Lord of All

Jesus has reigned as Sovereign over the Earth since his Death and Resurrection, already he is seated on the Messianic Throne. Because of his obedience, he is the “Ruler of the Kings of the Earth.” Before his Ascension, he declared that God had bestowed all authority on him - “In Heaven and on Earth.” Thus, his authority is without limits and a present reality.

Not only is he the “King of kings,” but everyone redeemed by his blood becomes a member of his “Kingdom of Priests” and reigns with him, only his disciples “overcome” and reign in the same manner that he did:

• “Jesus Christ, the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the Dead, and the Ruler of the Kings of the Earth. Unto him who loves us and loosed us from our sins through his blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father… He that overcomes, I will grant him to sit with me on my Throne, even as I overcame and sat with my Father on his throne… the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and they also will overcome who are with him, called and chosen and faithful”  - (Revelation 1:5-6, 3:21, 17:14).

[Photo by Denis Degioanni on Unsplash]

In Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do men say that the Son of Man is?” Peter declared, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” though his brief epiphany vanished once Jesus explained what the Messianic calling meant.

As the Messiah of Israel, Jesus must “go to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed,” though God would resurrect him on the third day. Before his exaltation, he would become the Suffering Servant of Yahweh and suffer at the hands of unrighteous men - (Matthew 16:13-28, Isaiah 53:1-12).

Following his Resurrection, he was exalted by his Father and given the “name which is above every name, that in the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in Heaven and things on Earth and things under the Earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” He now summons his disciples to proclaim his message and sovereignty on the Earth - (Philippians 2:9-11).

On his way to Jerusalem, he promised that some disciples would not die until they saw the “Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.” His words alluded to a vision in the Book of Daniel that portrayed the receipt of the Kingdom by the figure known as the Son of Man:

• “I continued looking in the visions of the night, when, behold, WITH THE CLOUDS OF THE HEAVENS, ONE LIKE A SON OF MAN WAS COMING, and to the Ancient of days he approached, and before him, they brought him near; and to him were given dominion and dignity and kingship, that all peoples, races, and tongues unto him should do service, his dominion was an everlasting dominion ” – (Daniel 7:13-14).

However, it was only after his Death and Resurrection that Jesus received “All authority in Heaven and on Earth,” authority that he attained through suffering and death as he “gave his life as a ransom for many.” His declaration as recorded in Matthew echoes the Messianic prophecy of the Second Psalm:

• (Psalm 2:7-8) – “Let me tell of a decree, Yahweh said to me, You are my son. I, this day, have begotten you. ASK OF ME AND LET ME GIVE NATIONS AS YOUR INHERITANCE, AND AS YOUR POSSESSION, THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.”

HIS PRIESTLY KINGDOM

Because he now possesses absolute authority, he sends his disciples as his envoys to proclaim his Gospel and his Lordship to the “ends of the Earth.” That is how his disciples participate in his PRESENT reign. Because of his obedience, God made him “BOTH Messiah and Lord” – (Acts 2:36, Ephesians 1:20-22).

His followers proclaim his Lordship and Salvation to the Nations of the Earth. All men are called to submit to his sovereignty and receive his salvation while time remains before the final judgment. All who do receive the forgiveness of sins and join his “Kingdom of Priests” - (Matthew 25:31-46, Revelation 1:5-6).

Thus, the man from Nazareth has become the one true “Emperor” who reigns over the entire Earth, indeed, over the Cosmos, and not Caesar or other pretenders to sovereignty over the world, including kings, princes, dictators, prime ministers, and presidents.

The one who now reigns over all things is the “Lamb with Seven Horns and Seven Eyes,” an image that points to his absolute power and limitless knowledge. There is nothing that is beyond his reach, including “Death and Hades.”

Anyone who rejects his message defies his sovereignty and aligns himself with the “Dragon” and his earthly representative, the “Beast from the Sea.” Moreover, the man who rejects his Lordship will discover one day, to his horror, that his name has been excluded from the “Book of Life of the Lamb.”

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RELATED POSTS:

• Salvation for the Nations - (The Good News announced by Jesus of Nazareth offers salvation and life to men and women of every nation and people)

• On David's Throne - (Following his Resurrection, Jesus began his reign from the Messianic Throne as prophesied by David – Psalm 2:6-9)

• His Present Reign - (The PRESENT reign of Jesus began with his exaltation to the messianic Throne following his death and resurrection – Psalms 110:1)