Prophetic Prospective Daily Devotional

Let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

The account of the dividing of the "twelve tribes of Israel", after the 40-year reign of King Solomon, into the two divisions of "Israel" and "Judah" can be found in I Kings 12-16. This record of the people of Israel, the Jewish people, then leads into the account of one of the great "Prophets" of the Jewish people.

I Kings 16-18 continues the story of the ten tribes that went with Jeroboam to the north of the country and became the ones who would "worship evil" in their "religious" practices. Into this story would come one of the great "Prophets" of the Jewish people, Elijah.

Before we get to Elijah let me set the scene. The ten tribes in the north known as 'Israel" had a King that was the King that "did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him", the King of Israel, Ahab.

God used Elijah to stop the "rain" in the land of Israel for a period of three years, I Kings 17:1and 18:1, and Elijah did all of this according to the word of God. You will notice that phrase again, "according to thy word".

Please read through the extended reading for our devotional today, I Kings 18:17-46. This is the marvelous story of God using a man of like passion as we have to do a "mighty" work for Him. This is the classic account of the battle between the "God of Elijah" and the "god of the prophets of Baal".

Read this account and rejoice in the Lord and how He gives the victory over evil. Notice the phrase found in I Kings 18:36, Elijah again did all that he did according to the Word of God.

The prophetic significance in this passage is found in the life of Elijah. James, the New Testament writer, reveals that Elijah was, and will be used of God even though he is just a man that is subject to like passions as you and me. That does not eliminate us from being used of God in the last days.

Elijah is one of the two witnesses foretold in Revelation 11:3-12, according to Malachi 4:5. These two witnesses will have a ministry of 1260 days, or three and one half years, during the Tribulation Period. We’ll have more on this great Prophet and his total ministry in a future devotional.

I close this devotional by reminding you that the first portion of the Tribulation is drawing closer and closer each and every day. This is so because of all the prophetic passages in God’s word yet to be fulfilled and seemingly at the point of fulfillment.

The very next prophecy to be fulfilled is the Rapture when Jesus calls us into the heavens to be with Him evermore. That Rapture can happen at any time, even today, so keep looking up and listening for the shout.

PRAYER THOT: Dear Lord, as I await your shout for me to join you in the heavens, help me to "do according to your word".

Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

As we continue through I Kings, next is chapter 10, which is the account of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. This one note of fact, King Solomon never gave the Queen the "ark of the covenant" thus it never went to Ethiopia. The next chapter contains a prophecy for that day as well as the near future.

Our key verse, verse 11, in our devotional reading for today is the prophecy that I’m referring to that has the connection between yesterday and the future. This prophecy to Solomon thus becomes the "prototype" for a prophecy yet to be fulfilled. 

The fulfillment of this prophecy is recorded in I Kings 12:16-24. The dividing of the Kingdom of Solomon - 10 tribes under Jeroboam known as "Israel" and two tribes under Rehoboam known as "Judah".

These 12 tribes would reunite almost 500 years later. This reunification of the twelve tribes of Israel would take place in the days of the reign of Cyrus of the Medo-Persian Empire, Ezra 1:1-3 and Ezra 2.

However, the ancient Jewish prophet Ezekiel reveals another division among the Jewish people will take place during the last days leading up to and during the seven year Tribulation Period.

Ezekiel 37:15-23 is prophecy that is yet to come to pass. There will be two Jewish states at that time known as "Israel" and "Judah" (see my study on Ezekiel 37 on my CD "Ezekiel, Retribution and Restoration') .

The stage is being set for this prophecy to be fulfilled with the growing division among the Jewish people of Israel over the issue of the Jewish settlements in the area of Judea and Samaria (sometimes referred to as the "West Bank").

In addition to the division in the body politic of Israel there is the continuing pressure from the United States, the European Union and the United Nations for the Israeli government to evacuate the almost 500,000 Jewish settlers in Judea and Samaria.

There is a recent poll done by Hebrew University that reveals there are thousands of these Jewish settlers that say they will “take up arms” to stop their own government from evacuating their families from the homes that they have lived in for almost four decades.

We are witnessing the formation of the two Jewish states called for in Bible Prophecy, even today. The Rapture will happen before this division of the single Jewish State of Israel today. Thus the Rapture could be today........so let's keep looking up.

PRAYER THOT: Dear Lord, as I watch the preparations for the fulfillment of Bible Prophecy help me to allow my understanding of future events to cause me to live in light of your Word, a life expecting You to call me to be with You at any moment.

