Jesus, Heaven's Royalty

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Sometimes, in order to understand the context in which parts of Scripture are written, a little background is needed to set the scene and to help us gain understanding of a particular passage. For example, knowing that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth to address some problems that were going on in that specific congregation can help us better understand 1 & 2 Corinthians. Knowing the times periods in which some of the Old Testament books were written given us a better understanding of the chronology of God's unfolding revelation of Himself in His dealings with human beings. 


During Bible times, people were quite familiar with royalty and all that went with the power and prestige of a monarchy. Israel had its kings; some good, some bad, and the surrounding countries also had kings. The Queen of Sheba once came to visit King Solomon and was very impressed with both his wisdom and his kingdom. Here in the United States, we see little of royalty, except perhaps in a Disney movie, which is usually far from reality.

That lack of exposure to kings, queens, palaces, castles and all the pageantry that surrounds their official duties may leave us with a lack of understanding of royalty, royal events and garments mentioned in Scripture. 

In order to gain a little background to understand Jesus, Heaven's Royalty, it may be helpful to take a look at modern day royalty for both clarity and comparison. 

I was born in the USA, but lived in England for 8 years while I was growing up and still have family living there. As a result, Queen Elizabeth II is the living monarch with whom I am most familiar. 

Let's examine her position very briefly to help gain some perspective of what it means to be royal and and contrast that with what the Word of God says about Jesus, Heaven's Royalty.

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The official title of the Queen is as follows:

Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

The last part of that title may surprise you. England has a state church - the Church of England (the Episcopal Church in the USA is very similar). The ruling monarch in Britain is not just head of the country but is also head of the state church, hence the title Defender of the Faith. 

It is important to note that Her Majesty did not come to the throne by election. George VI, the previous monarch of the United Kingdom, passed away in 1952. His eldest child, Elizabeth, succeeded to the throne by birthright and has reigned for over 62 years. 

The official titles of Jesus make any human titles seem very small and very insignificant.
He is...

King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords -Revelation 19:15 

The Word of God - Revelation 19:13

The Lord God Omnipotent - Revelation 19:6

The Author and Finisher of our faith - Hebrews 12:2 

Head of the church - Ephesians 5:23 

Chief cornerstone – 1 Peter 2:6-7 

Everlasting Father – Isaiah 9:6 

Prince of Peace – Isaiah 9:6 

The Word of God – Revelation 19:13 

The Alpha and Omega – Revelation 22:13 

...and has over 200 more titles signifying Who He is.

17 verses in the New Testament refer to Jesus as the son of David. As a descendant of David's royal line (see Matthew 1 for the genealogy), Jesus will sit on the throne in Jerusalem by birthright when He establishes His millennial kingdom. We won't spend much time on the kingdom in this post but if you want to know more about it, Bible Study Tools offers a good summary.

However, Jesus' title, King of kings and Lord of lords, was given not by birthright, nor by election. Let's take a look at what the Bible says about Jesus' right to such this all-powerful title and position.

I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:13-18

Jesus is referred to in this passage as the "blessed and only Potentate." In other words, He is the only True King, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Queen Elizabeth has power and authority over a tiny kingdom, but she is not immortal, not does she dwell in light, nor will she reign forever. Jesus, on the other hand, has power and honor forever and ever. Only the immortal, all-powerful True King is due eternal glory and only the immortal, all-powerful True King can claim that position for all eternity.

Daniel was given a vision in which this truth was revealed to him.

I saw in the night visions,  

and behold, with the clouds of heaven 

there came one like a son of man,

and he came to the Ancient of Days 

and was presented before him. 

And to him 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, 

and his kingdom one 

that shall not be destroyed. -Daniel 7:13-14 ESV

John 1 tells us that Jesus is God and has been there from the beginning with God. He is eternal and has no beginning and no end. It was revealed to Daniel that Jesus (the son of man), was presented to the Ancient of Days, God the Father. Let's follow this carefully. John 1:14 says,

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The son of man, the Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in flesh, the ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER has been given a kingdom that will not be destroyed, an everlasting dominion so that all people will serve Him. This poses an interesting question. We noted that Jesus' right and authority to sit upon David's throne in Jerusalem is His by reason of His lineage. In other words, it is His birthright as a descendant of King David. The question then, is this:  Was Jesus also given His eternal kingdom by birthright - as the only begotten of the Father? I let you draw your own conclusions :)

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The official residence of the Queen is Buckingham Palace in London. The average home in the U.S. is around 2,500 square feet in size with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. According to The Official Website of the British Monarchy, Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms, 78 bathrooms and comprises over 250,000 square feet (no, that's not a typo).




The official residence of Jesus is actually in more than one location. Romans 8:34 tells us that He is seated at the right hand of God in heaven.

And, in John 14:2, Jesus said, In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

The Queen may have her 775 rooms, but how many do you think Jesus has? Think of all the saints of old, all the believers in the world today and all who will some day believe in Him alone for salvation. We're talking millions of rooms!

The earthly splendor of Buckingham Palace, when compared with heaven seems rather a poor dwelling. In Revelation 21, we are told of 12 gates, each representing one of the tribes of Israel. There are 12 foundations, named for the 12 apostles of the Lamb. John describes gold as pure and clear as glass, walls of jasper, and precious stones adorning the foundations.

