And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
The rider on the white horse is Jesus Christ, and the name written on His clothing declares Him supreme King over every king and supreme Lord over every lord. He is coming again openly in divine power and great glory, in complete contrast to His first coming in humility and suffering without outward royalty. He comes to judge and make war in righteousness, leading the armies of heaven in the final conflict to defeat the beast, the false prophet and the earthly powers arrayed against Him. After the final judgment and destruction of all who oppose Him, His kingdom will be fully established over all the earth and He will reign in triumph. Therefore His people must give Him undivided allegiance, be cleansed and ready to meet Him, and remain faithful even at the cost of life in order to reign with Him in glory.
Name and Appearance
The rider on the white horse is Jesus Christ, called Faithful and True, who in righteousness judges and makes war. The name written on His vesture and on His thigh is KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS, declaring His supreme kingship and lordship over every king and lord and His supreme authority as He comes to judge the living and the dead. He returns in glory as the victorious ruler of heaven and earth and the conquering, triumphant King, no longer bearing shame and suffering or appearing in lowliness or as a prisoner. Those who mocked and struck Him, including priests and rulers, will see Him in this kingly glory.
He appears on a white horse with eyes as a flame of fire and many crowns, clothed in a vesture dipped in blood, bearing the name The Word of God and a written name known only to Himself. A sharp sword goes from His mouth to smite the nations, ruling them with a rod of iron and treading the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God, followed by the armies of heaven on white horses clothed in fine linen white and clean. He leads forth the armies of heaven on white horses clothed in fine linen clean and white as the leader in the battle of Armageddon soon to be fought. His many crowns are gathered into one crown, displaying supreme royal authority, and He wears a crown within a crown upon His head in place of the crown of thorns and garments of humility and mockery.
He comes in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, surpassing all the eye has ever seen and far exceeding anything imagination has conceived, with His own glory and the glory of the Father attended and escorted by the angelic host of heaven. Divinity is no longer concealed by humanity, for He comes as one equal with God, His own beloved Son, Prince of heaven and earth, Redeemer of His people and Lifegiver, the glory of the Father and the Son seen to be one. He is girded about the chest with a golden girdle and clothed in a robe whiter than the whitest white and in glorious white garments, with the name inscribed upon His vesture and thigh declaring supreme kingship and lordship. His many crowns and kingly robes mark the change from His priestly work to His kingly role when He leaves heaven after the plan of salvation is accomplished.
Even in kingly glory He still bears wounded hands and the marks of the nails and spear, remaining as testimony to the price of redemption. Those marks remain visible as bright beams from His hands when He reigns in beauty, and the resurrected will see Him with them. In Him human and divine natures are blended in His body. His enemies, including those who insulted and killed Him, will behold Him in kingly power and be compelled by His majesty to acknowledge His kingship.
Contrast With First Coming
The inscription on vesture and thigh belongs to the second coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, surpassing all the eye has ever seen and far exceeding anything imagination has conceived. In perfect contrast to the first advent in concealed glory, humility, lowliness and suffering, with glory veiled in humanity and without worldly royalty, outward display or visible manifestation, He comes openly divine with His own glory and the glory of the Father attended by the angelic host. Divinity is no longer concealed by humanity, for He comes as one equal with God, His own beloved Son, Prince of heaven and earth, Redeemer of His people and Lifegiver, the glory of the Father and the Son seen to be one. His claim to be one with the Father is then substantiated, shining forth gloriously before His ancients, and obedience or disobedience to His authority decides the case of every soul, whether each will meet Him in peace to be glorified in His saints and admired by all them that believe. He returns as the victorious ruler of heaven and earth to judge the living and the dead, no longer bearing shame and suffering as the man of sorrows.
In place of the crown of thorns and the garments of humility, mockery and suffering, He wears a crown of glory, a crown within a crown, and a royal robe whiter than the whitest white bearing His title of supreme kingship and lordship. His many crowns and kingly robes mark the change from priestly work to kingly rule, when He leaves heaven after the plan of salvation is accomplished and mercy's invitation has ended. The denial, rejection, scourging and crucifixion of His first coming are then reversed, and He is acknowledged by all as the King of glory, with every knee bowing and every tongue confessing His lordship and divinity to the glory of God the Father while angels bow in adoration and His enemies see their mistake.
