Article 55
By Steven J. Hogan
The Psalms is such an important book for Christians. It’s my favorite book in the Bible, and has helped me so much in my 50+ years as a Christian. It covers many subjects that are essential to understand, that you need to know for your good and for the purposes and glory of God. As you read the Psalms you will see that it talks extensively about your relationship with God, about suffering, about the enemy, and about the future.
In this article I am writing out a large list of verses about the future that God has planned out for us. You will quickly see that the dominant theme is the King and His kingdom, Jesus Christ and the ages to come. And you need verses like these to have hope. You can only live rightly and wholeheartedly for God in the present if you know the future that He has in store for you.
This will be especially true as you think of the years ahead when life gets extremely hard, when there’s great persecution, when the Antichrist is ruling this world. You don’t want to be naïve, ignorant, or in error when it comes to this critical subject of prophecy. It’s imperative that you have a good understanding of God’s plans for you and His church. Jesus told us, “Behold, I am coming soon: blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book” Revelation 22:7
Here are the subjects about the future that are covered in the Psalms: 1) The Salvation of the Jews; 2) The Judgment of the Wicked; 3) The King and His Kingdom; 4) The Land; 5) The Millennial Kingdom; 6) Your Future Relationship with God
1) The Salvation of the Jews: God promised to save a remnant of Jews at the end of Daniel’s 70th week. This chosen race, this royal priesthood, this holy nation will be living in Israel, helping repopulate the earth, and worshiping and serving Christ the King. (Is. 45:17, Jer. 31:31-34, Dan. 9:24, Rom. 11:25-27). Psalm 85 – “O Lord, You showed favor to Your land; You restored the captivity of Jacob, You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin” (1-2). “Show us Your lovingkindness, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation” (7). “His salvation is near those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land” (9).Ps. 98:2-3 – “The Lord has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.” Ps. 111:9 – “He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; holy and awesome is His name.” Ps. 130:7-8 – “For with the Lord is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption, and He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”
2) The Judgment of the Wicked: God is most holy, and He will not let the guilty go free. All the wicked who have ever dwelt on this earth, those who have not repented of their sins and turned to God for mercy, will perish, will be righteously and eternally punished. (Is. 24; Joel 2:30-31; Matt. 24:41, 46; Rev. 7-8, 16, 20:15). Psalm 1 – “The wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous” (5). “The way of the wicked will perish” (6). Ps. 2 – “Why are the nations in an uproar, and the peoples devising a vain thing?” (1). “The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed” (2). “You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware” (9). Ps. 9:4-6 – “You have sat on the throne judging righteously, You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked, You have blotted out their name forever and ever. The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins.” Ps. 11:5-6 – “The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain snares; fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.” Ps. 21:8-9 – “Your hand will find out all Your enemies… those who hate you. You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger; the Lord will swallow them up in His wrath and fire will devour them.” Ps. 37 – “Evildoers will be cut off… “Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more” (9-10). “Transgressors will be altogether destroyed; the posterity of the wicked will be cut off” (38). Ps. 52 – “Why do you boast in evil” (1)? “You love evil more than good” (3). “You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue” (4). “God will break you down forever; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent and uproot you from the land of the living” (5). Ps. 59:12-13– “On account of the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride… Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that may be no more; that men may know that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth.” Ps 73:17-19 – “Then I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors.” Ps. 75 – “God isthe Judge; He puts down one and exalts another. For a cup is in the hand of the Lord” (7). “Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs” (8). Ps. 81:15 – “Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to Him, and their time of punishment would be forever.” Ps. 83 – “Your enemies make an uproar, and those who hate You have exalted themselves” (2). Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever, and let them be humiliated and perish, that they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth” (17-18). Ps. 92:7-8 – “When the wicked sprouted up like grass and all who did iniquity flourished, it was only that they might be destroyed forevermore. But You, O Lord, are on high forever.” Ps. 98:9 – “Behold, the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness.” Ps. 110 – “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’ The Lord will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, ‘Rule in the midst of Your enemies’” (1-2). “He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses” (6). Ps. 145:20 – “The Lord keeps all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.”
3) The King and His Kingdom: In a world filled with evil and evil rulers, we must be assured that the King will soon be coming, and that He will establish His kingdom on this earth. The Psalms doesn’t clearly differentiate the two future kingdoms, the 1000-year kingdom and the eternal kingdom, but we do know that He will be perfectly reigning over a world filled with His glory. (2 Sam. 7:16, Is. 42:1-4, Ez. 27:21-28, Dan. 7:13-14, Zech. 14:9, Rev. 20). Psalm 2 – “As for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain” (6). “Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance” (8). Ps. 10:16 – “The Lord is King forever and ever. Nations have perished from His land.” Ps. 22:28 – “The kingdom is the Lord’s and He rules over the nations.” Ps. 29:10-11 – “The Lord sat as King at the flood; yes, the Lord sits as King forever. The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.” Ps. 45:6 – “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.” Ps. 47 – “The Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth” (2). “God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a skillful psalm. God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne” (7-8). Ps. 48:1-2 – “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth , is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great King.” Ps. 67 – “Let all the peoples praise You, O God” (3). “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth” (4). “God blesses us that all the ends of the earth may fear Him” (7). Ps. 102:15-16 – “The nations will fear the name of the Lord and all the kings of the earth Your glory. For the Lord has built up Zion. He has appeared in His glory.” Ps. 145 – “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and great in lovingkindness” (8). “They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power” (11). “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations” (13).
