Psalm 110 is explored to reveal the multifaceted ministry of Jesus Christ, beginning with his deity and concluding with his humanity. The sermon highlights three key aspects of Christ's priestly role: his current position at God's right hand as advocate and intercessor, his future reign as priest-king after the order of Melchizedek, and his ultimate role as judge over the nations. The message emphasizes Christ's sympathetic understanding of human sorrows and his ultimate victory over all enemies, culminating in his glorious return.
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Shall read together the one hundred and tenth Psalm. Psalm one hundred tenth. And we'll read verse one. The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of thine. Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, thou hast the Jew of thy youth. The Lord hath sworn and will not repent.
Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen. He shall fill the places with the dead bodies. He shall wound the head, singular, over many countries. He shall drink of the brook in the way. Therefore shall he lift up the head. There are a number here tonight for the first time, and I think it would be as well to let you know just what we have been looking at during this week. Each successive morning...
We have been looking at a doctrinal passage of the New Testament in the first epistle to the Corinthians, the middle section of the epistle. We have been looking at the great truth of fellowship and the truth of headship, the great truth of worship. And then this morning we were looking at the truth of lordship. God willing tomorrow morning we want to look at the truth of membership in the body of Christ in First Corinthians twelve. That great doctrinal passage, the middle section of the first epistle of the Corinthians, I believe is very applicable to the present day.
These are things that are very not often opened up and expanded. And I think that it is profitable to look at what the Apostle has to say about her church testimony. And this is what we have been looking at each successive morning. Now in the evening instead of doctrine we have been looking at some of the beautiful devotional Psalms. I think that the one balances the other. On the one hand doctrine and on the other hand devotion. And what we have been occupied each successive night is one of these beautiful poetical compositions concerning the person of the Lord Jesus. The first Psalm we were looking at was the twenty-second Psalm, where we get a marvelous description of the death of the Lord Jesus on Calvary.
This is the great bedrock of our faith. The foundation of all our hopes for time and eternity is based on the death of the Lord Jesus. We were looking at the twenty-second Psalm, first of all. And then we were looking at the sixteenth Psalm, where we find the burial and the resurrection of Christ. on his resurrection ministry. And then last night we were looking at Psalm sixty eight, where we get the ascension ministry of the Lord Jesus. The one who came down is the one that ascended far above all heavens and seated at the right hand of God. He's the one who gives gifts among men. We were looking at the messianic passage in the sixty eight Psalm quoted in the fourth chapter of the epistle to the Ephesians.
Now I want to continue on tonight with one of the most beautiful sounds in the collection. And here we get the priestly ministry of the Lord Jesus in the one hundred and tenth Psalm. I want to look at three lovely pictures of the Lord Jesus in the Psalm. And then we want to finish up tonight with a lovely little appendix at the end. The Psalm commences with a magnificent outline of the deity of Christ. And it ends with a lovely little touch at the end concerning his humanity. beginning with his deity and ending with his humanity. And in the Psalm itself, we get three beautiful pictures of the Lord Jesus in his great work as priest. First of all, we get him at God's right hand today as priest.
Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemy thy footstow. There we get him as the priest, the great high priest of his people today. It's a period that has lasted for two thousand years. Sit thou. the command and that command has been obeyed and he's sitting at God's right hand tonight he has been there for two thousand years fulfilling this first verse sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstow now the next three verses from chapter from verse two to the end of verse four we get the picture of the Lord Jesus as a priest king the priest after the order of Melchizedek the one who not only wears the priestly mitre but who will also wear the imperial diadem.
The priest after the order of Melchizedek, we get him brought before us in the central section of the Psalm. It's the second picture of the Lord Jesus. And then in verses five and six, we get him as a judge. He shall judge among the nations. He shall fill the places with the dead bodies. He shall wound the head over many countries. So here we get him as judge. Now this is a three-fold picture of the Lord Jesus. If we would like to look at just for a few minutes tonight. First of all, the Lord Jesus as priest. And then secondly, the Lord Jesus is the priest king, priest after the order of Melchizedek. And then the Lord Jesus as judge, when he comes back again, to fight the Battle of Armageddon to deal with his enemies, we get a wonderful four-fold description of that great battle here that's performed by the priest after the order of Melchizedek, the Lord Jesus.
