KING OF KINGS
The topic we are treating this week reveals Jesus to us in His kingly role with dominion, glory and power. It reveals to us the extent and duration of Jesus’ reign and the length and breadth of His possession. It also reveals to us those who will reign with the Lord Jesus Christ: the faithful, the called and the chosen. We will be looking at this topic under five sub-titles. Before we go further, let us look at three scriptures: Daniel 7:13-14 says, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” I Timothy 6:15 says, “Which in his times, he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” Revelation 19:16; “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
PREDICTIONS OF HIS KINGSHIP IN THE BIBLE
There are so many passages in the Bible where the kingship of the Lord Jesus was predicted. In Genesis 49:10, Jacob, just before his death predicted that the sceptre shall not depart from Judah. He was the first to predict that a King will come out of Judah. In Numbers 24:17-19, Balaam the prophet was hired to curse the children of Israel, but the Bible says you cannot curse whom God has blessed. So, all his attempt to curse the children of Israel were turned to a blessing and towards the tail end of his service to Balak, he started prophesying and part of the prophecy he gave was that a sceptre or a ruler shall rise out of Judah who will smite the camp of Moab. He also talked about His dominion being an everlasting one.
Psalm 89:27 says, “Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.” Verse 29; “His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.” Verse 36; “His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.” Isaiah 9:6-7 says, “Unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders; his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Part of that prediction was recorded in Daniel 7: 13-14. In Matthew 2:11, one of the gifts given to Jesus by the wise men was gold. Gold is for royalty; it was a prediction of His future kingship. They also gave Him frankincense; the office of the priesthood and myrrh which was a symbol of His death. In Luke 1:32-33, the angels of the living God spoke to Mary and predicted the form of His government. It says, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of His father David. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end.” Paul also predicted the coming of His kingdom in I Corinthians 15:24-28.
WHY DO WE CALL CHRIST THE KING OF KINGS?
We call Him the King of kings for the following reasons:
1. A king must have a throne- Jesus has a throne. (Revelation 3:21)
2. A King must have a crown - Jesus has a crown. In Revelation 6:2, reference was made to His crown. “And I saw and behold a white horse and he that sat on him has a bow and a crown was given unto him and he went forth conquering and to conquer.”
3. A king must have a sceptre: This is the staff of authority. Jesus has a staff of authority. Hebrews 1:8 tells us that Jesus has a sceptre of righteousness.
4. A king must have a sharp instrument of leadership. An instrument with which to lead because he is a defender of his people. In the case of Jesus, He has a sword. In Revelation 17:14, we are told that He fights war. “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”
5. A King must have power. Ecclesiastes 8:4 says, “Where the word of a king is, there is power and who may say unto him, what doest thou?” Matthew 28:18 reveals to us the unlimited power of the Lord Jesus. It says, “...All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” There can be no other power other than that of Jesus because He used the word “all.” No wonder His enemies are subdued under Him. He has subjects and we are part of His subjects. (I Peter 2:9)
6. He has dominion just like we saw in Daniel 7.
7. His subjects are also kings. Revelation 1:6 tells us that Jesus had made us kings and priests unto His Father God. We are kings but He is a higher King.
8. He is the King of kings because nothing can stand in the way of His reign and authority. The Bible says in the days of His reign, His subjects shall be willing. It also says He shall rule with a rod of iron. He shall smite to pieces all forms of resistance. Proverbs 8:15 says, “By me kings reign,” and that is why in Revelation 1:5, the Bible calls Jesus the "Prince of kings.”
He has the largest kingdom, the largest possession and the greatest dominion. Ephesians 1:21 tells us that He has been given a name that is above all principalities, power, might and dominion. His reign is eternal and is superior to the temporal reign of the kings of the world.
HOW DID HE EARN THIS TITLE?
1. By the decree of God. Psalm 2:6 says, “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” Hebrews 1:8 says, “Your throne O God shall be for ever and ever...”
2. By His victory on the cross over hell, death and Satan. Philippians 2:9-11 says, “Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things underneath the earth. And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord...”
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE KING OF KINGS?
The reign of the Lord Jesus as the King of kings is three-fold:
1. He reigns already.
2. He is going to reign for a thousand years on earth.
3. In the new heaven and the new earth, He will reign for ever. He is going to reign with the Father Lord for ever. That is why the Bible says His dominion shall be for ever and ever.
