Return to Index.

God is Sovereign
February 7, 2026

Last week we considered the merciful nature of God and read where the mercy seat was the name of the throne of God. God wanted mercy to be connected to Him and His throne. Sometimes overlooked in the idea of God’s throne is the understanding that God is in charge, God is sovereign. God is sovereign, period. With God as sovereign, the Kingdom of God will not be a constitutional monarchy like we might find throughout our world today. With God as sovereign, the Kingdom of God will not be a democracy or republic like we might find throughout our world today. The Kingdom of God as Jesus described is a kingdom that is not of this world and will reflect the righteousness of God. God used the concept of the mercy seat to introduce to mankind His throne, the throne from which He rules in righteousness.

As a merciful God, God is sovereign and rules with the greatest of all majesty, because everything we know in the world around us and the universe beyond belongs to God, and God is exalted as head above all. Through God comes riches and honor and God reigns above all. We all live in a nation and have a Christian responsibility to obey the laws of our country wherever we may live, and spiritually, we all have a King Who is sovereign Whose Kingdom is not of this world. God is King who rules with majesty and rules from the mercy seat. God, our Father in Heaven, Who has all power and might, Who has the absolute right to make great and give strength to all, as sovereign rules from the mercy seat.

1 Chronicles 29:10-13
Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

The Kingdom of God is a Kingdom that is not of this world, and we think of God as God in Heaven. Yet, Jehoshaphat, a king of Judah, told the people of Judah and Jerusalem that God was God of all including people who did not believe. He told them nobody was powerful enough to withstand God, and that it was God who gave the land as promised to Abraham and his descendants, and that it was God who through mercy would hear the cries of the people for help.

2 Chronicles 20:5-9
And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend forever? And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, for thy name is in this house, and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

In the Psalms, we can read of God’s sovereignty. We can see that God’s throne will never come to an end and that the scepter of the Kingdom of God is the right scepter, signifying that God rules with righteousness. God’s majesty comes not through the pomp and circumstance we might associate with leaders today but comes through truth, meekness, and righteousness.

Psalm 45:1-8
My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee forever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee. Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.

In another psalm, God is clearly identified as a great King over the entire planet, though He is focused on the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As a great King of the planet, God is worthy of praise knowing that He rules from the throne of holiness.

Psalm 47:1-8
O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah. God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.

God’s throne is an everlasting throne. There will be no end to God’s sovereignty. With God it makes no difference what is happening on earth or in the universe. God’s sovereignty will continue. There is nothing that will happen on earth that would ever challenge His sovereignty, and there is nothing that will happen in heaven that will challenge His sovereignty. Even when Lucifer rebelled against God, there was never a question that God’s sovereignty would continue.

Psalm 93:1-5
The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved. Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, forever.

God’s throne is established in heaven, and it is established with everlasting mercy for those who respect Him. From the beginning God knew people whom He would call would from time to time come up short and need mercy. That mercy extends to those who keep the covenants between God and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who also remember and do what is expected by the commandments of God. Similarly, God’s righteousness blesses the grandchildren of these people. God is sovereign and rules with mercy and righteousness.

Psalm 103:13-22
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.

Much like a monarch will have subjects come before their throne, God has spiritual subjects come before his throne. For the present, the people of God on Earth come before His throne in prayer, but the spirit world from time to time comes before the throne of God, including those who have rebelled. It takes great confidence to allow rebels before one’s throne. God knows His throne is established forever. The Book of Job shows us that even Satan came before God to present himself to God, and a discussion about Job occurred. From this interaction, we can see God firmly in control as what Satan could do to Job is limited by Him.

Job 1:6-12
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

In Isaiah we can see how Lucifer went from being an angel of light to an angel of darkness. It all began when Lucifer saw himself being better than everything else created by God, even though Lucifer was created by God just like all the other angels. Lucifer also saw himself as being equal to God even though he was created by Him. We know Satan was not successful in his attempt to overthrow God and that God’s sovereignty will continue forever.

Isaiah 14:12-16
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

From Isaiah we can also see that God’s throne is established in mercy, based on truth, establishes judgment and justice, and leads to righteousness.

Isaiah 16:1-5
Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion. For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon. Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth. Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land. And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.

God is King of Israel and the entire planet. We see how as King, God intervened and brought down the ruling class of Babylon for the sake of Israel. We may never know all the ways how God intervenes in our life today, but as God intervened in Babylon for the sake of Israel, God will intervene in the lives of those who are called by His name today.

Isaiah 43:8-15
Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God. Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.

We can see God describing heaven as the throne of God and Earth as God’s footstool to show how much greater God is than man, because both heaven and Earth were made by God. We can also see that who God wants before His throne is a person who is of a poor and contrite spirit, who trembles at the word of God.

Isaiah 66:1-2
Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Jeremiah also speaks of God’s throne and shows at a future time Jerusalem will be called the throne of God. It is at this time Israel returns to God Who offers mercy and requires that their sins be acknowledge before Him. In addition to the sins that all people face, Israel was called out for scattering their ways to the strangers not obeying the voice of God. Part of Israel’s sin and the reason they went into captivity and to this day mostly cannot be found is that they did what the nations around them did instead of doing what God expected.

