Ps. 47- a Preview of the Return of Messiah

Yesterday I was reading in Psalm 47, and I was just totally amazed.  The Yhwh opened my eyes to see or realize things in this Psalm I don't ever recall seeing before!  This Psalm is a Psalm of rejoicing in Yhwh, the holy one of Israel, and pictures Him working deliverance, or salvation, for the people of Israel, and indeed, Himself being king over Israel, putting them in their land.

The reason Protestants misunderstand, is because they reject (in the majority) the Tanakh as the basis, or foundation of the Brit Hadaschah (New Testament, or Covenant).  and they think it is otherwise!

First off, the Hebrew scriptures start their verse numbering in the Psalms with the superscription, which English Bibles usually just take as the section heading or leave it as 'superscript.'  But this tells us in Psalm 47 that this song was "written for the music director (which, gentlemen, the choir in the temple was made up of men!)

v.1 1 All you peoples, clap your hands.b

Shout to God with a voice of rejoicing.

In Philippians, we are taught by Rabbi Paul to "rejoice in the Yhwh always, I will say it again, rejoice!" (Phil. 3:1, 4:4).

2 For Yahweh Most High is awesome,c

a great king over all the earth.

A common Biblical theme, that Yhwh Sabaoth (of hosts~ angelic armies), is king over the earth, the most high, Elyon; and, He is to be feared, something lost in most Christian circles!

3 He subdues peoples under us

and nations under our feet.

4 He chooses for us our inheritance,

the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

He, Yhwh Sabaoth, is the one who subdues or conquerors, Israel's enemies under them. He chose the land of Canaan, or Palestine (old Philistia~ Israel's ancient foe), to give to the children of Ja'acob, and it is their Pride!

5 God has gone up with a shout,

Yahweh with the sound of a [shofar].

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises.

Sing praises to our king, sing praises.

7 For God is king of all the earth.

Sing praises with understanding.d

8 God reigns over nations;

God sits on his holy throne.

Here we see God, Elyon Sabaoth comes, of goes up with a shout! With the sound of a trumpet (in hebrew,shofar, the ram's horn) the instrument given by the Israelis' when going into battle. This is where, beyond acknowledging that Israel's peace, military dominance, and possession of the land of ancient Canaan are from Yhwh, we see in verse five the rallying signal given by Yhwh Himself for the final battle (also known as Armageddon, when the nations of the world are gathered against Israel, synonymous with Psalm 83?).

One reason why this passage is so powerful, is that we can see here it's parallel teaching by Rabbi Paul, in the Brit Hadashah. 1 Thessalonians 4 - 

16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

This seems to parallel the eschatological (end time) teaching of the deliverance of Yhwh found in Psalm 47.  and for those with a Biblical worldview... this is bringing to completion the good news, the Euanggelion, the consummation of Yhwh's plan, the covenant He made with Abra'am, Yisac, and Ja'acob.  

The forgiveness of sins, based upon the suffering of the Messiah, the son of man, and justification because of imputation of His righteousness is based upon the teaching found in the Prophet Isaiah, chapter 53.  And to this Rabbi Paul also alludes in his letter to the diasporoa Romans in Romans 3:19-31.

 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be snatched away at the same time together with them in the clouds for a meeting with the Lord in the air, and thus we will be together with the Lord always.

And so with Rabbi Paul's teaching, in accordance with the basis of the Christian faith, the Tanakh, Rabbi Paul teaches that the dead in Messiah, and then those living believers, will be caught up to be forever with Messiah, as he places His people in the land of Yisrael never more to be uprooted, under His physical reign upon the earth!

There are so many other scriptures in the Tanakh and the Brit Hadashah, connecting these teachings, but for now, it will have to be another post.

Rabbi Paul also speaks about the salvation of all Israel in Romans 11, which ties in with Psalm 47.  Another hint for those who are hungry: the "fullness of the Gentiles" is explained to us what that is in Genesis 48:19 where Jacob blesses the children of Joseph.

Let those who have ears hear!  Shalom!