Worthy is the Lamb - Revelation 5
Prayer: Lord, please open our hearts & minds to your word today. Give us understanding of the things that we read, and give us wisdom to help us to apply these things. Lord we will never understand, at least not in this life, the great sacrifice that was made on our behalf so that our salvation could be achieved. May we respond to you in Love. Lord as I begin to speak, please work through the power of your Holy Spirit to teach these things; for I am completely incapable & totally dependent on your power. Amen!
Last week we learned about John being transported into the Throne Room of Heaven, and the scene he found himself in was difficult for him to describe, but that was just setting the scene. Starting this week we begin to learn about the events John was privileged to witness, the majesty of which I am having difficulty expressing.
Revelation 5:1-5 - God is on the throne, and in His right hand he holds a very special object. It is a scroll that contains writing both on the inside & the outside, and it is sealed with seven seals.
As the seals are opened in the following chapters we're going to learn of their significance, but what is this scroll? What does it signify? Good Question! We're not told precisely what it signifies, but there are hints - some from ancient dealings in Israel (cultural hints) & some from God's Word both here in Revelation as well as elsewhere. So I'm going to share what I think it might be, but understand that this is simply opinion (and there are others).
I think it may be a form of Title Deed to all Creation, now that I've said that I'll tell you why I think that.
- In ancient Israel a Title Deed for land would be put on a scroll like this (one is recorded in Jeremiah 25), and would be sealed with the seals of those who witnessed the transaction. If land in Israel was sold it was supposed to be later Redeemed by a Kinsman, since land in Israel was a gift from God rather than a possession (Leviticus 25:23-25).
- Creation is God's possession (Psalm 24:1-2), He made it & it belongs to Him. Adam had been given dominion over the earth by God similar to how Israel had been given dominion in the Promised Land, but Adam lost his possession due to sin; thus, Adam needed a Kinsman to redeem... but let's hold that thought for a bit.
- The actions that are going to take place at the breaking of the seals also imply that the scroll is some sort of Title Deed for creation, since the consequences directly impact God's creation, but we don't want to get to far ahead of our current passage.
The scroll had writing on both the inside and outside. Papyrus in John's day would have been the material used for creating a scroll, it was smooth on one side & that was typically the side that was written on. Typically if something was written on the outside of a scroll it was instructions for the opening of the scroll, or requirements that must be met by the one opening of the scroll, or the like. In the case of land it might indicate how to redeem & whose kinsman was able to redeem.
When the Angel calls out asking who is worthy to break the seals & open the scroll, he may have been referencing the writing on the outside of the scroll. Who was able to meet the requirements? When it says "no one" that would probably more correctly read "no man", there is no man (human) that is worthy, none qualified (Romans 3:10). No man who had ever lived was worthy, none was found who could redeem.
John grieves bitterly, the Greek implies that he sobbed convulsively, with deep penetrating grief. This is the worst tragedy ever - that there is no one to redeem marks a complete loss of hope for all creation. How long of a pause is there while God allows the tragedy of this & the grief it causes to sink in? We don't know, but it was just the right mount of time for the intensity of John's grief to be complete so that God's answer to John's grief could also be complete. John had to experience the loss so that he could appreciate the gain, this is a pattern God repeats in scripture & also in our individual lives.
John is not left in this place of bitter grief, one of the Elders shares the good news: a Kinsman-Redeemer is here. Who is this Kinsman Redeemer? Who is this man who is able to do what no other man is qualified to do? He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, He is the Root of David, He has triumphed & is able to redeem.
Revelation 5:6 - John is told He is the Lion, but when he looks he sees the Lamb. The Lamb who had been slain, God's Passover Lamb who's blood was used to cover over and save His people (John 1:29) - this is none other than John's dear friend & savior Jesus Christ - the only man who had ever been able to live a sinless life & was thus qualified to fulfill the roll of being man's redeemer. Jesus is the Lion & the Lamb, both God & Man, and perfectly able to represent both. The blood of the Passover Lamb in Exodus covered the doorposts of the Israelites & marked them so they would be unharmed by the plagues sent by God; and thus, I believe Jesus blood as God's Passover Lamb will cause God's People (believers) to be unharmed by the plagues mentioned later in Revelation.
