The Coronation of King Jesus
One of the major events in any monarchy is the crowning of the new king. Whenever Queen Elizabeth of England passes on and Prince-Whatever-His-Name-Is is installed as the next monarchial figurehead, there will be major doings at Buckingham Palace. All the media will be there, the Church of England clergy will be there, the Palace Guard will be displayed in exquisite uniform, and Americans will be treated to days of Anglophile hype. "The queen is dead," will be the words of the crowd. "Long live the king!" The only reason, of course, for contemplating such an event with 11th Hour Times readers is to illustrate a point: the most significant event of all history was the coronation of King Jesus.
Jesus was the sacrifice of God, offered on behalf of all mankind, paying the price for all sins. The apostle Peter averred that "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross" (1 Peter 2:24). Some have gotten the mistaken impression that Jesus paid the price when He descended to Hades, but the scripture is emphatic that He was the sacrifice while hanging on the tree. The writer of Hebrews, not surprisingly, concurs with Peter. Quoting from the Psalms, the writer establishes the ineffectiveness of the offering of the bodies of animals under the Old Covenant, and establishes the efficacy of the offering of Jesus’ body. "Sacrifice and offering You have not desired," he quotes, "but a body You have prepared for Me." Noting that this was what was written "in the scroll of the book" of Jesus, the writer further quotes, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God" (Hebrews 10:4-7). Substantiating that this will is the New Covenant, he then makes his point: "By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10). Once His body was dead and His blood was poured out on Calvary’s dust, then the stage was set for Jesus to be the priest to offer the blood of the sacrifice. First the sacrifice, then the priestly offering.
The Old Testament high priests of Aaron’s order offered the blood of animals year by year in an earthly tabernacle. But Jesus, the High Priest of our confession, following His bodily resurrection from the dead, at His ascension offered His own blood in the true tabernacle on the day the writer of Hebrews called "the consummation of the ages," therein having offered the blood of His sacrifice (Hebrews 9:26). He was not a priest on earth; when He ascended, then He was declared High Priest of the order of Melchizedek, "according to the power of an indestructible life" (Hebrews 7:16).
On the same day, the consummation of the ages,
that He was declared High Priest of the order of Melchizedek, He
was also crowned King, declared the Messiah in accordance
with Old Testament prophecies. "The sacrifice is dead,"
shouted the heavenly crowd. "Long live the King!"
O.T. Preparations for the Messiah
God operates on the basis of a long-term plan, set in motion before the foundation of the world. Eventually bringing the nation of Israel into existence, the Father knew that the people would reject their republic and clamor for a king. When the first king in Israel went bad, God selected a man after His own heart in David. And through David He made preparations for the coming Messiah.
"How long will you grieve over Saul," said the Lord to Samuel, judge and prophet, regarding the first king in Israel, "since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons" (1 Samuel 16:1). After working his way through the first seven sons of Jesse, finally David was brought before the old prophet. "Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward" (1 Samuel 16:13). David was thus made king by the process of a formal anointing with oil, but, because of circumstances in Israel, had to be anointed publicly many years later after the death of Saul in the presence of a united Israel. "So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron," states the inspired record, "and King David made a covenant with them before the Lord at Hebron; and they anointed David king over Israel" (2 Samuel 5:3). This process of anointing kings set the stage for the eventual coming of a Messiah, the "Anointed One," as the King of Israel, the Christos of the Greek New Testament.
When David was firmly established as king in Jerusalem, he wanted to build a permanent house for the Lord to replace the tabernacle of Moses’ day ensconced in Shiloh. At first Nathan the prophet told him to go ahead, but the Almighty reversed the reviewuation. David, as a man of war, would not be able to build the house for the Lord; however, it would be built by Solomon, David’s son and a man of peace. Looking through Solomon and the earthly house that he would build on the temple mount in Jerusalem, the Lord promised David the coming of his descendant in the flesh who would build a heavenly house in a spiritual kingdom. "He shall build a house for My name," declared the Father from on high, "and I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever. I will be a Father to Him, and He will be a Son to Me … And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever" (2 Samuel 7:13-16).
