Biblical Foundations for Night and Day p6

BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS OF NIGHT & DAY WORSHIP & PRAYER SESSION 06 – THE STORY OF REPLICATION– STEPHEN VENABLE

IHOP-KC Mission Base www.IHOP.org

I. STRUCTURAL REPLICATION OF THE HEAVENLY TEMPLE IN THE TABERNACLE OF MOSES & TEMPLE OF SOLOMON

A. The Arrangement of the Camp1

B. The Altar of Burnt Offering (Brazen Altar)

Heavenly Temple (Revelation 6:9-11) Tabernacle of Moses (Exodus 27:1-8, 38:1-7); Temple of Solomon (II Chronicles 4:1)

C. The Molten Sea

1 Diagram taken from: www.biblewheel.com

BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF NIGHT AND DAY PRAYER Session 6 – The Story of Replication PAGE 2


…Designations for a spectacular bronze appurtenance that is said to have stood in the courtyard of Solomon’s temple. It is described in the temple text of 1 Kings (1 Kgs 7:23–26) and in the parallel account in Chronicles (2 Chr 4:2–5). Both 2 Kings (25:13) and Jeremiah (52:17) list the Sea among the temple vessels that were broken into pieces and carried off to Babylon when the temple was destroyed in 587. The bronze Sea (Heb yām hannĕḥōšet), like the other bronze vessels of the temple, was crafted by Hiram of Tyre, an expert in bronze work. The Chronicles preserves a tradition that the requisite metal for the sea and other vessels was part of spoils acquired by David (1 Chr 18:8; 2 Sam 8:8). It apparently was made by casting, since the term “molten” derives from the Hebrew root yṣq, “to cast, pour” (as metal). According to the Kings account, it was a vessel of huge proportions: 10 cubits in diameter (15 feet), 5 cubits high (ca. 7.5 feet), and 30 cubits in circumference. When empty it would have weighed between 25 and 30 tons. Although it is not certain whether it was a hemisphere or a cylinder, its capacity would have been enormous…it can be estimated to have had a capacity of about 10,000 gallons of water (Paul and Dever 1973:257). Just as spectacular as its size was its ornamentation. Under its rim was a series of cast decorations: two rows of “gourds.” The rim (“brim”) itself was made of lily work. Most amazing of all was the way it was supported on four sets of bronze oxen, with three oxen in each set. Each set of oxen faced a direction of the compass, with their “hinder parts” facing inward and supporting the basin. The cultic purpose of this elaborate item among the courtyard appurtenances of the temple is not specified, except for a rather peripheral notation in 2 Chr 4:5 that it was “for the priests to wash in.” Its use as a laver is dubious, since ten bronze lavers, also large and spectacular in design, were also part of the courtyard furnishings…Furthermore, its height makes it difficult to imagine how it was used for lustrations. The cultic purpose of the Sea may lie more in its symbolic nature rather than as a ritual vessel.2

D. The Golden Altar of Incense

Heavenly Temple (Revelation 8:1-4) Tabernacle of Moses (Exodus 30:1-10); Temple of Solomon (I Kings 6:20, 22, 7:48; II Chronicles 4:19)

E. The Lampstands

Heavenly Temple (Revelation 1:12,20; Revelation 2:1; Revelation 4:5) Tabernacle of Moses (Exodus 25:31-40, 37:23; Leviticus 24:1-4); Temple of Solomon (I Kings 7:49-50, II Chronicles 4:7, 19-22)

II. SUMMARY OF GENERAL REPLICATION & STRUCTURAL REPLICATION

The symbolic nature of the Jerusalem Temple, as for all major shrines in the ancient world, depended upon a series of features that, taken together, established the sacred precinct as being located at the cosmic center of the universe, at the place where heaven and earth converge and thus from where God’s control over the universe is effected. When the royal capital is brought into this sphere of divine activity through the construction of a temple, the regime acquires the might involved in the heavenly arena. A series of visual symbols, rooted in the mythic consciousness of the Israelites and their neighbors, provided the affective power of this notion of cosmic center. Evidence for the Israelite understanding of the symbols of the sacred center comes not only from the details of temple construction but also from the poetic celebration of Zion in psalmody and prophecy. Perhaps chief among the symbols expressing the sacred centrality of the Temple is the idea that Zion, and the Temple built there, is the cosmic mountain (Clifford 1972; 1984; Levenson 1985: 111–75). The temple building, on a mountain and a platform, replicates the heavenly mountain of Yahweh ( Ps 48:1–4) and also its earlier manifestation at Sinai. It also reaches back to the beginning of time, to the creation of the world (cf. the seven years of Solomonic temple-building activity in relation to the seven days of creation). The foundation of the Temple thus becomes a protological event, going back to the beginnings of time and established by God, not by either David or Solomon (see Ps 78:69–70). Other symbols constitutive of the cosmic order made visual and vital in the Temple can be identified in the exuberant presence of floral and faunal motifs in the interior decoration of the building and in the construction and decoration of its appurtenances. The trees carved on the walls, the groves on the Temple Mount, and perhaps even the sacred lampstands, are part of the symbolic expression of the mythic Tree of Life that stood on the Cosmic Mountain, and in the paradisiacal garden at creation. Similarly, the waters of the Molten Sea and the great fountains of the deep present in God’s habitation on Zion (Ps 46:4) contribute to the notion of the Temple as cosmic center. The convergence of heavenly temple and earthly temple, with the concomitant reality of God’s presence, is further conveyed by the overriding concern to make the Temple a fit dwelling place for the divine sovereign. The degree to which the quality and scope of the temple complex and its objects manifest the finest and costliest materials affects the way in which the most exalted of inhabitants is understood to be nearby in this house. The very terminology used for the building (“house,” “palace”) and the emphasis on the extraordinary nature of its design and fabrication together provide symbolic statements that God is in residence on Zion. The furnishings meet the “needs” of the building’s occupant, with the glory of those furnishings signifying the Glory within.3

