Revelation 5:1-14
Notes
Transcript
1 Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it.
4 Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. 5 But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. 7 He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. 8 And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song with these words:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and break its seals and open it.
For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 And you have caused them to become
a Kingdom of priests for our God.
And they will reign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. 12 And they sang in a mighty chorus:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing.”
13 And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:
“Blessing and honor and glory and power
belong to the one sitting on the throne
and to the Lamb forever and ever.”
14 And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.
Continuation of the Worship Scene
Continuation of the Worship Scene
Curtain Pulled Back
Malachi and our curtain
God is on the throne
Not surprised or caused to fret with the chaos of the world
God has a plan
The scroll in His right hand that is sealed with 7 seals
Mail for someone to read, but it cannot be opened except for by the intended person
Scrolls were decrees of kings
Also, scrolls with 7 seals were used as last wills and testaments
Plans of a person for his estate!
The one who opened the scroll not only revealed its contents, but also enacted the will
The opening of a will and testament not only revealed what was wanted, but was a sign that it would be enacted.
John weeps
God has a plan, but there is no one to enact the plan (so it seems)
Don’t cry, the Lion of the tribe of Judah has overcome - he can open the scroll
This is not coded language. It is poetic, yes, but very clear. The messiah that the people waited for has conquered!
Genesis 49:9-10 Describes Judah as a lion “9 Judah, my son, is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor.” Describes Judah as a lion
Isaiah 11:1-10 Gives the hope that the Messiah will come from Judah/the lion’s line
Lions instill pride, power, authority, prestige
King David was a warrior king and everyone expected the Lion Messiah to be like David. All kings were chosen from the line of Judah because of the expectation of a “kingly/warrior/lion” messiah.
God had promised to send someone to enact His plan for His people. God has done that and the Lion has won the victory.
And John looks to see the Lion, but he sees a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain standing amidst the throne.
And John looks to see the Lion, but he sees a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain standing amidst the throne.
John doesn’t see a Lion. He sees a Lamb.
The Lamb didn’t sneak in and take the Lion’s place. No.
This is a dramatic reversal. It happens often in Revelation, but none as powerful as this scene. John will hear something and turn to see it. What John hears and what John sees are often described drastically different. It is not as though the one who described it while John heard described it wrong. It is that John has a different interpretation of the same image. Here, John is told that there is a Lion, which is true. But, when John turns to see the Lion, John sees the Lamb.
This Lamb appears to have been slaughtered. And it has! And yet, unlike a slaughtered lamb, the lamb is standing in God’s place.
Revelation 1:18 “18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.”
And, to really hear what John says. John doesn’t use the normal word for lamb, or ram. He uses the diminutive term. Ie, lambkin, lamby, little lamb etc…
No, it is not that this lamb has no power. He has 7 horns, which is a symbol of power, and 7 eyes, symbolizing insight and the all knowing ability of the lamb/God.
It is that this Lamb appears powerless and appeared to have been conquered, but actually was the conqueror!
The Lion IS the Lamb! Both are the same. They are synonymous!
It is the messiah! But, where people expected the Messiah to have “lion” qualities, they received a messiah that was a lambkin.
Yes, the Lion has conquered, but he did it differently than anyone expected; he conquered as a lamb that was slaughtered!
Most people think of the conqueror like Caesar.
The king would expand his territory to increase new nations and languages and tribes by showing off his might, power, and human authority.
He would ride into town with the sword and have his army destroy all the town had.
And then, he would enslave people, declaring that he had conquered and purchased them by his victory.
This was the expectation, for many, of the role that the Messiah would play in providing victory to God’s people. He would destroy all other nations and people who refused God’s rule.
But, that’s not what the Lamb Messiah did
He conquered, not doubt. But, he did it by appearing as though he was conquered.
And through his conquering he purchased people from EVERYWHERE. Not because he slaughtered people, but because he HIMSELF was slaughtered...
Revelation 5:9 “9 And they sang a new song with these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
And, because he was slaughtered he purchased people from every tribe, nation, and language to be a kingdom of priests to serve God - thus fulfilling the call of God’s people from the Old Testament...
Exodus 19:5-6 “5 Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. 6 And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.””
For John, and the readers of Revelation, a new definition of what it means to conquer is given here. The messages to the churches have been about remaining faithful and conquering. Here, in Revelation 5, we see what that conquering looks like...
Revelation 2:10-11 “10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life. 11 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.”
Revelation 2:17 “17 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.”
Revelation 2:26-28 “26 To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, To them I will give authority over all the nations. 27 They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. 28 They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!”
Revelation 3:5 “5 All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.”
Revelation 3:12 “12 All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.”
Revelation 3:21 “21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.”
