TILL I MAKE THINE ENEMIES THY FOOTSTOOL

(FOOTSTOOL: Another Word Not Used
Consistently By Bible
Commentators)

(Incidentally, that verse is quoted seven times in the New Testament. As I’ve mentioned in my earlier posts, the fact that it is quoted frequently in the NT should get our attention).

I have heard this verse explained to mean that Jesus will conquer his enemy and place his foot on the neck of the defeated, as was the custom of conquerors in ancient times, in order to show complete subjection of the enemy.

Here is perhaps the passage (the only passage) of scripture that seems to support the use of that custom:

Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.
And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.
And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.

Joshua 10:22-25

Yes, this passage seems to support the custom of conquerors standing of the neck of the defeated. But the word “footstool” in other passages connotes something different, in my opinion.

What is a footstool anyway? A place to rest ¹Rest in Hebrew can mean to “cease from work” or to “take up residence” (get reference), so not only did God cease from his work, He took up residence in the “temple”. For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. – Psa 132:13-14   (Only two places in scripture the word refers to a literal piece of furniture;   2 Chronicles and James 3.  In both of these references a different word meaning footstool is used). So let’s explore what the majority of the Bible says about footstools.

David wanted to build the Lord a house: 

I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, . . –

1Ch 28:2

But the Lord said:

The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. –

Isa 66:1-2

So what is God’s footstool?  The earth! In the Scriptures “earth” commonly refers to  Israel. ²I will not press this point.  The earth may simply be referring to this planet.  Or, at the very least, mankind.  The very name Adam means earth.  God rested after  He had created man. It as if God said, now, I’m going to prop up my feet and let my creation continue the word.  Though Adam plunged the human race into sin, God then raised up a people to be his priests, to carry o n his holy work.  The meaning of  “earth” was then reduced down to mean that people with whom He made a covenant.(Inversely the Gentiles or heathen are referred to as the “sea” or “islands”).  God met the Israelites in the temple, in the holy of holies where the ark of the covenant and mercy seat were.  So God’s footstool was the earth (Israel), but more specifically, the temple, in the Holy of Holies where the priest made atonement for the nation once a year. The nation was His resting place as they were to do the work of holiness.

Yet His people committed abominations time after time after time. They killed the prophets who were sent to them to warn them of the wrath to come if they continued in their evil ways. And they finally killed the Lord of Glory, Jesus, who was sent to them to offer them forgiveness.

Stephen, when preaching to the Jews as they were stoning him, sums it up. (The whole sermon is a recap of the history of the Jews, culminating with their crucifying the Lord).

Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?

Acts 7:49

Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

Acts 7:50-53

So Stephen was pointing out to the Jews that though they were supposed to be the place of God’s rest, his footstool, they have instead become a stiffnecked, rebellious nation who murder the prophets and the Just One, and resist the Holy Spirit and have not kept the law. He is asking a rhetorical question, “Where is the place of my rest”? To continue the scripture that Stephen was quoting: For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. – Isa 66:1-2 . Those stiffnecked rebellious people had anything but a poor and contrite spirit!

We have thus far defined “footstool” as a resting place for the feet of God. We have now begun to identify the enemy of God. It is the same people who were to be his footstool!

a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.
And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

Mic 7:6; Mat 10:36

Who was the household of Jesus? The household of David! That same David who wanted to build a house of rest and a footstool for our God.

He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

John 1:11

So Israel, who was God’s resting place, turned to be His enemy. Paul puts it this way:

As concerning the gospel, they [The Jews] are enemies for your sakes . .

Rom 11:28

What was the consequence of Israel’s disobedience? In God’s anger, he “remembered not his footstool.”

How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger!

Lam 2:1

When did God demonstrate his anger? In 70 AD, Jerusalem, the temple, the priesthood, the system of worship, were all destroyed by the Roman armies. Jesus predicted this:

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Mat 23:37-39

Still we are left with the original phrase, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Psa 110:1, Mat 22:44; Mar 12:36; Luk 20:43; Act 2:35; Act 7:49; Heb 1:13; Heb 10:13)

What does it mean, till his enemies be made his footstool?

