Foregleams of the Millennium
A Study of Psalm 85

Dr. David L. Cooper
Biblical Research Monthly
November, 1950

Psalm 85 falls into four natural divisions:
        I. A Vision of Israel Restored, Forgiven, and Dwelling in His Own Land (vss. 1-5)
       II. Israel's Petition for God to Bring the Desired Deliverance (vss. 4-7)
      III. The Assurance that God Will Answer the Petition (vs. 8)
       IV. God's Answer to the Petition (vss. 9-13)

Many of the prophecies and also the psalms present pictures of the future glory of the Kingdom Age. Such a vision stimulates the servants of God to pray in the power and the energy of the Spirit. A realization of this principle will help in the interpretation of many passages.

I. A Vision of Israel Restored, Forgiven, and Dwelling in His Own Land (vss. 1-3)

"1 Jehovah, thou hast been favorable unto thy land;
Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people;
Thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath;
Thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger."

In the first three verses of Psalm 85 we have a beautiful picture of Israel restored and dwelling in his own land in peace. In verse 1 the psalmist says: "Jehovah, thou hast been favorable unto thy land...." The land to which reference is made is none other than Palestine, the Promised Land. The Lord speaks of it in Leviticus 25:23 and says: "... the land is mine: for ye are strangers and sojourners with me." The eyes of the Lord God are upon that land "... from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year" (Deut. 11:8-12).

In God's being favorable unto the land, the psalmist declares: "Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob." This is the final restoration of Israel to his own land. The Lord is favorable, according to this verse, to the land and the people of the land.

When the Lord is favorable unto the people and to the land, He will have "forgiven the iniquity of thy [His] people; Thou hast covered all their sin." This passage contemplates the complete forgiveness of all the sins and transgressions of the Jewish race, including their one great iniquitous act on account of which they were spewed out of the land of Palestine and scattered among the nations of the world—the execution of King Messiah, their Lord and their God.

Verse 3 is a prediction that, at the time here foreseen, God will turn away all of His wrath from the people of Israel. He will turn Himself from the fierceness of His anger. The Tribulation Period is called "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:7). This period is called also "the day of Jehovah" and is described in a very graphic and vivid manner in such passages as Zephaniah 1:14-18. A careful study of this passage shows that God will at that time be pouring out His wrath, and that it will take many different forms. The civilization of the world will be entirely wrecked. Few men, comparatively speaking, will survive the terrible ordeal of the fierceness of God's anger. In Revelation, chapters 6, 8, 9, and 16, we have a graphic, pictorial representation of the judgments of the great Tribulation as they will occur during that period of wrath.

In Psalm 85:3 the writer gives a picture of the time when the storm clouds of God's wrath have spent their energy and force upon the godless civilization which is now in the world. Then He turns from His wrath, having accomplished His purpose.

II. Israel's Petition for God to Bring the Desired Deliverance (vss. 4-7)

"4 Turn us, O God of our salvation,
And cause thine indignation toward us to cease.
5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever?
Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
6 Wilt thou not quicken us again,
That thy people may rejoice in thee?
7 Show us thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah,
And grant us thy salvation."

Where there is no vision the people perish. A vision or a glimpse of that which is certain to be will stimulate in the hearts, minds, and souls of men a desire for the realization of the things foreseen. Such a vision of future glory, as seen in, verses 1-3 of this psalm, might be compared to a salesman's prospectus, which he has in presenting the book or books to sell for the consideration of the purchaser. In the prospectus some few samples of the pictures in the books and some explanations are given. These are simply to whet the appetite of the prospective purchaser. Thus God uses the first three verses of this psalm to stimulate in the hearts of His people a desire for the coming of the time when the glory of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Whenever we see something that appeals to us, something that attracts us, then we ask for it—if it is to be gotten that way—or we begin to work for it if toil will achieve the end in view. But the thing that will bring about the materialization of the Millennium will be for us to preach the gospel and to pray very earnestly, giving God no rest and taking no rest until "...he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth" (Isa. 62:6,7). Thus in Psalm 85:4,5 the writer, being under the influence of the Spirit of God and seeing the vision of this time of blessedness and peace, prays:

"Turn us, O God of our salvation,
And cause thine indignation toward us to cease.
Wilt thou be angry with us for ever?
Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?"

In verse 3 we have seen predicted the time when God will have turned away from all His wrath. The Spirit of God leads the psalmist to pray for that time to come. Prayer changes things; prayer brings victory, we are told. We know that these statements are true because of actual experience. Israel will yet plead before God that the time may come when His indignation will cease. It will cease when Israel, in genuine repentance, turns from his sin of rejecting Messiah, acknowledges and repudiates his national sin, and pleads for Him to return. When Israel does that, then Messiah will come and the wrath of God will be turned away from His beloved people—forever.

Verse 6 is a very important one and at the same time rather difficult to understand.

"Wilt thou not quicken us again,
That thy people may rejoice in thee?"

If we take the first line as it reads in the English, we would assume that God has quickened them once, and that they have come to the point that they need a second quickening, or impartation of life. But upon a moment's consideration of this point, in the light of the scriptural teaching, we know that one is quickened once, and that life is never taken from him. "He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life ...," declared our Lord (John 3:36). "He that believeth on him is not judged: ..." (John 3:18). If the Lord imparts spiritual life to a person once, he has it forever. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and cometh not into judgment, but has passed out of death unto life. In view of these truths, we would do well to look at the original text lying behind this verse. Literally it reads: "Wilt thou not return, quicken us that thy people may rejoice in thee?" When we take it literally as it is spoken, here is what we see: The question is asked, Will not God return? Will He not quicken us (the Jewish people) that thy people may rejoice in thee? It is quite likely that in this verse there is echoed the thought that God has been here once, that He has gone away, and that now Israel is praying for Him to return; and, in His returning, they pray that He will impart life to them in order that they might rejoice in Him. These thoughts are in perfect accord with all the facts that are revealed to us concerning the return of the Messiah, in response to Israel's request, at which time He will impart life to them; because at that time they will accept Him as their Lord, Saviour, and Messiah.

