Meaning of 'Firstborn'
Emphasis is on
preeminence
and
position
not generation
(Ps. 89:27;
Col. 1:18).
His resurrection establishes a pattern for believers
(Rom. 8:29).
1:5 - over the kings of the earth
Psalm 2
By His resurrection, He was declared to be the Son of God and ruler over the kings of
the earth
(Ps. 2:7-8
cf.
Acts 13:33;
Rom. 1:4).
1:5 - who loved us and washed us
Loved - present tense
To agapo'nti
(present, active, participle) = "the one presently loving us."
washed us
Majority text has
washed
(lu'santi ), Nestle-Aland/UBS text has
freed
(lou'santi ),
a difference of a single letter. "Washed" is in the aorist tense - we obtain the full merits of His sacrifice the
moment
we believe.
1:5 - in His own blood
A Bloodless Gospel is an Ineffectual Gospel
God has chosen to atone for sin by the spilling of blood
(Heb. 9:22).
The "life of the flesh is in the blood" (Lev. 17:11). "Life" is
nephesh , the same word which appears for
soul
in the offering of Jesus recorded by Isaiah
(Isa. 53:10-15).
Examples of Atoning by Blood
1)
Skins to cover Adam and Eve
(Gen. 3:21).
2)
Cain and Abel: blood sacrifice to approach God
(Gen. 4:4).
3)
Abrahamic covenant
(Gen. 15:9-21).
4)
Passover
(Ex. 12:23).
5)
Mosaic Law accepted as binding by Israel
(Ex. 24:8).
1:6 - kings and priests
a kingdom of priests
Both the Majority text and Nestle-Aland/UBS text have "appointed us a kingdom, priests to God." This was the original calling of the nation Israel
(Ex. 19:6;
1Pe. 2:9).
Here, it is broadened to include believers from "every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (Rev. 5:10).
Our priestly role will be expanded when we
reign with God in the Millennial Kingdom
(Rev. 20:4-6).
1:7 - He is coming
The Old Testament Puzzle
The Old Testament predicted a "coming one" -- the Messiah
(Deu. 18:15-18).
He was to be a
victorious king
(Num. 24:17;
Isa. 9:6-7).
He was also said to be
forsaken, rejected and crushed
(Ps. 22;
Isa. 53).
How could these contradictions be reconciled?
The Solution
1)
Two different individuals
(Messiah ben-Joseph
and
Messiah ben-David).
2)
Mutually exclusive fulfillments, depending upon Israel's obedience.
3)
The same individual comes
twice!
The resurrection is the key which unlocks the mystery
(Ps. 16:10). He has come once already and He is
about to
come again!
1:7 - with the clouds... every eye
clouds
The visible manifestation of the Lord's abiding presence,
or
shekinah
(Ex. 16:10;
Lev. 16:2;
2Chr. 7:1).
A reference to the presentation of the Son of Man
to the Ancient of Days
(Dan. 7:13).
every eye will see Him
The visible, bodily, unmistakable, undeniable, literal Second Coming!
(Acts 1:9;
Rev. 19:11).
1:7 - they who pierced Him
the Jews
A subgroup from among "every eye." Both Jews and Gentiles are responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus
(Acts 4:27-28).
It was
Jewish mouths(Mark 15:13)
together with
Gentile hands(John 19:23)
who crucified our Lord.
Ultimately, it was the
sin of all mankind
that sent Jesus to the cross
(Rom. 4:25).
Yet, He is the
Jewish
Messiah and the Jews bear special responsibility according to their own pronouncement
(Mat. 27:25).
who pierced Him
A unique verb
(exeke'ntesan ). Used by John when quoting Zechariah
(Zec. 12:10). Only occurs here and in John
(John 19:37).
1:7 - all the tribes of the earth will mourn
A Global Designation
Preterists try to restrict "tribes" (fulai )
as denoting Israel only. This is not valid here.
The context is
global (Mat. 24:30).
1)
Not "the twelve" tribes, but
the tribes "of the earth." 2)
The exact same phrase, " all the families
(fulai )
of the earth, " in the LXX
always
refers to all people
(Gen. 12:3;
Gen. 28:14;
Amos 3:2;
Zec. 14:17-18). In Zechariah, it refers to
the family of Egypt.
Zechariah 12
Scripture interprets scripture! This is a clear reference to Zechariah 12 in
which all nations come up against Jerusalem and are
defeated by God.
In A.D. 70 a
single
nation (Rome) attacked and destroyed Jerusalem.
God never intervened as Zechariah predicted.
1:8 - alpha and omega, beginning and end
Title Shared by Father and Son
Applied to the Father
(Rev. 21:6)
and to the Son
(Rev. 1:11;
2:8;
22:13).
Revelation by the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the means by which God reveals truth to His prophets
(1Pe. 1:20-21). That which is revealed is unknowable by man apart from God
(Gal. 1:12-2:2).
Prophecy was often revealed in visionary form, and often when the prophet was outside of the land
of Israel
(Eze. 8:3;
11:24;
37:1;
Dan. 8:2;
2Cor. 12:2;
Rev. 4:2;
17:3;
21:10).
1:10 - the Lord's Day
Which Day?
1)
The day of the Lord's resurrection: Sunday.
2)
The eschatological "Day of the Lord." 3)
A "Lordy Day," a day when John had an encounter with God in the Spirit.
1:11 - what you see, write
John acting as a Scribe
John is told to write "what you are presently seeing" (blepeis,
present tense).