Where is Jesus? He is right there with the Father, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four Creatures, and surrounded by the Elders. This is such an interesting picture since the Father is seated on the throne & yet Jesus is standing in the center of the same throne, the image it conveys is such a confirmation of what Jesus Himself had taught His disciples & had been recorded by the very same disciple witnessing this scene (John 10:30) Jesus & the Father are One.
Jesus is seen here as having seven horns, horns being an ancient Jewish symbol of power & authority, and Jesus power & authority are complete. He is also said to have seven eyes, and it tells us these seven eyes are the seven spirits (or seven-fold Spirit) of God that had been sent out into all the earth. These eyes are the Holy Spirit, so we are seeing the Trinity here in this image.
Revelation 5:7 - Jesus took the scroll, He had the right to take the scroll, and He chose to take the scroll. In ancient Israel, for a man to be a Kinsman-Redeemer, there were certain requirements: he must be a Kinsman (close relative), he must be Able to fulfill the roll (pay the purchase price), he must be Willing to fulfill the roll, and he must Assume all of the Obligations of the Beneficiary. Jesus became a man in order to be our Kinsman, He alone was Able to redeem mankind by the sacrifice of His perfect blood, He Willingly chose to fulfill this role for mankind, and He took on Himself our sin (our Obligations) so that we might be redeemed.
I don't think we fully grasp what is happening here, and I say that because of the responses that follow.
Revelation 5:8-10 - The first to respond to Jesus action are the Creatures & the Elders. They fall down before the Lamb in worship and in song. They are holding harps (historically this would have been a small instrument) which were likely for the purposes of the song, but they are also holding golden bowls of incense. We are told that these bowls of incense are the prayers of the saints (Psalm 141:2). What prayers might be being offered in this case? Perhaps a portion of the very prayer taught us by the Lord (Matthew 6:10).
In their song they proclaim the Lamb's worthiness. And if we were unsure before it is clear now that this is Jesus, the one who with His blood purchased men for God from "every tribe and language and people and nation". Their song ends by proclaiming that believers will be "a kingdom & priests" with specific purposes, we will serve God but we will also reign on the earth.
Revelation 5:11-12 - The second group to respond are the angels, encircling the Throne & Creatures & Elders. In ancient Greek the largest number that there was a specific word for was Ten Thousand, so saying "thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand" was their way of saying something like "Bazillions" or "Gazillions", or basically way too many to count - innumerable.
I'm wondering how loud this was... but in any case they also sing of the worthiness of the Lamb, and they list seven things that He is worthy of: Power, Wealth, Wisdom, Strength, Honor, Glory, and Praise.
Revelation 5:13 - This is the third group to respond. I think it's interesting that it doesn't say all the saved, nor does it say every human, but rather every creature... EVERY CREATURE!! The birds & bees & whales & fish & cows & dust mites & mosquitos & so on... plus every human... no exceptions. (Philippians 2:9-11) EVERY knee, ALL will acknowledge, all will proclaim who He is & in doing so give God glory... and ALL will be singing this song that says the Lamb is to be given Praise & Honor & Glory & Power for ever, FOR EVER... And they may not be doing this because they want to, but they will do it because God has willed it & made it so.
Revelation 5:14 - The Four Living Creatures respond with a final "Amen", and the Elders fall down & worship. All is being set right, the One who is worthy is going to break the seals and open the scroll.
Prayer: Lord God please help us to have a sense of the immensity of the actions taking place in this chapter. Help us to grasp the beauty of what is taking place, and even more to grasp the beauty of what you did in order to redeem mankind. And as we begin to grasp these things may our songs of praise rise up to you as we do what we are able to in our fallen state to give you praise & glory & honor. Amen!
Reflection & Prayer:
- Think about the depth of the grief of John, this grief is caused by sin, there is none who is worthy.
- Think about the amazing sacrifice made by our Lord Jesus, and that even in heaven He bears the scars of being our Passover Lamb.
- Think about the outrageous love that went to such extremes to redeem rebellious mankind.
- What is your response?
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