2

Freedman, D. N. (1996, c1992). The Anchor Bible Dictionary (5:1061). New York: Doubleday. 3 Taken from C. Meyers, Anchor Bible Dictionary, “Temple” Entry



III. LITURGICAL REPLICATION IN THE MOSAIC ERA

As previously set forth, in God’s progressive plan the replication of the worship of the Heavenly Temple was not paramount in the tabernacle Moses was instructed to build. Yet there are glimpses, and to these we now turn.

A. Sinai

So Moses arose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. 14 But to the elders he said, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them.” 15 Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. 17 And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. 18 Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. Exodus 24:13-18

1. Following the inauguration of the Mosaic Covenant and the glorious convergence experienced by the seventy of Israel, Moses and Joshua spend forty days and nights atop the mountain in the Heavenly Temple.

2. In the second period of forty days that followed the harlotry of Israel with the golden calf, Moses was specifically said to have gone without any food or drink (Exodus 34:28). We may assume this was the case with the initial meeting, and add to the list of suspended bodily needs that of sleep.

3. Though obviously not explicit, it is difficult to imagine Moses and Joshua taking naps as they communed with the Enthroned One who never slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:3). Thus night and day, without ceasing, two men participated in the incessant liturgy of the Heavenly Temple. Oh how this glorious perpetuity must have been graven upon their hearts as they descended the mountain!

B. Tent of Meeting

Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses. 10 When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. 11 Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. Exodus 33:9-11

1. While this notice of Joshua’s relationship to the tent of meeting need not be taken with strict literalism, it surely does speak of a remarkable constancy of devotion from Moses’ servant.

2. This was, of course, the man chosen to be the successor to Moses and it was here in the constant prostration of worship that God was training him to be the leader of the entire nation.

3. When it was Joshua’s time to assume responsibility for taking Israel into the Promised Land, the LORD spoke and reminded him that all of those years spent before His presence must shape Joshua’s course for all of his days. 6 “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 8 “This book of the law shall



not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-9

C. The Tabernacle

1. Introduction

a. Turning to the formal liturgy of the tabernacle itself we see that God places the emphasis upon the ritual burnt offerings in the morning and in the evening (Exodus 29:38-42, Numbers 28:3) that coincided with the trimming of the oil lamps and the burning of incense.

b. Whether this has some level of correspondence to realities of the Heavenly Temple is difficult to say. From the pervasive presence of replication in so many other features of the Tabernacle of Moses (and beyond), and from the importance the morning and evening sacrifice would hold for thousands of years in Israel’s history, we may cautiously speculate that it seems likely.

c. Yet beyond the ritual of the morning and evening offerings there are three major elements in the order of service in the tabernacle that point to a perpetual element: the Brazen Altar (altar of burnt offering), the Altar of Incense, the Golden Lampstand.

2. Brazen Altar

Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law for the burnt offering: the burnt offering itself shall remain on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire on the altar is to be kept burning on it. 10 ‘The priest is to put on his linen robe, and he shall put on undergarments next to his flesh; and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire reduces the burnt offering on the altar and place them beside the altar. 11 ‘Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. 12 ‘The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not go out, but the priest shall burn wood on it every morning; and he shall lay out the burnt offering on it, and offer up in smoke the fat portions of the peace offerings on it. 13 ‘Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out. Leviticus 6:10-13

Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he stepped down after making the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. 23 Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed the people, the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. 24 Then fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. Leviticus 9:22-24

3. Lampstand

You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually. 21 “In the tent of meeting, outside the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout their generations for the sons of Israel. Exodus 27:20-21



Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the sons of Israel that they bring to you clear oil from beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually. 3 “Outside the veil of testimony in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD continually; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations. 4 “He shall keep the lamps in order on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD continually. Leviticus 24:1-4

4. Altar of Incense 5 “You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 “You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 “Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. 8 “When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. Exodus 30:5-8

a. Of these three articles the Golden Altar is perhaps the most important because of the clear scriptural connection between the ascending incense and the prayers of the saints.

The Exodus passage indicates that this altar was “for burning incense” (Exod 30:1), a practice that most likely symbolized Israel’s prayers rising to God day and night.4 2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:2 1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Revelation 8:1-4

b. The importance that the LORD placed upon the burning of incense can be seen through one of the more dramatic scenes of this period. Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron who accompanied him in the ascent of Sinai to behold the sapphire expanse are judged for offering ‘strange fire’ before the LORD. 1 Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. 2 So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. 3 And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified.’” Leviticus 10:1-3

c. Furthermore, Malachi prophesies that during the Millennial Kingdom incense will arise from all the cities of the earth in worship of King Jesus. 11 For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations,” says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 1:11

4Paul R. House, vol. 8, 1, 2 Kings, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1995), 134.



D. The Priesthood & the Levites

1. Without going into detail, it must be stressed that the mere existence of the priesthood is significant in that for the first time there were people on the earth specifically set apart for ministry to the LORD. As we have seen previously, this corresponds to the angels who reside in the Third Heaven and are specifically given to the liturgy of the Heavenly Temple.

