Revelation: Christ Is King!
Watch this blog on this week’s episode of The PRODCAST.
PART 1: TWO ESCHATOLOGICAL ERRORS
Two major errors plague modern eschatology when it comes to the Kingship of Jesus Christ. First, dispensationalists, with their goofy charts and silly timelines, delay the Kingdom of the King to a future millennium, as if He is not currently reigning now. Second, amillennialists, in a bid to preserve the already, have so spiritualized the not-yet to the point that Christ’s Kingdom ends up being little more than a spiritual Kingdom, existing in the hearts of men, but little to nothing else. In the infamous words of Kamala Harris, it is a kingdom that has become unburdened by what has been.
But both are wrong. For the Kingdom of Christ is neither a postponed future reality nor a privatized spiritual-only realm. It is present. It is powerful. It is here and now and will bring transformation to material space and time, because it is not only a spiritual Kingdom, but also physical. And, this particular kind of Kingship and Kingdom is not a foreign concept among the pages of Holy Writ, but it is the exact kind of Kingdom that God designed in the beginning, and though Jesus will have before this world has come to an end. This Kingship and Kingdom is a central and unifying theme of all of Scripture, which means we must know something about it if we are going to know the Bible and understand the end goal for all redemption, which is eschatology.
So, with that, we need to trace this theme from Genesis to Jude, see how it develops, and then in closing, we will look at this theme in the book of Revelation and see how it is at the very heart of the book we are studying. So with that, let us now jump right into the Old Testament, and look at the kind of King, and Kingdom, that God has always been bringing.
PART 2: THE BIRTH AND FALL OF KINGSHIP IN GENESIS
THAT HOPE IN EDEN
The Old Testament isn’t a collection of disconnected moral stories or disoriented ancient myths that are haphazardly strewn together with no rhyme or reason. Instead, the Bible is one unified story of God as Cosmic King. It is the grand drama of redemption, revealing how God created a cosmos with which to house His glory, and through successive creative acts tamed and ordered the chaos in six days, and exerted His rule over every atom of existence.
And, even more remarkably, God’s design was not just to establish His rule over all things, but to share that reign with human beings, who would extend His rule to the untamed parts. For instance, in Eden, God tamed the chaos and set up His rule in an ordered and beautiful realm. He exerted His dominion and made it a beautiful capitol city for the future ordered world. And, one of the most important jobs that Adam had, was to fill that garden until it was so overflowing with people, that he and they would need to extend the boundaries of the garden, taking in new lands, cultivating them and extending God’s paradigmatic dominion, until the entire world looked like the Edenic blueprint. God’s goal was to govern the visible world through a human representative made in His own image, crowned with His authority and honor, to spread His dominion everywhere. And in that sense, kingship is not a minor theme that does not show up until later in Israel’s history; it starts at the very beginning. God the King, installed kings to rule the sky (sun, moon, and stars), kings to rule the sky and oceans (birds and fish), and kings to rule over the dry land (Adam and his queen Eve).
In Genesis 1:28, God blesses Adam and Eve not only with life but also with a royal responsibility: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule...” This command is practical, earthly, and hands-on. It involves real authority over the material world and real-world tasks that will bring it into alignment with God’s vision. This plan is what theologians call the "cultural mandate." God created humanity to expand His kingdom by raising families, cultivating fields, naming animals, building cities, establishing laws, managing resources, and shaping cultures. That means that the Imago Dei is not only an extrinsic characteristic of our humanity, but it is also our calling and mission that we must fulfill. It's our mission. It's our office.
This also reveals an essential truth: that God created the world good, and called the mission of filling it and subduing it so that it reflected His spiritual and physical vision “very good.” In that sense, God never intended for the physical world to be abandoned or escaped. He meant it to be cared for, governed, and ruled by human beings, true descendants of Adam, for His glory, our good, and for the life of the world. God’s eternal purpose has always been to establish His kingdom on earth through a real human King who would bring genuine blessings to the world.
But, when we get to Genesis 3, a devastating crisis occurs. Humanity, in their sin, do not lose their call to rule, but in their fall from grace totally corrupted it. And after being banished from God’s realm, the wandering human retain their desire for rule, but no longer unto God, but as petty tyrants in their sin. The mandate to cultivate the earth continues, but it is now distorted and filled with thorns and weeds. The earth becomes cursed, labor becomes painful, and humanity's God ordained rule is challenged and frustrated. From this point onward, history unfolds as a battle between two kingdoms: one trying to establish the will of man and the other attempting to advance the will and Kingdom of God.
Yet, (and this is important) even amid the line of Adam’s judgment, God didn’t abandon His original good plan. He would still set up a King in Adam’s place, who would not only rule from heaven, but would have a Kingdom that spreads His dominion to the ends of the earth. But, that Kingdom would no longer be accomplished through Adam, but the greater Adam Jesus, who would come and redeem everything that was lost. In Genesis 3:15, God gives a promise—a descendant of the woman will come to crush the serpent’s head and end his rival insurrection. This first gospel promise (the protoevangelium) was not a pipe dream or wishful thinking; it was God declaring war on Satan and his rival empire as well as declaring that He would accomplish what He set about to accomplish. The language given to Eve, the mother of all living, is vivid and earthy. A flesh-and-blood Savior will arise from her seed. He will suffer injury, but He will deliver a fatal blow to the enemy. He will triumph over the enemy. His victory will come over the dragon, which is a theme that finds its yes and amen in the book of Revelation… But, we do not want to skip ahead. So far, we have seen that God made a world to be ruled by a human King, and that Kingdom would be both spiritual and physical, affecting soul and body, and bringing life to both the immaterial and material bits of the world. And, even after Adam’s fall, God did not abandon that plan, but would bring that plan to completion through a new and better Adam named Jesus. And if you are a Christian, you are no longer a child of Adam, but of Christ. And if you belong to Christ, you are in His Kingdom, which is right now transforming this broken world back into its original Edenic state. Jesus did not save the world to throw it away. He saved it to redeem it, both souls and cities, both hearts and hamlets, and everything in between.
