SABBATH THOUGHT 2025-09-27—CROWNS & WREATHS

May God bless you on His Sabbath day!

The events of the Day of Trumpets are incredibly diverse. They portray everything from worldwide destruction and death to the glorious return of Jesus Christ. Regarding His return, the vision of John begins with a long and loud trumpet blast in heaven that is heard around the world. Then a King appears, possessing unprecedented POWER and AUTHORITY and GLORY[1], appointed by the Most High God to take vengeance upon the wicked[2] and destroy them in the flaming fire of His wrath. This King is like no other ever in the history of the world for He bears the sword of the Word of God. His eyes are ablaze with fury as He leaves the Temple of the Almighty God in Mount Zion on a white warhorse. The vast host of the heavenly armies on white horses accompanied Him and they descend to this earth upon pure white clouds of heaven. The sheer power and wrath of this King of Heaven and Earth proceeds forth as a visible whirlwind of fire and smoke that turns the sun black and the moon to blood, causes the stars flee from His presence, and the heavens to quake. His coming causes the earth to tremble and move out of its place. The fire and smoke of His fury roils before Him, melting the strength and courage of all flesh and blood with the sheer terror of His awesome sight. He is clothed with a royal vesture dipped in blood and is crowned with MANY crowns.[3] His names are Son of God, Messiah, Lamb of God, Savior, Alpha and Omega[4], Lord of lords, and King of kings!

Perhaps this fantastic vision inspired the beautiful and moving hymn “Crown Him with Many Crowns” written in 1851 by Matthew Bridges and Godfrey Thring. Each verse is a proclamation of the crowns worn by Jesus The Christ:

• Crown Him with many crowns!           • Crown him the Son of God!

• Crown Him the Lord of love!               • Crown him the Lord of light!

• Crown him the Lord of peace!             • Crown Him the Lord of life!

• Crown him the Lord of heaven!           • Crown Him the Lord of lords!

After His resurrection, Jesus Christ returned to heaven and received a kingdom from His Father[5]. Since then, He has been preparing to return and gather the saints. His return will be announced by the Seventh Trumpet and all the earth will see the One[6] crowned by God as LORD of lords and KING of kings[7] with all authority in heaven and earth[8]!

Crowns are associated with kings and officials in the Old Testament including the high priest (Exodus 29:6; 39:30), Saul (2 Samuel 1:10), the king of Rabbah (2 Samuel 12:30), Joash (2 Kings 11:12), Vashti (Esther 1:11), and Mordecai (Esther 8:15) to name a few. However, not all crowns are the same.

There are several different Hebrew words that are translated crown. The high priest and kings of Israel wore a nezer (H5145), which is like a chaplet (wreath). In the case of the high priest, the chaplet was worn on top of the miter[9]. Then there is a kether (H3804), a diadem used exclusively of the royal crowns worn in the court of Ahasuerus, including Vashti and Esther[10]. General references to other crowns include `atarah (H5850) and tsaniyph (H6797)[11], both of which mean crown but are vague about the design.

However, this is not the case in the New Testament. There are only two Greek words translated crown, the most common of which is stephanos (G4735). The root of this word is to twine or wreathe. It was used as “a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor”. Specifically, stephanos is a chaplet or wreath, it is NOT a diadem or royal crown. Each of the twenty four elders sitting on thrones around the throne of God wear a stephanos or wreath[12]. Similarly, a wreath is given to the saints, not a crown:

2 TIMOTHY 4:8 Finally, there is laid up for me [Paul] the crown [G4735 = stephanos = wreath] of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

JAMES 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown [G4735 = stephanos = wreath] of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

1 PETER 5:4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown [G4735 = stephanos = wreath] of glory that does not fade away.

REVELATION 2:10 … Be faithful until death, and I [Jesus Christ] will give you the crown [G4735 = stephanos = wreath] of life.

Wreaths are given to honor those who are VICTORIOUS, oftentimes in battle. Wreaths are given to the saints who overcame temptation and sin:

2 CORINTHIANS 10:3-4 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to [avenge] all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

The battle of the saints is waged against everything that EXALTS ITSELF AGAINST GOD! It is a victory against all odds because the strength of the enemy is far beyond flesh and blood. But those who are victorious are not given crowns (diadems) because those are only worn by royal kings. Even John’s vision in Revelation 12 recorded The Woman, who portrays the ekklesia, wearing a wreath. The saints will be kings in the Kingdom of God (Rev. 1:6) but they will be adorned with wreaths because there is only one King who is worthy of a crown and the saints are only victorious through Him.

