In Psalm 2, which the New Testament explicitly applies to Christ, the nations are declared Christ's inheritance, and their kings are commanded to worship and obey the Son or face destruction. Key points to consider are:
1. The reference to nations here must extend beyond individuals, as it includes their kings or civil authorities. The language is, therefore, corporate, encompassing whole nations, though individuals are not excluded.
2. Psalm 2 represents a clear mandate for nations and their civil leaders to embrace Christianity. There is an explicit warning for non-compliance. The pertinent question is whether nations and kings will heed this call. It’s one thing to say they should and another to say they will. Are there scriptures addressing this expectation?
3. Isaiah 60 is one of several passages relevant to this discussion:
a. Verse 3: 'Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.'
b. Verse 10: 'Foreigners will build up your walls, and their kings will minister to you.'
c. Verse 11: 'Your gates will remain open continuously; they will not be closed day or night so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession.'
d. Verse 16: 'You will nurse the milk of nations and suckle at the breast of kings; then you will realize that I, the Lord, am your Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.'
4. It is thus affirmed that nations, as collective entities, should obey Christ. It is also true that those who refuse will face destruction (Isaiah 60:12). Moreover, the prophets predicted that some nations and their kings would indeed respond to this call. This raises the question of how such prophecies influence our understanding of the Great Commission and Christ’s command to disciple nations.
5. Evidence in the New Testament indicates that the early Church believed they would call nations and their leaders to honor Christ and expected nations and kings to comply. Here is just a little bit:
a. Jesus told his disciples that they would stand before kings.
b. The Gospel of Luke and Acts are both addressed to what is most likely a civil leader.
c. The Book of Acts records several encounters with civil officials turning to Christ. The Ethiopian Eunuch was a court official serving the Queen of Ethiopia. Cornelius was a centurion. And then in Acts 13, Sergius Paulus, the proconsul of Cyprus, is the first authority with lawmaking power who repents. The Apostle Paul worked hard to persuade King Agrippa.
d. The Book of Acts ends with Paul eager to take the gospel to Rome and not just to Rome, but to stand before the emperor. He had success in converting many of the Emperor’s household.
6. Evidence from Church history shows that the church believed both in the call to nations to repent and had hopes that they and their leaders would. There is too much evidence here to list in a post, but one thing to note is that from the earliest apologists through the Protestant Reformers and beyond, Christian theologians and pastors often dedicated or directed their works to civil leaders."
7. There are also plenty examples of nations and their civil leaders adopting Christianity. Constantine and King Alfred are two such leaders. And Armenia was the first whole nation to do so.
In conclusion, the scriptural evidence, both from the Old and New Testaments, compellingly supports the notion that the call of Christianity extends beyond individuals to nations and their rulers. Christians should also be optimistic about this call but also recognize that their ultimate hope is not in kings or the nations but in Christ Jesus, the King of Kings and hope of the nations.