Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? (Psalm 2:1)
The Bibles tells us “that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4). These “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13) while “Professing themselves to be wise, they [have become] fools” (Romans 1:22).
As the return of Christ approaches, we see the fulfillment of this prophesy all around us. Hostility toward “God’s Anointed” and those who follow Him is rapidly increasing. The word translated “heathen” here is the Hebrew word gowyim meaning non-Jewish nations or people. It could also be translated “gentiles” referring to those who are not the people of God. From a New Testament perspective, these would be any who are not Christians, and therefore not a part of God’s family. These are they that “rage,” that is, they assemble as a tumultuous mob “against the LORD, and his anointed” [His Messiah; His Christ] (v. 2).
They “imagine a vain thing” (v. 1), that is, they imagine something that will never happen. They rebel against God and say, “Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us” (v. 3). Their end has been predetermined: “And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Ar-ma-ged’-don” (Revelation 16:16) “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him [Christ] that sat upon the horse” (Revelation 19:20-21).
Although God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), man’s obstinate and overt rebellion against His Anointed would be almost comical, if it were not so sad. “Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?” (Romans 9:20). The question is ludicrous! “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision” (v. 4).
As the day of His return approaches we see more and more blatant attacks on Christians and Christianity by our government and by the liberal media. These attacks will only grow worse as a lost populace lashes out against God and His people. Little do they know that God just laughs at their insolence, but “Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (v. 12).
Ernie's Musings 