The Inheritance of the Lamb
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
I remember watching the Passion of the Christ years ago with some of my unsaved friends for Easter. During one of the cruel, bloody scenes one of them asked, “why? what is going on? Why are they doing this to him and what’s the purpose?” It’s a good question, because it’s not one that the movie answers. To many, Jesus death is no more than a martyrdom at the hands of the religious elite. They emphasize the bloody death, and even the happy ending in the resurrection, but what did it achieve? What changed after the death and resurrection of Christ? In our text today, we get a heavenly scene in which we see the great reward that Christ won at the cross. While the cross may seem like the cross of a powerless innocent man, it was truly the field of conquest of which he was victorious.
Who is Worthy?
Who is Worthy?
This text begins with a scene of a glorious throne. This is God’s throne, and if we peak back into chapter 4 we begin to get an idea of what this overwhelming scene looks like from John’s perspective in this vision.
At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind:
If this scene is a little confusing for you, that’s because John is unable to adequately describe what he is seeing due to it being so much more glorious and magnificent than anything is his previous experience as a human being. Around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. What does that mean? God is described as looking like Jasper and Carnelian. Again, now really sure what that is supposed to look like. John struggles to find the appropriate words to describe all that he is seeing.
Then around this heavenly throne are twenty four thrones with elders, four creatures full of eyes, and this is all happening with thunder and lightening, there’s fire, there’s a sea of glass, it’s an unreal scene. But as we come to our text in chapter 5 there is something else that takes centre stage.
The Scroll
The Scroll
In God’s right hand is a scroll with seven seals with writing on the outside and on the inside apparently. For us to appreciate the weight of this scroll, and what happens to it in our text, we need to understand what is represented by it.
Thankfully, looking into the world that 1 John was written gives us an idea of what would have been in the minds of the original readers when they first read this. Remember that God reveals things to us in a way that makes sense to us, and God was revealing this first to a first century jew. In the Roman world, the only document that was routinely sealed with seven seals is a will or similar legal document. The idea was that when someone died, the seals would be broken with the seven witnesses who sealed the will present to prevent forgeries.
With that in mind, this scroll comes across to us as a grand inheritance. This makes sense with what happens next. A mighty angel, mighty enough to make a global proclamation, “Who is worthy.” Who is worthy. That is, who deserves this great inheritance? Who can legally and rightfully take the scroll and claim the contents as his?
What is the content of this scroll? The answer to that can be discerned from the one who is giving it. This is no ordinary inheritance, it is a document that only one who sits on this glorious throne can give. It is unique in every way, and whoever can prove their right to it would rightly be be considered the greatest and most powerful in the world.
Another clue as to the content of this great scroll is John’s response. He weeps loudly because no one is worthy to open the scroll. In other words, this is something that is personally devestating to John. He obviously knows what going on, what’s being handed down in this scroll, and the fact that there is no one who is able to legally claim it for themselves is enough to make him weep loudly, as one in despair.
The last clue we get as to the content of this scroll is the encouragement that one of the elders gives to John in verse 5.
“The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David.” The head of the leading tribe of Israel, that great one prophesied of in God’s covenant to David in 2 Samuel 7: 12-13
When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
While this prophecy was superficially fulfilled in Solomon, Solomon would not be the one to bring in the glory days of God’s people, or establish a throne forever. His temple would not be where God’s presence would permanently dwell. Solomon was just a vague foreshadow of one who would establish God’s name in his people, and who would build an everlasting temple for God to dwell in among his people. This one that God promised to David was still being looked forward to among the Jews, the true Son of David that would rule God’s people forever and, more importantly, bring God’s presence back to dwell among God’s people just as he did with Adam and Eve back in the Garden. This is the one who may inherit the scroll and what is on it.
Also there is the mentioned that he has conquered, this gives us the last clue as to what the scroll is. The Scroll represents the right to Kingship over the Kingdom and People of God.
The Failures
The Failures
John is devastated because no one has been found worthy to lead God’s people into the coming age. All of creation has been searched, but even the mysterious creatures and elders around the throne are unable to say that this scroll can rightfully be opened by them. There are two broad qualifications that someone must have to be worthy of opening this scroll.
