Jesus of Nazareth is the only begotten Son of God which is the very core the foundation of Christian belief.  First century zealots did not originate this concept, but as we see based on the Hebrew Scriptures, King Messiah is the Son of God.  Further, the Jews of Jesus' time bore witness to the fact that the Son of God would be King Messiah.  Clearly if the Lord Jesus were not the Son of God, there would be no Christianity.

John 20:31 “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

Jesus claimed to be the Son of God.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

When the angel announced to Mary she would be pregnant as a virgin, he told her that the child would be the Son of the Highest and would be given the throne of David.  His reign would be forever and the kingdom would be of no end.  This promise parallels exactly with the everlasting covenant with David.  We can see from Scripture that King Messiah was to be both the Son of God and the Son of David.

Luke 1:32 “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: (33) And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

Others in the Bible understood that King Messiah must be the Son of God.  At the time the Lord Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, Martha, Lazarus’ sister, knew the Lord was the Son of God according to the Hebrew Scriptures.  Her confession was in line with the everlasting covenant God made with king David:

John 11:27 “She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”

When the Lord Jesus was arrested and tried, the High Priest interrogated Him about His identity.  The Lord did not respond to the questioning until the High Priest asked Him in the name of the living God if He was the Christ, the Son of God.  Jesus replied by combining Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13 and 14 for His answer.  Thus He claimed to be King Messiah, the Son of God according to the Hebrew Scriptures.

The High Priest was well aware that King Messiah would be the Son of God.  He understood the everlasting covenant with David.  And he knew the promise that 2 Samuel 7:13-15, 1 Chronicles 28:4-6 and Psalm 2:6-9 provides regarding King Messiah as the Son of God.  When Jesus responded that He was the Son of God, the High Priest rent his clothes and said the Lord Jesus should die because He had committed blasphemy.

Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. This claim was in perfect agreement with the Hebrew Scriptures.  The Jews expected King Messiah to be the Son of God, but many rejected that Jesus of Nazareth was this promised Son.

Matthew 26:63 “But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

Matthew 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Matthew 26:65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.”

When the Lord ascended to heaven, God proclaimed Him to be King Messiah, the begotten Son of God.  He is the one King David and the prophet Daniel wrote would rule the nations forever.

Acts 13:32 “And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, (33) God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.”

In heaven, the Lord Jesus is seated on the throne of God.  All of heaven acknowledges that He is the Root of David.  He reigns in heaven as the Son of David and the Son of God.  Henceforth, God’s throne in heaven is directly connected to the throne of David.  At the Lord’s second coming, His throne will be transferred to earth where He will reign as the Branch of David on the throne of David.

Revelation 5:5 “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. (6) And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.”

When King Messiah returns, He will come in His awesome glory.  His throne will be established on earth in Jerusalem on Mount Zion .  He will reign as King over all the earth as the begotten Son of God, sitting on the throne of the LORD according to God’s everlasting covenant with David.  At this time, Israel will be exalted among the nations, and King Messiah will rule all the nations of the earth from His throne in Jerusalem .

Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: (32) And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:”

The Bible further links the coming of King Messiah and His rule to the building of the temple in Jerusalem .  The Lord Jesus will rule as King Messiah from Mount Zion in Jerusalem .  And He will be King over all nations on the earth, ruling as the Son of God according to God’s covenant with David.

Psalm 2:6 “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. (7) I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.”

Psalm 2:8 “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. (9) Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”

At the time of the prophet Ezekiel, King David had been dead for approximately 400 years.  Ezekiel makes reference to David as King over the people.  The setting is the Messianic reign.  This refers to the fact that the Messiah would come from the Davidic line, and clearly, it is King Messiah, the Son of God, who rules forever and not David.  At this time, Israel will come under God’s everlasting covenant of peace.  Israel will then be brought under the New Covenant which was established with the death of King Messiah. This occurred at His first coming.

Ezekiel 37:24 “And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.”

Ezekiel 37:25 “And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.”

Ezekiel 37:26 “Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.”

At the second coming of the Lord Jesus, He will reign as the King of Israel over all the earth forever.  At that time, He will establish the everlasting covenant of peace with Israel and restore them to the land given to Jacob.  The Messiah will build the sanctuary of the LORD on Mount Zion , and He will rule as King Messiah over the nations not just Israel .

Chapter Eleven

The Branch of David, King and High Priest

Another title for King Messiah is the Branch of David.  The prophet Jeremiah links the Branch of David to King Messiah the Son of God.  The title, David’s Righteous Branch, is given to the one who will rule as King Messiah over all the nations.

Jeremiah 23:5 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. (6) In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Here we see that King Messiah, who is referred to as “the Branch,” will build the temple of the LORD.  The prophet Zechariah refers to the high priest of his day as the Branch.  He puts the crown of a king on the head of the high priest and addresses him as the Branch.  This connection shows that the Son of God will be both King Messiah and the High Priest.

The Son of God will bear the glory as King, and He will rule upon His throne as both King and High Priest.  The Scriptures show this in Zechariah chapter 6 follow:

Zechariah 6:11 “Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; (12) And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:

Zechariah 6:13 Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”

The Bible shows that Son of God will be made High Priest by decree just as He was made King Messiah by decree.  Under the law of Moses, it was impossible for one person to be both the King of Israel and the high priest.  Additionally, the king and high priest had to have a required genealogy.  The king had to be from the tribe of Judah , and the line of David.  The high priest had to be from the tribe of Levi, and the line of Aaron.  Thus under the law of Moses, one person could never be both king and priest.

However, King Messiah will be both King and High Priest by God's decree.  He will not sit on His throne as the Son of God under the law of Moses, but He will rule under the New Covenant which is by the oath of God.  Only with a New Covenant could King Messiah be both King and High Priest.  Here we see these two key Scriptures give clear reference to this concept:

The Son of God to be King Messiah by the oath of God:

Psalm 2:6 “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. (7) I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.”

The Son of God to be High Priest by the oath of God:

Psalm 110:1 “A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (4) The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”

The prophet Ezekiel further shows King Messiah’s temple and the LORD sitting on the Messiah’s throne.  These Scriptures bring together the Branch of David, King Messiah, High Priest and the Son of God all in one person.

By John McTernan: Defend and Proclaim the Faith
Blog: John McTernan's Insights at www.johnmcternan.name