2. From the vantage point of the heavenly assembly, how disjointed must the earth have seemed! In the Heavenly Sanctuary the servants of God spent their days and nights ministering to the One upon the throne, and yet on the earth men were only preoccupied with other concerns.

3. For approximately three thousand years after Adam’s disobedience there was no corporate expression of ministry to the LORD and then suddenly there was a great tribe of men consecrated to His praise. This is a stunning development.5

E. Summary of Liturgical Significance of the Tabernacle of Moses

1. With a broader perspective on the significance of Sinai, we must muse long upon the fact that the One who never slumbers nor sleeps desired to have Moses and Joshua abide with Him for forty days and nights.

2. Although Moses was forced to attend to the leadership of the nation, it would seem the experience on Sinai was so indelibly impressed upon his young companion that he became known for never departing from that blessed place of meeting.

3. After the formalization of the tabernacle and its liturgy, Scripture leads us to place the emphasis upon the morning and evening sacrifices but also observe that the the brazen altar, the lampstand, and the altar of incense all point toward a perpetual element in the intervening times.

IV. INTRODUCTION TO LITURGICAL REPLICATION THROUGH DAVIDIC WORSHIP

A. Three Major Timeframes

Table 1: Datable Events in 1, 2 Samuel6

1050 Saul publicly anointed king after defeat of Nahash (cf. 1 Sam 11:1–11; 13:1; Acts 13:21)

1045 Ish-Bosheth born (cf. 2 Sam 2:10)

1040 David born (cf. 2 Sam 5:4)

1015 Mephibosheth born (cf. 2 Sam 4:4)

1012 David flees to Ziklag near Gath (cf. 1 Sam 27:7)

1010 David defeats the Amalekites (cf. 1 Sam 30:9–19); Saul and three sons killed on Mount Gilboa during Philistine battle (cf. 1 Sam 31:6); David becomes king at Hebron (cf. 2 Sam 2:1–4a)

5 Accentuating this painful absence is the realization that there were orders of priests given to the worship of the idols of the nations and yet none to the true, living God. Egypt had a very established priesthood and Jethro (the father in law of Moses) is called the priest of Midian. This must reflect a much broader reality that pervades the religious culture of the Ancient Near East at the time. 6

Robert D. Bergen, vol. 7, 1, 2 Samuel, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1996), 31.



1005 Ish-Bosheth becomes king over northern tribes in Mahanaim (cf. 2 Sam 2:8–9)

1003 Abner murdered by Joab (cf. 2 Sam 3:27–39); Ish-Bosheth murdered by Recab and Baanah (cf. 2 Sam 4:1–12); David anointed king over northern tribes (cf. 2 Sam 5:1–3); David conquers Jebusites, moves capital to Jerusalem (cf. 2 Sam 5:6–9)

Just as there were approximately 500 years between the Tabernacle of Moses and the inception of the Tabernacle of David, the period relevant to the study of the Davidic order of worship spans approximately 500 years as well. This encompasses three major timeframes, all of which offer glimpses of what took place under David’s command:

1. David’s Tabernacle (Approximately 1003 B.C. – 960 B.C.)

This is the period lasting from the time David brought the Ark into the city of Jerusalem until it was brought to rest in Solomon’s Temple.

2. Solomon’s Temple (Beginning Approximately 960 B.C.)

Though Solomon’s Temple stood for centuries before its destruction in the Babylonian invasion, it was primarily during Solomon’s lifetime that the order of worship set in place by his father flourished.

3. Monarchial Restoration

Following the division of the nation, many wicked kings reigned in Jerusalem. They corrupted the sanctity of the Temple and the order of worship that has been instituted quickly declined. Yet in the midst of this tragic neglect, God stirred the hearts of His servants to bring about revivals of the sacred order:

a. Jehoshaphat (Around 870 B.C.) – II Chronicles 20:14-30

b. Hezekiah (Around 725 B.C.) – II Chronicles 29:25-30

c. Josiah (Around 628 B.C.) – II Chronicles 35:1-19

d. Post-Exilic Community (Ezra – 537/38 B.C. & Nehemiah – 445/444 B.C.) - Ezra 2:65; 3:1-13; Nehemiah 12:27-47

B. General Characteristics of Davidic Worship

1. Divinely Inspired

The liturgy David was instituting was, at the time, profoundly unorthodox relative to the long-standing Mosaic tradition. Yet Scripture is very clear that David was acting in obedience to divine instruction.

19"All this," said David, "the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the details of this pattern." I Chronicles 28:19

He then stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with harps and with lyres, according to the command of David and of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for the command was from the LORD through His prophets… II Chronicles 29:25

…whom David and Samuel the seer appointed in their office of trust. I Chronicles 9:22



2. Musical & Choral (I Chronicles 15:16-29, 16:4-6, 42, and numerous other passages)

3. Specific Qualities of Davidic Worship

a. Intercessory (see the petitions of the Psalms)

b. Antiphonal (Ezra 2:65; 3:1-13; Nehemiah 12:27-47, the arrangement of the Psalter)

c. Continual (I Chronicles 16:6, 37)

d. Scriptural (II Chron 29:30) 30 Moreover, King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David and Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with joy, and bowed down and worshiped. II Chronicles 29:30

