Daniel and Revelation

The reign of Jesus Christ from the Messianic Throne began following his Death, Resurrection, and Exaltation . The New Testament is clear. God made Jesus of Nazareth Lord and Messiah, and there is no other. His reign began when God exalted Christ following his resurrection. “ God has made this same Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah! ” – (Acts 2:36).

Jesus is the slain Lamb, the true Messiah of Israel sent by God to redeem humanity and Shepherd the Nations . Jesus is “ the Faithful Witness ” and “ the Ruler of the Kings of the Earth ,” and these two designations are inextricably linked. The first title establishes how he obtained the second and confirmed his right to rule. By his sacrificial death, he made the saints a “ Kingdom of Priests for God ,” and because of his redemptive act, God resurrected and enthroned Christ to reign over the Cosmos.

Jesus, the Slain Lamb, is the Ruler of the Kings of the Earth, the King of Kings who now reigns over all the nations of the Earth . Jesus has reigned as Sovereign over the nations since his Death, Resurrection, and Ascension. Even now, he is seated on the Throne of David at the right hand of God. Because of his “ obedience unto death ,” God appointed him as “ the Ruler of the Kings of the Earth .” He is the only true emperor, and global hegemony belongs to him alone. All other political powers are subordinate to him.

Jesus is the King who reigns over all things, and he does so as the Sacrificial Lamb and the Shepherd of the Nations . Jesus is the only one who unveils the “ mysteries of God ,” he alone is qualified to reveal the “ unseen God .” Only in him are all the promises of God fulfilled. He is the key that unlocks the Hebrew Bible and explains the “ times and seasons .” And only he is our absolute Lord and Sovereign– (Revelation 5:9-14).

The Slain Lamb is the Messiah in Revelation who overcomes and reigns over the Nations and the Kings of the Earth . In popular preaching, Jesus has become the “ Roaring Lion of Judah ” who will soon unleash his predatory cry as he slays his enemies. Unlike the man from Nazareth, this warrior-king will destroy everyone who resists him as he imposes his kingdom on the willing and the unwilling. No longer is he the savior who submitted to an unjust death to save the world. Does not the  Book of Revelation  tell us that he is the Messianic Lion?

Jesus, the Faithful Witness, now reigns supreme over the Kings of the Earth, and he is shepherding the nations to the Holy City of New Jerusalem . Jesus is named the “ Ruler of the Kings of the Earth ” by the Book of Revelation . His present sovereignty is based on his past Death and Resurrection. He does not rule by hereditary right or military might, but because of his redeeming death. It is the Slain Lamb who sits on the Throne, and his authority extends even over Death and Hades.

Jesus is the Anointed Son of God, and from the start, his life was characterized by the empowering presence of the Spirit . When an angel informed Joseph that the child carried by Mary was “ conceived of the Holy Spirit ,” it indicated that something more than just a miraculous birth was about to unfold. From the beginning, the activity of the Spirit dominated the life of Jesus of Nazareth.  He was “ Jesus, the one called Christ ,” the “ Anointed One ,” the long-awaited Messiah of Israel.

The Kingdom of God arrived in the ministry of Jesus, commencing with his baptism in the Jordan River – Mark 1:1-3. The  Gospel of Mark opens with a declaration based on passages in the Hebrew Bible, providing the scriptural basis for the ministry of John the Baptist, and setting the stage for the mission of Jesus. In this way, Mark’s account begins on a note of fulfillment. This man from Nazareth was the Messiah, King, and Savior of the World promised by the God of Israel.

Jesus triumphed over Satan and Sin through his Death and Resurrection, therefore, he now reigns from the Messianic Throne . Jesus triumphed over his enemies on the Cross and began his reign as the promised Messianic King following his Death and Resurrection. He is not waiting for some future event before he receives his sovereignty over the nations. Unlike the political powers of this age, he conquered through his sacrificial death rather than tyranny, lies, political manipulation, or violence. It is the Crucified One who now reigns on Mount Zion!

The Lamb’s reign began with his Death and Resurrection. Since then, he has been shepherding the nations toward New Jerusalem . The  Book of Revelation  declares Jesus is the “ Ruler of the Kings of the Earth .” When it describes how he reigns over the “ nations ,” it presents a King of an entirely different nature than Caesar or the political rulers of this evil age. Christ is the “ Lamb ” who was slain to redeem men from every nation, and now, he is “ shepherding ” the “ nations ” so that the city of “ New Jerusalem ” will be fully inhabited.

Jesus is the promised King from the Line of David who guides the Nations of the Earth to the Holy City, New Jerusalem  – Revelation 12:5. The “ Son ” pictured in the twelfth chapter of the  Book of Revelation  is the Messianic figure of the  Second Psalm  who is destined to “ Shepherd the Nations .” Following his Enthronement, Heaven declared, “ Now is come the Kingdom of God and the authority of His Messiah .” His reign commenced following his “ Faithful Testimony ” given in his Death, and his victory through his Resurrection. He is also, therefore, the “ Firstborn of the Dead .”

The present sovereignty of Jesus is based on his past Death and Resurrection, and His disciples participate in his reign on the Earth. Like him, their position is paradoxical. It is characterized by self-sacrificial service rather than the suppression of unredeemed humanity. The shedding of his blood is what consecrated them as “ priests ,” and priestly service for others IS how they rule with him.