Psalm 102 - Part 3 - When the Lord shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory!

Psalm 102 Part 3

To go back to Part 1 or Part 2

Dennis Edwards

102:14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.

However, some of these verses are used to justify Christian Zionism. Many Christians have supported Israel blindly as a result of being told that the present state of Israel is the Israel of Bible prophecy and set to receive all the blessings of God.

102:15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

The day is coming when the heathen and all the kings of the earth shall fear the name of the Lord and His glory. But that day does not take place until God tribulates the planet for thee-and-a-half-years during the second part of the prophesized last seven years. It doesn’t take place until after the seventy-five days of the wrath of God that proceed immediately after the tribulation period.

102:16 When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.

Some say the verse is a prophecy that Israel would become a political state once again before the second coming of Christ. On May 14^th 1948 Israel declared themselves an independent state and have ever since been fighting to remain one. Some Christians point to the above verse as a confirmation that God is behind the present-day nation of Israel. They quote from Genesis 12:3, “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee.”

These Christian Zionists believe that true followers of Christ must whole-heartedly support present-day Israel and its idea of Greater Israel or from “the Mediterranean to the Euphrates.” By supporting Israel and its desire for autonomy of the lands once promised to Abraham, they believe they will help fulfil Bible prophecy and hasten the return of Christ, the rapture, and the 1,000 year Millennium. Let us look at some verse in Isaiah that complement that idea.

Isaiah 11:11-12 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

Jeremiah 30:3 For, lo, the days come, says the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, says the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.

These verses are used to justify Israel’s existence, showing that it’s Biblical prophecy and, therefore, God is behind it. "Woe be to any man who would stand against it." is what they say. Christian Zionists and much of the Western Evangelical Christian believers have for many years taken these verses to mean that God supports today’s Zionistic nation of Israel.

It may very well be that it is the hand of God that has done it. Or, it may be that it is the hand of man that has done it, and God with His fore-knowledge predicted it. Elsewhere in Scripture, we find that God brings the people back in unbelief only to further chastise them.

Jeremiah 30:11 For I am with you, says the Lord, to save you: though I make a full end of all the nations whither I have scattered you, yet will I not make a full end of you: but will correct you in measure, and will not leave you altogether unpunished.

It is difficult to discern how to interpret many of the Scriptures. Is the Lord talking here of the Jewish nation or is He talking about the true believers, the followers of Jesus? Some take these verses as whole-hearted support for the present-day nation of Israel, and therefore back Israel 100%, no matter how they behave.

102:17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.

The verse above seems to indicate that the Lord may in fact be on the side of the destitute, which in the present-day Israeli-Palestinian conflict could very well be the Palestinian refugees from Gaza. Will the Lord hear their cry? Or will he despise their cry because they are not Jewish? Around 10-20% of the Palestinian used to be Christian. It’s difficult to believe that God does not hear the cry of the Palestinian people who are destitute and afflicted, and without a strong power that will make a stand for them.

Psalm 102:18-20 This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. For he has looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;

Again, it would seem that the Palestinians of Gaza are more like the groaning prisoners and those that appointed to death, than the Israelis, at this point.

102:21 To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;

It is very difficult to declare the name of the Lord in Jerusalem today. Evangelization is very strictly controlled. However, according to Zechariah 12 and 13, during the course of the tribulation period, two-thirds of the Jewish people living in Israel shall die in the war that will take place. One-third will turn to Christ and be supernaturally saved from destruction. The one-third “will call upon My name, and I will hear them, I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God,” Zechariah 13:9b.

102:22 When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.

The kingdoms of the world will become the kingdoms of our Lord at the end of the tribulation/wrath of God or at the beginning of the Millennium.

Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.

102:23-24 He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days. I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.

The psalmist is asking the Lord to give him a little more time to do God’s work.

102:25-27 Of old has thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou are the same, and thy years shall have no end.

Only God and His Word are unchanging. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away,” Matthew 24:35.

Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore, you sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today, and for ever.

Apostle Peter also comments on perishableness of the present life.

