Why The Lamb Is Still Worthy
INTRODUCTION
This is the thirteenth message in a series from the Revelation, and while it is commonly called the Revelation of St. John it is in reality, the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Not only is it the revelation of Jesus Christ, it is a revelation by Jesus. From Genesis to Revelation, there is one basic story and that is the story of God’s redemptive love as expressed in His giving His Son to die for our sins, then raising Him from the dead, revealing Him, receiving Him back into Heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us, awaiting His return for His church and the for final judgment. I realize that for those "specialize" in prophecy, what I am doing will not hold their interest. I am preaching sermons, as led by the Holy Spirit, that are prepared with God’s people who are sitting on His pews, in His church every Sunday, not for professor of prognostication. I am using no charts, and I am making no predictions that, though interesting, would guarantee that Jesus cannot possibly come as a thief in the night. I have heard specific prophecies that eliminate both the "soon" and the "quickly" of Revelation. You may remember that During desert Storm a book written by Dr. John Woolvard, a strong conservative scholar, sold like hot cakes. The war was over very quickly and "the end was not yet." I walked into a book store and picked up a copy of that book for something like ninety cents.
I promised at the beginning of this series that I will not answer all you questions - or mine, for that matter. In the first place, I do not have all the answers and in the second place, my purpose in this series is to simply skim the surface. That is a metaphor farm people would have appreciated in the days when many people, like my family, milked their own cows. We drank some of the milk and put some in a churn to let the cream rise to the top. If cream was need for a dessert my mother would skimmed some off the top. Mostly, we would churn it for the butter - and the by-product, buttermilk, which some liked and some detested. It really goes great with cornbread! We will not be looking for all the mysteries in Revelation, just skimming the cream from the top, looking for the cream. We have already seen that the Lamb of God is pronounced worthy of praise, honor, and glory. Now we are going to see something of that for which the Lamb of God is worthy, and why He is worthy.
I. THE ONE ON THE THRONE HOLDS A SCROLL IN HIS HAND, 5:1-4.
"Then I saw in the right hand of the One seated on the throne a scroll with writing on the inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. I also saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, ""Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?"" But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or even to look in it. And I cried and cried because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or even to look in it" (HCSB).
Chapter 4 introduces the scroll with its seven seals. "The symbolic presentation showed a scroll or a rolled-up parchment with seven seals affixed to the side in such a way that if unrolled the seven seals would need to be broken one by one" [Bible Knowledge Commentary - BKC]. Now, let’s look at chapter five.
1) The Heavenly Father is seated on the eternal throne.
2) In His right hand is a scroll with writing on the inside and the back.
This was typical of ancient Roman scrolls, and Jewish scrolls. The document, whether a will, a deed, a wedding contract, or a business contract would be written on the inside of the scroll and a brief summary would be written on the outside for identification. Some see this as meaning that the volume was so great that the message could not be written on the inside, so the outside was required to complete the document.
It seems that this scroll is a deed, and if that is the meaning it would be a deed to all God has created. Previously, we have seen that the Lamb of God is worthy because He was the Agent of creation. This then, would be a deed to the universe, the earth being the primary focus because it was created for the habitation of the one creature created in the image of God, the one for whom the Lamb was slain.
3) The scroll was sealed with seven seals.
The Romans used seven seals to secure a document. The Jews often used three seals but at times they used more. The number seven is the perfect or complete number, which means that the document was perfectly sealed and secure. The point is, no one could tamper with this document.
4) A mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, ""Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?
There is no need to identify the mighty angel, but that has never kept people from speculating. For example, John MacArthur identifies this angel as Gabriel. What we should note is that "his strength was displayed when his voice thundered throughout heaven and earth (10:1-3)" [New Commentary on the Whole Bible - NCWB].
5) No one in Heaven or on earth could break the seals.
There was no one so powerful, no one so influential, no one so highly placed that he could take the scroll and break the seals and read that which was written therein. No one who has ever lived could do it, no human, no angel, and certainly no demon.
6) John wept bitterly when no one could be found who could open the scroll.
Actually, John kept on weeping for some time, perhaps aloud, when no one was found worthy to open the scroll. It is obvious that John saw this as something of great importance. The message was desperately needed but if no one could break the seals the message could not be revealed. John was not ashamed to admit it: "I cried and cried because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or even to look in it."
II. THERE WAS ONE WHO WAS WORTHY TO OPEN THE SCROLL, 5:5-7.
"Then one of the elders said to me, ""Stop crying. Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has been victorious so that He may open the scroll and its seven seals."" Then I saw one like a slaughtered lamb standing between 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 came and took the scroll out of the right hand of the One seated on the throne."
1) One of the four and twenty elders told John to "Stop crying."