And then finally at the end, we get the lovely, lovely little appendix. He shall drink of the brook in the way. Therefore he shall lift up the head. I don't suppose that there's any truth. more warms the hearts of God's people today than the high priestly work of the Lord Jesus. Now there is a good deal of confusion in some people's mind concerning the hundred and tenth psalm on the exposition that we find in the epistle to the Hebrews. I was at a conference long distance from here some time ago and the brother spent nearly an hour trying to prove that the Lord Jesus was not a priest when he was here upon earth.
Now, I wouldn't like to be contradictory, but I believe that even when the Lord Jesus was here on earth, there was something about his ministry that was priestly. So some people get the idea that he only became a priest when he went up to heaven and he sat down at God's right hand. And from the first verse of this psalm was fulfilled. The order that is given here, sit at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. And it was then, and only then, that he became a priest. And as others would tell me that his work at God's right hand today is exclusively after the order of Melchizedek. Now, I think that these things should be explained, and I think we should have a clear idea in our mind concerning the function of the Lord Jesus Christ as priest, and particularly the exposition that we find of it in the Epistle to the Hebrews.
Now, certainly, the Lord Jesus, when he was here upon earth, before he went to heaven at all, I believe there were certain aspects of his work that were priestly. Now, this morning we were looking at John chapter thirteen, at least we're deferred to it. And the Gospel according to John makes it perfectly plain that our blessed Lord, when he was here upon earth, was not only a prophet, but he was a priest, and he was a king. The first part of John's Gospel, the first twelve chapters, we find his prophetic work. He's the one who comes out from God. He's the one who expands God. No man has seen God at any time.
The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he has told him out. On the first twelve chapters of John's Gospel, we get that prophetic word. The one who comes out from God on its public ministry is prophetic. in the first twelve chapters of John. But in John chapter thirteen he separates himself from the world. And with that little company of believers he calls his own. He takes them up to the upper room. And there I believe he performs a priestly work. I know it's symbolical. The first thing he did after he laid aside his garments, he took a towel and he girded himself. And he sat down, and he, at least he kneeled down, I believe, and he washed the disciples' feet.
Now that work that he performed for the disciples, I believe, was a priestly work. It was an example. It was a symbol of his priestly work at God's right hand. And then at the end of that priestly ministry in the upper room, the last thing he does, so to speak, he picks up the golden censor. And with the billowing incense in his hand, he goes right into the holiest of all. And he said, Father, Holy Father, righteous Father. I believe that that prayer was not only intercessory, but I believe it was priestly. It was a priestly prayer. On that central section of John's Gospel, it shows that the Lord Jesus, even when he was here on earth, there were certain aspects of his work was priestly.
It's a picture, it's a symbol of his work at God's right hand a day. And then the end of the Gospel from chapter eighteen through to chapter twenty-one, again and again and again we get the word, the king, the king, the king of the Jews. If you read that section of John's Gospel and underline Every place where you find the King mentioned, I believe that you would be surprised. John's Gospel is an exposition of Christ as prophet, priest, and king. There's another question I would like to ask tonight. I know that there are quite a number of Bible students here that possibly know the Word of God better than I do. But I would like to ask you, was there anything priestly about the work of the Lord Jesus upon the cross?
Was that a priestly work? When he offered himself upon the cross, was not a priestly work that he performed? My person, I believe it was. You say, where do you get your authority for that? The tenth chapter of the epistle of the Hebrews, where do you read these words? How much more, the ninth chapter of Hebrews, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit, offered himself without spunt to God? Now that word offered himself is a priestly word. If you take the time to investigate it, you'll find that the work is used. It's the work of a priest. The Lord Jesus was not only the victim upon the cross, but he was also the one who offered himself.
He was priest upon the cross, offering himself without spot to God. Notice the three members of the Holy Trinity here. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works? Here are the three members of the Trinity in this great work of the Lord Jesus, this atoning work upon Calvary's cross. I believe it was a priestly work. Now, another question is often asked, is the work of Christ today at God's right hand? Is it after the order of Melchizedek, or is there anything ironic about the work that he's doing today? Now, again, I think that it's perfectly plain that there are certain aspects of the work of the Lord Jesus as priests.
is after the patron of Aaron. And then there are other aspects of his work that is after the order of Melchizedek. And I think if we get that clearly in our mind, it would clear up many difficulties that we have concerning the interpretation of the epistle of the Hebrews. You know, there was absolutely nothing sacrificial about the work of Melchizedek. We'll look at that just in a moment or two when we come to the priest king. But the work of the Lord Jesus Christ at God's right hand today is a representative work. Not only did he die upon Calvary's cross, not only did he offer himself without spot to God, but he went up to the throne, and there he is advocate, there he is intercessor, and there he is priest.
