Revelation Chapter 19 Verse 16

16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Did Jesus become King of kings and Lord of lords because he defeated Rome in this great battle? No. Here (and elsewhere) Jesus is called King of kings and Lord of lords before the battle even begins. Jesus had all authority when this book started, and Jesus has all authority when it ends.

That was true when Jesus conquered Rome — and that was true when Jesus conquered us! We did not make Jesus lord or king when we obeyed him. We obeyed him because he already had King of kings and Lord of lords inscribed on his robe and on his thigh! We no more crowned Jesus king than we wrote King of kings on his robe and on his thigh. The only crown that man ever placed on Jesus’ head was a crown of thorns.

A central theme of this book is that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. (See also 1 Timothy 6:15, and be wary of anyone who would attempt to change the tense of that verb!) That is something that the first century church needed to hear as they were suffering at the hands of godless Roman kings. And that is something we need to hear today. The church of Christ is the eternal kingdom made without human hands, and our king is the sovereign of the entire universe — the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Is that how we view the church? It should be! That is what the church is.

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