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Greeting Fellow Slaves!

I was wondering what your opinions might be on the following information concerning the "house of David". As we know, "house" can refer to a dynasty and also a physical structure.

Jehovah chose David to be the second king of Israel after King Saul (2 Samuel 6:21; 1 Kings 8:16, 11:34; Psalm 78:70). After capturing Jerusalem, David ruled the 12 tribes of Israel for the next 33 years, after making it the capital and naming it the "City of David." He came up with an idea to build a Temple to Jehovah and house the Ark of the Covenant and other items from the Tabernacle of Moses. The prophet Nathan thought it was a good idea, and he was certain that God would approve (2 Samuel 7:3). Jehovah didn't, however, and bluntly told David so though Nathan:

2 Samuel 7:5 says: "Go, and you must say to my servant David, 'This is what Jehovah has said: "Should you yourself build me a house for me to dwell in? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house from the day of my bringing the sons of Israel up out of Egypt to this day, but I was continually walking about in a tent and in a tabernacle."

Jehovah then reviewed for David all that He had done for him and for Israel, and informed David of a "house" that He Himself would build for him, that would last until the end of the age, evidently undisturbed. At the very same time Jehovah also reveals His plans for the Temple that David desired to build, saying that a "seed after him" would build the Temple. Verses 11b through 16 says:

"'"And Jehovah has told you that a house is what Jehovah will make for you. 12 When your days come to the full, and you must lie down with your forefathers, then I shall certainly raise up your seed after you, which will come out of your inward parts; and I shall indeed firmly establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one that will build a house for my name, and I shall certainly establish the throne of his kingdom firmly to time indefinite. 14 I myself shall become his father, and he himself will become my son. When he does wrong, I will also reprove him with the rod of men and with the strokes of the sons of Adam. 15 As for my loving-kindness, it will not depart from him the way I removed it from Saul, whom I removed on account of you. 16 And your house and your kingdom will certainly be steadfast to time indefinite before you; your very throne will become one firmly established to time indefinite."'"

It seems that this is not the "house" that would refer to the dynasty that would ultimately be ruled by Jesus during the Millennial Reign. David himself was grieved because he perceived that Jehovah was talking about his tomb, or sepulcher, and imagined that God was pronouncing a death sentence on him. David went before Jehovah and prayed about the house He was building for him. He was upset and frightened at first, not understanding what Jehovah was doing. David questioned Jehovah in a complaint. Why was David interpreting this as a death sentence? The answer: David was interpreting the "house" as a tomb.

Questions started rolling around in his head. Why would Jehovah bring him all this way through his life, protecting him and promoting him, assisting him in every trouble, raising him to be King over Israel, bringing Israel to peace and greatness, only to then tell inform him that He would build a tomb for him?

David was shocked by this and could not understand it, saying: "Who am I, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah? And what is my house that you have brought me thus far? 19 As though this should even be something little in your eyes, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah, yet you also speak respecting the house of your servant down to a distant future time; and this is the law given for mankind, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah." –verse 18.

David was evidently perceiving that God was pronouncing a death sentence upon him, and that Jehovah was perceiving this as a small thing. He naturally asks why, and during his prayer he answers his own questions, and then concludes with the confession that whatever Jehovah has in store for him, David will accept in obedience. If we read David's entire response to Jehovah in 2 Samuel 7:18–29, substituting the word "tomb" when David refers to his house, it seems to make a whole lot more sense.

David's prayer to Jehovah is a model for us, whenever we're presented with a major situation in life that we don't like or understand, when circumstances before us seem totally opposed to what we thought was Jehovah's will. David challenged Jehovah with questions about what He really wanted. The mention of the "house," meaning the tomb that God has prepared for him, has David questioning God's intention.

David prepares to come to terms with whatever Jehovah will give him in life. He then reviews what God has done for Israel and for him personally. While doing this, David realizes that Jehovah must have a plan to somehow glorify Himself, even with the death sentence He gave to him (verses 7:22–24). Then David speaks to Jehovah directly about the "house" that He would "make" for him in verses 25-29:

25 "And now, Jehovah God, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house carry out to time indefinite and do just as you have spoken. 26 And let your own name become great to time indefinite, saying, 'Jehovah of armies is God over Israel,' and let the very house of your servant David become firmly established before you. 27 For you, Jehovah of armies the God of Israel, have made a revelation to your servant's ear, saying, 'A house I shall build for you.' That is why your servant has taken heart to pray to you with this prayer. 28 And now, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah, you are the [true] God; and as for your words, let them prove to be truth, since you promise to your servant this goodness. 29 And now take it upon yourself and bless the house of your servant [for it] [b]to continue to time indefinite before you[/b]; for you yourself, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah, have promised, and due to your blessing let the house of your servant be blessed to time indefinite."

Now notice these four points about the "house" and Jehovah's plan:

1) "carry out to time indefinite" (confirm it for the age, olam)

2) "as for your words, let them prove to be true."

3) "let your own name become great to time indefinite (olam, the age) saying, 'Jehovah of armies is God over Israel'

4) "let the very house of your servant David become firmly established before you." (close to Jehovah)

David totally accepts what Jehovah has in store for him, and it was not easy. He had to search his heart to accept the difficult thing Jehovah proposed. David finally "found in his heart to pray this prayer.

He will no longer struggle with God about this matter. David was truly a man after God's own heart, willing to fulfill God's will (Acts 13:22, with Paul citing 1 Kings 15:5).He asks God to "firmly establish" his "house," his Tomb, and asks that (verse 7:26) by His action. Jehovah of Armies is the God over Israel (and over David) and that the house (Tomb) of God's servant David will be built with acquiescence and without complaint. David states directly "do just as you have spoken" (verse 7:25), which is equivalent to saying "let your will be done." Could there be something in the tomb, to this day undiscovered, concerning God name "becoming great" at the end of the age?

