Jesus is King: What Does This Mean?
Jesus is King
I live in a land where there is no monarchy. It is a democratic nation. When it comes to understanding Jesus as King, my thinking is hindered by my environment. Yours may be, too. It’s not that the concept is hard to understand. It’s just that a president and a king are very different — probably even more so that anyone in our country can truly understand since we’ve never lived under a true king in our government.
So what does it mean that Jesus is King? Jesus is NOT just a king, as in one of many. He is THE King. The Ruler of all the kings of the earth (Revelation 1:5). He is directly given the title: “King of kings and Lord of lords” twice in the Scriptures (Revelation 17:14; 19:16). To be a king means to have power and sovereignty. To be King over all kings is to have ALL the power and sovereignty. Jesus is the omnipotent king of heaven and earth. There is no one more powerful now nor will there ever be any who is more powerful than Jesus at any point in time. Jesus is the promised King who was to come to reign over His people, the Jews and the nations (2 Samuel 7:16). Jesus is King not just for a time but for all of eternity. His kingdom will never come to an end.
This is a very important question for us to understand. Let us dig deeper to unfold the glory of Jesus as King.
The Promised King & Kingdom
Early in the history of the nation of Israel a King was promised. This King was not just another king. He was to be King and His kingdom will be an eternal kingdom. God made this promise to His servant, king David. He said,
“Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:16)
David, the king of Israel at that time, was advancing and expanding the borders of the nation of Israel. In terms of power and might, there was no king that compared to David other than king Solomon and Uzziah. The power that king David possessed was unmatched in his day. Yet, David was still only a man. He would die. As history proves true, when a prosperous king dies the kingdom often soon follows with him.
This was not to be the case with king David. God promised David that the everlasting King will come forth from His lineage and establish an eternal throne. A throne that will never see an end. A throne that will know no rival. A throne which all other thrones are subjected to. Now and forever.
The Glorious Son of Man
Daniel was exiled in Babylon. He saw a vision that he didn’t know what to do with:
“I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)
This vision distressed Daniel greatly. He was perplexed. Frankly, if this vision was not interpreted by an angel from heaven he probably would not have believed it. For he saw one like a Son of Man walk up into the presence of the Ancient of Days and be given the everlasting kingdom. This would have been unheard of to Daniel. No created person, no human being, no son of man, could ever enter into the presence of the Creator and live! Certainly the only appropriate response would be for this Son of Man to worship and give glory to the Ancient of Days. Instead, Daniel sees in the vision that God gives dominion, glory, and a kingdom to this Man.
Isaiah the prophet lived and prophesied before Daniel was exiled in Babylon. Isaiah wrote:
I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images. (Isaiah 42:8, bold added)
God declared through the prophet Isaiah that He would not give His glory to another. Isaiah prophesied before Daniel’s lifetime and Daniel surely would have been familiar with this declaration from God through His prophet. Yet, Daniel saw one like a Son of Man approaching the Ancient of Days and receiving glory from Him. How could this be? Who is this Son of Man that God would give to Him dominion, glory, and a kingdom that will not pass away?
As we read through the Gospels, we see that Jesus’s favorite designation for Himself was “The Son of Man.” This was not a declaration of His humanity as many claim. Instead, it was a claim that He had come in fulfillment of this prophecy in Daniel 7. Jesus is the One whom the Father gives glory to because Jesus is God in the flesh.
The Glory of God’s Presence in Christ Jesus
Moses was called the friend of God. Even Moses could not see the whole presence of God without being ruined. He could only see His backside lest the glory destroy him. Isaiah saw a vision of the LORD (not the fullness of Him) and could only say, “Woe is me! I am ruined!”
Despite all this, this promised King from the lineage of David, clothed in flesh was given the everlasting kingdom. This promised King is the eternal Son of God, made flesh, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said of Himself,
“I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:62)
This is a clear indication of Jesus claiming to be the fulfillment of the figure Daniel saw and recorded in chapter 7.
“You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matthew 26:64)
Declarations like these were made again and again by Jesus. He said these things to declare the He was the promised King, the Messiah. Jesus made it known that He was and is the Son of Man seen in Daniel’s vision.
