Name of God - Basileus Basileon: King of King
Basileus Basileon: King of Kings
Daily Verse: “And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
☆ Revelation 19:16 HCSB
Let's Talk About It: If you have attended church services in your lifetime; even if you’re just a seasonal attendee going only during major holidays, more than likely you have heard this being said about our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ.
Today’s Name of God may look familiar to you. Last week, we went over a name of God that shared the same root word. Paul used it in an Epistle to Timothy as describing God to be King Eternal. In today’s name, we see John the Beloved telling us, in the Book of Revelation, what he saw on the robe and thigh of Jesus. This is extremely significant and should not be taken lightly.
In many of the names, we can see they are derived from personal experiences or first hand accounts of the amazing and miraculous things done by God. Here, we see the Lord Himself proclaiming this name. Let’s just pause for a second and let this sink in, allowing the Holy Spirit to impart some truths into our spirit.
Before going deeper, let’s recap on the name itself. Basileus (bas-il-yooce’) Basileon (bas-il-yōn’) in the Greek Strong’s Dictionary, means through the notion of a foundation of power; a sovereign king (abstractly, relatively, or figuratively).
The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines king as someone or something having power, authority, or influence; a master or ruler. John is saying Jesus is the King of all kings. Let’s go deeper into and dissect this name by establishing the truths and legitimacy of this title/name. One becomes king through display of superior power, born into the position, or in the rarest of times, chosen by the people. The child(ren) of the king is known as having an inheritance to the throne and is recognized as royalty amongst ALL.
Can you guess which ones Jesus checked off? Besides in the rarest of occasions, only a king can make/establish another king (Isaiah 40:10; 1 Samuel 12:12-15). In 1 Samuel, for example, God gave the Israelites a king. Paraphrasing, He said I gave you the king you asked for, but you fear, worship, and obey me. If not, I will make things very bad for you and your king.
By being the Creator of all creation, that alone makes God, King. He proclaims the title throughout Scripture, from beginning (Genesis) to the end (Revelation). When it comes to demonstration of power, like parting a sea, healing the sick, creating something into existence without reference, or even causing a flood to cover the entire planet, the ability to resurrect the dead is mic dropping’ power. For those skeptics who may say the Kingship is God’s alone and not Jesus’, I’m going to do a little preview into some apologetics we will be doing soon.
God is a triune being, comprised of three equally divine Persons – God the Father, God the Son (Word), and God the Holy Spirit. John 1:1 tells us the Word (Jesus) is God. John 1:14 confirms who the Word is. Genesis 1:26 also lets us know, when studying it out, that He is a triune being, when God says, …”Let Us.” In Who’s name are we to Baptize someone? The answer is all three. I believe since God, in His infinite wisdom, foreseen the possibility of skeptics challenging the legitimacy of Jesus’ title, that He purposely orchestrated Jesus’ birth the way He did, to combat against their argument (along with many other reasons).
King David was told that his descendent will forever be on the throne. Jesus is a descendent of King David. According to “king rules”, that entitles Jesus to the throne. Being that He died and was resurrected, He will always be on the throne and shows great power. He is not only the King of all things created, by being the Creator, He is also King of the world, through birth. Jesus’ earthly lineage is from God’s chosen people. We, as believers are grafted (adopted) into this family.
I can’t help but to smile every time I read or think about that. We, as believers and followers of Christ, are God’s children (John 1:12; 1 John 3:1). That means you and I are royalty and co-heirs. We are kings and queens of The Most High. Through the sacrifice, mercy, and grace of King Jesus along with our belief in Him, we receive the honor of being called God’s children. That makes us royalty (1 Peter 2:7; 9-10). It makes us children of Basileus Basileon… the King of Kings! As it is done on earth, all who stand before the King will bow and show reverence (Isaiah 45:23; Philippians 2:10). – Kevin