Revelation 1:8-18: "Jesus Has White Hair?"

Revelation 1:8  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. 

When you usually picture Jesus, I bet the description from Revelation chapter 1 is generally not the first thing that comes to your mind. 

(Unfortunately, when we picture Jesus nowadays, it usually isn't the Jesus from the gospels either, because we've been so influenced by Renaissance painters, but I digress...)

I have spent several blog posts breaking down the phrases from the introduction of Revelation, because they are so theologically rich, and really beneficial for our understanding of the gospel as we approach Revelation.  There's a reason John started with that introduction as we embark on the vision of the book.  We saw that through frequent allusions to the rest of the Scriptures, John painted a vivid picture of who Jesus is and who we are as the church.  That is the basis for reading this book.  But now, we get into the meat of the book.  Verses 1-8 are all intro.  Now, we get to start experiencing along with John what he experienced on the Isle of Patmos.

First, we get John giving us the context for his revelation.  

Revelation 1:9  I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 

Though we don't have all the exact details, we see how he is setting the stage.  John, (and I do believe this is the Apostle John, brother of James, son of Zebedee, one of the original 12 disciples), has outlasted all the other apostles up to this point.  His brother, James, was the first of the 12 to die (aside from Judas Iscariot), killed in Acts chapter 12 by Herod.  The rest of the apostles took longer, but eventually, it seems they all died a martyr's death.  Peter and Paul were put to death in Nero's persecution in the 60s.  Foxe's book of Martyrs has some interesting accounts of some of the other big names of the New Testament church, and how they died, Andrew being hung on an X-shaped cross, preaching for days before dying, James, the half-brother of Jesus, being thrown from the pinnacle of the temple then beaten to death, Thomas killed by a spear, Matthew meeting a similar end...one by one, all the early leaders of the church were killed in one way or another, by one group or another, and the leadership of the church passed on to the next generation of their disciples.

But John lived on, one of the last apostles to survive, one of the last original voices to speak strongly for who Jesus was as an eyewitness and to fight against the false teaching that was encroaching on the church in the decades after the beginning of the church.  There was probably a brief respite from the Roman government after Nero, as they dealt with political turmoil (though many groups would have been none too happy about the followers of Jesus).  But by the time John writes his gospel, epistles, and Revelation, the emperor Domitian, an embittered and once-passed-over younger brother of Titus who had destroyed the Temple, had come to the throne and was determined to be respected.  He initiated a new wave of persecution, which John probably got caught up in.

Tertullian tells us that John was plunged into boiling oil, but was unhurt, and thus, was exiled to the small penal colony of Patmos.  It is interesting, that in writing to the area of Asia Minor which he was spiritually responsible for, (according to church history), he starts by reminding them that he is their brother, and companion in tribulation.  He is not lording anything over them.  Jesus is Lord; John is a brother and companion of the people he is writing to.  He works for the same kingdom and must endure with patience for the sake of his Savior just like them.  He is not immune because he is a leader--far from it.  This is a body, a fellowship, and he is one of us.  The very reason he is on Patmos is that he insists on sharing his testimony of Jesus Christ, and will uphold the Word of God no matter what.  Our priorities should be no different.  No matter what the last days may hold for us, no matter what our view ends up being as we study this incredible book, the Word of God, and the Testimony of Jesus Christ should be our paramount priorities.  This is the same John who, along with Peter, gave us this example, when they were being told by the authorities not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus:

Acts 4:19  But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 

Acts 4:20  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. 

Now John has been exiled from his community and his flock for continuing to preach the truth that he has been preaching from the beginning.  It was interesting that the last Bible study I participated in with a group before the Covid-19 shut-downs in 2020 was through Revelation chapter 1.  We drew great encouragement from John, who, though he was exiled away from his church, was able to draw nigh to God and receive one of the greatest Revelations the world has ever received.

Revelation 1:10  I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 

John, all by himself in his exile, does what every Christian should do every day.  Gets in the Spirit.  He is worshipping.  And it says it is "the Lord's day", which I believe to be Sunday, the first day of the week, because I believe that's when the early church met.  Whether it is or not, we see that John didn't let not having a congregation stop him from getting in the Presence of the Lord.  And only when that happens can we hear the voice of the Lord.  An important thing to note about this Scripture is also this: when John received the Revelation, he was in the Spirit.  How are we to understand it, if we are not also in the Spirit?  This is a spiritual book, and we must treat it as such.

Revelation 1:11  Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 

So let's set the stage here.  John is praying and worshipping on this island where he has been exiled, and suddenly, as he is in the Spirit, he hears a voice like a trumpet blasting behind him.  Now that's already startling, and we already have an inkling of who this voice belongs to, don't we?  If we are in the Spirit and hear a voice like a trumpet, who are we expecting? What does this voice like a trumpet remind us of?  We'll have a lot more to say about trumpets as we continue through the book of Revelation, but I do want to draw attention to one Old Testament passage where the phrase is used...

