The Lord our Righteousness

“In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Jeremiah 23:6)

Jeremiah is prophesying about Jesus. In the previous verse his description points to Jesus. “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.” (Jeremiah 23:5) Jesus is the promised descendant of David, the righteous Branch and King. Jeremiah is talking about the days coming when Jesus will reign on the earth. 

All of Israel shall be saved then. Israel will know Jesus as King. There are a few descriptions of those days. It will be a time without the devil. He will be bound. (Revelation 20:1-3) The apostles will sit on thrones judging Israel. In talking to His disciples, He tells them, “That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:30) Those martyred for Jesus during the Tribulation will also rule. (Revelation 20:4) And Jesus will reign until He has conquered all His enemies. “Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under his feet.” (1Corinthians 15:24-25)

Zechariah also prophesies about this time. All the nations will come against Israel. (v2) The Lord will fight for Israel. (v3) Jesus will come and stand on the mount of Olives. (vs4) That day will not be day nor night. (vs6-7) Fresh clean and living water will flow out of Jerusalem to the seas. (v8) And Jesus will be King over all the world. There will only be one Lord. (v9) The land of Israel will be inhabited, and the people will live in peace. (v10-11) The people that came against Israel will be punished with a plague and fight among themselves. (vs12-13,15) There is no more a division between Judah and Israel which in our time has been abolished, but which in Zechariah’s time still existed. Judah will fight alongside of Israel. And the wealth of all the heathen shall be brought to Israel. (vs 14) All the nations will go to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. Those who refuse will suffer a drought. (vs16-19) Everything in Israel will be holy and dedicated to the Lord. (vs 20-21)

Daniel interpreted king Nebuchadnezzar’s dream which included the reign of Christ. “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” (Daniel 2:44) Daniel had visions of this reign of Christ. “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” (Daniel 7:27)  

Our Scripture in Jeremiah says that in those days, He will be called the Lord our Righteousness. To us, He is the Lord our Righteousness. The Lord is righteous and just. He is perfect as the third person of the Trinity. Righteousness in the Old Testament and in the New Testament differ.  In the Old Testament, righteousness was measured by man’s actions based on the Law.  In the New Testament righteousness has nothing to do with our actions, but on our belief and reliance on the Lord for our righteousness. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:” (Rom 3:21-22). Our righteousness is a gift from the Lord which He bestows on those who believe in His work on the cross which makes us right, pure and sinless in the eyes of God. It is the righteous work of the Lord Jesus.  

We could never be righteous in our own strength.  It is impossible because we were of this world, tainted with the sin of the curse.  But Jesus delivered us by His sacrifice, death and shed blood on the cross and gave us His righteousness so we are able to come to the throne of God as His children. “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2Corinthians 5:21)

And in those days of the reign of Christ, all Israel will know the righteousness of the Lord.  They will believe and be saved. And they will call Him, “the Lord our righteousness.”