Jesus, so as to become the King of kings had to conquer principalities and powers. This was how He brought salvation to all humanity.
The scripture says in the Passion Translation:
“Then Jesus made a public spectacle of all the powers and principalities of darkness, stripping away from them every weapon and all their spiritual authority and power to accuse us. And by the power of the cross, Jesus led them around as prisoners in a procession of triumph. He was not their prisoner; they were his!”
Colossians 2:15 TPT
Salvation is now available to all men because of the victory of Christ Jesus over them on the cross. But unfortunately, it’s not all men who are seeking salvation.
That is why every child of God has been called to be a witness for Christ Jesus, so as to save the unsaved in the world.
As we do this, we are playing our role, in preparing the way for His return back on the earth to reign as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
In bringing us salvation, Jesus had to take the battle to the camp of the enemy.
Before He became the King of kings, Jesus had to first defeat the evil one, who thought he had the claim to everything in God’s kingdom.
In death Jesus descended into hell and took back everything, that Satan had stolen from all humanity.
Paul highlighted His descent into hell so as to bring us the victory when he wrote:
“(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)”
Ephesians 4:9-10 NKJV
Jesus ascended in victory from hell into the heavens, in order to fill the universe (hell, heavens and earth) with the power of His name.
His name became the most powerful name in the universe through His ascension into heaven.
And that is the name which He had given us, to use in affirming His victory over the enemy here on the earth.
Jesus is now seated in heaven on the right-hand side of God, waiting on us to prepare the way for His return back on the earth to reign.
King Jesus in the eyes of Isaiah.
The Prophet Isaiah foresaw Jesus coming out of that battle which was illustrated in the above scripture texts.
He saw the victory of Jesus Christ, and how it was revealed to him from above. While in the spirit Isaiah described what he saw, as of one in a conversation with the King of the world.
He wrote:
“Who is this who comes from Edom, with crimson-stained garments from Bozrah [in Edom], This One (the Messiah) who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His might? “It is I, [the One] who speaks in righteousness [proclaiming vindication], mighty to save.” Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? “I have trodden the wine trough alone, And of the peoples there was no one with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My clothes. “For the day of vengeance [against ungodliness] was in My heart, And My year of redemption [of those who put their trust in Me–the year of My redeemed] has come. “I looked, but there was no one to help, And I was amazed and appalled that there was no one to uphold [truth and right]. So, My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath sustained Me. “I trampled the peoples in My anger and made them drunk with [the cup of] My wrath, And I spilled their lifeblood on the earth.””
ISAIAH 63:1-6 AMP
Edom here is symbolic of the man of the flesh. And as the scripture says:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”.
Ephesians 6:12 NKJV
Jesus had defeated the arm of the flesh for us, so that we can walk in victory over the flesh.
He suffered in His own body, for us to be saved from sufferings in our physical body (1 Peter 4:15-16).
He did this first at the garden of Gethsemane as He prayed (Luke 22:44).
He then suffered in the flesh at the hand of the Romans, by taking 40 lashes less one for us on His own body. After which He was hanged on the cross.
Jesus took the battle into the enemy’s own turf and came out victorious with a blood stained garment as described here by Isaiah.
This image of Jesus walking out of Bozrah, with a blood stained garment reminds us that, the fight that He won for us against the flesh is eternal.
Every time as we partake of His body in Holy Communion, we must remember our victorious King.
He came walking in great, royal and majestic strides out of Bozrah, with the blood stains on His garment for us to see and believe what He had done for us. We do indeed have the victory!
Our Savior and King is A MIGHTY WARRIOR. He does war with the power of His Word, and His wrath or anger against evil was what sustained Him in that battle against the enemy.
In showing us the type of anger that sustained Him in the battle over evil, He went one day into the synagogue. The scriptures described the event which followed:
“When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So, he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body.”
John 2:13-21 NIV
Anger against evil is a positive force that sustains us in going against the enemy. We are to always show our anger against him, if our victory over him is to last forever.
If you are ever thinking about living a committed Christ-centered lifestyle; consider how your anger against evil, in the world today is keeping your faith strong.
The tenacity of your faith is always measured by your wrath or anger against evil, so that we may live for and proclaim righteousness in Christ Jesus to all humanity.
That is why we must never allow the love and the fire of God in us, against the evil around our world to become cold or lukewarm.
If the wrath or anger in Jesus kept Him strong against evil; it will keep you strong and bold also.
You will begin to speak up against evil in your world, with the anger or wrath of the Lord in you.
Jesus speaks through us always, when we are bold to say the truth to the face of evil in our world.
Silence will kill the anger or wrath of God in any believer against evil.
This happens when faith in God is being compromised, and Christians starts aligning their thought patterns, to fit into the evil of the world around them.
Jesus came out of the fight against the enemy clothed in crimson red – a symbol of the bloody battle that brought us our salvation.