On the typical aspect of this work that the Lord Jesus is performing at God's right hand tonight, we find it in the work of Aaron. Now, I'd like just to occupy a moment or two to speak about Aaron and his work. and showed that the Lord Jesus at the present time, at God's right hand, as our advocate, as our intercessor, as our priest, we find that there was a pattern offered in the work of Aaron. If we were to turn over tonight to the book of Exodus chapter twenty-eight, you'd find that Aaron, the priest, had two completely different sets of garments. You remember in his work when he offered the sacrifice on the day of atonement, the day of Yom Kippur.
In Leviticus chapter sixteen he was dressed in white from head to foot. Now that was a sacrificial work. You remember the first thing he did on the day of atonement? The greatest day in Israel's history. He first of all was dressed in that white linen garment. And the first thing he did was take the golden censor and go right inside into the holiest of all. It was the first entrance into the holiest of all on the day of atonement. Is there anything in the New Testament to correspond with that? We've already referred to John chapter seventeen, and I'm perfectly convinced myself that what we get on that golden censor with a billion in cents going up before God, I believe we get We get it in the work of the Lord Jesus in John chapter seventeen.
Father, Holy Father, righteous Father. Now Aaron came out again dressed in this white linen garment and he offered a bullock and then the blood of the bullock was taken inside into the holiest of all. It was the second time that he entered there. And the blood of the bullet was for himself and for that priestly family. That is for the family of Aaron. Now there's nothing in the work of Christ to correspond with that. If Aaron is a picture of the Lord Jesus as a priest, he certainly did not need to offer a sacrifice for himself, but Aaron did. And the first blood offering that was offered on the day of atonement, it was offered for Aaron and for his family.
Now he came out again. And standing by the altar. There were two goats. And where is it, Aaron? He drew the lot on the goat's head. And the one on whose head the lot fell was sacrificed. And the blood of that sin offering was taken right inside into the holiest of all. It was the third entrance into the holiest on the day of atonement. The blood was sprinkled upon the mercy seat, and it was sprinkled seven times before it. Now that blood that was taken inside is propitiation. That is towards God. Here is the great fundamental fact of the precious blood being shed and sprinkled upon the mercy seat.
That is what makes it a mercy seat, the sprinkled blood. And after he, and off of the blood, the third entrance into the holiest, he comes out again. And standing before the altar, there's the goat that is alive. It's called the scapegoat. He lays his two hands upon its head. And he confesses all the sin and the iniquity and transgression on the head of that God. And it's led by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness. Now the blood taken inside is procreation. But the two hands laid upon the head of the other God, and the sin confessed, and led into the wilderness to a lamp not inhabited, that is substitution. And these two actions of Aaron on the day of atonement, it speaks of the work of Christ upon Calvary's cross.
One is substitution, that is the scapegoat, but the other is propitiation, that is the blood taken inside. Beloved friends, when we think of the work of Christ upon Calvary's cross, his great work of propitiation... The blood being shed, that is the foundation of his high priestly work. But then when we lay our hands upon him and we appropriate what he has done, that is substitution. And the two together bring before us the work of Aaron on the day of atonement, and it brings before us to the great work of salvation accomplished by our Lord Jesus Christ." Now after he had performed that work, dressed in a white linen garment, it's very likely that that white linen garment was stained with blood.
It was inside into the holy place this time, not into the holiest of all. And he divests himself of this white linen garment, and he puts on his garments of glory and beauty. Now, if we were to turn over to the passage, you would see that there were seven different items. It would take too long tonight to go into it in any detail, but they're infinitely precious. Each bringing before is a work of the Lord Jesus. You remember, first of all, upon his head there was a turban, there was a mitre, and inscribed upon the mitre in letters on a golden plate were these words, holiness to the Lord. And then he was dressed in the long blue garment. And on top of that long blue garment, there was the effet.
But the blue garment around the hem had a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate right around the hem. And on top of the blue garment there was the white linen robe, the effid. And then on top of the effid, upon his breast. You remember there was a breastplate? It was four squared. A handbreath this way and a handbreath that way. And the twelve names of the tribes of the children of Israel indelibly inscribed on precious stones upon the breast of the high priest. And then upon the shoulders there were two onyx stones. And on one shoulder six names of the people of Israel inscribed on the one shoulder, and on the other shoulder six names indelibly inscribed on the onyx stone.
