built on the highest hill, although the city of Jerusalem is elevated, but rather, what he has in view here is that it will be established on top of all other governments, on top of all other principalities. It will be the sovereign, it will reign over all other earthly elements.

And Isaiah states here in this prophecy three fundamental facts, in addition to this, namely, that the prophecy would be fulfilled “in the last days” [“in the latter days”]. What are “the last days”? Well, we’ll look at that in just a moment. Second, he states that “all nations shall flow to it,” and third, it will have its beginning in Jerusalem, Zion.