Worthy is the Lamb | Rev 5
Revelation | Christ's Ultimate Triumph • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 40:40
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There was a movie released in 2005 titled “The Pacifer”. it starred Vin Diesel and was a bout a man who developed some kind of program that was desired both both the US government and outside governments. The man was killed as he was being extracted, but no one knew where the key to the program was.
We later learn about a safety deposit box in Switzerland, a box protected by a special key and a password. The wife travels to retrieve the box, and everything is in order until the last second where it is revealed that she must provide the passcode in order to open the box....the trouble is she is not aware of her husband ever telling her the passcode. Consequently, a large portion of the tension from the movie surrounds her seeking to gain access to this box, a box that is right in front of her, a box that contains the answer to all her family’s problems, and its so close....and yet, so far away.
That tension of being so close that something significant is about to occur, the worlds problems can finally be brought to an end, God’s plan for the ages can finally unfold with God bringing perfect justice to the earth. But then there is a problem: who is qualified to actually open the scroll that contains God’s plan for the ages? No one is found worthy!
No one....except one.
Let’s read our text together this morning as we see the worthiness of Jesus Christ.
Then I saw in the right hand of Him who sits on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.
Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?”
And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.
Then I was crying greatly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.
And one of the elders said to me, “Stop crying! Behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Then I saw in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
And He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sits on the throne.
And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain and purchased for God with Your blood people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
“And You made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,
saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”
And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever.”
And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
As a reminder we are still in the throne room in heaven as John relates these details to us. Last week we walked through chapter four as God’s glory was revealed, his rule and reign celebrated, and the proper response of Worship to all that God is and does.
Today’s text continues from that same scene and has John noticing something in the hand of the One who sits on the throne.
He has a scroll, written inside and out, and sealed up with seven seals.
What is this scroll? We learn what the scroll is as we continue reading, because as the scroll is eventually opened we find that it contains God’s plan for the world during the tribulation period on earth. Some have suggested that the scroll was the title deed to the earth. I don’t seen evidence of that from the text. What we do see is that as the seals are eventually broken, God’s plan is unfolded and enacted on the earth, so we must conclude that the scroll contains the God’s plan.
The fact that it has writing inside and out likely indicates it is a comprehensive document. This is the fullness of God’s plan for the ages! It is a comprehensive “history of the future” as one author put it.
When we were going through the book of Daniel, we saw at the very end of the book that there were things that God had chosen not to reveal at that time but rather told Daniel to seal up the book.
“But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the time of the end; many will go to and fro, and knowledge will increase.”
Then he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the time of the end.
Ezekiel was also show a similar scroll
Then I looked, and behold, a hand was sent forth to me; and behold, a scroll was in it.
Then He spread it out before me, and it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, sighing, and woe.
And Isaiah!
The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed book, which when they give it to the one who is literate, saying, “Please read this,” he will say, “I cannot, for it is sealed.”
Such is the scroll here in Rev 5. It contains God’s comprehensive plan. Details that he may have previously shown to His prophets, but the command at that time was to seal it up! It is not to be revealed yet!
But here. Are we finally at the moment? Is the scroll to finally be unsealed? Will the contents be read?
The text notes that it is sealed up with seven seals. the word for sealed up is an intense word signifying the security of the seals. It is completely sealed. There is no access, not even a little.
John hears a voice of a strong angel: Who is worth yo open the scroll and to break its seals?”
This is the question! The time has come! God’s plan is finally not only going to be unveiled, but enacted! Who will step forward? Who is worthy?
John? No. He’s just there in a vision.
Maybe one of the elders? Surely an angel can step forward...
vs 3 tell us. No one steps forward.
No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth. No being, human or angelic, living or dead, was able to open the scroll or look into it.
A thorough search has been made and there is no one who can open it.
John is distraught.
He weeps bitterly because no one is worthy.
Why does this reality cause him distress?
