The battle for who will be King.Psalm 2

Psalm 2 is a powerful and prophetic portion of scripture that speaks with great relevance to the days in which we live.

The destiny of nations, will they be sheep or goat nations at the judgment in the valley of Jehoshaphat when Christ comes again? The destiny of the cities of the earth, the destiny of families, the destiny of individuals, and where they will spend all of eternity depends upon how we respond to the One whom God the Father has appointed to be the judge and the ruler over the ends of the whole earth, both for time and for eternity.

The psalmist begins by saying, "Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?"

That last question could also be translated, "Why do they plot an empty worthless thing?"

To try to prevent God's eternal purpose through Christ as the Saviour of men and as the coming King to rightfully exercise righteous dominion over all the earth, to rule in righteousness and justice, is as futile as throwing paper planes into the sea hoping that they will keep flying.

The psalm speaks about the "kings of the earth", and the "rulers taking council together, and setting themselves up against the Lord and against His anointed", speaking of Christ whom they are enraged against.

The battle is on and whilst it has always raged since the fall of man in the garden, it is now coming to its great crescendo at the end of this age.

I believe that we are at that tipping point of human history and are already seeing an intensifying of this fight for, "who will be king over the hearts and minds of individuals," moving to its greatest confrontation and fullest manifestation before the Lord returns.

We know from the scripture that before the Lord comes again there will be the coming of a man whom the scripture calls the antichrist, or the man of lawlessness, or the man of sin, whom the Lord at his appearing, "will destroy with the breath of His mouth and the brightness of His coming".

The Apostle John tells us in his first epistle that there have been many antichrists in the world and that there is a spirit of antichrist already in this world ever since the fall, which will culminate ultimately in this one human being who will fully embody it.

The word antichrist in its original form means opposed to Christ, but also anti means in the place of, indicating that the spirit of antichrist is not only in opposition to Christ but seeking to replace Him.

The antichrist when he is revealed in his time will set up an alternative system of worship and demand that all bow down to worship him.

In other words, this psalm speaks to us not only of who is the rightful ruler over this earth but who has the right for the worship and obedience of all humanity.

Who is the rightful king?

The answer is clear and needs to be proclaimed from generation to generation:

"You are my Son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will give You the nations for your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for your possession."

The battle is on today not only for the ultimate destiny of nations and of individuals across the nations, but for what or to whom we will give our allegiance and whom we will worship above all.

That is not only a future issue of eternal destiny but also a present one of choice and what we value and love most.

The spirit of antichrist that is presently in this world, which will find its complete expression in a coming individual, is about lordship and worship and resisting the plan of the Father to have a spotless bride for his Son, those who will be given to Him in absolute simplicity and purity of devotion of heart and mind and body.

The wicked leaders and rulers of this earth who are the authority figures are not simply resisting Christ's return but His right to rule over the hearts and minds of humanity.

They are not only opposing Him but seeking also to replace him and set up an alternative system of man's government versus God's government, self-worship versus the worship of the Lamb of God, and loyalty to satan's kingdom rather than loyalty and wholehearted devotion to Christ and His eternal kingdom.

We have to see the spiritual battle that is ensuing behind the natural physical outworking of it.

It is important to see in the invisible battle the plan of satan to resist and oppose the will and purpose of God through Christ being manifested on the earth.

The Father has promised an inheritance to his Son, and that inheritance is much more than the terra firma of this earth, it is a body of people, a bride made ready, those to whom He will be joined as one in marriage forever. It is His purpose to manifest His beauty and eternal wisdom and glory through a bride to the rest of creation forever.

Behind the laws of iniquity that are being framed today by these rulers and kings of the earth is this agenda and it is leading to the showdown of showdowns, culminating in the return of Christ, and in the capture of the false prophet and the beast, and then in the binding of satan for a thousand years where he will be cast into a bottomless pit.

Afterward, the book of Revelation tells us, he will be released for a brief moment to make one final attempt to usurp the true King Jesus Christ ruling from His throne in the city of Jerusalem, but his rebellion will be immediately crushed and he will be cast into the lake of fire forever.

Before the Lord returns to destroy the antichrist and his evil empire by the breath of His mouth and the brightness of His appearing, there is going to be a final witness on this earth.

There will be a bride, a body of believers, that Isaiah prophesied about in chapter 60 who will be so filled with light and with the glory of the Lord that the darkness will be overcome by His presence in and through them.

God will not end this age without giving that witness of Himself through a people whom He has prepared, a warrior bride, those who love not their lives unto death, that is, those who are fully and completely given over to him, not in theory doctrinally but spiritually and vitally and relationally in this union of being possessed by His life.

God the Father has promised a bride for His Son and His Son will not return for a harlot.

In Psalm two He is pictured as sitting in the heavens laughing and holding these wicked rulers, who are busy hatching their schemes and forming their coalitions, in complete derision.

His laugh is the laugh of derision at the notion that human beings could be so arrogant and satan so deceived as to believe that Christ will not enter into His eternal inheritance. It is laughable.

We are going to be in for a fight in the last of these last days, but as those belonging to Christ we can be assured of this: Christ's victory is assured and He will come into His eternal reward His inheritance, the rewards of his suffering.

Christ will be seated upon His throne of glory, and He will judge the nations of the earth, and He will put away evil from His creation.

The King of Glory will be the only one in that day, and His name the only one, and He will rule the nations with a rod of iron with His bride beside Him forever.

Things may get very intense,very soon but if we keep our eyes on the prize, His name is Jesus,Who is our reward, then we have something worth fighting for.

This call that has come to us in our generation is not simply to die and go to heaven, or look for an exit or escape route from this last great battle of this age, but just as David asked the question of his brothers when about to fight Goliath, "Is there not a cause?", so too I ask you, as I ask of myself also, 'Is there, not a cause.?'

There is, and that cause is Christ and His eternal kingdom and His coming back for a spotless bride who has made herself ready and will rule and reign with Him at His side forever.

What should our response be to the urgency of the Holy Spirit's voice and call at this hour, and to the instruction of psalm 2?

'As for me and my household, we will serve the lord with godly fear and we will bow down and kiss the Son.'