From this moment onward, the hope of redemption and the expectation of a coming King became the same hope, because in that one man both realities will come. The salvation of souls and the transformation of the world back into Eden.
THAT HOPE IN THE PARIARCHS
As you get outside of Eden, the promise of a man king who rules the world and brings God’s blessings into the physical dimension does not fade. In fact, it becomes sharper and comes into increasingly clarity of focus. For instance, the seed promised to Eve is preserved through Noah, narrowed through Shem, and further clarified with Abraham. This means that Abraham will one day have a Son, who will be the returning King, the true Adam, who will bring the unstoppable Kingdom of God back to the earth and all the blessings that entails.
God explicitly promises Abraham, “Kings shall come from you” (Genesis 17:6), which ought to let us know that God is not finished with His plan to bring the world under His dominion. This promise goes beyond having a bunch of descendants, which at Abraham’s age even that is a miracle. But, it also points directly to future rulers, a future dynasty, and monarchy, that will come out of Abraham’s own family. This is not Isaac. It is not Jacob, Judah, or eventually King David. This is Jesus. And we know that because He is the only one who can fulfill the promises made to the patriarchs.
For instance, Jacob (Abraham’s grandson) receives this royal promise:
“A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come forth from you” (Genesis 35:11).
Of course this has an initial fulfillment, that was bound up in the future Israelite people who had a particular and time bound monarchy. But, it goes so much deeper than the Hebrews, because through Christ, all the company of nations would eventually come into this Kingdom through Him (Matthew 28:19-20).
As Scripture continues, the royal promise becomes increasingly focused, narrowing down onto a specific tribe named Judah. In Genesis 49, Jacob prophetically blesses his son Judah, setting the stage for all future messianic hope moving forward. He blesses saying:
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him shall be the obedience of the nations” (Genesis 49:10).
In this powerful verse, Judah is promised that his tribe will be the ruling tribe until that God-sent King shows up. And that one will make the nations obey Him once more and He will order the world as Adam should have, and He will bring the reign of God (both physical and spiritual) back to earth once more. Judah is singled out as the royal tribe from which the final ruler (the Shiloh) will emerge. Judah is being promised nothing less than a coming King who will command obedience from all the nations on earth, which is what the book of Revelation says about Christ (Revelation 1:5). To say that more plainly, God promised that Jesus would make the nations obey as a part of His mission. And His mission on this earth will not be complete so long as the nations are still disobeying Him.
This reign has begun now in Jesus (the true Shiloh) but it is far from complete since the nations are still raging, and the foolish kings are still plotting in vain. But, as with all promises, it will come true in God’s good time. His Kingdom will finish what God promised it would finish. Our job is to be patient and to wait with hope.
PART 3: THE MOSAIC NEED FOR THE TRUE KING
The anticipation for a royal ruler doesn't slow down when you leave the book of Genesis; it even grows stronger during the time of Moses. Now that Israel has become a nation and the tribe of Judah has been prophetically identified as the royal line, an important question emerges: When will this King finally appear? Remarkably, one of the earliest and clearest prophecies about this coming King doesn't come from within Israel, but from a pagan prophet who was trying to curse them.
In Numbers 24:17, Balaam, a pagan seer hired to bring woes by witchery on the heads of Israel, instead finds himself compelled by God's Spirit to bless them. He proclaims, “A star shall come forth from Jacob, a scepter shall rise from Israel.” This prophecy uses two powerful images. It uses the image of a heavenly ruler (a star) and a human ruler (a sceptor) showing that this coming King will be both divine and human! In other words, this King will be God and man in perfect union.
Furthermore, the timing of this prophecy is wholly intentional. God does not give this promise to them when they are in the land and in charge. They are still wandering in the wilderness, standing at the doorstep of the Promised Land, a nomadic people with no place, no power, and nothing really going for them but a wing and a prayer. By doing it this way, God is sending a message that inheriting the physical and geographical land is not the ultimate goal. It is a starting point like Eden. But the end goal is the entire world. The land serves as the launching pad for something greater. Israel's true inheritance won't be complete until the arrival of the true King, a true descendant of Adam, who will usher in God's Kingdom designed to spread His glory throughout the entire world. Jesus, as the true Son of Adam and the promised King from the oracles of Balaam, fulfills this role perfectly.
In addition to this, Moses tells us what kind of King this is going to be in Deuteronomy 17:14–20. Contrary to what many at that time believed — God was sending His own Son, Jesus Christ, to be Israel’s sovereign. And unlike the selfish, godless, kings that Israel and Judah would produce, this king would not rule according to his own desires. He wasn’t meant to be an independent ruler but rather a servant king who submits completely to God's will in all things, which is precisely what Jesus did.
