King Day 2 Reigning King: Digging Deeper
Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
Revelation 1:1-8
4 John: To the seven churches in Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood, 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father—to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega”, says the Lord God, “the one who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
The Original Intent
1) Why does it matter who gave what to whom and how it was passed on? (verses 1-3)
Rich wealth awaits us as we launch Journey Into King and mine the precious words of the Lord in Revelation! Before going further, I implore you to stop and read John 1, John 14, John 17, and Ephesians 1. The riches of Revelation will be all the sweeter if we have His Words fresh in our mind so the Spirit can deepen our understanding! Now, read verses 1-3 again. Ready?! Let’s go!
Imperative to studying Revelation is a working knowledge of the Triune God. If this is a new concept, here are some helpful GT studies. (Triune God; Parakletos: Digging Deeper)
The curtain of Revelation opens by unequivocally stating that what is written is a direct revelation owned by the Lord Jesus Christ (God the Son) but given to Him by God the Father (which is accomplished by God the Spirit, Who is the very breath of God. GotQuestions.org). (verse 1) This is a picture of Triune God unity and it deserves our awe-filled attention! Each member of the Trinity willfully submits to the other; none carries the whole weight of this revelatory message alone, even though they could.
Not only does the Triune Godhead model unity within itself here, but it further models the process God designed for evangelism (εὐαγγελίζω) by sending God’s revelation to John through an angel. (verse 1) This process further amplifies unity and the necessity of the Body working together. (Romans 12:3-5) The Greek word for angel means “messenger”. Interestingly, the Greek word “evangelism” actually includes the same word translated angel (messenger: ἄγγελος).
God the Father gave God the Son the revelation by God the Spirit and then it was entrusted to an angel (messenger), and then John was entrusted to share this same message as an evangelist (messenger of good news)! (verses 3-4)
The Everyday Application
1) Why does it matter who gave what to whom and how it was passed on? (verses 1-3)
The how and to whom the Revelation was delivered matters because it declares the unity of the Godhead and His design for our mission as members of the global Church!
As fully Divine, each member of the Trinity has the power, authority, and knowledge to have delivered the message on their own, yet they each willfully chose to declare the message of Revelation communally in loving submission to one another. This is the unity the Son asked the Father to give to all who follow Him! (John 17:20-23)
When wives willfully choose to lay aside what they could do on their own and invite their husbands into partnership, they are mirroring Godhead unity. When a sister in Jesus willfully chooses to lay aside her right to voice her thoughts and opinions that would trample on another’s voice, she is mirroring Godhead unity. When we honor one another as brothers and sisters in Jesus and set our desires aside for the good of the other, we shine the light of Godhead unity. (Ephesians 5:15-16, 20-21)
When every believer takes seriously God’s call to actively participate as messengers and speak of Jesus’ offer of rescue from sin to others, we mirror the same Godhead unity and design expressed in the opening verses of Revelation!
God did not need to send an angel to John and share the revelation; neither did He need to include John as an essential piece to declaring His message. Still, this was His divinely designed plan.
One of the pastors in my local church commonly says, “The Church is God’s plan A for sharing Jesus’ message; there is no plan B.” WE, as fellow believers in Jesus, are the divinely ordained and commissioned messengers of the Gospel.
The King has given orders; are we taking them seriously in our everyday lives?
The Original Intent
2) What qualifications are given for Jesus to truly be the eternal Reigning King? (verses 4-6)
With an introduction woven with trinitarian doctrine, it makes sense that what follows is a stamp of authority from the Triune God.
If you’re familiar with the New Testament letters, you’ll immediately note the classic trademark “grace and peace to you” that frequently opened and/or closed the majority of the epistles. (Ephesians 6:23-24, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 2 Peter 1:2 as examples) These two words ring with the depth of the gospel (Fervent Day 1, Grace & Peace) and it’s an incredible stamp of authority for the Revelation letters to open with these words from the Author of His Eternal Word who prompted the epistle authors to pen the same words to His people. This greeting alone binds the Church together in beautiful trinitarian unity.
Who authors this grand welcome to the hearers? None other than the “One who is, who was, and who is to come.” (verse 4) As the psalmist declares, “…From eternity to eternity, You are God!” (Psalm 90:2)
The order of “is, was, and is to come” may sound odd to English ears, but this order emphasizes the nearness of Yahweh. He is the Timeless God who is. When listeners heard the Revelation letter read, they would emphatically be reminded of the God who is with them at every point in history.
While the description of eternality in verse 4 fits each Person of the Godhead as they are co-equal, this first description is likely meant to invoke thoughts of the Father as the other two descriptions distinctly call out Spirit and Son.
Next, we read that the revelation comes “from the seven Spirits before the throne”. Before stumbling on 7 spirits, remember that Scripture frequently uses the number 7 to signify completeness or fullness. Before the Throne of God, the fully complete Spirit of God perfectly rules in alignment with Father and Son.
