The Weekend, December 5 –
Welcome
to the weekend as we continue to read through the book of Revelation – the
final book in our quest to read thru the New Testament in a year! Today’s reading Revelation 5:1 – 14. Please read the Scripture first, and then
come back after you have finished reading for more.
The revelation of Heaven, God on the throne along with twenty-four elders
around the throne, and the four creatures – all of which broke out in praise to
God – must have overwhelmed John. Still,
the open door that allowed John to see was just the beginning. What John saw and heard was Heaven’s worship
of God who is Holy, the Almighty God (4:8), and the Creator (4:11). Like many chapter divisions, the revelation
continues on into the next chapter, and with it the revelation of a sealed
scroll.
“Then
I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written
within and on the back, sealed with seven seals” (5:1).
As
John gazes at the heavenly worship going on, he sees in God’s right hand a
scroll that is written on both sides – which was unusual for ancient parchments
– and it is sealed with seven seals. The
seven seals serve as an “owner-only” document, much like a property deed, and
the scroll was sealed so only the owner could open the deed. The scroll is similar to the prophetic scroll
Ezekiel received (Ezek. 2:9-10), which recorded “lamentations, mourning and
woe”. The scroll is rolled up in
such a way that the contents were successively revealed as each seal would be
broken. The scroll’s content was sealed
for a time when a lawful owner could open its content – something Daniel wrote
about – “…Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of
the end…” (Daniel 12:4). At this
point, John hears an Angel proclaim “who can open it?” As in Ezekiel’s scroll there is both
salvation and judgment that follow, and the problem becomes apparent – “no
one is worthy”.
“And
I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the
seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the
earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept
because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside” (5:2-4).
John,
who had seen the holiness and majesty of God weeps because it seems as if no
salvation, no justice will prevail. All
of creation in heaven grieves over the unopened scroll because it means the
world will stay hopelessly ruined, without redemption forever. Yet, the one who owns the scroll is the one
who died for the world –
“Then
one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of
Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its
seven seals.” Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain,
standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures
and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven
spirits of God sent out into all the earth” (5:5-6).
Jesus,
the lamb of God looks as one who has been slain – nail-pierced hands and feet,
his side opened, and he stands “at the center of the throne” – one who
is now with the Father, and also surrounded by the living creatures and the
elders. The reference to seven horns is
Old Testament symbols of strength, sacrifice, and power (Exodus 27:2; 29:12;
Joshua 6:4; 1 Samuel 2:10). The seven
eyes are symbols of the seven spirits, or the Spirit of God, who endowed Christ
with power, strength to endure, and the way of the cross in sacrifice (John
15:26). John is seeing Christ Jesus in
his heavenly majesty, through his earthly sacrifice for the sin of His people –
He alone is worthy to take ownership of the earth’s deed.
When
Jesus took ownership of the scroll, everything changed – in heaven, and on the
earth. The empires of the world that
defied God would not prevail, and history would not lead towards hopelessness
and continued despair for Jesus prevailed over death and has made his people
into a Kingdom of Priests.
“And
when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell
down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls
full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a
new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,
because you were slain, and with your blood
you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and
nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth” (5:8-10).
The elders and
creatures represent all of God’s creation.
Sin has created futility for the earth and its people (Romans
8:19-21). Now the creation and the
creatures (us) have a redeemer who is changing it all. It is a “new song” because of all that Christ
has accomplished. A new Covenant has
been made and is being accomplished in Christ’s finished work. John has entered the throne room of God to
see Jesus in his resurrected, ascended role, as Prophet, Priest, and King. He returned to heaven as the suffering Savior
who took the sins of the world upon himself (Isaiah 53), and as the risen,
glorified Son of God who has ownership of God’s world and will execute
salvation and justice for the glory of God.
All of heaven’s creatures recognize it and sing the Lamb’s praise, even
as they had sung the Father’s praise.
“Then
I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon
thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and
the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and
strength and honor and glory and praise!”
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on
the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory
and power, for ever and ever!” (5:11-13).
The
center of heaven’s praise is the Lord Jesus.
The Songs of heaven reverberate with praise for the Father and the Son
for his redemption, power, and glory.
The response to the worship and praise is more than a simple “Amen”, but
it is an affirmation that this worship is worthy of both Father and Son.
The
four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped” (5:14).
We
are used to hearing “Amen” in our prayers, worship, reading of God’s word…both
in church, even at the dinner table.
Amen is the audible response to the truth that is spoken, whether in
prayer, teaching, or reading. The
second-century theologian, Justyn Martyr, described the “Amens” as “shouts of
applause”. Jesus is our Amen. We praise
in our singing, in our prayers, in our confessions, in the sacraments, and the
reading and teaching of God’s word. It
may not always look like it, but our church gatherings should be
mini-Revelation 5 experiences. The songs
of heaven are pointed at the Father and the Son, sometimes alone, and also
together. It is crucial we learn how to
sing, pray, listen to the word with this in mind.
Revelation 4 & 5 open our
mind’s imagination to peek into the doorway of heaven. We must “stand at the door and knock” that we
might “enter in and eat with him”. Jesus
became incarnate – one with us – so that we might become the children of God
and become one with Him. We fool
ourselves in believing the world will get better and better because we’re
getting smarter with technology, science, medicine, etc… The world is certainly a complex place with billions
of people, but there is only one person who came into the world, in order to
die for the world, and sovereignly knows what the world needs for salvation to
occur, the creation to be restored, and justice to prevail – that is Jesus, the
lamb of God who was slain, and by His blood has ransomed people for God from
every tribe, language, people, and nation (5:9). AMEN!
Peace
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