Worthy is the Lamb - Study of End Times
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Week 16 - April 20, 2022
Week 16 - April 20, 2022
Last week we looked at Chapter 4 of Revelation and the Throne Room of Heaven, and how John was taken up to heaven and what all he experienced there.
We talked about the three different heavens, as our atmosphere, outer space, and then the third heaven being God’s dwelling place.
Then we seen the storm that John seen from heaven being the Great Tribulation, and then that heaven was full of worship, and why we should walk with God.
Tonight we are looking at chapter 5 of Revelation and Worthy is the Lamb.
Years ago Reader’s Digest reported that in order for a person to have a meaningful life, they need three things. First. they need someone to love. Second, they need something to do. Third, they need something to hope for.
I think Reader’s Digest is right, and the answer to all three of these things is Jesus. He is the One we love, the One we serve, and the One in whom we hope.
Jesus Christ is the only One worthy of our love, our life, and our hope.
The fifth chapter of Revelation talks about this One - Jesus Christ. And it brings home the fact that each of us will never have satisfaction and fulfillment or understand why God created us until we come to worship the One who is worthy.
Let’s look at three things that this chapter says about our glorious Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.
I. Jesus Is Exclusively Worthy
I. Jesus Is Exclusively Worthy
John wrote the following about his vision of heaven:
1 Then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides, sealed with seven seals. 2 I also saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or even to look in it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or even to look in it. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
We will see that this scroll is the title deed to the earth. The one who can break the seals and open the book is the one to whom it rightfully belongs.
John wants the seals of this book broken, but an angel challenges him in verse 2: Revelation 5:2
2 I also saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
The angel did not ask, who is willing? Instead, the angel asked, who is worthy? Indeed, plenty were willing, but Revelation 5:3
3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or even to look in it.
No one who has died or is living can open the book.
5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Who is the Root of David? He is worthy and has brought back what was legally lost in creation. Let me explain.
When God created the world, He turned it over to Adam and Eve and gave them dominion. But then Satan crawled his slimy, son-artist frame onto the pages of history and deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden.
In turn Adam fell as well. At that moment Adam and Even turned over to Satan the dominion that God had given to them.
To put is in simple terms, Adam and Eve sold the farm. Satan went away with the title deed to all of creation.
19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, since people are enslaved to whatever defeats them.
When Satan overcame Adam and Eve, they became slaves of Satan, and all those who came after Adam became slaves of Satan.
Satan owns the slaves, and he owns all the slaves owns. Every man, woman, and child is born into slavery, and we are bankrupt.
We cannot redeem ourselves. We cannot buy back what Adam lost because we do not have what it takes.
Did God recognize Satan’s overthrown authority? Yes, He did. As a matter of a fact, we see that one of the temptation of Satan offers Jesus in the wilderness was that he would give the kingdoms of this world to Jesus:
6 The devil said to him, “I will give you their splendor and all this authority, because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want. 7 If you, then, will worship me, all will be yours.”
Basically, Satan was saying, Adam gave me the power and glory of this world. Now I can give it to You if You will simply bow down and worship me.
Did Jesus say to Satan, It is not yours to give? No. Jesus knew Adam had legally lost his dominion to the god of this age.
4 In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Let me try to illustrate this for you: there was this teenager whose father gave him a brand-new car.
This teenager takes the car and gives it to someone else. Now how would you feel if you were his father?
The father had legally put the title in the sons name, giving him legal ownership of the car, the son takes and gives the car to this other person, and legally transfers the title over, making it legally the other persons car now.
In the same way God gave Adam dominion over the earth. Then Adam gave it to Satan. It was legally lost; and now it has to be legally regained. How could this be done?
In the Old Testament if a person became financially burdened and had to sell their property, God created away that person’s family could help get the property back.
25 If your brother becomes destitute and sells part of his property, his nearest relative may come and redeem what his brother has sold.
That’s the reason Jesus came to earth. He came as the second Adam to put back what was right. He was not the son of Adam; He is the Son of God.
If He had been the son of Adam, He would have been a slave, and all that belonged to Adam would belong to Him.
But Jesus was born of a virgin so He would be sinless - the only one worthy to redeem man and open the scroll.
The Holy Spirit of God generated the holy life of Jesus Christ in the womb of Mary. He was Son of Man and Son of God.
18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb.
Jesus had to be the perfect, sinless sacrifice. Only the sinless blood of Jesus Christ could pay the debt. Jesus is our only hope.
Our Kinsman-Redeemer Jesus is the only One worthy to break the seal and buy back what Adam lost.
Our inheritance was lost by man; it had to be redeemed by a Man - but not just any man. Only Jesus could pay the price. Only Jesus Christ is exclusively worthy.
II. Jesus is Exceedingly Worthy
II. Jesus is Exceedingly Worthy
Jesus is exceedingly worthy for three reasons: He is worthy because of creation, because of Calvary, and because of conquest.
A. He is Worthy because of Creation
A. He is Worthy because of Creation
10 the twenty-four elders fall down before the one seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne and say,
11 Our Lord and God,
you are worthy to receive
glory and honor and power,
because you have created all things,
and by your will
they exist and were created.
