Revelation: The Firstborn

 Revelation: Justification by Faith

The Firstborn

[By m.L]

Revelation 1:5–6 (ESV): "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."

Here, Jesus is described as the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings on earth. These titles are interconnected. They also appear in the Psalms:

Psalm 89:21–30, 36–37 (ESV):
"My hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him.
The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him.
I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.
My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.
He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’
And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.
I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens...
His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me.
Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies. Selah"

Jesus, the seed of David, has taken the throne. He now stands as the Eternal Prince, exalted above all kings.

What does it mean that He is the Firstborn? Colossians shows us what this entails:

Colossians 1:15–17 (ESV):
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

The concept of a "firstborn" in that time didn’t necessarily refer to someone who was literally born first. It was about rank and preeminence above others. It indicated someone who was highly beloved. Jesus holds the highest place.

Romans expands on what it means for Jesus to be the firstborn from the dead:

Romans 8:29 (ESV):
"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."

As we are conformed to the image of Jesus, He becomes the Firstborn, taking a position of utmost importance. The resurrection of Jesus is an event in which His brothers (the believers) will share. They are conformed to it. But it is the resurrection of Jesus alone that gives this its original power. He is the substance of the resurrection. He alone has the right to rise, and we are made like Him. Only through Jesus do we also have a resurrection.

But what does this have to do with His kingship?
Revelation expands on this immediately. Glory is given to God because He has made us kings and priests by His blood. Through His blood and resurrection, we are counted as part of a different kingdom of priests. This kingdom is the Kingdom of God, of which Jesus is the Firstborn. The resurrection is intrinsically tied to His rule. It is through this resurrection that we have an alternative to Satan’s kingdom. This resurrection legally transferred us from the kingdom of death to the kingdom of life. Through it, this kingdom is now accessible. The rights that Adam had given to Satan have been taken back by Jesus, the second Adam.

It says (also in the same passage from Colossians mentioned earlier):

Colossians 1:13–14 (ESV):
"He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

This kingdom will not fail. The nations may overwhelm us like the waves of the sea. They may rage as they wish.
But Satan himself must bow before the true Anointed One, who has rightful claim over us by His blood. Satan has lost all his rights. Let this Jesus be the Firstborn among us! Let Him receive all the glory, and let us not be overly focused on the greatness of our other brothers or sisters.

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