4. Governed

a. Ordered (I Chronicles 15:16-28, 16:9, 23; 25:1)

b. Skillful (I Chronicles 15:22, II Chronicles 34:12, Psalm 33:3)

c. Instructive (I Chronicles 25:1-7; II Chronicles 23:13)

C. Chart Showing Contrast with Mosaic Order of Worship

Tabernacle of Moses Tabernacle of David

Located at Shiloh (Ephraim has Priority) Located in Zion (Judah has Priority)

Silent & Solemn Musical & Joyful

Priesthood has Prominent Role in Liturgy Levites have Prominent Role in Liturgy

Blood Sacrifices for Sin Sacrifices of Praise

Ark is Veiled According to Mosaic Ordinance Ark is Unveiled in Tent of David

D. Moses & David

In light of these sweeping changes, Chronicles presents David as the founder of worship in Israel. Though the author of Chronicles is careful to point out that David honored the ancient commandments found in the Pentateuch, there are a number of dynamic ways in which David is depicted a New Moses:7

1. Chronicles devotes a huge portion of its narrative to the establishment of Davidic order of worship and the building of the Temple. The only parallel is Scripture is the extended account of the building of the Tabernacle of Moses in Exodus (and Leviticus and Numbers in a secondary way).

2. David gives specific commands related to the duties of the priests and the Levites. Moses was the only other figure to do this.

3. David was acting according to a divinely-given pattern (I Chronicles 28:9), just as Moses was (Exodus 25:8-9).

7 These points are drawn from Peter J. Leithart, From Silence to Song: the Davidic Liturgical Revolution (Moscow, Idaho: Canon Press, 2003), p 25-27.



4. David used the resource of Yahweh’s defeated enemies in order to fund the building of His sanctuary, just as Moses did.

5. II Chronicles 8:14 ascribes the Mosaic title, “the man of God”, to David.

V. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TABERNACLE & ITS WORSHIP

A. Introduction

1. When considering the Tabernacle of David we must view it as its own unique timeframe and yet at the same time our distinctions cannot be too rigid.

2. The information that pertains only to the tabernacle of David is relatively sparse, so if our conclusions related to what transpired there were limited only to those texts we would be very constrained.

3. Yet as we have seen, Scripture clearly attests to a very specific and divinely inspired order of Davidic worship. Therefore when we see glimpses of this order in Solomon’s Temple or later in the monarchial period we must assume the same general qualities were present in the Tabernacle of David, though perhaps differing somewhat in scale and specific characteristics.

4. We will proceed by looking briefly at each of the major timeframes delineated above and then develop certain characteristics in greater detail.

B. The Procession of the Ark

I Chronicles 15

That day, the dusty road leading into Jerusalem was packed. All the elders of Israel were there, and the children lining the road caught glimpses of David’s mighty men, armor flashing in the sun, men whose exploits had been told at every hearth in the land. At the center of the procession was the cluster of Levites in their white linen robes, carrying the ark of the covenant, the throne of Yahweh, hidden from sight by layers of fabric. Every time they took six steps, they stopped to offer a sacrifice before taking a seventh. The noise was deafening: the tumult of trumpets and horns, the splash of cymbals, the eerie aching melodies of harp and lyre, the drone of the Levitical singers. And at the head of the procession, David, the great King David, danced like a fool before his King, wearing a linen ephod. When the procession reached Zion, the Levites took the ark into the tent that David had prepared for it, and then sacrifices of peace offerings were slaughtered and every family was treated to a meal in the Lord’s presence. They stood in wonder as David’s new Levitical choir sang praises to Yahweh before the tent. After David blessed them, they returned home, hearts full of gladness. No one could remember a procession or a celebration like this, and they had to reach back far into the memory of Israel for comparisons. It reminded some of stories they had read or heard about the procession following the exodus from Egypt, when Miriam took the timbrel and led the women in dance and song.8

1. Although it was only a single-event and not an ongoing ritual, David organized a Levitical orchestra and choir for the dramatic ‘bringing up’ of the Ark of the Covenant to the tent he had prepared.

2. Aside from its great theological and narrative significance, the description found in I Chronicles 15 contains nearly all of the major elements of the Davidic order of worship. What was to be an institution in the liturgical life of the nation was all anticipated here at its inception.9

8 Peter J. Leithart, From Silence to Song: the Davidic Liturgical Revolution (Moscow, Idaho: Canon Press, 2003), p 11-12. 9 See Kleinig, The Lord’s Song, p 44-51 for an excellent summary of David’s organization of the procession, including a chart that details its order based on the description offered.



C. Before the Ark

Now these are those whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after the ark rested there. 32 They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem; and they served in their office according to their order. I Chronicles 6:31-32

1 And they brought in the ark of God and placed it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3 He distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread and a portion of meat and a raisin cake. 4 He appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the LORD, even to celebrate and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel: 5 Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, with musical instruments, harps, lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals, 6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests blew trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God. 7 Then on that day David first assigned Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the LORD. I Chronicles 16:1-7

1. Placement

a. The most dramatic feature of this narrative is not the order of worship but where that order was appointed to minister – “before the ark”.

b. David had placed the glorious ark of the covenant of the LORD, the footstool of God, in a tent on Zion without any veil or other furniture. It was there, before the ark, that the Levites were to thank and praise the LORD with music and song.

c. We must recall that in the Mosaic system no one was permitted to get even close to the ark because of how terrifyingly holy it was. Only the High Priest could go beyond that thick veil once a year and did not even have the privilege of looking upon it.

d. Even the Davidic narrative offers of glimpse of this dread associated with the ark with the striking down of Uzza in I Chronicles 13:9-11.

