King of Kings

Persepolis 1971: Party site

Knowledge Network: The Greatest Party on Earth

Watch Until March 30, 12:00am

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In 1971, the Shah of Iran celebrated 2,500 years of the Persian monarchy by throwing the greatest party known in history. Every party leaves a few hangovers. This one left a country reeling, never to recover.

Another interesting Knowledge Network documentary from Storyville. In my theological opinion, these films often highlight the depravity of humanity in a notable historical context. These films present at times a fascinating and disturbing documentary series on human nature.

This film being a documentary on the a great party thrown by the Shah of Iran at Persepolis in 1971, in celebration of 2500 years of the Persian monarchy. The story is connected to the eventual Islamic Revolution of 1979.

The Shah embraced the title King of Kings, which caught my attention.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Shāh, Old Persian Khshayathiya, title of the kings of Iran, or Persia. When compounded as shāhanshāh, it denotes “king of kings,” or emperor, a title adopted by the 20th-century Pahlavi dynasty in evocation of the ancient Persian “king of kings,” Cyrus II the Great (reigned 559–c. 529 BC). Another related title or form of address is padshāh, or “lord king.” The title shāh was also used in Afghanistan until the overturn of the monarchy in 1973 and has been used by rulers and princelings in other countries of central and southern Asia. Sometimes, as a part of a name, shāh was used by hereditary governors and heads of Ṣūfī orders. The son of a shāh is called a shāhzāda (literally “shāh son”). See also shabunder. 

Iran Chamber Society: February 28 2018

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Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi Arya Mehr and Shahanshah (King of the Kings) Mohammad Reza Shah & Empress FarahMohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (1919-80), king of Iran (1941-1979), was born in Tehran on October 26, 1919, the eldest son of Reza Shah. He completed his primary school in Switzerland. He returned to Iran in 1935, and enrolled in a Tehran military school, from which he graduated in 1938. In 1939 he married a sister of Faroq I, king of Egypt. The couple divorced in 1949. Mohammad Reza married two more times, in 1950 with Soraya Esfandiari and 1959 with Farah Diba.

This finite and eliminated from the world scene, King of Kings, contrasted with the biblical King of Kings.

Got Questions

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Question: "What does it mean that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords?" 

Answer: The phrase king of kings is used in Scripture six times. Once, the title is applied to God the Father (1 Timothy 6:15), and twice to the Lord Jesus (Revelation 17:14; 19:16). The other three (Ezra 7:12; Ezekiel 26:7; Daniel 2:37) refer to either Artaxerxes or Nebuchadnezzar, kings who used the phrase to express their absolute sovereignty over their respective realms (Persia and Babylon). The phrase lord of lords is used by itself in Scripture twice and refers to God the Father (Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalm 136:3). 

In Revelation 19:16 Jesus is given the full title “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 17:14 switches it: “Lord of lords and King of kings”). The title indicates someone who has the power to exercise absolute dominion over all His realm. In the case of the Lord Jesus, the realm is all of creation. In John’s vision, Jesus is returning to judge the world and establish His earthly kingdom, as He predicted in Mark 13:26. 

When Jesus is called “King of kings and Lord of lords,” it means that, in the end, all other rulers will be conquered or abolished, and He alone will reign supreme as King and Lord of all the earth. There is no power, no king, and no lord who can oppose Him and win. There are myriad references to this absolute rule of Jesus and His preeminence over other rulers throughout Scripture.

Mounce reasons with 17: 14 that the Lamb will overcome adversaries and is therefore Lord of lords and King of kings. (318). This is a demonstration of the sovereignty of God.

In 19: 16: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, emphasizes the universal sovereignty of Jesus Christ and God's eschatological victory over all enemies. (347). The antichrist and enemies will be destroyed. (348).

It could be stated that biblically the only true King of kings is God himself, and that includes God the Son, Jesus Christ.

MOUNCE, ROBERT H. (1990) The Book of Revelation, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Matthew 7:13-14 (MPhil & PhD Edits)

Through some research I found that I discussed Matthew 7: 13-14 in both of my British thesis degrees and also on this website in archives.

MPhil, Bangor University, 2003: The Problem of Evil: Anglican and Baptist Perspectives 

In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus stated that the majority found their way to destruction, and a minority to life, so even with the possible truth of suffering as lesson, it appears that although lessons can be learned, that most people do not come to God through these lessons in suffering. Now, if many believers in Christ grow spiritually through pain and suffering then I suppose it worthwhile nonetheless.

PhD, University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, Lampeter, 2010: Theodicy and Practical Theology 

In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus uses an illustration relating to the ultimate destiny of individuals and explains that few persons enter by the narrow gate, and the wide and broad way of destruction is found by many. France (2001: 146). R.T. France (2001) explains that from these verses, and the perspective of Christ, true discipleship is a minority religion. France (2001: 146). He notes that in context, the narrow way should not so much be understood to be a difficult or hard path to travel on, but rather should be viewed as a restricted path. France (2001: 147). The narrow way of Christian discipleship is restrictive, and requires a particular type of religious devotion taught further by Christ and his Apostles. France (2001: 147). Admittedly non-Christian worldviews can contain much truth.

There are many religions and religious persons in the world, but the restrictive nature of Christ’s gospel requires God to enlighten persons to what Christian tradition understands as true religion, as opposed to human attempts at religion. Within a sovereignty perspective, God will choose whom he wills to be present in his culminated Kingdom. This idea is a key aspect of sovereignty theodicy, as God’s election of some is very important in the creator overcoming the problem of evil and ultimately culminating a Kingdom.

