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The Tabernacle of David
At the present time, Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Romans 8:34, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 10:12-13; 1 Peter 3:22), but when He physically “returns”, He “will build again the tabernacle of David”. At the time James quoted the above text from the prophet Amos, the “tabernacle of David”, was “fallen down”, and in “ruins”, but it shall be “built again” and “set up”. He says, “After this I will return”. After what? In the context, it is after God is done visiting the Gentiles (nations), and taking out of them a people for His name. The text implies an interlude, where the tabernacle of David is temporarily set aside, while God takes out of the Gentiles a people for His name.
Many of the Old Testament Scriptures stated that salvation would come to the Gentiles, and now, for the “first” time, the Church, which was only Jewish for the first eight years after Pentecost, had to deal with the question of the Gentiles who were coming to faith in Christ. Peter had the miraculous vision of the unclean animals that he was, by Jewish Law, forbidden to eat, but now God commanded Peter, what He had made clean was now acceptable (Acts 10:1-48). This was so contrary to the devout Jew, to have communion with a Gentile (Deuteronomy 7:1-4, 6, Acts 10:28; 11:2-3, John 4:9, 27; 18:28, Matthew 15:22, 26, Galatians 2:12-15, Ephesians 2:12), that Peter, when explaining the salvation of the house of Cornelius to the other disciples, stated, “Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” (Acts 11:17-18)
The time had come that God would now begin to take out of the Gentiles a people for His name. On the Day of Pentecost and shortly thereafter, thousands of Jews had come to Christ for pardon and cleansing of sin, and received the Lord joyfully. But as a nation, it began to be quite evident that Israel was still rejecting her Messiah, and their hearts were hardened (Acts 7:51; 13:45-46; 18:6).
Nevertheless, with God now turning to the Gentiles, it would provoke jealousy in the Jew. Paul quoted Moses saying, “But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.” (Romans 10:19-21) And again, “I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?” (Romans 11:11-12)
Jesus said, God "hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." (John 12:50) And this was Paul's conclusion, “that blindness in part is happened to Israel, UNTIL the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25-26). So it appears that the eyes of the nation Israel will be opened only after God is done taking out of the Gentiles a people for His name. Then shall they seek the Lord and turn to Christ and be saved (2 Corinthians 3:14-16). The Jews would be "diminished" resulting in the enrichment of the Gentiles. Through their fall, salvation would come to the Gentiles.
Now when Jesus “returns”, it will be to save Israel from their enemies who are gathered against Jerusalem. “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn... In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” (Zechariah 12:1-14; 13:1; 14:1-3, Revelation 1:7, Zephaniah 3:14-17, 18-20, Luke 1:70-73, 74)
Jesus had already told his disciples that His people Israel, “shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:23-24) Nevertheless, in the last days, the Lord says He will return their captivity, at which time, all nations shall be gathered against Jerusalem (Joel 3:1-3, Zephaniah 3:8, Zechariah 14:1-3). Jerusalem was the place where God had set His name there (1 Kings 11:36). It was the city of the great King (Psalm 48:2, Matthew 5:35). It was where the throne of David was to be established forever (2 Samuel 7:16, Psalm 89:34-36). But with the rejection of the Messiah their King (Matthew 21:38-39, Luke 19:14, John 1:11, Acts 3:13-14), their temple (70 AD, Matthew 24:1-2) and their city Jerusalem (AD 135, Matthew 22:7) were destroyed, now to be trodden down of the nations until the end of the Tribulation (Daniel 9:26, Revelation 11:2).
The prophet Nathan told David, “I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning, And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an house. And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee: But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.” (1 Chronicles 17:9-14)
No doubt this prophecy had a near view of Solomon, but it also looked far beyond Solomon. If the children of David would obey the Lord, there would not fail them a king to sit upon the throne (1 Kings 2:4; 9:4-9). This will ultimately be fulfilled by another “son of David” (Matthew 1:1), who would be called “the Son of the Highest”, who would sit upon “the throne of His father David” (Luke 1:31-33, Psalm 45:6) in the everlasting kingdom of Jesus Christ. It is interesting to note that the throne was called “the throne of the LORD” (1 Chronicles 29:23), and “His throne” (2 Chronicles 9:8, Hebrews 1:8-9). His kingdom will be set up in the last days (Daniel 2:44) when Christ returns to “smite the nations” (Revelation 19:15).
