The Heavenly Throne of David

Is the throne of David heavenly? Or is it only earthly? Or is it both? One's answer to that question will tell you quite a bit about their theological outlook. Generally speaking, those of the Amillennial and Postmillennial persuasions will only find the Davidic throne in Heaven, while those espousing (one of the thousand forms of) Dispensationalism will argue for a future, earthly-only fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant in the Millennium. Consistent with my own position of Historic Premillennialism, I believe that David's throne has both a present heavenly and an earthly future manifestation. But my purpose in this post is not to argue for the Millennial display of Christ's Davidic Kingship. In another post, I made some brief arguments for Christ's earthly reign after His return.

My purpose today is to answer one of the most common arguments against the present session of Christ on the throne of David - namely that the Davidic throne must only be located on Earth and cannot be expressed from Heaven. This is a stock argument of Dispensationalism. I will argue that both Old and New Testaments, at least partially, locate the Messiah's Davidic rule in Heaven.

It is often said that Psalm 110:1 is the most quoted Old Testament verse in the New Testament. Jesus Himself appealed to it to show that the Messiah is greater than David since He is David's Lord (Matthew 22:41-45). The reason why it is such a vital OT passage is because it proves that it was God's plan all along for the Messiah to return to Heaven as King and to minister as a priest according to the order of Melchizedek (verse 4; Zechariah 6:12-13). But the Dispensational theologian will attempt to distinguish between Christ's heavenly session and His Davidic Kingship. Does this distinction hold up? After all, there is no explicit reference to David or to David's dynasty in this text. I believe that we must understand Psalm 110 as a description of the heavenly reign of King Jesus upon the Throne of David. Take a look at the first two verses:

The LORD said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion.

Rule in the midst of Your enemies!

Firstly, it should be noted that even the very language of sitting at the right hand of God is royal language. To sit at the right hand of a reigning monarch (YHWH, or the LORD) is to be that monarch's equal and to share rulership. Secondly, verse two describes Messiah's rod (scepter) and rule. These are obviously descriptions of a king. In fact, the language of Psalm 110:2 is almost completely parallel to that of Psalm 2! So if Psalm 110 is describing Messiah's Kingship at God's right hand, and the New Testament clearly applies Psalm 110 to the present session of Christ in Heaven (Acts 2:33-36; Ephesians 1:19-21; Hebrews 1:13), then it is clear that Christ rules as King from Heaven.

Further evidence for the heavenly Throne of David is found in Daniel 7. Elsewhere, I have made a similar argument so I won't repeat it here (but I definitely encourage the reader to view that post!). Suffice it to say however that in this very heavenly scene, the Son of Man receives: dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:14 NKJV; cf. Mark 14:60-62; Acts 1:9; Ephesians 1:19-21).

The last line of evidence that I will point out is from the mouth of the resurrected Lord Himself from the book of Revelation.  For example, Revelation 1:5, in the midst of a Trinitarian benediction, speaks of Jesus Christ as, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. This language is clearly borrowed from Psalm 2, which speaks of the "kings of the earth" making futile plots against the Messiah who rules over the nations.

In chapters 2 and 3, the Risen One appears to John and gives him several messages for the seven churches in Asia Minor. In each case, Christ opens His message with an exalted self-description and closes with a promise to him who overcomes. Several of these self-descriptions and promises to overcomers are germane to our discussion.

At the end of chapter 2, Christ ends His message to the church in Thyatira with this promise:

And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations -

‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron;

They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—

as I also have received from My Father;

This is an important passage for a "now/not yet" understanding of the Kingdom of God. The promise is that those who overcome the seductions of the false prophetess "Jezebel" will rule with Christ over the nations in Psalm 2 fashion (which I understand to mean, at least partially, sharing in Christ's Millennial rule). But Jesus also goes on to add that this Psalm 2 rule over the nations has already been given to Him by God the Father as He reigns from Heaven.

Further evidence in Revelation that Jesus reigns as Davidic King from Heaven is found in chapter 3. In verse 7, Jesus begins His message to the church in Philadelphia by self-identifying as, He who is holy, He is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens". Adam Clarke in his commentary on this passage, explains:

"See this metaphor explained, Matthew 16:19. Key is the emblem of authority and knowledge; the key of David is the regal right or authority of David. David could shut or open the kingdom of Israel to whom he pleased. He was not bound to leave the kingdom even to his eldest son. He could choose whom he pleased to succeed him. The kingdom of the Gospel, and the kingdom of heaven, are at the disposal of Christ. He can shut against whom he will; he can open to whom he pleases. If he shuts, no man can open; if he opens, no man can shut. His determinations all stand fast, and none can reverse them. This expression is an allusion to Isaiah 22:22, where the prophet promises to Eliakim, under the symbol of the key of the house of David, the government of the whole nation; i.e., all the power of the king, to be executed by him as his deputy; but the words, as here applied to Christ, show that He is absolute."

Lastly, I want to consider Revelation 3:21. After Christ's loving rebuke of the church in Laodicea, He again makes a promise to those who overcome: 

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

The first and most obvious thing to point out is that by overcoming (dying and rising again), Christ has sat down on a throne. This would obviously make Him a King. But more than that, Christ states that He has sat down on His Father's throne. But by sitting on the throne of His Father, does that necessarily imply that Jesus also sits on the throne of David in Heaven? I believe it does. As we compare parallel Old Testament passages, it becomes apparent that Scripture equates David's throne with God's throne. 

Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.

(1 Kings 2:12 NKJV)

Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.

(1 Chronicles 29:23 NKJV)

This is important for another reason. I believe that understanding the equation between God's/David's throne is further evidence (in addition to the mountain that already exists) of the full deity and humanity of Christ. After all, only a human (one descended from David) can sit on the throne of David. And it should go without saying that ultimately only God can sit on God's throne. 

Hopefully, the scriptural evidence I have provided should show beyond reasonable doubt that the heavenly session of Jesus Christ at the Father's right hand is equal to reigning as King/Priest from David's throne. May grasping the exalted heavenly place of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit bring Him glory as His people love and worship Him to the glory of God the Father. Amen.