Those who mocked, struck, derided, rejected, scourged and crucified Him will see Him as the honored King in majesty and be compelled to acknowledge Him. This includes the priests and rulers and the men who enacted the farce of His trial and debasing mockery, who will see Him not as a prisoner but clothed in glory and accompanied by angels and the heavenly host in victory. That very scene will stand before them in all its degrading particulars in living, speaking symbols, with His searching eye as a flame of fire burning into their souls, clothed in a garment of the whitest white and girded about the chest with a golden girdle, giving them knowledge of the value of the human soul and of what is comprehended in the wrath of the Lamb, filling them with abhorrence of themselves and hopeless agony. Even then His wounded hands and the marks of the nails and spear remain as testimony to the price of redemption.
At His appearing His unsurpassed glory and majesty are displayed to the wicked, and His coming brings terror to the wicked and salvation to His faithful people. At the final scene outside the holy city the wicked see Him with the redeemed on the city wall, their courage fails, and the sight brings home the glory, treasure and eternal life they lost through sin. At the second resurrection the wicked recognize Him as the very one they mocked and crucified and flee from His glorious presence.
The Redeemer whose first advent Balaam foresaw will appear the second time in power and glory as King above all kings. Balaam himself will behold that majesty from a great distance when he rises in the second resurrection, but will be shut out from the city of God with the wicked.
Judgment and Final Victory
The title written on vesture and thigh names the leader who will soon lead the armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen clean and white and riding white horses, into the final conflict of Armageddon. He comes on a white horse as Faithful and True to judge and make war in righteousness, to judge the living and the dead as supreme above every earthly ruler. His royal glory accompanies His searching of creation, and His appearing calls people to be ready with sins pardoned and lives cleansed from sin. In contrast to His earlier humiliation as the man of sorrows bearing shame and suffering, He now returns in glory as the victorious ruler of heaven and earth, crowned with glory, with eyes as a flame of fire and many crowns, clothed in a vesture dipped in blood, bearing the name The Word of God and a written name known only to Himself, followed by the armies of heaven on white horses clothed in fine linen white and clean, with a sharp sword going from His mouth to smite the nations, ruling them with a rod of iron and treading the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
As Ruler high above all rule He comes to avenge His children who were falsely accused, fettered, imprisoned, bruised, burned at the stake, and compelled to transgress the law God commanded all to obey and to worship according to false rule. In proportion as men have carried out Satan's spirit in causing pain to human beings, so they will suffer torment and perish, repaid with suffering and death. In the chapter's scene the beast, earthly kings, and their armies war against Christ, and His title expresses His authority over them and the certainty of their defeat. The chapter warns those who enforce worship of the beast that they oppose Christ and will face His judgment.
The verse belongs to the prophetic picture of Christ's final triumph and reign on earth, in which the beast and false prophet are cast into the lake of fire. The account then proceeds to the binding of the dragon for a thousand years, the resurrection and final destruction of the wicked, and Christ's triumph and reign. He will come from heaven soon to vindicate His authority and the laws of His kingdom. He will soon reveal His authority as King of kings and Lord of lords to confront sharp dealing, selfish grasping for power to take advantage of others, and commercialism interwoven with God's work that makes it hard to distinguish the sacred from the common. He will not sanction such practices, for to Him sin is sin and righteousness is righteousness, and His self-revelation as supreme King and Lord brings a crisis and controversy with those who have followed their own will and way, calling for repentance and turning to Him with full purpose of heart.
His title shows supreme rulership over all earthly rulers and underscores that God's law is binding. That supremacy and the sacredness of God's law will be revealed to those who persistently refuse obedience. Judgments will come upon the disloyal as an act of mercy, to awaken them to the sinfulness of their disloyalty.
