The Revelation of Christ.
Revelation Five.
Who is worthy to open
the Book?
“Write the things which you have seen,
and the things which are, and the things which will take place after
this.”
The
“Key” to the Book of Revelation, is found in Revelation 1:19. The book of Revelation is the only book
of the Bible that gives the reader an outline right from the beginning.
We now return to the thought “The
things which will take place after this, seen in Revelation chapters 4-22,
we looked at chapter 4 last time. Revelation 5 tells us of a
scroll in heaven which is sealed with 7 seals.
Chapter 5 continues
this scene of the Church in heaven (NOT on the earth. Some say the Church of
Christ will go through the Great Tribulation. Well, why would Christ accept the
Church to be with Him in Heaven, then place them back on the earth, in the
midst of the Great Tribulation?)
The Church is with Christ in Heaven. It is well for us to spend a little
time here to get acquainted with where we are going. Therefore, if you are
going to heaven, you will want to know something about where you are going, and
that is the reason this chapter ought to be interesting to you.
In chapters 4–5 we find that the Church (the body of believers)
is in heaven with Christ. The Lord Jesus said to His disciples, “I go to
prepare a place for you, that where I am, there you may be also” John 14:2–3.
We are going to be with Him.
The scene of chapter 5 is set in heaven, preparatory to the
events of the Great Tribulation. Since the church is in heaven with Him, it
surely could not go through the Great Tribulation down here on the earth. The
throne was the center of chapter 4.
The Lion and the Lamb, both of whom represent Christ, are the center of chapter
5. Christ is the Lamb on the throne. He is both Sovereign and Saviour. He
is in full charge of all the events which follow in this book. Let us not lose
sight of Him.
Verse 1.
“And I saw
in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll
written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.”
There is no way we could over-emphasize the importance of this
scroll. The fact that it was sealed 7 times speaks to its
importance, for in Bible days this practice was reserved for only the most
important of documents.
The procedure and practice of sealing a scroll 7 times was often used in
property foreclosures. When a Jewish family fell on hard times, they were
required to forfeit their land. According to Jewish law, their property
could not be taken from them permanently, and so their losses they encountered
were listed in a scroll sealed 7 times, and the conditions for getting
back their land were written on the outside of the scroll.
Then, when a qualified person could be found, when a redeemer could be
found, when someone was found who could meet the conditions listed on the
backside of the scroll, then they alone had the authority to break the seals,
to open the scroll, and at that time the property had to be returned to the
original owner.
All
Bible scholars agree that this scroll in chapter 5 represents the title
deed to the earth of God’s creation. Who holds the title deed to this earth? It is none other than the Lord
Jesus; He alone has it.
In Daniel 7:13–14 we read: “I saw in the night visions, and
behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the
Ancient of days, and they brought him near before Him. And there was given Him
dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages,
should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass
away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
This suggests, I believe, that what is being handed over to the Lord
Jesus (we will see it handed over to Him) is the title deed to this world in
which you and I live. He created it, He redeemed it, and it belongs to Him.
Remember now, that the earth and the
world that God created was man’s original inheritance. God placed man in
the garden of Eden and said, “I give you dominion over the earth.”
Man was the allotted ruler of earth, but when man chose to sin, he
forfeited the title deed to earth over to Satan. That is when the foreclosure
took place. The opponent of God, Satan, legally took over the dominion of
this earth.
Here are some verses which deal with Satan upon this earth:
31 Now
is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out”
John
12:31 (NKJV).
30 I will no
longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he
has nothing in Me” John 14:30 (NKJV).
4 Whose minds the god of this
age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the
glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” 2 Corinthians
4:4 (NKJV).
2 In which you once walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power
of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” Ephesians
2:2 (NKJV).
Remember when Jesus was tempted of the devil in the wilderness? In
the 3rd temptation, Satan took Jesus to a high place and showed
Him the kingdoms of the earth. He said, bow down to me and I will give you
dominion over these kingdoms.
Notice what Jesus said and what He did not say:
He said, “I will
not bow down to you.” Then He quoted scripture which commands that He alone
be worshipped and served. But Jesus did not debate Satan’s authority to
offer Him those kingdoms. Even Jesus knew that Satan is in authority right
now on the earth.
So, this scroll in heaven represents the title deed to the world. The
big question in chapter 5 is: Where is mankind going to find someone who
can fulfil the requirements written on the backside of the scroll, in order to
redeem for man his lost inheritance?
Verse 2.
“Then
I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open
the scroll and to lose its seals?”
Who has the right and title to this world? Who can
rule it? Who can establish justice and righteousness? Who has the right to
the title deed of the earth? Who has the right to reclaim God’s
creation?
