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.
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