No one is morally worthy. This is certainly true of humanity. All have sinned and fall _______ of the glory of God. No human being is found worth and that must be in part because of our own sinfulness. The scroll contains God’s plan for the end of the ages, and that in part includes enacts judgment and justice on the earth. No mere human is qualified to carry that out because they themselves needed redemption to be able to stand before the throne. God’s purposes must be carried out by someone who has the moral qualities necessary.
No one is positionally worthy. Someone might ask why not the angels? They are holy, they have not sinned. This is true, but they lack the authority due to their position. They are merely created beings. They have never taken on human flesh. They only has delegated authority, they lack any inherent qualities that would make them worthy to open the scroll.
The fact that no one is worth causes distress is because that means the scroll cannot be opened. If the scroll cannot be opened, then God’s plan remains veiled, and His plan is not carried out.
If no one is worthy to open the scroll, what does that mean for the world? What does that mean for God’s church? What does that mean for all those who died a martyrs death? What does that mean for ever child who has been abused? For every victim of murder? For those who have been preyed upon and taken advantage of?
The scroll represents God’s plan for the ages to accomplish justice on the earth and pour out his wrath on those who have opposed him and have acted wickedly. If the scroll cannot be opened, then justice fails.
People don’t like talking about the wrath of God. People don’t like talking about the judgment of God. And I get it. It’s not my favorite subject either, especially because if we were all honest we would all be on the receiving end.
But the reality is that if God had no wrath and there was no judgment to come, then there would be no justice. All the wrongs that we have experienced, all the tragedies in the world, there is no day of reckoning to make it all right. You just get to deal with.
But as it is, there is a day of reckoning coming. God is a God of justice. He will bring his judgment, but he will do so because he is Just
But if no one can open the scroll. The plan will never come about.
And so John weeps at the prospect. Are we really to come this far, to be so close, only for God’s plan to be thwarted by a lack of qualified individual?
The answer, of course, is no, and we know that because we read the text. There is a worthy one!
Vs 5.
Revelation 5:5 “And one of the elders said to me, “Stop crying! Behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the scroll and its seven seals.””
The Lion of the tribe of Judah takes us back to vs Gen 49:8-10
“Judah, as for you, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.
“Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lioness, who dares rouse him up?
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
This was Jacob’s blessing and prophecy of one coming from Judah’s line. This is the Lion of the tribe of Judah!
He is the root of David.
This is from Is 11:1
Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
This is a reference to David. Jesus Christ is the Davidic king!
He has also overcome. He has conquered. He has obtained victory.
Jesus is qualified to open the scroll because of who he is: He is the Messiah! He is the Davidic King! He fulfills everything the OT spoke of about the one who was to come.
He is qualified because of what he has done. He has overcome. He has conquered. He has gained victory. He accomplished this through his life, death, burial, and resurrection. He overcame the grave itself!
He has overcome to such a degree so as to open the scroll.
There is good news! The end must no be forestalled forever! We have a worthy one!
And here the scene shifts as John beholds the Lion of Judah from vs 6 through the end.
Several details stand out immediately. First, he’s the lion of Judah, and yet, he appears as a Lamb. This reminds us that he is the perfect sacrifice. Lambs used for the sacrificial system had to be perfect, without blemish or spot. The picture of Lamb shows us his purity.
He is standing, as if slain.
This is an odd description, but an important one. He has been slain, which shows that he paid the price for sin, it shows that he accomplished redemption by his own body. And yet he is standing. This shows us that death was not able to keep him, the grave unable to hold him. He stands, bearing the marks of death, and yet stands ALIVE, showing he has conquered!
He has seven horns. Horns often signify authority, power, and strength, and seven of them show the completeness of that strength.
He has seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. Another reference to the seven-fold spirit of God and the seven-fold ministry of the spirit. This signifies that all-seeing, all-knowing nature of Christ and the Spirit. Christ knows all, he see all, which is especially important for someone who is about to open the scroll and unleash judgment on the earth. He will do so with perfect justice because nothing is hidden from his gaze.
The Lamb steps forward. The Lamb. The qualified lamb. The slain yet living lamb, the Messianic Lion of Judah, the Davidic King. The one who has overcome.
He steps forward and he takes the scroll.
The divine drama of the scene is palpable.
