Revelation 5

Do you remember how King Arthur was discovered?

Arthur proves he is the true son of King Uther Pendragon when he pulls the sword out of the stone in front of a big crowd. From that dramatic starting point, the young man rallies the kingdom and establishes his rule. King Arthur doesn’t just bring peace, he brings a new way of doing things. He brings a new code of chivalry, honour, & equality as he gives his knights seats at the round table.

The NT book of Revelation was written to Christians in the 7 churches of Asia Minor: to the churches in “Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” These Christians hunger for a new way of doing things too. They long for a ruler who will bring safety, rule with honour, and bring peace.

In Ephesus, Pergamum, and most of what is now the country called Turkey, it wasn’t safe to profess faith in Jesus. To say “Jesus is Lord” was considered treason. The rallying cry of Rome is “Caesar is Lord.”

You could be disciplined by your union or trade guild for saying, “Jesus is Lord.”

You could lose the contract for building projects.

You could be expelled from the baker’s guild and have your permit to sell your bread and cakes revoked.

If you were a slave, your owner could kill you for saying “Jesus is Lord.”

At times the Christians might wonder if faith in Jesus was worth the trouble and hardship it seems to cause.

· So who was a champion for Christians?

· Who protected Christians who faced public flogging?

· Who fed the kids of believers killed b/c they said Jesus is Lord?

King Arthur wasn’t born yet. The Christians of Laodicea, Thyatira and the 5 other churches need someone. WE need someone!

The world hasn’t changed much since John saw this vision. There’s always conflict between the kingdoms of this world and the Kingdom of God. Conflict is inevitable when people want to rule the world; when people resist worshipping and serving Jesus Christ as Lord.

We see conflict:

on a grand scale of dictators, tyrants, and warlords stirring up wars between nations or regions or tribes: Russia, Afghanistan, the Middle East

on a smaller scale of people going on a shooting rampage like Texas and Buffalo or making money with drugs or prostitutes or violence like Toronto or Tillsonburg

on a personal scale: when we don’t obey God’s commands in our homes, in our relationships, or we try to control the world instead of trusting God’s rule over his Creation, his care for his people, and the assurance that Jesus lives up to his promises.

Who is will rescue us?

Who will hold people accountable for persecuting Christians, for their aggression, for their rebellion against our Creator and Lord?

John’s vision pulls back the curtain to let us see the throne-room of heaven. The Lord is not watching helplessly as the world goes to hell in a handbasket. God is on the move!

God sees the injustice. He knows the Christians’ frustration and fears. God has already done something about it. He continues to do something about it.

Look! The one on the throne has a scroll. It has writing on both sides, but no one can open it and read the writing. The parchment is held tightly rolled with 7 seals.

The scroll contains God’s judgement. When you read further in the book, you’ll see how God’s justice is unleashed against those who do wrong. Each seals instigates new punishment.

But in Rev. 5, there’s a problem.

No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. Revelation 5:3 (NIV)

It’s terribly sad for John. It’s sad for everyone. No one in all the world could open the scroll. Having no worthy individual stopped justice. Nobody brought justice, peace and new order. John can’t hold it in:

I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Revelation 5:3–4 (NIV)

Have you wept like that? Have you sunk into the darkness where it seems there is no hope, no resolution, no way out of the mess?

Perhaps you can relate to how the author of Ps 73 laments over the injustice of the world:

I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

They have no struggles;

their bodies are healthy and strong.

They are free from common human burdens;

they are not plagued by human ills.

Therefore pride is their necklace;

they clothe themselves with violence.

From their callous hearts comes iniquity;

their evil imaginations have no limits.

They scoff, and speak with malice;

with arrogance they threaten oppression.

Their mouths lay claim to heaven,

and their tongues take possession of the earth.

Therefore their people turn to them

and drink up waters in abundance.

They say, “How would God know?

Does the Most High know anything?”

This is what the wicked are like—

always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.

Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure

and have washed my hands in innocence.

All day long I have been afflicted,

and every morning brings new punishments. Psalm 73:3–14 (NIV)

It’s how the Christians of Asia Minor feel, how the persecuted believers around the world feel. It voices the questions that haunt our darkest moments.

But like a match in the darkness, hope is ignited for the psalmist: the Lord does not allow wickedness to go unchecked:

When I tried to understand all this,

it troubled me deeply

till I entered the sanctuary of God;

then I understood their final destiny.

Surely you place them on slippery ground;

you cast them down to ruin.

How suddenly are they destroyed,

completely swept away by terrors!

