Description

The Peace Tower in Ottawa itself bears three primary passages, the most prominent being Psalm 72:8, which is also featured on Canada’s coat of arms. The passage reads “May He have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth” (ESV), inscribed in Latin on the wall, as “A Mari usque Ad Mare.” This is the Psalm which first inspired the Fathers of Confederation to name our nation The Dominion of Canada, and despite those who have argued for an initial reference to Israel’s first temple era, this passage actually refers to the kingdom of the Messiah.[vii] In verses 9-10 the kingdoms of Tarshish, Sheba and Seba are mentioned as under the dominion of this sovereign King, indicating inapplicability to Solomon’s reign and suggesting a transcendent rule. The two fundamental components of Psalm 72:8 constitute the absolute sovereignty of God over the entire earth, hence the mention of foreign nations; and that this kingdom and dominion shall be the Lord’s. In Daniel 2:44-45 we read the biblical prophecy of God’s kingdom establishment, which from a stone a mountain grows, covering the entire earth, echoing Psalm 72:8. It is not a kingdom marked by a particular ethnicity or language, but rather by the unity of multicultural diversity in its creed.