KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

When Christ came the first time, He would humbly ride on a donkey into Jerusalem where He would be crucified. When He comes the second time, He will gloriously ride on a horse into Jerusalem where He will be crowned. 

We read in Revelation 19:11-16 of CHRIST’S TITLES. He bears three titles that are revealed in Revelation 19:11-16. 

First, Christ is called, “Faithful and True,”  (v. 11). He is utterly faithful. He cannot be otherwise. His promises are all, “Yes, and in Him Amen,” (2 Cor. 1:20). He is absolutely true. He is the full expression of truth, for He is, “the Truth,” (John 14:6).  It has been 2000 years since the Lord promised He would return. Rest assured—He will keep His word.

Second, He is called, “The Word of God,” (v. 13).  It is a favored expression of the Apostle John, found in His Gospel, His first Epistle, and now, in Revelation. If you want to know what the Father is like, all you need do is look at the Son, for He is the communication of the invisible God in manifest form. Open the Bible and study Him, for Jesus is on every page, the Living Word in the written Word.

Third, Jesus is called, “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS,” (v. 16).  This is His sovereignty—the undisputed, undefeated champion of all. The first time He came, He was rejected, but the second time He comes, He will reign. Paul put it:

“who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬-‭11‬‬).

Did you notice Paul mentioned that the Lord will bear a name, “which is above every name”? John wrote of a fourth title of the returning Lord, “He has a name written that no one knew except Himself,” (v. 12). While it is folly to try to speculate on when Christ will return, it is likewise impossible to know the name that is above all names. One thing we do know—that title will be infinitely and immeasurably glorious for it will be the supreme title that encompasses all titles!

Also, in Revelation 19, we read of CHRIST’S TRIUMPH. There are five descriptive terms that portray the victorious King at His second advent.

We read of His virtue. There is His, “righteousness,” (v. 11). All He is, says, and does and is fully manifest righteousness. 

We read of His verdict. Jesus, “judges,” (v. 11), and His verdict is final. He presides over the eternal Supreme Court.

We read of His vision. “His eyes were like a flame of fire,” (v. 12). You cannot hide from Him. You cannot fool Him. He sees all and through all.

We read of His voice. “Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations,” (v. 15). See the power of His Word. The One who spoke and the storm ceased will speak and the strife ends.

We read of His victory. Jesus, “makes war,” (v. 11) and “on His head were many crowns,” (v. 12). It is a war He cannot lose. The enemy is vanquished, “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” (V. 14-16).

The first time, He would be crowned with thorns in agony, but the second time, Christ will be crowned with triumph in glory. What a day that will be, and for the church, we will ride with Him—in “the armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean…on white horses,” (v. 14)!

THOSE WHO OVERCOME

Identifying Christ and His people as those who “overcome,” is a dominant theme in the book of Revelation. It is the Greek word, “nikao,” and is used seventeen times, variously translated in English as “overcome,” “conquer,” “prevail,” etc. though it is the same word in the original. The seven churches in chapters two and three are each given a specific promise related to those who “overcome.” 

For this study, we will identify the characteristics of those who overcome as presented in Revelation 17:14 that reads, “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of Lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” In this chapter, the fiendish foes who will rise to oppose Christ are the scarlet woman and the scarlet beast—whom I identify as the False Prophet of a one-world religion and the Antichrist and his global governance. These oppose Christ, the Lamb of God, with the climax of their hate being the battle of Armageddon at Christ’s return, (Rev. 19:11-21). “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of Lords and King of kings,” (Rev. 17:14a). We will be in that victorious vanguard, “and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful,” (v. 14‬‬b). 

These are THE CALLED, “those who are with [Christ] are called.” They have heard the call of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit has summoned these to follow Christ. It is a work of grace that bids the spiritually dead to rise as Lazarus was called by Christ to come out of the grave.  Those who overcome have heard Christ’s call.

These are also THE CHOSEN, “those who are with [Christ] are…chosen.”  The Gospel call is to extend to all sinners, but is effectual only to those chosen—those who attest to that in their responding by faith to Christ. Our Lord taught, “For many are called, but few are chosen,” (Matt. 22:14). I think of the rich young ruler that our Lord called to follow Him, who sadly walked away. Those who overcome have been chosen and have heeded Christ’s call.