Surprisingly, this phrase [before the ark] is never used of priestly or Levitical ministry in the Mosaic law. The phrase “before the ark” occurs in Exodus 40:5, be refers to the placement of the golden altar of incense in the Holy Place. Even Leviticus 16, which describes the Day of Atonement when the High Priest entered the Most Holy Place to sprinkle blood, does not say that the priest entered “before the ark.” The chapter mentions the ark only once (v.2) and says that the High Priest ministered “before the cover that is on the ark (v.2) and sprinkled blood “on the cover on the east side, also in front of the cover” (v.14). Even when the High Priest go as close as he ever got to the Lord’s throne, he was no described as ministering “before the ark”. And nobody, of course, got any closer than the High Priest. Significantly, when 1 Chronicles 25 describes the ministry of Levitical singers and musicians in the temple, it does not use the phrase “before the ark”. Rather, the Levites were appointed to sing “in the house of Yahweh” (v. 6). At David’s tent, however, lowly Levites ministered “before the ark.” This location was unique to David’s tent; never before and never again would Old Covenant Israel be privileged to worship “before the ark.”10

e. The sum of this evidence is that it is impossible to view “before the ark” as an ancient idiom that just meant generic proximity. The Levites literally stood unobstructed before the ark.11

10 Peter J. Leithart, From Silence to Song: the Davidic Liturgical Revolution (Moscow, Idaho: Canon Press, 2003), p 35-6.. 11 It is unclear whether this means inside the tent of David or immediately outside (possibly with a view to the ark). Without knowing the size of the tabernacle it is difficult to estimate whether the service they performed could have been accommodated within it.



f. This astonishing access is also evident for David himself on a personal level. On different occasions he is described as ‘sitting before the LORD’ in the tabernacle or ‘going into the house of the LORD’ (see II Samuel 7:18, I Chronicles 17:16, II Samuel 12:20).

2. Convergence 6I shall wash my hands in innocence, and I will go about Your altar, O LORD, 7That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving and declare all Your wonders. 8O LORD, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells. Ps 28:6-8

a. Unlike the Temple of Solomon, there is not a description of a particular moment when convergence was forged between the Tabernacle of David and the Heavenly Temple.

b. Despite this, it is clear from the Psalms that something dramatically different was transpiring in the Tabernacle of David than when the ark dwelt in the house of Abinadab. 7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple. Psalm 5:7

One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His temple. Psalm 27:4

How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You to dwell in Your courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple. Psalm 65:4

c. The tent where David set the ark was the place where he longed to dwell, that he might gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and inquire of God in the Heavenly Temple.

d. Although we cannot be certain of how it compared to the Tabernacle of Moses or the Temple of Solomon, it is clear there was dynamic convergence and a breathtaking cosmological unity between the Heavenly Sanctuary and those nondescript curtains on Zion.

D. The Liturgy of Sacred Song & Sacrifices

So he left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required; 38 and Obed-edom with his 68 relatives; Obed-edom, also the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah as gatekeepers. 39 He left Zadok the priest and his relatives the priests before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place which was at Gibeon, 40 to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which He commanded Israel. 41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because His lovingkindness is everlasting. 42 And with them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God, and the sons of Jeduthun for the gate. 43 Then all the people departed each to his house, and David returned to bless his household. I Chronicles 16:37-43

Between this description and that found earlier in chapter 16 a very clear liturgy is described. It would seem this was the foundation of the ministry that happened for the thirty-forty years until the Temple of Solomon was built. The ritual service can easily be broken down by the places in which it occurred:



1. Zion

a. Levites – Asaph and his sons

b. Priests – Benaiah and Jahaziel

c. Activity

At the time of the morning and evening sacrifice the Levites would minister with instruments and songs, offering sacrifices of praise. There were no blood sacrifices at the tabernacle in Zion. Instead, the priests would blow trumpets in conjunction with the Levitical service.

2. Gibeon

a. Levites – Heman & Jeduthun (Ethan) and their sons

b. Priests – Zadok and his fellow priests

c. Activity

At Gibeon, about 7 miles from Jerusalem, sat the Tabernacle of Moses and all its original furniture. Zadok and his fellow priests were responsible for fulfilling all Mosaic ordinances faithfully. Thus the morning and evening blood-sacrifices (burnt offerings) were carried out continually. Yet unlike the original Mosaic pattern, David added the presence of the two guilds of Levites to praise the LORD with song and instruments in conjunction with the morning and evening offerings. In this way Gibeon and Zion were synchronized and paralleled one another.