As the history of Israel developed following the death of Solomon, the nation split into two countries. The northern retained the name Israel but eventually established a new capital at Samaria; the southern nation retained the capital at Jerusalem but took the name Judah from the name of the tribe with the major portion of the population. The northern nation, Israel, rapidly descended into idolatry, and, because of her spiritual harlotries, was carried into captivity and essentially lost in the final Assyrian raid of 722 BC. Judah likewise followed her sister into idolaty, but God preserved a remnant for the sake of His name and to carry out His eternal purpose. The last king of Judah, Zedekiah, saw his sons put to death before his own eyes were burnt out with a hot poker; his line came to an end. His nephew, Jehoiachin or Coniah, who had been king before him, was led captive into Babylon, where the Lord had this to say about him: "Write this man down childless, a man who will not prosper in his days; for no man of his descendants will prosper, sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah" (Jeremiah 22:30). From the time of the Babylonian captivity of 605 BC to 536 BC, Judah as an independent nation ceased to exist, Jerusalem was never a free city, and the throne of David vanished from the earth. "Behold, we are slaves today," moaned those who returned to the land during the reign of the Persians (Nehemiah 9:36).
While Judah declined and the kings and people continued their overall descent into immorality and worship of other gods, the prophets were not idle nor asleep. Calling the people to repentance with one hand, and pointing with the other to a coming Messiah, their collective voice crescendoed as their writings proliferated and became a major part of the Old Testament. Micah prophesied the birth of the shepherd-king in Bethlehem, while Isaiah announced that the virgin-born Child would be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of peace," and that He would sit "on the throne of David" and reign "over his kingdom" (Isaiah 9:6-7). Malachi coordinated with Isaiah in indicating that the Messiah would be preceded by a forerunner to prepare His way before Him, while Daniel predicted the year in which He would be manifested to Israel. Asaph noted that He would speak in parables while Isaiah established that most of His work would be in Galilee. Zechariah prophesied His riding into Jerusalem on a donkey; David prophesied His crucifixion, a Roman death rather than a Jewish one, 300 years before there were Romans. In accordance with Isaiah, He was with the robbers in His death, but ended up in the tomb of a rich man. Having been buried, He was resurrected on the third day and the sign of Jonah was given to that hard-hearted generation. Finally He ascended to heaven as Daniel had written, sent the Holy Spirit as Ezekiel had recorded, and established the New Covenant in consonance with the words of Jeremiah. "… all the prophets who have spoken," were the words of the apostle Peter, "from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days" (Acts 3:24).
By the providence of God, by the time Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Roman order and Roman roads opened the Roman Empire for the distribution of the gospel. Alexander the Great had left a legacy of Hellenizing his conquests, so koine Greek was a universal language. The Jews themselves were widely dispersed, yet had learned to assemble on the Sabbath for the reading of the Law and the prophets; therefore there was a distributed and scripturally literate base in place for the proclamation of the message of the Messiah. With the worldly stage all set, arranged by a Master Hand, the apostle Paul could write, "But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law …" (Galatians 4:4).
The Tabernacling of the Messiah
When the preparations for the coming of God-in-the-flesh to the world were being made, would the announcements be blared in Rome? Would criers work the streets of Ephesus or the pavement of Antioch of Syria, or would signs appear in the great cities of the earth? No, the sparsely populated hill country of Judea would be the first to buzz with the news. When John, later called the Immerser, was born in the hill country of Judea to the priest Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth, his dad prophesied at the time of his circumcision. "You, child," were words of prophetic utterance, "will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways" (Luke 1:76). "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel," he had said, "for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant — as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old" (Luke 1:68-69). Sure enough, God was going to visit earth, tabernacling among men as a descendant of David, bringing the dawning of understanding. In accordance with His tender mercies, "the Sunrise from on high shall visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:78-79).
Six months or so earlier, the angel Gabriel had made an announcement about Jesus as the Messiah to Mary. "He will be great," heralded the messenger to the astonished virgin, " and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end" (Luke 1:32-33). And when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, an angel also appeared to shepherds keeping watch over their flocks, saying, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11). After the thirty-three days of purification was fulfilled according to what was written in the law of the Lord, Joseph and Mary and the Child were at a home in Bethlehem. At this time "magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who as been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him’ " (Matthew 2:1-2). The announcements were consistent and persistent; the Christ, "the Anointed One," from heaven had come to dwell among men.
When Jesus was about thirty years of age, He arrived from Galilee at the Jordan to be immersed at the hand of John the son of Zacharias. John himself, having been sent to immerse by God, was awaiting heaven’s signal to indicate the Messiah. John’s testimony on the matter was, "He who sent me to immerse in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who immerses in the Holy Spirit’ " (John 1:33). After John immersed Jesus, as Jesus was coming up from the water, "Behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him" (Matthew 3:16). This, in the later words of the apostle Peter, was when "God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power," after which "He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him" (Acts 10:38). As David was anointed by Samuel the prophet in a declaration that he was king long before he attained the throne, so it was that Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit as a public declaration that He was King long before He took the throne.
