Albert Barnes Commentary Revelation 1:5

"and from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood;" — Revelation 1:5 (ASV)

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness. (See Barnes on Revelation 1:2).

He is faithful in the sense that he is one on whose testimony there may be entire reliance, or who is entirely worthy to be believed. From him "grace and peace" are appropriately sought, as one who bears such a testimony, and as the first-begotten from the dead, and as reigning over the kings of the earth. Thus grace and peace are invoked from the infinite God in all his relations and operations: as the Father, the Source of all existence; as the Sacred Spirit, going forth in manifold operations upon the hearts of men; and as the Son of God, the one appointed to bear faithful testimony to the truth respecting God and future events.

And the first-begotten of the dead. The same Greek expression—prwtotokov—occurs in Colossians 1:18. (See Barnes on Colossians 1:18).

Compare Barnes on 1 Corinthians 15:20.

And the prince of the kings of the earth. Who has over all the kings of the earth the pre-eminence which kings have over their subjects. He is the Ruler of rulers; King of kings. In Revelation 17:14 and Revelation 19:16, the same thought is expressed by saying that he is the "King of kings."

No language could more sublimely denote his exalted character or his supremacy. Kings and princes sway a scepter over the millions of the earth, and the exaltation of the Savior is here expressed by supposing that all those kings and princes constitute a community over which he is the head. The exaltation of the Redeemer is elsewhere expressed in different language, but the idea is one that everywhere prevails in regard to him in the Scriptures. Compare Matthew 28:18; Matthew 11:27; John 17:2; Ephesians 1:20–22; Philippians 2:9–11; Colossians 1:15–18.

The word prince—o arcwn—means properly ruler, leader, the first in rank. We often apply the word prince to an heir to a throne who is not invested with absolute sovereignty. The word here, however, denotes that he actually exercises dominion over the rulers of the earth. As this is an authority which is claimed by God (compare Isaiah 10:5 and following; Isaiah 45:1 and following; Psalms 47:2; Psalms 99:1; Psalms 103:19; Daniel 4:34) and which can only pertain to God, it is clear that in ascribing this to the Lord Jesus it is implied that he possesses Divine attributes.

Since many of the revelations of this book pertained to the assertion of power over the princes and rulers of this world, it was fitting that, in the beginning, it should be asserted that he who was to exert that power was invested with the prerogative of a ruler of the nations and that he had this right of control.

Unto him that loved us. This refers undoubtedly to the Lord Jesus, whose love for humankind was so strong that nothing more was necessary to characterize him than to speak of him as the one "who loved us."

It is clear that the division in the verses should have been made here, for this commences a new subject, not having any special connection with what precedes. In Revelation 1:4 and the first part of this verse, the writer had invoked grace from the Father, the Spirit, and the Savior.

In the latter clause of the verse, an ascription of praise to the Redeemer begins; an ascription to him particularly, because the whole book is regarded as a revelation from him (Revelation 1:1), because he was the one who especially appeared to John in the visions of Patmos, and because he was to be the great agent in carrying out the purposes revealed in this book.

And washed us from our sins in his own blood. He has removed the pollution of sin from our souls by his blood; that is, his blood has been applied to cleanse us from sin. Blood can be represented as having a cleansing power only as it makes an expiation for sin, for considered literally its effect would be the reverse.

The language is such as would be used only on the supposition that he had made an atonement, and that it was by the atonement that we are cleansed; for in what sense could it be said of a martyr that he "had washed us from our sins in his blood?" How could this language be used of Paul or Polycarp; of Ridley or Cranmer?

The doctrine that the blood of Christ cleanses us from sin, or purifies us, is one that is common in the Scriptures. Compare 1 John 1:7; Hebrews 9:14. The specific idea of washing, however—representing that blood as washing sin away—is one which does not elsewhere occur. It is evidently used in the sense of cleansing or purifying, as we do this by washing, and the blood of Christ accomplishes regarding our souls what washing with water does regarding the body.