And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

In fulfillment of God's promise to David, II Samuel 7, King David's son Solomon did build the temple, the first permanent dwelling place for the worship of the Jewish people in Jerusalem.

I Kings 5 is the record of Solomon's preparations to build the Temple with the gathering together of the manpower and materials. I Kings 6, Solomon begins the building of the Temple. I Kings 7 is the story of the building of the home of Solomon.

Notice in I Kings 7:1, it took Solomon 13 years to build his house and according to I Kings 6:38 it only took 7 years to build the Temple. Solomon had a very interesting priority. I Kings 8 reveals that Solomon brought the "Ark of the Covenant" into the Temple. What a day that was when the "Glory of the Lord filled the House of the Lord".

As we come to our devotional reading for today, I Kings 9:1-9, we see recorded the second pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus to King Solomon, the first being in Gibeon, I Kings 3:5. The Lord tells the King of Israel that He had heard his prayer and supplication, verse 3. The Lord also said that Solomon's permanent "worship center", the Temple, was to be "hallowed" by Him.

The Lord added that He would put His name there at the Temple, forever, and that His eyes and His heart would be there "perpetually". The Lord then makes a promise and gives a warning to the King.

In verses 4-5 the Lord promises Solomon that if He would walk before Him as his father David had done, and do according to all that the Lord commanded him to do, King Solomon's kingdom would be established forever, as He had promised his father David.

However, there is a "but", verse 6. The Lord tells Solomon that if he or his children turn from following Him, do not keep His commandments and if they follow after other gods, then Israel would be cut off out of the land that He had given the children of Israel.

The Lord also told Solomon the Temple would be destroyed, a result of the children of Israel failing to follow and obey Him. Solomon was told that people of the world would look at Israel as a "proverb and byword".

These worldly people would ask why Israel was not in the land and why was the Temple destroyed. The Lord answers that question in advance, "because the people of Israel forsook the Lord their God", verse 9.

This prophecy that Jesus gave to Solomon was fulfilled, in fact fulfilled, twice. In 586 BC Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Solomon's Temple and took the Jews out of their God-given land. Some seventy years later the Jews returned to the land and built another Temple, Ezra 1-6.

Then, because of additional disobedience, the Lord followed through on His promise again and had the Roman Army destroy the Second Temple and disbursed the Jews out of their land. When God makes a promise, He keeps that promise.

The Lord made another promise, that He would bring the Jews back into the land in the last days and give them another Temple. This scenario found in God's prophetic word is in the process of being played out in our world today.

PRAYER THOT: Help me Lord, to walk before You daily and do that which You direct me to do as I await Your return.

So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

King Solomon, the third king of Israel, was the one God would have to build the Temple, the first permanent worship center for the Jewish people. You can read how King Solomon prepared to build the Temple and then the actual building of the Temple in I Kings 3-7

The account of Solomon's Temple, up and operating in Jerusalem, is the portion of I Kings that I've selected for today’s devotional reading. This chapter of I Kings is key to understanding the operation of the Temple and its importance in the daily life of the Jewish people.

Until Solomon's Temple the tabernacle, a transportable worship center, was used by the Lord to "dwell among His people", especially during the forty years of wandering in the wilderness and also during the first 350 years of the Jewish people living in the Promised Land.

After the Philistines took the Ark of the Covenant from the Jews they kept the Ark for only seven months, I Samuel 6:1. And then for another 120 years the Ark was at a place about 15 miles west of Jerusalem.

King David brought the Ark to Jerusalem, II Samuel 6, and wanted to build a temple to house the Ark. Because of David's disobedience he was not allowed that honor; however, his son Solomon would be the one to build the temple.

David gathered the manpower, the monies and the materials for Solomon to use in the building of the temple. He even purchased the site where the temple would be erected. David paid cash money for the site of Araunah's threshing floor, II Samuel 24:24, which was on Mt Moriah, II Chronicles 3:1.

King David passed from the earth into paradise and his son Solomon, as promised by the Lord, built the first temple which took him seven years to build this "worship center" for the Jewish people, I Kings 6:38.

With the temple built, Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and the heads of all the tribes of Israel for the dedication of the Temple and the placing of the "Ark of the Covenant", the Shakinah Glory, in the Holy of Holies of this "permanent worship center" of the Jewish people.