Kingdom and Prophetic Timing
The title belongs to the prophetic picture of Christ's final triumph and reign on earth, a chapter that will soon be fulfilled in the closing scenes of this earth's history now being lived. In that sequence the beast and false prophet are cast into the lake of fire, then follows the binding of the dragon for a thousand years, the resurrection and final destruction of the wicked, and Christ's triumph and reign. Watchmen on the walls of Zion and every minister must discern the messages of the nineteenth chapter and proclaim them with a certain trumpet sound, for if the message is not given souls are quieted to sleep to eternal loss. The third angel's message prepares people for the coming of this King.
After He completes the atonement for His people and blots out their sins, with every case decided and the number of subjects complete, the marriage of the Lamb consummated, the kingdom and dominion under the whole heaven is given to Jesus and the heirs of salvation and He reigns as King. When His kingdom is established after the final judgment and the destruction of those who oppose His sovereignty, He will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. Its full establishment over all the earth awaits His second coming with innumerable holy ones and with the heavenly host, when He takes His great power and reigns and His kingdom of glory is set up.
His glorious advent is the final fulfillment of the sure word of prophecy for which believers wait in faith for deliverance. His appearing is among the solemn events soon to occur as probation closes, when every person will be judged for deeds done in the body, and the world must be warned. His return brings the final restoration of God's people, in which the ten tribes may share, though they are not promised a return to their former power in Palestine. The faithful will behold Him in future majesty and glory when the earth is made new. He will be beheld crowned as King of kings and Lord of lords at Jerusalem when the fires of the last great day have cleansed it from all sinful defilement.
His enthronement as the Only Begotten seated as King encircled by the throne of the universe completes the mediatorial work for man's recovery and exaltation. Then all dominions and principalities and powers of heaven are radiant with glory around Him, and angels intensely desire to behold that enthronement. Heaven brings all its powers to unite with consecrated human ability, because sanctified human channels to communicate with man are essential in cooperation with the divine to consummate this great work.
Authority Over Earthly Rulers
His authority stands absolutely above every earthly king, lord, counselor and emperor, and no office however high lifts its holder beyond accountability to Him and to His higher laws. That sovereign power is joined with the care of a tender shepherd, guaranteeing the fulfillment of His promises and enabling Him to remove every obstacle to His work. True strength is therefore found not in human power but in His word.
Because He rules above earthly rulers, the Reformers appealed from the emperor Charles to Christ. Those who stand under His banner stand under no other banner, laying aside political prejudice, national antipathies and sectarian feelings that divide cherished opinions, acknowledging no higher ruler. They do not appeal to Caesar or Pilate for vindication, but leave judgment to Christ, who in His own good time will avenge His elect who cry day and night to Him, and who has been in all ages the uniting stone and chief cornerstone making His people one.
Daniel turned from the earthly king's business to speak with Him, having communion with Him in prayer, and this seeking of the Lord was the source of Daniel's wisdom. Daniel's allegiance shows that no earthly king or decree can rightly turn anyone from duty to God. The three Hebrew youths likewise honored Him as supreme ruler and remained loyal to Him rather than obeying laws that opposed His commands, whatever the cost. His authority rebuked and humbled Nebuchadnezzar until he learned that true greatness consists in true goodness and that God can abase those who walk in pride.
Earthly rulers presiding over the affairs of nations must realize His authority over them and know God as Father and Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of the infinite God, or they cannot rule wisely. One placed in authority over others must seek the Lord for wisdom to govern wisely the subjects of God's kingdom, obtaining wisdom from God who is too wise to err and too good to do injustice to His human subjects. The principles of the law of the kingdom of the God who rules the sinless inhabitants of heaven must lie at the foundation of earthly governments, whose laws must be in harmony with the law of Jehovah, the standard by which all created beings will be judged, and no one should be forced to obey human laws in direct opposition to the law God has given. A law of divorce such as that made against Vashti, drawn up by men given for many days to wine-drinking, unable to control appetite and unable to reason soundly and nobly and discern the real situation, is of no value in His eyes, for the great power of kings often leads to extremes in exaltation of self, and worthless vows to enact laws that disregard God's higher laws lead to great injustice.
