Which other scriptures emphasize God's desire for all nations to worship Him? Psalm 86:9—The Anchor Verse “All the nations You have made will come and bow before You, O Lord, and they will glorify Your name.” Early Glimpses in Genesis through the Psalms • Genesis 12:3 – “In you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” God’s covenant with Abraham carried an international promise from the start. • Psalm 22:27-28 – “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD… all the families of the nations will bow down before Him.” • Psalm 67:3-4 – “Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.” The Prophets Widen the Lens • Isaiah 2:2 – “In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established… and all nations will stream to it.” • Isaiah 45:22-23 – “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is no other… to Me every knee will bow.” • Isaiah 49:6 – “I will also make you a light for the nations, to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.” • Isaiah 56:6-7 – Foreigners who join themselves to the LORD will be welcomed, and His house will be “a house of prayer for all the nations.” • Daniel 7:14 – “All peoples, nations, and tongues will serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion.” • Malachi 1:11 – “My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun.” Christ’s Own Words and Mandate • Matthew 24:14 – “This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations.” • Matthew 28:19 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” • Luke 24:47 – “Repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” • John 10:16 – “I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice.” The Apostles Carry the Torch • Acts 1:8 – “You will be My witnesses… to the ends of the earth.” • Acts 10:34-35 – God shows no partiality; in every nation the one who fears Him is accepted. • Romans 1:5 – Paul’s mission: “obedience of faith among all the nations for His name’s sake.” • Romans 15:11 – “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and extol Him, all you peoples.” • Ephesians 3:6 – Gentiles are “fellow heirs… partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” • Philippians 2:10-11 – “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow… every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” • 1 Timothy 2:3-4 – God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” The Revelation Finale • Revelation 5:9 – “You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” • Revelation 7:9 – “A great multitude… from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne.” • Revelation 15:4 – “All the nations will come and worship before You.” • Revelation 21:24 – “The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.” Threads That Tie It All Together • From Genesis to Revelation, God’s redemptive plan consistently reaches beyond Israel to embrace every ethnicity and language. • Each passage reaffirms the literal promise voiced in Psalm 86:9—God will receive worship from all nations, and He will be glorified globally. • The call to proclaim the gospel is rooted in this divine desire, anchoring our mission and hope in His unchanging Word. |
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