King Solomon had the Levites to bring the Ark from the tabernacle that King David had erected to house the Ark until the temple was ready. As the men brought the Ark into the Temple, into the Holy of Holies, the "glory of the Lord" filled the "house of the Lord" so that the priests could not minister.

There would be a second temple built in Jerusalem, after the Babylonian Captivity; however, the "Glory of the Lord" would not be on the Ark of the Covenant because the "Glory" departed the Ark and the Holy of Holies before the Temple was destroyed, Ezekiel 8-11.

The Ark was never again in the Temple, even during the lifetime of Jesus. The location of the Ark is known today and it will be placed in the Temple that stands on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem during the Tribulation Period; however, the "Glory of the Lord" will not be resting on the Ark.

The "Glory of the Lord" manifested in the person of Jesus Christ will once again enter the "House of the Lord" going into the Holy of Holies and He will fill the "House of the Lord" with His glory when He comes back to Jerusalem.

Remember, the Ark will be used in the Tribulation Temple, but Jesus is the "Ark" for His Temple, a Temple where He will rule and reign from during His kingdom.

PRAYER THOT: Even so come, Lord Jesus.

Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.

This is the record of the death of one King and the installation of another. It is also the first installment of the promise made to King David. Before we look at these two issues, let's look at King David's charge to his son who was to become "King of Israel".

As David began the charge he used a very picturesque description for his pending death. "I go the way of all the earth", is a statement that shows David was a realist who knew he would soon die and thus the reason for the charge to his son, the "heir apparent".

As I read the "charge", I was reminded of the "charge" Moses gave to Joshua. There are some familiar phrases which are actually good Biblical principles for us to follow as well.

Notice verse 3. David charges Solomon to "walk in the Lord's ways and to keep His statutes", as written in the word of God. The promise for doing this will be that Solomon and each of us also will prosper.

Just this reminder - to "prosper" is not necessarily to be "wealthy". That is not what the Lord has in mind. The Lord's idea of "prosper" is to “fulfill the will of the Lord for our lives and to bring glory to Him”.

Before I look at the first installment of God's promise to King David, notice verse 10. King David, after serving 40 years as King of the Jewish people, dies and is buried in the city of David, which is the city of Jerusalem.

The place of David's burial is the actual location of where the events of what happened in Acts 2 took place. The Day of Pentecost, when the church was born, is at the same spot where King David is buried, Acts 2:29.

Verse 12 tells us that David's son Solomon did indeed ascend to the "throne of his father" and thus fulfilled the first installment of the Davidic Covenant, II Samuel 7:12-13.

This is evidence that God's plan was in force and will be in force in the future as well. The Davidic Covenant will be fulfilled - a King from David's family will be on the throne in the Temple in Jerusalem with a Kingdom that will be forever.

Solomon was the first installment of that promise. The coming Messiah, Jesus Christ will be the ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant. I believe we are living in the days of that Kingdom, which is yet to come.

The "chain of events" leading up to that "Kingdom Temple" is found in God’s Word. The Rapture, precedes the Tribulation Period, the seven years of judgment on the Earth. At the end of the time of judgment Jesus Christ returns to Earth to set up His Kingdom, with Jesus on the "throne, in the Temple".

Notice that the next event on God’s "agenda of end time events" is the Rapture and it can happen at any time, even today. Keep looking up.

PRAYER THOT: Thank you for keeping Your promises, Lord, to each of us, as You did to King David.

And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.

The time is around 3,000 years ago as we come to the record of King David anointing his son Solomon to be king of all of Israel. It almost did not happen this way for another son of David, Adonijah had plotted to seize the kingdom from his stepbrother Solomon.

When their father, King David, learned of the plan he had Bathsheba call a member of the King’s staff to his death bed to make certain Solomon was crowned King. Bathsheba brought Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet to anoint Solomon King of Israel.

It is interesting to note that this prophet Nathan is the same prophet that told King David that he would not be allowed to build the temple. Instead, the Lord would set it up so that the first Temple would be built by David’s son, Solomon.

Nathan also is key in the giving of the Davidic Covenant, II Samuel 7, to David. It was Nathan who helped select Solomon to be the third king of Israel and one of the ones to anoint Solomon.

God had promised David that one of his seed would rule on the throne and also play a key role in the building of the permanent "worship center" of the Lord, the Temple. That promise will ultimately be fulfilled by Jesus Christ who will return to earth and build His Temple, Messiah's Temple, Zechariah 6:12. The Lord Jesus will also reign from that Temple as the King, Zechariah 6:13.