The rival ruler who promotes a false sabbath stands in opposition to Christ, and that ruler's mark is set against the King's mark. The false sabbath is presented as a sign of the rival ruler's claimed authority, while God's Sabbath is the sign He commanded to be preserved through generations. The pope's attempt to exalt himself as lord of lords is condemned by Christ's true title. His divine authority and glory are reflected in the power and beauty of creation. His title Lord of lords and King of kings will be counterfeited when Satan impersonates Christ near the second appearing, and the world that has rejected the truth will accept Satan as Christ, deceived by his power over human imagination and his subtle, fascinating work.
Loyalty Readiness and Reward
God's people must show unmistakable allegiance to the King of kings and Lord of lords, stepping forward in time of crisis to make their loyalty clear. They stand under His banner alone and under no other, laying aside political prejudice, national antipathies and sectarian feelings that divide cherished opinions, acknowledging no higher ruler. They bear His stamp, uphold the truth, refuse to be drawn into political and money strife, live as loyal subjects refusing sin, obey God's law and remain faithful even at the cost of life. As the uniting stone and chief cornerstone in all ages He makes His people one, and they leave vindication to Him who in His own good time will avenge His elect who cry day and night to Him rather than appealing to Caesar or Pilate.
He gives marching orders to His people and sends them forth to bear a special message to the world, to do a special work, and to fight His battles manfully as soldiers recognized by God under His command. Fellow believers must direct the weapons of warfare against the foe and never turn them toward these soldiers by aiming at them, weakening them with words, judging them severely and unreasonably, making the most of every defect, accusing them, or making public a mistake they have seen and corrected. To do so turns the glory of God into dishonor, gives advantage to the bitterest foes of the King, dishonors their King, and is counted as sin against Christ Himself of greater magnitude than the misstep itself. Mistakes of workers sent by God to do His work should be met with help to recover, not severe judgment or public exposure.
His ministers are His ambassadors and commissioned messengers, chosen and prepared by Him for sacred work, so that worldly ambition must not draw them away from that trust and great honor. Having made solemn vows to God and been made stewards of the mysteries of His grace, they are under obligation to declare faithfully the whole counsel of God, to lift the standard high, and to declare the message with unshrinking heart because heaven is to be gained and hell is to be shunned. They work surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses with heavenly intelligences looking upon them, and understanding the dignity and sacredness of their calling they must walk modestly and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God in order to be accepted by Him.
Young people may serve this King as witnesses in legislative assemblies, courts and royal courts. Solomon's glory came from using his God-given wisdom, power and riches to make the world know the King of kings and thereby honor God.
To appear in His presence people must be ready, with sins pardoned and lives cleansed from sin for the judgment in which His royal glory searches creation. They must be cleansed, refined and purified so they can discern spiritual things. They are to stay close to God, grow in grace, tell Jesus their weaknesses, and look to Him for help so they will not fall and may enter His everlasting kingdom.
Earthly recognition is temporary and insignificant beside the honor He gives. Those allied with Him may receive honor, dignity and power through relationship with God, for even the vilest sinner may become a partaker of the divine nature and an heir of eternal riches. Those who believe in His name are given power to become children of God and members of the Heavenly King's royal family, claimed by God as His sons and daughters, belonging to His royal family as heirs of God who may receive an immortal inheritance, welcomed and recognized by the angels. When He wears His kingly crown, those who overcome will reign with Him in peace, exaltation and glory throughout eternity.
John the Baptist's vision of His majesty and holiness filled him with reverence because he had bowed before the supreme King, and that reverence made him fearless before earthly monarchs and rulers. Berquin faced death with joy and peace because he knew Christ was beside him, as one about to testify to his faith before Christ and the witnessing universe. At His return, escorted by the heavenly host, He will be acclaimed as Lord by Hebrew and Gentile voices, and His coming is an occasion for joy and longing anticipation.