There is a scroll that contains information that everyone wants. Who can open it? no one is worthy. John weeps, he mourns this reality. His weeping is cut short because an angel shouts Wait! There is one who is worthy! The Lion of the tribe of Judah has overcome!
The Lamb steps forward as the entire throne room with all its hosts of elders, living creatures, angelic hosts, they all wait with baited breath as the Lamb moves toward the throne to see what he will do.
As He steps forward, perhaps all goes silent and could hear a pin drop.
He reaches and takes the scroll, and as soon as he does so, there is an explosion of praise from those who look on!
vs 8-10 tells us the scene. The four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, they fall down and worship the Lamb.
It says they sing a new song and it declares the worthiness of the Lamb to receive the scroll:
Revelation 5:9–10 “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain and purchased for God with Your blood people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. “And You made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.””
He is worthy because he was slain. He died on the cross to take the punishment for sin.
He is worthy because of the global purpose of his death. He purchased by his blood people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation.
This stacking of these four terms highlight the expansiveness of the work of Christ. Every people group, every language, every nation, there will be people in glory from every corner of the earth!
He is worthy because he causes his redeemed to reign with him.
Christ intends to share his kingdom with you, did you know that? Christ’s reign is our reign! This is an amazing thing!
He worthy because of all this, and this causes an even greater response!
The voice of many angels, myriads of myriads, thousands of thousands.
An innumerable host of angelic beings lifting up their voices, a host so big and so vast John doesn’t bother to estimate, he uses expansive language to describe the scene.
Revelation 5:12 “saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.””
There is nothing that Jesus does not deserve, there is no worship that should be withheld, no honor that he has not earned, no reward that would be too big, there is no such thing as hyperbole when it comes to the worthiness of Christ to receive it all!
And the scene just keeps getting bigger!
It’s not just the four living creatures, the 24 elders, the myriads and myriads of angels, but now every created thing in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them.
They also cry out
Revelation 5:13 “And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever.””
And the four living creatures kept saying AMEN! and the elders worship.
What a scene!
Last we we talked about the worthiness of the one who sits on the throne to receive worship because he is the creator.
Here we see the worthniess of the Lamb because of what he has done and he will open the scroll.
There is a song that is built from this text by Andrew Peterson. Several of you know the song. I thought about singing it today, but I don’t find it to be the easiest song to lead.
But I think the song encapsulates the emotion of this scene. This is a highly emotionally laden texts. There is the scroll that represents the plan of God, who can open it? No one! John weeps. Why is that such a big deal?
Do you feel the world is broken? We do
Do you feel the shadows deepen? We do
Do you wish you could see it all made new? We do
Is all creation groaning? It is.
This song expresses that things are not all right in the world. We live with the consequences of sin every day.
It’s in our hearts. Its in our relationships. Its in our homes. Its in our government. We long for the day when all will be set right.
Children are trafficked, women abused, Christians slaughtered simply because they name the name of Christ.
Cancers, diseases, viruses. When will it all end??
We see it in the natural world. Flooding. Tornadoes. hail. wildfires. hurricanes. volcanoes. These things all express this reality that all creation groans and is longing for redemption, longing for the day when all will be set right.
Do you feel the brokenness of the world? Do you long for redemption? Don’t you wish that you could see it all made new?
Can anyone open the scroll that finally begins to beings all these things to end? Is anyone worthy?
Surely someone can rescue the world from all this!
The Lion of Judah! Who conquered the grave
David root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave.
There is a worthy one! There is someone who can open the scroll and finally start the process that brings all these broken things to end as he purifies the world in anticipation of His Second Coming.
This is why he is worshiped! This is why the angels, the elders, indeed all of creation responds in worship: He is worthy! He is Worthy! And because he is worthy, we know that all that is broken will finally be made right.
This is not just a worship service for a nice guy. This passage represents hope! This passage represents the reality that the world as we know it today is not all there will ever be! Justice will be accomplished. Christ redemptive work will find it’s completion! The whole world will be made new.
So is he worthy? Is he worthy of all blessing and honor and glory? He is! He is! He is!
Prayer