Most of the Jews, however, were looking for a wrong kind of king. With their heads down, trudging through earth’s existence, they were looking for a physical king who would make their lot in life a little easier. "With the Romans gone, and having our own kingdom like it was in David’s day," they foolishly thought, "we can take our ease, each man under his vine and under his fig tree." When Jesus fed the 5000 with five barley loaves and two fish, some of the crowd concluded that He had the miraculous power to mow down Roman soldiers, and "they were intending to come and take Him by force, to make Him king" (John 5:15). "From the days of John the Immerser until now," was the observation of our Lord, "the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force" (Matthew 11:12). Men of the flesh were looking for an earthly king and were willing to use physical violence to achieve their purpose. For this reason, when "He came to His own … His own did not receive Him" (John 1:11).
Amidst the great stir that had begun with the Immerser, Jesus told many parables about His kingdom. Imagine the puzzled statements on the faces of men used to physical combat when the Lord would say things such as, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed …" or "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven …" (Matthew 13:31,33). When questioned closely by the Pharisees about His "supposed kingdom," as they would think of it, He answered, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21). That kind of kingdom is not one easily comprehended by natural man. When Jesus approved of Peter’s making the statement that He was the Messiah, "He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ" (Matthew 16:21); other milestones had to be passed before that announcement could be made to Israel in general. Imagine the confusion on political in-fighter Pontius Pilate’s face when he got the eventual answer to his question for Jesus, "Are You the King of the Jews?" The answer: "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm" (John 18:33,36). Pilate in astonishment then said to Jesus, "So You are a king?" Jesus affirmed the truth of that, replying, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice" (John 18:37). Having come to earth as truth-telling royalty, Jesus certainly was not like any earthly king!
But if He was a king, where was His throne? Not on earth, for while He tabernacled among men during the years following His immersion, He did not even have a place to lay His head. As He rode into Jerusalem on the donkey in accordance with prophecy, the crowds lined the way, shouting, "Hosanna to the King!" However, when He refused to come down off the cross and "save Himself," then any hopes that any of them had, including the apostles, were dashed. But there was one, who, dying himself on a nearby cross and noting the conduct of the Lord, became aware of the truthfulness of Jesus’ claims and the nature of His throne. "Jesus," he said, "remember me when You come in Your kingdom" (Luke 23:32). And for that great insight he was justified.
The Resurrected Christ
Following His bodily resurrection from the dead, Jesus continued to work with His apostles on His theme. Luke records it this way: "To these," he writes, speaking of the apostles, "He also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). But the kingdom had not yet come, and the apostles were still thinking of an earthly kingdom for the Jews. They phrased their question thusly, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). He did not answer their question directly, but did tell them to wait in Jerusalem where they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them.
Then Jesus ascended while their wondering eyes looked on. From earth’s perspective, the narrative is simple; "a cloud received Him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9). From heaven’s perspective, the greatest event in the history of the universe occurred. The prophet Daniel foresaw the blessed event: "I kept looking in the night visions," he wrote, "and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away, and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:13-14).
Buckingham Palace will never have anything which matches this. Daniel set the stage for the coronation of Jesus, describing the scene in these words: "I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; the court sat, and the books were opened" (Daniel 7:9-10). What courtiers has England that will match these of the heavenly host? What color guard can rival these myriads upon myriads? What earthly throne can compare with the blazing fiery seats of heavenly power? What a setting for the coronation of the great King!
This, then, is the first coming of Jesus. Daniel has stated, "… with the clouds of heaven, One like a Son of Man was coming," coming up to receive His kingdom. The thief recognized it, saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom."
And when did this coronation occur? It occurred on the greatest day of all eternity, the consummation of the ages, at precisely the same moment when this same Jesus was declared High Priest of the order of Melchizedek by the power of an indestructible life. Not on the cross. Not at His bodily resurrection. Not until His ascension to a throne that is in the heavens, at the right hand of the Father.