They are like a dream when one awakes;

when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. Psalm 73:16–20 (NIV)

John’s vision gives a similar burst of reassurance.

Like young Arthur stepping forward to seize the sword in the stone, someone is found who is worthy to take the scroll from God’s hand.

One of the elders said to [John], “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Revelation 5:5 (NIV)

Lion of Judah? Root of David? Who is this?

The book of Revelation is a different kind of writing. It’s not a novel nor a poem, not a memoir nor a textbook. It’s a little like a graphic novel. It’s full of images, metaphors, and OT references.

If you’ve read the end of the OT book of Genesis recently, you might recognize the reference to “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” It’s from Jacob’s blessing on Jesus’ great, great+ grandfather:

You are a lion’s cub, Judah;

you return from the prey, my son.

Like a lion he crouches and lies down,

like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? Genesis 49:9 (NIV)

Jesus is the son of David, of the tribe of Judah: The King, The Lion.

Near the end of Revelation, the Root of David is also identified:

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star. Revelation 22:16 (NIV)

The only person in the world able to take the scroll and open its seals is Jesus! He’s the one who arranged for John to receive this vision and bring reassurance to the church. Jesus is worthy to take the scroll because he triumphed over death, and sin, and evil.

God in his goodness and righteousness doesn’t leave evil unpunished. It is not in God’s nature to sweep wrong-doing under the rug and pretend it never happened. That’s reassuring when we are tormented by bullies or tyrants. It gets worrisome when we are the bully; when we see how far we fall short of the goodness, love, and generosity that God created in people and expects to find in us.

But God’s love and concern for humankind is so great that he sent Jesus, his one and only son, to rescue the world from sin and punishment. Jesus is our champion, fighting the powers of darkness to bring peace, justice, and a new order.

B/c Jesus is fully human he can take the punishment you deserve. B/c he is God the Son, he can bear the punishment for sin. Jesus doesn’t rise to the top by being the biggest bully or the most ruthless tyrant. He did it on the cross, when the tyranny of Rome, the corruption of human religion, and the vindictiveness of power-hungry people sentenced Jesus to die on the cross. It’s with his blood that Jesus “purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

The bullies felt confident of their victory. Confident, until Jesus rose from the grave. Jesus’ resurrection reveals his victory over sin and death and hell. It reveals the true King of all creation.

When you pledge allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord, you gain a seat at his table – I don’t know if it’s a round table or not. But those who profess faith in Jesus are granted a place in his family. Isn’t that your heart’s desire? You become part of the new order, a new Kingdom, better than King Arthur’s Camelot. You become a citizen of the kingdom of God; an ambassador for Jesus.

Jesus’ follower rally behind their Rescuer: the Lamb-Who-Was-Slain. Jesus is the Lion of Judah. He is the Root of David. He is also the Lamb who was slain.

Maybe you remember reading in John’s Gospel how Thomas was convinced that Jesus rose from the grave after he touched Jesus’ hands and put his hand on Jesus’ side where the spear pierced Jesus’ chest. The Lamb on heaven’s throne bears the same wounds. At the beginning of his ministry, John the Baptist called Jesus “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Now John the apostle sees Jesus in heaven’s throne-room as the Lamb-Who-Was-Slain.

This is one of the powerful reassurances of Jesus’ resurrection. It’s one of the reasons we celebrate Jesus’ ascension into glory. It’s a relief that a human, like you and me, is welcomed into the glory and majesty of God Most High without being destroyed. It’s also a relief that our champion, our hero, our rescuer is seated on heaven’s throne as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Like King Arthur in all the ballads and tales, now that Jesus is enthroned as king, he is setting everything right. He’s reintroducing a new way of doing things. There’s a new code of honour, equality, justice, and service among the followers of this king!

Three takeaways

1. Do not despair! Jesus is in control. Perhaps you remember the song:

This is my father's world Oh, let me ne’er forget That though the wrong seems oft so strong God is the ruler yet

This is my father's world Why should my heart be sad? The Lord is king, let the heavens ring God reigns, let the earth be glad

2. You have a seat at the table of King Jesus. Like the knights of the Round Table, You’re called to do your part to live up to Jesus’ code. Be honourable. Protect the vulnerable. Serve your neighbour with love and respect. In short: love God with all your heart; love your neighbour as yourself.

3. Raise your voice with all of heaven to celebrate Jesus’ victory and justice:

And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

because you were slain,

and with your blood you purchased for God

persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.

You have made them to be a kingdom and priests

to serve our God,

and they will reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:9–10 (NIV