Jesus Ruling the Whole Earth as King of Kings
I. JESUS’ EARTHLY RULE AS A HUMAN JEWISH KING
A. We need a revelation of Jesus as the King of kings.
The LORD shall be King over all the earth. (Zechariah. 14:9)
He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:16)
Your eyes will see the King in His beauty…(Isaiah 33:17)
Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)
B. Jesus will reign over all the governments of this earth for 1,000-years.
They shall be priests…of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)
C. At the Second Coming Jesus will manifest His leadership by taking over the nations of the earth.
The seventh angel sounded…the kingdoms (nations) of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and
of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever! (Revelation 11:15)
I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power
of His Christ have come…” (Revelation 12:10)
D. Daniel saw the coronation of a Jewish man before the court of the Almighty God.
I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven!
He (Jesus) came to the Ancient of Days (Father)…14 Then to Him (Jesus) was given dominion and glory and
a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away…27 His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey
Him. (Daniel 7:13-14, 27)
E. David received revelation of Jesus’ role of intercession in receiving and governing His inheritance as King.
The LORD has said to Me (Jesus), 'You are My Son…8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your
inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.’ (Psalm 2:7-8)
II. JESUS AS KING OF TWO TYPES OF KINGS
A. John saw Jesus as the ruler over two sets of kings, the Millennial kings of the earth and the resurrected saints who
were made kings because they were counted faithful during their life on earth.
Jesus Christ…the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us…6 and has made us kings and
priests to His God and Father. (Revelation 1:5-6)
B. Jesus will rule over the Millennial kings who have natural non-resurrected bodies.
1. The Gentile kings through history have fought Israel’s king, but when Jesus returns, they will fall down in
awe of Him and seek to please Him.
Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him. (Psalm 72:11)
2. It is new to history that the “mighty” Gentile kings will now be afraid to offend Israel’s King.
The nations shall fear the…LORD and all the kings of the earth Your glory. (Psalm 102:15)
3. The Gentiles kings will be very impressed with Israel’s King as they speak of His virtues.
All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD…(Psalm 138:4)
For all nations shall come and worship before You (Jesus) (Revelation 15:4)
4. Jesus was born with the destiny to rule the Gentile nations.
She (remnant of Israel) bore a male Child who was to rule all nations…(Revelation 12:5)
He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles. (Romans 15:12)
C. Jesus will rule over saints (with resurrected bodies) who have become kings in His government. The inheritance Jesus
receives includes discipling the nations. The Great Commission is the Father’s commission to Jesus given in Psalm 2:8-9.
Have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:10)
He who overcomes…to him I will give power over the nations-- 27 He shall rule them with a rod of iron...
(Revelation 2:26-27)
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My Throne…(Revelation 3:21)
You…will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28)
“I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, 30 that you may eat and drink at
My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Luke 22:29-30)
III. JESUS’ EARTHLY RULE – THREE STAGES (GOOD, BETTER, BEST)
A. Stage #1: Partial (good) – His rule now is mostly in the hearts of His people (Cross until 2nd Coming). Jesus is ruler
over the kings of the earth now, but does not manifest His leadership openly except on rare occasions.
B. Stage #2: Substantial (better) – His political rule over all the nations (Millennial Kingdom)
C. Stage #3: Ultimate (best) – His rule over the New Earth (after the Millennial Kingdom)
IV. JESUS’ REIGN: COMPLETING THE CULTURAL MANDATE
God said, "Let Us make man in Our image…let them have dominion over the fish… over the birds…over the
cattle, over all the earth…" 28 God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have
dominion…over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1:26-28)
A. The Cultural Mandate – given to Adam in Genesis 1:26-28 was hindered by the curse of sin. However, God was
determined to reverse the lost authority and dominion that was forfeited to Satan by Adam (Genesis 3:1-19; Luke 4:6).
Jesus, as the last Adam, won the rights to the dominion of the earth and will fulfill the Cultural Mandate as He disciples the
nations fully after His return.
Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of
time. 6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been
delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” (Luke 4:5-6)
I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open…the scroll (title deed of the earth). 5 But one of
the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed
to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals (thus, to rule it, i.e., the Cultural Mandate)." (Revelation 5:4-5)
B. The Cultural Mandate – establishing the Kingdom of God worldwide affecting every sphere of life (political, social,
agricultural, economic, spiritual, educational, law enforcement, family, media, arts, technology, athletics, environment, social
institutions, etc). (Revelation 20:1-6; Isaiah 2:1-4; 9:6-9; 11:1-16; 51:1-8; 60-62; 65:17-25; Deuteronomy 30:3; Psalm 2:6-12;
50:3-5; 96:13; 110:1-7; Zechariah 2:10-13; Malachi 3:1-4; Matthew 5:5; 6:10; 17:11; 19:28; 28:19; Acts 1:6; 3:21).
