“You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet." In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.” – Hebrews 2:7-8
Franz Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 2 December 1848 until his death on 21 November 1916. He was the longest-reigning ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
In December 1848, Franz Joseph's uncle Emperor Ferdinand abdicated the throne and Franz Joseph was declared emperor.
His reign included the settling of the Austro-Prussian War, granting greater autonomy to Hungary, and a span of 45 years of peace.
He personally suffered the tragedies of the execution of his brother Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico in 1867, the suicide of his son Crown Prince Rudolf in 1889, the assassination of his wife Empress Elisabeth ("Sisi") in 1898, and the assassination of his nephew and heir-presumptive, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in 1914. It was his nephew’s assassination that resulted in Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against the Kingdom of Serbia, which was an ally of the Russian Empire. That activated a system of alliances declaring war on each other, which resulted in World War I. The Emperor died in 1916, after ruling his domains for almost 68 years.
Far greater than every man who has ever lived, stands Jesus Christ who is the true “King of Kings.” He eternally reigns over all. Today in prayer, praise Jesus that He is good and He is eternal and He is Lord of all.
“You should point to the whole man Jesus and say, ‘That is God.’” – Martin Luther
God’s Word: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!” – Philippians 2:6-8
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