Psalms 117
McGeePsalms 117THEME: Hallelujah for the universal praise of GodThis is another Hallel psalm and is the shortest in the series. Let me remind you that the Hallel psalms (113-118) were sung at the three great feasts of the nation Israel: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. At the Feast of Passover the cup was passed seven times, and between each passing those gathered would sing one of these hymns. Some expositors say that Psalms 113 and 114 were sung before the meal, and then Psalms 117 and 118 were sung after the meal. It doesn’t matter how you arrange them, the important thing is that they were sung. Psalms 118 was the last psalm they sang. Mat_26:30 tells us, “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.” Psalms 117 is not only the shortest psalm, it is the shortest chapter in the Bible. Because of that there is a danger of passing over it altogether.
Psalms 117:1
“Praise the LORD” is “hallelujah.”
Psalms 117:2
These are remarkable verses that we should not pass over hurriedly. “Praise the LORD, all ye nations” is obviously prophetic. It looks to the future when all nations and races and tribes and tongues on every continent and in every nation will join together in praising Jehovah and will worship Him as Lord. Is there anything like that in the world today? Do you see any evidence of it in your neighborhood? Can you see that the world is turning to God? There was a time at the turn of the century, during the good old Victorian era and during the Gay Nineties, when it was thought that the Millennium was about to be ushered in.
That was the heyday of postmillennialism, and a premillennialist in that day had to run for cover. They would have ridden anyone out of town on a rail who would have been pessimistic enough to say that a time of Great Tribulation was going to come upon the world! “Praise the LORD, all ye nations.” I have a question to ask: Where are the nations that are singing praises unto Jehovah today? Where are the nations who worship and adore Him and are in submission to Him? The answer is easythere are no nations today that fit that description. The message of the prophets was that one day the nations would praise and worship the Lord. In Zec_2:11 it says, “And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people….” Then in Zec_14:16 we read, “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.” Evidently the worshiping of all nations is connected with the turning of Israel to God. The next question is, When will all of this find fulfillment? I think the answer to that is in this little psalm before us. When will the nations praise Jehovah? Notice what it says in verse Psa_117:2: “For his merciful kindness is great toward us.” Who is the “us” in this phrase? It is Israel. The day is coming when God is going to be gracious to Israel.
That day is in the future, at the end of the Great Tribulation period, when the Lord comes to earth for the second time and establishes His Kingdom. Then He will be gracious to Israel and to all the nations on the earth. At that time Micah says (referring to God), “Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old” (Mic_7:20). Then in Isa_54:7-8 we read, “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.” So, my friend, you can see that this psalm has reference to a future day when all the nations are going to praise the LORD. Is there any inkling of this subject in the New Testament? Yes, Acts 15 records the meeting of the council at Jerusalem, which was made up of Jewish believers; and they could not understand why the prophecies of the Old Testament were not being fulfilled. At the end of the conference James got up and said, “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name” (Act_15:14). My friend, that is what God is doing in our daytaking out a people from among the Gentiles. He is making up His church from all races and tribes and tongues and bringing them together into one body. Now notice how James continues, “And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this"after what?
After He takes the church out of the world"I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things” (Act_15:15-17). As you can see, the psalm before us looks to the future when every creature on this earth will render praise unto God. It simply is not true that the nations today are praising God. You may see some evidence of it in your little corner of the world; but, in my little corner in Southern California, there is no evidence that everyone will turn to God. However, the time is coming when “God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him” (Psa_67:7). Psalms 117 is a tremendous psalm. It is like an atom bomb in the midst of the Psalms, and when this little bomb explodes, you won’t find a postmillennialist or an amillennialist anywhere, for it will blow them all away. The fulfillment of this psalm will come during the Millennium when Christ reigns on this earthand not before. Oh, what a glorious time that will be! “Praise ye the LORD"Hallelujah!