Another Excerpt From Chilton

Good Morning. I am sitting here on my couch reading some more of David Chilton's extensive work on Revelation and I came across a part that I can't resist posting. It is eloquent and sums up a lot of things that I have been thinking without knowing exactly how to put it into words. This part is Chilton's commentary on Rev. 1:5. So, without any further ado, here it is: (yes, its another sorta long one) :)

The third member of the Godhead (in this liturgical order) is
Jesus Christ, spoken of by St. John under three designations:
the faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the dead, and the Ruler
of the kings of the earth. R. J. Rushdoony has forcefully
pointed out how the term Witness (in Greek, martyr), has ac-
quired connotations foreign to the word’s original meaning: “In
the Bible, the witness is one who works to enforce the law and
assist in its execution, even to the enforcement of the death pen-
alty. ‘Martyr’ has now come to mean the exact reverse, i.e., one
who is executed rather than an executioner, one who is perse-
cuted rather than one who is central to prosecution. The result is
a serious misreading of Scripture. . . . The significance of Jesus
Christ as ‘the faithful and true witness’ is that He not only wit-
nesses against those who are at war against God, but He also ex-
ecutes them. . . . Jesus Christ therefore witnesses against every
man and nation that establishes its life on any other premise
than the sovereign and triune God and His infallible and ab-
solute law-word.”

The theme of Christ as the preeminent Witness is important
in Revelation, as we noted above on v. 2. By way of supplement-
ing Rushdoony’s analysis, we may observe that a central aspect
of Christ’s witness-bearing was His death at the hands of false
witnesses. Those in this book who bear witness in His image will
also do so at the cost of their lives (6:9; 12:11). The modern con-
notation of the word marfyr is thus not so far-fetched and un-
biblical as it might appear at first glance; but it is necessary, as
Rushdoony has shown, to recall the basic meaning of the term.
Jesus is also the Firstborn from the dead. By His resurrec-
tion from the dead, He has attained supremacy, having “first
place in everything” (Col. 1:18). As Peter said on the Day of Pen-
tecost: “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all wit-
nesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God,
and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy
Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.
For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself
says: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I
make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet. Therefore let all
the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him
both Lord and Christ –this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts
2:32-36). God fulfilled the promise He had made long before: “I
will make Him My Firstborn, the highest of the kings of the
earth” (Ps. 89:27).

St. John obviously had this passage from the Psalms in
mind, for the next designation he gives to our Lord is the Ruler
of the kings of the earth. Christ’s priority and sovereignty are
above all. He is not “only” the Savior, waiting for a future cata-
clysmic event before He can become King; He is the universal
King now, in this age – sitting at His Father’s right hand while all
His enemies are being put under His feet. This process of taking
dominion over all the earth in terms of His rightful title is going
on at this moment, and has been ever since He rose from the
dead. As Firstborn (and only-begotten!), Christ possesses the
crown rights of all creation: “All authority in heaven and earth
has been given to Me,”He claimed (Matt. 28:18). All nations
have been granted to Him as His inheritance, and the kings of
earth are under court order to submit to Him (Ps. 2:8-12). Com-
menting on Christ’s title Ruler of the kings of the earth, William
Symington wrote: “The persons who are here supposed to be
subject to Christ, are kings, civil rulers, supreme and subordi-
nate, all in civil authority, whether in the legislative, judicial, or
executive branches of government. Of such Jesus Christ is
Prince; – ruler, lord, chief, the first in power, authority,
and dominion.”

This, in fact, is precisely the reason for the persecution of
Christians by the State. Jesus Christ by the Gospel has asserted
His absolute sovereignty and dominion over the rulers and na-
tions of earth. They have a choice: Either submit to His govern-
ment and law, accepting His non-negotiable terms of surrender
and peace, or be smashed to bits by the rod of His anger. Such
an audacious, uncompromising position is an affront to the dig-
nit y of any self-respecting humanist — much more so to rulers
who are accustomed to thinking of themselves as gods walking
on earth. Perhaps this Christ can be allowed a place in the pan-
theon, along with the rest of us gods; but for His followers to
proclaim Him as Lord of all, whose law is binding upon all men,
whose statutes call into judgment the legislation and decrees of
the nations – this is too much; it is inexcusable, and cannot be
allowed.

It would have been much easier on the early Christians, of
course, if they had preached the popular retreatist doctrine that
Jesus is Lord of the “heart,” that He is concerned with “spirit-
ual” (meaning non-earthly) conquests, but isn’t the least bit in-
terested’ in political questions; that He is content to be “Lord” in
the realm of the spirit, while Caesar is Lord everywhere else
(i.e., where we feel it really matters). Such a doctrine would
have been no threat whatsoever to the gods of Rome. In fact,
Caesar couldn’t ask for a more cooperative religion! Toothless,
impotent Christianity is a gold mine for statism: It keeps men’s
attention focused on the clouds while the State picks their pock-
ets and steals their children.

But the early Church was not aware of this escapist teaching.
Instead, it taught the Biblical doctrine of Christ’s Lordship –
that He is Lord of all, “Ruler of the kings of the earth.” It was
this that guaranteed their persecution, torture, and death at the
hands of the State. And it was also this that guaranteed their ul-
timate victory. Because Jesus is universal Lord, all opposition to
His rule is doomed to failure, and will be crushed. Because
Christ is King of kings, Christians are assured of two things:
warfare to the death against all would-be-gods; and the com-
plete triumph of the Christian faith over all its enemies.

For this reason, St. John breaks into a doxology of praise to
Jesus Christ, who loves us and freed us from our sins by the
ransom-price of His blood, and has made us to be a Kingdom
and priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the
dominion forever and ever. Not only have we been redeemed
from our slavery, but we have been constituted as a Kingdom of
priests. The Kingdom has begun: Christians are now ruling with
Christ (Eph. 1:20-22; 2:6; Col. 1:13), and our dominion will in-
crease across the world (Rev. 5:9-10). We are a victorious, con-
quering priesthood, bringing all areas of life under His rule.