The reign of our Lord Jesus is both spiritual and physical. It is spiritual for the children of the kingdom. The kingdom of God begins in our heart. There is no kingdom without a king, and so, if the kingdom of God is in our heart, there must be a king over her and that king is the Lord Jesus Christ. He reigns in our hearts to bring down the power of satan, the powers of darkness and the power of sin, to teach us the qualities of humility, love, obedience, honesty and submission. Jesus reigns in the heart of believers. Wherever He is not reigning, there is doubt. There is nobody who says, “I accept the Lord Jesus as my Lord and Saviour,” and refuses to submit his heart for God to reign therein.
The reign of Christ is currently on in the hearts of believers. Psalm 24:7 says, “Lift up your heads O ye gates, be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in.” The gates here refer to our hearts. That is where the doors are situated. The King of glory wants to come in. Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and will sup with him, and he with me.” That passage is talking about the door of our hearts. Jesus wants to reign in every believer’s heart.
HOW DOES HE REIGN?
He reigns by the laws of sanctity and faith. The scripture that says, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of our Lord Jesus shall be saved,” is a law. “Be ye holy for I am a holy God,” is a law of sanctity. Through these laws, God or Christ can prick our conscience so that we become sensitive to those things that could strain our relationship with Christ.
Christ also rules by love. Several times we hurt Him and still come back to say, “We are sorry.” The Bible says, “He is faithful and just to cleanse all our unrighteousness.”
Part of the reign of Christ is to defend His people. He is a refuge and a strong tower. He is an habitation where we can continually resort to. Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runneth into it and is safe.” Psalm 127:1 says, “Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh in vain.” He is a defender that does not sleep nor slumber. He is also a King that has power to reward. Even currently, He gives joy and peace in abundance. In Deuteronomy 8:18 we are told that it is God that giveth the power to get wealth. So, He gives power to get wealth. He makes a way where there is no way. He shows signs and wonders in our lives. He reigns currently because it is in His name that all things are supplied, by Him and through Him are the benefits we are getting. Christ the King.
In future, there is going to be a reward for the saints. There is going to be a crown of righteousness for them. In 2 Corinthians 4:17, the Bible says the reward we are going to get is an eternal weight of glory.
As a King also, He deals severely with His enemies. The Bible says, “He who is not with me, is against me.” Whoever has not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord is against Him. This is dangerous because such a person automatically makes himself His enemy. And there is no enemy of the Lord Jesus that shall survive because He has pronounced vengeance upon all of them. Psalm 110:1 says, “The Lord said unto my lord, sit down at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool.” It is dangerous to be against God because He is wise in heart, mighty in strength and nobody can withstand Him. It is better to be on the side of the King of kings. It is also better to allow Him to rule in your life. Do not resist His reign.
HOW DO I RESIST THE REIGN OF THE KING OF KINGS IN MY HEART?
You resist His reign when you are disobedient to His voice and you still have your eyes in the world. It is amazing to see people who say they have surrendered to Christ but still follow the fashion of the world. Hardly can you see a lady now, even in the church of God whose skirt is longer than her knees. If God is reigning in your heart, you will cover all your virtues for your King. Remember, you are married to Him. He is both your king and your husband. I always tell the spinsters that it is an unwise thing for them to show all the virtues and benefits that their husbands should enjoy to the whole world. It is unwise for the size of your breast and the colour of your thighs to be public knowledge. Every woman is a prize to her husband and as a prize, he should look at his trophy and say, “This indeed is a great reward.” But if everybody knows about that reward, it is no longer a reward.
When God says, “Go to the left,” and because you see everybody going to the right, you follow them and disobey Him, then you are not submitting yourself to His rulership. You are struggling with Him. All the disobedience, all those who have refused to submit to His reign will not be part of His kingdom. Check yourself. Are you still struggling with Him? The Bible says you are a king and a priest.
What is the role of a priest? A priest is supposed to offer up sacrifices unto God. That is why Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service.” Offering yourself is to offer obedience and submission. It is not enough to be praising God. How can you praise the person you do not love. The test of love is in the heart. Delilah told Samson, “How can you say you love me when your heart is not with me.” How can you say you love Jesus when your heart has been taken away from Him? How can you say you love Him when your heart is in the world? Search yourself. Are you a subject of the Lord Jesus? Is He reigning in your life? Because He is going to reign among His enemies by force. He will use the sceptre of righteousness to rule among His children and will use the rod of iron to reign among others. He must force them to submission. Do not be part of this because the Bible says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the living God; do not make that costly mistake. Check yourself.