Evidence of the distinction between wreaths and crowns is in the other Greek word—diadema—from which we get the English word diadem. A diadem is a jeweled crown that symbolizes sovereignty; that is, a royal crown is only worn by a king with supreme power[13]. This contrasts a wreath, which is given to honor the victors of battles or contests. The Greek word diadema is only used three times in the Bible. The first is the crowns worn by Jesus Christ:

REVELATION 19:11-13 Now I [John] saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns [diadema]. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

Jesus Christ will return wearing many diadems or crowns. This shouldn’t come as any surprise because Jesus Christ is the King above ALL other kings. However, there are two others that also wear crowns (diadems). The first is Satan:

REVELATION 12:3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon [epithet of Satan—v. 9] having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems [crowns] on his heads.

The third and last diadema is mentioned in Revelation 13:1-2:

REVELATION 13:1-2 Then I [John] stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns [diadema], and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

The Beast That Rises Out of the Sea also wears crowns (diadems) and his power and authority are from Satan. It is appalling that Satan and the Beast dare to wear crowns that symbolize royal authority and sovereignty in the same manner as Jesus Christ. But then it is not surprising since Satan once bragged, “I will be like the Most High.”[14] To fully grasp the extent of Satan’s ambitions, notice the final temptation of Jesus Christ:

MATTHEW 4:8-11 Again, the devil took Him [Jesus Christ] up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ “ 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

There is no GREATER BLASPHEMY than for Satan to demand obeisance from his Creator. In his prideful arrogance, Satan elevated Himself above Jesus Christ, the Son of God! Wearing a crown is evidence that Satan desired to be equal to God (at least in authority over the angels). Similarly, then, the Beast wants to be to Satan like Jesus Christ is to God. It is no wonder that the demand by Satan to worship him angered Jesus who responded by demanding that he leave. This was no polite request. In the KJV, it is translated stronger as “Get thee hence.” However, the Greek includes the sublety of to sink out of sight. Basically, Jesus told Him to go crawl back into his hole. There is no one WORTHY to wear a diadem except Jesus Christ—only He was given supreme authority and power by God Most High. This is why the saints will be given wreaths for their victory over death, not diadems.

However, there is another reason that Jesus Christ is the true bearer of the regal crown. The etymology of the Greek word diadema is a compound of dia and deo. Individually, these words mean through and bind, respectively. The compound of these words produces a meaning of “through binding.” But binding has several meanings and one is “to be betrothed, to pledge, or to give oneself in marriage.” In other words Jesus Christ wears a crown that is not just a symbol of royal authority and power; it symbolizes Him as the Husband of the saints!

REVELATION 19:7-9 “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him [God the Father] glory, for the marriage of the Lamb [Jesus Christ] has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me [John], “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ “ And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

Jesus Christ is Lord of lords and King of kings and His bride of saints, will be joined to Him in marriage because He alone wears the DIADEM of royalty, authority, power, and the Husband bound to the saints. God chose for His Son a marriage through binding to a bride that has made Herself ready[15]. He is the only and true King and Husband of saints, crowned by the Most High Great God Almighty!

REVELATION 15:2-3 And I [John] saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. 3 They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!

Trumpets is the return of the King of kings crowned with many crowns to fulfill our joy! Jesus is the Son of God, the Lamb of God, and Husband of the saints! Let all the earth sing, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”[16]

May God’s grace and peace be upon you!

Steven Greene

https://sabbathreflections.org

sabbathreflections@gmail.com

CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS

Mormon Tabernacle Choir 2022—https://youtu.be/vyW5rEP7b3Q

 

Crown Him with many crowns,

  the Lamb upon His throne,

Hark! How the heav’nly anthem drowns

  all music but its own!

Awake, my soul, and sing

  of Him who died for thee,

And hail Him as thy matchless King

  thro’ all eternity.

 

Crown Him the Lord of life!

  Who triumphed o’er the grave,

And rose victorious in the strife,

  for those He came to save.

His glories now we sing,

  who died and rose on high,

Who died eternal life to bring,

  and lives that death may die.

 

Crown him the Lord of peace!

  Whose power a scepter sways,

From pole to pole, that wars may cease,

  And all be prayer and praise:

his reign shall know no end,

  And round his pierced feet

Fair flowers of paradise extend,

  Their fragrance ever sweet.

 

Crown Him the Lord of love:

  behold His hands and side,

Those wounds yet visible above,

  in beauty glorified.

All hail Redeemer hail,

  For thou has died for me.

All praise and glory shall not fail,

  For all eternity.

All praise and glory shall not fail,

  For all eternity.