First, they must be called by God. Like any will, only those with the authority from the person who made it can execute it and claim what has been designated for them. This is one that has been identified as the Father’s heir and thus heir to his glorious Kingdom.
This position was originally given to the first couple who were made in God’s image and likeness as representatives of God’s authority and inheritors of creation. They were, as it were, children of God (Luke 3:38).
However, they rebelled against their benefactor and were disinherited by being kicked out of the Garden of Eden. The presence of God, and his blessings, were removed from them. However, God did not give up on mankind. They were created to be the ones to inherit his Kingdom, and so he continues to work with them.
Leaders of God’s people comes and go, each failing to submit to God’s will in the way that they lead God’s people. This takes us to the second qualification for inheriting the Kingdom of God.
They must be Godly. That is, they must lead God’s Kingdom effectively and adequately. While Adam was appointed to be the head of the Kingdom of God, he failed at effectively and righteously establishing t he Kingdom of God because of his own rebellion.
The same has been true of every leader or King Israel ever had. David is the prime example of this. While he was in Covenant with God, he did not perfectly walk in God’s ways. And even though his reign was relatively good, his posterity would go deeper and deeper in to sin. What became apparent is that no human being was worthy or able of being the King of this Kingdom.
The grief that should be conveyed to us from John’s reaction makes sense when we think about the situation of God’s Kingdom not having a King. Will God give up on his people? Will he start over? Will the Kingdom go back to a time when everyone did what was right in his own eyes as they did in the book of Judges.
The Lamb is Worthy
The Lamb is Worthy
Who can claim Kingship of God’s Kingdom and the glory that all creation was made to display through it? The answer comes to us in verse 5,
And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Who is this Lion of Judah, the descendant of the best (and yet still inadequate) King Israel ever had? He introduces the scene in verse 6,
And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.
The Lamb who was slain and yet lives comes and takes the scroll because he alone meets both qualifications. He is not only in covenant with the Father, he is the only begotten Son of the Father. He is, in his nature, God and thus is best able to show the image of God. But this is not the main reason he is worthy to accept the scroll. This is not only something he has by nature, it’s something he has earned. We see this in the way he is worshipped.
The Worshipers
The Worshipers
There are three groups of worshippers in this text.
The Creatures and Elders
The first and primary of these three groups of worshippers is the four creatures and the twenty-four elders.
Their Identity. Who are these worshippers that sit before the throne of God. The four creatures are bizarre with their animal features and covered in eyes seem like odd company for God to keep around his glorious throne. This actually isn’t the first time these creatures have appeared. They are described in Ezekiel 1:5, although their appearance is slightly altered. In that text, Ezekiel sees these creatures literally move the throne and glory of God out of the Temple, indicating the judgement of God on Israel by removing his presence from the place where it was meant to dwell with his people. In other words, the King has seemingly left the Kingdom because, like the rest of mankind, it is full of sinners who rebel against the King.
So who are these beings? Their connection with God’s glory and their features that are both human and animal as well as the eyes that cover their body give a clue as to what they are. It clues us in that:
They are representative of the glory of God
They are representative of the creation
They are witnesses, their eyes representing how they don’t miss anything. They are always seeing and nothing escapes their sight.
These creatures likely represent God’s glory in all of creation, and display how God is glorified in all that can be seen.
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
The personification of Creation displaying the glory of God in this text shows how everything exists for the glory of God. Creation itself is meant to be a light that shines on God’s majesty. However, when people reject the glory of God, the glory of God rejects them too. It hides itself, it moves and although they remain surrounded by the same created things, they are blind to these glories because they have been hidden from them.
The second group here are the twenty-four elders, who represent the true people of God both in the old and New Testament. Twelve represent the twelve tribes of Israel and twelve represent the apostles, who serve as foundations for the church through their ministry of giving the Gospel of Christ to us through the New Testament Scriptures. Notice that the Lamb comes from among the elders, him being the foundation of God’s people much more intrinsically than even the patriarchs and the apostles. In fact, their part in the Kingdom of God was in accord to his plan, point us to him, making his coming inevitable.
