When the apostle John was instructed to write to the seven churches in the book of Revelation, Jesus gave Him the words to write and revealed Himself to John in ways unknown to many before that time. If you pay attention to the opening introduction to each church, you will find a specific revelation of Jesus that was given to each church to reveal Himself to them in a specific way. Let's look at each one.
Revelation 2:1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
Revelation 2:8 "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
Revelation 2:12 "And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: 'The words of Him who has the sharp two-edged sword.
Revelation 2:18 "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: 'The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
Revelation 3:1 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of Him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
Revelation 3:7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.
Revelation 3:14 "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.
Notice that John begins each letter to the churches by saying "the words of" and then declaring who is saying these words. In the revelation to the churches, Jesus is revealing Himself in a way that can only be experienced in the Spirit, which is to say, through the Word. Because the Word is the originator of all things, Jesus can be all things and in all things, seeing that He is the Word from the beginning and is made manifest in heaven and earth.
One revelation I want to focus on in this writing is found in the church of Laodicea. Jesus said He is the "beginning of God's creation." We could easily go to Genesis 1:1 and begin reading about how God (The Word) created the heavens and earth; that would be a good place to start. But in this teaching, I want to focus on one question: what creation is Jesus the beginning of? The answer is He's the beginning of the creation of the new body—the new man He's created for you and me.
We are the fulfillment of God's creation after Jesus Christ.
The key to understanding the revelation of Jesus Christ is to understand creation through prophecy. The Word is the creator. That includes God as the Father, Jesus as the Son, and the Holy Spirit as the guide. This principle is evident throughout the Bible. But it takes shape when it comes to God's creation itself, including us. The earth means everything to God, and He will have His redemption of the earth in the end. But what stands out in His creation is the creature, referring to His people. (James 1:17) What God cares most about is His people; enough to give His life for them.
To save you and I who have sinned against Him, He needed a way to make us new, which is to say, recreate us after His likeness in righteousness and true holiness. So He created the man Jesus in His image and likeness in the Spirit of resurrection. It began when the Holy Ghost overshadowed the Virgin Mary, and she conceived a Son born of God. But the fullness is revealed to us when the Son is resurrected, and the earthly body is changed and made new. Jesus had a body that represented the new heaven and the new earth.
Jesus served a very important purpose; He took on the lost soul of Adam and changed it to a new man who was made after the glory that Jesus had from the beginning. (John 17) His new body was the beginning of the creation of God. He was the firstborn from the dead and the creation of the new man created from the beginning and made to be the beginning of all who would come after. He was the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:29; Hebrews 1:6)
Jesus was the first new man ever to live.
Colossians 1:15-20 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.
We are created after Him.
Because Jesus is the first, we are joined with Him in His resurrection and born of God. We are created after the same image and likeness as Him. We are the first fruits of His creatures, renewed in knowledge after the image of our creator. (Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10; James 1:17-18; Romans 8:29)
If Jesus is the beginning of God's creation, what comes after Him? The answer is simple: we do. But we don't come after Him according to the flesh; we follow after Him according to the Spirit who has made us new creatures, who were born, not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13; Ephesians 4:24)