It is necessary that one have spiritual life. One cannot decide to quit his meanness, to reform, and to do right, thinking thereby that he will be certain to be saved. A person must be born again; he must be saved; he must be regenerated; he must have new spiritual life imparted by the Spirit of God to him. It seems that this is the prayer that the psalmist is uttering in verse 6.

They will have some idea of God's loving-kindness, His grace. But they will desire to know more of it. Hence they will pray,

"Show us thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah,
And grant us thy salvation" (vs. 7).

Israel, at the time when he thus prays, will realize that the Jews cannot save themselves. Neither can a person of any race save himself. One must be saved by the Redeemer of mankind. Christ our Saviour accepts, redeems, and imparts new life to everyone who accepts and trusts Him for salvation.

III. The Assurance That God Will Answer the Petition (vs. 8)

"I will hear what God Jehovah will speak;
For he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints:
But let them not turn again to folly" (vs. 8).

The psalmist believed that God hears and answers prayer. Hence, having prayed (vss. 4-7), he said that he would wait and hear what God would answer him. God does hear and answer prayer. He does not always answer the petitioner according to his request. It is not always best for us to have everything for which we pray. Frequently we pray for things that would be injurious to us. Moreover, we set the time, very frequently, for God to answer our prayers. We must abide His time and be satisfied with the way that He answers. Thus the psalmist was confident that he would receive an answer to his petition, for he was convinced of the fact that God would "speak peace unto his people, and to his saints." Who are meant by "his saints"? This expression may be in apposition with "his people," the Jews. Or it may refer to believers of the present era.

After giving assurance that God will speak peace to His people and to His saints, the psalmist immediately adds: "But let them not turn again to folly." He warns them that, when God answers their prayers, they must not turn again to folly. God pours out the riches of His grace upon His people in order to lead them on to higher realms, a condition in which they can enjoy spiritual communion and fellowship with Him and be prepared for the great exchange of worlds which comes sooner or later to all flesh.

IV. God's Answer to the Petition (vss. 9-13)

"9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him,
That glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth are met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 Truth springeth out of the earth;
And righteousness hath looked down from heaven.
12 Yea, Jehovah will give that which is good;
And our land shall yield its increase.
13 Righteousness, shall go before him,
And shall make his footsteps a way to walk in."

According to verse 9 God's salvation, or deliverance, is near those who reverence and worship Him, that glory may dwell in the Land of Promise. The glory of God will dwell there, that is, in Palestine, as it will nowhere else. Jerusalem will be created the joy of the whole earth. There will be a pavilion created over it, which will protect it from the rain and from the sunshine. Thus the glory in a peculiar way will rest in the land of Israel.

According to verse 10 four great fundamental things are personified and are pictured as meeting together and enjoying sweet fellowship. They are mercy and truth, righteousness and peace. They meet together and embrace one another, enjoying the newly-created fellowship of that age of glory. Thus those four virtues will all be in evidence on every hand throughout the land. While it is true that these virtues will characterize all the people and God's dealings with them throughout the entire world, in the highest sense possible will this be true of the people and the land of Israel.

In verse 11 the psalmist thinks of truth as seed that has been sowed in the earth, which is watered by righteousness that has looked down from the heavens. Thus truth and righteousness will both be in evidence on every hand at that time.

At that future time when our Lord shall reign upon the earth, God will give that which is good, and the land of Palestine will yield its increase. God wants to give that which is good to His people at all times. The only thing hindering is that the people are not surrendered to accept the will of God and are not doing it. He therefore cannot give them what they long for.

When this prayer is answered and becomes a reality, the land will yield its strength. Israel and the whole world will eat the finest of the wheat; that is, the wheat will have all of the vitamins and all of the chemicals necessary to provide a balanced ration. People eating the food that will be provided in the Millennium will never get sick.

Righteousness shall go before Messiah as a herald, announcing His coming. It shall make His footsteps a way to walk in. John the Baptist was the herald who went before and announced the coming of Jesus of Nazareth at His first advent. According to Malachi's prophecy (4:5,6) God will send Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord to prepare the way for the coming of Messiah. Thus we may expect Elijah to appear in Palestine before Messiah comes. But Elijah is not the herald the psalmist is talking about in verse 13. He is personifying righteousness and thinking of it as a person, walking before the coming of the Messiah and preparing the way in which His footsteps will walk. When we lay aside the figure, we simply understand this passage to be an affirmation that God will see that righteousness is done in all instances, that a fair and just deal is meted out to everyone when the Messiah comes and establishes His reign of righteousness.

"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" This rhetorical question demands a positive answer. He always does right and will continue to do right.

When Messiah does return, many will come from the East and from the West and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom. But the sons of the kingdom (the Jewish people, especially the leaders), whose lives are not right, will be cast into outer darkness.

Great will be the day when Israel turns to Messiah and pleads for Him to return. In answer to that plea He will return and set up His righteous kingdom upon the earth. May that day speedily come, that this vision may be fulfilled!

"Long thy exiles have been pining,
Far from rest, and home, and Thee;
But, in heavenly vesture shining,
Soon they shall thy glory see;
Christ is coming!
Haste the joyous jubilee.

"With that 'blessed hope' before us,
Let no harp remain unstrung;
Let the mighty advent chorus
Onward roll from tongue to tongue;
Christ is coming!
Come, Lord Jesus, quickly come!"
John B. Macduff (1853).