The rider on the white horse is Jesus Christ, and the name written on His clothing declares Him supreme King over every king and supreme Lord over every lord. He is coming again openly in divine power and great glory, in complete contrast to His first coming in humility and suffering without outward royalty. He comes to judge and make war in righteousness, leading the armies of heaven in the final conflict to defeat the beast, the false prophet and the earthly powers arrayed against Him. After the final judgment and destruction of all who oppose Him, His kingdom will be fully established over all the earth and He will reign in triumph. Therefore His people must give Him undivided allegiance, be cleansed and ready to meet Him, and remain faithful even at the cost of life in order to reign with Him in glory.
Name and Appearance
The rider on the white horse is Jesus Christ, called Faithful and True, who in righteousness judges and makes war. The name written on His vesture and on His thigh is KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS, declaring His supreme kingship and lordship over every king and lord and His supreme authority as He comes to judge the living and the dead. He returns in glory as the victorious ruler of heaven and earth and the conquering, triumphant King, no longer bearing shame and suffering or appearing in lowliness or as a prisoner. Those who mocked and struck Him, including priests and rulers, will see Him in this kingly glory.
He appears on a white horse with eyes as a flame of fire and many crowns, clothed in a vesture dipped in blood, bearing the name The Word of God and a written name known only to Himself. A sharp sword goes from His mouth to smite the nations, ruling them with a rod of iron and treading the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God, followed by the armies of heaven on white horses clothed in fine linen white and clean. He leads forth the armies of heaven on white horses clothed in fine linen clean and white as the leader in the battle of Armageddon soon to be fought. His many crowns are gathered into one crown, displaying supreme royal authority, and He wears a crown within a crown upon His head in place of the crown of thorns and garments of humility and mockery.
He comes in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, surpassing all the eye has ever seen and far exceeding anything imagination has conceived, with His own glory and the glory of the Father attended and escorted by the angelic host of heaven. Divinity is no longer concealed by humanity, for He comes as one equal with God, His own beloved Son, Prince of heaven and earth, Redeemer of His people and Lifegiver, the glory of the Father and the Son seen to be one. He is girded about the chest with a golden girdle and clothed in a robe whiter than the whitest white and in glorious white garments, with the name inscribed upon His vesture and thigh declaring supreme kingship and lordship. His many crowns and kingly robes mark the change from His priestly work to His kingly role when He leaves heaven after the plan of salvation is accomplished.
Even in kingly glory He still bears wounded hands and the marks of the nails and spear, remaining as testimony to the price of redemption. Those marks remain visible as bright beams from His hands when He reigns in beauty, and the resurrected will see Him with them. In Him human and divine natures are blended in His body. His enemies, including those who insulted and killed Him, will behold Him in kingly power and be compelled by His majesty to acknowledge His kingship.
Contrast With First Coming
The inscription on vesture and thigh belongs to the second coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, surpassing all the eye has ever seen and far exceeding anything imagination has conceived. In perfect contrast to the first advent in concealed glory, humility, lowliness and suffering, with glory veiled in humanity and without worldly royalty, outward display or visible manifestation, He comes openly divine with His own glory and the glory of the Father attended by the angelic host. Divinity is no longer concealed by humanity, for He comes as one equal with God, His own beloved Son, Prince of heaven and earth, Redeemer of His people and Lifegiver, the glory of the Father and the Son seen to be one. His claim to be one with the Father is then substantiated, shining forth gloriously before His ancients, and obedience or disobedience to His authority decides the case of every soul, whether each will meet Him in peace to be glorified in His saints and admired by all them that believe. He returns as the victorious ruler of heaven and earth to judge the living and the dead, no longer bearing shame and suffering as the man of sorrows.
In place of the crown of thorns and the garments of humility, mockery and suffering, He wears a crown of glory, a crown within a crown, and a royal robe whiter than the whitest white bearing His title of supreme kingship and lordship. His many crowns and kingly robes mark the change from priestly work to kingly rule, when He leaves heaven after the plan of salvation is accomplished and mercy's invitation has ended. The denial, rejection, scourging and crucifixion of His first coming are then reversed, and He is acknowledged by all as the King of glory, with every knee bowing and every tongue confessing His lordship and divinity to the glory of God the Father while angels bow in adoration and His enemies see their mistake.
