In this series, I briefly look at some very new worship songs. I’ve only become familiar with these over the last few years. Before that, for me, “modern” meant anytime between the 1970s and 1990s 😃. I do cherish the older hymns, such as those written by Charles Wesley, but I try to maintain an interest in all Christian music – and in secular music.
The song was released in 2019. It’s heavily based on Scripture, particularly the books of Luke and Acts.
I first heard the expression “King of Kings” when I was introduced to Handel’s Messiah in school when I was about 8 years old. And then, many years later, I started finding the phrase in the Bible, especially in the book of Revelation. I always find Bible Gateway useful for looking up verses and phrases. It gave me six results.
- Ezra 7:12 – Here it’s used in a letter from the Persian king, Artaxerxes, who refers to himself as king of kings. He ruled the Achaemenid Empire from 465 to 424 BCE.
- Ezekiel 26:7 and Daniel 2:37 Here it refers to the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar.
- 1 Timothy 6:15 Here it refers to God the Father.
And then, in Revelation, the phrase is referred to God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, twice:
Revelation 17:14
They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
Revelation 19:16
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.
The Hallelujah chorus from Handel’s Messiah is based on Revelation 19 and Revelation 11.
Revelation 11:15
“The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”
Phrases such as King of Kings and Lord of Lords clearly have a much deeper meaning when applied to God than when applied to humans. Human emperors are often deposed, and even if they manage to continue, they die. And their empires eventually fade.
In contrast, God reigns forever and ever. Sometimes glorious titles are used of the Father, sometimes of the Son, but both are God, as is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit encourages and inspires us to worship. I see no explicit examples of people worshipping the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, but he is placed on an equal footing with the Father and the Son:
Matthew 28:19
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 13:14
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
Ephesians 4:4-6
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
So that’s why you sometimes hear hymns addressed to the Holy Spirit, such as Come Down O Love Divine. But it’s all praise to God really. God is One.
Getting back to the King of Kings song, the lyrics are displayed in the video and on the WorshipTogether.com site.
- Verse 1 focuses on the incarnation, the coming of the Son of God into the world:
From a throne of endless glory to a cradle in the dirt - Verse 2 focuses on the cross. Jesus endured it, knowing what it would accomplish.
- Verse 3 focuses on the resurrection.
- Verse 4 focuses on the birth of the New Testament church and the relevance of the gospel to us today.
- The chorus praises all three members of the Trinity.
In my day (the 1980s 😃) people often criticize modern songs because they weren’t particularly rich theologically. Perhaps they were right, but King of Kings does a decent job at presenting the content of the New Testament in a concise form. It’s much richer than some of the 1970s and 1980s choruses.
What other hymns focus on the King of Kings? Here are a few examples:
Hibernia Gospel 