May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands,
Psalm 149:6
Some have laid claim to the idea that this is somehow, primarily, an End Times Psalm. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Failure to recognize the power and authority of the Kingdom leads one to bad exegesis. Remember, Peter was said to have the Keys of the Kingdom, and could bind and lose at will (and, hence, as a body, so do we). These are the already bound things in heaven, so it is the execution of the written judgments spoken of. Again, whether this is a prophecy of what was to come, or then experience of the tabernacle worshippers that was entirely a foreshadowing of the church age is also in question. It seems clear that the singers literally did this in their worship to God at the time, and, because David’s tent was a prophetic picture of the New Covenant, it is what we do every time we lift high praises to God.
Hence, to relegate this to end eschatalogical interpretation, other than in the sense of continuing to do what we have always done as the church, seriously weakens the calling and purpose of the church. If this is in any way is especially relegated to the end times, as opposed to the ongoing church experience, it robs one of the faith of its right and operation today. Again, the particular is that these are the judgments written in heaven, as Jesus said He did not judge but as He heard His Father judge. The same is true with us. While there may be greater judgments written towards a specific chronos time periods that God has set forth, we may be certain that there is no limit to His power and understanding in giving us this key chapter in regards to the church today.
What the enemy hates is praise. It is specifically the high praises of God in our mouth that precedes the sword in the hand, and the execution of the written judgments and the binding of spiritual strongmen, rulers, nobles, etc. This must be taken in note, that, in today’s culture, and yea, especially in today emerging movement, we have all but abandoned praise, except for a select “few” who seem gifted, or who have “special permission”.
But, the cycle of worship always begins with praise. And, when that spirit of worship comes, we worship until His glory comes. And, when that glory comes, we stand there. What could take hours or days or longer in a normal prayer time can be accomplished quickly and with ease in the glory. We must have His glory, and to get that, we must have high praise.
It is a backwards approach to sit in the shallows of worship and expect the tepid bathwaters of mundane, day-to-day singing to ever break through into the delivering power we need over nations. Instead, we must lift up a praise, and clamorous praise, a raucous praise, the more boastful (Hallal), the better. God likes His praise LOUD! Of the seven Hebrew words for praise, ALL of them are action words. You might say you can praise Him quietly in your heart, and I’m not saying anything about that, all I’m saying is that Biblically you can’t praise Him without doing something! And, clapping is not praise. Anyone can clap along to a rhythm, but praise comes from the spirit.
In dismissing this Psalm from the present church to the future, the prayer movement has dismissed her overcoming authority, her right to wield the sword, and her ability to bind and lose.
Let the church arise with a vibrant praise, no matter how foolish.
As King David said, when bringing in the ark of His glory..
I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.
2 Samuel 6:22 (portion)