And each of these stones set in gold upon his shoulders. Now, what do these things represent? Those names upon his shoulders, oh, wouldn't they bring before us the work of the Lord Jesus Christ today as a representative of God's right hand? The garments of glory and beauty bring before us the Lord Jesus in his representative capacity before God today, and upon his shoulders he carries the names. Collectively, I'm awfully glad that I believe tonight in the eternal security of the believer. Do you? You know, there are an awful lot of people today that get the idea that someday they're going to slip off the shoulders of the great high priest. Oh, I don't believe that at all.
I give unto my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. And then he speaks of the Father's omnipotent hand. And if it I and the Father are one, I am awfully thankful that my name is inscribed indelibly upon the shoulder of the great high priest, the eternal security of the believer. And then upon his breast, what does this mean? Collectively upon the shoulders, but on his breast, in the place of intimacy, the place of sympathy, upon his heart. Our names are separately, individually inscribed upon his heart. On each stone a different color. On a therein was inside, to represent the people before God, each one of these names scintillating with the glory of God, the shakana glory shining upon them, every name inscribed in every name perfectly represented as he went in to appear before God.
Now there's a wealth of wonderful typical teaching concerning the high priestly work of the Lord Jesus Christ today in these two sets of garments. First of all, his sacrificial work at the altar. But then inside, representing the people before God, we find them there. Each name represented, representing the people before God. Now there's a threefold work of the Lord Jesus Christ at God's right hand today that we find in this first verse. The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy foodstow. On the first work, he is there as an advocate. If any man sinned, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
You know, all of us here tonight, I don't know what you feel, but as I move in and out among men today, my mind is defiled by some of the things that I see and some of the things that I hear. When I was a boy, By the way, I was led to Christ when I was fifteen years of age. And immediately after that, I went into a place where there were twenty-six thousand men employed. And every day, we started working those days at six o'clock in the morning. And we worked till half past five at night. And then three nights a week we worked till half past eight. And then on Saturday we worked from six o'clock in the morning to four o'clock in the afternoon. We went home for an hour and a half.
And we started work again at half past five, and we worked right through the night till six o'clock on Sunday morning. There was no thirty-hour week then, or forty-hour week either. It was the time of the First World War, and we were building ships. But you know, the man that I worked with, oh, the foul language that I heard, the mid-tracks on my mind, a sensitive boy coming from a Christian home, this was the kind of thing that I heard day after day and day after day. The world in which we live today is a dirty place. It's a foul place. On the environment in which we live today, it has the effect. Not only in getting in through eye gate, but into the inner tablet of our mind and making indelible tracks there.
You know, if there's anyone here tonight would say or would tell me that sin has been completely eradicated out of their heart and life, my dear friend, I would doubt what you say. All I know is myself. And as I look at myself and my mind, on some of the things that come into my mind and some of the thoughts that pass through it, every day that I get out of my bed. I realize, just as the Apostle Paul realized so many, many centuries ago, in me that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing. And oh, I do need a man at God's right hand. If any man sinned, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. It's his first great work at God's right hand as he sat down there.
At God's right hand, he is my advocate. And when I sin against them, either by thought or word or deed, I can come to him. and I can get done before him, and in true repentance and contrition, I can confess my sin, and I thank God I have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Now, he's an advocate for our sins, but then he's an intercessor for our supplications. He's there for to take our supplications and present them before God. He's the mediator. And when we pray, we have an intercessor in our heart. The paraclete we have in our heart that helps us to pray. But at God's right hand, we have an intercessor, our Lord Jesus Christ. There are two paracletes, one indwelling our hearts, and the other at God's right hand, our Lord Jesus Christ.
He is the intercessor. He's the mediator. And when we pray, we pray in His name. You know, I'd be tempted tonight to tell a story, and I think I will. There were two preachers in this country many years ago. I knew them both intimately, and my dear brother who's here tonight, he knows them too. I don't mind mentioning their name because both of them have long since gone to be with the Lord. Two men that I highly respected as honored servants of God. One, his name was W.J. McClure, and the other, his name was John Money Fanny. And these two men labored for God in this country for many years. Now, Mr. Moneypenny had a habit when he was praying.