Exodus 19:16  And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 

Exodus 19:17  And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. 

Exodus 19:18  And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. 

Exodus 19:19  And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 

I can't help but think of scenes like this when I read Revelation chapter 1.  Exodus 19 is one of the greatest revelations of Himself that God gave to His people, and I think we're seeing another one here.  We get the Voice identifying itself, as we got in verse 8... "I am Alpha and Omega."  Those are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.  We could say He is the A and the Z in English, or the Aleph and the Tau in Hebrew.  He is the first and the last.  Now where have we seen phrasing like that before?

Isaiah 41:4  Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he. 

This isn't just anyone...this can only be the LORD, YHWH HIMSELF, who has this kind of title.  Who else COULD be first and last except The Only Eternal One?  It is also interesting that this chapter of Isaiah is in a global context, calling out to the islands...  Again:

Isaiah 44:6  Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. 

Connecting this to Isaiah seems to make it pretty emphatic about who is talking here.  Some versions don't have these phrases in this verse, which is a shame, but we do see the phrase repeated in verse 17, so the phrase is associated with the speaker in Revelation 1.  This title is unique, as is the title Almighty in verse 8.  How many Almighties can there be?  I submit to you that there can be only one.  And the Alpha and Omega has an assignment for John.  John is going to see these things and he is tasked with sending the account of what he has seen to the seven churches of Asia. (We will, of course, be getting more into the specifics of each of these churches in chapters 2 and 3.)

Revelation 1:12  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 

Now again, picture the scene.  John hears the voice from behind him, so naturally, he turns to see who is speaking.  But the first thing he sees is seven golden candlesticks.  Now I've tried to set up some things about the candlesticks in the post on the Seven Spirits of God in Revelation 1:4, and we'll be getting more of that in the explanation of the candlesticks in Revelation 1:20.  But, here, I want us to think of what our first association should be with this.  Where does one usually see seven golden candlesticks?  If you said in the Tabernacle or the Temple, ding, ding, ding! You are correct!  This is a link to bring us into the Holy Place, which is where the candlestick was to be set up.  Remember that in Exodus when Moses was being told how to build the Tabernacle, the third thing he was told of, after the ark of the covenant and the table of the bread of the presence was the candlestick...

Exodus 25:31  And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. ...00

Exo 25:37  And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it. 

And remember what Moses is reminded of immediately after the instructions on how to make the candlestick...

Exodus 25:40  And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount. 

Moses was basing this on what he had seen in his own revelation. The physical candlestick was a representation of something going on in the spiritual realm in the heavenlies.

Exodus 40:24  And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward. 

Exodus 40:25  And he lighted the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses. 

The candlestick was placed in the Holy Place where only the priests could go.  So already, John is seeing something beyond the first veil, deeper than what the ordinary Israelite could have seen. He is seeing into the Holy Place.

Revelation 1:13  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 

So first John sees the candlesticks, then IN THE MIDST of the candlesticks, he sees one like the Son of Man.  Now, hopefully, I made a big enough deal about the connection with the Son of Man from Daniel chapter 7 in my post on Revelation 1:7, the Pierced Cloud-Rider, that this phrase instantly jumps out at you.  One like the Son of man, the same phrase Daniel uses in his vision to describe the human figure who receives power and authority from the Ancient of Days, which is the phrase Jesus used most often when referring to himself.  But look at how he's dressed.  A modest, long garment down to the foot.  And he has a girdle on.  But this girdle is made of gold, and instead of where girdles usually go, around the loins, this one is around his waist.  Why is that so significant?  Well, the whole purpose of a girdle is to bind up the robes to make you ready for action.  "Gird up your loins like a man," is the phrase God used to Job.  That's where the sword would be kept (but, ah, the Son of man seems to keep his sword in a different place...), that's how they would become ready for action, to work, to run, to fight.  Yet, this girdle is around his chest, which seems to be more ceremonial, indicating, perhaps that the action has already taken place, and that the battle has already been won.  In Bible study, we took to calling this the championship belt.  And the ceremonial nature of this, connected with the golden candlesticks, HAS to bring my mind to the garments of the priests...

Exodus 28:4  And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. 

Exodus 28:8  And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 

Exodus 28:22  And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold. 

Exodus 28:23  And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 

Exodus 28:24  And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate. 

Exodus 28:42  And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: 

Exodus 28:43  And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him. 

I know it's not an exact picture of the priestly garments, but a lot of the phrases recall the images to mind.  But let's go further, because there's a lot more going on here...

Revelation 1:14  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 

Revelation 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 

What about this description?  Well, if the phrases before sort of reminded us of Exodus 28, the parallel to a figure Daniel sees after fasting for 3 weeks gets much stronger.

Daniel 10:5  Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 

Daniel 10:6  His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. 

