Queen Elizabeth ii’s funeral drew over 500 world leaders and attendees from 175 countries, and it garnered the largest live tv audience in history. How could the Queen attract such attention?

This lady set an amazing example in many ways. And she was perhaps the last personal reminder of the great British Empire, over which she presided for a time.

“By enshrining the identity of the nation above and beyond temporal politics, the constitutional monarch acts as a focus for unity often denied to countries that have instead elected presidents as their head of state,” wrote Melanie Philips, an outstanding journalist in Britain and in Israel. “Few also appreciate that the British monarchy is patterned on ancient Israel. It’s why the monarch is anointed; it’s why words uttered by ‘Zadok the Priest,’ taken from the first Book of Kings, have been sung at every English coronation since 973 c.e. Some British monarchs in the past have even purportedly traced their line back to King David.”

How about that—all the way back to King David? Few indeed recognize this, but you can prove it true! This is exactly what Herbert W. Armstrong taught from the Bible and explained in his book The United States and Britain in Prophecy.

2 Samuel 7:12-13 record God’s promise to King David: “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.” This throne will stand forever! Isaiah 9:7 and other verses corroborate this universe-shaking truth.

Whether you realize it or not, that throne represents the only hope we have in this world! Jesus Christ is about to return to claim that throne. Ruling from there He will bring this world peace, joy and happiness—in spite of man and man’s rebellion!

“The word that springs to mind from these affecting scenes is devotion: the late Queen’s devotion to the people and their devotion to her,” Phillips continued. “In largely secular, godless Britain, there is a strong element of the sacred in this relationship between the people and the crown.

“The monarch in Britain is consecrated to a higher king [that is, God]. At the coronation, which will take place next year, Charles will be anointed. The oath that he takes is not to the people but to God.” That is true! Will King Charles keep that oath to God?

Yes, God has been deeply involved in the British crown. And it truly does trace back to King David of ancient Israel! Here is an even more shocking truth. Queen Elizabeth sat on David’s throne for 65 years—but in her last five years, she did not sit on David’s throne! I will explain.

‘Worst Decision of Her Life’

One inspiring sign of the connection between Britain’s royal family and the throne of David is the stone over which British monarchs are crowned. It is called the stone of destiny. Its remarkable origin is described in Genesis 28:10-22, and I explain it in my free book The Key of David. This same stone appeared in coronations in ancient Israel (e.g. 2 Chronicles 23:11-13). If you study it, you will see that this stone was actually a symbol of the throne of David and of Jesus Christ, our Rock!

In 1996, Britain’s prime minister chose to send this stone back to Scotland, and Queen Elizabeth approved. That showed terrible faithlessness and disrespect for their history with God!

That stone is a symbol of Jesus Christ and the throne of David! And Christ is going to sit on that throne forever! Ponder that deeply, because God takes this unusually seriously.

In the Trumpet at the time, I wrote, “I believe this stone is the most precious physical thing on this Earth. I also believe that Queen Elizabeth just made the worst decision of her life! And the British government has made the biggest mistake in its history! … Their actions have scorned the omnipotent, living God. And there is going to be a terrifying penalty unless they repent” (August 1996; emphasis in the original).

Apparently that stone will be returned for King Charles’s coronation. But look at what has happened to that family since they sent the stone back to Scotland. They have been plagued by disastrous scandals for the whole world to see! That was a great trial for Queen Elizabeth.

Relinquishing that stone and disdaining God as she did proved to be a fatal mistake, spiritually, for Queen Elizabeth ii. Five years ago, God ended the crown’s connection with the throne of David. You can read about this in my September 2017 cover story, “The Fall of the British Royal Family.”

King Charles iii is a descendant of David. But he is not sitting on David’s throne as his mother was just five years ago.

Jeremiah’s Prophecy

The book of Jeremiah was written and preserved so we could have it in this end time (Jeremiah 30:1-9). “[I]n the latter days ye shall consider it,” verse 24 says—and “consider it” would be better translated “understand it thoroughly.” The latter days are this end time we are living in today. God said we would understand this thoroughly! Well, do we? Or do we have gaps in our knowledge, or little knowledge at all?

Jeremiah 22 has this prophecy for our day: “Thus saith the Lord; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word, And say, Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David …” (verses 1-2). God is instructing him how he must live if he is to sit on that throne.

“Thus saith the Lord; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong …” (verse 3). Is that the way the Queen’s family has been living? Is that King Charles’s history?

“For if,” verse 4 begins—see, this is conditional, if you are to sit on David’s throne. “For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David ….” If you meet these conditions, then you will have a king sitting on the David’s throne. But, that did not happen. That is why the throne of David is no longer in Britain.

Of the word “sitting,” the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament says, “Literally, the text is ‘the place of sitting.’” This man can sit there if he meets the conditions. And God is talking to a king, not a queen.

Jeremiah’s prophecy continues, “And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons …. Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them” (verses 7, 9). Which “covenant” did they forsake? That is talking about the covenant God made with David regarding that throne! They were part of this covenant of David, and they forsook it!

