Revelation 5

Scripture: Dave L

Intro:

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The first and most powerful and notorious usurper was Satan.

After his rebellion against God was crushed, he and his angelic followers were thrown out of heaven, and he became the “god of this world”

He inspired a host of humans to try their hand at conquest, men such as Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, Alexander the Great, the emperors of Rome, Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler.

In the future will come the most powerful Satan-possessed human conqueror of all, the final Antichrist.

All of those men have one thing in common: they failed. Only one individual has the right, the power, and the authority to rule the earth: the Lord Jesus Christ.

As that moment approaches, God begins to stir. The phrase I saw, or “I looked,” introduces the various scenes described in this chapter and stresses John’s status as an eyewitness.

The Sealed Scroll Vs. 1-4

John turns his attention to God sitting on the throne. In his hand is a scroll with seven seals. An angel asks who is worthy to open the scroll and because no one was able, John begins to weep

A Scroll in God’s right hand

A scroll was a long piece of papyrus or animal skin, rolled from both ends into the middle. Such scrolls were commonly used before the invention of the codex, or modern-style book, consisting of square pages bound together.

Scroll

Roman deeds and contracts were sealed up with seven seals

This kind of contract was known all over the Middle East in ancient times and was used by the Romans from the time of Nero on.

The full contract would be written on the inner pages and sealed with seven seals. Then the content of the contract would be described briefly on the outside.

The scroll John saw in God’s hand is the title deed to the earth, which He will give to Christ. Unlike other such deeds, however, it does not record the descriptive detail of what Christ will inherit, but rather how He will regain His rightful inheritance. He will do so by means of the divine judgments

While the scroll is a scroll of doom and judgment, it is also a scroll of redemption. It tells how Christ will redeem the world from the usurper, Satan, and those men and demons who have collaborated with him

Who is worthy to open scroll?

The mighty angel is not named. Some identify him as Gabriel, others as Michael, but since the text does not name him, he must remain anonymous

The angel sought someone both worthy and able to open the book and to break its seals. Who, he asked, has the innate, virtuous worthiness of character and the divine right that would qualify him to break the seals?

A search of the entire universe, from hell to heaven and all points in between, turns up no one worthy to open the scroll.

John Weeps

Overwhelmed with grief and dismay at this turn of events, John began to weep

It is thus a word that expresses strong, unrestrained emotion. This is the only time in Scripture that tears are seen in heaven

John’s weeping, though sincere, was premature. He need not have wept, for God was about to take action.

John wept because he wanted to see the world rid of evil, sin, and death. He wanted to see Satan vanquished and God’s kingdom established on earth. He wanted to see Israel saved and Christ exalted.

Everything seemed, from his perspective, to be going badly.

The Lion Who Conquers as a Lamb Vs. 5-7

One of the elders tells John to stop weeping because the Lion of Judah has conquered so he can open the scrolls. Jesus, pictured as a lamb who has been slain, takes the scroll from His Fathers

Elder tells John “Do not Weep”

Because his tears were inappropriate, one of the elders told John to stop weeping.

Then he drew John’s attention to a new Person emerging on the scene

WE see Jesus described three ways in this passage

He is described as a lion, a root, a lamb who was slain

These are all important

Lion of Judah

A lion is known as the king of the animal kingdom

Jesus is the king of God’s

The title the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah derives from Jacob’s blessing on the tribe of Judah

Genesis 49:9–10 ESV

Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

Out of the lion like tribe of Judah would come a strong, fierce, and deadly ruler—the Messiah, Jesus Christ

Hebrews 7:14 ESV

For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

The Jews of Jesus’ day expected the Messiah to be powerful and to liberate them from the heavy hand of their oppressors, at that time the Roman rulers.

the Jews completely misjudged their Messiah. He a lion, and will tear up and destroy their enemies. But He will do so according to His timetable, not theirs.is

Root of David 

Jesus is also seen here as the Root or descendant of David

Roots are often a picture of a base or foundation, the source of life

The messiah needed to come out of the tribe of Judah and be a descendant of David

God promised that the future king of Israel would descend directly from David

Isaiah 11:10 ESV

In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

Notices it says that the Lion has conquered

He has conquered sin, death, and the ruler of this world

He is worthy to open the scroll

Between the throne and creatures, among the elders stood a lamb

Notice he is in the midst of the church?

That is because Jesus is the groom and the church is the bride

He longs to be with his church

HE is worthy to open the scroll and its seals

Lamb that was slain

The final image we get of Jesus is as a lamb that was slain

In the OT a lamb would be sacrificed as atonement for their sins

Jesus is our atonement

The Lord Jesus could not be the Lion of judgment, or the King of glory, unless He was first “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” 

In the New Testament outside of Revelation, He is only called a lamb four times. But in Revelation He appears as the Lamb thirty-one times

John 1:29 ESV

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

While every lamb sacrificed under the Old Covenant pointed toward Christ, He is only referred to as a lamb once in the Old Testament

Isaiah 53:7 ESV

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

John shows us Is 53 has been fulfilled in Jesus’ resurrection

“as though it had been slain”

The scars from the deadly wound this Lamb received were clearly visible; yet He was alive. Though demons and wicked men conspired against Him and killed Him, He rose from the dead, thus defeating and triumphing over His enemies.

This lamb is worthy to take the scroll

Verse 7 records the final, monumental act in the heavenly scene. Everything John has been describing since this vision began in 4:1 had been building toward this moment.

Jesus goes and takes the scroll

Do you remember when you signed the deed for you house and were handed the keys?

Jesus receives the deed to the world

A New Song for Redeemed People Vs. 8-10

The creatures and elders, holding harps and bowls of incense, fall down and sing a new song of redemption. 

The spontaneous outburst of worship results from the realization that the long-anticipated defeat of sin, death, and Satan is about to be accomplished and the Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth in triumph and establish His glorious millennial kingdom

Harp

The elders were holding two things

A harp and a bowl of incense

Harps were frequently associated in the Old Testament with worship, but they were also closely linked to prophecy.

The harps held by the elders probably symbolize all of prophecy, which culminates in the momentous events about to take place.

Golden Bowls

The elders were also holding golden bowls of incense

This represents the the prayers of the saints

These wide-mouthed bowls were used in the tabernacle and the temple, where they were connected with the altar. They symbolized the priestly work of intercession for the people.

Psalm 141:2 ESV

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

The incense in these bowls represents the prayers of believers through the ages that God’s prophesied and promised redemption of the earth might come. 

Taken together, the harps and the bowls indicate that all that the prophets ever prophesied and all that God’s children ever prayed for is finally to be fulfilled.

New Song of Redemption

The elders and creatures sing a new song

In chapter 4 the song was about creation

This song is about redemption

Psalm 96:1 ESV

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!

The song opens with a reaffirmation that Christ is worthy

To break the book’s seals means to enact the judgments written in it

Ransomed is from agorazō, a rich New Testament word for redemption that pictures slaves purchased in the marketplace and then set free

Our sin makes us slaves

Jesus’ blood paid the ransom to set us free

Jesus has taken those who have been ransomed and made a kingdom of priests who will reign on earth

A Universe that Can’t Stay Silent Vs. 11-14

The choir increases first with a multitude of angels, and then every creature in heaven and earth join in giving Jesus the praise he deserves. 

10K x 10K Angels

Myriad means “ten thousand,” apparently the highest number for which the Greeks had a word. The phrase myriads and myriads describes an uncountable host.

Every Creature

This all-inclusive statement is reminiscent of Psalm 69:34: “Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them,” and the concluding verse of the Psalms, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”