3. Summary

First, and most remarkably, he [David] created a single service for sacred song in two parts, separated spatially in Gibeon and Jerusalem, yet coordinated temporally to coincide with the daily burnt offerings. This coordination is highlighted by the repetition of the keyword tamid. By the time of Chronicles it had become almost exclusively a liturgical term for the regular daily and weekly performance of the sacrificial service. Thus David coordinated three things: the blowing of trumpets by the priests in Jerusalem, the performance of choral music in Jerusalem and Gibeon, and the presentation of burnt offerings at Gibeon. While Zadok and his associates offered the divinely instituted daily sacrifice to the accompaniment of liturgical music from the guilds of Heman and Jeduthun in Gibeon, the priests with their trumpets and the Asaphite musicians with their instruments praised the LORD in Jerusalem…Secondly, in this reformed order of service authorized by David, the priests with their trumpets supplemented the choral performance at Jerusalem (16.4-6), just as the musicians with their instruments supplemented the presentation of sacrifices by the priests (16.39-41).12

4. Continuing Practice in the Temple of Solomon 27 For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above; 28 because their duty was to help the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts and in the chambers, in the purifying of all holy things and the work of the service of the house of God, 29 both with the showbread and the fine flour for the grain offering, with the unleavened cakes and what is baked in the pan, with what is mixed and with all kinds of measures and sizes; 30 to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at

12 John Kleinig, The LORD’s Song (Sheffield, England: JSOT Press, 1993), p 53.



evening; 31 and at every presentation of a burnt offering to the LORD on the Sabbaths and on the New Moons and on the set feasts, by number according to the ordinance governing them, regularly before the LORD; 32 and that they should attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting, the needs of the holy place, and the needs of the sons of Aaron their brethren in the work of the house of the LORD. I Chronicles 23:27-32 14 And, according to the order of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, the Levites for their duties (to praise and serve before the priests) as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate; for so David the man of God had commanded. II Chronicles 8:14

VI. INCESSANT WORSHIP IN THE DAVIDIC ORDER

A. The Organization for Ministry to the LORD in the Temple of Solomon

1. We have seen the stress within the Davidic order on the morning and evening sacrifice, and how this was described as a ‘continual’ ministry to the LORD. We now turn to the question of what transpired in between those times and whether Scripture leads us to believe there was an incessant element to the Davidic order of worship.

2. In this case there is more information about the liturgy of the Temple of Solomon, so we must start there and then work backward to determine what conclusions may be made regarding the Tabernacle of David.

B. The Organization of the Levites for the Temple Service

I Chronicles 23-27 provides an extensive description of David’s organization for the service that would be in the temple Solomon would build. In the midst of it we find the following account:

1 Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals. And the number of the skilled men performing their service was: 2 Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah; the sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied according to the order of the king. 3 Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp to give thanks and to praise the LORD. 4 Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. 5 All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of God, to exalt his horn. For God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. 6 All these were under the direction of their father for the music in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the authority of the king. 7 So the number of them, with their brethren who were instructed in the songs of the LORD, all who were skillful, was two hundred and eighty-eight. I Chronicles 25:1-7

1. The passage goes on, in v 8-31 to describe the casting of twenty-four lots for specific duties. In considering an incessant element in Davidic worship, much hinges on accurately understanding what these twenty-four appointments were. At first glance it would seem like they correspond to the twenty-four courses (or divisions) of the priests and the other Levites. A deeper investigation, however, yields a very different conclusion.



Although the syntax links this verse to what has gone before, it in fact opens a new section, concerned with the organization of division by lot. They system is similar to the one used for the other orders, bu the term ‘divisions’ is absent; instead we find mismeret(correctly translated as ‘duty’)…We have seen that the casting of lots among the priests was to decide the order of the fathers’ houses/divisions, and these were set ‘all alike’ (24.5, literally ‘these against these’.) For the Levites the lots were cast ‘against their brethren’…By contrast, for the singers the lots are cast ‘for their duties’ or ‘duty against duty’, and those who participate are ‘small and great, teacher and pupil alike’ (v. 8). This may mean that the matter determined by lot in this case is not the same: it is not the rotating order of the ‘divisions’, but the composition and division of labour within the singers’ group themselves, each of which was to perform its tasks according to its ‘appointed’ duty. This could also account for the relatively small number of singers: while each of the priestly divisions served two weeks per year, the divisions rotating every week, there seems to be no parallel rotating system amongst the singers.13

2. If the body of 288 was not separated, and instead remained a singular unit, then it begs the question of what function the twenty-four groupings served. The most natural answer is that they corresponded to the twenty-four hours of the day.

The singers were numbered by David into twenty-four courses. There was someone on duty in their course throughout the twenty-four hours of the day and night praising the Lord (Psalms 134). There was a continual service of praise ascending to the Lord as the Levites waited in their particular course. What a glorious atmosphere to live in.14

3. Therefore the picture is one of twelve singer/musicians on duty for each hour of the day in the Temple. A portion of the Mishnah seems to offer compelling support for this idea.

The number of singers in each group, twelve, is also documented in the Mishnah for one setting of musicians: ‘There were never less than twelve Levites standing on the Platform, and their number could be increased without end’ (Arakhin 2.6). The standard twelve were composed of nine lyres (ibid 2.5), two harps (ibid 2.3), and one cymbal (ibid 2.5).15

C. Those Who Dwelt in Jerusalem

1. As noted above, priests and the other delineations within the tribe of Levi were separated into courses. Twice a year, for seven days at a time, they would come to Jerusalem to serve in the Temple. This practice resumed following the exile and continued through the time of Christ.

2. The implication of properly understanding the function of the 288 master-singer/musicians is that they actually lived in Jerusalem, likely in the chambers of the Temple itself, and served as the full-time presence who gave leadership to the rotating cycles of their Levite brethren.