This question is thrown out to all
humanity, and no one steps forward.
Verse 3.
“And
no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able
to open the scroll, or to look at it.”
“No MAN,” no one in Adam’s race had the right to take charge of the
earth. Verse 3 reveals the weakness of human civilization, mankind, and Adam’s
race
Notice it does not say that no one was WILLING to open the book, but
that no one was worthy. Lots of men have been willing! Example Alexander
the Great was very much willing to rule the earth, but he was not worthy. Even
less Caesar, Hitler, or Osama Bin Ladin etc.
Even the best of men
from the Bible did not step forward at this offer either: No man of Adam’s line has a right to open the book and
to take charge of this earth. There have been a great many who have tried to do
it.
Adam lost dominion through
sin.
Moses was the lawgiver, but he
was also a lawbreaker.
David and his line failed.
None of Adam’s line qualifies.
There is none today. The Ruler must be a Redeemer, the Sovereign must be
a Savior of humankind, and Jesus Christ is the only One.
Stand aside, Adam, you cannot do
it, and neither can any of your children. Satan is working at it, but he cannot
do it either. The question is: Who is going to be able to do it?
Even the best of men could not step forward as being worthy to open the
scroll, but it still must be opened, the seals must be broken, otherwise, God’s
purposes would be left unfulfilled, and God’s Creation would remain forever in
the hands of Satan. No wonder verse 4 says that “John wept
uncontrollably.”
Verse 4.
“So, I wept much, because no one
was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.”
John enters into the drama because he has come from earth. The
Revelation was written in tears. Is the earth to continue in sin and sorrow? Is
there no future for the earth? Listen to what Paul has to say: “And not only
they, but ourselves also, which have the first–fruits of the Spirit, even we
ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the
redemption of our body” Romans 8:23.
Is no one competent to rule this earth? John is overwhelmed by the
possibility that there may be no one. Again, Paul writes: “For we know that
the whole creation groans and labours with birth pangs together until now”
Romans 8:22 (NKJV).
John knew that unless the seals were broken and the book opened that all
his suffering on that island was in vain, and all our suffering too, grief, and
heartache would be useless and in vain. Unless God’s plan of redemption could
be totally completed.
John knew that if this book were not
opened, there would never be restoration in Israel, peace in the world, the end
of destruction and doom. Earth would never blossom as a rose as the Bible had
promised, and the glory of the Lord would never fill the earth as promised.
And John cried his eyes out at the
thought that since no one stepped forward as worthy, all God created would
forever remain in the hands of the enemy. But look at verse 5!
Verse 5.
“But
one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of
Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to lose
its seven seals.”
I do
not like the word “but” in my life. Example: ”You can drive the car away today,
BUT your finances do not cover the cost, BUT I have a cheaper one out the
back.” But here the word “But” grabs your attention.
John do not cry, there is good news! There is somebody who is
qualified, worthy, and strong enough. For He is the Lion of Judah, the root of
David, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. He is none other than the Lord
Jesus Christ, He alone is worthy to open the book!
The Lord Jesus Christ is the only One who has the right and title to
this earth. He not only redeemed you and me, but He also redeemed the earth. He
is identified in this section in all His ministries that relate to the earth.
The rest of chapter five tells us why He is worthy and qualified to
reclaim God’s creation. It is an incredibly wondrous worship experience as we
learn the reasons why He is worthy and why He should be worshipped:
Because of Whom He is:
His Power!
Verse
5.
“But
one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of
Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to lose its
seven seals.”
The “Lion” is a symbol of dignity, victory, power, courage, and the King
of beasts.
The elder says to John, “do not cry…look
at the Lion of Judah.” But, when John turns to look, it is not a
lion that he sees, it is a Lamb! The Lamb of God. John turns NOT to see a fierce
lion with long claws, jagged teeth, shaggy mane, but instead sees a tender
little lamb.
Verse 6.
“And
I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living
creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it
had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the
seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”
John is still a spectator to this scene. He says, “I
beheld, I saw this.”
The word translated “lamb” is not the one usually used in scripture for
an ordinary lamb, This denotes its gentleness and its
willingness to be sacrificed. Christ was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and He
did not open His mouth at all (Isaiah 53:7). He was the Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
“As it had been slain” indicates the
redemptive substitutionary death of Christ. The emphasis is upon the fact that
He was slain with violence.
But wait a minute, it is not just any lamb. This Lamb has 7 horns
and 7 eyes, and 7 spirits that roam the earth.
When you study the symbolism of this Lamb, it becomes a beautiful
picture of the awesome power of the Lamb of God. Remember, we are talking about
why He is worthy to open the book.
