Crown of Righteousness
Here are some exciting thoughts about crowns straight from the Word of God!
“2 Timothy 4:8 – In the future, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Imagine! What would you be willing to pay in order to secure this glorious future? It would be priceless, is my estimate.
What if we were to tell you that Jesus already paid the price, and all you have to do to secure it for your future is to receive Him as your personal Lord and Savior? Romans 10:9-10 tell us how to do this. And the gift of an eternal relationship with Him and a glorious future is secured! Wow! Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Father! Thank You, Holy Spirit!!
Here are several scriptures that talk about crowns. Some are from the Old Testament – the Old Covenant – and some from the New Covenant! The Gospel! The too-good-to-be-true news of Jesus’ finished work!
Old Testament/Old Covenant:
2 Samuel 12:30 – This crown placed on David’s head was worth a lot of money! Some say a talent weighed 75 pounds. At today’s prices, over $1,900 per ounce, it would be worth a huge sum of money!
Esther 2:17 – It was the favor of God that advanced Esther. The Lord has the ability to influence even evil hearts toward those whom He favors.
Esther 6:8 – Look how God used Haman’s vanity to bring His will to pass. No one could have scripted a play better than this. The Lord knows how to deliver the godly and reserve the unjust unto judgment (2 Peter 2:9).
Psalm 8:5 – Translators were reluctant to say that man was created a little lower than God, but that is exactly what this verse is saying.
Psalm 21:3 – The Amplified Bible says, “For You send blessings of good things to meet him; You set a crown of pure gold on his head.” This is speaking of Jesus.
Psalm 65:11 – God is the One who established the earth and makes it fruitful. We should always remember that there is no “Mother Nature.” It’s Father God who causes all these things to work.
Psalm 68:21 – This verse speaks of the same God being the One who destroys His enemies.
Psalm 103:4 – It would be infinitely more than we deserve to just be redeemed from destruction. But the Lord went way beyond that. We have been crowned “with lovingkindness and tender mercies.” Thank You, Jesus.
Psalm 116:12 – I do love the Lord for His wonderful responses to my needs and prayers. But I love the Lord most of all for seeking me out and revealing Himself to me when I wasn’t pursuing Him. God took the first step toward me, not the other way around. 1 John 4:10 says, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Psalm 132:18 – Jesus is flourishing today, and all His enemies are put to shame.
Proverbs 4:9 – Oh, that people were as concerned about being ornamented with wisdom and understanding as they were with fancy hairdos and jewelry!
Proverbs 12:4 – Thank You, Jesus, for my virtuous wife! Just as a virtuous wife is like a crown to her husband.
Proverbs 16:31 – Old age for the righteous is a time of glory and honor. A life spent seeking the Lord should shine forth great wisdom and satisfaction in old age.
Proverbs 17:6 – An old man should wear the love and pride of his grandchildren like a crown. A crown displays the authority and majesty of kings. Likewise, godly children are a testimony to the godliness, wisdom, and guidance of their parents and grandparents.
Isaiah 28:5 –
Isaiah 62:3 – This verse reveals how our Father sees us. We are made accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6). God sees us through and in Jesus.
Jeremiah 13:18 – In the midst of pronouncing judgment, the Lord was offering some reprieve if they would just humble themselves. If they didn’t humble themselves, they would be humiliated. Humility is what we do; humiliation is what is done to us. Learning what humility is in God’s eyes is important.
Ezekiel 21:26 –
Zechariah 9:16 –
New Testament/New Covenant/Gospel
John 19:5 – Pilate and all these people who looked on Jesus only saw the physical man. They missed His true identity. This was God Almighty in human flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). It takes spiritual discernment to truly recognize Jesus. A day is coming when Pilate and every person who mocked Jesus will see Him as He truly is. They will rue the day they treated Him this way.
1 Corinthians 9:25 – If people agonize to obtain earthly crowns, how much more should we strive to obtain incorruptible crowns in heaven?
Philippians 4:1 – Paul addressed the Philippians twice in this verse as “dearly beloved.” In this same verse, he also called them “my joy and crown.” These terms expressed Paul’s love for these saints and showed that they were very special to him. This also revealed what Paul valued most. He wasn’t after the recognition of mankind or their awards. What gave Paul joy was to see others experience the abundant life that only God could give. All the lives that had been changed by the power of God were like a crown that he wore proudly.
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 – The New International Reader’s Version translates 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 in the following way: “What is our hope? What is our joy? When our Lord Jesus returns, what is the crown we will delight in? Isn’t it you? Yes, you are our glory and our joy.”
2 Timothy 2:5 – Athletes have to deny themselves. They also have to prepare. And they can’t just prepare in spurts. Their training has to be on purpose and consistently. Likewise, if we are going to be faithful, we have to prepare ourselves constantly, in every little detail of life.
2 Timothy 4:8 – Paul wanted to let us know that this “crown of righteousness” wasn’t for him alone. He stated, “Not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” All believers who love the Lord have crowns of righteousness waiting for them too.
James 1:12 – This verse is placing a blessing on those who go through hard times in faith. Revelation 2:10 promised this same crown of life to those who endured prison and even death for the sake of the Lord. In that passage, the Lord’s promise was to those who were faithful, even unto death. It’s speaking again of perseverance. The way we endure hardship is to keep our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
1 Peter 5:4 – .
Revelation 2:10 – Some people would think that getting a crown of life in exchange for being faithful to death isn’t a good trade. But that’s because they are shortsighted. Looking at things in the light of eternity, a crown of life, where we will live forever in the awesome glory of God, is more than enough reward for enduring physical death for the cause of Christ.
Revelation 3:11 – There is a crown of life (Rev. 2:10); crowns on the 24 elders heads (Rev. 4:10); an incorruptible crown of life (1 Cor. 9:25); a crown of righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8); a crown of life (James 1:12); and a crown of glory (1 Pet. 5:2-4).
Revelation 4:4 – These twenty-four elders completely surrounded God’s throne. There white raiment is the righteousness of the saints (Rev. 19:8).
Revelation 4:10 – Notice that these elders are casting their crowns before the Lord as they worship. The Scriptures do speak of crowns that we will receive (Jms 1:12 and Rev. 2:10). I believe that just like these twenty-four elders, we will throw our crowns down before the Lord, knowing that He is the only one who is worthy (Rev. 5:2 and 12).
Revelation 6:2 –
Revelation 9:7 –
Revelation 12:1 –
Revelation 12:3 –
Revelation 19:12 – Compare with Revelation 1:14. The Lord is going to give those who overcome a stone with a name written on it, and only the one who receives it knows that name (Rev 2:17). His Father is going to do the same with Him.
Wow! Studying the crowns throughout the Bible can be a powerful and encouraging study to keep those who are in Christ already and those yet to receive Him as their Lord and Savior strong and encouraged!
Again, 2 Timothy 4:8, has a wonderful promise for all who look forward to and have loved His 2nd appearance! When that will be, only the Father knows. But He did tell us that we would know the signs.
We encourage all the keep their focus on Jesus! Keep your focus on the things above! For He is the Author and He is the finisher of our faith! Hallelujah! Thank You, Jesus!!!!