Clearly, John and Daniel were seeing a similar figure.  Notice all the similarities...

• Revelation: "eyes were as a flame of fire" / Daniel: "eyes as lamps of fire"
• Revelation: "his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace" / Daniel: "his feet like in color to polished brass"
• Revelation: "his voice as the sound of many waters" / Daniel: "the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude."

Though the description of the voice uses a different analogy, it is obviously going for the same thing, though I would make note of Ezekiel's comparison with the voice of the Almighty, which he describes in the first chapter of his book...

Ezekiel 1:24  And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings. 

I'm going to cheat and pull a description from verse 16, though we haven't looked at it yet, and pull from verse 13, as well...

• Revelation: "his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength" / Daniel: "his face as the appearance of lightning"
• Revelation: "one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot," / Daniel: "a certain man, clothed in linen"
• Revelation: "girt about the paps with a golden girdle" / Daniel: "loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz"

Of course, notice the difference, that in Daniel, his loins were girded, versus in Revelation, his chest or breast or "paps" are girded with the golden girdle.  Suffice it to say this is a vision of a heavenly being that looks very similar in Daniel and Revelation.  But what's the deal with the white hair?  You might have noticed that I conveniently skipped over that bit.  I was actually saving it for the end because this is one of the coolest revelations of this chapter of all to me!

In Daniel 10, it is unclear who Daniel is seeing.  At least to me.  In Revelation 1, it seems very clear.  The odd thing is just about the white hair.  But we know one of the hyperlinks in this passage is to Daniel 7 because he makes the reference to the Son of man.  So what can we see in Daniel 7?  No doubt you Bible scholars reading this already know where I'm going with this, but indulge me as I elaborate.

I have had people try to convince me that there are two different persons represented in Daniel 7 because we see the Son of man interacting with the Ancient of Days.  Some say this means that Jesus can't be God (a.k.a. the Ancient of Days) because he approaches the Ancient of Days to receive dominion.  We'll see a similar scene in Revelation 5, and I'll elaborate there, but I think the Son of man figure has far more to do with the Incarnation than it does with there being another figure.  Now can I get that teaching only from Daniel 7?  Well, there are some interesting things that happen at the end of the chapter paralleling descriptions of the Son of man's kingdom with the kingdom of God.  But we still have the Ancient of Days figure.  What we can take away from Daniel 7 is that a legitimately human figure will receive dominion.  Now what I believe is that there was no ordinary human who could actually fulfill that role.

Ezekiel 22:30  And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. 

Because of the depravity of humanity, according to my theology, God decided to do something unique and step into humanity Himself.  He took on the role that a human needed to fulfill, Himself.

Isaiah 59:15  Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. 

Isaiah 59:16  And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. 

In other words, God decided to make Himself known in the flesh.  He is the Ancient of Days, but He decided He would also fulfill the human role of the Son of man that we see prophesied in Daniel 7.  We see this described in numerous ways in the Scripture...

1st Timothy 3:16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 

2nd Corinthians 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 

Acts 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 

John 1:10  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

And when we look at Revelation, we see a combination of the descriptions of the Son of Man and the Ancient of Days.  For a refresher, look at Daniel chapter 7:

Daniel 7:9  I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 

Daniel 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 

Daniel 7:14  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 

Now look again at what John sees in Revelation chapter 1...

Revelation 1:13  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 

Revelation 1:14  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 

Isn't this amazing? The descriptions of the Son of man and the Ancient of Days are combined into one person!  And, indeed, I believe it IS the same person.  The Ancient of Days humbled Himself and became the Son of man, for our sakes! The Ancient of Days made the world, and was in the world as the Son of Man and the world knew Him not.  The Ancient of Days was manifest in the flesh as the Son of Man! The Ancient of Days was in the Son of Man, reconciling the world unto Himself!  The Ancient of Days became the Son of Man and purchased the church with His own blood.  Isn't that incredible?  That is an amazing revelation!  The Ancient of Days was the only One who could fulfill the role of the Son of Man! Lest you think I'm going completely off the rails, consider these other prophecies, several hundred years before Daniel...

Isaiah 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Micah 5:2  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.  

Psalm 110:1  A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 

I categorically deny the idea that the Jews weren't expecting YHWH Himself to come and save them.  If they were reading their Scriptures carefully, I believe that was exactly the hope.  Yet, Jesus didn't come in the WAY they expected YHWH to come.  But I believe that's exactly what the gospel writers were indicating when they put Jesus right into the prophecy in Isaiah 40 when they associate John the Baptist with the voice crying in the wilderness.

Isaiah 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 

Isaiah 40:4  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 

Isaiah 40:5  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. 

....

Isaiah 40:9  O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! 

Isaiah 40:10  Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 

Isaiah 40:11  He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. 