The word translated victorious is νικάω nikaō; from 3529; to conquer, prevail:—conquer(1), conquering(1), overcame(2), overcome(11), overcomes(10), overpowers(1), prevail(1), victorious(1). Robert L. Thomas, New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries : Updated Edition (Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc., 1998).
What does victory look like? It looks like the Lion/Lamb...
Revelation 5:4-5 “4 Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. 5 But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.””
Revelation 5:9-10 “9 And they sang a new song with these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.””
We do not conquer by destroying all those opposed to God’s rule.
We do not conquer as the world thinks we should
We conquer, and are vindicated, in the same way that the Lion/Lamb conquered. We conquer by being faithful, even unto death.
Revelation 12 helps to spell this out a little more… the Dragon wages war with the followers of Jesus Christ. But, we are victorious because of the Lamb, and because of our faithful testimony/witness to the lamb EVEN TO THE POINT OF DEATH - LIKE THE LION/LAMB
Revelation 12:11 “11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.”
Maybe a discussion on racism is appropriate here too…??
This is NOT just for WHITE GUYS!!!!
Revelation 5:9-10 “9 And they sang a new song with these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.””
Like John, we weep because we know the world is out of sorts with how it was created to be. We know that God has a plan, but often we expect that plan to come through the Lion messiah.
Like John, we weep because we know the world is out of sorts with how it was created to be. We know that God has a plan, but often we expect that plan to come through the Lion messiah.
We want all our enemies destroyed
We want all those opposed to God’s Kingdom to be shut up and shut out of God’s plan
But, unlike what we expect, the Messiah we have is the one who conquers, and is vindicated, not because of His power and might, but because he was a lamb that was slain.
And, this Lamb is worthy to take the scroll and not only enact God’s plan; this Lamb IS GOD’S Plan!!
The Lamb always enacted God’s plan
The Lamb always enacted God’s plan
Passover (Where God showed He can deal with nations and kingdoms that seek to oppress his people)
Exodus 12:3 “3 Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household.”
Exodus 12:27 “27 And you will reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he struck the Egyptians, he spared our families.’ ” When Moses had finished speaking, all the people bowed down to the ground and worshiped.”
Exodus 19:6 y holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.”
Atonement (Where God began to hatch the plan of dealing with the chaos, darkness, evil call “sin” in the world)
Leviticus 17:11 “11 for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.”
Suffering Servant (Where God showed that there are those who use their lives, even though they suffer, for the benefit of all the people)
Isaiah 53:7 “7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.”
Isaiah 53:10 “10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.”
The image of the slaughtered lamb would remind the hearer/readers of Revelation of God’s plan throughout the Old Testament to redeem his people.
The image of the slaughtered lamb would remind the hearer/readers of Revelation of God’s plan throughout the Old Testament to redeem his people.
The Lamb has always been a part of God’s plan.
He can take the scroll and reveal and enact God’s plan because he is, IN FACT, GOD’S PLAN!
Therefore, what flows from ch. 6 onward, flows from the hand of the lamb who enacted God’s plan.
God’s plan for the world is not something that must be revealed. It has already been done by the slaughtered lamb.
Colossians 2:14-15 “14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”
So worship continues to include the Lamb
Everything ascribed God is given to the Lamb
This does not oust God from being worshiped. It shows that everything the Lamb did, he did for God. But, it is also a poetic and pictorial way of declaring the Truth that God is the Lamb and the Lamb is God!
Who do you worship?
God, who is all powerful.
God, who created
God, who has a plan for creation
Why?
Not only because he has a plan, but because he is working as the slaughtered lamb to enact the plan.
Whose side are you on?
The side that worships those opposed to God’s plan?
The side that begs you to divert your worship away from the Lamb and God who is all powerful, in order to worship them and their seemingly great power?
Or, are you on the side of those whom we read/hear about at the end of the chapter? The ones who, because of the work of the Lamb, are able to worship from every tribe and language?
The ones who we see as the picture expands from now into the future when all creatures in heaven and on earth and under the earth worship God and the Lamb?
Philippians 2:11 “11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
These chapters provide the foundation and reference point for the remainder of the letter. They also provide a reference point for the followers of God to examine their faithful testimony.
Do we worship the God and the Lamb? Do we worship other aspects of creation? Are we on the side of God? Are we on the side of Satan, evil, chaos (the beast, the dragon, the whore of Babylon- the oppressors to God’s people
May we, today and this week, continue to worship God, the Creator with a plan. Because He has enacted that plan, and continues to enact that plan, through the Lamb.
And, like the Lamb, may we be conquered and vindicated, when our worship of God calls into question our faithful testimony.
Are we living our lives recognizing that Christ has overcome?
Do we recognize that sin and death have been dealt with?
Do we realize that there is nothing or no one to fear if Christ has overcome?
We pray, Lord, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Do we realize that we are to live differently in our world and live as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven and we can do that because Christ has already over come?
