Reigning Supremacy |
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Among the many wonderful names and epithets ascribed to God in his word, there is one title that most clearly designates his rightful place as the supreme ruler of heaven and earth. He is a "King," because all creation is subject to his absolute and righteous rule. More than that, God is actually designated as the "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" (Ru. 1916), because when it comes to reigning supremacy, there is no higher power or authority. The Bible also has many references to God's "kingdom," or to his "throne," or to his "scepter," or to some other symbol of his ruling authority. In the face of all this biblical evidence, no believer would deny that God himself governs his universe. There is, however considerable disagreement or misunderstanding as to how that government is exercised. God's people have always had difficulty understanding or accepting anything that cannot be perceived with the physical senses. Consider Israel. In spite of God's mighty acts of redemption on her behalf, the people soon became dissatisfied with a King who could not be seen, a kingdom that lacked the pomp and splendor of her neighbors, and a system of defense that was not measured in horses and chariots. Their miraculous deliverance from bondage in Egypt was still recent history when Israel rejected God's direct rule over them and chose Saul to be their king. Nor did Israel' s understanding improve when Jesus appeared to set up his own kingdom. Even his chosen disciples fully expected him to marshal forces to defeat Rome and to finally re-establish the nation of Israel as a dominant world power. They could understand victory by the sword, but not through suffering and death. Nor did his victorious resurrection clear .up their misunderstanding. Their final question to him just prior to his ascension was, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). The fact that Israel rejected God's direct rule, however, does not mean that God actually surrendered his ultimate authority to Saul, nor that he in any way abdicated his position as the supreme ruler of all heaven and earth. Nor does the fact that his disciples failed to understand the nature of Christ's reign mean that his kingdom was not established exactly as he intended. Even today, however, some of Christ's followers still have difficulty understanding his present kingdom activities. In spite of the fact that the New Testament clearly teaches that Christ began his present reign over all heaven and earth immediately after his ascension (Eph. 1:18-23) there are many who would have us believe that his reign has been deferred until some time in the future. Like his first disciples, they have certain physical expectations, and when they cannot see any apparent display of his divine power, they conclude that he has either not yet received his full kingdom authority, or that for some reason he has chosen not to exercise that authority during the present age. Misunderstandings notwithstanding, the Bible is actually very clear about God's reigning supremacy. Whether his people can or cannot rightly perceive his kingdom activities, he continues to exercise his absolute rule over all creation. Whether in heaven or on earth, whether in the affairs of angels or men, whether over the wicked or the righteous, God's eternal kingdom reigns supreme. An honest study of the following passages of Scripture should make this glorious fact abundantly clear. 1. God's Kingdom reigns supreme over all heaven and earth. · 2 Kings 19:15,17,19 And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: "O Lord, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. It is true, O Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men's hands. Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God." · 1 Chron. 29:11-12 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours O Lord. is the kingdom: you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; You are the Ruler of all things. In Your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. · 2 Chron. 20:5-6 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard and said: "O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you." · Psalms 22:27-28 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. · Psalms 47:2 How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth! · Psalms 47:7-8 For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations: God is seated on His holy throne. · Psalms 93:1 The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established: it cannot be moved. · Psalms 103:19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven and his kingdom rules over all. · Isaiah 37:16 O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. · Isaiah 40:17,22 Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing… He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. 2. God's Kingdom is Eternal. · Psalms 9:7 The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. · Psalms 45:6 Your throne O God will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. · Psalms 145:11-13 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. · Daniel 4:34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; His Kingdom endures from generation to generation. 3. God sets up, rules over, and removes human kings and governments. · Exo. 19:5-6 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites. · Deut. 7:24 He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them. · Deut. 28:36 The Lord will drive you and the king you set over you to a nation unknown to you or your fathers. There you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone. · Josh. 10:42 All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign because the Lord: the God of Israel, fought for Israel. · 1 Chron. 29:11-12 11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. · 2 Chron. 36:23 This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "The Lord. the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you -- may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up." · Prov. 8:15-16 By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just: by me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth. · Prov. 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. · Isaiah 40:17,22 Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing... He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. · Ezek. 37:22,24 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again he two nations or be divided into two kingdoms My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. · Zeph. 3:8 "Therefore wait for me," declares the Lord, "for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations: to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them -- all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger. · Haggai 2:22 I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. 4. God overrules wicked governments in accordance with his own kingdom purposes. · Exo. 14:8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. · Josh. 10:42 All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign because the Lord, the God of Israel fought for Israel. · Psalms 2:1-4,6 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill”. · Isaiah 40:17,22-23 Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing. . . .He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. · Haggai 2:22 I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. · Acts 4:26-28 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus. whom you anointed They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 5. God sets up righteous kings and governments to accomplish his own kingdom purposes. · Exo. 19:5-6 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will he my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites. · 2 Sam. 5:12 And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. · 2 Sam. 7:12-13,16 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.... Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever. · 2 Chron. 36:23 This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you-- may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.” · Prov. 8:15-16 By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just; by Me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth. · Ezek. 37:22,24 I will make them one nation in the land. on the mountain of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or he divided into two kingdoms. My servant David will be king over them and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. 6. Men have always sought to be free of God's rule and to govern themselves. · 1 Sam. 8:5-7,9-10,18-20 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their King. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.” Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you in that day.” But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” · 1 Sam. 10:18-19 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.” But you have now rejected your God who caves you out of all your calamities and distresses. And you have said: “No: set a king over us.” So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans. · Psalms 2:1-4,6 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. “Let us break their chains:” they say. “and throw off their fetters.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.” · John 19:12,14b,15 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar” . . . “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no King but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. All of God's kingdom authority and power has been bestowed upon his Son, Jesus Christ.7. Christ's coming kingdom was the focal point of the Old Testament Prophets. · Isaiah 9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom: establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. · Jer. 23:5 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.” · Ezek. 37:22,24 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. |
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We wish to acknowledge with gratitude the valuable efforts and scholarship of Pastor Ciff Bjork for these excellent notes. He can be contacted at the following address:
Cliff Bjork |