Thus we have seen the first step in the long journey, over the centuries, to Jesus through the Davidic line. But, I want you to notice something else in this passage.

Nathan, the prophet and Zadok , were to bring Solomon to the Gihon River, which is located in the city of David, the original site for Jerusalem. It was at the Gihon that these men would anoint Solomon to be king over Israel.

Maybe you remember where you have heard of that river, the Gihon, before. If not, look back to Genesis 2. The Gihon is one of the rivers mentioned in the reference to the Garden of Eden, Genesis 2:13. In fact, the Gihon is the river, the one river, that flowed out of the Garden of Eden and became four rivers somewhere outside of the Garden, Genesis 2:10.

This text is telling us that, as Jewish scholarship has believed for almost 6,000 years, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is the original site of the Garden of Eden. (See my audio series, Return to Eden)

One of David's seed will rule from a Temple in the original Garden of Eden one day. That one, from David’s seed, is Jesus Christ, the same member of the Godhead that performed the act of "Creation", Colossians 1:16, in the Garden of Eden.

Where Jesus started everything Jesus will rule and reign from forever, the Garden of Eden. By the way, this fact about the Garden of Eden is also believed by the Muslim world as well. That is why the Muslims don’t want the Jews in Jerusalem.

The current events that you see with a focus on the city of Jerusalem are evidence that Jesus is making ready to call all Christians out of this world at the Rapture. The Rapture could happen at any moment. You must make sure that you are ready.

PRAYER THOT: Because I am prepared, help me to be pure and productive as I await His return.

And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.

As we come to the last twelve chapters of II Samuel we see, like I said in the last devotional, that David is just a "man" with the human characteristics to be able to "sin" and fail the Lord with the actions in his life style that are not pleasing to the Lord.

Though David was forgiven of his sins, he did suffer the consequences of these sins, here on the earth in his lifetime. Our sins will be forgiven if we confess them, I John 1:9, but we must remember that there will be consequences for our sins that we must live through, in this lifetime.

II Samuel 13 to 24 is the record of David’s life as a result of his failures in his life. These sins, "adultery and murder" were bad enough but the Lord was concerned about David’s "numbering" of the people of Israel, chapter 24:1-9.

The Lord, through the "seer" Gad, gave David three possible punishments for his sin and he choose the last, which resulted in seventy thousand men, from Dan to Beer-sheba, dying of the "pestilence" sent by God upon Israel, found in our devotional reading in II Samuel 24:15.

Notice that "the angel of the Lord" was next to the "threshing-place" belonging to Araunah the Jebusite, verse 16. When you see the phrase "the angel of the Lord" your speaking of a "pre-incarnate" appearance of Jesus Christ. The text indicates that the Lord was about to destroy Jerusalem, verse 16.

This destruction did not take place because the Lord "repented", took another direction, and instead had David to "buy" the threshing floor, which is the same location that Abraham brought Isaac to offer him in sacrifice, Genesis 22.

It is also the location where King Solomon, David’s son, would build the first Temple, II Chronicles 3:1. Solomon's building of this Temple is the first installment of the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant.

What is so interesting to me is that King David would not take the land as a gift, but insisted that he pay for it with "fifty shekels of silver". That is a large sum of money in today’s money. It is the money paid by a Jewish King.

The real estate that we’re talking about was the location of the first and second Temples and will be the same location for the last two temples, yet to be re-built. This land is the "most sacred location in all of Creation".

The location that King David paid "cash money" for yesterday will be the site for the next two temples, yet to be rebuilt. It is the location today of the "Dome of the Rock" on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

This sacred site, the Temple Mount, is today controlled by the Muslim "Islamic Trust" and they claim they have the "custodial rights" to this location. Any effort by the Jews to rebuild their Temple there will result in a major conflict in Jerusalem. This is the case even though King David paid "cash money" for the location.

This information is evidence that the stage is being set for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled. The Temple Mount will be the focus of the world as the Lord allows His plan for the future to be played out in our day.

PRAYER THOT: Lord, it is so exciting to watch your plan for the future being played today. It is also evidence that should make everyone of us be alert to the soon return of Jesus Christ. Help me to live in light of this information and be ready for the any moment return of Jesus Christ at the Rapture.