After His death on the cross, burial, and resurrection, Jesus ascended into the presence of God the Father. In a confirmation of the testimony above an angel at the ascension of Jesus tells the disciples,
“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)
Jesus ascended to the presence of the Father to receive dominion, glory, and the kingdom. This same Jesus will return in the same way, on a cloud. Thus, coming in fulfillment of the prophecy given to Daniel.
Jesus is not dead. He is not in the grave. He is risen from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High. Jesus rules as King until all His enemies are put under His feet.
The Powerful Eternal King
We have already read from the Scriptures that the kingdom of Christ is an eternal kingdom. One that can never nor will ever be destroyed. There is no other king, not even the ruler of this world, Satan, who can overthrow the King. For Jesus is,
“KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:16)
And He is the,
Ruler of the kings of the earth. (Revelation 1:5b)
As the King, Jesus is All-Powerful, He is omnipotent. None can thwart the plans and intentions of the King. He can and does all His holy will.
"For nothing will be impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)
The King does as He pleases.
‘Oh, Lord GOD, you did indeed make heaven and earth by Your mighty power and great strength. Nothing is too hard for You!’ (Jeremiah 32:17)
There is nothing that is too difficult for Him to accomplish.
Our God is in heaven! He does whatever He pleases! (Psalm 115:3)
His rule and dominion extends above and beyond our geographical limits.
“I know that You can do all things; no purpose of Yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2)
Jesus’ kingdom is eternal because the King is omnipotent. At the end of the ages when Satan is released, after the Millennial Kingdom, he and the nations will again rise up in an attempt to overthrow Christ as King. Their rebellion will fail again.
When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:7-10)
Jesus is THE King. Even if all of creation rose up to wage war against Him, it will end with destruction. Not destruction of Jesus but of His creation and those foolish enough to persist in rebellion against His just and righteous reign. Psalm 2 describes how God simply laughs at all the combined might of the various kingdoms of earth.
Jesus is not like other kings who make plans but do not possess the power to bring them to fruition. When Jesus says He is going to do something, He does it because He is omnipotent. Jesus has said that He is coming again to judge the world in righteousness. To destroy everyone who has not taken refuge in His merciful embrace.
What does it mean that Jesus is King? It means that He will reign forever. All who are against Him will be cast into Hell along with Satan and the beast and the false prophet. To be tormented night and day for ever and ever. This king is gracious and kind toward His rebellious creatures, giving opportunity today for all to repent and turn to Him for forgiveness and salvation.
In light of these truths, I lovingly urge you to be reconciled to God through Christ today. We have made ourselves God’s enemies by our own wicked works and by doing what is right in our own eyes. God lovingly put forth His Son, Jesus, to make a way for our sins to be washed away in His blood and He offers to clothe us in the perfect righteousness of the Son of Man. If we refuse His gracious gift of salvation, received only by the grace of God through faith in Christ, then He will put to death the enmity another way, by crushing His adversaries under His feet. Nothing is more terrifying than dying in our sins and facing the holy and righteous God on the Day of Judgment. Once again, I lovingly and solemnly urge you to repent and believe in Jesus as King and Savior, as Lord, and be saved from His great wrath which we deserve and are storing up for ourselves on the Day when His righteous wrath is revealed. For the day of wrath is coming and who can stand? Only those who have hidden themselves in the kind love of the King.
Have you called upon the name of the Lord? Don’t wait. Tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us.
For more on this see our article, Christ Our Refuge.
For more on the exaltation of Jesus, see our articles:
Related Questions
What does it mean that Jesus is Lord? The title Lord means Master. Jesus is NOT just the King but He is also the Lord. Jesus has the authority over everything to tell it what to do because He is Lord of everything, the Master of it all. Thus, we who are created beings are to obey the commands of our Lord or else pay the penalty, eternal destruction in the lake of fire.
What does it mean that God is King? God the Father is referred to the King of kings one time in the Scriptures, 1 Timothy 6:15, “which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” When God is given the title of King here it is in reference to His power and authority. God is ALL-Powerful, Omnipotent, no one can, nor ever will be able to, thwart His plans. He is King.