Moses tells us that the true King would not be allowed to multiply horses (relying excessively on military strength), multiply wives (brokering political alliances instead of trusting God), or multiplying silver and gold (putting his trust in economic possessions). Instead, His duty was to hand-copy God's law, study it continually, and faithfully live by it. He was appointed to be Israel’s chief example of obedience to God's law—not someone who breaks it at every turn. He was meant to rule under God’s authority, which is a description that perfectly anticipates Jesus Christ, who uniquely fulfills every requirement by perfectly keeping God’s law.
This understanding of kingship is important. Because no one in the Torah anticipates a King who merely rules from heaven. The expectation is that God is going to send a divine and human King, to extend His dominion not only into the spiritual realms but also into the material ones as well. Both Balaam's prophecy and Moses' teachings confirm that kingship in Israel was always intended to be real-world governance—a flesh-and-blood king ruling actual people in real places, under the real authority of God’s law, bringing real life and blessings to real people under His rule. The idea that Jesus’ Kingdom will not transform the world, even down to the obedience of pagan nations, is not a concept arising from Scripture, but from a priori assumptions given to us by theologians whose systems do not align with what we are seeing in the first five books of the Bible.
But, we also see this in the covenant God made with David, which we will look at in:
PART 4: THE KINGSHIP WAS MADE FOR THE KING
After the original generation of Israelites, along with Moses, dies, Joshua leads them into the land and begins to conquest it. At the end of his life, the big question on everyone's mind is will the people of Israel be faithful, will they finish the conquest, will they put down the enemies of God and spread His dominion to the land? Or not?
And, while this was far from perfect, the people stumbled through the period of the judges, bumbled through her first inglorious king, and finally got a man on the throne who would take these things seriously. That man was David. And he united the empire, chased out the pagans, purged the land of idolatry, and amassed a fairly successful empire by being in the favor of God. It was to this man David, that God promised an everlasting lineage of kings. And, as we know today, this did not mean that David would always have biological and ethnic Jews ruling from the palace in downtown Jerusalem. But, what it did point to is that God was going to find a way, through the line of David, to bring a King whose rule would never end. It would begin in space and time like all other kings, but unlike them it would never end. He would be an eternal King, who never dies, His rule never lapses, and there is no space left unconquered when He is finished. What this tells us, is that if you look at the world, and all of the things out there which are an offense to Jesus, that are in rebellion against Him, who hate Him, mock Him, spurn Him, and disobey Him, then what you are looking at are the clearest evidences that Jesus is not about to return. The rapture is not soon. The so-called “second coming” is not imminently upon the horizon. Because, Jesus is a faithful King. He will finish what He started. And that means bringing every tribe, tongue, and nation underneath His perfect rule. Until the entire world obeys Him, His job (and ours) is not yet finished).
In God's covenant with David, all the earlier promises—offspring, kingship, dominion, and blessing—are not just repeated; they are brought together into one royal line. This promised kingdom has a physical temple (God's house), a divine name (Yahweh’s), a real throne (David’s), and it lasts forever, which are all realities we see of Jesus in the book of Revelation: He is the temple (Rev. 21:22), bears the name above all names (Rev. 19:13, 16), sits on David’s throne (Rev. 3:21), and reigns forever and ever (Rev. 11:15).
All of this should point us to a simple conclusion. From Genesis onward, God is setting up a Kingdom, for His Son the King, so that He may rule over it to the ends of the earth. And, when we see promises in the Old Testament about Kings and Kingdoms they are pointing to Him. And when we see actual kings and kingdoms, they are shadows of what He will be bringing.
We see this very clearly in the book of Psalms, which is the hymnbook of the ancient Israelites and something we are going to talk about in:
PART 5: THE SONGS ANTICIPATE THE KING
The Psalms take the powerful truths of the Davidic covenant and transform them into music—turning promises into poetry, and doctrines into four-part harmonies. These are not individualistic diddys or Jesus is my boyfriend ballads; they are royal hymns crafted to shape the worship and liturgical perspective of God’s people. Through songs and rhythms, the covenant is celebrated, rehearsed, cherished, and advanced.
Rather than sentimentalism or overly sappy ballads that come out of Hillsong, the Psalms provide a rich theology of kingship through lyrical form. They extol the beauties and the glories of the coming King that has been prophesied since Genesis 3. These songs include hymns that point to His coronation, anthems celebrating His enthronement, and battle songs declaring His war against His enemies. Some of the Psalms magnify His glory, others earnestly plead for His arrival, while still others declare His universal dominion a thousand years before He is born. Each Psalm reveals a unique aspect of the Messiah’s reign—and collectively, they cultivate a longing in the hearts of God’s people for the day David’s greater Son will ascend His throne and govern the nations with perfect justice and blessing.
For example, Psalm 2—widely regarded as the inaugural royal Psalm—makes a staggering claim: God Himself has established His Anointed King, not merely in heaven but on earth as well. This coronation takes place on Mount Zion(Psalm 2:6), which is not just a hill in Jerusalem but an eschatological symbol for the fulfilled Kingdom of God. Mount Zion is Mount Sinai transfigured, where law becomes Gospel, thunder becomes joy, and fear becomes glory. It is the New Jerusalem (cf. Heb. 12:22), the city of the great King, the center of Christ’s reign. It represents the inbreaking Kingdom of the God-Man who will exalt His people as the most honored nation on earth, and who will extend His reign until every rebel is subdued and every elect soul is gathered.