At a conference or elsewhere, he would pray and pray, and then he would suddenly sit down without mentioning the Lord's name. And just out of the blue, after he had made his petition, and after he had prayed to God, he would just sit down without saying anything about the Lord's name. Mr. McClure didn't like it. And he mentioned it to him again and again. He said, John, he said, you should always mention the Lord's name before you sit down. But he didn't take any notice. And one day the two brethren were at a conference. I think it was in Houston, Texas. And Mr. McClure thought he would teach his brother a lesson. There was a very wealthy man at the conference that year. As a matter of fact, he was a millionaire. And Mr. McClure went to him and he said, I would like you to do me a favor.
And the man said, what is it? He said, I would like you to write me a check for a thousand dollars. The man looked at him for a minute and Mr. McLure, he hastened to add, but he said, don't sign your name on it. Write me a check, he said, for a thousand dollars, but don't sign your name on it. And this man, he knew that Mr. McLure was up to something, he could see the twinkle in his eye. But he wrote the check anyway, and he didn't sign his name. And while they were sitting at the table, between the two sessions of the conference, Mr. McClure, he pulled the check out of his pocket and keeping his thumb over the place where the name should be. He showed it to Mr. Moneypenny. He says, John, do you see what I got at the conference? And I looked at it, a check for a thousand dollars.
He says, William, John, he said, where did you get that? Now, he said, I'm not going to tell you. But after he had got over the surprise, he looked at his thumb. He said, do you see anything wrong with it? Oh, he said, there's no name signed to it. Yes, he said, there's no name signed to it. He said, it's not worth the paper that it's written on. And I said, John, that's like your prayers. He says, don't forget, he said, to always mention the name. In the name. This is the upper room teaching of the Lord Jesus. And when we pray, don't forget to mention the name. The name of the Lord Jesus is the intercessor. We have an intercessor, the paraclete in our hearts. but we have another one at God's right hand. His work as priest today is, first of all, advocate for he takes care of our sins.
But saying God too, we have an intercessor that takes care of our supplications. But then he's a priest, and as a priest, he's able to sympathize with our sorrows. You know, many, many times standing in the meeting, we look into the faces of God's dear people, and we know that there's some there that are suffering and sorrowing. I haven't the slightest sympathy. with any man that would get up before the people of God and act in any hard, callous way. And say on kind and critical things to God's people. Any man that does that kind of thing, he little knows the work of the priest. He little knows what God's people are passing through. There's many a tear shed in secret today that we know nothing about.
And as we look into the faces of God's dear people, oh, beloved friend, I want to tell you that there's a man at God's right hand. His priest, too, today is after the patron of Aaron. in this threefold way. Sacrificial, first of all. And then his work is advocated, God's right hand, with the holiness to the Lord inscribed, indelibly inscribed upon his forehead. And then, at the same time, upon his shoulders and upon his breast, he's a representative, he's a high priest, and he perfectly represents every one of God's dear children at God's right hand. I never think of this, but I think of an experience we had in Africa many years ago. We have a very dear friend over there that was a fellow worker for years.
His name is Charlie Shorten. Charlie is living in Canada now. He hasn't been able to get back to Angola, but he was one of our warmest, dearest friends over in the country. He and his wife, they were married at a place called Boma in Angola. And after they were married, they went to a place called Chittau, just about forty miles from where we were living, and they were working there. The Lord gave them a little boy. And when he was two years old, my wife and I were going through that area. We were going up to another part of the country, to the Sango country for a baptism. And we landed into Chittal this night on the little boy's second birthday. And we had a very delightful time.
His grandfather in Canada had sent him a little cart and a number of other toys. And we just had a delightful time of the little boy's birthday. We slept that night on the next morning. We got up and we packed up our loads and we were leaving. And the little fella came along. And he just looked a perfect specimen of a child. Lovely little fella. And I turned around to my wife and I said, did you ever see a more perfect child? She says, I don't think I did. We stood down, we kissed a little boy, bid his father mother goodbye and we left. And we were up in the Sangho country, we had taken a long journey. And in the morning, I think a couple of days later, we heard the noise of a car.