When David transferred the throne to his son Solomon, he ruled over the house of Israel and of Judah (1 Kings 1:35) and Israel had rest from their enemies and peace in fulfilment of the Lord's promise to David (1 Kings 5:3-4; 8:56; 1 Chronicles 22:9-10; 28:4-7). David had told Solomon, “And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.” (1 Chronicles 28:9)
The Lord also appeared to Solomon and told him directly, “if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments; Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel. But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this house? And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.” (2 Chronicles 7:17-22)
The Sins of Solomon.
Even before Israel entered the promised land, the Lord said he would set a king over them but commanded that, “he shall not multiply horses to himself... Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.” (Deuteronomy 17:14-20) Unfortunately, Solomon broke these commandments in the later years of his kingdom, in multiplying horses and gold (1 Kings 10:21, 28; 2 Chronicles 1:13-17; 9:25, Isaiah 2:6-7, Psalm 33:17), and multiplying to himself wives (1 Kings 11:1-8).
Because of Solomon's transgression, the Lord said, “I will surely rend the kingdom from thee” (1 Kings 11:9-13). When Solomon's son succeeded him, the kingdom was divided. Ten of the 12 tribes rebelled with Jeroboam against Solomon's son Rehoboam and they established their own kingdom in Samaria. But it was not long that they became so desperately wicked that the Lord judged them, and they were taken away captive by the Assyrian nation (2 Kings 17:1-23). A few generations later, the kingdom of Judah was judged for the same abominable sins and they were taken captive by the Babylonians for their transgressions (2 Kings 24-25).
The Lord said, “I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever” (1 Kings 11:39). Because of their transgressions the seed of David would be afflicted, but not forever, because of His promise and irrevocable covenant with David (Psalm 89:35-49).
After the 70 year Babylonian captivity, Cyrus gave the decree for the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple (Ezra 1:1-3). A remnant returned, and although the Temple was rebuilt, the Shekinah glory never returned, even after the Temple was dedicated as in the days of Solomon (1 Kings 8:10-11; 2 Chronicles 7:1-3). Yet Haggai prophesied, “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Haggai 2:9) Now the glory of the rebuilt Temple was nothing to be compared to Solomon's Temple (even after Herod rebuilt it). And during the inter-testament times, during the reign of the Maccabees, there was certainly no “peace”.
But it was this Temple where the true Shekinah glory came and dwelt (2 Corinthians 4:6), “the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9), not for the Jew only, but to the Gentiles also (Luke 2:32, Zechariah 2:10-11). He is “the Light of the world” (John 8:12), “the glory as of the only begotten of the Father” (John 1:14), the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us, whose glory shall also radiate in the New Jerusalem, “for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” (Revelation 21:23)
He is the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), who “is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14), who brought peace between God and man, between Jew and Gentile, “through the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:20), for “the chastisement of our peace was upon him” (Isaiah 53:5). For when we were enemies of God, now hath He reconciled by the death of His Son (Romans 5:10), that, “being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Romans 5:9), finding redemption and forgiveness (Colossians 1:14, Ephesians 1:7).
He is the One who is “greater than the temple” (Matthew 12:6), who sat teaching “daily in the temple” (Matthew 26:55), the One “greater than Solomon” (Matthew 12:42), whose glory filled the temple (Haggai 2:7), but they received Him not (John 1:11, Luke 19:14), and because of their impenitent hearts, knew not “the things which belong unto thy peace!” (Luke 19:42).
When His rejection was complete, He said, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple” (Matthew 23:38-39; 24:1). Jesus departed from the Temple leaving it desolate, no more to return until His Second Coming to save the remnant of His people Israel when they repent and are converted (Romans 11:26, Psalm 14:7; 106:47, Isaiah 59:20).
That was the message to Israel, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:19-21)
Jesus came “down from heaven” and would soon depart back to heaven (John 3:13). After His departure, their Temple was destroyed, in AD 70, and Jerusalem was laid desolate by the Romans in AD 135 in fulfilment of prophecy (Matthew 22:4-7, Luke 19:44, Daniel 9:26).
From the time of their Babylonian Captivity, for the most part, Israel was subject to foreign powers, the Assyrian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, the Grecian Empire, and in the days of Jesus, the Jews were under Roman Rule (Luke 3:1, John 11:48), and the wicked Edomite Herod was appointed king of Judea (Luke 1:5). Israel never again became the head of the nations as the Lord said (Deuteronomy 28:13). Although they were offered the kingdom, the kingdom was taken from them, because they knew not the time of their visitation.