2 Peter 3: 9.15a "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

(These verses could be referring to the period at the end of the Millennium when “fire came down from heaven and devoured them.” Or it could be talking about the destruction by fire during the wrath of God on many of the nations of the earth found in Ezekiel 39:6, and elsewhere, Isaiah 13:6-13, and Zephaniah 1:14-18.)

"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

"Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness. (The new heavens and new earth come after the Millennium, Revelation 21:1.) Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation."

Lamentations 3:22-23 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Psalm 102:28 The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.

God’s kingdom of hearts and souls goes marching on into eternity. As many as receive Jesus, as their Lord and Saviour, to them He gives power to become the sons of God. Believe and be saved and walk as He walked. Come and follow Him the maker of all things and the giver of eternal life.

King James Version (KJV)  

Originally Published March 5, 2026

Read More

Psalm 102 Part 2 - Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion

Psalm 102 Part 2

To go back to Part 1

Dennis Edwards

102:13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.

At the time of Jesus’ birth some of the attentive Jewish and even foreign scholars and religious people were in expectation of the Messiah’s arrival. The prophecies of Daniel. 9:25 had predicted so. Some 483 years were destined to pass from the time the Persian ruler Artaxerxes Longimanus (465-425 BC) gave commandment for the walls of Jerusalem to be rebuilt until the arrival of the Messiah. The Books of Nehemiah and Ezra cover the rebuilding of the walls which is the fulfilment of the first section of those time prophecies, a forty-nine year period.

In the records of Jesus’ birth, we see some examples of expectation of the coming of the Messiah which was present at that time.

Luke 2:25-32 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now let thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Simeon said to Mary and Joseph, “Behold this child is set for the fall and rising of Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against,” Luke 2:34. Even today both the Jewish and Muslim people do not believe Jesus rose from the dead and speak against His resurrection and Lordship.

Simeon was waiting for the prophesized appearing of the Messiah. Ana the prophetess, at the same time came upon Simeon with Mary and Joseph and “gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spoke of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem,” Luke 2:38.

The account of the three wise men from the East, probably the land of Persia, who were familiar with the prophecies of Daniel, is found in Matthew 2. Daniel had been in captivity in Persia some 500 years before the birth of Jesus. His prophecies, no doubt, were still studied at that time. Daniel’s prophecies inspired the three important foreign scholars to travel to Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ birth to seek for Him.

When the wise men arrived at Jerusalem, the Jewish scholars inform the king of the birth place of the awaited Messiah. “In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,” Matthew 2:5.

Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

The Jewish people were well aware that the coming of the Messiah was at hand. In the calling of Jesus’ disciples, recorded in the gospel of John, we find the same anticipation. First, we see John the Baptist calling Jesus, “the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world,” John 1:29.

The next day John the Baptist is with two of his disciples and he again repeats what he had said the day before. “Behold, the Lamb of God,” John 1:36. The two disciples on hearing John’s declaration follow Jesus and become His disciples. One of those disciples was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He goes and finds his brother and says:

John 1:41 We have found the Messias.

Peter, likewise, ends up following Jesus. The next day Jesus calls Philip, who was also of Bethsaida. Philip calls his best friend named Nathanael and says, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write,” John 1:45b.

When Nathanael finally gets to talk to Jesus to discern if his friend’s remark is true, he says, “Teacher, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of the Jews,” John 1:49. Nathanael accepts the claim of Philip and articulates the meaning held by the Jewish people of the Old Testament prophecies.

The coming Messiah would be the Son of God and the expected King of the Jews, who they had hoped would deliver them from the hand of the Romans, and bring in the Millennium kingdom. The new disciples of Jesus didn’t have a clear understanding of the prophecies, but they did recognise that Jesus was the One.

God’s people have always been hoping for the day when the kingdom would be given into the hands of the Son of man. They were familiar with Daniel’s prophecies just as the Persian wise men were.

Daniel 7:13-14 I saw in the night vision, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before Him.

Wait a minute. In the Old Testament imagery, it was only God Himself that is seen riding on the clouds of heaven. Let’s look at those passages.