Though the nations rage and rulers plot in vain, their conspiracies are laughable in light of Yahweh’s decree: "I have installed My King on Zion, My holy mountain” (Psalm 2:6). In this Psalm, the Father invites the Son to ask—and He does—for the inheritance of all the nations and the possession of the ends of the earth (Psalm 2:8). This is not poetic flourish or vague spiritual idealism. It is a royal grant of universal dominion.
Think about it: God the Father promised all the nations to Jesus Christ. So how could His Kingdom remain an invisible, merely internal affair? Why do some persist in believing that Christ’s reign is only “spiritual” and detached from earthly history? That’s like insisting the Jabberwocky is clearer than Scripture. In Psalm 2, God promises His Son total victory—not just in the hearts of individuals, but in the very structures, powers, and peoples of the world. The Son will rule with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:9), a phrase Revelation picks up and applies directly to Jesus (Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15). This is not a metaphor for vague influence. It is the language of unbreakable, comprehensive dominion in real time and space.
Psalm 2 prophetically anticipates Jesus’ enthronement, global inheritance, and unstoppable authority. And Revelation shows us the fulfillment—not in heaven alone, but in heaven invading earth. The nations are not just spectators—they are His prize, His field of conquest, and ultimately, His worshipers.
And while we cannot look at every Psalm that has this theme (and there are many), a few more should make the point crystal clear. For instance, Psalm 72 amplifies this vision further. The King in that passage is promised to govern “from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth” (v. 8). God is not promising that the future messiah will only reign in heaven and in the hearts of men. He promises that every molecular combination of two hydrogens to every one oxygen on earth, every river, every pool, every puddle, will come under the sovereign dominion of Jesus. And, if you want to know the totality of what it means, He will not just reign over water. In those days, waters were figure for chaos. They were untamable, unforgiving, and unpredictable. So, when you got on a boat in the ancient world, you were taking your own life in your own hands, because no one could tame the sea. So when Psalm 72 says that he will rule over them, and even tame them, you can be sure that He will also bring everything under His dominion. From the wild and unruly waters to every rogue molecule that turns into cancer. He will have His dominion everywhere! As far as the curse is found!
He will rescue the poor, defeat the oppressors, receive homage from foreign kings, and ensure the flourishing of righteousness. These descriptions in Psalm 72 are not exaggerated figures of speech or Donald Trump like exaggerations; they are Spirit-wrought guarantees! The Messiah—the true heir of David—who will usher justice into every nation, establish peace across the world, and prosperity for the righteous… And it is going to be bigger and more beautiful than you can imagine… No one has ever seen a Kingdom like this one.
The Psalms don’t day dream of a metaphorical Kingdom and King, they lay out in metrical tunes of the one who will have all dominion in heaven and on earth.
Again, there are other psalms we could speak of like Psalm 45, 89, 110, 132, and many others, but the point is clear. And that now brings us to:
PART 6: ISAIAH ANNOUNCES HIS COMING
In the same way that the Torah, the history of Israel, the monarchy, and the Psalms all point to the coming Kingship of Christ, that will restore the world to Eden, the prophets also pick up this theme, especially in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah, in particular, provides a remarkably detailed and expansive vision of the coming King. His portrayal of the Messiah’s reign goes well beyond the geographic borders of Israel and forbids us from thinking that this coming King will only have a heavenly reign. The vision Isaiah paints encompasses every aspect of life and reaches universally across all creation.
For instance, this King will be born miraculously of a virgin womb (Isaiah 7:14). And while that of course is spectacular, it should not be forgotten that the King of Heaven entered into a human organ. He did not mount His chariots in heaven and ride down in pomp, He came in the most human way possible, stepping into the world through a birth canal, which says something of our Lord’s commitment to redeeming material space.
Furthermore, Christ did not come merely to patch up the old order; He came to inaugurate an entirely new creation. His mission was not reform but replacement—to bring down the rebellious kingdoms of men and to establish a new kind of government on earth. That government, foretold in Isaiah 9:6–7, rests squarely upon His shoulders, signifying not abstract influence but real, concrete, and judicial authority. His throne is no figure of speech—it is the center of cosmic sovereignty. The royal titles given to Him—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace—declare not only His divine nature but His absolute ability to accomplish the mission of bringing peace on earth until no more war, violence, and rebellion is found.
In Isaiah 11, the prophet extends this vision even more vividly. From what appeared to be the lifeless stump of Jesse, a tender branch emerges, bringing new life that will nourish the world. That life is Christ the King, who will judge fairly, protect the weak, and will decisively confront evil with His limitless authority. His strength is not only manifested in the destruction of evil, but does in how He renews and restores as well. Under His governance, all creation is harmonized: “The wolf will dwell with the lamb.” Predatory instincts in the animal kingdom will vanish, hostility between neighbors will disappear, and fear will be dissolved under the influence of His perfect justice. This is what His Kingdom on earth is promised to look like. Not blood moons, marks of the beast, and Antichrists!
Further, this King possesses the key of David (Isaiah 22:22), symbolizing complete access, unmatched authority, and ultimate governance. His authority is exclusive and unparalleled. He rules sovereignly, without shared authority or diplomatic compromise. When He opens doors, no one can close them; when He closes doors, no one can open them. His decrees are absolute, and His sovereignty indisputable.