And I jumped up from where I was in the little hut where we had been sleeping and ran down to the path. And there were two young men standing at the end of the path, two fellow workers, Walter Gammon and Don Cole. And as soon as I saw them, I knew there was something wrong. And I turned around to Don and I said, anything else? I said, what's wrong? We thought it was an old lady, eighty-seven years of age, that we called Auntie Nen. One of the older workers, we thought the Lord had taken her. I said, is it Auntie Nen? Oh, no. I said, what happened? I said, why have you come? Oh, he said, it's Ronnie. I said, what happened? Well, he said, what happened? Well, he said, that night that you left, the little boy had fever.
And the next night, his fever was worse. And his father took a tablet of quinine, trying to get the little boy to swallow it. And of course it's vile tasting stuff. He broke the tablet in two and tried to get the little boy to swallow it, but in the struggle. To try to get him to swallow it, it went down the wrong passage. And instead of going into his stomach, it went down to the junction of his two lungs. And Charlie was left sitting with his little boy on his knee. Now, he had been in the medical corps during the last war and had all kinds of experiences. But when he saw the distress of his own child and sat and looked at him, he couldn't do a thing.
No doctor available? Absolutely helpless. And Charlie, as he looked at the struggles of his little boy, he asked his wife to leave the room. Winifred was sitting by his side. Lovely girl. And she couldn't bear to see the death of her child. She got up and she left the room. And Charlie had that awful experience of sitting with his little boy across his knee, absolutely helpless. Couldn't do a thing for him. And about half an hour he died. After that, the saint for us. I'll never forget what I found when I got there. My wife and I, we packed up everything. And when we got there, we found that had already buried him. Raw little grave on the edge of the African forest.
I sat down beside him. and I put my two arms around them and I couldn't speak. Their eyes were swollen. They had cried and cried and cried and they couldn't cry anymore. And I just put my two arms around them and I just kept quiet. Couldn't say a word. I had never been through an experience like that and if I had said anything, it would have been utter hypocrisy. But I just sat there with my arms around them and we just silently wept. And when we were sitting there, there were some Africans came in, they stood with their back against the wall. Fine big men. and they stood there silently weeping. And Winifred, the wife, she turned around to one of these men and mentioning by his name, said, did you ever have an experience like this?
Oh, he said, Donna, it said, we have had five children, but he said, we have only two now, we have lost three. He said, Donna, I know exactly how you feel. Each one of those men that were standing there had exactly the same experience and they were able to sympathize. I'll never forget the reaction on that young woman. She's a beautiful pianist. Lovely musician and a lovely singer. And she got up from where she was sitting. And there was a little organ in the corner. And she sat down at the organ and she started to play. Someday the silver card will break. And I know more as thou shalt sing. But oh, the joy when I shall wake within the palace of the king.
Sympathy is a wonderful thing. And my dear friend, I want to tell you tonight. That the work of the Lord Jesus at God's right hand is a sympathetic work. As they advocate our sins, as the intercessor our supplications, but as the priest our sorrows. And as never a sorrow that reigns the human heart, but the man of sorrows he bears apart. And as he sits at God's right hand, he's able to perfectly sympathize with all that they've gone through. Now he has been occupied in this work for two thousand years. Sit down at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstow. Oh, the wonderful, wonderful work that's comprehended, that's enclosed in this little verse.
Sit thou at my right hand until I make thy an enemy's thy footstool. The high priestly work of Christ at God's right hand, it is pattern after the work of Aaron. The man with the two sets of garments, I believe, we get it after the pattern of Aaron. But one day he's coming back again. And we get this in the next three verses. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion, rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. My people shall be free with offerings on the day of thy power. In the beauty of holiness, from the womb of the morning, thou hast the Jew of thy youth. The Lord has sworn and will not repent. Thou art a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Now here is a different phase of his work. Here he not only wears the priestly mitre, but he wears the imperial diadem. It would be interesting to turn over to the passage in Genesis chapter fourteen, where we find Melchizedek mentioned for the first time, the man who is both a king and a priest, and then to turn over to the middle portion of the epistle of the Hebrews, where we find the Melchizedek says of the work of Christ, his ministry as priest, the priest after the order of Melchizedek in the epistle to the Hebrews. But just let me say this. I believe that what we get here is the coming again of the Lord Jesus. At the present time he wears the mitre, where holiness shines bright, but one day he's coming back.
And without going into detail about it, we believe that that coming is in two phases. Just the one coming, but there are two stages. Now the first stage of his coming is described by the Apostle Paul in First Thessalonians chapter four. I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we believe that them also which sleep through Jesus will God bring with him. This we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain shall not go before them which are asleep. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout for the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God.
