Rev 5
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So we ended last week discussing who really rules this world and why as we had just began looking at Ch 5 and the 7 sealed scroll.
So let’s read for context Chapter 5 and pick up our study.
Revelation 5 1 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. 4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” 6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” 14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.
V1 -John is continuing his vision in Heaven. He sees a scroll, with writing on both sides and with seven seals in the hand of the one who sits on the throne. What is this sealed scroll? i. Ancient scrolls were read horizontally, not vertically. The "rolls" of the scroll were on the left and the right, and the writing lay in narrow columns about three inches wide, written on a substance kind of like brown paper. The scroll was held in the left hand, and unrolled with the right, and as the reading went on, the previously read portion was re-rolled. On such a typical scroll, the Book of Revelation would fill a scroll 15 feet long. Written on both sides, rough and smooth. Typically only written on one side.
Picture of Torah Scroll
What is it? We always want to interpret scripture by scripture. In this case we need to look at Jer 32.
Jeremiah 32:7–14 7 ‘Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you, saying, “Buy my field which is in Anathoth, for the right of redemption is yours to buy it.” ’ 8 Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the Lord, and said to me, ‘Please buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. 9 So I bought the field from Hanamel, the son of my uncle who was in Anathoth, and weighed out to him the money—seventeen shekels of silver. 10 And I signed the deed and sealed it, took witnesses, and weighed the money on the scales. 11 So I took the purchase deed, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open; 12 and I gave the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses who signed the purchase deed, before all the Jews who sat in the court of the prison. 13 “Then I charged Baruch before them, saying, 14 ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Take these deeds, both this purchase deed which is sealed and this deed which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may last many days.”
The scroll in Jeremiah is the title deed to property God told him to buy. In Chapter 5 the scroll referred to represents the title deed to the earth as well as God’s will for His Creation.
In an ancient Title Deed the requirements of the forfeiture were written on the outside of (rough side) of the title deed. So we need to do a “title search” to research who is the rightful owner. Go to Gen 1:27 – 31 here we learn God created all earth and creatures and given them to Adam & Eve to rule.
Genesis 1:27–31 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
And then in Gen 3 we have the fall of man and the surrendering of the Dominion or Ruler-ship of the earth to Satan. This important to our understanding of the world we live in with all its injustice and sin. We say, why doesn’t God do something? Well, God is righteous and He always is consistent with His law. Man has signed over creation to Satan; but fear not God had a plan to redeem His Creation and that what chapter 5 is all about.
Notice what the Bible says about the rulership of this world;
See 2 Cor 4:4 : The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over Me (John 14:30).
We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the evil one (1 John 5:19).·
in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient (Ephesians 2:2).
Look at Matthew 4. maybe the most telling.
The New King James Version Chapter 4
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
Jesus does not argue the point about Satan’s authority to give Him the kingdoms of the earth.
Some see the scroll as God’s will for eternity. Roman wills were also sealed with seals of witnesses.
Revelation 5:2 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?”
V2 Mighty angel? Notice it’s “Who is worthy” not who is willing. Many have been willing through the ages.
Revelation 5:3 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.
No one!! Only a blood relative of Adam could open it. Interestingly, there is an exhaustive search, apparently there are men in heaven, on the earth, and under the earth.
According to Commentator, Steve Gregg
Under Jewish law, real estate that had been forfeited by a man could be redeemed (bought back) by any near kinsman (Lev 25:25). To redeem the Earth, forfeited by man, the redeemer must be a kinsman (hence a man and not an angel) and must come forward with the purchase price in hand- something no one in the the universe could do except Jesus.
Revelation 5:4 4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.
John wept, sobbed convulsively. Why? Maybe evil is going to win. We are spiraling downward with no stop in sight. Hopelessness is a terrible place. Note: Tears for the possibly the first time in Heaven.
The Revelation of John, Volume 1 The Lion of Judah and the Root of David (Revelation 5:5)
H. B. Swete makes an interesting comment on this passage. John was weeping, and yet his tears were unnecessary. Human grief often springs from insufficient knowledge. If we had patience to wait and trust, we would see that God has his own solutions for the situations which bring us tears.
Revelation 5:5 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”
One of the Elders says, Don’t weep. The lion of the tribe of Judah has triumphed.
Gen 49:9 Judah is a lion’s whelp;From the prey, my son, you have gone up.He bows down, he lies down as a lion;And as a lion, who shall rouse him?10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah,Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,Until Shiloh comes;And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
*a symbol of capital punishment taken away by Rome in AD 12.
Root of David- Is 11:1,10.Note these are Hebrew idioms for the Messiah. Interestingly, after Chapter 3, 4 and following only Jewish names are used. Why, the church age is over and God is now dealing with Israel.
Revelation 5:6 6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Then I saw a ….(lion?) no a Lamb, lit. a little Lamb. A pet lamb. This is a specific word Arnion . It means a little lamb. In the majority of the NT passages a different word is used Amnos the general word for sheep.
As if it had been slain. The word here carries the meaning of slaughtered or put to death by violence. Think of this the only man made things in heaven are His scars.
14 Just as many were astonished at you,
So His visage was marred more than any man,
And His form more than the sons of men;
We see Him standing in the center, (in the midst).· Encircled by the 4 living creatures and the 24 elders.· 7 Horns and 7 eyes. Horns speak of power and eyes speak of understanding and vision. So Perfect in Power and perfect in wisdom and understanding.
Revelation 5:7–8 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
V7 - 8 He takes the scroll and worship begins. They all fall down.
Notice the Harps or lyres. If you ever wondered why music resonates with mankind its because God made us that way from the beginning and we will be enjoying music for eternity. Interestingly music is one of those those things that separate us from the animals
Notice also · Golden bowls full of Incense (prayers of the saints) It is an interesting thought that God loves the smell of your prayers. The Psalmist said,
2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Revelation 5:9 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
V9 They sang. Only humans (the redeemed sing), angels always “say”.
- The song honors the price of redemption: for You were slain
- The song honors the worker of redemption: have redeemed us· - The song honors the destination of redemption: have redeemed us to God
- The song honors the payment of redemption: by Your blood· - The song honors the scope of redemption: every tribe and tongue and people and nation
- The song honors the length of redemption: have made us kings and priests to our God
- The song honors the result of redemption: and we shall reign on the earth
Note also that they sang a new song. God loves new worship!
In chapter 4 the song honors creation here Redemption is honored.
And he closes this chapter with a great celebration of praise fro all of Heaven. First the angelic host;
Revelation 5:11–12 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
V11 – 12 Millions of beings all praising Jesus at once. Why because He alone was slain according to God’s plan and will from the foundation of the world.
15 And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”
They are saying Worthy is Lamb. What does worthy mean? The Greek word here Axios means, weighing, having weight, having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much.
Paul writes that we are called to live lives worthy of our calling
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
How we live is a measure of our value of the Gospel.
The praise continues;
Revelation 5:13 13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
Everything, every living thing gives praise.
Revelation 5:14 14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.
More worship! I hope you love to worship Jesus… But you can’t worship then if you won’t worship now.
Prayer