Their reaction to the taking of the Scroll
When the Lamb takes the scroll, and takes it by right, the creatures and elders bow down to him, each hold a hard and golden bowls of incense, representing the worship and prayers of the saints both in the Old Testament and the New. All true worship of God in all of history, from the sacrifice of Abel all through to the church age, is given to Christ. He has inherited it. It is his birthright and he has earned it.
The content of their praise
This is shown in the content of their praise as they sing a new song.
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 you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
Why is he worthy?
Because he ransomed the people of God by his own blood. As fallen from grace as God’as people were, as far as the glory had departed, and as failed as it’s kings and leaders were, they could no longer be rightly called the Kingdom of God since they didn’t recognize God as their King. They had rebelled in sin and redemption was needed for God’s people.
Not only has the Lamb redeemed a people from Israel, he has redeemed a people made up of every nation. The borders of the Kingdom of God are finally expanding beyond the borders of Israel, and spreading to the whole world.
As one who has bought back the wayward people of God with his blood, he not only has a birthright to the scroll, he has the right of a redeemer, of one who has purchased the right. When Christ died on the cross, our sins were paid for and forgiven. But his death is so much deeper than just that. Jesus redeemed us, meaning he bought us back from our inevitable end in God’s wrath. He bought us back from the wages of sin, from the Kingdom of this world, from the posterity of Adam and from the curse we shared in him. He bought us back from all that was keeping us from being the people of God that we were created to be.
What have we been redeemed to? Verse 10 tells us. We have been redeemed from the Kingdom of the world, a kingdom in rebellion against God’s universal rule, to be a Kingdom of priests to our God . Not only that, but we have been redeemed to partake in Christ’s authority. “They shall reign on the earth.” To the original readers undergoing persecution, this may have seemed far fetched, but just as we are called to take on Christ’s high priestly role, and little priests pointing people to the true High Priest, we are called to be princes and princesses pointing people to our great King. In short, he redeemed us to be like him in the world. This actually gives John’s readers a reason for their persecution and suffering, it’s because they represent a higher authority that the world continues to be in rebellion against. Just as Christ suffered in this world, his representatives suffer. But just like Christ recieved the Kingdom, we know we have victory in his blood.
The Heavenly Angels
Verse 11-12 paint a picture of the next group to engage in this worship. No heavenly being protests Christ’s inheritance of the scroll, indeed they join the elders and creatures in saying
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!”
All Creation
And then finally every Creature in the universe, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, that is, even the realm of the dead praise both God the father and God the Son and those who are worthy of blessing, honour, glory, and might forever. The scene ends in a glorious chorus of “Amen!” and worship from the elders, that is, from all the saints.
Conclusion
Conclusion
What is the point of the text? Why is it so important? And why are we looking at it on Easter Sunday? Because this text most clearly shows us what Christ accomplished on the cross and when he exited that tomb. It was a truly cosmic event, where the exiled people of God sold under sin, sold under a law that condemned them in their guilt, sold to the very powers of satan himself, were redeemed and the right to an eternal Kingdom of God, a Kingdom that will one day manifest in the righting of all wrongs and the building of a new heavens and new earth without the curse and without death, was purchased by his blood.
As we celebrate Easter, it is important for us to meditate and consider two things.
First, Christ’s place and the rightful absolute ruler of the Kingdom of God and its people. In his death, we was not a helpless victim, and in his resurrection is was more than just another miracle. Christ went to war against our rebellion and sin and he defeated it on the cross. He overcame all that was keeping the people of God from being the Kingdom of God as it was meant to be and now he is King, both by birthright and by conquest. Recognizing what Christ accomplished at the cross makes what we celebrate at Easter much more powerful.
Second, recognizing that we are his servants. There is no right we can claim before him who has all the rights in the universe and who died to purchase us from our inevitable destruction. Before Christ we are slaves, but he has raised us up to be sons and daughters, princes and princesses in his Kingdom. The divide between what we deserve in his Kingdom and what we have recieved by his grace. We don’t deserve this redemption anyways, and in Christ’s Kingdom we could be like the Gibeonites, drawers of water and hewers of wood. Instead, we partake in the reward that Christ won, the very right that he claims in taking the scroll.
We have every reason, therefore, to rejoice in the victory of Christ. Every good thing is found in that victory. May out voices join those of all creation in faith, casting ourselves before the one who has been crowned King of all forever and ever.