Wednesday, 25 March 2026

Royal Majesty - King of Kings

One of the biggest mistakes the people of Israel ever made was when they rejected God's kingship and demanded to have a human king like all the pagan nations around them... but despite this fundamental error, there were still some times in the early days when they remembered and proclaimed God's majesty - His right to reign over their lives and their nation.

One of those times was when King David and the people had been gathering in gold, silver and precious stones for the building of a future temple where Yahweh would be worshipped. In an outpouring of thankfulness, David prayed, "Yours, oh Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory and the majesty (hôd), for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours is the Kingdom (the right to be King) and You are exalted as head above all... You reign over all... in Your hand is power and might." (1 Chronicles 29: 11 - 12)

In both the Old and New Testaments, two different words are used for God's majesty: one is used as a name, referring to His sovereign authority, as when it's written in Hebrews that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. The other name in each case is used more like an adjective, referring to His glory, splendour and magnificence. We find this second understanding when the psalmists describe Him as "clothed in majesty," or the apostle Peter writes that they were, "eyewitnesses of His majesty." (1 Pet 1: 16)

The prophet Jeremiah takes the first understanding of Majesty even further, by referring to God not only as Israel's King, but also as Melek Haggoyim - King of the nations (Jer 10: 7) and this is echoed in several of the Psalms:

Psalm 22: 27 - 28 - All the families of the nations will worship before You, for kingship belongs to the Lord and He rules over the nations.

Psalm 47: 8 - God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne.

When the redeemed believers in Revelation 15: 3 - 4 proclaim, "Just and pure are your ways, oh King of the nations... all nations will come and worship before You..," the Greek is Basileus hagios, which more literally means King of the saints or King of the consecrated ones. He is King in an even more meaningful way in the live of those who actually chose to make Him their King.

But then, at the end of time (Rev19: 16) Christ appears under another name: Basileus basileōn - King of Kings. As Paul told the Philippians, one day every knee will bow and every tongue will need to confess that He is Lord of lords. Even the kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers who never acknowledged His authority during their lifetime will one day have to recognise that He truly does hold ultimate authority in our universe.

It is so much wiser to choose His kingship now and know Him as Baslieus hagios before encountering Him as Balileus basileōn.