The gospel writers show that John the Baptist fulfills the role of the voice crying in verses 3-8 in Isaiah 40.  Well, what's supposed to come next after the voice cries out?  Behold, the Lord GOD will come! And the gospels record after quoting this prophecy about John, someone indeed coming.  Jesus of Nazareth.  Emmanuel, God with us.  Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

Although the picture described of Jesus in Revelation chapter 1 is probably not the first thing that springs to mind when thinking of Jesus, the description of what John saw, in the unveiling of Jesus, showing who He REALLY is, conveys powerful truths in the way that it links with the Old Testament, and I believe very clearly reveals that the Son of man that came to earth to die for our sins was not just a man, but was the Ancient of Days in flesh.  And THAT is something that should make us fall at His feet, as John did, and worship Him for making himself of no reputation, taking on the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and humbling himself, even to death, the death of the cross, for which reason he is highly exalted to the right hand of God!

Revelation 1:16  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 

Revelation 1:17  And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 

Revelation 1:18  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. 

Fear not; I am the first and the last: 

Revelation is a very intimidating book for many people, including myself.  The cataclysmic events and bizarre imagery are tough for us to wrap our carnal minds around.  But I love that one of the first things we hear from the lips of Jesus in this book is: "Fear not; I am the first and the last."  What a beautiful reminder as we go deeper into this book.  We already discussed how this ties Jesus in with YHWH from the phrases in the book of Isaiah.  (Isaiah 41:4; 44:6; 48:12) But the truly incredible thing about YHWH is what He did.  

The right hand signifies power and authority so when Jesus lays His right hand on John, it's like he's strengthening him, much like Daniel was strengthened by the heavenly figure he saw. (Daniel 10:9-10) So it's like God Himself (the first and the last), reaching down with His power and authority to strengthen John.  Now remember, this is the disciple whom Jesus loved, who lay on his breast at supper!  And now he's falling down at his feet as dead!  Why?  Because John is receiving a revelation of Jesus Christ.  He's not just the man who walked with them for three and a half years, but He is the First and the Last!  The First and the Last became someone who lived and died and rose again.  That's an incredible thought.  Just like when John, along with Peter and James saw the curtain peeled back on the Mount of Transfiguration, here he sees Jesus's countenance like the sun shining in his strength!  Or as Paul would later describe his revelation of Jesus Christ..."At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me." (Acts 26:13)

Out of His mouth goes a sharp two-edged sword, which represents the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12) and should remind us of Isaiah 49:2, which is one of those passages that has powerful implications about the Messiah.

The thing that is amazing though (and I know I keep using words like "amazing" and "incredible", but with a topic like this, I can't help it) is that with all these descriptions of Jesus which are descriptions of God, Alpha, Omega, first, last, etc., we learn that the Alpha and Omega Himself liveth, was dead, and is alive forevermore.  He went through death Himself!  God Himself? How is that possible?  And why?!  He did it so that He could have authority over death and hell!

Whoever has the keys has the authority.  We know who had the authority prior to Jesus's death and resurrection...

Hebrews 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 

Hebrews 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 

The reason the devil had the power of death isn't because he could actually kill people, but because God's law demanded death for sin, and after the devil tempted humanity to sin and brought them into bondage, he could demand the righteous wages of that sin, which was death. But Jesus made a way for us to escape that power of death.  Now Jesus has the keys to death and hell because He took the punishment and wages Himself so it could be righteously satisfied, so we have to come to Him for the authority over death and Hell!

The whole message of the gospel is wrapped up in these passages...about how God became a man, and subjected Himself even to the death of the cross, that He might purchase us with His own blood and take the keys of death and hell.  Only God could have fulfilled the role of the Son of man, and Revelation chapter 1 ties together so many elements we have seen in so many other places in Scripture to reveal that to us.  Praise God for what He's done!

(image copyrighted by Bibleinfo.com)

Revelation 1:7: "The Pierced Cloud Rider"

Revelation 1:7  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. 

I'm tellin' you, guys! If you want to explain who Jesus is by connecting together all the prophecies from the Old Testament into fulfillment, Revelation chapter 1 is the place!

Behold, He Cometh with Clouds

After hearing this incredible description of who Jesus is and what He wants us to be, we hear this bold proclamation!  But there are quite a few verses this passage is tapping into...the concept of coming with clouds, for one thing.  Often, in the Old Testament, Yahweh is depicted riding on the clouds, coming in judgment.  Apparently, this was used to contrast against the false Canaanite god, Baal, who in Ugaritic texts is said to be called the Rider on the Clouds.  But Yahweh is stronger than Baal, and He is the True God in the heavens.  Notice some of the verses about God coming on the clouds.

Exodus 34:5  And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 

Psalm 104:1  Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. 

Psalm 104:2  Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: 

Psalm 104:3  Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:

Isaiah 19:1  The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. 

Nahum 1:3  The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. 

