Introduction:
What is the main point of importance when we compare the two Sons of God to each other? What is going to be the last piece of the puzzle that we employ to say that our puzzle looks like something that we can understand or agree with. This last milestone appears to be in the discussion of thrones. Jesus has a throne that is shared by the Father and Jesus shares a throne for the Son of Man, but if the Davidic Messiah is the son of David, then obviously we can see that the Davidic Messiah is entitled to a throne in the line of David.
Connecting in the Middle:
So, what is going on here? Jesus is referred to as the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings, and the Davidic Messiah is referred to as the King of Kings, and the Lord of lords. The commonality is in the middle of the two statements where the mention of the Kings is at. Another thing that is interesting is in regard to the two Sons of God in Isaiah 8:8.
(CJB)”It will sweep through Y’hudah, flooding everything and passing on. It will reach even up to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the whole expanse of the land.” God is with us!”
What I found interesting was the word “Neck.” Theologian Albert Barnes notes said that Jerusalem was like the Head, to the body of this person (Messiah). “‘The prophet compares Jerusalem here,’ says Kimchi, ‘to the head of the human body.’,” (Barnes). We can also compare it to the Godhead instead of Jerusalem, but the point is still the same. As Jerusalem would symbolize the doorway to heaven and the prize.
What is relevant is that this analogy of the meeting of the “body” to the “head,” or the two kings meeting in the middle. Another interesting point is that it says that it will, “…sweep through Judah,” This also denotes the symbolism of the sharing of territory for a task that must be done. Just as Jesus was given the temporary authority of Heaven and Earth, here the Son of Man is getting the authority of Judah and being a leader of “the arm” of power, but that it cuts short of Jerusalem itself.
Union of the Messiah:
The Root of Jesse is a Branch coming from Jesse, but the Messiah is a representative of the promises of the first covenant. While Jesus is associated with Moses and his servant Joshua who is of the line of Joseph (Jacob’s son).
Joshua 24:25-27, (NKJV)”So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God.””
A Messiah Prophesized:
Joshua is representing the precursor to the prophecies for the Son of Man coming. We get that from both the name Joshua itself which is the Hebrew name for Jesus, and we get it from the “jumping” of a non-Levite, or someone who isn’t of the Tribe of Aaron, becoming a Priest. We also get it here where it states, “…it has heard all of the words of the Lord…” which lines up with the prophecy of the Son of Man being reborn and then being anointed with the Holy Spirit so that He can understand the interpretations of the Word. The “…trap and a snare…” is relating to the Abomination of Desolation moment. There are references to the “stone” in Isaiah 8:14.
(NKJV) “He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”
This is in reference to “…lest you deny your God,” and also the connection to the stone being put next to an oak tree and then the reconfirmation of the written covenant.
Matthew 3:9, “and do not think to say to yourselves. ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.”
The Messiah is a representative of the tribe of Judah which is of the line of Manasseh. This new branch appears to not just be coming from Jesse, but that it is connecting a line that has been broken and reconnecting the Tribes of Joseph and Levi. Imagine a connection that connects Levi, Joseph, and David together from the stem of Jesse. So, Jesus has the inherent connection of the Tribes (Jacob), because God is the Father of all, and the Son of Man (Messiah) is the link to reconnect all of the broken tribes together. Hence fulfilling the promise given to Abraham.
Jesus’s Mission:
Matthew 5:17-18, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
When the covenant of the Messiah meets the covenant of Jesus we have the new covenant, thus the marriage of the bride and the bridegroom, establishing a co-dependency. It is still possible that there are two thrones, a heavenly throne for Jesus and an Earthly throne (which is currently referred to as a tent) for the Messiah, but after everything comes together, the idea or need to talk about the thrones quickly loses its prestige as that both Sons of God came to serve and not be served. Most likely though there will be a sharing of a single throne as in Revelation 3:21.
“I will let him who wins the victory sit with me on my throne, just as I myself also won the victory and sat down with my Father on his throne.”
Jesus’s actions followed something that already happened with Joshua. Jesus was from the Tribe of Priests before He was made a priest of Melchizedek. Joshua was not born a Levite or Aaron or a Priest, he was commissioned as one by Moses. This also goes along the lines that Jesus is inclusive in that there isn’t a separation in there being Just Gentiles and Jews but that anyone can be saved, and anyone can become a Priest, if commissioned. Joshua, who was Jesus’s type of predecessor, gave an extension to the old covenant and rewrote the rules for it.
NKJV Hebrews 4:8, “For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.”
Conclusion:
Joshua fulfilled an extremely important role in that he was both from the tribe of Ephraim and represented the priesthood. This denotes the ability for us to morph or change our roles. Throne ownership allows us to further explore our relationship with the Messiah, since it will most likely be shared and sealed with a marriage of authority and a new covenant that replaces in part both of the previous ones. Joshua set the stage for Jesus and Jesus sets the stage for the coming Son of Man, and all of this is leading up to the merger of Heaven and Earth.
Citations:
Barnes, Albert. Isaiah 8 – Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, Bible Comments, www.biblecomments.org/c/10/albert-barnes-notes-on-the-bible/isaiah/8. Accessed 4 May 2024.
