What is the throne of David that Jesus is supposed to sit on?

The birth of Jesus Christ is one of the most glorious events in the Bible, and its celebration at Christmas is an important event in the church year. When Gabriel announced to Mary that she would give birth to a son, the angel shared a profound detail about the child’s future. Echoing a promise made by God centuries earlier, Gabriel declared, “The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David” (Luke 1:32). The throne of David that Gabriel refers to is Jesus’ authority over the messianic kingdom. Scripture promises that Jesus will reign over the whole earth and bring peace (Matthew 25:31).

Gabriel’s declaration that Jesus would inherit David’s throne is a repetition of God’s promise about the Messiah’s reign. David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). God made a covenant with him in 2 Samuel 7. God promised that David’s son (Solomon) would succeed him as king of Israel and build the temple:

But then God expands the promise regarding David’s throne:

What began as a promise of blessing on David’s son Solomon turns into something more—the promise of an everlasting kingdom. Another Son of David would rule on David’s throne, and His reign would last forever. This is a reference to the Messiah, and Son of David is one of His titles. The angel speaking to Mary said that her son, Jesus, would be the one to fulfill that prophecy. Jesus is called the Son of David in Matthew 21:9.

Building on the promises God made to David and Solomon, Psalm 89 provides important insights into the eternal nature of David’s throne. The psalmist writes, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever and build your throne for all generations’” (Psalm 89:3–4). Later in the same psalm, God further emphasizes this promise: “And I will appoint him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth. I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail. I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure” (Psalm 89:28–29).

The first verse in the New Testament introduces Jesus as being of David’s lineage: “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1; cf. Luke 3:31). The genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke thus go beyond providing historical details. They affirm that, in Jesus, God fulfilled His promise to send a Messiah who would establish an eternal kingdom.

Jesus’ fulfillment of God’s promise to David is also found in the apostles’ preaching. For instance, Peter preached, “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne” (Acts 2:29–30). This declaration highlights how the apostles viewed Jesus as the one who will establish the eternal reign promised to David.

Paul also emphasized the importance of Jesus’ lineage, identifying Him as “a descendant of David” (Romans 1:3). He reiterated this connection in this concise summary of the gospel: “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal” (2 Timothy 2:8–9).

Jesus Himself emphasized His prophetic connection to David, declaring, “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16). With these words, Jesus affirmed that He is the fulfillment of God’s promise to David.

We believe in the literal fulfillment of the prophecies concerning Jesus and David’s throne. Just as David ruled on a physical throne in physical location over God’s people, Jesus will one day sit on a literal throne in Zion to rule the earth in perfect righteousness:

“I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain” (Psalm 2:6).

“He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth” (Zechariah 9:10).

“He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4).

“Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever” (Isaiah 9:7).

Jesus is coming again, and He will sit on David’s throne when He inaugurates the messianic kingdom. Maranatha! “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20, NKJV).