16 For everything was created by him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through him and for him.
People talk about creating life in the laboratory, but no one can create life in this way. Men can only take what God has created and synthesize that lifelike substance in the laboratory.
A scientist said to God, You are not the only creator, he said, I can make a man also. God said, Let’s see you do it.
The man walked over to some dirt. But God stopped him and said, Get your own dirt. There is only One who can create. His name is Jesus. He is worthy. He is worthy because of creation.
B. He is Worthy because of Calvary
B. He is Worthy because of Calvary
6 Then I saw one like a slaughtered lamb standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll out of the right hand of the one seated on the throne.
The Greek word for lamb used elsewhere in the New Testament is amnos. But here in the book of Revelation, the word for lamb is arnion.
This latter word means little pet lamb. It is used in the plural form in the Bible where Jesus said to Peter, Feed My lambs, John 21:15.
What a surprise! John was expecting to see a lion because the elders had said: Revelation 5:5
5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
And instead he saw a lamb, and not just any lamb. He saw the most helpless creature - an arnion - a little pet lamb.
No animal could have symbolized anything weaker than a little lamb.
Where else have we read about a sacrificial Lamb? Perhaps we recall the Passover, where God instructed the Jews to sacrifice a lamb - but not just any lamb off the streets.
They were to select a perfect lamb, a firstling from their flock without spot or blemish.
After they selected this lamb, they were to keep it for four days from the 10th of the month to the 14th, can you imagine how the children would get attached, would feel about this lamb after four days of taking care of this lamb?
This Lamb is different from most helpless lambs written about in God’s Word.
First, although it had the marks of death upon His body, this Lamb was now standing. How does a lamb that has died now stand up?
Because this Lamb was not any lamb; this lamb was the resurrected Lamb of God. He is the reigning Lamb. He is the Lamb as described by John the Baptist.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
This Lamb is also significant because the perfect number seven is mentioned three times.
First, He has seven horns, which speaks of the omnipotence of the Lamb. He is all-powerful.
Second, the Lamb has seven eyes, which speaks of the omniscience of the Lamb. He sees everything.
Third, Notice that there are seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. Revelation 5:6
6 Then I saw one like a slaughtered lamb standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth.
He is omnipresent. There is nowhere that He is not. The Lamb of God is the Lord Jesus - the redeeming Lamb, the resurrected Lamb, and the reigning Lamb who comes against them all.
C. He is Worthy because of Conquest
C. He is Worthy because of Conquest
5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
In the KJV, the second part of that verse says, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
The word prevailed, or conquered is from the Greek word nike, which speaks of victory. He is the One who has won the victory.
If you were to ask the Lord Jesus how He was able to open the book, He would answer, I am worthy, first of all because of creation. I made everything.
Second, I am worthy because of Calvary. I have redeemed mankind. Third, I am worthy because of conquest. I have prevailed.
III. Jesus is Eternally Worthy
III. Jesus is Eternally Worthy
There has never been a time when Jesus was not worthy. There will never be a time when He is not worthy. Jesus is eternally worthy forever and ever. This is the eternal song of the ages.
8 When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song:
You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slaughtered,
and you purchased people
for God by your blood
from every tribe and language
and people and nation.
10 You made them a kingdom
and priests to our God,
and they will reign on the earth.
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands. 12 They said with a loud voice,
Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing!
13 I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say,
Blessing and honor and glory and power
be to the one seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb, forever and ever!
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
In this passage praise is symbolized by harps, and prayer is symbolized by bowls of incense. In the Old Testament we read that many of the psalms were sung to harp music.
5 Sing to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and melodious song.
Lyre being a harp.
As for the bowls of incense, when the high priest went into the temple, he would take a bowl of incense so the aroma would perfume the air.
15 Therefore, through him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Maybe you think that since you do not see your prayers answered, perhaps they have been forgotten.
Or since you do not see God working perhaps God is not working. Let me ask you a question: have you ever prayed the prayer found in Matthew 6:10
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Now I want to ask another question: Has God’s kingdom come? Not yet. Is His will being done on earth as it is in heaven? Not yet.
Did you offer a prayer, therefore, that was not answered? No. every prayer is heard. And one of these days, you will see the answer to that prayer because His kingdom will come, and the kingdom of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord.
And we will shout about it!
12 They said with a loud voice,
Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing!
Think of the reach of that song. It will echo and thunder from the highest heaven to the lowest hell.
9 And they sang a new song:
You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slaughtered,
and you purchased people
for God by your blood
from every tribe and language
and people and nation.
Katherine Hankey said this: “I love to tell the story, for those who know it best. Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest. And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song. ‘Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.”
Do you know what we will be singing in Heaven? We will sing about the Lamb.
13 I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say,
Blessing and honor and glory and power
be to the one seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb, forever and ever!
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
From every possible sphere, they will give the Lord Jesus Christ glory. Everybody will confess it.
23 By myself I have sworn;
truth has gone from my mouth,
a word that will not be revoked:
Every knee will bow to me,
every tongue will swear allegiance.
Jesus Christ is exclusively worthy. There is none other. He is exceedingly worthy because of Calvary, because of creation, because of conquest. He is eternally worthy forever and ever and ever.
Is how you are living worth Jesus dying for?
That is a question we should ask ourselves!!!