Does king David reign over the Millennium?

Monday morning's Men's study started off with a tirade about king David reigning over the Millennium. In my notes I wrote, “try finding this in scripture; you can't.”

Is my assertion correct? That can only be proved out by scripture, and we need at least two witnesses, so let's try.

Ezekiel 34:24 will be the first witness we call to the stand.

“therefore, I will deliver My flock, and they will no longer be a prey; and I will judge between one sheep and another. "Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. "And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the LORD have spoken.” Ezekiel 34:22-24 NASB

When does this take place? 

Only after the victorious return of Jesus as the warring Messiah. When He returns He will conquer all foes and peace will be restored. Another piece of this understanding comes from Ezekiel 36:28

"You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. Ezekiel 36:28 NASB

Ezekiel 34:24 tells us that, “My servant David will be prince among them.” Does that mean that David will reign over the Millennium, or at the minimum, Israel?

The word prince is the Hebrew word nasi and means one lifted up, a chief, prince: - chief, and ruler.

Once again, Ezekiel 34:24 from the Complete Jewish Bible.

I, Adonai, will be their God; and my servant David will be prince among them. I, Adonai, have spoken. Ezekiel 34:24 CJB

The fact that the verse speaks of “them”, implies that God is speaking of David ruling. If that is the case, it is over Israel.

A piece of information that might help you see why I believe the word “them” applies strictly to Israel, would be the understanding that there are only three people groups to be considered. Those people groups are the Jews; the nations; and the church. Since the church is deemed to be in Christ, and He, as we see in the Revelation, is ruling and reigning, then I can easily assume that we, the church, are ruling with Him. This idea works out well during the millennial reign, as there will be another group of people still wandering around the earth during this time; that group is the nations. The surviving Jews will have come to accept Jesus as the Messiah; in the Millennial reign, and they will be the evangelists who go out to the nations, bringing healing in the form of leaves from the trees of life that grow along the river that flows out from under the throne of God.

Further evidence that there will people outside of the kingdom, comprising the ethnos, with the ability to make free choices, is found in Revelation 21.

Revelation 21:8 NASB "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

How is it possible, in this Idealized world we call the Millennium, that there could still be people conjuring up such evil? It is possible because the merciful God has allowed them to pass into the thousand year reign (This concept that the merciful God would allow the nations/sinners to pass into the thousand year reign is also one that is challenged by the leader of the Monday morning study, as he, declares that all, from the nations, are doomed to the lake of fire.) It is also very assertable that the Ethnos/Nations/Gentiles are continuing to live, just as they had been since time began. The difference being, there is no Satan to influence or motivate us. The lack of Satan's influence adds a bizarre twist because the vileness of Revelation 21:8 demonstrates the potential of an unchecked heart.

When I began to explain some aspect of scripture that referred to the nations, the religious fanatic I was speaking with, emphatically declared, these people are called the ethnos. He did this in a vain attempt to put me in my place.

The Hebrew word for nations is "go'ee." It is from this word that the Jews derived the word goyim, a slang term for Gentiles.

Ethnos, on the other hand, is a Greek word, meaning a race (as of the same habit), or a tribe; specifically a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually by implication pagan).

While my impetuous acquaintance seemed to imply that God would have nothing to do with anyone of colored skin, the fact that many Ethiopians (a dark-skinned race) can demonstrate a valid Jewish heritage, proves that color plays no part in the equation. Therefore, anyone that was not a Jew was of the ethnos and believed to be a pagan (This kind of narrow-minded thinking was easy for the Jews as they comprehended themselves to have the one true God. Now, whether they recognized Him and followed him or not is an entirely different story.)

What have I proved?

That David will reign as a chief, but so far, we can only prove that David will be a prince of Israel during the millennial reign. Beyond that, everything we know is circumstantial and unproven.

Does Ezekiel 37:23,24 prove anything?

Ezekiel 37:23-24 NASB "They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God. 24) "My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them.

It is possible that the reference to David is merely pointing to the Messiah, and David then, was simply a type of Christ? I know that is just a little hard to swallow considering how poorly David ran his life at times, and Jesus walked through this life without a failure we call sin.

It was Paul the Apostle that gave the oration we find in Acts 13. Here is just a portion.

Acts 13:34 NASB "As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: 'I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.

J. Vernon McGee, states in his commentary, that this is what Peter said on the day of Pentecost. So, what did Peter then say?

Acts 2:34-36 NASB "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, 35) UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET."' 36) "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified."

He is telling us that David spoke of Jesus. Is it possible then that we are to be looking for Jesus to be walking in the blessing spoken of to David?

Nathanael, Philip's brother, and one of the disciples said,

Nathanael answered Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel." John 1:49 NASB

This idea of Jesus/Yeshua reigning forever over the house of Jacob is also seen when the angel announces to Mary that she is to give birth to the Son of God, Jesus.

“The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31) "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32) "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33) and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." Luke 1:30-33 NASB

Let me sum this up by saying, it is uncommon, to say the least, to preach such a message, especially if you are going to verbalize the peculiar idea that King David shall rule over the millennium.