Sunday, October 16, 2016

King of Kings


It is so energizing and exciting to participate in #Write31days, an online writing challenge where writers pick one topic and write a post on that topic every day in the month of October. Within the #Write31days category of Inspiration & Faith, I chose to focus on the topic of the Name Above All Names every day for 31 days. You can view each of my daily posts at this landing page.


Krista Hamrick’s beautiful original art print, Name Above All Names Alphabet, has so inspired me. Each of the 26 individual Names she has identified are so special, as Krista has intricately painted, almost like stained glass windows, each one with its Scripture reference.


My heart has been drawn to do a word study for each of the names included in her art print. Krista and I felt led to publish our Name Above All Names Devotional: Focusing on 26 Alphabetical Names of Christ available now on Amazon as a softcover book and as a Kindle book at this link.

No matter how many times I hear this anointed recording of That’s My King, tears flow at the precious description of my Jesus by Pastor S. M. Lockridge...while studying Revelation 19:16


NASB: And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Amplified:
 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name inscribed, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

J.B Phillips: Written upon his cloak and upon his thigh is the name, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

The Message: On his robe and thigh is written, King of kings, Lord of lords.

Young’s Literal: and he hath upon the garment and upon his thigh the name written, `King of kings, and Lord of lords.'


Pastor Thomas L. Constable 
writes: “The robe is a symbol of majesty, and the thigh suggests power. Evidently the name appeared on the part of Christ's robe that covered His thigh, which would be most conspicuous. The title "King of kings" is one that Persian and later rulers of empires ascribed to themselves but only the Messiah qualifies for it in its true sense. People living on earth at the time of the Second Coming will see Jesus Christ return. What a contrast this coming is with the Lord Jesus' first coming: as a baby, in humility and obscurity, riding a donkey into Jerusalem rather than a horse, coming to die rather than to reign.”

Pastor Arno Gaebelein has written: “And He had a name written, that no man knew but Himself.” And again it is written, “His Name is called the Word of God.” And on His vesture and on His thigh there is a name written, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” The unknown Name is the name of His essential deity. No human name can express what He is in Himself, “No man knoweth the Son but the Father.” His Name “the Word of God” refers us to the Gospel of John. As the Word He is the express image of God, that is, He makes God visible. He is the expression of God in His character, His thoughts and counsels. And the third name mentioned, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords,” expresses what He is in relation to the earth.”

Pastor Tony Garlanwrites: “
King of kings is basileus basileōnLord of lords is kyrios kyriōn. Each phrase involves two words which have the same lexeme in a relationship indicating the supreme member: the supreme King among kings, the supreme Lord among lords…All of these various heads and horns had contested for the position which alone belongs to Christ, the King of kings. Christ will obtain the kingdom, but it will be achieved according to the will of the Father.”

Pastor J. Ramsey Michaels wrote: “Here many crowns on a single head suggest many spheres of sovereignty under a single Lord, anticipating the inscription KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS finally made explicit at the end of the account. This inscription is a traditional formula that is to be understood quite literally. The rider on the white horse is about to be seen precisely as a King victorious over all other kings, and as supreme Lord, victorious over "generals and mighty men" and their armies.”

Pastor S. Lewis Johnson has said: “John concludes this section with another name in the sixteenth verse, “And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘King of Kings and Lord of Lords’.” That’s a word directed first of all to Domitian who liked to parade in the 1st Century in Rome as “God the Lord”. He had himself proclaimed Emporator twenty-two times. When he rode in past the peoples, the poets cried out, “Prīnceps prīncepum summa ducis,” the prince of the princes and the highest of the leaders. In other words, Domitian was an antecedent of Ceauşescu and Hitler and all of the rest of these communist puppets who like to have themselves exalted constantly before the people with their pictures everywhere and everybody bowing to them as sovereigns of their little empires.”


Much of the book of Revelation is puzzling and beyond our understanding; it pictures something that we will experience only in the hereafter. Now we comprehend only snippets of the great panorama of the end of time. As the heavenly company gathers, the twenty-four elders fall down before God, lay their crowns before him, and unite in praise: “You are worthy! You created everything.” Just as the twenty-four elders lay down their crowns, we are to lay down our best efforts, our victories, giftings and ministries, and bow in worship. We have nothing that we haven’t received from God.

Corrie ten Boom said that after she spoke, people often showered her with accolades and compliments. But when she got back to her room, she would bow before the Lord and—just like a bouquet—offer to him every word of praise she had received. Someday every knee will bow, and we will join the elders and the company of heaven to worship the King of kings, but in the meantime, we can still worship the creator and sustainer of the universe, who is worthy to receive all glory and honor and power.

Lord Jesus, our mighty King of kings,  thank You for the pictures in Revelation of Your glory being celebrated in heaven. You are worthy! It is for You and because of You that all things exist. Give us glimpses of how infinite, limitless, and majestic You are so that Your glory is our focus. Draw us into worship. I lay my crowns before You, Lord—all that I’ve done or accomplished, all that I am, I give to You. In Your mighty Name Above All Names—King of kings, we pray, amen.


Look Up—meditate on Revelation 19:16 Pray to see what it reveals about the character of God.

Look In
—as you meditate on 
Revelation 19:16 pray to see how you might apply it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries: "Because God is_________, I will_____________."

Look Out—as you meditate on 
Revelation 19:16 pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.

2 comments:

  1. These verses are so inspiring, and I can't even imagine how overwhelmed John must have been when he received these visions from God. I love being reminded the my Redeemer is Faithful and True -- as well as being King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

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    1. Michele, I was thinking the very same thing this morning when I heard Dr. David Jeremiah say John was the only disciple who was not martyred but exiled on Patmos...isolated from others but abandoned to our Lord Jesus Christ...for the great Revelation...amazing! Many blessings to you dear friend ❤️

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