This is evidently the "house" that was inaugurated or dedicated at the beginning of Psalm 30, technically verse 0, where it says:

"A melody. A song of inauguration of the house. Of David."

The theme of the entire Psalm is for the most part David entreating Jehovah for a lengthening of days:

2 O Jehovah my God, I cried to you for help, and you proceeded to heal me. 3 O Jehovah, you have brought up my soul from She´ol itself; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down into the pit.

7 O Jehovah, in your goodwill you have made my mountain to stand in strength.
You concealed your face; I became one that is disturbed.
8 To you, O Jehovah, I kept calling; And to Jehovah I kept making entreaty for favor. 9 What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit? Will the dust laud you? Will it tell of your trueness?

11 You have changed my mourning into dancing for me;
You have loosened my sackcloth, and you keep me girded with rejoicing.

David's tomb has been preserved down to this day. As far as what may be in the tomb with him, while it is speculative, there is nonetheless good reason to suspect that some of Jehovah's surprises that are in store for the end of this system may be contained inside the Sepulchers of David. Since this post is getting a little long, I can expand on that as this thread goes on.

It's very exciting to think about. All these questions that we have about God's name and purposes for Israel, the unsealing of the books, could very well come about in part by the discovery of original documents inside these tombs, which to this day have not been found. The tombs are located directly against the south wall of the Temple Mount, which was located over the Gihon Springs. The Temple Mount upon which the Dome of the Rock is standing is well to the north after several expansions and destructions over the course of Jerusalem's history. It is not the original Temple Mount.

People today don't usually take anyone seriously who claims to be spiritually enlightened or having the Holy Spirit indwelling in them, but they certainly do pay attention to hard, physical evidence!


Lou

Lou,

I think Olam, the age, and Aionos have a similar meaning which we don't entirely understand.
Would love a discussion sometime, because that is really what we will inherit.....olam/aionos

vicky.

ps.
I know you have hit on something interesting here.
Take your time in writing.
I know what you are doing. You are getting these flashes of inspiration and want to put them down as they come.
This is really good but take time to ruminate and toss them around so that you can get the connections, do you have someone with whom you can do this?
Not all connections will be right, but the depth of the Bible is amazing.

Hi vicky

Nope, no inspiration here (that I know of). Just endless energy that God gives me for some reason, to keep digging and learning. Networking with friends is a big help. It was Steadfast that sent me a link several months back that got me looking into David's tomb. Scholars have written books on the subject, with the focus on 2 Samuel ch. 7.

It appears that the end of this age will find literal prophetic fulfillments in the Middle East. That doesn't negate our understanding of spiritual fulfillment on the Christian Congregation, it just means that some of the prophecies don't fit the Church. It's no co-incidence that a tiny little nation like Israel is front and center stage in today's world.

I just finished putting together something called "The Two Jerusalems":

http://www.love-the-truth.net/two_jerusalems.html

And I do indeed concur on the amazing depth of God's Word.


Lou

Hi Lou

I absolutely agree with you in this statement. This is something the Bible Students initially recognized (such as the restoration of the Jews to their homeland), but later rejected under Rutherford. (The same Rutherford who managed to twist most of the prophetic writings to apply to the activities of the Governing Body around 1919.)

As I was reading this post I had my Bible open to Zechariah 13, which starts with this passage:

"On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness." (Zech 13:1 ESV)

The NWT uses "well" for "fountain", which implies something underground. I wonder if this has any bearing on the tomb of David?

The above passage is in the context of a war against Jerusalem, in which God seeks to annihilate all the nations that come against that city. I suspect this is the war of Har-Magedon, because there is said to be wailing "like the wailing in Hadad-rimmon in the valley plain of Megiddo." (12:11)

This also seems to match up with Ezekiel 38 and 39, in which a confederate of nations come against Israel in the final part of the days, and in God's anger and fury "all mankind that are upon the surface of the ground will be bound to shiver, and the mountains will actually be thrown down and the steep ways will have to fall, and to the earth even every wall will fall." (Eze 38:18-20)

This also sounds like Har-Magedon! Only after this will the nation of Israel recognize their God. "And those of the house of Israel will have to know that I am Jehovah their God from that day and forward. And the nations will have to know that it was because of their error that they, the house of Israel, went into exile." (Eze 39:22,23)

So it seems that Jehovah will use this international attack upon the now regathered Israel to glorify Himself among the nations, and to show that they went into exile a second time (in 70AD) because of their error.

(It's likely that they will rebuild the Temple after this attack, because only then they will know their God, as verse 22 suggests - and the Temple vision is laid out from Ezekiel 40 onwards, which suggests it comes about after the war of Ezekiel 39 and 40.)

So yes, it would not come as a surprise to me if the actual tomb of David were to have some major significance in the future. In fact, that it still exists intact at all is quite remarkable, given that David died some 3,000 years ago!

Thanks for your reply Brother. It's unthinkable that David allowed himself to be buried without his own personal copy of the Torah, and many other writings that weren't included in the Bible's canon. It would really answer the question that many people have as to why God couldn't preserve His Word intact. The truths that would be revealed just might cause the Jews to accept Jesus.

Imagine that.

By the way, after thinking long and hard about which of the many subjects outside the WT bubble that might not be construed at e-JW as an attempt to cause stumbling, I got lambasted for it anyway. So, to borrow one of Robert's lines:

"Hasta La Vista"


Lou