Those verses should fill us with a sense of awe at the majesty of the LORD.  One thing to remember is that anytime the word "LORD" is in all capitals like that, it's an indication that the tetragrammaton YHWH, the personal name of God, Yahweh, is being used.  So this is THE Mighty God here that this is referring to.  The one, true God, the Creator, the Redeemer of Israel out of Egypt--that God.  And hearing that He rides on the clouds as His chariot, or descends on the cloud, or comes to judge Egypt on a swift cloud, is a way of referring to the God of the Heavens, the Lord over the heavens and the earth, the Creator of the Universe, and by extension, the earth's rightful Judge.  But the image gets expanded in the book of Daniel.

Daniel 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 

Daniel 7:14  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 

You'll notice that Daniel 7 should really be on our minds as we read Revelation 1...but some of that is for the next blog post.  The important thing to notice now is that in Daniel's vision, he is seeing the kingdoms of the world, who are depicted as beasts, being judged by the Ancient of Days who sits on the Throne and judges the kings of the earth.  That would be powerful enough, but then this shocking image appears seemingly out of the blue, where a human figure does what usually only the God of the heavens does...comes with the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days and is given authority and everlasting dominion.  That is startling!  A human figure coming on the clouds.  But it's the term "Son of Man" that gets a lot of play.  That's Jesus's favorite term to use for himself, and we start to realize that Jesus is claiming to be the human figure that will restore the dominion and authority that God intended to give humanity all the way back in Genesis 1.  And when you understand this prophecy being in the background of the gospels and realize that the Jews had been looking for and expecting this human figure who would receive a kingdom that would never be destroyed, you start to see why the high priest freaked out when Jesus connects himself to the image from the prophecy.

Matthew 26:62  And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 

Matthew 26:63  But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 

Matthew 26:64  Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 

Matthew 26:65  Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 

Why does the high priest go nuts?  Because Jesus basically just told him he would be receiving an everlasting dominion and a kingdom that would never be destroyed.  Also remember how often the visual of YHWH coming with the clouds is associated with judgment?  What are you saying, Jesus of Nazareth?? But Jesus is vindicated in his ascension as we see him doing the very thing that Daniel seems to have seen...

Acts 1:6  When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 

Acts 1:7  And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 

Acts 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 

Acts 1:9  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 

Acts 1:10  And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 

Acts 1:11  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

I've heard people talking about this passage as if the disciples were completely off track and still missing the point of everything Jesus had taught them.  But I don't think this is a non-sequitur at all.  Remember, this is after Jesus opened up their eyes to understand the law and the prophets.  Yes, it's before the Holy Ghost has come, but it's after he's helped them tie the big picture of what the Scripture is teaching together.  They knew the Son of Man was receiving a kingdom and they knew that Jesus is the Son of Man!  They just had the timing a little wrong.  But that doesn't mean that Jesus isn't the Prince of the kings of the earth or that He's not coming back to judge all earthly kingdoms!  But that's His job.  The disciples needed to be focused on their job.  (Which is still our job right now, by the way.)

But the passage that is most reminiscent of the words of Revelation 1:7 is something Jesus said in His Olivet Discourse.

All Kindreds of the Earth Shall Wail Because of Him

Matthew 24:30  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 

When Jesus comes back, it will either be the greatest day of a person's life or the worst day.  Greatest if you follow Him already as King and want to see Him come back.  The worst day, if you have set yourself against Him and His word.  This isn't just a localized thing.  All the tribes of the earth, all the kindreds of the earth, shall wail and mourn because of Him.  Jesus isn't a local, tribal leader.  He is Prince of the kings of the earth, and the entire world is impacted by Him.

And Every Eye Shall See Him

This isn't just Israel seeing Him, but every eye.  The coming of Jesus is dramatic and earth-shaking.

Matthew 24:26  Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 

Matthew 24:27  For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 

But one of the most interesting parts of this verse is the part that hones in on a particular event.

And They Also Which Pierced Him

At first glance, it seems pretty straightforward.  When did the piercing happen?  On the cross.  Who was pierced?  Jesus.  But the word "pierced" connects with some beautiful hidden gems in the rest of Scripture.

For example, Psalm 22 is an incredible prophecy of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Many of the exact phrases from the psalm are echoed in the gospels, describing the crucifixion. 1,000 years before Jesus, and hundreds of years before the Persians started to experiment with the punishment, this psalm is mind-blowingly accurate in its description.  One of the key phrases (which is what relates to our current topic) comes from verse 16.

Psalm 22:16  For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 

But when John writes his account of Jesus's death, this isn't the passage he goes to. He links it with a prophecy in Zechariah which has even deeper implications. Psalm 22 predicts the manner of death of the Messiah, but Zechariah gives us an insight into who was actually being pierced...