And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

This portion of II Samuel selected for today's devotional reveals a very sad ending to the "double act of sin" that King David committed while serving as King of Israel.

David had lusted over Bathsheba, the wife of one of his "mighty fighting men", Uriah. David was driven so much by his lust for Bathsheba that he had her husband killed. The King then had a child by this other man's wife.

These sins had already taken place, and then the prophet Nathan who tells King David a story of how one man mistreated another. The story made the King angry until Nathan told David that "he was the man". the man who had mistreated the other, verses 1-11.

David's anger changed to sorrow and repentance, verse 13, and the Lord did not kill the King of Israel for these sins right then. However, Nathan told David that his son by Bathsheba would die because of the sin. Notice, verse 12, what David had done secretly, the Lord would reveal openly before all of Israel.

David would pray that his son would not die because of the sins he, David, had committed. But the Lord did take the son. Verse 14 tells us why the Lord took David's son. The sins of King David had given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme Him, and therefore the Lord would take the child.

In no way can one commend David for what he did, murder and adultery. However, David confessed his sins and the Lord forgave the King even though he would have to pay the consequences, his young son would die. There are consequences for sin.

Before we leave this passage please notice the last verse of our extended reading. Though it is not an absolute, the verse seems to say that "babies" at death go directly into the presence of God to be with Him forever.

We know that David will be in heaven, and the verse tells us that his "baby" will be there also, "I shall go to him but he cannot return to me", verse 23.

Though David was forgiven of his sins, he did suffer the consequences of these sins, here on the earth in his lifetime. Our sins will be forgiven if we confess them, I John 1:9, but we must remember that there will be consequences for our sins that we must live through, in this lifetime.

PRAYER THOT: Help me Lord, to stay away from sin, so that I don't give occasion to others to blaspheme You, and thus I will also escape the consequences of sin.

For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God.

As we once again visit the 7th chapter of II Samuel we look at the last half of the chapter, this visit. The first seventeen verses of II Samuel 7 are the "Davidic Covenant", a promise to King David that one of his descendants will one day sit on the throne in Jerusalem in the Temple and will do so, forever.

The God-man, Jesus Christ, will be that one on the throne of David forever. The last half of this chapter, David acknowledges that the Lord God is a great God and that he, the once lowly shepherd boy, is in awe of who God is and what He has done for David's people.

David as a servant of God, verses 19-21, says "who am I", that You have brought me to this position, King of Israel and this promise, the Davidic Covenant, as it relates to the future.

David realizes that the God of the Jews is "great", that there is none like the Lord God. Then David asks the rhetorical question, "what one nation in the earth is like thy people", verse 23.

The Jewish nation is a nation whom God went out to redeem from among all the peoples of the earth, for a "people to Himself". A nation whom God will give a piece of land, actually a piece of land ten times the size of the land the Jewish nation has today.

David also recognizes that the Lord confirmed to Himself the "people of Israel" to be a people unto Him, forever, verse 24. This statement declares that God has a future plan for the Jewish people. He is not finished with Israel. Israel, the nation and the people, have not been replaced, Biblically, by the "church".

The Lord will, and is today, revealing that plan to His chosen nation. By the way, that word "forever" is "olam" in Hebrew and it means not just during this time, but forever, even into eternity future. The Jewish people will be His chosen nation, forever.

Notice that Jeremiah 33:20-21 says "day and night will cease from being, before the Lord breaks His promise to David". Because God keeps His promise to David and his nation, the Jewish people, we can know for sure He keeps His promise of eternal life for you and for me. If He could break one promise He could break the other. God cannot break either promise.

What we have read for today and thought through is actually the worship and prayers of King David after God gave him the Davidic Covenant. With the promises that God has made to us, as Christians, we should pray and worship Him also. Thank you Lord.


PRAYER THOT: Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord for keeping your promises to me, those promises of salvation and eternal life.

And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

The promise of a house (Temple), Kingdom and throne for a descendant of King David from the Lord is known as the Davidic Covenant. This is a promise that will only fail if the day and the night are no longer in existence, Jeremiah 33:19-21.

For almost 6,000 years, we have had a night followed by a day - God's promise to David is as true as the next moonlit night or majestic sunrise. The Davidic Covenant will be fulfilled by that member of the linage of King David, the person of Jesus Christ.

The complete fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant is yet future. It will be fulfilled when Jesus Christ returns to the Earth, to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem to set up His Kingdom by building His Temple on the Temple Mount (Zechariah 6:12-13) in Jerusalem.