Those who mocked, struck, derided, rejected, scourged and crucified Him will see Him as the honored King in majesty and be compelled to acknowledge Him. This includes the priests and rulers and the men who enacted the farce of His trial and debasing mockery, who will see Him not as a prisoner but clothed in glory and accompanied by angels and the heavenly host in victory. That very scene will stand before them in all its degrading particulars in living, speaking symbols, with His searching eye as a flame of fire burning into their souls, clothed in a garment of the whitest white and girded about the chest with a golden girdle, giving them knowledge of the value of the human soul and of what is comprehended in the wrath of the Lamb, filling them with abhorrence of themselves and hopeless agony. Even then His wounded hands and the marks of the nails and spear remain as testimony to the price of redemption.
At His appearing His unsurpassed glory and majesty are displayed to the wicked, and His coming brings terror to the wicked and salvation to His faithful people. At the final scene outside the holy city the wicked see Him with the redeemed on the city wall, their courage fails, and the sight brings home the glory, treasure and eternal life they lost through sin. At the second resurrection the wicked recognize Him as the very one they mocked and crucified and flee from His glorious presence.
The Redeemer whose first advent Balaam foresaw will appear the second time in power and glory as King above all kings. Balaam himself will behold that majesty from a great distance when he rises in the second resurrection, but will be shut out from the city of God with the wicked.
Judgment and Final Victory
The title written on vesture and thigh names the leader who will soon lead the armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen clean and white and riding white horses, into the final conflict of Armageddon. He comes on a white horse as Faithful and True to judge and make war in righteousness, to judge the living and the dead as supreme above every earthly ruler. His royal glory accompanies His searching of creation, and His appearing calls people to be ready with sins pardoned and lives cleansed from sin. In contrast to His earlier humiliation as the man of sorrows bearing shame and suffering, He now returns in glory as the victorious ruler of heaven and earth, crowned with glory, with eyes as a flame of fire and many crowns, clothed in a vesture dipped in blood, bearing the name The Word of God and a written name known only to Himself, followed by the armies of heaven on white horses clothed in fine linen white and clean, with a sharp sword going from His mouth to smite the nations, ruling them with a rod of iron and treading the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
As Ruler high above all rule He comes to avenge His children who were falsely accused, fettered, imprisoned, bruised, burned at the stake, and compelled to transgress the law God commanded all to obey and to worship according to false rule. In proportion as men have carried out Satan's spirit in causing pain to human beings, so they will suffer torment and perish, repaid with suffering and death. In the chapter's scene the beast, earthly kings, and their armies war against Christ, and His title expresses His authority over them and the certainty of their defeat. The chapter warns those who enforce worship of the beast that they oppose Christ and will face His judgment.
The verse belongs to the prophetic picture of Christ's final triumph and reign on earth, in which the beast and false prophet are cast into the lake of fire. The account then proceeds to the binding of the dragon for a thousand years, the resurrection and final destruction of the wicked, and Christ's triumph and reign. He will come from heaven soon to vindicate His authority and the laws of His kingdom. He will soon reveal His authority as King of kings and Lord of lords to confront sharp dealing, selfish grasping for power to take advantage of others, and commercialism interwoven with God's work that makes it hard to distinguish the sacred from the common. He will not sanction such practices, for to Him sin is sin and righteousness is righteousness, and His self-revelation as supreme King and Lord brings a crisis and controversy with those who have followed their own will and way, calling for repentance and turning to Him with full purpose of heart.
His title shows supreme rulership over all earthly rulers and underscores that God's law is binding. That supremacy and the sacredness of God's law will be revealed to those who persistently refuse obedience. Judgments will come upon the disloyal as an act of mercy, to awaken them to the sinfulness of their disloyalty.