FRANCE, R.T. (2001) Matthew, Grand Rapids, Eerdmans.

Universalism July 2007

A religion and a political kingdom

This book review continues...

WALLACE TOM Jr. (2015) Refuting Islam, The Christian Patriots Guide to Exposing the Evils of Islam, Bellingham, Fundamental Publishers.

Chapter Six: Divide and Conquer

On page 50, the author discusses dividing the religion of Islam from Shariah. Mr. Wallace states that Muhammad was building more than a religion; he was building a kingdom. (50).

A political kingdom. Islam is therefore far more than just religious (50), it is by nature very political.
The Shariah (51) also known as Shariah Law (my add), is made up of laws to govern a nation. (51).

Mr. Wallace, reasons, that Shariah should be opposed within the United States of America because Shariah would establish a religious law that would oppose the constitution of the United States of America (54-55).

The author raises a reasonable objection. But are Westernized, and in his case, Americanized, Muslims that left Islamic nations to immigrate to the West, in the majority, or even large minority, going to support the establishment of Shariah Law? Even if it was established, there is a very significant difference between Shariah for submitting Muslims, in a religious context and a forced Shariah for those that do not support Islam in a society. It is very difficult to view a scenario where immigrant Muslims have enough of the population in support to force and coerce Shariah Law as the law of the land.

Quora: Muslim support of Sharia

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2018

The research data by PEW to back up the following 2017 statistics is found at the end of this answer under Research data. 

World Muslims who want Sharia 

Basically the straight forward answer is 69.7% (call it 70%) of the world’s Muslims want Sharia Law. That is a shocking 70% of about 1.8 billion people, which is 1.26 billion Muslims, 16.8% of the world’s population of 7.5 billion.

What do we know about Muslims World-Wide that want Sharia? 

I am going to answer that via an article in the following 

UK paper of Dec 2016 (So almost 2017) pertaining to UK Muslims that want some aspect of Sharia: (SHOCK POLL: Four in ten British Muslims want some aspect of Sharia Law enforced in UK).

Four in ten is a disturbing number, but not a majority. A large minority in the United Kingdom, but not the United States of America, that is the main focus of Mr. Wallace's text.

Poll

By MACER HALL PUBLISHED: 00:01, Fri, Dec 2, 2016 | UPDATED: 13:54, Fri, Dec 2, 2016

Forty-three per cent of followers of the religion living in the country believed that parts of the Islamic legal system should replace British law while only 22 per cent opposed the idea. Researchers also found "deeply worrying" levels of belief among British Muslims in conspiracy theories such as blaming the US government or “Jews" for the 9/11 terror attacks on America.
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As I have noted previously in this review series. I will agree with Mr. Wallace that in principal, I do not philosophically support the concept of a group of people in a Western nation being ruled by their own laws. (16). In my opinion, religious rules and law should not be sanctioned by the state, but should be administered internally within the state support of freedom of religion in Western democracies.

Reasonable religious rules that is. I would not support a religion that supports a horrid practice such as human sacrifice, or is unethical.

For example,  I am a member of Northview Community Church and its second church plant, TriCity Church. If I break a rule required for membership, it is my view that for a reasonable separation of church-state, any church discipline with me should be administered via the church and not in any way by a state government. But again, I support freedom of religion via the state.

For Islam, I am opposed to state sanctioned Shariah Law, but support the right of Islam to rule internally. The modern West, unlike traditional Islam, does not have the religion-state unity and this should be maintained within Western society and law.

You'll not only lose your mind, but you'll lose your soul

Tourist Office Dublin (touristofficedublin.com)

You'll not only lose your mind, but you'll lose your soul  (Video citation).

'Sir Christopher Lee at University College Dublin, discusses rumours of his extensive occult library and black magic. You Tube, November 2011'

Amusing that the person that wrote that Mr. Lee owned 20, 000 books in regard to the occult, to some extent, may have assumed that Mr. Lee's occult based characters in films equated with Mr. Lee being obsessed with the occult. Perhaps in a way, the now late, Mr. Lee was a victim of his own acting excellence with acting roles involving the occult. Mr. Lee from this video source and some other sources online, very well may have had a Christian worldview.

A philosophical lesson here is not to assume that someone that presents a fictional worldview (s), is also embracing that fictional worldview (s) in a non-fiction context, such as the story of Mr. Lee's life. A fictional portrayal does not equate necessarily with an actual worldview in reality. Nor should it be assumed that someone that owns a few books on the occult, and may find them intellectually interesting, embraces the occult as worldview.

I own very few books on the occult, for educational purposes, as I do study religious studies and philosophy. I am by no means an expert on the occult. My friendly neighbour, Walter Thomas Franklin, gave me some of them, probably largely to get disturbing images within the texts out of his house. I neither embrace the books nor the worldview.

Interestingly, I was chatting last Sunday, with a very committed Christian brother and actor at church, that has done local church performances. He is acting in a horror film...

'Sir Christopher Lee at University College Dublin, discusses rumours of his extensive occult library and black magic. You Tube, November 2011'

Via my neighbour

MATTHEWS, RUPERT (ed.) PAUL ROLAND, KAREN FARRINGTON, LUCY DONCASTER, ANDREW HOLLAND, (2009) The Encyclopedia of the Paranormal, London, Arcturus.