The Covenant with David (Partial recording only) CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
The covenant with David was established in 2 Sam 7:8-16. In this covenant with David the Lord established the throne of his kingdom from which Solomon ruled and from which the Lord Jesus Christ will eventually rule the world in Jerusalem (Is 9:6-7; Zech 14:9, 16-17).
The covenant with David covers the period from David through the millennial reign of Jesus. There is a skip from Coniah (Jer. 22:24-30, also known as Jehoiachin (2 Ki. 24:6)) to Jesus Christ at his first coming (Matt. 2:2; 27:37). See note below. And there is another skip in the covenant with David from Christ’s ascension to the second coming of Jesus Christ (Rev. 11:15). In other words, the king was here when Jesus came in his earthly ministry (Jn 19:19), but he did not begin his earthly rule at that time (Jn 18:36). Furthermore, Jesus is not now ruling on the throne of David during the Church Age. He will rule when he returns at the Second Advent.
The token of the covenant with David is a throne (2 Sam 7:13, 16). The greatest theme of the Bible, therefore, is not our salvation. The main theme is getting the right man, Jesus Christ, on the throne to rule according to God’s will.
The terms of the covenant with David are that David was promised a kingdom for Israel and a throne upon which his seed would rule forever. Jesus Christ is the literal fulfillment of that promised seed and he will rule on that throne at his Second Advent (Lk. 1:31-33; Matt. 19:28). Notice these parallels: David and Jesus are both shepherds (2 Sam 7:8; Jn 10:11); they are rulers (2 Sam 7:8; Matt 2:6); their enemies are cut off (2 Sam 7:9; 1 Cor 15:25-26); they have great names (2 Sam 7:9; Phil 2:9-11); God gave them houses (2 Sam 7:11; Matt 21:13); their throne is established forever (2 Sam 7:16; Is 9:7).
From Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 4:19-22), through Alexander the Great and Caesar, and all the way to the Antichrist (2 Thes 2:3-4), rulers have tried and will try to rule the world without Jesus Christ sitting on his throne. Many religions that acknowledge Jesus’ reign have tried to spiritualize his rule to abolish his literal, visible, physical reign on earth. They say he is reigning from heaven and that he will not reign on earth. Others deny that he will reign, at all.
Based on this covenant, there are religions that preach that they are the only ones with real salvation because their churches are worldwide and their converts and members are the ones who will rule in the coming kingdom on earth. Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are certainly in this category. There are other religions who believe they are conquering the people of the world and subduing their “enemies” so that their religion and worldwide rule will prevail in the earth. They believe that they are bringing in the kingdom. Roman Catholicism and Islam are in this category. So are post-millennialists who believe that through the preaching of the gospel, the world will be converted to Christ. They are wrong, because the promise in this covenant is only fulfilled when Jesus returns and reigns on the earth.
The simplicity of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ was not known in the Old Testament, when this covenant was made. So, you wouldn’t say that people in the Old Testament, after the covenant with David was made, were saved the same way we are saved in the Church Age. We have eternal security (Heb 13:5) and the everlasting indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30). Contrast David’s prayer in Ps 51:11 after his sin with Bathsheba.
Note: According to Jer 22:30, the seed of Coniah would not prosper, sitting upon the throne of David and ruling in Judah. Thus, the birth of Jesus Christ had to be a virgin birth so that God could fulfill the promise that David’s seed would rule upon the throne. Jesus was the seed of David (Matt 1:6, Mary’s lineage; Lk 3:31, Joseph’s lineage) on his mother’s side. But he was the seed of God (Lk 1:34-35) on his Father’s side. And so the prophecy against Coniah did not nullify the covenant with David.