The Believer's Testimony for the Millennial Kingdom

The Believer's Testimony for the Millennial Kingdom
Psalm 96
by Cooper Abrams

Introduction:    As we mention in the introduction to these six Psalms, many Bible students believe that Psalm 95-100 are one prophetic poem. Each Psalm is a Messianic Psalm as each has a subject which prophetically addresses the coming kingdom of the Messiah. Each Psalm shows a different aspect of the coming Tribulation, Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and the Millennium kingdom with the Messiah ruling.

- 95th Psalm asserts that Jehovah's Godhead and power over all nature and compels men to serve Him.
- 96th Psalm the subject is compelling all the nations of earth to join His service because the Messiah comes to judge both the Jew and Gentile. (Daniel's 70th Week, The seven year Tribulation)
-- 97th Psalm Jehovah God reigns of all the world and the idols are deserted and the Just One is glorified.(Christ's Second Coming and the beginning of His Millennial reign.)
- 98th Psalm God does marvelous thing and has given deliverance to Israel. All the ends of the earth has seen His salvation. The Messiah comes to judge the earth. (God's kingdom promises fulfilled in the Millennium.
- 99th Psalm shows the Lord ruling sitting between the cherubim. The Lord is seen as great in Zion and high above all the people. Moses and Aaron are among His priests and Samuel are among those who call upon the Lord. (The Millennial reign with the Old Testament saint present)
- 100th Psalm reveal the whole earth worshiping God.(The Millennial reign or the New Heaven and Earth)
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I. Believers are to be a witness, and example of salvation. (v1-3)

A. The reason for our praise and testimony (v4-6) This Psalm seems to be a parallel of 1 Chronicles 16:23-33. This account follows David's bring the Ark to Jerusalem. The Tabernacle was at Gideon, but David took the Ark from the Tabernacle and brought it to Jerusalem and place it in a special tent he had made for it.

1. Note the people were to sing a "new" song unto the Lord. Israel is called to remember, not Moses and the old conditional promises given to the people through him, but the covenant made with Abraham unconditionally-an everlasting covenant to give the land to his seed. Israel is reminded of the way in which God preserved those heirs of promise, when they went from nation to nation. Thus the new song was not new, but the original unconditional covenant that God made with Abraham.

           This new song first magnifies God, who is Jesus Christ. He is the One who offers salvation in the Tribulation, who returns at the end, who purges the earth from sinners and will reign in the Kingdom . The Model Prayer of Matthew 6:9, Jesus tells us we should begin our prayers with praise of God. True worship recognizes and wholly accepts the greatness of Almighty God. The natural response to seeing the Lord for who He is brings praise from the lips of those to whom He has given His grace and mercy. In others they are grateful and overjoyed to be a part of His plan.
2. The Tribulation period of seven years is God offering salvation to all the nations. Verse 3 says His glory and wonders are to be declared to all people. In Matthew 24, Jesus said.

           "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matthew 24:14)
           The context of Matthew 24 is the Tribulation and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. Some uninformed preachers use the verse as applicable today, and yes we are to preach the Gospel to all nations as Jesus instructed Acts 1:8 . But there are many nations today where the Gospel is not being preached because their government prohibits it and makes being a Christian illegal. Even though in most nations the Gospel is preached to some degree, but the scope of Jesus' statement is world wide and covers all nations.
3. The witness of God's people is to be from day to day. That simply means every day. It would include in the way we live our daily lives and also importantly in our verbal testimony for Christ. We are not to be ashamed of the name of Jesus Christ.
4. The commission given here recognizes that Satan is at work and has established false gods and religions. (v4-5)
           Compare any god or idol of man with God and it is easy to see there is no comparison. All the gods of man are the inventions of man and man like man or the things of the earth.
           Paul explains "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things." (Romans 1:21-23)
           Elijah on Mt. Carmel as record in 1 Kings 18 mocked the foolishness of worshiping an idol. "And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked." (1 Kings 18:27)
           God declared the foolishness of making and worshiping a god that is the invent of man. See Isaiah 44:6-14.

