First, He is given the title of “the Faithful Witness,” that is, One Who can bear full Testimony because of His first-hand knowledge. You see, in order to be a “faithful witness,” you have to have first-hand information. You can’t be a “faithful witness” if you’ve gotten the information second-hand. Indeed, Jesus has first-hand knowledge!

Secondly, He is also given the title here as “the Firstborn from the dead,” or “Firstborn of the dead.” This is significant because being “the Firstborn from the dead,” He guarantees our resurrection.

And, thirdly, He is given the title, “the Ruler over the kings of the earth.” Through His witnessing leading to the cross, and His resurrection from the dead, He is “the Ruler of the kings of the earth.” And if you remember, from Matthew 4 and Luke 4, Satan tempted the Lord as He was spending those 40 days in the wilderness after His baptism. At the very end of those 40 days, Satan would tempt Him with three major temptations. You will remember that one of those temptations was to show Him all of the kingdoms of the earth and offer Him the rulership, the kingship, of those nations. Of course, He didn’t—He wouldn’t succumb to that temptation! But now, He has achieved that! That was a position that the devil said he could provide Jesus by way of temptation. The Lord refused and He has now—or is now—in that position—“the Ruler over the kings of the earth.”

The beautiful doxology that we mentioned a moment ago closes out the salutation. It’s going to be the first of several that we will see here in the book. We see several things in this verse of praise—this hymn of praise—that are significant and worth mentioning. Jesus is here described as the one “Who…washed us from our sins in His Own blood.” The reference here to baptism is very clear, and it is a reference that, perhaps, we don’t use often as we are talking with people about baptism. But, nevertheless, there is a very clear reference to baptism contained here in Revelation, chapter 1 [verse 5].

Another blessing for the reader and doer that flows through Jesus here is that we have been made a kingdom of “priests” to give God honor and glory. Turn back to Exodus, chapter 19, and let’s look for a moment at verse 6. This, of course, is the occasion when the children of Israel had been led to Mt. Sinai. Listen to what the Word of the Lord says here concerning them: [God said,] “‘And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the Words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” Indeed, they were God’s chosen people and He promised them that great promise. That promise today is transferred to us—to us as Christians who are the people of God. It is important for us to remember and think about our status. We must realize that we are a “kingdom of priests” to God in the New Covenant. [1 Peter 2:9-10: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”]

Let’s take a look at the next few verses, chapter 1, verses 7 and 8. John writes:

[verse 7]“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.

[verse 8]‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,’ says the Lord, ‘Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty.’”

In verses 5, 6, and 7, we see three things about Christ. Verse 5 tells of the characteristics of Christ and what Christ has done and continues to do. Verse 6 describes what Christ has made of His followers. Then verse 7 describes what Christ has yet to do. So, what He has done and continues to do—what He has made of His followers—and now what He has yet to do are stated.

Verse 7 announces “He is coming with the clouds” and all “will see Him.” To us as believers—as followers—as Christians—this gives us unspeakable joy! But there is also a warning contained here: Those who have “pierced Him” through the ages in disregard and in open rebellion “will mourn.” That’s the New King James’ translation. The King James’ version says “will wail;” the English Study Bible says “will lament.”

We can go back and look at an Old Testament passage that deals with this. In Zachariah, chapter 12, verse 10, the Lord said through the prophet, “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me Whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.” A prophetic statement about the Lord, but here, again, it is repeated: those who have “pierced” Him. No, not just those who were there at the foot of that Roman cross, but everyone of every age who has rebelled, who has disregarded, or who has been disobedient. His “coming” in the “clouds”—this second coming will be occasion for them to “mourn,” for them to “wail,” for them to “lament.”

Verse 8 presents the announcement of the Lord God Himself. It states here, as John has written and recorded, the Words of the Lord. It says: “I am the Alpha and the Omega.” “Alpha” is the first letter of the Greek alphabet; “Omega” is the last letter of the Greek alphabet. This is illustrative, then, of the next statement when He says, “I am…the Beginning and the End.” Those are practically synonymous terms: “Alpha”—the “Beginning;” “Omega”—the “End.” That is what God IS!

The expression “Who is and Who was and Who is to come” is the same terminology describing the Lord as we read in verse 4. The word that is translated from Greek into the English word, “Almighty,” emphasizes God’s sovereign Lordship over all things. [Sovereign: above all others; chief; supreme; supreme in power, rank, etc.; independent of all others; a monarch or ruler] The New English Bible translates this word “the sovereign Lord of all.” This word “Almighty” occurs in the book of Revelation nine times. To see the eternal God holding sway as sovereign Lord over His universe, over His creation, and working out His eternal purpose becomes the background, then, for all the rest of the Message that is contained in the book of Revelation.