The Queen has her own little chapel located within the walls of the palace but heaven will have no need of chapel or temple, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it (Revelation 21:22).

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have the blessing and assurance of God's grace to testify, Christ liveth in me (Galatians 2:20).

Not only does Jesus live in heaven, where there are huge numbers of rooms, He also lives in huge numbers of people who have confessed Him as Savior and Lord!

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The official gardens at the palace cover over 40 acres and contain a lake, and over 320 types of wildflowers among other types of plants and grasses. In these gardens, the Queen hosts several garden parties annually, entertaining people who have contributed a service to the Queen or to the United Kingdom in some way. 





The official gardens of heaven are not called gardens, but there is plant life and water flowing through heaven; plants like no other and a river like no other - a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb (Revelation 22:1).

The Source of that river of living water, I believe is Jesus Christ Himself. In John 4, Jesus offered living water to the woman he met at the well. Later, He declared, He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38).

Queen Elizabeth is very conservation conscious and tries to maintain a "green" standard on all her properties, but not even she can boast of having the kind of trees found in heaven. 

In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:2).

No matter how much we reuse and recycle, no one on earth can produce tree leaves for the healing of the nations!

Jesus also sends out an invitation to join Him in His royal residence, not for a garden party but to a banquet, prepared by the grace of God, convened by the Holy Spirit and paid for by the blood of the Lamb. Invitations are sent to all those who place their faith in Jesus alone for salvation.  This banquet is called the marriage supper of the Lamb and celebrates the union of the Bridegroom - Jesus - with His bride -the church. John, as recorded in the book of Revelation, was granted a sneak preview of this great event. 

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, 

“Hallelujah!For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory,for the marriage of the Lamb has come,and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 

And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” -Revelation 19:6-9 ESV

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The official crown and robe of the Queen, worn at state functions such as the opening of the Houses of Parliament, are called the Imperial State Crown and Royal Robe of State.




The official crown and robe of Jesus are unlike any king or kingdom of this earth has ever seen. As the suffering servant and Savior of the world, Jesus once wore a crown of thorns on His head. In the context of the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev 19), Jesus is described quite vividly. We are told that His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns (v12 KJV).

I'm not sure of what these "many crowns" represent or where they came from. I did wonder if they had something to do with believers laying their crowns at Jesus' feet. The Bible mentions 5 crowns that will be given to believers:

• incorruptible crown (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)
• crown of life/martyr's crown (James 1:2, Revelation 2:8-11)
• crown of rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
• crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8)
• crown of glory (1 Peter 5:1-4)

Like many Christians, I have had this idea that I would take whatever crowns I may someday be given as a reward and lay them at Jesus' feet. But, as I was studying this, I could find no reference in Scripture to believers doing this. (If anyone reading knows where to find it, please share it with me.) What I did find was the 24 elders in Revelation 4 sitting around the throne, wearing white robes and golden crowns.  Then,

The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (v 10-11)

Perhaps Jesus will be wearing these crowns. I don't know. But the point is, earthy kings and queens, like Queen Elizabeth II, tend to have just 1 official crown symbolizing their position. Jesus, the King of kings has many crowns, symbolizing His power and authority over all kings and all kingdoms of this earth.

The Queen's robe, as ornate and beautifully decorated as it is, cannot compare with that of the King of kings. Hers merely symbolizes her rule over a kingdom of this world. Jesus wears "a vesture dipped in blood," symbolizing His position as King of kings, the Lamb of God, the Author of salvation, the One who has purchased a people by His own blood and established His own eternal kingdom. 

Do I hear a "hallelujah!"?

The official duties of the Queen include more than state functions. Her Majesty is not just a ceremonial figurehead, paid to sit on a throne all day. As a constitutional monarch, she has more authority and responsibility than most realize. Even now at 88 years old, the Queen's day, according to royal.gov.uk, is filled with the affairs of state from early morning until late in the evening.


The official duties of Jesus are those He has chosen to take upon Himself, in obedience to the Father. He intercedes for us with the Father, He is active in drawing all men unto Himself, He is present and living within those who have placed their trust in Him, He Himself is our peace and our friend and guide. He never slumbers nor sleeps, but is actively involved in every aspect of the lives and concerns of those who love and follow Him.

If this writing has helped you gain some insight into Jesus, Heaven's Royalty, and/or you have something to add on this subject, please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

I look forward to hearing your insights and learning from you. 

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Photo Credits:

image 1: "Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom" by Sodacan Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 via WikimediaCommons  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Coat_of_Arms_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg#mediaviewer/File:Royal_Coat_of_Arms_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg      
image 2: "Elizabeth II greets NASA GSFC employees, May 8, 2007 edit" by NASA/Bill Ingalls - http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2007/queen_egress_8.html. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_II_greets_NASA_GSFC_employees,_May_8,_2007_edit.jpg    
image 3: "Trooping the Colour 2009 092" by Panhard - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trooping_the_Colour_2009_092.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Trooping_the_Colour_2009_092.jpg      

image4: “Buckingham Palace Aerial View” http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ABuckingham_Palace_AerialView.jpg Brendan and Ruth McCartney[CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
 image 5: ”File: Sftt2013.jpg” http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASftt2013.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Sftt2013.jpg By VOA News [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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