Revelation 5, Pt 2

Read Psalm 96:1-4! It is an exhortation perhaps 1000 years before Christ for what happens in Revelation 4 & 5 to take place! It is glorious!

WE RETURN TO REV 5 and the worship that erupts when the Lamb takes the scroll from the hand of Him who sits on the throne...

FIRST: THEY FALL DOWN...

Revelation 5:8-14

8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 

-Christ taking the scroll elicits the worship of these exalted ones who are next closest to the throne: the 4 living creatures and the 24 elders

-ALL fall down before the throne...earlier, in Rev 4:10, the 24 fell down at the worship of the 4 creatures...but now ALL fall down

-they fall down BEFORE THE LAMB...this very evidentlly points to His deity...He has demonstrated His worthiness and His deity...and His exalted position in Heaven...

-each (the 24 and the 4) are holding a HARP: sig of this? (See also Rev 14:2; 15:2)...the harp is a main biblical instrument of worship and praise, often seen in the Psalms: Psalm 33:2;57:8;71:22;81:2;92:3;108:2;144:9;150:3

Also NOTE: music is important to God and part of worship that is pleasing and proper...and NOTE that ALL are holding harps...all are part of this worship...and that a primary responsibility of those in heaven is WORSHIP...

-and GOLDEN BOWLS full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints...

NOTE: in Rev 15:7, there are golden bowls, as well, but they are filled with the WRATH of God...

Rev 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne

See also Psalm 141:2: “let my prayer be counted as incense before You...”

NOTE: GOLDEN bowls seems to indicate the great value of these prayers and INCENSE indicating that they are a pleasing aroma to God...

THOUGHT: HOWEVER, IF OFTEN DOES NOT FEEL THAT WAY WHEN WE STRUGGLE TO PRAY OR ARE INCONSISTENT, DRY, DULL, WITHOUT FEELING OR PASSION...So this picture shows us the importance and exalted place of prayer to help us in those times when we feel that prayer is worthless...

And...NOTE that they are a core part of heavenly WORSHIP of the Lamb! After all, Jesus taught His followers to prayer IN HIS NAME...

NOTE ALSO: the prayers are IN heaven...they have not disappeared or dissipated...so this holding of the bowls of incense in worship seems to be for a REMEMBRANCE OF THEM BEFORE THE LAMB? Or, bringing them up because the time when they will be answered is finally at hand!

-ie, the cry of God’s people for justice and relief from their persecutors are about to be answered...and will be because of the ONE who suffered persecution on their behalf...

JESUS TAUGHT THE CERTAINTY OF HIS SUFFERING PEOPLE’S PRAYER BEING ANSWERED...

Luke 18:7-8

7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

And NOTE: the worthiness and conquering of the LAMB is the cause of these prayers now being brought up and answered...

NOTE ALSO: the bowls are “FULL of incense”: possibly indicating MANY prayers...an abundance of God’s people crying out for justice...AND possibly they are full becasue NONE are lost!

THERE is an amazing picture here of the value and importance of our prayers:

-they get to heaven!

-they are used in the worship of Jesus

-they are brought up before Christ and the Father

-they are precious and pleasing to God: incense

-IT SEEMS THAT WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS THAT these prayers are brought forward in worship because the Worthy One is now present and has taken the scroll so that all their prayers can and will be answered! His conquering is necessary to our prayers being answered, especially here, our prayers for judgment, justice, salvation...

SECOND: THEY SING A NEW SONG

9 And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

And here is the FIRST SONG TO THE LAMB: (there follows a second in v12 to the Lamb and a third both the One on the throne and the Lamb in v13)

-The 24 and 4 sing

-they sing “a new song” = see Rev 14:3; Psalm 33:1-3

-Psalm 40:2-3: new song after God’s rescue from the pit of destruction

-perhaps “a new song” means a song of what the Lamb is doing, which has not been done before...a fresh song of His greatness and marvelous deeds...a song now made possible because He has conquered and taken the scroll and is about to open it so that God’s judgments can take place and His justice and redemption be finished...

He is worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals

-NOTE: it is the LAMB who opens the seals of the scroll...Christ Himself initiates the judgments of the last days

-remember that the Father has put all judgment into the hands of the Son:

John 5:22-23

WHY IS HE WORTHY?

“For you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

-Christ, the Lamb who was slain...violently put to death

-and His death, His life blood, RANSOMED people for God

-Ransomed = agoradzo = 

AGL: ἀγοράζω. impf. ἠγόραζον; 1aor. ἠγόρασα; 1aor. pass. ἠγοράσθην; literally buy, purchase, do business in the marketplace (MT 13.44); figuratively, as being no longer controlled by sin set free; from the analogy of buying a slave's freedom for a price paid by a benefactor redeem (1Cor 6.20)

This buying out of the slave market of sin was so that people could belong to God...they were purchased by Christ FOR God...

-FROM every tribe and language and people and nation...see Rev 7:9; because salvation is of the Lord, not national origin, like the Jews...

-this is the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3

AND WHAT WERE THEY PURCHASED FOR?

10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.”

People from every tribe and language, etc to be a KINGDOM...this includes Somalis as well as Germans and Swedes and 

...those who live under His reign and will reign themselves, and PRIESTS...those who offer sacrifices pleasing to Him...most especially PRAISE! But even more, their very lives! Romans 12:1, forevermore to serve the purposes of their King...

Imagine a kingdom that is ruled by the infinite, all-wise, all-powerful, merciful King of the universe...and this kingdom is ENTIRELY FILLED with those who are completely committed to pleasing and obeying Him in all things at all times and are joyful, grateful, worshiping subjects...A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS!

THIS IS HEAVEN!

Hebrews 13:15: sacrifice of praise

-on the earth: there will be a new heavens and a new earth...

Revelation 21:1-5

The New Heaven and the New Earth

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 

12 saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!”

13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.