The Everyday Application
2) What qualifications are given for Jesus to truly be the eternal Reigning King? (verses 4-6)
Following the authority of Father and Spirit, the Son is called out as co-author of the Revelation, “…from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” (verse 5)
As “faithful witness”, Jesus has never been apart from the Father and is the only One qualified to show us the Father. Jesus perfectly testifies of the Father He intimately knows and loves. (John 1:18)
As “firstborn from the dead”, Christ Jesus is the first human to be resurrected to Life from Death by His own power! Only because Jesus is fully human and fully God was He able to pay our death penalty and become the first to prove resurrection from the dead. (Acts 26:23) As “firstborn from the dead”, Jesus holds all rights and authorities; He alone bears the Name above all names. (Psalm 89:27, Philippians 2:9-11)
In the middle of verse 5, Jesus’ Kingly rule moves from His authority over life, death, and the universe to His Kingship over His people. “To Him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father.” (verses 5-6)
His rule is marked foremost by love. Not a passing love that fades, but one that stoops low to set free by purchasing His people with His own blood. His is a love that embraces the sinner in such a way as to make them saints by His righteousness, establishing His kingdom among His people, and welcoming us into the throne room of God where we call the King of kings Father. Astonishing!
Father, Spirit, and Son stamp this Revelation with divine authority by their shared eternality, unity, and perfect love that rescues sinners.
And sister? We are only six verses deep into chapter one! How great is this King!
The Original Intent
3) How are we assured of the coming fulfillment? (verses 7-8)
John’s vision up to this point, though brief, was replete with the complete and total rule of Yahweh as King, specifically in the person of the Son, Jesus Christ. Foundational to the entire letter is the necessity of gazing upon the rule and reign of Christ Jesus as King of kings. If you get lost reading about the Dragon or the Woman or the 144,000 later in Revelation, let your heart return here to the perfect ruling reign of King Jesus.
We must not relinquish this truth as we read and study the rest of John’s vision; Christ as King, against Whom none can stand, is paramount to every other understanding.
As we settle into the authoritative rule of the Triune God, the vision shifts from the person of Jesus to the coming of Jesus. As if we are not astonished enough at the breathtaking view of Christ as King, we are meant to be enraptured with awe-filled worship for the King who is coming again to rescue His people.
For first-century believers, this news was the most encouraging tidings on the planet. The persecution fires were growing hot against believers, literally and figuratively. Those who claimed the Name of Christ were burned at the stake, imprisoned, beaten, impaled, crucified, and thrown into gladiator rings to be torn apart by wild animals. Following Jesus wasn’t safe or popular, but it was worth it because the King still ruled and one day, He would return to rescue His people.
The prevailing thought in those first several years after Jesus’ resurrection was that His return was absolutely imminent. People left their jobs and sold everything, just waiting for the trumpet call and Jesus’ return. As days turned to months and decades, the Church began to wonder… was Jesus still coming back? Had they missed it? What if He had forgotten? Could He forget? Was He truly King?
Against this backdrop of persecution and doubt, the vision from the ruling Triune Godhead came to John as a gift of encouragement to the Church. The message was clear, “The King Is Coming. The King Wins. Don’t Give Up!”
The Everyday Application
3) How are we assured of the coming fulfillment? (verses 7-8)
Verse 7 is a beautiful weaving together of both Old Testament prophecies and ones Jesus foretold regarding the future when He would return for the Church. Its richness exceeds the space we have to explore it here, but as deeply wonderful as it is, we must not miss the bookends surrounding it. The coming of Christ is held on both sides by the authority of, yes, you guessed it, the Triune God. Catch your breath, Sisters, He’s that good!
The Eternal God announces the revelation originated with Him in verse 4, but it’s also the Eternal God who completes it under His everlasting rule and reign. Verse 7 closes authoritatively, “So it is to be. Amen.” No foe stands a chance, for the ruling Trinity has thus decided. As if there could be any further doubt, the King speaks again, “I am the Alpha and the Omega”, says the Lord God, “the one who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
There simply are no other outcomes possible. From beginning (Alpha) to end (Omega), the King Rules and the King Wins. Period.
With resounding finality, the vision for John and the church, could well have ended here in chapter 1 verse 8 and it would have been glorious enough and encouraging enough for the saints to continue persevering while waiting for their coming King, no matter how many centuries it took.
In love, the Godhead didn’t stop there and, in the pages to come, He unveils much about His coming, but every drop of ink that John would spill is meant to point us back, right here, to the opening scene where the Rule of the King lies unchallenged. No matter what it looks like, or how dark the days grow, or how corrupt the political scene, or how terrifying the Beast, our hearts can remain safely anchored for Christ is King and there is no other!
“So it is to be. Amen!”
Study the GT Focus Journey Theme in book format!
“King” is available in the GT Bookstore!
This Week's Lock Screen
Authentically living out a life of worship to the God who rescued us from darkness requires accountability and intentionality. Join a GT POD and take the next step in your faith journey!