One can only imagine the emotions that cause John to continue to weep. However, there would be no communication with him until he stopped weeping. The elder, representing the redeemed who are with the Lord in Heaven, understood something John did not understand. I am absolutely convinced that you and I are going to understand things when we are in Heaven that we cannot comprehend now.
My mother loved God and she loved His word as truly as anyone I have ever known, and she applied it as selflessly as anyone I have ever known. My mother survived the trials of youth, the loss of material possessions and the lifestyle that those possessions afforded to something called The Great Depression. She dropped out of school and married my father when she was sixteen years old. Mother was teaching a Sunday School class at the Crenshaw Baptist Church, Crenshaw, Mississippi when she suddenly lost her voice. The pain in her head had not been a sinus infection as her doctor thought, but a brain tumor. When we checked her records, we discovered that the store she owned and operated was as much a ministry as a business. We also discovered at the time that she had taken her GED and had planned to enroll in Northwest Junior College. She took every seminary extension class she could find, and she studied God’s Word continually. She supported not only her oldest son in his training in (not for) the ministry (God put me in the ministry, His people trained me at Mississippi College, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and Luther Rice Seminary). What does all of this have to do with our text today? I am glad you asked! You see, I am convinced that my mother knew more about the mysteries of Revelation before she even found her loved-ones than I have learned in a lifetime. But let us go on the next point.
2) There is Someone Who can break the seals and open the scroll.
1. He is "the Lion from the tribe of Judah."
2. He is "the Root of David."
3. He "has been victorious so that He may open the scroll and its seven seals.""
The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is one of the earliest titles for Jesus, the Messiah and "the Root of David" another familiar title, the significance of which no Old Testament student would ever miss.
"This is not a reference to a "sprout" which has come from David’s ancient root; this conveys the truth that Christ himself is the root and origin of David" [NCWB]. on Matt. 22:42-45.) As the root of David, he is the Lord of David—and therefore the King of kings. He will rule over Israel and then over the whole earth.
Just as the genealogy of Christ in Matthew One affirms His identity of the Messiah, these Old Testament titles qualify Him as the One Who is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals. The Lion is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth. He is the one who poured out His life’s blood for us, and His blood covers the sins of all who place their trust in Him.
4. He had seven horns.
The number "seven" is the perfect number. Horn is the Old Testament stands for power (Ps. 75:4-7) and royal dignity (Zech. 1:18). seven eyes . . . the seven Spirits of God—the sevenfold Spirit of God (TLB, NIV mg). As the seven lamps before the throne represent the Spirit of God in the Godhead, so the seven eyes of the Lamb represent the sevenfold Spirit flowing forth from the glorified God-man. As such, the Spirit and the glorified Christ are united. The sevenfold Spirit emanating from the throne is the Spirit of Christ sent forth to all the churches (see comments on 4:5).
Jesus has complete, absolute power, the power to break the seals, the power to open the scroll. He is omnipotent.
5. He has seven eyes.
The seven eyes represent the sevenfold Spirit of God. Just as the seven lamps before the throne represent the Spirit of God in the Godhead, the seven eyes of the Lamb represent the sevenfold Spirit flowing forth from the glorified Savior. "As such, the Spirit and the glorified Christ are united. The sevenfold Spirit emanating from the throne is the Spirit of Christ sent forth to all the churches, and through the churches to all the world" [NCWB].
III. WORTHY IS THE LAMB, 5: 8.
"When He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints."
1) He took the scroll.
There was no hesitation. He was worthy and He knew He was worthy. This was a dramatic moment as He took the scroll and no doubt paused to allow the coming response.
2) "The four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb."
3) Each one had a harp.
They are prepared for the song that coming. They will participate in the praise that is to come. There is no doubt in my mind that this implies that we will be singing songs of worship to the Lord throughout eternity. That does not mean that there will be no activity beyond that. One of the things I am looking forward to when I get to Heaven is that I will understand things then I cannot comprehend now. Every person in Heaven could answer questions that have puzzled professors of theology for ages. We will be singing in Heaven and I am convinced that every song will be doctrinally sound. I doubt that the beat will be more important than the lyrics. Furthermore, we will not be ashamed to sing about the blood of the Lamb.
4) Each one has a gold bowl filled with incense.
The incense represents the prayers of the saints. Students of the Old Testament understand the significance of the incense, which when offered sincerely would rise as a pleasant aroma to the nostrils of God. The sincere prayers of the saints are always welcomed by the Lord. He is waiting to hear from us right now.
IV. NOW WE ARE GOING TO LEARN WHY THE LAMB IS WORTHY, 5:9-10.
"And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals; because You were slaughtered, and You redeemed people for God by Your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth."
