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Revelation 17 and 3 Maccabees 5 both use the title King of kings, based on ancient Near Eastern royal language later applied to Israel’s God. Both follow a Jewish tradition that adapts this title, once used for royalty, to emphasize divine rule.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
3 Maccabees 5:35
Deuterocanon
33 Hermon, being threatened in this unexpected and alarming manner, was troubled in his eyes, and his face fell. 34 The friends, too, stole out one by one, and dismissed the assembled multitudes to their respective occupations. 35 The Jews, having heard of these events, praised the glorious God and King of kings, because they had obtained this help, too, from him. 36 Now the king arranged another banquet in the same way, and proclaimed an invitation to mirth.
Date: 100 BCE – 70 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
Revelation 17:14
New Testament
12 The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive ruling authority as kings with the beast for one hour. 13 These kings have a single intent, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those accompanying the Lamb are the called, chosen, and faithful.” 15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. 16 The ten horns that you saw, and the beast—these will hate the prostitute and make her desolate and naked. They will consume her flesh and burn her up with fire.
Date: 92–96 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Daniel 4 is the probable background for the title since allusions to Daniel 4 and 7 occur in the context of Revelation 17:14. Perhaps the argument from word order should also be added, for the phrase 'Lord of lords and King of kings' occurs in that order in LXX Daniel 4:37. Even though Beale is correct that the title in Revelation 17:14 has its closest verbal parallel in LXX Daniel 4:37, his arguments are nevertheless problematic: (1) There is no clear evidence elsewhere in Revelation for allusions to LXX Daniel. (2) The title occurs as an address to God at the beginning of a prayer in 1 Enoch 9:4 and in a context of praise to God in LXX Daniel 4:37, i.e., in very similar contexts. (3) It is not possible to determine whether LXX Daniel 4:37 influenced 1 Enoch 9:4 or whether 1 Enoch 9:4 influenced LXX Daniel 4:37 (the date of both translations is problematic; the existence of a translation of all or part of 1 Enoch in the first century A.D. is rendered probable by the quotation of 1 Enoch 1:9 in Jude 14–15). The title 'King of kings' is also applied to Yahweh in early Jewish literature (2 Maccabees 13:4; 3 Maccabees 5:35; 1 Enoch 9:4; 63:4; 84:2; 1QM 14:16; 4Q491 = 4QMa frags. 8–10, line 13; 4Q381 = 4QNon-Canonical Psalms B frags. 76–77, line 7; Philo Spec. Leg. 1.18; Decal. 41; Testament of Moses 8:1). It is also a title for God found in the Mishnah (m. Sanh. 4:5), as is the even more comprehensive title 'King of kings of kings' (m. Avot 3:1; 4:22; Ma'aseh Merkavah 551, 552, 555, 558) ..."
David E. Aune, Word Biblical Commentary: Revelation 17-22 (Dallas: Word, 1998), 107–108.
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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