Our Shepherd and King

The reign of Christ began after his death and resurrection, and since then, he has been guiding the nations to the New Jerusalem.

The Book of Revelation assures the seven congregations of Asia that Jesus reigns and events are under his control, despite how things may appear. The sovereignty of the Son of God is based on his death and resurrection. His authority is absolute, including even the realm of death.

However, Jesus is a king like no other. The nature of his reign is radically different from the political systems of the existing world order. He is not a warrior-king like Saul or a bloodthirsty tyrant. Instead, like David of old, he is a shepherd, and he governs the nations and peoples of the Earth accordingly.

[Shepherd - Photo by Alberto Bigoni (Bergamo) on Unsplash]

The Messiah of Israel reigns over all nations and peoples, but he does so as the “Shepherd of the Nations,” and he guides nations, peoples, and kings of the Earth to the Holy City, New Jerusalem:

• “For the Lamb that is in the middle of the throne WILL BE THEIR SHEPHERD, and he will guide them to FOUNTAINS OF LIVING WATERS. And GOD WILL WIPE AWAY EVERY TEAR FROM THEIR EYES” – (Revelation 7:17. Note the allusions to Isaiah 25:8, 40:11, 49:10).

• “And the city has no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine upon it, for the glory of God illuminates it, and the city’s lamp is the Lamb. And the nations will walk in the light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into the city” – (Revelation 21:23-24).

Ever since the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus, his kingdom has been advancing across the Earth. Christ is the chief prince, the ruler of the kings and nations of the Earth, and he holds full authority over history, life, the Cosmos, and death:

• “Jesus Christ, THE FAITHFUL WITNESS, THE FIRSTBORN OF THE DEAD, and THE RULER OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH. Unto him who loves us and loosed us from our sins by his blood. And he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests for his God and Father” - (Revelation 1:5-6. Note the verbal allusions to Psalm 89:27 and 89:37. Compare Psalm 2:6-8).

• “Fear not! I am the first and the last, and the Living One. And I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HADES” - (Revelation 1:17-18. Compare Isaiah 22:22, Hosea 13:14, Revelation 3:7, 6:8, 20:13).

The Second Psalm is applied to Christ several times in Revelation, a messianic Psalm used frequently in the New Testament to identify Jesus as the Messiah of Israel. The passage is used in Revelation to portray Jesus as the shepherd-king who guides the nations and the people of God to everlasting life:

• “But I have been made king by him on Zion, his holy mountain, declaring the ordinance of the Lord. The Lord said to me, You are my son. This day, I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession. You will shepherd [‘poimainô’] them with a rod of iron, you will dash them in pieces as a potter's vessel” - (Psalm 2:6-9. Cited from the Septuagint version).

• “And out of his mouth proceeds a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations. And he will shepherd them [‘poimainô’] with a rod of iron” - (Revelation 19:15).

Jesus gave his “faithful witness” in his death, and he became “the firstborn from the dead” through his resurrection. He freed us from our sins by his sacrifice and made us a priestly kingdom to serve God and testify before the nations- (Revelation 1:4-6, 5:6-12, 2:13 [“Antipas, my faithful witness”]).

When John saw the sealed scroll in Chapter 5, he wept bitterly because no one could be found who was worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. However, he was commanded to cease weeping, because:

• “The LION FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, the ROOT OF DAVID, overcame to open the scroll and its seals” – (Revelation 5:6. Compare Genesis 49:10, Isaiah 11:10).

This is what John heard. However, when he looked, instead of a lion, he saw a sacrificial Lamb. Jesus is the messianic lion, but it is the Lamb who fulfills this role. Christ did not come to slay his enemies but to redeem men, kings, and nations. According to the Second Psalm, his domain includes the nations of Earth - (Psalm 2:8. Compare Daniel 7:14 [“And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and tongues should serve him”]).

It is the Lamb “slain from the foundation of the world” who is shepherding the nations. The Book of Revelation follows the text of the Greek Septuagint version of Psalm 2:9, which translates the Hebrew term for “rule” with the Greek verb for “shepherd” or ‘poimainô’ (ποιμαινω). Jesus does not subjugate the nations using force and violence. Like a shepherd with his flock, he leads them gently to places of safety – (Revelation 13:8).

THE SHEPHERD REIGNS

In Chapter 12, the Messianic Son was “caught up to God and his Throne” before the Dragon could destroy him. The same reality was portrayed in Chapter 5 when the Lamb appeared before the throne following his death. The Dragon failed to stop the exaltation of Jesus, and instead, the Devil was defeated by the victorious Lamb:

• “And SHE WAS DELIVERED OF A SON, A MALE, who is TO SHEPHERD [‘poimainô’] THE NATIONS WITH A ROD OF IRON. And her child was caught up to God and to his throne. <…> And the great dragon was cast down, THE OLD SERPENT, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole habitable earth; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him” – (Revelation 12:5-10. Note the verbal allusions to Genesis 3:1-4, Psalm 2:9, Isaiah 66:7, Daniel 7:14).

The Devil was overthrown by the death, resurrection, and exaltation of the Son. Therefore, there is no limit to Christ’s present authority, and he is rightly called the Ruler of kings and the Shepherd of nations.

In Revelation 19:11-16, the Messianic figure who rides the white horse brandishes a “sharp sword from his mouth with which he strikes the nations. He will shepherd [‘poimainô’] the nations with a rod of iron.” The same words from the Second Psalm are applied again, and once more, the Greek verb for “shepherd” is applied to the work of the Risen Christ.

In Chapter 21, John sees New Jerusalem descending to Earth. The dimensions of the city are impossibly large because God has designed it to be inhabited by an innumerable multitude of men and women from every nation, and kings and nations are included in the redeemed multitude because the Great Shepherd of the Sheep has guided them to the Holy City.

• “After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude that no man could number from every NATION AND TRIBE AND PEOPLE AND TONGUE standing before the throne and before the Lamb, ARRAYED IN WHITE ROBES, and PALMS IN THEIR HANDS. <…> These are they who come out of THE GREAT TRIBULATION, and they WASHED THEIR ROBES, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God, and they render divine service to him day and night in his sanctuary. And he who sits on the throne WILL SPREAD HIS TENT OVER THEM. THEY WILL NOT HUNGER ANY LONGER, NEITHER THIRST ANY MORE. NEITHER WILL THE SUN STRIKE UPON THEM, nor any heat. For the Lamb who is in the middle of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will lead them to FOUNTAINS OF LIVING WATERS. And God will WIPE AWAY EVERY TEAR FROM THEIR EYES” – (Revelation 7:9-17. Note the several verbal allusions: Exodus 19:10-14, Leviticus 6:10, 23-40, Psalm 121:6, Isaiah 4:5-6, 25:8, 49:10, Daniel 7:14, 12:1).

• “And I saw no sanctuary in the city, for the Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its sanctuary. And the city has NO NEED OF THE SUN, NEITHER OF THE MOON, to shine upon it, for THE GLORY OF GOD ILLUMINATES IT, and the city’s lamp is the Lamb. And THE NATIONS WILL WALK IN THE LIGHT, and THE KINGS OF THE EARTH WILL BRING THEIR GLORY into the city.  And THE GATES WILL NEVER BE SHUT BY DAY, for night will be no longer. And they will bring the glory and the honour of the nations into the city” – (Revelation 21:22-26. Note the allusions to Isaiah 60:3, 60:11, 60:19).

Countless men and women will worship before the Lamb in New Jerusalem. And this is because the priestly members of Christ’s kingdom have given faithful testimony before the courts of this world. They “overcame the Dragon through the word of their testimony,” just as Jesus overcame through his faithful testimony. Christians who likewise overcome will reign with Jesus and also shepherd the nations – (Revelation 12:11):

• “He who overcomes, and he who keeps my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations. AND HE WILL SHEPHERD THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE SHATTERED, as I also have received of my Father” – (Revelation 2:26-27. Compare Psalm 2:9).

Jesus is the King who shepherds the nations. His only “weapon” is the sword that proceeds from his mouth, the “Word of God.” With it, he and his faithful witnesses defeat the enemies of God and call nations to worship God and the Lamb.

Moreover, Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb who “purchased by his blood” men, women, and children from every “nation, people, tribe, and tongue,” and made them a priestly kingdom – (Revelation 1:4-6. Compare Exodus 19:5-6, 1 Peter 2:5-10).

The sword wielded by the Rider on the White Horse represents the proclamation of the Gospel to peoples and kings. This is how Jesus guides the nations to the Holy City, New Jerusalem. Jesus is the “slain Lamb” and faithful witness who gave his life to redeem humanity. He is not the roaring lion who devours his prey or a tyrant who annihilates his enemies. He is the King and Shepherd of the nations.

• “Now, the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an everlasting covenant, even our Lord Jesus, make you complete in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen” – (Hebrews 13:20-21).

• “Truly, truly, I say to you: I am the shepherd of the sheep. All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If any man enters through me, he will be saved. And he will go in and go out, and he will find pasture” – (John 10:7-9).

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[Citations of Old Testament passages in this article are based on the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint (see the links here and here). Text printed in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS represents quotations and verbal allusions from the Old Testament. The Septuagint is represented by the Roman numeral for ‘seventy’ or LXX based on the Latin name of the translation, ‘Interpretatio septuaginta virorum’]

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SEE ALSO:

• The Great Day - (The arrival of Jesus will mark the end of the present world order, accomplish the resurrection of the dead, and inaugurate the New Creation)

• The Last Enemy - (The arrival of Jesus at the end of the age will result in our resurrection and the end of the last enemy, Death - 1 Corinthians 15:24-28)

• New Jerusalem Inhabited - (New Jerusalem is populated fully in fulfillment of the covenant promise to Abraham to bless all the nations – Revelation 21:24-22:5)

• Notre Berger et Roi - (Le règne du Christ a commencé après sa mort et sa résurrection, et depuis lors, il guide les nations vers la Nouvelle Jérusalem)