Jesus will subdue His enemies by the greatness of His power. He will bring down their pride. Revelation 5:6 says Jesus has 7 eyes and 7 horns. One of the interpretations of this is that, He has extra sensitivity to be able to discern the plots, conspiracies, plans and schemes of His enemies and then He will use the horns to push them to submission.
Also, Jesus is going to reign for a thousand years on earth. This is a physical reign. The one first described is a spiritual one, going on in the heart of men. Revelation 20:4, 6 says, “And I saw thrones and they sat upon them and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God and which had not worshipped the beast neither his image; neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years.”
Beloved, Christ is coming back to reign on this earth for a thousand years. At that time satan will be bound and there will be peace on earth and restoration of all things. Even nature that is groaning under the yoke of the current dispensation will be released. JESUS IS COMING BACK and the Bible says, “Blessed and holy is he that has part in the resurrection.”
That first resurrection is referring to the rapture of the saints. The Bible says on such the second death has no power. Decide for yourself where you will be because those who are raptured with the Lord Jesus are the same people who will come back with Him to reign and He shall reign for a thousand years. Daniel 7:18 and 22 talks about the reign of the saints with our Lord Jesus.
Finally, in the future kingdom which is the new heaven and the new earth where God will rule in the midst of men, where righteousness will be the order of the day, Christ will reign with His Father, God for ever and ever. That is after the one thousand year reign.
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR BELIEVERS?
Jesus is King and He is coming back to judge. He is coming back to judge the use of our talents, commitment and dedication. He is coming back to judge righteousness and faithfulness. How are you doing the work of God? We must all appear before the judgment seat of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even if you are raptured you will still be judged. You will appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive a reward for your level of faithfulness.
If all you are planting in the house of God is eye-service and superficiality, then when your work is tested by fire, it will burn, there will be nothing left and therefore, there may be no reward for it. Such people are going to be the ordinary people in the one thousand years of Christ’s reign. Those who will have rewards are those whose works will stand. Those who have done the work of God with all their hearts. And those are the ones who will reign in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus.
I always tell those who contest for one election or the other not to bother because after 4 years, it will end. But if Jesus makes one a governor, that governorship will last for one thousand years. Nobody will push you out. Even if one is a Senator with Christ it is going to be for one thousand years. Why don’t we look forward to such a reign? But you must earn that position, that means you must work harder than you are doing now. Examine your work. If all the nations in the world are 1000, then there are going to be 1000 presidents, will you be among the 1000?
You want to be the president of Nigeria. There is an opportunity awaiting you but you must buckle up. You must win souls for Christ. You must become more righteous than you are now. You must increase your level of praying and fasting. The Bible says millions of people shall be saved but only a thousand will reign. It can be yours if you will only work for it. You must make up your mind and say, “Lord, I want to reign with you in the coming kingdom. I want to be one of the shining stars.” The Bible says God is going to give a crown of life. Are you going to wear the crown of life or the crown of death? Are you going to wear a crown of gold or a crown of brass? The choice is yours.
Where will you be in His kingdom? Revelation 3:21 says. "To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me in my throne...” What choice are you making for yourself? The Bible says, “Lay up treasures for yourself in heaven.” You must decide today to be a governor in God’s kingdom. Paul was able to say, “I have run the race set before me, I have finished my course, and a crown of righteousness is waiting for me.”
There is a race to be run and a course to be finished. If only you will run well now, if only you will do the work that God has committed to you with all your mind, then you will become a winner. Examine your life to know what will stop you from wearing a crown of gold? What will make you not to become a king of the King of kings. Whatever it is , give it up to Him and say, “Lord Jesus, I hand this hindrance over unto you." As a King, He has an iron rod and can smash that hindrance to pieces today.
If you will refuse the rulership of our Lord Jesus Christ, you will be broken to pieces, but you can submit now by saying;
1. Lord Jesus, break me now and remould me. The Bible says, “I know whom I believe, He is able to keep that which I commit unto him, because you do not know the time, nor the day, nor the hour, it will happen.
2. Lord Jesus, I commit my spirit unto you that whenever it will be, I will not miss heaven, in Jesus' name.
3. (Hold your head with your 2 hands). My head shall not miss the crown of righteousness, in Jesus’ name.
Lord, we thank you for another message. Accept our thanks in Jesus’ name. We pray O Lord that whatsoever will prevent us from entering into eternal life, whatever will prevent our heads from wearing the crown of righteousness, whether we like the thing or not, Lord remove it from our lives, in the name of Jesus. Cause us to come to that place where doing your will become natural to us, in the name of Jesus. Thank you heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