His reign is characterized by righteousness (Isaiah 32:1), and His glory will not remain hidden—it will become visibly manifest on earth, as Isaiah says: “The Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and His glory will be before His elders” (Isaiah 24:23). Isaiah proclaims that this will happen on this earth, not just in heaven, as a matter of certainty! There is no way to get around it. His reign will not only encompass salvations, sacraments, and sacred services. His reign will bring the natural world into conformity with His will and pleasure! And that begins by dying scandalously in our place (Isaiah 52–53) so that He can bring His heavenly reign into the world of men (Isaiah 65-66).
This is what the book of Isaiah is pointing to. But, do not think that Isaiah is the only prophet, as we will see in:
PART 7: THE MAJOR PROPHETS EXPECT HIM
Jeremiah continues the promise of David’s kingship precisely when hope seems lost. Jerusalem stands on the brink of destruction, the Davidic dynasty is collapsing, and exile looms. The kingdom they once knew is crumbling before their eyes. Yet, amid this despair, Jeremiah boldly proclaims a future even more secure than the throne that was collapsing all around them. This is what Jeremiah says:
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land” (Jeremiah 23:5).
Did you just hear that? He is not going to do righteousness in your heart and soul alone! He will do righteousness in the land! His work will be tangible, territorial, and historical. Jeremiah insists that the Messiah’s reign won't simply occupy emotions, minds, and spirits—it will transform actual society, homes, institutions, governments, policies, poverties, and more. His governance will be wise, His justice tangible, and His righteousness visible throughout the land. This prophecy isn't about private spirituality but about a public monarch named Jesus, who will set up His world-blessing reign on earth as it is in heaven!
Jeremiah reinforces this promise in Jeremiah 33:17–21, emphatically declaring that David’s throne will never lack an heir. Why is that? Not because the frail kings of men would uphold it. But because the True King would occupy it. Jeremiah, who is quoting God Himself says:
“If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night then My covenant with David My servant may also be broken.”
In other words, as long as the sun comes up and sets, God will ensure that Jesus’ Kingdom will last forever. Not ending in calamity, but continuing to spread His dominion onward.
This brings us to a moment of choice: either Jeremiah exaggerated or God fulfilled His word in Christ. The New Testament affirms the latter—Jesus Christ, the risen Son of David, occupies this eternal throne now. His rule is bringing increased righteousness on earth. And His rule will continue taking back more territory until He has it all, which means He is making the world totally and fully Christian. And I would say it this way… God commanded Christians to make the world entirely and totally Christian. If we are told to disciple the nations so that they would follow and obey our King (Mt. 28:18-20), and if we were totally successful at that task, then there would be no one left on earth but believers.
This tells me that the future of the world is more submitted to Jesus, not less… And Jeremiah affirms that.
Ezekiel does the same thing. Like Jeremiah, he adds depth to this prophetic expectation during a time when Jerusalem was laying in devastation and David’s lineage was severed and broken. For instance, he prophesies about resurrection—not only of Israel as a people but specifically of its monarchy and throne. Ezekiel 17:22–24 portrays God planting a small shoot from David’s fallen dynasty on a towering mountain, which blossoms into a mighty cedar, sheltering birds from every nation. This can mean nothing other than God will resurrect the fallen line of David, install an everlasting King on His holy mountain, and that this King will bring God’s blessing to all the nations. Not to all the souls. Not to all the disembodied spirits. Not to all the church services. To all the governments! To all the town halls! To all the select boards and city counsels. To all the presidential cabinets and ambassadors. The vision we are seeing is that God, incrementally and in His own time, will transform this world into a place that obeys Him and loves Him, which means He is making a Christian world. And that also means that every aberration, like Atheism, Abortion, and the LGBTQ movement all have expiration stickers. They are like milk on the counter, they will eventually curdle and die, because the Lord does not have room in His earth for them very much longer!
And while there is so much more we could say from the book of Ezekiel, the point is clear, just like it is in the rest of Holy Scripture. Jesus the King is coming, He will have universal authority and rule, and He will restore the world back to Eden.
Similarly, Daniel, who was writing in the midst of the Babylonian exile, describes Jesus as setting up a Kingdom that will take over the entire world. He tells us that it will be like a stone “cut without human hands,” because its origins come from God. But, it is also a stone that fills the entire earth, which lets us know that all of the power of heaven will be invading every nook and cranny of the physical world. This stone demolishes a colossal statue representing human political empires, which tells us God is going to overthrow the power structures of man, and set up a Kingdom that brings His righteous rule to all the nations. Unlike the fragile human empires which rise from the ashes and return to the flames, this kingdom will never end. It will confront, crush, and outlast all earthly dominions, so that it is the only rule left on earth.
Daniel 7 sharpens this even further, depicting human empires as predatory beasts—violent, chaotic, and oppressive. But dramatically, “One like a Son of Man” arrives from heaven—not from the earth below. He is dignified, human, yet divinely authoritative. To Him, dominion and glory are granted over all peoples and nations. He is given a kingdom everlasting and indestructible. And who is He? It is none other than Jesus!