C. Noah was re-commissioned with the Cultural Mandate.
God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 And the fear
of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air…and on all the fish
of the sea. They are given into your hand. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given
you all things, even as the green herbs…7 And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly in
the earth and multiply in it." (Genesis 9:1-7)
D. David had revelation of the central role of the redeemed in the Cultural Mandate.
What is man that You are mindful of him…5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You
have crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your
hands; You have put all things under his feet (Psalm 8:4-6)
E. David received revelation of Jesus’ inheritance which includes discipling the nations that He inherits. In other words,
the Great Commission is the Father’s commission that is intrinsic to Jesus inheriting the leadership over earth as the
meekest man that ever lived (Psalm 37; Matthew 5:5).
The LORD has said to Me (Jesus), 'You are My Son…8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your
inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.’ (Psalm 2:7-8)
The meek shall inherit the earth…22 those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth…29 the righteous shall
inherit the land, and dwell in it forever. (Psalm 37:11, 22, 29)
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5)
F. The New Covenant interpretation of the central role of the redeemed in Christ.
For He has not put the world to come…in subjection to angels…6 saying: "What is man that You are mindful
of him…? 7 You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor,
and set him over the works of Your hands. 8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet."…He left
nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus…
that He…might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting for Him (Father)…in bringing many sons to glory,
to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:5-10)
G. Isaiah and Micah gave us more revelation on the Cultural Mandate, declaring that would it be lead by the Lord Jesus
from Jerusalem.
Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD's house…shall be exalted…and
all nations shall flow to it. 3 Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the
LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He (Jesus) will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths."
For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD (Jesus) from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge
between the nations…(Isaiah 2:2-4)
Many nations shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the
God…He (Jesus) will teach us His ways…" For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the LORD
from Jerusalem. 3 He (Jesus) shall judge between many peoples, And rebuke strong nations afar off; They
shall beat their swords into plowshares…4 But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and
no one shall make them afraid 5…we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.
(Micah 4:2-5)
V. JESUS’ REIGN: COMPLETING THE GREAT COMMISSION TO DISCIPLE ALL NATIONS
All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nation… (Matthew 28:18-19)
A. The Great Commission is the Father’s commission to Jesus to exert leadership over every area of life across the
earth. The inheritance Jesus receives includes discipling the nations.
B. The apostles were re-commissioned with the Cultural Mandate now commonly called the Great Commission. This
includes much more than large evangelistic campaigns in the nations. Jesus’ Millennial (1,000 year) reign results in
discipling the nations. In other words, establishing the Kingdom of God worldwide affecting every sphere of life (political,
social, agricultural, economic, spiritual, educational, law enforcement, family, media, arts, technology, athletics,
environment, social institutions, etc). (Revelation 20:1-6; Isaiah 2:1-4; 9:6-9; 11:1-16; 51:1-8; 60-62; 65:17-25;
Deuteronomy 30:3; Psalm 2:6-12; 50:3-5; 96:13; 110:1-7; Zechariah 2:10-13; Malachi 3:1-4; Matthew 5:5; 6:10; 17:11;
19:28; 28:19; Acts 1:6; 3:21). In Jesus’ 1000-year reign, justice, righteousness, peace, prosperity, and unprecedented
blessing will be released as parts of the earth are restored to the condition of the Garden of Eden.
C. The Great Commission is much more extensive than giving a witness of the gospel of the kingdom in every nation
which must be accomplished before Jesus’ Second Coming.
This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end
will come. (Matthew 24:14)
1. It a is common mistake to confuse the Great Commission with the mandate to give a witness to the nations of the
kingdom message. The gospel of the kingdom includes the proclamation that Jesus is coming as King to rule the
entire world from the throne of David in Jerusalem.
2. The gospel of the kingdom is much more than the message of forgiveness (which is a significant introduction
to the kingdom message).
3. The gospel of the kingdom includes proclaiming that a Jewish King is returning after a time of conflict over
territory and our response in the conflict determines our role or placement in the kingdom.
D. For the last 2,000 years, Jesus has been leading the Church in the early stages of the Great Commission. The
Church has witnessed a significant yet only partial fulfillment of this. In the Millennial Kingdom, Jesus will exercise
substantial dominion over the earth and then in the New Earth, the Great Commission or the Cultural Mandate will find its
ultimate fulfillment. Jesus’ disciples will be dynamically involved in partnering with Jesus in all three stages of the Great Commission,
its partial, substantial and ultimate expressions.
E. Without the Millennial Kingdom, the mandate given to the apostles to disciple the nations in context to this natural
world with people in natural bodies would have ended in failure.