3. Scripture offers a clear precedent for this. Although the example is from post-exilic times, it must reflect back upon a long-standing tradition. 17 And the gatekeepers were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brethren. Shallum was the chief. 18 Until then they had been gatekeepers for the camps of the children of Levi at the King’s Gate on the east. 19 Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, from his father’s house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, gatekeepers of the tabernacle. Their fathers had been keepers of the entrance to the

13 Sara Japhet, I & II Chronicles (Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox Westminster Press, 1993), p 445-6. 14 Kevin Conner, The Tabernacle of David (Portland, Oregon: City Bible Publishing, 1976), p 184 15 Ibid. p 447



camp of the LORD. 20 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar had been the officer over them in time past; the LORD was with him. 21 Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was keeper of the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 22 All those chosen as gatekeepers were two hundred and twelve. They were recorded by their genealogy, in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them to their trusted office. 23 So they and their children were in charge of the gates of the house of the LORD, the house of the tabernacle, by assignment. 24 The gatekeepers were assigned to the four directions: the east, west, north, and south. 25 And their brethren in their villages had to come with them from time to time for seven days. 26 For in this trusted office were four chief gatekeepers; they were Levites. And they had charge over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God. 27 And they lodged all around the house of God because they had the responsibility, and they were in charge of opening it every morning. 28 Now some of them were in charge of the serving vessels, for they brought them in and took them out by count. 29 Some of them were appointed over the furnishings and over all the implements of the sanctuary, and over the fine flour and the wine and the oil and the incense and the spices. 30 And some of the sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices. 31 Mattithiah of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the trusted office over the things that were baked in the pans. 32 And some of their brethren of the sons of the Kohathites were in charge of preparing the showbread for every Sabbath. 33 These are the singers, heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites, who lodged in the chambers, and were free from other duties; for they were employed in that work day and night. 34 These heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites were heads throughout their generations. They dwelt at Jerusalem. I Chronicles 9:17-32

4. It is important to note how this perspective powerfully informs a passage like Psalm 84.

How lovely are Your dwelling places, O LORD of hosts! 2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3 The bird also has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and my God. 4 How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah. 5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion! 6 Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring; the early rain also covers it with blessings. 7 They go from strength to strength, every one of them appears before God in Zion. 8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah. 9 Behold our shield, O God, and look upon the face of Your anointed. 10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O LORD of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You! Psalm 84

5. Psalm 84 can be understood as a song of ascent by one of the Levites (the sons of Korah) who ministered in cycles, yearning that he could instead remain and abide in the temple rather than having to leave. Blessed are the ones who actually dwell in the courts of the LORD because they are ever praising Him (literally).

6. The Psalmist envies the bird because it doesn’t have to leave. He would rather have his ‘lot’ in the threshold of the house of the LORD than dwell in spaciousness of the tents of wickedness. When taken seriously, the Psalm actually doesn’t make any sense unless there were actually people who stayed there all the time in order for the Psalmist to look at them and long to be in their position.



7. And thus we finally arrive at Psalm 134 in which this becomes explicit. The language of ‘standing’ and ‘blessing the LORD’ refers most frequently to the Levites rather than the priests. The Psalm that immediately follows confirms this by turning to those who minister by day and addressing them with the same admonition as those who stood before the LORD in the night.

1 Behold, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who by night stand in the house of the LORD! 2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. 3 The LORD who made heaven and earth bless you from Zion! Psalm 134 1 Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD! 2 You who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God, 3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant. 4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure. Psalm 135:1-4

VII. OVERVIEW OF THE CULMINATION OF REPLICATION & CONVERGENCE IN THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST

A. Introduction

1. Replication on all levels reaches its climax in the millennial reign of Christ. As a result it is the height of convergence and dynamically anticipates the restoration of Heaven and earth when the Holy City descends at the end of the Millennium.

2. All of the primary features of the Holy City and its Temple on high will be exactly mirrored on the earth through the kingdom of Christ and His city.

3. Therefore, during the thousand-year reign of Christ the Millennial Temple will be in full, unhindered convergence with the Heavenly Temple. The mountain-city of Jerusalem on the earth with the point of intersection between Heaven and earth.

B. Overview of the Parallel Replication in the Millennial Age

1. Vast Mountain-City of Precious Stones with Temple at its Height (Ezekiel 40:2, Ezekiel 43:12, Isaiah 54:11-12, Psalm 48, Isaiah 2:1-4)

2. River of Life Flowing from the Temple toward the East (Ezekiel 47:1-12)

3. Trees with Life-Giving & Healing Properties (Ezekiel 47:1-12)

4. God the Son Enthroned within the Temple (Ezekiel 43:7, Jeremiah 3:15-17, Isaiah 60:13)

5. Unceasing Prayer & Worship (Isaiah 62:5-6, Luke 18:7-8, Psalm 72:15, Amos 9:10-12)

6. Yahweh will be worshipped Universally & Exclusively (see below)

C. The Great Transition – Understanding Universal Worship

1. God’s passion for His glory burns brightly and the world is not aimlessly spinning into the future. The rampant, emblazoned idolatry that fills the earth is an atrocity in the eyes of the LORD. He is fiercely committed to the worth of Christ being extolled as it should be.

For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. Luke 16:15

2. All that is presently exalted or esteemed among men is looked upon with abhorrence in the LORD’s eyes precisely because only He should be highly exalted by men. God has ordained a day in which His glory and His name alone will be reverenced and magnified in the earth.



11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up… Isaiah 2:11-12

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 (see Isaiah 11:9, Psalm 72:19) 10 Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10 13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven. Psalm 148:13

3. The extreme disparity between the present condition of the earth and the unstoppable, global exaltation of God alone should cause us to tremble because it will necessitate a worldwide upheaval unlike anything we can fathom. He will arise and shake everything that can be shaken.