Deuteronomy 33:26-27 There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rides upon the heaven in thy help, and in His excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them,

Psalm 68:32-33 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah: to Him who rides upon the heavens of heaven, which were of old; lo, He does send out His voice, and that a mighty voice,

Maybe that’s the voice the Lord shouts at the time of the rapture.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

Let’s get back to who is riding on the clouds of heaven.

Psalm 104:1-3 Behold the Lord, O my soul, O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with honour and majesty. Who covers Himself with light as with a garment: who stretches out the heavens like a curtain: who lays the beams of His chambers in the waters: who makes the clouds His chariot: who walks upon the wings of the wind.

Isaiah 19:1 Behold, the Lord rides upon the swift cloud.

We see that in Old Testament prophecy it is the Lord God who rides upon the clouds. However, in Daniel 7:13 it is the Son of man who is riding upon the clouds, normally, imagery given only to God Himself.

In the New Testament we see the imagery pertains to Jesus and yet it sounds as if Jesus and the Father are the same.

Revelation 1:7 Behold, He comes with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, says the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Acts 1:11b This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven (on a cloud), shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.

Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

We can see from the parallel imagery of both the Father and the Son how the early church fathers came to the understanding of the Trinity. Three persons in One Being, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are one. Yes, it’s hard for us to get our head around it. But why should we be able to completely understand an infinitely Intelligent Being with our limited understanding? The Messiah, God the Father, and Jesus are pictured as riding on the clouds of heaven.

We have been looking at the Old Testament verses to see that the Jewish people at the time of Jesus had an expectation of the Messiah’s arrival. They also assumed that the Messiah would over throw the Roman Empire and usher in the Millennium kingdom. Here are some verses from Isaiah describing the Messiah and Millennium period.

Isaiah 11: 1-4 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse (Jesus is a descendant of Jesse, the father of King David), and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:5-9 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

The Jewish people at the time of Jesus, and even His disciples, were under the understanding that the Messiah would at that time bring in the Millennium kingdom. They did not understand that the suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 had to atone for the sins of man first, that the Messiah had to suffer as a lamb to the slaughter before He would come as a conqueror. Some Jewish theologians thought there were two Messiahs: one Messiah Ben-David, and one Messiah Ben-Joseph. Ben-Joseph is the suffering servant who dies in battle before the arrival of Ben-David. Ben-David defeats Israel's enemies and brings in God's kingdom reign gaining eternal life.

Go to Part 3.

Originally Published Mark 5, 2026

Read More

Psalm 102 - Part 1 - Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee

 

Psalm 102:1-12 A prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and pours out his complaint before the Lord - Commentary by Dennis Edwards

102:1-2 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee.  Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.

The psalmist is pouring out his heart to God in prayer as we all do when we are overwhelmed with grief, trouble, sickness, family problems, or whatever we may be going through.

102:3-5 For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as a hearth. My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.

The imagery seems to be that of depicting something that has been used up from over use or age. Old people with dementia forget to eat and as a result can become quite lean. The idea of his skin cleaving to his bones shows a picture of starvation. The next verse continues the imagery.

102:6a I am like a pelican of the wilderness: 

Now what does that mean, "A pelican of the wilderness?" I remember one day watching a wildlife documentary of Africa. It showed how after the heavy spring downfall a lake would be created, in an area south of the Savanah, and area that had formerly been almost desert.

The parent pelicans would come, nest and rear their young along the newly formed lake. But over the course of the summer, the lake would slowly start to dry up. The adult pelicans would eventually fly away with the young pelicans old enough to fly. However, those pelicans which were last to be born and still not so sure about flight would stay by the diminishing lake. Eventually they would starve to death as the lake turned to desert once again.

But before death, they cry out in the hope that their parents will return and save them. Their crying is in vain. Their parents will not return. The desperation of the dying baby pelicans could very well be what the author is describing. He is using the imagery to  describe his own desperation for God. He is like a dying pelican in desperate need of water and rescue. We. too, look to God for help in the time of great affliction and distress. The psalmist may be feeling at that moment little hope that God will respond.

102:6b I am like an owl of the desert.