These are furthermore, THE COMMITTED, “those who are with [Christ] are…faithful.”  If you take the word faithful and turn it around it would define this attribute as those full of faith. These have not merely made a profession of faith, but are in possession of faith. The verbal commitment to Christ in their confession is validated by the visual commitment to Christ in their conduct. Judas Iscariot once identified himself as a disciple, but in the end proved his profession to be false.  He was overcome by the world, the flesh, and the devil rather than overcoming these as a true believer will. This is the perseverance of the saints. Those who overcome have been called, chosen, and are committed.

CHRIST’S REIGN: Returning in Glory

Read Revelation 19:1-21

The overthrow of evil in the world will come.  The age of rebellion will end with the return of Christ to establish His kingdom of righteousness. Revelation 19 describes those climactic events.

It begins with the overthrow of this world’s political, economic, and religious system—Babylon (v.1-10). The great whore of one world government under the Antichrist, with its capital seated in Rome will be decimated.  While these tribulation events visit judgment on earth, the church is enjoying the marriage supper of the Lamb, safely in heaven.

But, the church will exchange her wedding gown for armor, as we will ride beside Christ in His return to earth to establish His dominion, where we will reign at His side (v.11-18). His description is awe-inspiring to the saints, but to His foes it will be fearful. Jesus is coming to reign on earth—the “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” All His enemies will be conquered.

The Antichrist and his armies, gathered at Armageddon will be destroyed in a battle that is over as soon as it begins (v.17-21). None can stand before our Conquering King!  Even as the Bride of Christ has enjoyed a wedding feast in heaven above, now the carrion birds will be summoned to feast on the carcasses of those who dared fight the Lord. The Beast who directed the global political system and the False Prophet who led the global ecclesiastical system are first to be cast into eternal hell.

I want to be on the winning side, don’t you?

THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST

And the LORD shall be King over all the earth.  (Zechariah 14:9a)

The next event on God’s prophetic calendar is the rapture of the church.  At any moment, God could remove all born-again believers from the earth, before He pours out His wrath on a Christ-rejecting world.  No prophecy remains to be fulfilled before the rapture.  It is imminent.   Sometimes the rapture is confused with the second coming of Christ to earth.  In the rapture, the dead in Christ are raised and the living saints are translated.  Then, seven years of tribulation—a time of horrific judgments—begins.  At the climax of this cataclysm, Christ comes back with His church to commence His kingdom reign on earth.   The second coming is what Zechariah describes in chapter fourteen.  

He calls this time “the day of the LORD” (v.1).  This is not a 24-hour day, but a period of prophetic significance, signifying the end of human history.  Man has had his day—now God has His.  This is the day the Jews anticipate will usher in the Messianic kingdom.  This time is portrayed in Scripture as a time of awesome judgments.  Here, it mentions the “spoil” of battle, for Jesus said it would be a time of wars and rumors of war.  The culmination of this bloodshed will be at the battle of Armageddon (v.2-3).  From the West, the Beast—the Antichrist—will bring the combined might of the United States of Europe; Russia and her allies will descend as vultures from the North; armies numbering in the millions will march from the Orient; and the Arab and African nations sweep up from the South. They all converge in the Middle East for War. Jerusalem will fall and the Jews will be on the verge of extinction, when Christ will appear with heaven’s armies to conquer.

Jesus will set foot precisely where He departed—from the Mount of Olives (v.4-5).  The angels told the disciples who watched Jesus ascend that when He returned He would come to the same spot!  That mountain overlooks the Eastern Gate—the sealed Golden Gate of Jerusalem. It overlooks the valley of Jehoshaphat—scene of the judgment of the Gentile nations.  Here, Jesus wept over the city that rejected Him and said, “You shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’” (Matt.23:39)

The first time He came it was in weakness, as a babe in a manger, but He will come the second time in power, as a King on a stallion.  Christ returns with the angelic host and the raptured church.  We are coming to reign with Him as His Bride.  The earth will quake at His arrival.  A valley created will provide an avenue for those still in Jerusalem to escape.  God will keep His covenant with Israel.  

The Lamb of God will be the light (v.6-7).  This marks the dawn of a new day and dispels the darkness of sin.  As Malachi puts it, “The Sun of Righteousness is risen with healing in His wings.” 

The earthquake that splits Olivet will also open the stores of water beneath Jerusalem (v.8).  These life-giving waters flow out of the rebuilt Temple according to Ezekiel.  The desert will bloom.  The paradise Adam lost, will flower again under Christ’s rule (v.9).  Today the name  of Jesus is profaned, His cause is scorned, and His rule is rejected—but not in that day!  Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!