Zechariah 12:10  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 

This is in the midst of a prophecy about how the LORD, YHWH, is going to save Jerusalem from the nations coming against her, and in the context of that, the phrase comes..." they shall look upon ME whom they have pierced"...the question I have is who is speaking?  Who is pouring out the spirit of grace and supplications?  Whoever is doing that is the one speaking, and it seems to me that this is the LORD Himself saying that the inhabitants of Jerusalem will look on the One they pierced, and is, remarkably, claiming to be the One they pierced.  John chooses this passage to reference when he describes his eyewitness account of Jesus on the cross.

John 19:34  But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 

John 19:35  And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. 

John 19:36  For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. 

John 19:37  And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. 

Even so, Amen.

This is what is so amazing about our God.  This truth is so powerful that John doubles up with another "Amen." The One who rides the clouds is also the One who was pierced, and one day everyone will have to reckon with Him.  Are you ready?  Will you be crying tears of joy or wailing and mourning because of Him when He comes?  What is your relationship to the Pierced Cloud Rider?

Revelation 1:5-6: "The First Begotten of the Dead"

Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 

Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 

We were told in verse 1, that this was a Revelation of Jesus Christ, and John unleashes a string of powerful phrases about who Jesus is, no holds barred, in the introduction of this incredible book.  Again, as I mentioned in the last post, we spent a good deal of time in Bible study going over each of these phrases and what they meant.  AND (I didn't share this with the Bible study group, because I didn't notice till I was writing this blog post...oops) there seems to be an interesting threefold parallelism between the descriptors of who Jesus is in relation to who he has made us to be.  Was that confusing?  Just take a look at this...

And from Jesus Christ

I would argue, (and I think I could demonstrate by linking the terminology) that this isn't an additional person that the message is from, adding on to he which is, and which was, and which is to come, and the seven spirits.  As I tried to show in the last post, I think all of these are referring to the same person, Jesus Christ.  But again, this is a revelation OF Jesus Christ, so that's what we're exploring here.  The fact that it's Jesus CHRIST is significant in that by calling him "the Christ", John is using the Greek word for "The Anointed One", which in Hebrew would be what we would call "the Messiah."  So this is directly tying Jesus to the role he played as the Anointed One on this earth in flesh as a man, as do the following phrases.  (It's not his last name...just to be clear.)

The Faithful Witness

This is one of those phrases that I feel has SO much packed into it that I can't even come close to doing justice to it.  But think about what that means.  This is a legal term, which is the opposite of a false witness.  A witness is someone who communicates what they have seen and heard (as Peter defines in Acts 4:20).  You can testify or witness to something, and you can do that either poorly, (like someone with a bad memory trying to remember what the criminal was wearing), or purposefully deceitfully (like the guys they hired to try to accuse Jesus, bearing false witness against their neighbor), or you can do it faithfully.  We actually have a definition given to us for this phrase in the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 14:5 A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies. 

Well, Jesus is THE Faithful Witness.  But the witness to what?  We have lots of references in Scripture to things or people that bear witness to Jesus, but what was Jesus bearing faithful witness to?

John 18:37  Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 

Jesus said to Pilate that the reason he was born and came into the world was to bear witness unto the truth.  In fact, he calls himself THE Truth a couple chapters earlier, in John 14:6.  In other words, He is the Faithful Witness to TRUTH.  To the actual reality of how the world works.  He is the express image of God's person (Hebrews 1:3), He is the Word of God, which is Truth (John 1:14; John 17:17), and He is THE Faithful Witness to that Truth.  That means that whatever we need to know about life and reality and God and how we should live and how the world works...we can go to our Faithful Witness who will accurately represent the truth of all these things.  This is in contrast to the nation of Israel who was supposed to bear faithful witness to God...

Isaiah 43:9  Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. 

Isaiah 43:10  Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 

Isaiah 43:11  I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. 

Isaiah 43:12  I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. 

In contrast to the nations being unable to produce witnesses to the truth of their false gods, Israel was to be a witness to who God is, His existence, His supremacy, His oneness.  They were witnesses in one way, for they saw what He did, bore record of it in the Scriptures, and we know the truth of those things to say.  But they were unfaithful witnesses in many ways.  They served other gods despite what they knew.  They didn't follow the perfect laws God had given them, or listen to the prophets He sent them.  But when Jesus comes He fulfills ALL of that...He is The Faithful Witness, so anything we need to know about God or reality, we can go to Jesus, and He has the answer, and will never lie.  He is a witness who is UTTERLY trustworthy.  But it goes beyond that...

The First Begotten of the Dead

This phrase, in particular really hit our Bible study as we went through these verses.  This is, of course, a reference to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  But what does the term "firstborn" imply?  It implies he is the first, but that there will be others!  Contrast it with the phrase "only begotten."