It is in that Temple, where Jesus will be seated upon His "throne" as the promised descendant of King David. Jesus will rule and reign, forever. This is evidence that we are not now living in "the kingdom period".

The "kingdom" is yet to come, right now Jesus is seated at the "right hand" of His Father in the heavens, Hebrews 1:3, 8:1 and 12:2. One day in the future the Father will give His Son, Jesus, the "kingdom", Daniel 7:13 and 14.

Current events in this present world, in light of Bible Prophecy, seem to indicate that the coming of the Messiah is quickly approaching. The fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant's promise is drawing closer.

One of those current events is the preparation to build another Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and this Temple will be built prior to the "Kingdom Temple" in the Tribulation Period, Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, I Thessalonians 2:4 and Revelation 11:1.

All the preparations have been made for that Tribulation Temple to be erected in Jerusalem at any time. The only thing that must happen before the next Temple is built is the Rapture, Jesus calling us to be with him in the heavenlies.

PRAYER THOT: Thank you Lord for keeping your promises, like the DavidicCovenant, to the Jews, which confirms that You will keep all of Your promises to me. 

And they brought in the ark OF THE LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before THE LORD.

In our previous readings in II Samuel we looked at chapter 5, which was the record of King David capturing the Jebusite stronghold of Jerusalem and making it the "political capital" of the Jewish people.

We will also look at chapter 7 which records that God made a covenant with King David, the Davidic Covenant, which promises that a descendant of David will sit on the throne in Jerusalem forever.

Now we read from II Samuel 6, which records King David bringing the Ark of the Covenant, that sacred piece of Temple furniture, into the city of Jerusalem. The account reminds us that Uzzah died beside the Ark because when he reached out to stop the Ark from falling from the cart it was being transported on, it angered the Lord, II Samuel 6:7. God also smote the driver of the "new cart", II Samuel 6:3.

The problem was that King David was following the example of the "secular world", the Philistines, by using a "new cart" to transport the Ark. The Manual, (God's Word), said that four Levites were to bare the Ark when it was moved.

Therefore, David would wait three months before he would be able to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. The record tells us that David would transport the Ark the proper way from the home of Obededom up to Jerusalem, II Samuel 6:11.

When all else fails, read and follow the "Manual".

David placed the Ark in a "temporary Tabernacle" until it would be placed in the Holy of Holies in the Temple that would be built by David's son Solomon. By this action, David made Jerusalem not only the "political capital" of the Jewish people, but it is their religious, or "spiritual capital" as well.

After having the First Temple built, King Solomon would place the Ark inside the Holy of Holies, II Chronicles 3:1 & 5:1-7. In God's promise to King David, the Lord said that Jerusalem would be the "eternal, spiritual capital" of the Jewish people.

In the Temple that Jesus will build in Jerusalem, Zechariah 6:12, there will be no Ark. Jesus Christ is the Ark in the Holy of Holies. However, in the next Temple to stand on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem there will be this same Ark that King David brought into Jerusalem. The next Temple is a "false temple" built by a "false messiah" - the Antichrist.

The next Temple is ready to go up in Jerusalem, with the Ark ready to be placed in the Temple. The only thing to happen before that is the Rapture of the Church, which could happen today.

PRAYER THOT: Help me, Lord, to live ready for the Rapture.

And David perceived that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.

On our journey through the Bible we come now to the book of II Samuel. I Samuel is the record of the first King of Israel, King Saul. As we read through II Samuel you will see that it is the record of the second King of Israel, King David.

In the first chapter David hears of the death of King Saul and we see his reaction to the King’s death. David is made King of Judah in chapter 2 and moves his family to Hebron to reign over this one tribe of the twelve tribes of Israel in chapter 3.

The event recorded here in II Samuel 5 took place 3,000 years ago which is very significant as it relates to Jerusalem, both politically and prophetically. The men of the tribe of Judah had come to David to appoint the grown-up shepherd boy of Bethlehem as king of their tribe, II Samuel 2:4, how-be-it , only one of the tribes of the twelve of Israel.

King David would serve as King of Judah for 7 and a half years before all the tribal leaders of Israel would come to him where he served in Hebron, to make him the King of all twelve tribes. King David made a league with them before the Lord and they anointed David King over Israel.

Now David must find a neutral location to headquarter his kingdom, some location other than Hebron. David's search took him to a Jebusite stronghold between the tribal locations of Benjamin and Judah known as Jerusalem.