Daniel intentionally highlights all of these stark contrasts: earthly kingdoms degrade humanity, while Christ’s kingdom restores dignity. The beasts destroy; the Son of Man redeems. His reign is neither postponed as the dispy-downers say, nor is it an abstract spiritual reign that makes sure to stay in its own lane like the amillennial pietists say. His Kingdom will either convert you or crush you as it marches on toward world dominion. To think otherwise is to pit yourself against the entirety of special revelation.
Daniel's visions present Christ’s kingship as an active, spiritual, and physical reality, that was inaugurated during the Roman empire, and continues until all opposing rule, authority, and power bows to Him or is destroyed. That is the future of the world when Jesus is in charge!
But it is not just the major prophets who say that, the minor prophets herald it too, as we will see in:
PART 8: THE MINOR PROPHETS HERALD HIS COMING
The Minor Prophets may be short on words, but they are thunderously long on glory. These are not side characters whispering private piety into the wind—they are trumpet-blaring heralds, proclaiming the arrival of a King who will reign in history, over land, law, and nations.
From Hosea to Malachi, these Spirit-filled preachers don’t point to abstract spiritual hope or vague emotional comfort. They raise their voices above the rubble of exile and announce a Kingdom that’s coming—real, physical, and ruled by the Davidic King who will dwell among His people and will govern the nations.
Hosea calls a whoring nation back to covenantal faithfulness by saying, “The sons of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king” (Hosea 3:5). That is not nostalgia—that is national repentance and global reunification under one King.
Amos joins the chorus, “In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David” (Amos 9:11). He sees David’s monarchy like a sagging tent—battered, busted, and in ruins. But God promises not just restoration, but resurrection. The dynasty will be rebuilt. The throne will stand again. Not metaphorically. Literally.
Micah drills it in even deeper. He names the exact place this King will be born: “From you [Bethlehem] One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2). Not from Rome, not from Athens, not from Babylon—but from the dusty, backwater hometown of David. The true Son of David comes not with armies, but with authority to shepherd His people in strength, and to bring a peace that can’t be shaken.
Micah also paints a picture so powerful it shatters pacifist poetry and turns it into prophecy: the mountain of the Lord rises, the nations stream in, weapons are turned into worship tools, and war colleges become seminaries (Micah 4:1–3). That is not idealism. That is realism under Christ the King. A world where His rule ends the rebellion, and the nations learn peace from Zion’s law.
Zechariah grabs the baton and shows us a King unlike any other. “Behold, your King is coming to you… humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). He’s not prancing on stallions or flanked by armed guards. He comes lowly. But don’t mistake His humility for weakness—because the very next verse says His dominion will stretch “from sea to sea” (Zechariah 9:10). He may ride like a pauper, but He reigns like a conqueror.
Then Zechariah says something utterly staggering: this King is both Priest and King (Zechariah 6:12–13). He builds the temple and wears the crown. He’s not divided by church and state—He rules them both. He doesn’t just intercede from the altar; He governs from the throne.
And by the end of the book, there’s no ambiguity left: “The Lord will be King over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one” (Zechariah 14:9). His reign will be total, exclusive, undeniable. No rivals. No competitors. No shared rule. Christ alone, exalted alone, worshiped alone.
And finally, Malachi ends the Old Testament with a boom—not a whimper. “I am a great King,” God declares, “and My name will be feared among the nations” (Malachi 1:14). That is how the curtain closes—on a King. Not with sentimentalism. But sovereignty.
So, what do the Minor Prophets want? Not a spiritual therapist. Not a Sunday-only Savior. They long for a real King, ruling real people, in real time, over a real earth. They speak of cities rebuilt, fields restored, justice enforced, worship purified, and nations transformed. Their vision is not symbolic—it’s geographic, economic, liturgical, political, and global.
Their prophecies envision Eden regained and the curse reversed. Families thrive. Markets are honest. Courts are just. Worship is true. Peace is not postponed; it is implemented under the authority of the One whose name is the Word of God.
The Kingdom they foresee isn’t floating on a cloud—it’s crashing down to earth. It is heaven colliding with history. It is the covenant of redemption taking root in soil, sanctifying stone and street, temple and town square, until every square inch bows to Jesus.
And when all the dust settles… He comes.
PART 9: THE KING HAS COME
In the Gospels, the long-awaited King has finally stepped into history! He has landed on enemy shores, ready to reclaim and restore His creation. The Gospels announce Jesus as far more than simply another ruler—they declare Him to be the ultimate King, the one promised to Eve, the one promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and Moses, the one prophesied by Balaam, the true heir of David, the culmination of every ancient promise, the hope of every Psalm, the fulfillment of every prophecy, and the realization of all of God’s peoples dreams. From Matthew’s carefully traced genealogy to the inscription above His cross (“The King of the Jews”), the evangelists make one thing abundantly clear: Jesus was born King, and in His resurrection and ascension He will eternally remain King, claiming all authority in heaven and on earth (Mt. 28:18).
But, it is the Gospels that so clearly tell us what kind of Kingdom and King this King will be. If you follow the dispensational logic, He dies for the souls of men, and retires for a few thousand years before He gets to do any real Kingly workings. If you follow the Amillennial vision, He comes down and lives the most physical and human life, weeping, eating, drinking, ministering, healing, and even dying, only to abandon physicality in a kind of gnostic eschaton. But, neither of these views make any sense of the Jesus we see in the Gospels.