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

The phrase "only begotten" implies an exclusive uniqueness.  We are adopted children, but Jesus is The Only BEGOTTEN Son of God.  Jesus is unique!  I think some translations even translate this as "one and only".  There is a sense in which He is Unique in this regard.  The way that Jesus is the Son of God is different than how we are.  We must believe in the Only Begotten Son of God, so that we can live and become adopted sons and daughters of God.  But the way that Jesus is God manifest in flesh, the way the Holy Spirit caused the conception in the womb of Mary is utterly unique in human history.  Being the FIRSTBORN from the dead, however, is an entirely different story... If someone introduced their only child as their firstborn, that would be a little odd, though true, I suppose.  In this case, however, I think it is clear that Jesus is the first to be resurrected from the dead in this way, but He won't be the last!  He has opened the door for all of us to be resurrected from the dead just as He was!  Paul expounds on this principle so beautifully in 1st Corinthians:

1st Corinthians 15:20  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 

1st Corinthians 15:21  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 

1st Corinthians 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 

1st Corinthians 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 

Paul uses a slightly different picture here, first fruits instead of firstborn.  But the concept is the same. The first fruits are the very first results of a crop which are offered to the Lord in anticipation of the rest of the harvest which is coming.  In Christ's resurrection, there is an anticipation of anyone who is in Christ rising again at His coming, bodily from the dead, just like he did!  There was a preview of this described in the gospel of Matthew...

Matthew 27:52  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 

Matthew 27:53  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 

Paul also uses the same language in his letter to the Colossians.

Colossians 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 

But was Jesus really the FIRST born from the dead?  What about when he raised Lazarus from the dead, or Jairus's daughter, or the son of the widow at Nain, or when Elijah and Elisha seemed to raise children from the dead, or even the awesome story of the guy who came back to life when he was thrown on Elisha's bones?

I think the difference between Jesus's resurrection and those resurrections is that, by all indications, though they were awakened from "sleep", as Jesus is fond of saying, and received a temporary release from death, they all died again, as far as we know.

But there were also people like Elijah and Enoch who ascended to heaven!  What about them?  Well, they can't be firstborn FROM THE DEAD, since they never died, right?  Jesus is uniquely first in human history in this regard, as he illustrates by his description of himself later on in Revelation chapter 1.

Revelation 1:18  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. 

What sets Jesus apart is that he lived a life as a human, he genuinely died, and he genuinely rose from the dead so that he is now alive FOREVER more!  And he now has authority over death and hell.  (An authority he took back from the devil through his death and resurrection, according to Hebrews 2:14.)  This is truly incredible because it completely frees us if we are in Jesus!  Since Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life (as he told Martha he is in John 11), if we are IN Him, then it doesn't matter whether we live or die, we are the Lord's (Rom. 14:8)!  We will be alive forevermore because Jesus has authority over death and hell!  That is truly an incredible thought!

The Prince of the Kings of the Earth

If Jesus has authority over death and hell, it almost seems a small afterthought to mention that he is also ruler over the kings of the earth.  But this is a way of emphasizing that he truly is King of kings and Lord of lords.  He is the ultimate authority!

Matthew 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 

Revelation 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 

This lines up with the prophecies of the Messiah.

Isaiah 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

Isaiah 9:7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. 

Daniel 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 

Daniel 7:14  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Psalm 2:6  Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. 

Psalm 2:7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 

Psalm 2:8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 

Psalm 2:9  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 

Psalm 2:10  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 

Psalm 110:1  A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 

Psalm 110:2  The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 

The angel told Mary this is who Jesus would be.

Luke 1:30  And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 

Luke 1:31  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 

Luke 1:32  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 

Luke 1:33  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 

But the question remains...it doesn't seem like the kings of the earth are taking instructions from Jesus right now, does it?  And yet, He is making the claim that all those rulers of the earth will ultimately be answerable to him.  They will have to give an account to Him one day, and He will reign supreme.  In fact, after he told his disciples that all authority was given to him, the immediate application of that truth was not to go and conquer all nations with violence and force, but to go make disciples of all the nations, baptizing in The Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (which they understood to be Jesus--see the book of Acts), and to teach the nations to observe everything that Jesus commanded.  It's a gentle, Jesus-like way of exercising authority over the nations.  And yet Revelation wants us from the beginning to understand that he is the Prince of all the kings of the earth...in other words, He is still the ultimate authority, and if anyone does not submit to Him now, they will eventually answer to Him.  This is a prevalent theme in the book of Daniel as well, and it is fitting that John describes so many of the things he sees in his vision with the same vocabulary as Daniel.

To Him Be Glory and Dominion For Ever and Ever. Amen. 

This is such a prominent theme in the book that I am not going to spend a lot of time on it here.  But it's so important that we don't merely dismiss it as a part of a doxology, which is what I'm always tempted to do.  But in light of him being Prince over all the kings of the earth, this is a bold and audacious claim.  This is what the Son of Man is given in the vision Daniel has in Daniel chapter 7.  This is everlasting dominion.  This is everlasting glory.  He is the Supreme Authority, and what a beautiful way to open this book, which is going to describe him taking dominion over all the earth, and one of the books of the Bible that most fully reveals His Glory!