Because of Whom He is:
His Power!
“7 horns,” in the Bible, the
horn is a symbol for power. 7 is God’s perfect number, this Lamb has not just
power, but perfect power! This Lamb is all-powerful, it is the “Omnipotent Lamb
of God, Jesus Christ!”
“7 eyes,” a symbol of
knowledge and wisdom. Again, the number 7. Perfection, this Lamb has perfect
knowledge and wisdom, all knowing, it is the “Omniscient Lamb of God,
Jesus Christ!”
“7 spirits,” which go into all
the earth. A symbol of the presence of God. 7 perfection. This Lamb has perfect
presence, this Lamb is ever-present, it the “Omnipresent Lamb
of God, Jesus Christ!”
No wonder they all cried, “Worthy is the Lamb, Worthy is the Lamb.”
He is not just any
Lamb, He is the omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent Lamb of God.
It is interesting that in the book of Revelation Satan is characterized
as a dragon, with hordes of demons supporting his work.
But God is so powerful that all He requires to defeat the dragon is a
little pet lamb, but that Lamb is the Lamb of God, our Saviour and Redeemer.
He is so great. He is worthy of our
worship, praise, to claim the title deed of His creation, because of Who He is:
His Power!
He is worthy because
of where He is: His Position!
Verse
6.
“And
I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living
creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had
been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of
God sent out into all the earth.”
“In the midst of the throne” is indicative of the fact that He is before the
throne and ready to function as the righteous Judge. He is the centre of
all that transpires in heaven.
In the midst of the 4
beasts (all of creation).
In the midst of the 24
elders (God’s people).
The Lamb is in Heaven, not in a manger, not on a cross and not in a tomb.
He is ascended and exalted in Heaven.
I love Christmas, but
we do not worship a baby in a manger.
I love Easter, but we
will not worship a corpse on a cross in heaven,
(that is why we
should be repulsed when we see a crucifix, with our dead Saviour hanging on a
cross).
But we will worship the Lamb of God, ascended, exalted in Heaven!
“Stood” He is no longer seated on the
throne (Verse 1). He is moving now, and He is moving to power. He is
coming to this earth. The judgment of the Great Tribulation is about to strike
the earth.
The Lamb is in Heaven, and He is Standing! John said: “Stood a Lamb as
though it had been slain.” Lambs that have been slain do not stand. Lambs
that have been slain lie on the ground in a pool of blood. There is only
one way a slain Lamb can possibly stand, and that is if He has been
triumphantly raised from the dead!
How did John know that this standing Lamb had been slain? There is
only one way possible: “His mortal wounds were still visible!” Jesus
showed his scars to those on earth after His resurrection, and Revelation will
later tell us that Jesus will show His scars to those who have rejected Him.
I
do not know why He chose to retain His scars in glory (the only man-made things
there), but I have a feeling He chose to keep them for all eternity as a
reminder to you and me of how we got there, by the blood of the Lamb of God.
Verse 6.
“And
I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living
creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been
slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God
sent out into all the earth.”
“In the midst” means “in the middle.”
It make you wonder why John had not already seen Him in this scene, after
all, He is encircled by everyone there! John describes the 4 beasts, the 24
elders, the rainbow, the scroll and even the throne, but He failed to recognize
the Lamb, until pointed out to Him!
I wonder if John was so taken back by
all these other things that somehow, He had forgotten to see the Lord. Many see
the wonders of creation and its beauty but fail to see the Creator in all of
this.
That is a great danger in studying Bible prophecy. As we go verse
by verse through the book of Revelation, it is possible to get so caught up in
the events of prophecy, and the details of the prophecy, that you fail to see
the One that the prophecies are pointing to.
Jesus Christ is the central theme; this is the Revelation of Jesus
Christ! He is in the midst! Why is He worthy to open the book and reclaim
all of creation?
Because of:
Whom He is: His Power.
Where He is: His
Position
The Lord Jesus Christ is a Lion and a Lamb:
The Lamb character refers to
His first coming. The lamb is symbolic of His meekness. As a lamb He is a
Savior. As a lamb He is judged. The lamb represents the grace of God.
The Lion character refers to
His second coming. The lion is symbolic of His majesty. As a lion He is a
Sovereign. As a Lion He is a Judge. The Lion represents the government of God.
Because of What He
does: His Privileges (Rights).
Verse 7.
“Then He took
the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.”
Notice that when the Lamb took the book, the weeping ended, and the
praising started! The Lord Jesus moves to the
throne through the Tribulation Period. He judges
the world in righteousness before He reigns
in righteousness.
