REV 1:5

Revelation 1:5

 “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”

Visible and Invisible Seven

Already I mentioned about number seven, as the key number of Bible. We can see this number either visibly or invisibly.

Examples for visible seven in Revelation are:

• Rev.1:4, 3:1, 4:5, 5:6               –          7 Spirits
• Rev. 1:4, 20                             –          7 Churches
• Rev. 1:12                                 –          7 Golden candle sticks
• Rev.1:16                                  –          7 Stars
• Rev. 5:1                                   _          7 Seals
• Rev.5:6                                    –          7 Eyes of Lamp
• Rev. 8:2                                   -          7 Angels with 7 trumpets
• Rev.10:3                                  -           7 Thunders
• Rev.12:3                                  -           7 Heads dragons
• Rev. 13:1                                 –          7 Heads of beast
• Rev.15:1                                  –          7 Angels having 7 plagues
• Rev.15:7                                  -          7 Golden vials full of the wrath of God
• Rev.17:9                                  –          7 Mountains and 7 kings

Some times the number seven will not be visible like 7, but if we read carefully we can identify the number 7. For example if we read carefully verses 5 and 6 from Revelation chapter 1, we can find the number 7. What are those seven things in these two verses? They are the seven characteristics of Jesus Christ. They are as follows

• 1.      The faithful witness
• 2.      The firstborn of the dead
• 3.      The ruler of Kings on earth 
• 4.      Who loves us
• 5.      Has freed us from our sins by his blood
• 6.      Made us kings and priests unto God and his Father
• 7.      Glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

I. Jesus Christ the Faithful witness

a.      One and only witness

      Jesus Christ is the one and only witness for the heavenly Father. If we read John chapter 17 we can find the longest prayer of Jesus Christ. From that prayer we can  understand  that Jesus Christ as the one and only witness for Heavenly Father.

John 17:7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.

b.     Mediator

According to 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

 also we can understand that our Lord Jesus Christ is the mediator between us and Heavenly Father. Whatever goodness we receive is from God.  Our praising, thanks giving everything will happen through Him and in Him only.

II.            “Firstborn of the dead”

Paul and John both wrote that Jesus was “the firstborn of the dead” (Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5).  But how did the dead come to be dead?  How and why did death come into the world?

a)      The prophecy about Jesus 

According to Acts 26:22, 23 … what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles."  All the prophecies told about Jesus Christ were fulfilled.

b)     What is the purpose of suffering?

Why Jesus Christ should suffer for us? To give us, the eligibility to take part in his church by cleansing our sin.

Colossians 1:18 says “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.”

c)      Why did God used this strategy?

The “tree of life” in the Garden of Eden, of which one might “eat and live forever,” was available to Adam (Genesis 2:16; 3:22).  Thus he did not have to die.  But the penalty of death God gave if Adam and Eve ate of the tree of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17), a penalty irrevocable, a penalty handed down to all Adam’s descendants:  “through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” Romans 5:12 We all suffer the penalty of Adam’s sin, but the guilt cannot be inherited.  Sin is personal, and its guilt cannot be transferred to other people:

 Because of 1^st Adam death came into this world. But because of 2nd Adam’s resurrection from the dead we all are saved from the death.    1 Cor 15 :20-23 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive?

III.            … Him who loves us

How does Jesus Christ shows His love to us? John 15:9 says that “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love”.  So only He gave a Commandment to us in John 13:34 …I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

IV.            Has freed us from our sins by his blood

Jesus came to this world, He suffered, He died and He resurrected.  Why bible gives more importance to the blood of Jesus Christ?. What specialty is there in Christ’s blood?

Leviticus 17:11 says “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life”. If I give my blood, it will clean everyone’s sin? Then how the blood should be? In 1 Peter 1:19 says “but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb WITHOUT BLEMISH OR WITHOUT SPOT”. From this we can understand the one and only Christ blood had an eligibility to clean every one’s sin.