First of all, the temple is no longer – the place that David said was the place of God’s rest. That entire system of worship has been abolished. Instead of the priest bringing sacrifices into the temple for atonement, we now bring the sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit. (The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. – Psa 51:17 ) And rather than the “earth” which is symbolic for the nation of Israel being His footstool, God’s spirit dwells in “earthen vessels”. (But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, . . . – 2Co 4:7 ). God’s spirit rests in his church as we now do the work of holiness.

To say it another way. How does God deal with his enemy? He wages war in righteousness.  . . . (and in righteousness he doth judge and make war Rev 19:11) . He uses the sword of the spirit, the Word of God, through the foolishness of preaching, I might add³. . . it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. – 1Co 1:21 (. . . and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: – Eph 6:17 ; For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. – Heb 4:12 ).

What does that mean? By preaching the gospel, the Word of God, (which is the sword of the spirit) one is pricked in the heart, convicted of sin. Then if one accepts the gospel, repents and is baptized, the old man dies who was at enmity with God . Then he is fit to become the temple of the Holy Spirit, God’s resting place, His footstool.

The following is a good example of the process. Peter was preaching on the day of Pentecost to a multitude of Jews who were gathered in the upper room:

For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Acts 2:34-38, 41

This first Christian converts were Jews. They were filled with the Holy Spirit (just like God’s presence had once met the priest in the Holy of holies) thus becoming God’s resting place, his footstool. ⁴Incidentally, the ark of the covenant that was in the Holy of holies contained the two tablets of stone on which were the law of Moses. Now, according to the prophet Jeremiah (31:31-34), those laws would one day be written on our heart. The law and God’s spirit has exchanged places from the literal temple that David desired to build as a place for God’s rest, to the house that the Lord built (is building), namely HIS CHURCH, this earthly vessel of mankind. However, most of them remained enemies of the cross. To refer back to Stephen’s sermon, after he had rebuked the Jews for their wickedness:

When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

Act 7:54

They heard the gospel, it cut them to the heart, but they remained dead in their sins, not receiving the offer of forgiveness. Shortly thereafter is when God allowed their city to be destroyed.

What of the unbelieving Jew today? Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. – 1Jo 2:22 . The salvation for Jews is the same as for Christians; the same way Peter told those first converts. There is no other way except through the name of Jesus. If anyone tries to to “climb up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber”. – Jhn 10:1

Jesus said this as he was weeping over Jerusalem:

Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Mat 23:37-39

For now “blindness in part is happened to Israel” They cannot see the Lord– until, that is, they humbly listen to the preaching of one who comes in the name of the Lord, a Christian! Once the Jew is converted, he ceases to be God’s enemy, and once again becomes his footstool, the place of His rest.

So when we see Jews by the multitudes believing on the name of Jesus, the end will surely be near. For He shall reign until his enemies are his footstool.

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

Rom 11:25-29

Paul continues, and I join in his proclamation:

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Rom 11:25-29, 33

For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

Psa 132:13-14

Only God can make an enemy His footstool and His resting place!!

• 1
  Rest in Hebrew can mean to “cease from work” or to “take up residence” (get reference), so not only did God cease from his work, He took up residence in the “temple”. For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. – Psa 132:13-14  
• 2
  I will not press this point.  The earth may simply be referring to this planet.  Or, at the very least, mankind.  The very name Adam means earth.  God rested after  He had created man. It as if God said, now, I’m going to prop up my feet and let my creation continue the word.  Though Adam plunged the human race into sin, God then raised up a people to be his priests, to carry o n his holy work.  The meaning of  “earth” was then reduced down to mean that people with whom He made a covenant.
• 3
  . . . it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. – 1Co 1:21
• 4
  Incidentally, the ark of the covenant that was in the Holy of holies contained the two tablets of stone on which were the law of Moses. Now, according to the prophet Jeremiah (31:31-34), those laws would one day be written on our heart. The law and God’s spirit has exchanged places from the literal temple that David desired to build as a place for God’s rest, to the house that the Lord built (is building), namely HIS CHURCH, this earthly vessel of mankind.