Our main dish of the day is served from the words of our Lord Jesus taken from Matthew 5:34 & 35:
Mat 5:34–35
(34) But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
(35) or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Our focal point in this passage is not oath-taking, but the two thrones brought into view by our Lord Jesus.
These two thrones are:
1. God’s throne which is Heaven.
2. The throne of the great King situated in Jerusalem.
In His declaration, our Lord Jesus did not say that God’s throne is in Heaven; rather, He said Heaven is God’s Throne.
What difference does it make if God’s throne is Heaven, or if His throne is in Heaven?
That Heaven is God’s throne gives us an insight into how great our God is.
King Solomon had this insight into the greatness of God, and spoke these words written for us in 2Chronicles 2:5–6:
2Ch 2:5–6
(5) And the house that I will build is great; for great is our God above all gods.
(6) But who is able to build him a house, seeing the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him? And who am I that I should build him a house, except to burn sacrifice before him?
So, what is the practical relevance to us today of seeing how great our God and Father is?
At some point in his distresses, King David, inspired by The Spirit of God, penned for us Psalm 34.
And the first three verses read:
Psa 34:1–3
(1) A Psalm of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
(2) My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
(3) O magnify the LORD with me and let us exalt his name together.
When we see the infinite magnitude of our God, and consequently the scope of His Kingdom, our hearts not only bow in humble adoration but also our confidence in Him is boosted regardless of circumstances.
Listen to again, and hear, the words of the sweet psalmist of Israel:
I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
He exhorts us to bless The Lord at all times: to praise Him in, and out of season.
My soul shall make her boast in the LORD:
And to confidently put our trust in our God, boldly and publicly, declaring in Whom we trust.
The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
In humble adoration, we rejoice in the greatness of our God.
O magnify the LORD with me.
We declare His greatness together with other saints.
Let us exalt his name together
In the company of people of like passions, we not only proclaim the greatness of our God, we also exalt His Name.
We exalt His Name, which is The Name of Jesus, for in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
The Name of Jesus is as high above the earth as His Father’s throne is.
The Name of Jesus is far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come.
The Name of Jesus subjugates angels and authorities and powers.
The Name of Jesus makes possible on the earth for you, and through you, all things consistent with the will of God as they are revealed in the holy writ, and are in synch with His timing.
Now, The Name of Jesus embodies not only all of the greatness and the authority of The Kingdom of our Father, but His great love for you and His practical benefits here on the earth are revealed in Him:
In the Name of Jesus, your sins have been remitted.
In the Name of Jesus, you have passed out from spiritual death and into life.
In the Name of Jesus, you have life eternal.
In the Name of Jesus, your whole spirit and soul and body have been delivered from Satan’s dominion and brought into The Kingdom of God.
In the Name of Jesus, you are absolutely immunized from all toxins.
In the Name of Jesus is all of the power of the enemy trampled under your feet.
In the Name of Jesus, you have been healed and delivered from all the afflictions and oppressions of the devil.
In the Name of Jesus is your consistent health, and the length of your days.
In the Name of Jesus, you proclaim liberty to the captives of spiritual death.
In the Name of Jesus, you heal and deliver those tormented by the wicked one.
O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!
Praise The Lord!
We will dip again into our main dish of Matthew 5:34 & 35:
Mat 5:34–35
(34) But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:
(35) Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Our Lord Jesus indirectly said Jerusalem is the city on the earth where the throne of the great King is situated.
Jerusalem is otherwise called Mount Zion or the city of David in the Bible.
So, who is this great King that rules from the city of David?
We have written in part for us, the prophecy of the birth of our Lord Jesus in Luke 1:31–33:
Luk 1:31–33
(31) And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
(32) He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
(33) and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom, there will be no end.”
• Our Lord Jesus is great.
• He is the Son of the Most High.
• He shall sit on the throne of His Father David.
• He shall rule over Israel forever.
• His Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom.
We see the fulfillment of this prophecy revealed to us in Act 2:29–36.
However, we will only read verses 30 and 36:
Verse 30:
Act 2:30
(30) Therefore 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;
King David had prophesied God would resurrect from the dead his seed, that is, The Christ.
And after His resurrection, Christ would be brought out of hell, and made by God, to ascend and sit on his throne.
Verse 36 reveals the fulfillment of this prophecy:
Act 2:36
(36) Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
In His resurrection, our Lord Jesus is both the Son of God and the promised seed of David, The Christ, that would sit on the throne of his father on the earth.
This dual heritage of The Christ being The Son of God in His resurrection, and The King of Zion is in harmony with what is written in Psalm 2:6 & 7:
Psa 2:6–7
(6) He says, “I have chosen this man to be king, and he will rule on Zion, my holy mountain.”
(7) Let me tell you about the LORD’S agreement: He said to me, “Today I have become your father, and you are my son.
Our Lord Christ was begotten again of The Father in His Resurrection and subsequently enthroned on Mount Zion.
Our Lord Christ is our Great King that rules on the earth from the throne of David in
Mount Zion, The City of The Living God, The Heavenly Jerusalem.
We will conclude our meal by leaving you with these words from Revelation 1: 4–6:
Rev 1:4–6
(4) John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
(5) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
(6) And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
