Christ, the Lamb of God and Avenging King
1 The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
* * * *
5 The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs
over the wide earth.
7 He will drink from the brook by the way;
therefore he will lift up his head.
(Psalm 110:1, 5-7 (ESV) (emphasis added))
Verse five of Psalm 110 describes what will occur after the King rises from His exalted throne described in verse one, marking the end of the day of mercy and grace on earth and the beginning of the day of His wrath.
This time, He will rise—not from a tomb beneath the earth for the resurrection of the Redeemed, but from an exalted throne in Heaven (Psalm 110:1) to bring judgment upon His enemies—the Day of Vengeance for all that is good, just, right, beautiful, and true. (Psalm 110:5-7)
It will not be an act of unholy revenge, but of holy vengeance.
He will rise from His throne to execute judgment, and will not rest until the day of His wrath is complete.
Psalm 110:5-7
The scales of justice will be set right, and the glory of God fully restored. Justice will be satisfied. Kings and rulers who have rebelled by the sword will perish by the sword. The nations that persist in rebellion, choosing darkness over the Light, will encounter God's Anointed King as their avenger and enemy, rather than their rescuer and friend.
They desired darkness, and darkness they have wed.*
Death they shall know, and torment be their bed.**
*(John 3:18-19 (ESV); Job 24:13-17 (ESV))
**(Genesis 2:15-17 (ESV); Ephesians 2:1-3 (ESV); 1 John 3:8 (ESV); Revelation 14:10-11 (ESV))
For it is written:
10 Who among you fears the LORD
and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness
and has no light
trust in the name of the LORD
and rely on his God.
11 Behold, all you who kindle a fire,
who equip yourselves with burning torches!
Walk by the light of your fire,
and by the torches that you have kindled!
This you have from my hand:
you shall lie down in torment.
(Isaiah 50:10-11 (ESV) (emphasis added))
“he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.”
(Revelation 14:10 (ESV))
King David prophesies five future acts of the LORD’s victorious King after He rises from His Heavenly throne:
1. He will shatter kings
2. He will execute judgment
3. He will shatter chiefs
4. He will drink from the brook
5. He will lift up his head
This fivefold repetition emphasizes that Son of David, the King prophesied in Psalm 110, will vindicate the righteousness of the LORD. He will repay the wicked kings and rulers of the earth, writ large, with all they rightly deserve at the hands of a holy, just, and avenging God and His anointed King.
Contrapasso, the poetic justice of God Almighty, will be theirs.
For “all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”
(Matthew 26:52 (ESV))
The first three “He wills” in verses five and six depict the LORD’s total destruction of His earthly enemies.
The final two “He wills” in verse seven prophesy that the LORD’s King will not rest until He has achieved complete victory over the forces of darkness.
“He will drink from the brook by the way” signifies that the LORD’s Anointed One, as a human King, will not rest or drink until His vengeance is fulfilled, His conquest complete, and His victory over all wickedness on the earth is achieved. And when that moment comes—and it surely will—”He will lift up His head” in triumph.
Not until
full vengeance is paid, will He drink from the brook on the way.
The final two “He wills” in verse seven echo another finished work and victory won by God’s Anointed One—the completed work and triumph over sin and death accomplished by Christ on Calvary’s cross:
After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), ‘I thirst.’ A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
(John 19:28-30 (ESV) (emphasis added))
“He said, ‘It is finished.’”
(John 19:30 (ESV))
The Anointed King of the LORD, exalted in Psalm 110, will drink revitalizing water from a brook—symbolizing the water of life of God—after His avenging work is finished. Only then will He rest, lifting His head in victory—
with God's justice and wrath fully accomplished.
In contrast, the Lamb of God, crucified in John 19, drank sour wine from a stagnant, filthy sponge—symbolizing the foaming wrath of God—after His atoning work was finished. Only then did He die, bowing His head in victory—
with God's justice and mercy fully accomplished.
The Lamb of God is also the LORD’s Avenging King!
“ They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
(Revelation 17:14 (ESV))
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
(Psalm 2:10-12 (ESV))