B. In our witness give Him His due. (v5-8)

1. Jehovah our God and Creator make all the universe and all that is in it. Compare that to the power of many man made god. A good example if the god of the Mormons who they proudly claim is a god of flesh and bone. They believe their god is a physical man who has been exalted to godhood. He lives in heaven with his wives. A man must have wives right? If he has wives they produce children for him. However, it is interesting that a physical god produces "spirit" children. This god they say was born out in the universe on some planet and was faith to the god of that world so when he died and was resurrected they made him a god because he earned it by being worthy. The question I ask them is this .....They claim to worship the God of the Bible, but the God of the Bible created the whole universe and only made man on the sixth day of creation. That presents a problem because you have god being born a man into a universe which already exists and then he becomes a god. How then could he be born into a world that already existed and be the God of the Bible?
It is easy to see the man always makes his god's like himself and the false gods of man are laughable to say the least. 2. All the gods of men are vengeful and selfish creatures in which man has to pacify. Only Almighty God our Creator has power and strength....and His ways are beautiful. Think about the beauty of salvation. A lost hell bound sinner is forgiven his sins by the grace of God and made an adopted son, a joint heir with Jesus Christ and made a part of the bride of Christ. Think about the beauty of the new life a believer has. Yes, the Lord is beautiful in all His ways.
3. In the Millennial Kingdom all the world will see the beauty of the Earth restored to a Garden of Eden state. Deserts will bloom, the earth will be green and lush. There will be no danger from animals as there will be on carnivorous or poisonous snakes or plants. Allergies will be gone...and it goes on and on in the wonder of the Millennium that God has promised.
4. The Psalmist declares we are to give the Lord His due. (V7-8) Again note the scope of the declaration is "all ye kindreds of people." The Millennium will be made up of all peoples on earth.

C. The believer's testimony is shown in worshiping the Lord. It should be demonstrated by the believer's worship: (v8-10)

1. With praise that He is due. It is hard for a prideful man to praise anyone. He is selfish and resents others who do things well or accomplish good things. Yet, the true child of God has overcome that sin and humbles himself before the Lord. He longs to honor the Lord and he loves to come to church and meet with other believers in a place dedicated only to the worship of God.
2. We are to bring an offering. Never in the Old Testament where God teaches us to worship does anyone come before Him empty handed. Worship involves giving and sacrifice into the Lord. Sacrifice means giving something that cost us.
3. We are to give in the fear of God. Note what the Bible says about fear.

           "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 7:1)
           "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God." (Ephesians 5:21)
           Godly fear means to respect, but it means much much more....it means to recognize who God is, His power and sovereignty and to understand He is to be feared. He is just.
           The writer of Hebrews says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:31) Friends we can anger God by our sinful conduct.
4. It should declare the Lord reigns (v10) God has made us wonderful promises. Those promises involve our current lives and our future. He presently reigns in our hearts leads and guides us if we will let Him. (Eph. 5:18) He promises also that we will reign with Him.
4. That He will return. The reality of the Rapture and Second Coming are sure and are only a matter of time.
5. That He will judge all people. God is just and each man will account for his actions. There is two sides to this truth. One if we live for the Lord we will reap the reward of faithfulness. The other side if that if we are unfaithful we will be judged according and it will bring rebuke dishonor and lost of reward.

II. Greatness of the coming reign of Christ declared (v11)

A. The Millennium will be a time of joy and gladness. (V11-12) Read Isaiah 11:1-11

1. 273 times in the Old Testament God refers to His covenant with Israel. God will not forget His promises to God's people.
2. Psalm 72 expresses the peace and joy that will come with Christ's reign.

B. The coming of the Kingdom comes with a warning of judgement. (v13)

1. God told Israel of their responsibility to the lost, and referred to them as a watchmen.
"So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul." (Ezekiel 33:7-9) 2. Note the Proverb, "An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity." (Proverbs 19:28)
3. "Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment." (Ecclesiastes 8:5)
4. "But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness." (Isaiah 5:16)
5. ‘And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him." (Isaiah 30:18)
6. "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36)

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