He stands before humanity in flesh and blood. Israel’s longed-for Messiah enters human history breathing real air, weeping genuine tears, touching and healing actual human bodies, crafting new eyes for the blind, enduring physical suffering, experiencing a bodily death, and rising in a glorified human body to rule supreme on a physically redeemed earth. Far from retreating to heaven to enjoy a physical break, He is bringing the life of heaven into the rot of earth, so that all things would obey Him. This is why He speaks and fig trees wither, storms calm, water immediately converts to wine, and dead bodies become animate again. Why? Because Jesus is going to redeem the earth! He lived an earthy life, healed earth people, healed an earthy earth, and will continue that work until there is no more curse left to be found.
When He announces right in the beginning of His earthly ministry, that “The Kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15), He was telling us that heaven had now invaded earth, and that the physical, material, world was about to get a taste of heaven! That means, for example, that in His Kingdom, dead wombs will learn to bring forth life, diseases will be healed, infant mortality reversed, wealth and prosperity will be increased, which by the way have all happened over the last 2000 years. When you think about it, there are way more people on earth now than 2000 years ago, and yet, the percentage of hungry people has gone astronomically low. Why? Because when Jesus is in charge, the world will produce more food, so more people can live on it, enjoy it, and praise Him for it! We are living in the reign of Christ! And while it is far from finished, it has already transformed this world from the ghettos and slums of antiquity into sprawling modern metropolises that all scream this is Jesus’ world!
Yet the Gospels themselves are not the story’s conclusion. The resurrected King, whose Kingdom broke into history 2000 years ago, through His life, death, burial, and resurrection, now continues through the Church, which we get a glimpse of - at least the beginning of it - in the book of Acts and in the Epistles of the apostles! This is what we are going to look at in:
PART 10: THE CHURCH AS AMBASSADORS OF THE KING
Now, while we could spend a ton of time on this section alone, I want to highlight just a couple of truths to support what we have already been seeing.
The early church didn’t tiptoe into the world with soft songs and seeker-sensitive platitudes—they kicked down the gates of hell with a singular declaration: Jesus Christ is already King. From the first sermons in Acts, the resurrection is not portrayed as merely defeating death, but enthroning Christ. At Pentecost, Peter shouts: God raised Jesus “to seat Him on His throne,” fulfilling David’s covenantal promise, then thunderously declares, “God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:30–36). Paul doubles down in Acts 13, preaching Jesus as the Davidic heir. And by Acts 17, the apostles are branded as treasonous radicals—“They are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another King—Jesus” (Acts 17:7). That was not a misunderstanding. The early church was not persecuted for offering private salvation—they were executed for declaring that Caesar’s reign was overthrown and replaced by Christ.
Paul’s epistles drive this even deeper. In Romans 1:3–4, he announces Jesus as a descendant of David, declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection. That wasn’t a divine label slapped on after the fact—it was His public coronation. In 1 Corinthians 15:24–25, Paul tells us plainly: He must reign until every last enemy is crushed beneath His feet. Jesus isn’t waiting to reign—He’s reigning now, actively, until the world bows or breaks.
Ephesians 1 shouts the same truth cosmically. Christ reigns from the Father’s right hand above every rule and authority, with everything under His feet (Eph. 1:20–22). Colossians 1:13 says believers have already been transferred into His Kingdom—it’s not coming; it’s here. Philippians 2 adds even more fire: because Christ humbled Himself, God exalted Him above every name, and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord—not just in spirit, but in politics, policy, education, business, art, law, and family. All of it. All of life, under King Jesus.
Paul calls Him the “blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15). The author of Hebrews echoes it: Christ’s throne is forever (Heb. 1:8), He is seated at the right hand of Majesty (Heb. 1:3; 12:2). His reign isn’t ethereal, symbolic, or future-tense—it’s eternal, unstoppable, universal. The Lamb is not waiting for permission. He has dominion over heaven and earth now.
And what is the Church? The Church is not a bunker, hiding until Jesus returns. It is a Kingdom embassy. It is Christ’s boots-on-the-ground operation, extending His reign through Word, Sacrament, and Spirit-driven mission. The Great Commission is not a suggestion—it’s a royal command (Matt. 28:18–20). Because all authority in heaven and earth belongs to Him, we go and disciple nations. We don’t merely win converts—we train cultures. We don’t just save souls—we bring whole societies into obedience to the King.
That means the Church is not called to survive the world, but to transform it. Not to flee, but to fight. Not to blend in, but to build. Our mission is not escapism—it is dominion. Through preaching the Gospel, baptizing disciples, teaching Christ’s commands, and living under His Lordship, the Church is bringing every sphere—home, school, government, economy, art, science, and sex—under the reign of Christ. The Kingdom advances not by bombs, ballots, or bureaucrats, but by truth, courage, prayer, and the unstoppable power of the Spirit working through faithful saints who will not bow.
And yet, for all this clarity, we have too often spiritualized these passages. We’ve acted as if they apply only to hearts, minds, emotions, and Sunday services—as though Jesus were King of nothing more than private feelings and invisible faith. But that is not how kings rule. Kings don’t reign over abstractions—they reign over land. They hold scepters, enforce laws, wield authority, and possess dominion over real people in real places.
Jesus is not a sentimental sovereign. He is the cosmic King. He reigns over the earth. He bought it. He paid for it. And He is ruling over it now.
