What does the phrase, “All Hail” conjure up in your mind? America doesn’t have a monarch, and the phrase isn’t part of our everyday vernacular.

So, when we sing, “All Hail King Jesus”, what do we actually mean?

“HAIL”

The English word for “hail” is a translation of the Greek word, “chairo”:

Strong's #5463: chairo (pronounced khah'-ee-ro)
a primary verb; to be "cheer"ful, i.e. calmly happy or well-off; impersonally, especially as salutation (on meeting or parting), be well:--farewell, be glad, God speed, greeting, hall, joy(- fully), rejoice.

“Hail” has since been used for centuries as a means to greet rulers and royalty with honor, allegiance, and goodwill. But our cry to “Hail King Jesus” differs from every salutation made to an earthly authority. Jesus stands alone! He is the eternal King and the living God! We are right to “hail” Jesus with all of our worship, praise, adoration, affection, and devotion.

“ALL HAIL” 

What about “All?” “…All Hail.” Well, that adds a whole new layer of meaning:

When we say, “All hail King Jesus”, we express a desire for every man, woman, and child to joyfully acknowledge and proclaim Jesus’ supreme Lordship and eternal majesty.

Author and Pastor David Platt describes it in this way:

“…He is not merely a personal Lord and Savior who is worthy of individual approval. Ultimately, Jesus is the cosmic Lord and Savior who is worthy of everyone’s eternal praise.”

THE LORD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH

Scripture assures us that, one day, all of creation will address Him in this way:  

Isaiah 45:22-23 (ESV)

22 “Turn to me and be saved,
    all the ends of the earth!
    For I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself I have sworn;
    from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
    a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
    every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

Philippians 2:9-11 (ESV)

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Revelation 5:13-14 (ESV)

13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Although this cry will sound from all of creation, the heartbreaking reality is that some will proclaim it without redemption and without eternal hope. God’s supremacy doesn’t depend on who acknowledges it. God’s supremacy is the truest reality – the strongest universal law. To quote Pastor John MacArthur, “We do not ‘make’ Christ Lord; He is Lord!”

THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD

In all of His holiness and perfect justice, this is the beckoning heart of our Lord: “[He] is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) The best news is that salvation by grace through faith is freely available right now!  

Isaiah 55:6-7 (ESV)

6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

If you have a personal relationship with Jesus, then your desire for all to hail Him springs from your own experiential knowledge of His worth. You have tasted and seen that He is good. You know Him as refuge because He has been that for you. You call Him Prince of Peace because you have been calmed and comforted by Him. He is your Savior, your Redeemer, your Shepherd, and your Great High Priest. He is Emmanuel – God with us.

The invitation for all to hail Jesus as King is an invitation to something better than we could dream or imagine!

“…His name will be the hope of all the world.” – Matthew 12:21

So, may the desire for all to hail King Jesus compel us - in this moment and each to come - to share His greatness and glory with others. May all hail King Jesus, the Lord of Heaven and Earth. May all hail King Jesus, the Savior of the World.

It can seem difficult to find peace in our current cultural landscape (let alone our global one). Maybe you can relate. Our hearts break as we read headlines and scroll through social media feeds – and even these glimpses convey only a fraction of the turmoil present in human experience. The following meditation is shared with us by FBC’s Production Director, Josh Roberts. It’s a collection of his thoughts shaped by a recent experience in prayer while gathered with other believers. Our prayer is that you’re able to slow down and let this reality profoundly comfort you: “There’s Peace in the Throne Room.”

Revelation 4: The King of the Throne Room

2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures… And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
 who was and is and is to come!”

9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”

Hebrews 4: Access to the Throne Room

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Philippians 4: Peace in the Throne Room

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

---

“Throne Room.”
Merriam-Webster says it’s “a formal audience room containing the throne of a sovereign”.
For us, it’s the presence of God.
It’s a place of honor.
In the Old Testament, it was the Holy of Holies.
Only the High Priest could enter in, once a year.
In the New Testament, Christ became our perfect High Priest,
tearing the veil so that we could enter in -
so that we could confidently
“draw near to the throne of grace”,
and “find grace to help in time of need”.

Because of Christ,
There’s not only reverance in the throne room;
there’s peace in the throne room.

There’s peace because, in Christ,
you’re not an intruder.
You’ve been welcomed in.
You have an audience with the King.
You’re not just venting to someone over coffee;
you’re speaking with the King of the Universe,
the One who alone is in control,
the One who can affect change.
(John 10:9, John 14:6, Hebrews 4:16, Ephesians 2:18, Ephesians 3:12, Hebrews 10:19, Hebrews 6:19-20)

There’s peace because, in Christ,
the King is also your Father.
There’s peace because, even though storms rage outside,
Dad’s at home. He knows what to do.
You are safe with Him.
(Isaiah 43:1-2, Mark 4:39, Psalm 62:7-8, Isaiah 41:10)

There’s peace because, in Christ,
peace is not dependent on the outcome.
Even when the answer is “no”,
He is looking out for you.
He knows what’s best.
He’s going to do what brings Him glory.
He’s going to work in your best interest.
(Philippians 4:11-13, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:6-8, Isaiah 55:8-9, Psalm 145:17)

There’s peace because, in Christ,
whether or not your circumstances are shifted,
your perspective is.
Your eyes are fixed on the One in the seat of honor and holiness.
Your problems shrink smaller in comparison to Him.
(Psalm 27:4-5, Psalm 46:1-3)

There’s peace because, in Christ,
the throne room becomes a place where your worries can go to die.
It’s a place where you concentrate the same energies
that you did in anxiety or fear,
on making your requests known to God.
It’s dwelling there.
It’s lingering there.
And somewhere in that communion,
peace comes to life in the space where worry had been before.
(Philippians 4:4-7, Isaiah 26:3)

There’s peace because, in Christ,
you’ve been invited to cast your cares upon Another.
You’ve been invited to trade a heavy burden for an easy yoke.
You’ve been invited to let your Shepherd share your load.
You’re not carrying it alone.
(Psalm 55:22, 1 Peter 5:7, Matthew 11:28-29)

There’s peace because, in Christ,
the throne room is always available to you.
And entering isn’t limited to spoken prayer.
Communion is a frame of mind.
(John 15:4, 1 Corinthians 10:31)

There’s peace because, in Christ,
we have been invited into relationship with the Sovereign King
who alone is in control, and who works all things out for the good of those who love Him.
(Romans 5:2, Romans 8:28-29)

JOSH ROBERTS | PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Josh Roberts is FBC’s Production Director. His passion at FBC is to lead his team in developing dynamic, creative environments where God is magnified, where people meet with Him, and where The Gospel is communicated without distraction. He would tell you that although he loves the technical world, at the end of the day, Production ministry is all about loving people by helping them encounter our truly glorious God.  

When he’s not in the booth mixing audio, you can find him scouting out the best barbeque around, hiking, disc golfing, or drinking coffee with his wife.