Preaching the gospel for the first time in the history of the world, the apostle Peter established easily the death of Jesus on the cross. What was more difficult to prove was the resurrection of the Lord. Quoting from Psalm 16, the apostle noted that the prophecy was of One whose flesh could abide in hope because His soul would not be abandoned to Hades, nor would He undergo decay. The first thought of many in the audience that day would be that David, the author of the psalm, was speaking of himself. Peter and the Holy Spirit forestall that argument, pointing out that David’s "tomb is with us to this day." Since David’s tomb was a visible part of Jerusalem, David’s body had obviously undergone decay, and he was not the one of whom the psalm referred. The reasoning proceeded as follows: "And so, because [David] was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants upon his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay" (Acts 2:26-31). Jesus, in simple terms, was resurrected from the dead.
Three things were present on Pentecost, 30 AD: 1) eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ resurrection; 2) verifying miracles (in this case, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles); and 3) Old Testament prophecy. "This Jesus God raised up again," stated the apostle, "to which we are all witnesses" — eyewitness accounts. "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear" — verifying miracles. "He was neither abandoned to Hades nor did His flesh suffer decay" — Old Testament prophecy (Acts 2:29-33).
But note how Peter uses the term resurrection. He does not use the word to describe the mere raising of the body of Jesus from the tomb; he says that David knew that God was going to seat one of his descendants upon his throne and because of that looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah. Resurrection here means all the way to the throne. And lest there be any doubt about the meaning, he adds that Jesus was raised up, which he defines as at the right hand of the Father.
And where is this throne? Anticipating the question again, here is the inspired answer: "For it was not David who ascended," says the apostle, "but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my lord, "Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet." ’ " The throne of David is a spiritual throne, at the right hand of the Majesty on high, and this is that to which Jesus was resurrected.
But was there an anointing in accordance with the type set forth in the Old Testament kings as the Christ took His throne? David was anointed with oil in youth by Samuel, but was anointed with oil again at Hebron in the presence of all Israel when he actually took possession of the throne. In the same way Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit at the Jordan to begin His ministry, but was anointed in heaven at the declaration that He was King. "… having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit …" is the way the Spirit Himself worded the proposition.
Having laid the premises down one by one, the apostle is now ready to reach his soaring conclusion, to present to Israel the apex of all history. "Therefore," he says, with raised voice, "let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ — this Jesus whom you crucified" (Acts 2:36). How can we emphasize this point? How can we thunder Peter’s "therefore" so that it shatters the spiritual lethargy so prreviewent in every century? The angels heralded the birth of Jesus from the womb, announcing the good news for all the people that in the city of David that day Christ the Lord was born. But it was given to Peter, with the keys of the kingdom in hand, to herald the birth of Jesus from the tomb, announcing the good news for all the people that on the throne of David, on that "great and glorious day," that Christ the Lord was the first-born from the dead!
Exhortation
The throne of God is one of the major themes of the scripture. "Heaven is My throne," spoke the Lord through His servant Isaiah, "and earth is the footstool of My feet." The question to the arrogant among men follows, "What kind of a house will you build for Me?" (Acts 7:49). As the word of God then focuses on Jesus, it will also step by step bring to the forefront the exaltation of Jesus as the Christ, the Anointed One of God, and His seating upon that throne. The writer of Hebrews posits, "When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:3). A bit further into his text he writes, "But of the Son He says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your companions’ " (Hebrews 1:8-9).
It was good news of great joy for the angels to herald the birth of Jesus from the womb; how much greater news of greatest joy is it to announce the birth of Jesus from the tomb, to describe His triumph, to paint a picture of His coronation for the nations? "Worthy are You," were the words of the saints’ song, put forth in an early vision in Revelation, "to take the book, and to break its seals, for You were slain, and did purchase for God with your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation." "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain," the praises go on, from the myriads of the heavenly host gathered about the throne, "to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever" (Revelation 5:9-13). Shall those who preach and teach diminish ought from this divinely inspired revelation? Shall they rush their hearers past this utmost in pageantry for the paltry "heart-felt needs" of mere men?
Men are not going to be brought to be disciples of Christ unless the concept of what the Christ is be brought to their attention. "Sit at My right hand," were the words of God to the Christ at His coronation. Anticipating that, Jesus made this statement, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." And it was on that basis that the great commission was given, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20).
The power of God is defined in the exaltation of Jesus as the Christ. The earnest prayer of the apostle Paul for the saints in Ephesus was that their spiritual eyes might be opened, that they might "know the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." This power was "in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come" (Ephesians 1:19-21).
Men haven’t changed in the last two thousand years, and neither has the message of God. The Lamb was slain to purchase men from every tribe and tongue, but has been exalted to the throne as King. "The King was dead," shouts the eternal host. "Long live the King!"
"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen" (1 Timothy 1:17).
Summary