them, not conquest of territory, but an attack upon the Holy things of God.

The revolt in Psalm 2 has nothing to do with politics, diplomacy, territory

or defence of liberty, it is definitely directed 'against the Lord, and

against His Anointed'.  It is definitely directed against the 'restraints' we

see will characterize the closing week of Daniel 9:

'Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us'

(Psa. 2:3).

There is no idea at this stage that any kings had been literally 'bound

in fetters' (Psa. 105:22; 149:8), the word translated 'bands' means also 'to

bind' one's soul by an oath (Num. 30:2), and in the language of the Gentile,

it is translated 'a decree' made by a king (Dan. 6:7,8,9, 10,12,13,15).

Again, the 'cords' against which these rulers and kings revolted, is the

Hebrew word aboth, used of the 'wreathen' work which bound the breastplate

upon the heart of Israel's High Priest (Exod. 28:14,22,24,25).  In Psalm

118:27 these 'cords' are used to bind the sacrifice to the horns of the

altar.  In Hosea 11:4 it is used in the delightful expression, 'I drew them

with cords of a man, with bands of love'.

The revolt of Psalm 2 was the revolt against holiness.  These kings

are exhorted to serve the Lord with fear and to rejoice with trembling; to

'kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and they perish from the way, when His wrath

is kindled but a little' (Psa. 2:10 -12).  Look at the wars that are recorded

in the Revelation and note the object of their hostility:

'These (i.e. the ten kings) shall make war with the Lamb' (Rev. 17:14).

'There was war in heaven: Michael ... and the dragon' (Rev. 12:7).

'The dragon ... went to make war with the remnant of her seed' (Rev.

'The Beast ... shall make war against them (i.e. the two witnesses)'

(Rev. 11:7).

'It was given unto him (the Beast) to make war with the saints' (Rev.

And when Gog and Magog are gathered together 'to battle' or 'to make

war' (same word), the objective is still one and the same, 'the camp of the

saints', the 'Holy city' shall be trodden under foot for forty and two months

(i.e.  the three and a half years, the midst of the week of Daniel 9).  The

strange words of Revelation 22:11 present a solemn choice in that day, 'He

which is filthy ... he that is holy' for these are The issues at stake,

headed by the Lamb on the one hand and by the Dragon on the other.  The

immediate destruction by fire from heaven, and the devouring instantly of

these enemies of Holiness, is but the climax of a series of such exhibitions

of Divine wrath.  We have already quoted the general statement, that any

unauthorized person that drew near to the sacred Tabernacle was punished by

death, but there are instances where this death came about by fire from

heaven.  The judgment of fire from heaven, and from the Lord, seems to be

reserved in the Old Testament for sins of sacrilege, extreme wickedness or

false worship.  The judgment upon Nadab and Abihu is an example of sacrilege:

'And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them' (Lev.

The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are set forth as an example suffering

the vengeance of eternal fire (Jude 7).  The conflict between the prophets of

Baal and the prophet Elijah illustrates the third class: