King Jesus Reigns

"The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 11:15 NIV).

John the revelator saw a glorious vision of Christ being crowned King of the Universe. The Holy Spirit had quickened the dead body of Jesus; He had overcome the last enemy, death — and rose triumphant!

The scene John now beholds is Christ's return to heaven to claim His throne. It was our Lord's coronation as King of Kings! There were loud voices throughout heaven, jubilant praises of angels, seraphims, cherubims, and all the hosts of glory. King Jesus, the glorified man, has returned as Lord of all. What a thunderous welcome that must have been — with all the heavenly voices crying aloud, "The kingdom of this world is now the kingdom of Christ — and He shall reign forever!" The twenty-four elders fell from their seats, laid on their faces, and worshipped — crying out, "We give thanks to you, Lord God almighty, who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign" (Revelation 11:17 NIV).

We cannot crown Jesus Christ as King! He already is King! We cannot make Him Lord of all — He already is Lord of all. God the Father received Him back to glory — crowned Him King and Lord of all — and gave Him all the power of the godhead! "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell" (Colossians 1:19). "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the godhead bodily...which is the head of all principalities and power" (Colossians 2:9,10). "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him" (Colossians 1:16).

Paul had the same vision — of Christ now sitting as King and Lord over all things. He spoke of the exceeding greatness of His power toward us. "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all" (Ephesians 1:19-23).

You can quit picturing a lowly, meek Nazarene standing at the door of your heart, hoping you will make Him Lord of your life. He is no longer the rejected man — He is King of Glory! He came out of the grave in full resurrection power — He ascended to His everlasting throne — He took all power and dominion — and He is at this very moment reigning over all the powers and kingdoms of this universe. The last enemy was death, and Christ made even that His footstool!

If death was the LAST ENEMY, then all other enemies have been defeated. Christ is not locked in a hand-to-hand combat with Satan. The war is over — Satan was defeated, and Christ cast him down in shameful disgrace. The heel of Christ bruised the serpent's head. "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found anymore in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil" (Revelation 12:7-9). "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it" (Colossians 2:15). "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night'" (Revelation 12:10).

We still have people on this globe who are entertaining the thought of permitting Christ to come into their hearts. They may even go as far as thinking they might let Him be crowned as Lord of their lives. It is almost as if they are saying to Him, "Jesus, if You play Your cards right, I just might let You in! If You give me happiness, if You heal me, if You answer a few prayers, if You show me a sign or two, give me a miracle — You may just end up being crowned King of my life."

How ridiculously blind we are! There He now sits, in all His awesome power and glory — with all the hosts of heaven worshipping at His feet — with the twenty-four elders lying on their faces before Him — with God having bestowed on Him all the powers of the godhead — with a bruised and defeated devil running from His presence — and all principalities and powers in heaven and earth bowing to His might and majesty!

And here are a host of blind, carnal, lukewarm Christians and half decided sinners — thinking of doing Him a favor by letting Him reign in their lives. How foolish, when with just one breath of His nostrils, He can blow away kingdoms and rulers. "Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. All nations before him are as nothing; they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity" (Isaiah 40:15,17).

What is Russia, with all her missiles and armaments? She is a drop in a bucket! What is China, with her numberless armies? Nothing! What is America? Who are the world leaders that make nations tremble? Nothing! They are dust — as nothing to King Jesus! "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say to him, What doest thou?" (Daniel 4:35).

The Church Is Blind to the Present Glory of Christ's Reign!

I am saying that Christ will not only reign throughout eternity in Paradise, but that He reigns right now, having conquered all His enemies!

Yet there is a veil over our eyes, keeping us from beholding and appropriating Christ's present kingly glory. We fail to see Him as a REIGNING KING — now! It is a veil of unbelief. It is the same veil that kept Israel from beholding the Lord's glory that shone on the face of Moses. Moses had been on the mount once before, shut in with God — but his face did not shine. Then God called him up to the mount again — and this time He hid Moses in a cleft of the rock and said to him: "I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee...my glory shall pass by" (Exodus 33:19-22).

The law could not make the face of Moses to shine, but a vision of God's goodness, mercy, and grace did! The children of Israel could not stand to look on the reflection of the Lord's glory in the face of Moses. They demanded he cover that glory with a veil! The glory on his face condemned their sinful hearts. It scared them! They preferred to worship at a distance. "But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament...but even today, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart" (2 Corinthians 3:14,15).

The Jew is still behind a veil of unbelief. The saints are amazed, saying, "Why can't the Jew see Christ, the coming King, in the Old testament?" We agree with Paul: "Yes, the Jew is blind to Christ in the old covenant." But what about us too? We, too, have a veil of unbelief upon our hearts. We are blind to the glory of God in Christ Jesus! Our spiritual eyes have cataracts — we are seeing so little!

The veil is done away in Christ! When one turns to the Lord, the veil is supposed to be removed (2 Corinthians 3:16). Paul makes it clear that believers should be looking into Christ's great and kingly glory — and be changed by it! "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

We are supposed to be changing every day! We are to be looking at the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ — the glory God gave Him as Lord and King of all—and be changed by that vision of who He is!

We are all changing in one way or another. We are becoming more and more like Jesus — more and more radiant, trusting, and holy. Or, we are becoming more and more like the world. The Bride of Christ is changing every day — greater separation, greater hunger and thirst, greater love for His Word, greater desire for holiness. The fleshly, worldly-minded Christian is changing rapidly, too. More materialistic, more liberal, more sensuous, more like the wicked crowds about them.

Not one of us has yet seen the glory of God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ! Our unbelief hinders us from seeing all the power and glory that is now His! We really do not approach Him, or acknowledge Him, or serve Him as King and Lord and potentate of all things!

Our Unbelief Shows Up Most in the Prayer Closet!

We do not ascribe to Him all the power, glory, and might that is His. We do not see ourselves as coming into the presence of a ruling King. This mighty King, with all power in heaven and earth, tells us that His eyes are upon us and His ears are open to our requests! He tells us that if He just hears us, we have the petition we ask of Him.

But who really believes it? We have a difficult time even believing that the King of Glory is there in that secret closet, in all His splendor, seated as a majestic King, inviting us to come boldly into His royal court to receive all the mercy and grace we will ever need in our times of trouble.

The veil of unbelief is upon our hearts! Show me one believer in this world who has the assurance and the awareness that the moment they are shut in with God in prayer and communion, the King of Glory is right there in actual presence to engage His eternal powers on their behalf. How many believe that such a glorious King waits for His people to come into his presence with praise — and that He delights in that communion — and that He manifests and reveals His presence in intimate ways?

If we truly had no veil of unbelief over our hearts, we would approach Him as One who now reigns — as One who has the fulness of the godhead waiting to be used on our behalf! We would worship with the knowledge we were in His actual presence. We would praise, knowing He was right there to accept our offering on the spot. We would ask in faith, knowing it was done — because He heard us and has all the power to get it done. To walk out of His presence not believing He has heard us and will answer is to not believe He is there or that He is King of all!

If He abides in me — He does so as King of all! When I surrendered to him, I did not make Him King! He took over my life — as King! God crowned Him — not me! He already had a kingdom. I was simply transformed out of my kingdom of darkness into His glorious kingdom of light. I had to die to get into His kingdom! When you die to sin — when you die with Christ — you are raised up into Christ's kingdom where He already reigns!

But Christ's kingdom is within me! All His power as King is in me! It is always HIS power! "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (Ephesians 3:20). That power is His — kingly power of God.

We Prove the Veil Is Upon Our Hearts by the Way We Live!

I've never liked the term, "King's kids." It sounds too flippant and unmajestic to me. Also, it has been so misapplied, with the focus being on wealth and material things. Yet, we are truly the children of the King of Glory, but we live as though we were abandoned and helpless.

So few of us have the sense of being the beloved child of a powerful Sovereign who rules on our behalf with a rod of iron. If we truly had the veil removed, and if we saw Christ reigning for us, we would become indignant over every satanic attempt to touch us! We would be rising up with a spiritual indignation and proclaim: "Devil, you cannot do that to me or to my family or to anyone belonging to me! I'm the child of the King of this universe, and He will crush you at my word. I bind you; I cast you out; I send you back to your darkness, in His all-powerful Name!"

We would not be lying down like weak and confused children — and let the powers of darkness harass us, and walk over us, and confuse us, and wound us, and hurt our minds, our homes, our mates, or our children. We would, instead, rise up in faith, fully assured, resting in the glory and might of our crowned King! King Jesus would be our rest! King Jesus would fight our battles. He would put the enemy to chase! We would have perfect confidence of victory in all things, because we trusted fully in His almighty power.

It comes down to this: Do you believe He has been given a kingdom? Do you believe with the hosts of heaven and the twenty-four elders that He has taken dominion over all — that all the kingdoms of this world are His, that He now reigns Lord of all? If so, do you believe He has all the power of the godhead in His heavenly body? Do you believe He has overcome the devil and all his forces? Do you believe He conquered the last enemy — death?

If He is King — if He has all power — if the whole universe is His — if all in heaven, on earth, and beneath the earth bows to His power — and that same King has taken up residence in me — and now He is my King and Lord, reigning in me with glory and power — WHAT COULD I FEAR? What could hurt me? All things are now possible! All things are under His authority and dominion.

Why then are there so many Christians living in defeat, loneliness, desperation, fighting a losing battle against temptation — and having no direction, no peace, no security, no marvelous rest? It is because they have a veil of unbelief over their eyes and hearts! They have a reigning King, and don't know it! They have all they need, but can't see it. They have all power over all the devices of the enemy, but are blind to it! By the confused way Christians now live, we are saying to God and to the whole world, "We have no King! We are without power! There are no armies on our side! We are at the mercy of our enemies!"