Jesus was “the stone which the builders rejected” (Psalm 118:22-25, 26), and because of His rejection He said, “The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” (Matthew 21:42-45, Isaiah 8:14-15). Some have said that this “nation” is the Church. That is not so. While there may be an application there as we see in 1 Peter 2:3-6, 7-10, the Church is an “spiritual house”, not the promised house of David (2 Samuel 7:11, 16) which is at the present time “fallen down” (Acts 15:14-17). This will be the new born nation of Israel when Christ returns (Isaiah 66:7-9, Revelation 12:1-4, 5).
During Israel's captivity to the nations, God would turn to the Gentiles (Isaiah 11:10; 42:6; 60:3, Malachi 1:11, Ephesians 3:8, Romans 15:8-11, 12; 11:11, Acts 28:26-28; 18:5-6; 13:46-48), as Jesus instructed His apostles before He ascended to heaven, saying, “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations [Gentiles], beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46-47) This is the "Good News", "the gospel" of slavation, whereby a man can believe and be saved (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). He beckons to all, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." (Isaiah 45:22) Seeing that the Jews had so hardened their hearts against the gospel, the Apostle Paul turned his preaching towards the Gentiles who believed on Christ (Acts 13:45-48).
When James spoke of the fallen state of the “tabernacle of David” and its rebuilding, he was quoting Amos, but said, “to this agree the words of the prophets”. All the prophets had spoken how Israel would be scattered to the nations and be re-gathered back to the land (Deuteronomy 30:3, Jeremiah 31:10-12, Ezekiel 11:17-20; 20:33-36; 28:25-26). This is the land God promised by unconditional covenant (Genesis 15:7-10, 11-12, 17-18) to Abraham and his descendents, for an everlasting possession (Genesis 17:7-8), and that Israel would be "saved" (Isaiah 45:17) and be a “people unto thee forever” (2 Samuel 7:23-24), and David would be king over them forever in the land that God gave to Jacob, where their ancestors dwelt (Ezekiel 37:24-25), and that, the Gentiles would find salvation (Isaiah 49:6, Acts 28:28, Romans 10:12; 11:11).
This theme runs through the whole of the Old Testament. In the prophet Hosea, He says, “I will go and return to my place”. He says, “I, even I, will tear and go away”. Israel would be judged, they would be “torn” and “smitten”, “afflicted” and “taken away”. But the day is coming when they shall come to the realization that He shall not “come unto us” until they acknowledge their offence, seek His face and return unto Him (Hosea 5:14-15; 6:1-3, Malachi 3:7, Acts 3:19-21).
The Lord says, “Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee. For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.” (Hosea 3:3-5) The tabernacle of David had fallen, and the kingdom would not be restored to Israel until the latter days (Daniel 2:44). Because they had played the harlot, the children of Israel would abide many days without a King.
The “tabernacle of David” had “fallen down”. Hosea said, “And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.” (Hosea 5:5) Nevertheless, Paul said, “through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?” (Romans 11:11-12) “For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?” (Romans 11:15) There was the promise of restoration, that they would be resurrected and received again. Jeremiah said, “For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.” (Lamentations 3:31-32).
The disciples of Jesus knew the Kingdom would be restored to Israel according to the sure promises of God, but Jesus told them it was not for them to know the times and the seasons, for they would be given a new mission in preaching the gospel to the nations (Acts 1:3, 6-8) during Israel's Diaspora. In the absence of the King, His disciples would go to the nations to bear witness in the power of the Holy Spirit, the message of reconciliation by the death and resurrection of Christ for sinners (Luke 24:46-48, Acts 2:32; 4:33).
God had promised Israel that they would experience blessings if they would obey and follow Him, but also, they would be cursed and scattered to the nations for their transgressions. “And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.” (Deuteronomy 30:1-3, Matthew 24:29-31)
The Lord says, “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen... And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.” (Amos 9:11, 14-15)
Now a remnant did return under Cyrus the Mede after their 70 year Babylonian captivity, but it must be understood that this was not a fulfillment of all the prophecies of their being gathered from the nations of the world and from the four corners of the earth (Isaiah 11:11-12). This was their return from Babylon (Ezra 2:1, 64; 8:1). Nevertheless, after this they were “pulled up out of their land” once again, and scattered to the nations by the Romans when they destroyed their city and Temple in AD 70 & 135, because of their rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ (Daniel 9:26).