Unto Him That Loved Us

Now what I want to make special note of is that in the midst of this revealing of Jesus and who He is, we also get a revelation of who we are because of Him.  The three-fold description of who Jesus is--(The Faithful Witness, The First Begotten of the Dead, The Prince of the Kings of the Earth)--parallels the three-fold description of how He has interacted with us in some interesting ways (Loved Us, Washed Us from Our Sins in His Blood, Made Us Kings and Priests Unto God and His Father).  One of the first shocking things that we realize from The Faithful Witness is that He loves us.  We are loved by Him.  By the King of kings.  That is amazing news!

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

John 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

Romans 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

John 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

1st John 3:16  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 

1st John 4:19  We love him, because he first loved us. 

The primary way His love is demonstrated is through the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.  That was a faithful witness of how God sees us.  He loves us.  Jesus loves us.  And the cross proves it.  Which goes into the next phrase.  Not only are we loved, but we are washed.

Unto Him That ... Washed Us from Our Sins in His Own Blood

Obviously, to give a full explanation of this would be to communicate the entire gospel, which is what John wants to tap into here.  But notice the progression that we are loved, then washed, then made kings and priests.  That progression makes sense of multiple Old Testament references.  We could look at it from the perspective of the consecration of the priests, who are washed then appointed as priests.  We could look at the prophetic analogy of Ezekiel where God describes Israel as a cast-off rejected girl, whom He finds in her own blood, takes her in, loves her, washes her, says to live, clothes her and gives her a position.  But the slightly odd thing here is that Jesus washed us from our sins in his own blood.  There's that old song that asks if you're washed in the blood of the Lamb, and this is the verse that references it!  But usually, like in the example in Ezekiel, the girl's own blood is what is being washed off of her!  The blood of the animals is what is being washed OFF the priests when they go into the Tabernacle.  But here blood is the cleansing agent.  Obviously, because Jesus's blood is the only thing powerful enough to actually wash away sins.  They are done away with in His atoning sacrifice.  But what a beautiful picture.  The phrase "his own blood" makes me think of Acts 20:28.

Acts 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 

I love this phrase. When did God ever have blood? In the body of Jesus Christ. The fact that He purchased and washed us from our sins in His own blood intimates a value placed on us.  His own blood indicates the incredible sacrifice He made.  But at what point are we washed from our sins in his blood?  The form of the word that this word comes from is used in a couple other places which beautifully fill out this picture.

Acts 22:16  And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. 

1st Corinthians 6:9  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 

1st Corinthians 6:10  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 

1st Corinthians 6:11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 

The parallel phrase with Jesus is that He is the first begotten of the dead. He washed our sins in his own blood and is the first begotten of the dead.  Those two things are inextricably linked.  BECAUSE our sins are washed away in his blood, we too can be risen with him from the dead and born again!

And Hath Made Us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father

And now for the positional statement.  Notice that the parallel statement with Jesus is that He is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth and now He has made us kings and priests unto God.  The reason this is so significant is that like many things in Revelation it is the fulfillment of God's long-term plan. He gave man dominion over the earth all the way back in Genesis 1, but man misused his authority and allowed himself to be conquered by sin. God came back with a new angle with the nation of Israel, and the mission statement He lays out for them is so powerful to me, connected to this verse:

Exodus 19:5  Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 

Exodus 19:6  And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. 

His design for Israel was not to be a kingdom WITH priests, but a kingdom OF priests. What's the job of a priest? To represent God to the people and the people to God. (More on the job of a priest in Leviticus 10.) Yet Israel is not necessarily a faithful witness, being a kingdom of priests. Peter then tells us in the New Testament that God is designing the Church to be the ones who fulfill this role.

1st Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 

1st Peter 2:10  Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 

But, hold on, Michael, Jesus is our priest! Jesus is our King! Yes, Jesus is our HIGH Priest over a kingdom of priests, over a royal priesthood. Jesus is the King of kings, the Prince of the kings of the earth, over the delegated authority. But God has always wanted us to have dominion and authority in His world. And if we'll just be completely submitted to Him, it'll work out a lot better than it did for Adam and Eve or the nation of Israel or the current political situations around the world.  But even with Israel there was a separation between king and priest...religious and political authority. And that was intentional! But when Jesus comes He fulfills both roles...and in His Kingdom, He calls us to fulfill both roles, as well.  Isn't that incredible?

So what is my take-away from this super long blog post covering TWO verses of Revelation chapter 1?

First of all, notice what Revelation does in tying together threads that have been woven through the entire Bible and culminate in this amazing literary structure.

Secondly, notice that who Jesus is directly informs who we are. It's so important for us to understand who He is, because if we are IN Him, that tells us who we are, as well.  We are nothing without Him, but IN Him, we suddenly have incredible, jaw-dropping identity because of Who He Is, and What He Has Done.