The dead in Christ shall rise first. And we also, which are alive and remain, shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. That's the rapture. I believe that that could happen tonight. I believe it could happen before this meeting is over. This is my great hope. I suppose it's the hope of practically everyone here tonight. Oh, what a glorious and a blessed hope. The coming of the Lord is. But let's never forget that the coming of the Lord is in two stages. And the second stage is the epiphany and the apocalypse. The glorious appearing, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The first time he comes, it will be a secret coming. It will be for his people. And the whole rapture church, I believe, will be taken up into the presence of the Lord. Not a hoof will be left behind. Judgment will overtake this poor ungodly scene, but we will be with Christ. But then he's coming back again. And this time he's coming back again, not secretly. But every eye shall see him. On them also which pierced him. The tribes of the earth shall mourn because of him. Now I think that this is what we find in this second section of the Psalm. It's coming back again as priests after the order of Melchizedek. You remember the first battle in Holy Scripture? Genesis chapter fourteen.
You remember that that was the appearing of Melchizedek. It was there that he appeared for the first time the man who was both priest and king. Abraham, with the three hundred and eighteen men, he wrought a mighty victory over an international combine of kings. God wrought that magnificent victory at that time. The first battle in Holy Scripture where Melchizedek appeared is a little type and picture. It's a prototype. of the last great battle in Holy Scripture, the Battle of Armageddon, and it's then that the priest after the order of Melchizedek will come back again. And I think that these verses describe it in beautiful poetic language.
The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. Rule thou. Now the first imperative is, sit thou at my right hand, two thousand years. The second command is, rule la in the midst of thine enemies, and that will be a period of one thousand years during the millennial reign. And then we find how it happens. Thy people shall be free will offerings on the day of thy power. In the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning, thou hast the Jew of thy youth. The Lord has sworn and will not repent, nor to priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. The second stage of his coming will be visible.
Every eye shall see him. And with many diadems upon his brow, he'll come back again as a priest. After the order of Melchizedek, he will be priest-king at that time. These are two functions that no man is able to assume today. There have been kings that wished to be priests. And you know God's motive. You remember Huziah? He tried to be both the priest and the king at the same time, but he was smitten with leprosy. And if other people have attempted the same thing, they want to be both priest and king, but the priestly diadem. The priestly mitre and the royal diadem is reserved for one bra.
And that bra is the priest after the order of Melchizedek. described in Zechariah chapter twelve, thirteen and fourteen. When he comes back again the second time, his apocalypse, his unveiling, the epiphany, the earth shining of his glory, he will come back to reign unto deal with his enemies. Now when we look at the next section where we find him as judge, we get four lightning blows that he strikes at that time. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. Now that's the battle of Armageddon. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. I would love to take time tonight to describe the battle and what the Word of God has to say about the combination of powers that will engage in that battle.
But I think for the sake of our time we'll have to leave that tomorrow night. I believe that there will be a five-fold alignment of powers at that time. There will be Western democracy. There will be the... Northeastern Confederacy, Russia, and her satellites. And there will be the King of the North, which I personally believe are those nations to the north of Palestine in what is called the Fertile Crescent. It's from that area that the King of the North arises, the Assyrian, the overflowing scourge, the old Babylonian Empire. It was there that the judgment came in Isaiah chapter twenty-eight, not at the third. And then the King of the South, which is Egypt. And then the kings of the east.
Way out on the far east, where we find the greatest population, the greatest concentration of population in the world. And from that area will come the kings of the east. And the vortex, where the battle takes place, will be the Middle East. I've been a little bit amused at hearing radio commentators talk about Times Square in New York on the say that it's the crossroads of the world. It's a little bit amusing to hear people talk like that. Times Square is not the crossroads of the world, but the crossroads of the world is the city of Jerusalem. It will be the metropolis in the coming day. On to the north of Jerusalem, in the plain of Megiddo, it's there that the Battle of Armageddon will be fought, and it's in the most graphic language described here in the one hundred and tenth Psalm.
Just as Abraham with the three hundred and eighteen men, was able to defeat that great concentration of power at the first battle in Holy Scripture. The king, the priest, the king priest after the order of Melchizedek, our Lord Jesus Christ, he will deal with his enemies at that time. Now the first blow he strikes is, he shall strike through kings on the day of his wrath. Those two great leaders that will be the leaders at the Battle of Armageddon, they will be taken. The beast and the false prophet, anti-God and anti-Christ. There will be taken, and there will be the first occupants of the lake of fire. There will be laid hold on, and there will be cast alive into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone.
He shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. That is the first blow. He shall judge among the nations. Isn't that Matthew twenty-five, the judgment of the living nations? Here is the second blow. And then the third, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies, Isn't that Ezekiel, thirty-eight, thirty-nine? You know, there are some people today are trembling in their shoes when they think of Russia. There was a little man some years ago sat on the United Nations. He was a pathetic little figure, very small, and at the same time boasting and bragging of what he would do. Some of the men in the United Nations listening to him, they were so much amused that they started to laugh.
And he was so irritated that he took off a shoe. And he pounded the desk in front of them and he says, I'll bury you. That is what he said, what he was going to do with America. I'll bury you. But what does God say? He said, he'll bury him. He shall fill the places with the dead bodies. Oh, my dear friends, tonight, don't be one little bit afraid of what's going to happen in the nuclear war that's going to come from the other side of the world. It's not out of control. The one that has his hand upon the controls on the destiny of this poor world is the priest after the Order of Melchizedek. And he shall fill the places with the dead bodies. When he is through at the Battle of Armageddon, and when he deals with Russia and her satellites, and that great combination of power to the north of Palestine, we read that it will take seven months to bury the dead.
And it will take seven years to clean up the land. And wherever they find a bone, they will put a mark there. Described in the most wonderful, vivid graphic language, Ezekiel, thirty-eight, thirty-nine, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies. And then the final blow, he shall wound the head over many countries. What do you think that is? Now, I'm not dogmatizing here. I have no right to dogmatize. But I have wondered if this head, in our version, it's plural. But actually it's singular. He shall wound the head over many countries. I wonder if there's a reference here to Genesis chapter three and fifteen. Thou shalt bruise his head.
You know, the devil's going to be taken care of. The serpent crusher, our Lord Jesus Christ, is going to deal with him. He already has annulled him that has the power of death, but he's going to deal with him too. And at the end of this battle, the battle of Armageddon reads that the dragon, Satan, he will be laid hold of. The most sensational arrest in Holy Scripture is the arrest of Satan himself at the end of this battle. And read that a chain is put upon him, and he's cast into the abyss. And he's kept there during the one thousand year reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. He shall wound the head over many countries. And then at the end we get the contrast. He shall drink of the brook in the way.
Therefore shall he lift up the head. There's a contrast between the wounded head, the head over many countries. And this lifted up head, this head of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's wonderful to notice how the head of Christ is mentioned in the Gospels. Read one time he hath not where to lay his head. The fosters are holes in the birds of the earth at nests, but he hath not where to lay his head. And then we read that his head was crowned with thorns. Crowned with thorns upon the tree, silent in thine agony. There he hung between heaven and earth with the crown of thorns upon his head. But when he died, we read that he bowed his head. You know, he had not where to lay his head.
And that word lay, he had not where to lay his head. And the word he bowed his head is exactly the same word. The place where he bowed his head was upon his own breast. But thank God one day that head is going to be lifted up. Lift it up in glory and majesty in a coming day. He shall drink of the brook and the way. Therefore shall he lift up the head. Thank God for the uplifted head of the Son of God in that great day. There are many, many other things here that, for the sake of our time, we just have to leave tonight. All I want to do is to throw out a few suggestions concerning this wonderful, wonderful composition concerning the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. May God bless his word to each one of our hearts for his name's sake.
Shall we pray? Our God and Father, again we draw an eye to thee in the name of the Lord Jesus, and our hearts are full of worship and praise. As we think of that one... that one who's seated at thy right hand. We thank thee that not only died for us upon Calvary's cross. We thank thee for that great atoning work that he accomplished. We thank thee for his work of propitiation and his work of substitution. And our Father, we thank thee that we have appropriated it and committed thy family. But we praise thee that the mighty seated at thy right hand, waiting until his foes be made the footstool of his feet, And we thank thee for his high priestly work at the present time.
Our Father, we pray that thou will help us to avail ourselves of it. And if perchance there may be any of thy people who are passing through trial and difficulty tonight, we do pray that thou will help them to lean hard upon him, to rule their burden upon the Lord, and to come to him, knowing that he can perfectly sympathize and succour in any difficulty in which they may be. Now we commend us to thee, asking thy blessings. In the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.