Anyone thinking of a real man, needs to take a closer look of this picture of Jesus by Isaiah.
Jesus fought for His Bride (the Church), and it was a very bloody battle that He won for us.
He fought and won the battle against evil all by Himself. He showed His love for us (the redeemed) by sacrificing His own life.
In that battle that gave Him the Kingdom and the Kingship, Isaiah (in Chapter 53) again painted a more detailed picture, about what Jesus accomplished in that victory for us.
He wrote:
“Surely, he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:4-5 NIV
If we can ever understand all that Jesus did, to be able to give us His name to use in prayer, we will begin to catch a grip of what it really means to be a Christian.
It was never an easy battle, but He fought and won the battle, so that we may have the privilege of walking in the victory and reigning with Him in the Kingdom.
He is now the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
Zechariah saw Jesus – the King coming.
The Prophet Zechariah also saw Jesus as the King of kings. He saw Him in victory, even before Christ went into the battle on the cross.
He saw the King of kings riding on a donkey.
This is a very strange picture in our world today, because kings do not ride on donkeys. Kings do ride on horses.
But Jesus had to go that route, so as to legitimize His victory over Satan in humility.
If He had not humbled Himself, the enemy would have had the cause to delegitimize His victory. He had to humble Himself, and so He rode on a donkey.
Zechariah also saw the unique relationship between Him and Zion (the body of Christ and the redeemed of Israel) in doing this (Ephesians 3:6).
He wrote:
““Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.’”
Zechariah 9:9-10 NKJV
The victory of Jesus was completed in the shedding of His blood on the cross. It was a bloody battle that He won in the flesh against evil.
And His dominion in that victory is over all the earth (from sea to sea).
The King is coming back again.
But for Him to be qualified to ride on a horse, Jesus is counting on His beautiful Bride, to finish what He started.
He will return riding on a horse eventually after we must all have done our part.
What role do we play in bringing Him back?
Zechariah saw Him preaching peace to all nations. And in seeing Him preaching as the Peace Maker to the nations, Zechariah saw every believer in Christ.
We are the ones to whom Christ has committed the task of speaking the gospel of peace to all nations.
In doing this we all are preparing the way for the King of kings to take back His throne.
At the first time he was on earth triumphantly riding on a donkey into Jerusalem.
But this time around as He comes back, He is coming back to reign as the King of all kings, riding on a white horse.
John wrote from the Island of Patmos:
“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh, he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.”
Revelation 19:11-16 NIV
Yes, the King of kings is not only risen from the dead, but the King of kings is coming back again.
Are you ready for His return?
Begin today by bringing Him back into your life in righteousness and holiness.
Christ is King of all the earth. He is coming back to take His throne; but firstly, in your life and then on the earth.
He will shake the earth again.
While on the cross to give us the victory, His voice shook the earth to the extent, that the spirits of many who had died before Him came out.
The Bible described it all:
“About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) …
…And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!””
Matthew 27:46, 50-54 NIV
Before this incident God had shaken the earth, when the nation of Israel heard His voice in the wilderness.
But these two shakings will not be all the shakings, because He will shake the earth again.
The scriptures say again:
“See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.””
Hebrews 12:25-29 NIV
When the last shaking that will herald His return to His throne on earth takes place, many will be so terrified that they will go into hiding.
Others will rejoice at the sound of His voice.
Are you going to be one of those rejoicing?
Or will you be one of those people who will be going into hiding?
The choice is up to you now!
You have to decide now to rejoice at the sound of His voice.
The King is coming back again!
Yes, He will return unannounced to the world. This is on purpose for all to get ready. He will return like a thief in the night.
He said:
““Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Matthew 24:42-44 NIV
A man once heard a hard knock on his door late at night, asking him to open the door.
It was the voice of armed robbers. He ran under his bed into hiding, while telling his wife to open the door for them to come in.
Are you this type of man?
Or will you rather be the man, who will be rejoicing on hearing the voice of Jesus when He returns?
Real men don’t hide when a thief shows up on their door at night. Real men will always stand up, and fight to defend their homes.
Jesus said He will return like a thief in the night.
Real men will be prepared to meet the King and not go into hiding.
Are you prepared to bring back the King?
Let us bring back the King who once rode on a donkey (Matthew 21:6-11).
He will return indeed riding on a horse the second time (Revelation 19:11-18).
At that time, He shall return to finally reign as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
He will return to reign with those who are clothed in His righteousness.
Together with His beloved Bride that had made herself ready (Matthew 25:1-10), He will return to reign on earth.
As the Prophet Zechariah said:
“The LORD will be King over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.”
Zechariah 14:9 NIV
The name of the Lord is the only name by which all men can be saved.
Are you a ready and prepared as the Bride to the King?
Return O Lord with all the host of heaven!!!
