Revelation – Chapter One IV

15

“and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:5-6 ESV).Our text from Revelation 1:5 identifies Jesus as the “firstborn of the dead.” So, is it correct to say that Jesus was God’s initial creation, or “firstborn”? Such an interpretation would be erroneous, since the Scriptures clearly identify Jesus as God. If Jesus was “firstborn” in this sense, then He couldn’t be God, for God is eternal. So how are we to understand this reference?

In considering this passage, it’s important to recognize that “firstborn” doesn’t necessarily mean “born first.” Instead, firstborn can refer to priority in time, or supremacy in rank. ₍₁₎ In Jesus’ case, both are true: as God, Jesus is before any created thing, and as God, Jesus is greater than any created thing. Thus, Jesus has a position of authority and superiority over everything. Firstborn “…of the dead” simply refers to His resurrection as a herald of things to come for God’s people.

“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen” (Revelation 1:7).The imagery of clouds in the company of God’s presence would have been a familiar element to the the early Christian community. In fact, the books of the Old Testament establish a historic link between the appearance of clouds and the visual manifestation of God’s presence. For instance, Moses (Exodus 24:12-18) and Solomon (1 Kings 8:10-13) each saw clouds in the presence of God. Later, the prophet Isaiah associated a “swift cloud” with the arrival of the Lord in Isaiah 19:1.

Some of Jesus’ disciples had a similar experience when a cloud overshadowed Peter, James, and John while they were together with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-8). That was the place where the voice of God spoke to them from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (Mark 9:7 NIV).

While clouds often tend to obscure our view, the Biblical presence of these clouds serve to reflect or illuminate God’s power and glory. Thus, we should not be surprised to learn, “…He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him.”

(1) See discussion of prototokos from Colossians 1:15, the same word translated “firstborn” here in Revelation 1:5: Constable, Thomas. DD. Colossians. (n.d.). https://soniclight.com/tcon/notes/html/colossians/colossians.htm [1:15b]