Look how thoroughly the royal family has turned its back on the covenant of David. They have become enchanted with celebrity. They decided to remake the monarchy for the modern age. In my book The New Throne of David I quote the Spectator describing the “reality show” world of the modern royals, and concluding with the chilling question: “Was this the moment when it all started to go wrong?” They certainly have forsaken the covenant of David.

God has punished them and taken that throne away from them.

The Meaning of Marriage

Look back at Charles’s first marriage. The New York Times wrote this on July 2, 1981: “Lady Diana Spencer has decided that she will not promise at her wedding, four weeks from today, to obey Prince Charles. Queen Elizabeth ii, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne and a long line of royal brides before them have included the word ‘obey’ in their wedding vows, as prescribed in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer dating from 1662. But Lady Diana has chosen to follow the new ritual of the Church of England, and she will promise in the ceremony at St. Paul’s cathedral only to ‘love him, comfort him, honor him, and keep him in sickness and health.’” But not “obey.”

Here is what one clergyman said about that: “Marriage is the kind of relationship where there should be two equal partners, and if there’s going to be a dominant partner, it won’t be settled by this oath. I think this is much more Christian.”

Does this man really know his Bible? Does he know what the God-ordained institution of marriage is all about?

Ephesians 5 has perhaps the Bible’s most important passage about marriage. It begins in verse 21: “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” Consider that first. People seem to think that if a woman is to obey her husband, he will be a tyrant who will abuse you all your life. That is not what this says at all. The Apostle Paul says you must submit yourselves one to another.

But then read verses 22-23: “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife ….” Yes, the man is the head—so says your Bible. Is that Christian? That’s the only thing that is Christian! But few people accept that today. “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing” (verses 23-24).

Jesus Christ said we ought to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4)—but it’s rare to hear anybody live by that scripture.

Paul continues, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it …. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself” (Ephesians 5:25, 28). That is no tyrant! This is the way God says the man must treat his wife—as his own body!

“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh” (verse 31).

Now, follow the astonishing statement Paul makes next. Apparently he has been discussing how to have a happy marriage, but that is not really his subject. His main subject is this: “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband” (verses 32-33).

Paul is primarily talking about Jesus Christ’s marriage to His Church! The firstfruits who are obeying God today are preparing to marry Christ! Those called out before the Second Coming will marry Him and sit on that throne and help Christ rule the world and the universe forever! What a reward!

Practically speaking, we need to understand that marriage is a God-plane relationship. That is what Paul is telling us. It pictures a spectacular spiritual reality, and it must operate according to God’s law and God’s vision. It will never work any other way!

Did Prince Charles and Diana’s marriage work? I’m afraid it didn’t. And the whole world witnessed it. Why didn’t it work? These verses supply the answer. Other scriptures say the same thing (e.g. Titus 2:5; 1 Peter 3:1-6; Colossians 3:18).

Godly Family

Charles and Diana discarded God’s command for the wife to be subject to her husband. When Kate Middleton married Prince William, they followed that example. So too did Meghan Markle and Harry. Quite often there are a lot of serious problems in marriages like that.

Herbert W. Armstrong visited Prince Charles two times. When Charles married Diana, Mr. Armstrong said this in a public address: “I don’t know whether you noticed it or not, but the recent royal wedding in England—I was over there at the time—and in that wedding ceremony there was nothing that the wife had to obey the husband. That was all left out! Oh, it was going to be 50-50. Well, let’s watch and see whether it lasts or not. When you have 50-50, the wife is wearing the pants and is the boss. Someone has to be. Two can’t live together just 50-50. One has to be the leader over the other. But Isaiah 3:12 says the wife will end up being over the husband, and then the children would abuse the wife, because they don’t obey her. And you have a family that just falls apart in so many cases.”

Why won’t we listen to God? God is telling us how to bring our families together and put marriage on the God-plane! What a wonderful, beautiful blessing! What could be more important? That marriage typifies the Church’s marriage to Christ. And family is also a God-plane relationship. God wants you to do all you can to help your children and turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers (Malachi 4:6). When we follow God’s formula, it produces godly children. That family pictures the God Family, and all who will be born into that Family as they choose to obey God and live His way! What a wonderful, wonderful truth!

A New Throne of David

Britain’s royal family no longer represents the throne of David. God has established a new throne. When Jesus Christ returns very soon, that is the throne of David God the Father will give Him (Luke 1:32) and that He will rule from forever.

God establishing this new throne is an important transition to take place just before Christ returns.

God’s people are about to be born into the God Family. In a physical birth, the last part of active labor is referred to as “transition.” So God has a transition spiritually today. He has a new throne. We are in the pushing stage—the last stage in the birth of a miraculous child. What a beautiful picture!

The stone of destiny is a picture of Jesus Christ, sitting on David’s throne with His Bride at His side—those who have helped Him proclaim His truth during this period before His Second Coming. Together they are going to rule for a thousand years, and after that they will go on to rule all the universe under God the Father for eternity!