4) The Land: God promised to Abraham and to all believing Jews the land from the River to the Sea. But more than that, it will be the entire earth. And Christians, as coheirs with Christ, as part of this chosen race, will also inherit the earth. (Gen. 12:1-3, 13:14-17, 15:18-21; Jer. 32:40-41; Ez. 37:21-22; Matt. 5:5; Rom. 8:17; Rev. 5:10). Psalm 37 – “The humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity”(11). “The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will be forever” (18). “Those blessed by Him will inherit the land, but those cursed by Him will be cut off” (22). “The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever” (29). “Wait for the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it” (34). Ps. 65:9 – “You visit the earth and cause it to overflow; You greatly enrich it.” Ps. 85 – “You showed favor to Your land, You restored the captivity of Jacob” (1). “Surely His salvation is near those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land” (9). “The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its produce” (12). Ps. 105:8-11 – “He has remembered His covenant forever…the covenant which He made with Abraham… to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, ‘To you will I will give the land of Caanan as the portion of your inheritance.’” Ps. 136:17, 21-22 – “To Him… who gave their land as a heritage, for His lovingkindness is everlasting, even a heritage to Israel His servant.”
5) The Millennial Kingdom: We live in a devil-ruled and sin-corrupted world. Not long from now we will be living in a Christ-ruled and restored world. There will be justice, peace, love, and glory like we have not seen since the beginning days of this earth. Both the people and the land will be blessed. And believers will reign with Christ the King. (Is. 6:3, Hab. 2:14, Acts 3:20-21; Rom. 8:19-22, Phil. 2:9-11, 1 John 5:19, Rev 20:6). Psalm 22:26-28 – “The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever. All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord’s and He rules over the nations.” Ps. 46:11 – “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Ps. 47:7-8 – “God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a skillful psalm. God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne.” Ps. 48 – “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great King” (1-2). “Let Mount Zion be glad, let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of Your judgments” (11). Ps. 65 – “By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation, You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea” (5). “They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy. You visit the earth and cause it to overflow; You greatly enrich it; the stream of God is full of water” (8-9). “You have crowned the year with Your bounty; and Your paths drip with fatness” (11). Ps. 67 – “God be gracious to us and bless us… that Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations” (1-2). “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth. Let the peoples praise You, O God” (4). “The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God blesses us, that all the ends of the earth may fear Him” (6-7). Ps. 72 – “May He judge Your people with righteousness, and Your afflicted with justice. Let the mountains bring peace to the people, and the hills, in righteousness” (2-3). “Let them fear You while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, through all generations” (5). “In His days may the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace till the moon is no more. May He also rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth” (7-8). “Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents, the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. And let all kings bow down before Him, all nations serve Him” (10-11). “He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy He will save” (13). May there be abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains, its fruit will wave like the cedars of Lebanon” (16). “May His name endure forever; May His name increase as long as the sun shines, and let men bless themselves by Him; let all nations call Him blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders. And blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory” (17-19). Ps. 86:9-10 – “All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and they shall glorify Your name. For You alone are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.” Ps. 96 – “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth” (1). “Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations” (2-3). “Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns.’” (10). Let the fields exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy” (12). Ps. 98:3-8 – “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth” (3-4). “Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the Lord. Let the sea roar and all it contains, the world and those who dwell in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountain sing together for joy” (5-8).Ps. 102 – “You will arise and have compassion on Zion; for it is time to be gracious to her” (13). “The nations will fear the name of the Lord and all the kings of the earth Your glory. For the Lord has built up Zion; He has appeared in His glory” (15-16). “This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord… That men may tell of the name of the Lord in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem, when the peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord” (18-22). “Of old you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. Even they will perish but You endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing You will change them, and they will be changed” (25-26). Ps. 145:9-13 – “The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works. All Your works shall give thanks to You, O Lord, and Your godly ones shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power, to make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts and the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.”
6) Your Future Relationship with God: Having a loving, continual, and never-ending relationship with Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior is, without question, the best part of your future. Dwelling in His house, seeing His face, being perfectly satisfied, learning from Him, loving and being loved – it can’t get any better than this. (Lk. 10:42; Jn. 17:3; Eph. 1:17, 3:18-19; 2 Pet. 1:2.) Psalm 11:7 – “The Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face.” Ps. 16:11 – “You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Ps. 17:15 – “As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.” Ps. 23:6 – “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Ps. 63:2-3 – “Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You.” Ps. 73:24-26 – “With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 145:1-2 – “I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.”
Might you know and learn these prophetic truths from the Psalms along with many others that are found in the Bible, especially those found in the New Testament. You don’t want to be asleep or ignorant – you need to wake up to the times we are living in, and you need to know all that God has told you in His word. “You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time?” (Luke 12:56). “The night is almost gone, and the day is near” (Rom. 13:12). “… encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb. 10:25). “Yes, I am coming soon. Amen. Come Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:21