DAVID’S MULTI-PERSONAL LORD PT. 1

In this post I am going to sum up the in-depth arguments and exegesis found throughout my articles and rebuttals, which I provided in relation to the Trinitarian implications of Psalm 110. The links to all of this material will be posted at the conclusion of this series.

DAVID’S HEAVENLY ADON

The Holy Spirit revealed to and through David that there is another divine Person enthroned alongside of YHVH in heaven as David’s Lord, and by extension the Lord of all creation:

“Of David. A Psalm. Yahweh says to my Lord (Adoni): Sit at My right hand Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.’” Psalm 110:1

To be seated at YHVH’s right hand is to be seated upon the heavenly throne along with YHVH, since the God-breathed Scriptures are clear that YHVH is on his throne in heaven:

“He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord (Adonay) mocks them.” Psalm 2:4

“For the choir director. Of David… Yahweh is in His holy temple; Yahweh’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.” Psalm 11:4

“Of David… Yahweh has established His throne in the heavens, And His kingdom rules over all.” Psalm 103:19

At the same time, the sacred writings are emphatic that YHVH alone reigns in/from heaven over all creation, and YHVH is the only heavenly Lord that the believers have and are to look to:

“Who is like Yahweh our God, The One who sits on high,” Psalm 113:5

“The heavens are the heavens of Yahweh, But the earth He has given to the sons of men.” Psalm 115:16

“To You I lift up my eyes, The One enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a servant‑girl to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to Yahweh our God, Until He is gracious to us.” Psalm 123:1-2

“Let them praise the name of Yahweh, For His name alone is set on high; His splendor is above earth and heaven.” Psalm 148:13

David himself acknowledged that YHVH is his one and only Lord whom he trusts in:

“A Mikhtam of David. Keep me, O God, for I take refuge in You. O my soul, you have said to Yahweh, ‘You are my Lord (Adonay); I have no good without You.’” Psalm 16:1-2

Hence, the only way for there to be another heavenly Lord reigning alongside of YHVH is if that other Lord is both distinct from and identical with YHVH.

In other words, Psalm 110:1 furnishes OT evidence that the one true God of Israel exists as a plurality of divine Persons.  

[N]EW [T]ESTAMENT EXEGESIS OF PS. 110:1

The Christian Scriptures identify Jesus Christ as this other Lord whom David confessed and worshiped:

“And Jesus began to say, as He taught in the temple, ‘How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself said in the Holy Spirit, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet.’” David himself calls Him “Lord”; so in what sense is He his son?’ And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him.” Mark 12:35-37

Jesus’ questioning was intended to bring out the significance of the Holy Spirit revealing to David that the Messiah is his Lord, even though he is supposed to be his Son.

Jesus’ point was that if the Messiah were merely a physical descendant of David, then he could not be David’s Lord.

And yet that is precisely who the Messiah is, i.e., the Lord and Son of David:

“Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. And when he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ And many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ And Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him here.’ So they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take courage, get up! He is calling for you.’ And throwing off his outer garment, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered him and said, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ And the blind man said to Him, ‘Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has saved you.’ Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.” Mark 10:46-52

Christ was getting his opponents to see that the Messiah is more than a human being, since he is also the unique divine Son of God who is essentially one with the Father, a fact which God’s Spirit had already made known to David:

“I, Jesus, sent My angel to bear witness to you of these things for the churches. I am the ROOT AND the DESCENDANT of David, the bright morning star.” Revelation 22:16

That is why David could worship his own physical offspring whom God the Father exalted to reign with him as the Lord of all creation:

“Men, brothers, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to set one of the fruit of his body on his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither forsaken to Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this which you both see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.”’ Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ⁠—this Jesus whom you crucified.” Acts 2:29-36

“As for the word which He sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ⁠—He is Lord of all⁠—you yourselves know the thing which happened throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree. God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He appear, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He commanded us to preach to the people, and solemnly to bear witness that this is the One who has been designated by God as Judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” Acts 10:36-43

Here are some other NT references which apply Psalm 110:1 to the risen and exalted Jesus:

“But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him and said to Him, ‘Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’ And Jesus said, ‘I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’” Mark 14:61-62

“So then, the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.” Mark 16:19-20

“This One God exalted to His right hand as a Leader and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God gave to those who obey Him.” Acts 5:31-32

“But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’” Acts 7:55-56

“Now the main point in what is being said is this: we have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the holy places and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.” Hebrews 8:1-2

“but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until His enemies are put as a footstool for His feet” Hebrews 10:12-13

“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

The following example is most interesting:

“who is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power; who, having accomplished cleansing for sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high… But of the Son He says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions.’ And, ‘You, Lord, in the beginning founded the earth, And the heavens are the works of Your hands; They will perish, but You remain; And they all will wear out like a garment, And like a mantle You will roll them up; Like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.’ But to which of the angels has He ever said, ‘Sit at My right hand, Until I put Your enemies As a footstool for Your feet?” Hebrews 1:3, 8-13

The inspired writer not only cites and alludes to Psalm 110:1 and 113:5, he even has God the Father glorifying the risen Son with the words of the following Psalm,

“A Prayer of the afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint before Yahweh. O Yahweh, hear my prayer! And let my cry for help come to You… But You, O Yahweh, abide forever, And the remembrance of Your name from generation to generation… Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. Even they will perish, but You will remain; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.” Psalm 102:1, 12, 25-27

Thereby identifying Christ as that very same YHVH whom the Psalmist praised for beingthe unchangeable Creator and Sustainer of all creation!

No wonder Thomas could glorify the risen Jesus,

“And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then He said to Thomas, ‘Bring your finger here, and see My hands; and bring your hand here and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing. Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God (ho Kyrios mou kai ho Theos mou)!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are those who did not see, and yet believed.’” John 20:26-29

In virtually the exact same way that the Psalmist magnifies YHVH:

“Stir up Yourself, and awake to my justice And to my cause, my God and my Lord.” Psalm 35:23

“Wake up! And pay attention to my trial, my God and my Lord (ho Theos mou kai ho Kyrios mou), to my case!” Psalm 34:23 (“Psalms (and Prayer of Manasses),” translated by Albert Pietersma, A New English Translation of the Septuagint, published by Oxford University Press in 2009, including corrections and emendations made in the second printing (2009) and corrections and emendations made in June 2014, p. 564)

Like David beforehand, Thomas knew that the Messiah who is Jesus is YHVH in the flesh, being God’s uniquely begotten Son who is one with the Father in essence.

With the foregoing in perspective, we can now proceed to the next part of the discussion: DAVID’S MULTI-PERSONAL LORD PT. 2.

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