Kingdom and Prophetic Timing
The title belongs to the prophetic picture of Christ's final triumph and reign on earth, a chapter that will soon be fulfilled in the closing scenes of this earth's history now being lived. In that sequence the beast and false prophet are cast into the lake of fire, then follows the binding of the dragon for a thousand years, the resurrection and final destruction of the wicked, and Christ's triumph and reign. Watchmen on the walls of Zion and every minister must discern the messages of the nineteenth chapter and proclaim them with a certain trumpet sound, for if the message is not given souls are quieted to sleep to eternal loss. The third angel's message prepares people for the coming of this King.
After He completes the atonement for His people and blots out their sins, with every case decided and the number of subjects complete, the marriage of the Lamb consummated, the kingdom and dominion under the whole heaven is given to Jesus and the heirs of salvation and He reigns as King. When His kingdom is established after the final judgment and the destruction of those who oppose His sovereignty, He will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. Its full establishment over all the earth awaits His second coming with innumerable holy ones and with the heavenly host, when He takes His great power and reigns and His kingdom of glory is set up.
His glorious advent is the final fulfillment of the sure word of prophecy for which believers wait in faith for deliverance. His appearing is among the solemn events soon to occur as probation closes, when every person will be judged for deeds done in the body, and the world must be warned. His return brings the final restoration of God's people, in which the ten tribes may share, though they are not promised a return to their former power in Palestine. The faithful will behold Him in future majesty and glory when the earth is made new. He will be beheld crowned as King of kings and Lord of lords at Jerusalem when the fires of the last great day have cleansed it from all sinful defilement.
His enthronement as the Only Begotten seated as King encircled by the throne of the universe completes the mediatorial work for man's recovery and exaltation. Then all dominions and principalities and powers of heaven are radiant with glory around Him, and angels intensely desire to behold that enthronement. Heaven brings all its powers to unite with consecrated human ability, because sanctified human channels to communicate with man are essential in cooperation with the divine to consummate this great work.
Authority Over Earthly Rulers
His authority stands absolutely above every earthly king, lord, counselor and emperor, and no office however high lifts its holder beyond accountability to Him and to His higher laws. That sovereign power is joined with the care of a tender shepherd, guaranteeing the fulfillment of His promises and enabling Him to remove every obstacle to His work. True strength is therefore found not in human power but in His word.
Because He rules above earthly rulers, the Reformers appealed from the emperor Charles to Christ. Those who stand under His banner stand under no other banner, laying aside political prejudice, national antipathies and sectarian feelings that divide cherished opinions, acknowledging no higher ruler. They do not appeal to Caesar or Pilate for vindication, but leave judgment to Christ, who in His own good time will avenge His elect who cry day and night to Him, and who has been in all ages the uniting stone and chief cornerstone making His people one.
Daniel turned from the earthly king's business to speak with Him, having communion with Him in prayer, and this seeking of the Lord was the source of Daniel's wisdom. Daniel's allegiance shows that no earthly king or decree can rightly turn anyone from duty to God. The three Hebrew youths likewise honored Him as supreme ruler and remained loyal to Him rather than obeying laws that opposed His commands, whatever the cost. His authority rebuked and humbled Nebuchadnezzar until he learned that true greatness consists in true goodness and that God can abase those who walk in pride.
Earthly rulers presiding over the affairs of nations must realize His authority over them and know God as Father and Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of the infinite God, or they cannot rule wisely. One placed in authority over others must seek the Lord for wisdom to govern wisely the subjects of God's kingdom, obtaining wisdom from God who is too wise to err and too good to do injustice to His human subjects. The principles of the law of the kingdom of the God who rules the sinless inhabitants of heaven must lie at the foundation of earthly governments, whose laws must be in harmony with the law of Jehovah, the standard by which all created beings will be judged, and no one should be forced to obey human laws in direct opposition to the law God has given. A law of divorce such as that made against Vashti, drawn up by men given for many days to wine-drinking, unable to control appetite and unable to reason soundly and nobly and discern the real situation, is of no value in His eyes, for the great power of kings often leads to extremes in exaltation of self, and worthless vows to enact laws that disregard God's higher laws lead to great injustice.