Jeremiah 3:12-18
Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger forever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.

Lamentations speaks to the struggles of Israel in captivity as they recall what they once had with God. They lost just about everything. What they once had now was controlled by other countries. Instead of being a land flowing with milk and honey, their land had become a land reliant on imports from other nations for even basic things like food and water. Israel had become so insignificant to these other nations that lower level bureaucrats were used to manage Israel's affairs. The food they had was so scarce it was like every morsel of food was a battle. Famine set in changing the appearance of the people, and those most vulnerable were savagely oppressed. How things had been, was no more. Instead of opportunities created by a land flowing with milk and honey, all that would await the next generation was a life of hardship. What brought the people joy and showed success could not be found. Places that once bustled with prosperity now became the playground for wildlife. While this change came because of the sin of the people, God’s throne endures from generation to generation. Ideally God’s throne endures and God’s people benefit from doing what God expects, and God’s throne also endures when people reject God.

Lamentations 5:1-22
Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach. Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows. We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us. Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest. We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread. Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities. Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand. We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness. Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine. They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah. Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured. They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood. The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their musick. The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning. The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned! For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim. Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it. Thou, O Lord, remainest forever; thy throne from generation to generation. Wherefore dost thou forget us forever, and forsake us so long time? Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old. But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.

Ezekiel shows us that in the heavens was a likeness of a throne, which had the color of a sapphire. Near the throne were incredible angelic beings with wings, and Ezekiel describes a terrible crystal that stretches over their heads. The voice of God could be heard and near the throne it was brightly lit up, like it was on fire.

Ezekiel 1:22-27
And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above. And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: everyone had two, which covered on this side, and everyone had two, which covered on that side, their bodies. And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings. And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings. And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

That vision is repeated in a later chapter in Ezekiel and in this later account we see a vision of wheels near cherubs and coals of fire which are ready to be cast over the city. Again sapphires are used to describe God’s throne. God’s glory filled this area with brightness and light.

Ezekiel 10:1-7
Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight. Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory. And the sound of the cherubims' wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh. And it came to pass, that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels. And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen: who took it, and went out.

Much later in time, Paul wrote to the Colossians. He reminded them of their faith in Jesus Christ and the hope they had of eternal life. He also expressed confidence in Epaphras who was their faithful minister. He showed the need to continue to grow in the spirit and to walk worthy, to do what was expected of them by God and Jesus Christ. He wanted them to know all about God, and to use that knowledge as a source of power in their spiritual development, knowing they were called from the darkness of this world to the light of the Kingdom of God. Paul explained that God created all things, including nations and their leaders, and that shows incredible power and the absolute sovereignty of God.

Colossians 1:3-18
We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

As Christians who have faith in Jesus Christ and who have access to eternal life through His death and resurrection, we know that in the beginning the Word was with God and was God, and that all things were made by the Word.

John 1:1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

John shows us the Word was made flesh and lived among people as the only begotten child of God in the form of the person we call Jesus Christ. It is through Jesus Christ we have access to God and the throne of God.

John 1:14-18
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

In other books of the Bible we can see that the throne of God has space for two, our Father in Heaven, and the Word who became Jesus Christ. Hebrews shows that while previously God mostly used prophets to talk to the people that with Jesus Christ, it was through Jesus Christ that God talked to the people. After His resurrection and after he paid for our sins, Jesus Christ sat down at the right hand of God.

Hebrews 1:1-4
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Prophecy shows Jesus Christ will return to affirm the sovereignty of God on Earth, and when He returns, Jesus Christ will be the King of kings, and the Lord of lords.

Revelation 19:11-16
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND Lord OF LORDS.

When the Kingdom of God is established on earth and when New Jerusalem descends from heaven the throne of God will still have two seats, one for God and the other for Jesus Christ . This throne will be lit up with the righteousness of God and flowing from the throne of God and Jesus Christ will be a river with the tree of life growing on either side of the river.

Revelation 22:1-5
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever.

To be part of that future kingdom, we need to do what is expected of us by God and Jesus Christ. Instead of living our lives aligned to what this world would have us do, we will live our lives aligned to what God would have us do. We will seek God’s righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness. We will spiritually fight for eternal life, and we will never give up on that quest. While we might come up short and sin due to human weakness, we will fight to get sin out of our lives, knowing that both God and Jesus Christ have thrones, and knowing that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords.

1 Timothy 6:11-16
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

God is Sovereign and reigning with God is Jesus Christ Who in the beginning was the Word. All things were created by the Word and when the Kingdom of God is announced on Earth, It will be Jesus Christ who returns as King of kings and Lord of lords. As sovereign, both God our Father and Jesus Christ expect us to do what is necessary for salvation, and they have that expectation not as a cruel sovereign that delights in the weakness of people, but as a merciful sovereign that seeks eternal life for all.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
Copyright and Legal Information
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information