Revelation Part 6
Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)
Eternity-Inspiration for Tuesday 21st October 1997
Revelation Part 6
(Revelation 1:5-6 NKJV) and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,
the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the
earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own
blood, {6} and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to
Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Jesus is here portrayed as God. He is ruler over the kings of the
earth and to Him belong glory and dominion forever. These are terms
reserved for God alone in Scripture. However Jesus Christ "made us
kings and priests to His God and Father..". The Father is God to
Jesus Christ. That was so when He was on earth and is so now. How
Jesus is God and yet has the Father as His God is perplexing.
Somehow within the Trinity the Father has pre-eminence. This
pre-eminence is such that the Jesus Christ can call the Father "His
God" without diminishing His own claims to be God and in the very
form of God. Jesus is humble and does not (unlike the Devil) strive
against the Father for pre-eminince. As the apostle Paul wrote of
Jesus in the context of the incarnation "(Philippians 2:6 NIV) Who,
being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped," Jesus is in very nature God but does not
grab after the pre-eminence of the Father. He is so beautiful!
Praise His name!
In verse 5 Jesus is referred to in three puzzling terms."the faithful
witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of
the earth." These are not terms we regularly use today and need a bit
of explanation if we are to grasp what John is saying. Keep in mind
that the apostle is writing to a persecuted church. What John is
saying is that Jesus' conquest of persecution (as faithful witness)
and death (as the first-born from the dead) and His absolute
pre-eminence now (as ruler of the kings of the earth) makes the
church unconquerable even by the most savage persecutions. He will
conquer all the foes of the church including the then dominant Roman
Empire. Jesus has always been pre-eminent but especially so since
His ascension. Colossians and Ephesians take great care to spell out
the supremacy of Christ over the world system.
(Ephesians 1:20-21 NIV) which he exerted in Christ when he raised
him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly
realms, {21} far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,
and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but
also in the one to come.
(Colossians 1:16-20 NIV) For by him all things were created: things
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or
powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and
for him. {17} He is before all things, and in him all things hold
together. {18} And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the
beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in
everything he might have the supremacy. {19} For God was pleased to
have all his fullness dwell in him, {20} and through him to
reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things
in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
The word John uses for ruler is an unusual one. It is archon
(pronounced ark-own, it has a long "o") it means "first in rank or
power". As in chief magistrate - the first of the magistrates.
Therfore it implies firstly that Jesus is above all earthly
authority but more subtly that He will establish his own earthly
authority. He is the first of the kings because He is a king and
will reign upon the earth. This theme is amplified later in
Revelation, John hints at it to prepare the way for...(Revelation
11:15 NKJV) Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud
voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become
the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign
forever and ever!"
What are the persecuted Christians being told? They are being told of
the victorious path of Jesus Christ from witness to resurrection to
Kingdom. This is a less than subtle exhortation for them to trace the
same path in the midst of fiery persecution. The faithful witness
will rise and will reign with Jesus in victory. That is the theme of
the exhortations to the seven churches and throughout the book as a
whole. The journey of Jesus will be the journey of the overcoming
believer. Note that in 5:10 it says "we shall reign upon the
earth..". Praise the Lord! In Him we overcome.
(Revelation 5:9-10 NKJV And they sang a new song, saying: "You are
worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and
tongue and people and nation, {10} And have made us kings and priests
to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."
Prayer:
Lord some of Your paths are not easy! The path of the faithful
witness Lord seems difficult indeed. Strengthen our hearts that we
may know that this is not a bad path. Rather it is a path full of
glory. Open our eyes to this Lord Jesus so that we may be faithful
witnesses like You are. Amen.
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