17 The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, 18 But the idols He shall utterly abolish. 19 They shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, From the terror of the LORD and the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily. Isaiah 2:17-19

D. The Great Worship Movement

1. Implications

a. Although it may not appear so initially, this transition is synonymous with a truly global movement of worship. For His self-exaltation is not arbitrary - it is about the realization of who He is and how the people of the earth respond to Him. Worship is simply the adoring response to the glory of who He is.

b. At the end of the age God will shatter the religious pluralism and gross idolatry that presently reigns among the nations and confront the earth with His identity so that all must reckon with the truth that He alone is the living God.

c. The consequence of this radical clarification will be that men will either love Him fully or hate Him fully. God’s unprecedented self-revelation will remove all neutrality and He alone will be exalted - either through the loving, reverent worship of all who repent or through His swift judgment of everyone and everything that resists.

2. Universal Worship

a. Thus, when He alone will be exalted, He alone will be worshipped. A parallel to Isaiah 2 makes this clear: 11 The LORD will be awesome to them, for He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; people shall worship Him, each one from his place, indeed all the shores of the nations. Zephaniah 2:11

b. A day is coming when all of the nations will worship Yahweh. All across the earth, real people with beating hearts and breath in their lungs will sing. 27All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will worship before You. Psalm 22:27



Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; 2Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious. 3Say to God, "How awesome are Your works!...4 All the earth will worship You, and will sing praises to You; they will sing praises to Your name. Psalm 66:1-4

3 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. 4 Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall…govern the nations on earth… 7God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him. Ps 67:3-4, 7

All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and they shall glorify Your name. Psalm 86:9 4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD, when they hear the words of Your mouth. 5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD. Psalm 138:4-5

E. The Ends of the Earth & the Living God

1. The New Testament Understanding of God’s Revelation & Exaltation

a. Isaiah 45 is one of the pinnacles of the monotheistic worship mandated by the Old Testament. Nine times in this single chapter the Lord emphatically declares that He is the Lord – Yahweh – and that He alone is God. It also describes that great hour when the entire earth will acknowledge His unique identity and bow before Him. 5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me… 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other…18For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain...: “ I am the LORD, and there is no other… And there is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. 22 “ Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 23 I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath. Is 45:5-6, 18, 21-23

b. Quoting the passage above, Paul makes clear that the way in which all the nations will recognize the identity of the true living God and bow before His majesty is in the person of Christ – the Holy One of Israel incarnate. 6 …who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God to be used for His own advantage, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2:6-11

c. The name above every name is not Jesus, but rather Lord. The latter is the reverential substitute in Greek (kurios) for the divine name of Yahweh, which is clear even from the context of Isaiah 45.



d. Jesus is the LORD – Yahweh – and it is He who alone will be exalted in that day, rebounding to the glory of the Father and the Spirit.16

e. That the exaltation of the Lord alone is synonymous with the exaltation of the Lord Jesus alone is made even more explicit when Paul quotes Isaiah 2 as he describes the return of Jesus: 7 ..give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. II Thess 1:6-1017

2. The Worth of Christ at the End of the Age 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. Colossians 1:17-18

a. Each day moves closer to one inescapable, irresistible end: the preeminence of Christ in all things. He who is now often overlooked in the Church in the West and byword in the nations will be revealed in all His glory and universally worshipped by all as God Himself.

b. Every knee will bow, every idol will be crushed, and everything that now exalts itself will be brought to the dust before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. God’s unquenchable passion for His glory and His unstoppable plan to exalt His Son necessitate a worship movement.

F. The Worship Movement 8 I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images… 10 Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you coastlands and you inhabitants of them!... 12 Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare His praise in the coastlands. Isaiah 42:8-12

11 For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations,” says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 1:11

1. As the return of Jesus is drawing near and the dynamic convergence of heaven and earth slowly begins, the Lord is establishing the prayer and worship movement unto the larger purpose of Jesus being adored as He deserves and as He is in heaven – incessantly and universally.

2. As the Holy Spirit increasingly brings the glory of Jesus to the forefront in the Church there will be no need to convince anyone of the legitimacy or necessity of night and day worship. Love will compel them to stand before Him in adoration and spend their strength at His feet.

2 In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious… Isaiah 4:2

16 Aside from the clear contextual and linguistic reasons for this, it can be established exegetically from observing that Jesus received this name in conjunction with the exaltation of His resurrection. Along with thousands of other boys in Israel at the time, Jesus was known as Yeshua (Joshua) His entire life. It was only after the resurrection that men began to call on Him as Lord (Acts 2:37). See also Ephesians 1:20-21 and Hebrews 1:4 for the receiving of the Divine Name. 17 The phrases “the presence of the Lord” and the “glory of His power” are direct references in Greek to the Hebrew phrases in Isaiah 2:19, “the terror of the Lord” and the “glory of His majesty”. Paul’s words correspond exactly to Isaiah 2:19 in the Septuagint.



17 Your eyes will see the King in His beauty… Isaiah 33:1718

3. At the end of the age the deepest affections of the Church will be captured by the beauty of Jesus. It will be our greatest joy to offer the perpetual incense of praise from the rising of the sun to its going down, even as we await that glorious day – His Day – when all the people of the earth will join in our song.

18 Both of these passages, along with Malachi 1:11, refer directly to beholding Christ in the Millennium but they demonstrate God’s broader purpose to exalt Jesus and make Hs praise fill the earth.

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