After capturing the city, King David makes Jerusalem the political capital of the Jewish people. By the way, that was done some 3,000 years ago - before the Islamic faith came into existence.

Jerusalem, and in particular the Temple Mount, became the political center for the Jews. The Jews were occupying the Temple Mount over 1,000 years before the Muslims were ever in existence, especially before the prophet of the Islamic faith ever thought of riding a horse from the stone under the Dome of the Rock into heaven to meet with Allah.

The truth be known, the Quran never even mentions Jerusalem and most Islamic scholars debate whether Mohammad ever was in Jerusalem.

King David has a real connection to the Temple Mount. The second King of Israel actually paid cash money for the Temple Mount, II Samuel 24:18-25, the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

God made King David a promise, the Davidic Covenant, that there would be a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and one of his descendants would be there to serve as co-regent, administrator of the Temple Mount.

The Davidic Covenant cannot be broken, however, there is one exception. If you can make the sun, the moon, and the stars disappear, then the Lord would forget all the promises He made to the "chosen people", Jeremiah 33:20-21, and King David.

God used this shepherd boy, giant killer and natural leader to not only lead the Jewish people in ancient times but He will also raise King David to serve along side the Messiah Jesus Christ for the 1,000 year Kingdom that is coming to Jerusalem, a kingdom that will be there forever.

That "kingdom" is yet to come and it will be a literal kingdom here on the Earth. But before that time there will be a "terrible time of judgment" known as the "Tribulation". This is a seven-year period of time of "judgment" on the Earth, which is preceded by the Rapture of the Church.

The Church is made up of those of us who are true "Bible-believing born-again Christians". The Rapture, as I often remind you, could happen at any moment, even today. Keep looking up.

PRAYER THOT: Dear Lord, as I await your call for me to join you in heaven at the Rapture, mold me and make me to your specs to serve you now - and forever.

And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David: Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.

After David’s victory over Goliath and the Philistines the fame of this young shepherd boy started to spread. God had done, and would do a marvelous work through David, a young man that was totally committed to doing the will of God.

Israel’s King Saul had been there to watch the Lord using this shepherd boy to defend the children of Israel, and it was as if he was helpless to fulfill the leadership roll as the first king of the Jewish people.

The facts are that King Saul had not done that which the Lord had commanded him to do, kill all the Amalekites, including their king Agag, our key verses in our devotional for today. There are consequences for not being obedient.

With the fame of David and the Lord bringing judgment upon King Saul he moved farther away from doing the will of God and even started working against the Lord’s will. I Samuel 18 to 27 reveal the record of how that part of the story played out.

As we come to I Samuel 28 we see the result of both "disobedience" and "obedience". God takes the leadership role of Saul and gives it to David, verses 17 and 18. However, there is more to the story of Saul and his relationship with the Lord.

King Saul, the first king of Israel, consulted with the Witch of Endor, a satanically possessed woman. Because of that encounter, the Lord withdrew from King Saul and would not answer him.

The influence of the Devil has been present since the "fall of man" in Genesis 3. The Devil has in the past sent evil angels in the form of demons and witches into the world to cause havoc.

At the first coming of Jesus Christ there was much demonic activity that Jesus would confront. Demonic activity will be prevalent at the time of His second coming, and more so as we draw nearer to the coming of the Lord, Matthew 24:4-5, 11 & 24. In fact, demonic deception was the first indication that Jesus said would signal His Second Coming.

The last days are quickly approaching, I Timothy 4:1-2. As we understand these truths we can see just how close we may well be to His return. This knowledge also alerts us to the way to stand against this Satanic activity, James 4:7.

But please notice our key verses for today, verses 17 and 18. The Lord took the kingdom from King Saul and gave it to David because Saul had failed to follow the command of the Lord to destroy the Amalekites, I Samuel 15.

By the way, the problems that Israel has today with the Palestinian people are due to the fact that King Saul did not obey the Lord. You see the Palestinian people of today are the Amalekites of yesterday.

The scenario found in our devotional reading for today is very similar to the scenario of what will happen in the last days leading up to the Rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Actually, the Rapture is the next thing to happen on God’s time clock of Bible prophecy and there are no prophecies to be fulfilled before the Rapture, it could happen at any moment, perhaps today.

PRAYER THOT: Dear Lord help me to be obedient to you, no matter what your will for me might be.