Lord of Lords and King of Kings

Day 360: Revelation 17:1-18

"They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” - Revelation 17:14

By the time John wrote this in the 90s AD, Rome had martyred many of Jesus’ followers. Two of the most prominent the Empire had executed were the Apostles Paul and Peter (in the 60s). 

This helps us when we read Revelation 17. We see this prostitute being pictured as Rome, spreading its gospel of sex (outside of biblical marriage), violence, and pride.

We know that Jesus is pictured as He who was, who is, and who is to come (Revelation 1:4-7).

Again, the beast is a parody of the original: It was, is not, and is to come (for judgment).

What about us?

We are associated with the Lamb, on His team, as a part of His family. He is the Lord of lords and King of kings. I love the description given for the Lamb's people (you and I included):

• Called >> We were invited to be a part of Jesus' family.

• Chosen >> We responded to that invitation by faith/trust in His sacrifice and resurrection.

• Faithful >> We will go hard for Him till death, knowing that following Jesus is the best life.

Leon Morris, in his commentary on Revelation, sends us on our way with a renewed focus on the final victory over evil: “Against such a Being the minions of the beast are in a hopeless position. With the Lamb are those who are called, chosen and faithful. These are his retinue, not his resources. They represent no independent source of aid for he needs none. Indeed, the very qualities named show that they depend on him. But they share his triumph.”