The Prophetic Title That Anticipates Christ’s Return
We know that Revelation 19:10 summarizes the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. That certainly applies to all 17 Old Testament prophetic books, which we tend to skip over. They are admittedly a bit more cryptic than the historical books.
But I have a suggested lens through which to look at the prophetic books. Given that they prophesy of Jesus (per Rev. 19:10), notice the Old Testament title of Jesus… LORD of hosts. That title is actually used 245 times (only in the Old Testament), and most of those times are in the prophets.
Consider that His Old Testament title LORD of hosts transports us past His birth, life, death and resurrection to His return — to execute vengeance, restore Jerusalem, rule the nations and dwell in glory among His people.
All this supports what we have come to realize is the theme of the Bible: Jesus Christ ruling and reigning on His throne forever. It’s where everything is heading.
In the prophetic books, you see Jesus at His first coming as a lowly servant. But then as a reigning King — and sometimes with just a comma in between! The prophets often saw His humility and His glory in the same vision without being shown the long span of time that separates those two moments. We get to see the timeline now, but for them, it was all part of one unfolding picture.
Take Zechariah 9, for example. Verse 9 gives us that familiar image: the King entering Jerusalem, lowly and riding on a donkey. That’s the Jesus of Palm Sunday. But then verse 10 turns immediately to a very different tone — this same King speaking peace to the nations, ruling from sea to sea. Same King. Two comings. No paragraph break, no change in subject. Just the flow of prophecy showing Jesus in full from Servant to Sovereign.
And wrapped all around that passage, especially in the chapters before and after Zechariah 9, is the repeated use of His title: LORD of hosts. It’s not there by accident. It’s how we’re meant to read what’s being said — with the throne in view.
With all that in mind, take a fresh look at the prophets. I’m going through Zechariah right now, and that title is used 53 times in 14 chapters! When you read the prophets with the LORD of Hosts lens, you know it’s all about the Millennial reign of Christ. It helps you get your bearings. It’s in those contexts that you will learn more truths about Jesus than you’ve never seen before. You will love it!
By the way, LORD of Hosts is not in the New Testament. That’s because in the church age we’re living in, we don’t know Him that way. Only in Revelation do we clearly see Him ruling and reigning on His throne. What is His title then? We will close with two verses:
Rev 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
R&J Shee