The rival ruler who promotes a false sabbath stands in opposition to Christ, and that ruler's mark is set against the King's mark. The false sabbath is presented as a sign of the rival ruler's claimed authority, while God's Sabbath is the sign He commanded to be preserved through generations. The pope's attempt to exalt himself as lord of lords is condemned by Christ's true title. His divine authority and glory are reflected in the power and beauty of creation. His title Lord of lords and King of kings will be counterfeited when Satan impersonates Christ near the second appearing, and the world that has rejected the truth will accept Satan as Christ, deceived by his power over human imagination and his subtle, fascinating work.
Loyalty Readiness and Reward
God's people must show unmistakable allegiance to the King of kings and Lord of lords, stepping forward in time of crisis to make their loyalty clear. They stand under His banner alone and under no other, laying aside political prejudice, national antipathies and sectarian feelings that divide cherished opinions, acknowledging no higher ruler. They bear His stamp, uphold the truth, refuse to be drawn into political and money strife, live as loyal subjects refusing sin, obey God's law and remain faithful even at the cost of life. As the uniting stone and chief cornerstone in all ages He makes His people one, and they leave vindication to Him who in His own good time will avenge His elect who cry day and night to Him rather than appealing to Caesar or Pilate.
He gives marching orders to His people and sends them forth to bear a special message to the world, to do a special work, and to fight His battles manfully as soldiers recognized by God under His command. Fellow believers must direct the weapons of warfare against the foe and never turn them toward these soldiers by aiming at them, weakening them with words, judging them severely and unreasonably, making the most of every defect, accusing them, or making public a mistake they have seen and corrected. To do so turns the glory of God into dishonor, gives advantage to the bitterest foes of the King, dishonors their King, and is counted as sin against Christ Himself of greater magnitude than the misstep itself. Mistakes of workers sent by God to do His work should be met with help to recover, not severe judgment or public exposure.
His ministers are His ambassadors and commissioned messengers, chosen and prepared by Him for sacred work, so that worldly ambition must not draw them away from that trust and great honor. Having made solemn vows to God and been made stewards of the mysteries of His grace, they are under obligation to declare faithfully the whole counsel of God, to lift the standard high, and to declare the message with unshrinking heart because heaven is to be gained and hell is to be shunned. They work surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses with heavenly intelligences looking upon them, and understanding the dignity and sacredness of their calling they must walk modestly and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God in order to be accepted by Him.
Young people may serve this King as witnesses in legislative assemblies, courts and royal courts. Solomon's glory came from using his God-given wisdom, power and riches to make the world know the King of kings and thereby honor God.
To appear in His presence people must be ready, with sins pardoned and lives cleansed from sin for the judgment in which His royal glory searches creation. They must be cleansed, refined and purified so they can discern spiritual things. They are to stay close to God, grow in grace, tell Jesus their weaknesses, and look to Him for help so they will not fall and may enter His everlasting kingdom.
Earthly recognition is temporary and insignificant beside the honor He gives. Those allied with Him may receive honor, dignity and power through relationship with God, for even the vilest sinner may become a partaker of the divine nature and an heir of eternal riches. Those who believe in His name are given power to become children of God and members of the Heavenly King's royal family, claimed by God as His sons and daughters, belonging to His royal family as heirs of God who may receive an immortal inheritance, welcomed and recognized by the angels. When He wears His kingly crown, those who overcome will reign with Him in peace, exaltation and glory throughout eternity.
John the Baptist's vision of His majesty and holiness filled him with reverence because he had bowed before the supreme King, and that reverence made him fearless before earthly monarchs and rulers. Berquin faced death with joy and peace because he knew Christ was beside him, as one about to testify to his faith before Christ and the witnessing universe. At His return, escorted by the heavenly host, He will be acclaimed as Lord by Hebrew and Gentile voices, and His coming is an occasion for joy and longing anticipation.