The owl is another lonely creature who hunts at dusk or nightfall. The desert or wilderness is a lonely desolate place. The psalmist is describing his feeling of isolation or loneliness in a hopeless or difficult situation like a desert.

102:7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.

Do you ever feel like a lonely sparrow, lost and need of finding your family. Do you feel all alone without anyone to help you. The sparrow is a community creature, not a loner. It's difficult for him to survive on his own. Here's an old song that covers the question or feeling of abandonment by God. “His eye is on the sparrow and I know He’s watching you.”

God is watching over us even if we don't feel it at the moment. Jesus said, "Not one sparrow falls to the ground without Your Father knowing it. Even the very hairs of your head are counted. Fear not, you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31.

102:8 My enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.

Sometimes it’s our own loved ones who criticize and mock us and are mad at us for our belief system. As they are the closest to us, it causes us great despair and grief.

102:9-10 For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping. Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for You have lifted me up, and cast me down.

Whatever we are going through, we know the Lord is allowing it for our good. Like Job explained to his complaining wife. “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord,” Job 2:21b. Our tendency when we are going through a down cycle, a spiritual battle, or what we interpret as receiving a chastening from the Lord is to faint, lose faith, and be discouraged. We should remember that Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered. God means to bring good out of our suffering. Therefore, we should not faint, but be of good courage. The psalmist, however, is not feeling encouraged. He continues.

102:11 My days are like a shadow that declines; and I am withered like grass.

Here we see a two-fold imagery. The first is of life being a fleeting moment, like a shadow declining rapidly at the end of the day. The second is an imagery of weakness and old  age, described as the withering, dying grass. As we get older, we may feel or look like withered grass, or feel that our day of sunlight is coming to an end. The psalmist is discouraged. He is feeling his life is coming to an end, and that there's no use of continuing. 

102:12 But thou, O Lord, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.

However, from here on in the psalmist begins to be positive. He begins to regain his faith. The psalm becomes more upbeat. By contrast to humanity’s mortality, the Lord is immortal. The Lord shall endure for eternity. God is eternal from everlasting to everlasting, without beginning and without end. We find that idea throughout the Bible. 

Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

God is the eternal being that existed before time. He is the timeless, immaterial being that brought all things to existence and upholds them through His own power. Jesus is described in the New Testament with a similar description.

Colossians 1:16-17 For by Him (Jesus) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.

The author of Hebrews tells us that God has spoken to us through His Son by whom also He has made the worlds and who is the express image of His person, and upholds all things by the word of His power, Hebrews 1:2-3.

The Gospel of John reiterates the same idea. 

John 1:1-3&14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. ... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

It is Jesus that has created both the material and the spiritual worlds and upholds them by the word of His power. Isaiah, also, mentions the everlasting God, the Creator.

Isaiah 40:28 Have you not known? Have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, neither is He weary? There is no searching of His understanding.

We with our finite minds cannot fully understand the infinite God. He is beyond our understanding. Belief in Him, however, is the beginning of true understanding. Those that do not believe in Him lack understanding and are counted as fools. Elsewhere in Isaiah, Jesus is referred to as the “everlasting Father.”

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulders: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Jesus is the “everlasting Father” who was together with the Father since before time began. He's the second person of the Godhead: the Trinity - one Being in three persons. Jesus was the “voice of the Lord walking in the garden.” He talked with Abraham on the plains of Mamre. He walked before Moses on the top of Sinai. Finally, He came into the material world as a physical being through the Virgin Mary. 

Though He was of the nature of God, He limited and humbled Himself, and took on the nature of men. He later performed many unbelievable miracles, so that we would believe he was, not only the Messiah, but, also, the only begotten Son of the Father. To complete His mission, He submitted Himself to the will of the Father and the death of the cross. Three days later He rose in victory certifying His Godhood. He was indeed the prophesized “Servant,” who would take away the sins of the world, Isaiah 53:10.

Apostle John near to the close of his Gospel writes the following.

John 20:30-31 And many other signs (or miracles) truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through His name.

To go to Part 2. 

Originally published March 3,2026

Read More