Let the Church no longer cower or apologize. Let her rise and proclaim: The King is not coming someday to begin His rule. The King has already come, has taken His throne, and is bringing every square inch of creation under His righteous reign. AND… now that we have worked our way through the entire Bible, I want to show you how this is the very theme that holds the book of Revelation together, in:
PART 11: HOW REVELATION UNVIELS OUR KING
Revelation is the grand, triumphant finale of biblical history—the majestic unveiling of Jesus Christ’s absolute Kingship. This means if the Kingship of Christ is a theme in Genesis through Jude, then it finds its crescendo and climax in the book of Revelation! And while a much larger treatment of this will be coming when we look at individual passages, I just want to briefly sketch how this theme plays out in the book, so that you can know, unmistakably so, what this book is about. Because, the entire structure of the book is defined by His Kingship.
His Kingship is announced in Revelation 1, His citizenry is listed in Revelation 2-3, His enemies (the apostate Jews) are crushed in Revelation 4-19, His greatest foe the dragon is finally and totally defeated in Revelation 20, and His Church, the New Covenant bride and New Jerusalem, are given to the earth as a gift after He destroyed the Old Covenant world. Why were they given to the world? What role does the church play? As the wife of King Jesus, she makes His mission a reality on the earth. Like a wife, she takes His provision, and makes a home. She takes all the souls that He adopts, and she feeds them at her table.
And there it is… That is the whole ball game. The book of Revelation is about the King who came to end the old covenant world, defeat the devil, and with His bride, He is winning the world unto Himself. And when you read the book that way, it makes everything in it make so much more sense. The judgments, plagues, wrath, and smoke are not aimed at you. They are aimed at the enemies of our cosmic King. The ones who persecuted and killed His saints. The ones who clung to a temple when the living temple had come. The ones that preferred the blood of bulls and goats over the blood of the Lamb of God. All the judgments, all the bowls, seals, and trumpets are for the first century Jews, and for the enemies of God. All of the sweetest passages, where Jesus heals, strengthens, encourages, buffets, builds up, and protects, have to do with you, His church, His Bride, His Mt. Zion, His New Jerusalem… Who as the bride, has now been called to set His table every Sunday, and welcome the little orphans He saves into His home!
One lost soul at a time, one disciple at a time, the church feeds the world with His tree of life, and like the entirety of Scripture says, we work with Jesus as our head, to make the fallen world a place for His dominion, an Eden out of the deserts, and we do that work until it is fully and totally done! That is what the book of Revelation is about. And that is a thread we will continually be pulling on for the next weeks, months, and maybe years that we are considering this amazing book. And that leads us to our:
CONCLUSION
Brothers and sisters—our King reigns! The tomb is empty. The throne is occupied. The war is already being won. Jesus Christ is not pacing the halls of heaven, wringing His hands about the state of the world. He is enthroned, exalted, and executing His dominion in real time. His crown is not collecting dust. His scepter is not symbolic. His throne is not distant. The Lion has roared. The Dragon is bound. The Kingdom is advancing.
And what does that reign look like?
It looks like bread broken and wine poured out—where every Lord’s Day, His Church sits at the Table not as refugees awaiting rescue, but as royal citizens feasting with their King. It looks like baptismal water splashing down, marking sinners as sons and rebels as royalty.
It looks like fathers discipling their children in righteousness—raising dragon-slayers and dominion-makers. It looks like mothers building homes that shape the world, nourishing hearts that will one day rebuild cities. It looks like children learning catechisms before they can spell their own names, declaring Christ as Lord before they can write ABC.
It looks like churches refusing to cower. Neighborhoods filled with psalm-singing saints. Towns governed by the fear of the Lord. School boards trembling before Scripture. City councils ruled by wisdom and righteousness. We don’t run from Babylon—we convert it, brick by brick, until it bows to Christ.
It looks like disciples made. Nations taught. Kingdoms shaken. The cradle is the first battlefield. Christian parents are shock troops of the Kingdom.
It looks like saints steeling their spines. Churches roaring like lions. Christians not surviving the culture war—but storming the gates of hell with blood-bought authority and unshakable joy.
Jesus didn’t die to rescue us from the world. He died and rose again to reclaim the world. And He’s doing it. Not by bombs or bureaucrats, but by bread and wine, by Spirit and Word, by saints and sacraments, by households of faith, and churches who refuse to retreat.
This is not idealism. This is Daniel’s vision becoming Daniel’s reality. The stone cut without hands is filling the earth. The mountain of the Lord is rising. The water from the temple is flowing east, and everywhere it flows, it brings life. The Kingdom is not future—it is now. The future is not collapse—it is conquest. The destiny of the world is not ruin—it is resurrection.
This is postmillennial hope. This is Revelation’s refrain. This is the Gospel’s crescendo.
So Church—rise and reign. Proclaim boldly. Baptize often. Disciple without compromise. Sing the Psalms until the heavens shake. Build homes that last for centuries. Plant churches that outlive empires. Raise your sons to kill dragons and your daughters to build kingdoms. Speak truth in the public square. Demand righteousness in the halls of power. Take over neighborhoods. Take over cities. Take over nations. And do it all in the name of the King who cannot lose.
The future does not belong to tyrants. The future does not belong to darkness. The future does not belong to death.
Hell has no future. Christ does.
As Daniel declared:
“And to Him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him... and the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One.”
(Daniel 7:14, 27 NASB 1995)
That is your destiny. So live in it, be faithful in it, and enjoy your King.
