From the opening pages of the Bible, God began to reveal His plan to send His Son into human history to save sinners. This revelation continues to unfold through the rest of the Scriptures. After Adam and Eve sinned, God prophesied to them that the Messiah (the Anointed One) would be born of a woman in Genesis 3: 15 and points to the virgin birth and fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy spoken 700 years before His birth. (Isaiah 7: 14) Matthew 1: 22-23 reveals that Isaiah’s prophecy came true: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” Through His prophets God in His great mercy foretold to them details of their Messiah who was coming to save them, how He would come, where He would come, when He would come, and why He would come, so that they would anticipate the incarnation and salvation of Jesus Christ. Jesus did indeed fulfill all the prophecies of His coming and presented Himself to them as their Messiah—their King. Matthew 21: 1-11 details the entrance of the King into Jerusalem!
Christians celebrate what we call Holy Week or Passion Week and begins on Palm Sunday as we follow the steps of Jesus through His arrest, trial, crucifixion and Resurrection.. (It is important for us to note that this year’s Jewish calendar does not coincide with our calendar due to leap year and Sunday is not their Passover but Purim on their calendar—a very significant time when God performed a Divine Reversal and rescued Esther and His people.) Let us rehearse the events of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Jesus would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey in fulfilment of Zechariah 9:9 “See, your King is coming to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” In the Biblical world, a leader rode on a horse if he was coming in war and a donkey to signify peace. Jesus road a donkey into Jerusalem and it was triumphant because He had done so without bloodshed on the side of the people. His choice of a donkey instead of a horse was God’s way of saying that He came as a King who will serve and save the oppressed. Some of the people believed Jesus was the King of the Jews, and they were ready to help Him set up the earthly kingdom. The crowd spread their clothing on the road, and others began cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. They went before Him and said: “Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the LORD! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” The Jews were looking for a religious and political leader who would free them from Roman oppression. However, David had revealed in Psalms 22 about what their future Messiah and Deliverer would endure, but in their desperation for an earthly king and an earthly kingdom, most of the Jews disregarded those prophetic words as well as Isaiah 53. But because Jesus was not what they wanted, “His own people did not receive Him.” (John 1:11) Their cries of Hosanna soon turned to “Crucify Him.” They were offended when Pilate posted over Jesus on the cross a sign that read “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” (Jn. 19: 19) During the trial of Jesus, Pilate had asked Him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” (Mark 15:2) Jesus answered, “It is as you say.” Because this King of the Jews did not fit the ideas they had cherished for thousands of years, the Jews again rejected the One they needed. Many Jews are still waiting for the wrong kind of king—the Antichrist, a False Messiah. Jesus will return to rule over the earth. At that time, the ancient prophecies of an earthly kingdom of God will be fulfilled, and no one will doubt that Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The King of the Jews was rejected by Israel, but there is a broader spiritual kingdom that He still rules!
All authority belongs to God who created all and owns all. God’s mighty power was revealed to mankind when He raised Christ, His Son from the dead and set Him at the right hand of the Father—above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. God has put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church. (Ephesians 1: 20-22) Jesus decreed in Matthew 28:18 that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. Authority begins in heaven and extends to the earth. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 sketches out with very little detail the events that will be set in motion during what we call the Rapture and the Resurrections, Afterwards, Jesus as King will set forth His program to dethrone every rulership, power, and authority on earth to take full control of the world as His Kingdom, which He will immediately hand over to the Father. Paul emphasizes that Jesus will not hand it over to the Father until He has “put all of His enemies under His feet” or defeated them absolutely and irrevocably. Until then Christ Himself will reign.
John in the Book of Revelation is one of the most encouraging books in the Bible because in it we see Jesus Christ vindicated before the world. Revelation is really a very simple book. It boils down to this: Jesus wins! In recording the Revelation of Jesus Christ, John wanted to reassure his readers that Jesus Christ controls the course and climax of history—He is King of the Universe! Revelation reveals the person of Jesus Christ, the power of Jesus Christ, and the program of Jesus Christ. Let us focus on King Jesus and His power and His program to encourage us at such a time as this!
Who is Jesus? First, He is the same human Jesus who was born on earth at His first coming. He is a son of man who is fully human and fully Divine. (One with God the Father: 1: 12-18; 3: 14) He will share the Throne of the Universe with the Father eventually. (22: 1, 3) He is the Eternal God. (1:8; 21: 6; 22: 13) What is Jesus? Nine titles give us a fuller appreciation of His place in history. In the past He proved to be the Root of David, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and the promised Messiah. (3:7; 5:5; 22: 16) He proved to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. (5:6; 12-13; 6:1) He is the victor over death and Hades. (1: 5-6; 18; 2:8; 3: 21) In the present He is the Lord of the churches who reigns over the church. (2: 1; 3:1; 22:20) He will be the Judge of all humankind for believers during the Judgment Seat of Christ and to unbelievers in the Great Tribulation and Great White Throne. In the future He will prove to be King of kings and Lord of lords. (1:5; 17: 14; 19: 16) In the future He will prove to be the Morning Star. (22: 16; 2:28) His Second Coming will signal the dawning of a new day in history. The Millennium will only be a foretaste of the new heavens and new earth. Jesus’ power: He has all personal power—He is in control of all beings and forces (believers, unbelievers, Satan, the beasts, human armies). His Father gives Him all power and authority and has all the power of the Godhead. He has power over all material objects and forces. He controls the physical universe. We can see this in His using individuals, storms, earthquakes, and even the heavenly bodies to accomplish His will. He has power over all spiritual entities and authorities. He controls the angels, the demons, and Satan. Every power in the universe is under His authority and control. He has the power to accomplish anything. He can administer healing, resurrections, new systems and orders, and new cities (the New Jerusalem). He will create new heavens and a new earth. Jesus’ purpose: His immediate purpose is to defeat and destroy Satan and sin and empower believers to be overcomers by His Spirit. We see Him doing this in the Church Age in Revelation as He deals with believers in the seven churches. (Chs. 2-3) His purpose is to purify to Himself a people who will be a kingdom and priests to God. (1:6) We also see Him doing this in the Tribulation period. We see it in His judgment of those who have not believed in Him. (Chs. 4-1) His purpose is to pour out God’s wrath on His enemies for their refusal to receive His grace. (16:1) Christ’s ultimate purpose is to dwell among His people and experience intimate fellowship with them. We see Him doing this in the Millenium to an extent never before attained in human history. (20:6) We see Him doing this perfectly and eternally in the new earth. (22: 3-5) This has always been God’s ultimate purpose—that His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and He will achieve it completely in the new earth. All our hope is in Jesus! We must never forget that He is the subject of Revelation—the unveiling of His person, His power, and His program—for the rest of history and eternity. Therefore, we do not lose hope as we focus on our Blessed Hope—the King of the Universe! It is a book for a troubled age, for an age in which the darkness deepens, fear spreads over all mankind, and monstrous powers, godless and evil, appear on the stage of history. In view of the revelation of much judgment to come on humanity, it is comforting to remember that God does everything because He loves His people and desires fellowship with us! The King of the Universe leaves us with these words in 22: 13-14: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. How fortunate are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the Tree of Life and may enter through the gates into the city.” And then in verse 20: “The One giving testimony to these things says, ‘Yes! I am coming soon!” And may we respond with all our body, soul and spirit: “Amen—so be it! Come Lord Jesus!”
Giving credit to Dr. Thomas L. Constable for some of his insights and inspiration in the preparation of this study.