“The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.” (Psalms 97:1)
This psalm is prophetically about the return of Jesus. It’s unsure who wrote it. Some claim it to be Davidic. Others claim that it was written after the exiles returned from Babylonia. But the writer of Hebrews, who may be Paul, attributed this psalm to David. It’s prophetic phrases in verses 2-6 describe His appearance, His lightening lighting the whole earth, the melted hills and the whole earth being in His presence which other prophecies of the Second Coming of Jesus also mention.
The Lord is king. He reigns and comes to reign on the earth. The earth has suffered under the curse of sin. “The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.” (Isaiah 24:4-6) The earth suffers and groans for the redemption of the bodies of the children of God. “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” (Romans 8:22-23) The whole earth is waiting for the Second Coming of the Lord.
The psalmist tells the earth to rejoice. The curse will be lifted. The multitude of isles refers to the Gentile isles. There are thousands, the bigger ones are Great Britian and Ireland, Australia, New Zealand. And there are clusters of islands such as Hawaii and others known as Archipelagos. Every bit of earth on which people live are important, are awaiting the coming of the Lord and are remembered in this psalm and remembered by the Lord.
Psalm 98 which is with certainty attributed to David continues to urge the earth to rejoice and praise the Lord at His coming to conquer His enemies and to reign on the earth. “Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together Before the LORD; for He cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall He judge the world, and the people with equity.” (Psalms 98:8-9)
We will have been resurrected at the rapture and come with Jesus, that is if the rapture occurs before His Second Coming. It’s a debated issue with some believing we’re raptured before the Great Tribulation, others believing the rapture comes at mid Tribulation and still others believing it occurs at the end of the Great Tribulation, every view giving compelling arguments. But nowhere in Scripture does it mention the saints being raptured when Jesus sets foot on the Mount of Olives. We are caught up in the sky. “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1Thessalonians 4:16-17) None of the verses associated with His Second Coming tell of the saints resurrected at this time. Instead, Jesus comes in glory and in victory to defeat His enemies at the Second Coming. The whole earth will see His glory and there will be mourning and also gnashing of teeth when the people on the earth see Him. “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.” (Revelation 1:7) Those who hate Him do not submit to Him. They continue in their hatred knowing their doom is sealed. Even after the pronouncement of death and time in death, after which they are then cast into the lake of fire, they do not abandon their hatred of Jesus. “The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:41-42)
According to Scripture, we will be with Jesus and will reign with Him. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4) Scripture goes on to say those also who are from the first resurrection. (Revelation 20:5) “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:6)
Of a Truth, all of God’s creation are waiting for the rapture and the Second Coming of Christ, but none more than His children. We have His Word, prophesy and the witness of the Holy Spirit that Jesus will come for us and that after the Great Tribulation, He will return in glory to reign on the earth.
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