Potentate

….He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

1 Timothy 6:15

Potentate – now that is a word that you don’t hear much anymore. In fact, it’s almost gone out of use altogether. A hundred years ago, Russia had its Czar, Germany had its Kaiser, and the Ottoman Empire had its Sultan. The world had very potent leaders that answered to no one; they were potentates.

Dictators are still around today, but it’s not the same. They usually rise to power by rallying the masses to revolution; then they also have to appease the same or they’ll fall victim to a new regime change led by new revolutionaries.

Potentates throughout the centuries brought fear and terror to those who were oppressed by them, as well as neighboring nations who were forced to pay tribute. These absolute rulers fared sumptuously, lived in palaces, and were envied by 99.9999% of their subjects.

Christ certainly will have unlimited power in His millennial kingdom. After that, He’ll become Emperor of the Universe for eternity. His authority will exceed everything that all earthly potentates ever obtained. But the Savior is no despot.

Jesus is the blessed Potentate. Instead of oppressing His people and siphoning their wealth for Himself, He serves them, saves them, and brings them increase. Christ will finally become the benevolent dictator that humanity always longed for but never received.

He’s also the only Potentate. There will be no political opposition, nor wars of aggression, nor power grabs of lesser kingdoms. The King of kings and Lord of lords will be the Supreme Commander of everything that really matters. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is the blessed and only potentate.