We not only live in perilous times, but also in confusing times. Deception, aided by AI, abounds. We can no longer trust what our eyes see on the news or on social media. On top of that, conflicting reports bombard us every day.
For example, what happens next in the war with Iran is anyone’s guess. One day we read reports that an all-out bombing attack is hours away. The next day we hear that’s not going to happen anytime soon. We have no idea of what’s really happening behind the scenes or what to expect next with this war.
One thing we do know with absolute certainty is this: God is sovereignly in control of all that will happen. The Middle East is headed toward the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel. We already see the nations aligning precisely as Ezekiel prophesied long ago. Although we cannot yet see it clearly, in God’s eyes there’s a straight line between current events and the future invasion of the land.
It’s not just with Iran and Israel; the Lord is orchestrating the tide of current events leading up to the start of the Day of the Lord. Even the midterm election results will work toward God’s sovereign purposes. In all things, He holds the ultimate Trump card.
The Psalms
I have read through the Psalms many times during the past few years and have come to see this book as exceedingly rich in Bible prophecy. Each time, I discover new passages that not only foretell what lies ahead, but do so with an aura that points to God’s total control over the world’s future.
Even those in the no-Israel crowd agree that David and the other psalmists often interchanged prophecies of Jesus’ first coming in what they wrote about their struggles and faith. Why would we expect anything less for matters pertaining to His return to the earth and reign over the nations? When we expect to see unfulfilled prophecies amid their worship and passionate appeals, they seemingly pop up throughout the 150 psalms.
This past week, I read Psalm 9, and what I saw made me wonder how I could have missed it before. There, with unmistakable clarity, David writes about Jesus’ future rule over the nations and His judgment on the wicked that comes before it.
God’s Judgment
I believe there are two purposes for the revelation of God’s future judgment in the Psalms. First, Psalm 37 is not only a prophecy of the future, but secondly, also a promise to hold on to as we watch evil and lawlessness rapidly progress. Regardless of whether we see it or not, the Psalm reminds us that the Lord will justly deal with all the wickedness in our world. It’s only a matter of time (and waiting).
That brings me to Psalm 9:5-6, which I believe speaks to God’s intervention during the Tribulation: “You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever. The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out; the very memory of them has perished.”
The elite powerbrokers of our day busily plan for the one-world order that they hope to establish. They regard it as their legacy, one that people will long remember after their death. But did you notice the haunting warning of Psalm 9 for the wicked? It says that the Lord will blot “out their name forever and ever,” so that someday, no one will remember their names. Wow!
The words of this text await a future fulfillment. People still remember the murderous horrors that Hitler and Stalin unleashed upon the world. But not only will they suffer for all eternity, but amid the glories of the millennial kingdom and the eternal state, people will forget their names.
His Kingdom
Just as in the book of Revelation, Psalm 9 moves from the Lord’s judgment of the wicked to kingdom glory: “But the Lord sits enthroned forever; He has established His throne for justice, and He judges the world with righteousness; He judges the peoples with uprightness” (Psalm 9:7-8).
Contrary to what we see today, “justice” and “righteousness” will characterize Jesus’ rule over all the earth. We see these themes often repeated in the book of Isaiah regarding the kingdom.
The word “judges” also refers to Jesus’ millennial rule. In ancient Israel, kings acted as the high court in the land. They served as both rulers and judges in difficult judicial matters. Because sin will still exist during His thousand-year reign, Jesus will act as the world’s supreme judge and carry out justice throughout the world. (And we will be a part of that as we reign with Him.)
This will not be necessary in the eternal state because sin will no longer exist. And these verses certainly do not describe our current world. They can only refer to the Millennium!
Our Advocate
The next verses emphasize what it means for us as we await Jesus’ appearing to take us home:
“The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you” (Psalm 9:9-10).
No matter what lies ahead for us, the Lord is our refuge (Proverbs 18:10). The One who will someday wipe out Satan’s kingdom and rule over all the nations is our “stronghold,” and He will never forsake us. He is our advocate who will not fail to bring us safely to eternity.
World events and our everyday circumstances will often confuse and dismay us. But the One who is sovereign over all things, both great and small, is our Savior and Advocate. Someday we will see how He orchestrated so many things in our lives to accomplish His purposes for us. As for our world, nothing surprises Him or impedes His plans in the slightest way. His kingdom is coming!