He is no longer the intercessor of the Church, for the Church is now
with Him. He is beginning to function as Judge. The movement here is important,
from seating to standing, in the midst. “When he had taken (took) the book”
meaning completed action. This is the great movement of all creation, and the
Lord Jesus takes over now.
Verse 8.
“Now when He had taken the
scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before
the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the
prayers of the saints.”
Notice the worship of the Lamb by the four living creatures and the
twenty–four elders. “Harps” denote praise. The twenty–four elders function as
priests. Only the Church is a priesthood of believers in Heaven.
Why is He worthy?
Verse 9-10.
“And they
sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its
seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of
every tribe, tongue, people, and nation,
And have
made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”
“They” indicates that both the
living creatures and the elders sing this song. The angelic hosts join the
church in praise.
“Sing” (present tense) denotes the
continuation of praise. Praise is directed to the Lamb with the book. He is
praised now as the Redeemer of men in all ages and races. In heaven I am going
to sing praises unto Him.
The “new song” is the song of redemption. The old song is the
song of creation. In the Book of Job, we are told that the sons of God sang.
They were singing because God was the Creator; they did not really know
anything about the love of God then. Now we can sing about our Saviour who
loves us and who gave Himself for us. What a picture we have here!
“Worthy” reveals that He now fills the
entire horizon of praise and worship. Actually, worship is returning to worth, that which belongs to Him; and He
is the only One worthy of praise.
What are His rights? What right
does He have to take that book?
Here are at least
three of His rights:
1.
The Right of creation (Revelation 4:11).
"You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honour and power; For You created all things, and by
Your will they exist and were created.”
The world was created by Him, and is sustained through Him, and it only
stands to reason that it will come back to Him! It is His by right of
creation.
When I was a child, I heard a Christian story about a boy and a boat
that his father made for him. When out playing by the local pond the boy lost
the boat.
Later he saw his boat for sale in a shop window. The boy told the shop
keeper that the boat was his, it was made for him by his father. But the shop
keeper said the boat was now his, and the boy had to buy it from him to own it.
The father had to go to the shop to buy back the boat that he made for
his son. That story was told to us in Sunday school to explain why Jesus the
Son of God, came to Calvary’s Cross to pay the price for our salvation, to buy
back His Creation.
Yes, God has the right of Creation.
The world is asking why.
Why am I here?
Why was I created?
Where am I going to?
What is my purpose?
In all of those question of the Why? why? why? The answer is Jesus!
He is the one-word answer to every problem in the world, this place is
His! And we are His. His by right of creation!
2.
The Right of conquest. (Revelation 5:5).
Verse 5.
“But
one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of
Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to lose
its seven seals.”
“Has prevailed” = conquered. He has conquered sin by His perfection
life, and death, and by His resurrection He conquered Satan, sin, death, and
hell.
3.
The Right of Calvary.
Verse 9.
“And they
sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its
seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of
every tribe, tongue, people, and nation.”
Redeemed by His blood! Some today have gone through hymn books and
taken out those offensive songs about the blood of Christ. Yet, it is the
first song we will sing in Heaven.
Worthy because of Who
He is: His Power.
Where He is: His Position.
What He does: His
Rights.
Notice the closing burst of praise in verses
11-14.
11 Then I looked, and I heard the
voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders;
and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of
thousands,
12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy
is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength
and honour and glory and blessing!”
13 And every creature which is in
heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all
that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honour and glory and power be
to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
14 Then the four living creatures
said, “Amen!”
And the twenty-four elders fell
down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.”
When John says,
“ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,” he means
they were innumerable. In effect John says, “At first, I looked, and I saw a
company of angels around the elders, and they were singing, and I thought that
was great.
But all of a sudden, I looked out yonder and, boy, there was a crowd
which I could not count!” Nobody could have counted them. God’s created
intelligences were praising Him. I do not know why you want to go to Heaven if
you do not want to worship and praise Him down here.
A 100,000,000 million strong choir! Verse 13 says those in
heaven, earth, and hell beneath will exalt Him as Lord. Seen also in: Philippians
2:10-11.
10 that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on
earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
If I could, I would sing the Hallelujah Chorus, for as we come to the
end of this very remarkable scene in heaven, we see that all praise and honour
and worship must go to the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are not in the habit of
praising and worshiping Him, you can start right now?[1]
You can bow the knee now or later, if you do it now, you will be saved! If
you have never been saved, you have only got 1 move, trust the Lamb of God, for
His blood was shed for you. Accept Him as your Saviour.
Christians: Do you believe He is
worthy?
Be aware readers as we move into chapter 6 at a
later date, things are going to change, we will be moving into the wrath of God
upon the earth, like that has never been seen. Truly now is the time to turn to
the love and grace of God.
The end.