That's an outright lie! It's an outrage of unbelief against the King of Glory! We are standing in the very court of King Jesus — with the heavenly hosts falling before Him, proclaiming His rise to power. And while they shout, "He hath taken all dominion!" — we stand there like lost, helpless children with a hood over our heads, neither seeing nor hearing anything!

David cried out, "The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble.... Let the earth be moved.... The Lord is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.... Let them praise thy holy name" (Psalm 99:1-3). "The Lord reigneth, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he girdeth himself.... Thy throne is established of old; thou art from everlasting" (Psalm 93:1).

The testimony of every single believer should be: I BELIEVE KING JESUS NOW REIGNS IN GLORIOUS POWER! Isaiah said, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace...that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth" (Isaiah 52:7). David said, "Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth" (Psalm 96:10).

The Veil of Unbelief Is Most Evident in God's House When We Worship!

The Holy Spirit must grieve at the sight of so many veiled saints coming to meet the King of Glory! He promised to BE IN THE MIDST of His people, anywhere two or three gathered in His name. BUT OUR ACTIONS PROVE WE DON'T BELIEVE IT! How many of us know anything of the power and might King Jesus wants to release in His house when saints gather in His Name? How many of us can see, by faith, the thousands of chariots round about us right now? How many see King Jesus on His great white horse, heading His victorious army?

Elisha saw that army: "And, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (2 Kings 6:17).

David said the chariots of the Lord are thousands upon thousands. They are chariots of fire and they are driven by the world's most powerful soldiers. "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them..." (Psalm 68:17).

Does the Lord encamp round about us or doesn't He? He has not only surrounded our house with fiery chariots and armies of angels — He is sitting there among them on His royal white horse, as Commander in Chief of His army!" "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of Glory" (Psalm 24:7-10).

When He said, "I will be in their midst" — what form do you think He meant? As just a holy, glorified man? As one without a kingdom, without armies, without all might and power? No! He is in our midst AS A REIGNING KING!

Isaiah saw Him in all His regal splendor and cried aloud, "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it" (Isaiah 40:5).

David saw Him riding across the heavens on His white horse, reigning in mighty power. "To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice" (Psalm 68:33).

Isaiah saw this King of Glory riding about — CASTING DOWN IDOLS! "Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it" (Isaiah 19:1).

Do you see Him encamped about your house? Do you see the armies dressed in white? Do you see Him in the midst of them? His GREAT WHITE HORSE POISED FOR BATTLE? "And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer" (Revelation 6:2).

Saints of God, I see Him! My veil is gone! He is here! He is right now with you! He is here to put every enemy to chase! He is here in power and splendor! He is here to conquer and pull down every enemy stronghold! Open your eyes! Get the veil off! Believe what He said: "I see Him, on His white horse, with a bow in His hand, a conquerer!" How can you be in His glorious presence and not be moved?

We Have Been Invited to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!

"And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said unto me, These are the true sayings of God" (Revelation 19:6-9).

What a sight that will be, when all the redeemed of all ages are seated at the Lord's table! Multitudes dressed in white — with hearts ablaze with longing for the entrance of their Beloved!

Moses is there! So is Abraham, Joshua, King David, Samuel, Noah, Ruth, John the Baptist, all the apostles, the martyrs, Luther, John Wesley, all the missionaries of all ages, the Blood-redeemed of every tribe and nation, and every overcomer of this last age — and you — and I!

The loud and piercing sounds of many trumpets and cornets will sound! What anticipation! The bride is about to meet the Bridegroom! The Father is about to bring in the King to the banqueting hall — to the marriage supper! And, with a thundering voice that sounds mighty and victorious, the Father will cry aloud — "BEHOLD, YOUR KING! THE KING OF GLORY!" "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True" (Revelation 19:11).

What a thunderous welcome King Jesus will receive! King David will be crying out, "Zion, be joyful in your King" (Psalm 149:2). That holy place will resound with praises!

"HERE HE COMES!" — the redeemed will cry with rejoicing.
* The bright and morning Star!
* The bells on His horse ring out, Holiness unto the Lord!"
* Armies dressed in white surround Him — armies beyond all comprehension.
* There are crowns on His head!
* He is arrayed in glorious white!
* His name is THE WORD OF GOD!
* His eyes are a flame of fire!
* What a GREAT WHITE HORSE!
* What shouts of thanksgiving! What mighty Hosannas will be heard!
* Look at Him, Saints — OUR KING RIDES IN — such a loving, victorious smile! All enemies are gone! The King is united with His bride!

IF HE IS OUR KING, IF HE NOW REIGNS IN GLORY — THEN HE COMMANDS US TO LIFT OUR VOICES AND PRAISE HIM LOUDLY!

"Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. For the lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds" (Psalm 149:2-5).

I say to you, on the authority of God's Holy Word: King Jesus has surrounded your house with a host of white-robed, royal horsemen — and He is now poised majestically on His great white horse! No enemy in the universe dare come near you! Demons have fled in terror! Principalities and powers of darkness are in disarray — Satan trembles — for the King of Glory is here! Do you see him?!