1) The inhabitants of Heaven join in a song of praise to the Lamb Who is worthy to open the scroll.
2) He is worthy, they sing, "because You were slaughtered."
1. He died on the Cross for our sins.
2. He was raised from the dead.
3. He manifested Himself alive to many followers.
4. He ascended into Heaven in the presence of many witnesses.
5. He sits (or stands) at the right hand of the Father’s throne.
6. There is no one in Heaven who questions the fact that He is Worthy, nor why.
They sang their song, possibly a song you and I will be singing in Heaven: "You redeemed people for God by Your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth."
He is worthy to open break the seals and open the scroll because He is the One Who poured our his blood for the redemption of all who place their trust in Him, of all nations and races, and languages. It is sad that there are people today who find the blood of Christ offensive. Someone told about a choir from Texas that planned a tour which would include a stop in California. Sometime before the choir left, they received a call from a staff member of one church where they were scheduled to sing. The staff member asked them to send a list of the songs they would sing. He said, "We don’t want anything about the blood, or anything gory that might offend the people our here." Offended by the blood of Christ?!!! There will be no one in heaven who is offended by the blood!
Many years ago, Dr. Francis Horton accepted a new church in north Mississippi, in a sophisticated delta town, which of course called itself a city. After the third Sunday the organist approached Dr. Horton and demanded to know why he persisted in talking about blood on Sunday morning. To her it was offensive (how could she enjoy lunch after such a sermon) and she demanded that he stop it. He spoke with the lady’s brother-in-law and asked, "What am I going to do?"
The godly brother-in-law said, "She runs this church from that organ seat. You are not going to change her. If you want to preach like that the only thing we can do is pull out and start a new church where you can preach what the Lord wants you to preach." They did, and a strong church was organized which was a blessing to that town for decades to come.
3) Jesus will make believers a kingdom of priests.
Literally, "You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth." Those who cast their crowns before the King of Kings are not called kings here, but a kingdom and priests to our God.
V. COUNTLESS THOUSANDS JOIN IN THE PRAISE FOR THE LAMB, 5:11-14.
"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. They said with a loud voice: The Lamb who was slaughtered is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing! 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 dominion to the One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! The four living creatures said, ""Amen,"" and the elders fell down and worshiped."
1) The voices of angels joined the four living ones and the twenty four elders.
2) Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands (innumerable).
3) Now they expand the praise:
"They said with a loud voice: The Lamb who was slaughtered is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing! 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 dominion to the One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
4) "The four living creatures said, ‘Amen."
5) "The elders fell down and worshiped" the Lamb Who is worthy of all praise.
In 4:11, where the twenty-four elders asserted God’s worthiness to receive the glory because he created all things, so here the four living creatures indicate, by their "Amen," that all of creation’s glory belongs to him, the twenty-four elders declared that He is worthy to receive glory because He created all things. Here they praise Him for His redemptive work - He is the Lamb Who was slain and is alive.
CONCLUSION
The Lamb of God is worthy of praise because He is our Redeemer. He died for us, He arose for us, He ascended to the Father where He intercedes for Us. He is coming again - for us. Amen! Will you join in the sprit of worship? Are you saying in your heart right now that Jesus is worthy of your praise, worthy of glory, worthy of honor? You are? That is great! That will surely mean that we will be seeing you here for the evening service. We will be seeing you here for prayer service Wednesday evening. We can count on you to bring your tithes and offerings to the house of God on the first day of the week. We can count on you to love one another, to forgive one another, to serve one another. We can count on you to be His witness. Maybe it would be better to say that He can count on you. After all, He is One who is worthy!
Now, you wonder, where did he come up with all of that? We are hearing a lot today about praise: praise music, praise songs, praise services, praise leaders. If you believe you can praise God with music and song without praising Him with your life, go back and read the first part of the Book of Amos. Read Isaiah. Did it ever occur to you that God might literally despise what you call worship - or that what some people call worship may actually place them in danger of the judgment of God? If not, as Jesus said to the Pharisees, "You do err, not knowing the Scripture."
You are prepared to praise him with voice and instruments when you praise Him with your life. Can you imagine anyone thinking he or she can actually praise God in a service when they are tipping rather than tithing; playing rather than praying; and sitting on the premises instead of standing on the promises? What many people who call themselves praising God do not stop to consider is that their plans for the rest of the Lord’s Day may well have already cancelled any attempt to praise Him.
What do we need to do? Remember. Repent. Return. Confess. Commit. Is you have never received Jesus as Savior and Lord, will you give me the privilege of praying with you about that right now. If you know that you know Him, will you ask Him what you should do right now. I don’t believe He will keep it a secret from you.