So when James quoted Amos in Acts 15:14-18, he was still looking to a future day when Israel would return from their worldwide dispersion, when they would return to the Lord, and the Lord would return unto them and build again the tabernacle of David. He says, “I will build it as in the days of old” (Amos 9:11), that is, when the kingdom of Israel was the head of the nations under Solomon. Only then shall they be no more pulled up out of their land which the Lord has given them.
Many have erringly concluded that God has cast off the nation of Israel forever, but the day is soon coming when “their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.” (Isaiah 61:9) The prophet Zephaniah said, "I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame... for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth" (Zephaniah 3:19-20). Their name shall no longer “be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them” (Jeremiah 29:18), and “the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth” (Isaiah 25:8). “In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zechariah 8:23)
When Jesus came unto His own (John 1:11), that is, the nation of Israel, John the Baptist came preparing the way before Him saying, “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:1-3). There were in those days some who were “waiting for the consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25) and “the kingdom of God” (Mark 15:43) and were looking for the Messiah, according to the promise of God to David, who was set “to be ruler over my people, over Israel” (2 Samuel 7:8, Luke 1:31-33). The Lord told David, “Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime” (2 Samuel 7:10, Luke 1:68-71, 72-75). “Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son...” (2 Samuel 7:12-14).
Surely the LORD was speaking to David concerning his son Solomon, whom David did crown as king before he died, to replace him, and whose kingdom God did establish (1 Kings 2:12). This same Solomon built an house for the name of the Lord ( 2 Chronicles 6:1-11), but as the nature of the Scriptures go, in so many places, they speak to the immediate situation in that generation, but also looked far into the future to the days of the Messiah, and of the last days, in the Day of the Lord, and so, in this same passage was projected a prophecy far into the future, when the kingdom of David, and the kingdom of Israel would in essence become the kingdom of God and of Heaven when the Son of God would become the Son of man (Luke 1:32, Matthew 1:21-23; 1 Timothy 3:16), who would proceed from the loins of David (Psalm 132:11, Acts 2:30, Revelation 22:16), and as Priest and King would sit upon the throne of His glory (Zechariah 6:12-13), as King to judge the goats, and Priest to atone for His lambs (Matthew 25:31-32), as it is written, “...but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come.” (2 Samuel 7:19)
This Servant is Christ. This Son is Christ. This “firstborn” (Read Psalm 89:27) is Christ. This everlasting throne is Christ's, as it is written in the book of Hebrews, “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Hebrews 1:4-9, Psalm 89:26-29; 1 Chronicles 22:10)
While many have been called “my servant”, Abraham, Moses, Caleb, Israel and David, etc, this prophecy (2 Samuel 7:10-19) was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ who was the Servant of Jehovah (Isaiah 42:1-4, 5-7; 49:5-6; 52:13-15; 53:1-12, Zechariah 3:8-9, Matthew 12:18-21), and the Seed of David (Psalm 132:11, Acts 2:30, Romans 1:3, Revelation 22:16). The government would be on His shoulder (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6), “And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.” (Isaiah 16:5) He would possess the Key of David (Isaiah 22:21-22, Revelation 3:7). He would rule over God's people Israel (Matthew 2:6, Micah 5:2, John 7:42, Luke 1:32-33), and over the nations with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:9-10, Revelation 2:26-27; 12:5; 19:15).
Are you ready? He is coming SOON! "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." (Isaiah 45:22) "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (Jesus Christ) (Matthew 11:28-29) "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15; 1 Corinthians 1:21, 18; 15:1-4, Romans 1:16) Be sure you know what the gospel is and believe it, for your eternal destiny depends on it.
"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: 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: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world... Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels ... And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." (Matthew 2531-34, 41, 46)
Appendix
“Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers. But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.” (Jeremiah 3:12-19)
“When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger: I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you. And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.” (Deuteronomy 4:25-31)
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.” (Isaiah 2:2-5)
“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.” (Zechariah 2:10-13)
“And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God. What can David speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant. O LORD, for thy servant's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt? For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God. Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said. Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee. For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee. And now, LORD, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever.” (1 Chronicles 17:16-27)
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