A Journey through Revelation, Part 14: The Lamb Is Exalted

Introduction

Last time, we talked about how Christ was the only one worthy to take the scroll because of His sacrifice on the cross, by which salvation was won for all who believe in Him.

 

In this article, we will be looking at how the Lamb is exalted.

           

This time, we'll see Christ step forward and take to scroll from His Father, who is seated on the throne.

 

Let’s dig in to Revelation 5:8-14.

 

v.8, “And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints”:

·     When Christ takes the scroll it brings a great response from these special orders of angelic beings in heaven:

o   When the Lamb takes the book, the four living beings and the 24 elders fall before Him and worship Him.

o   The taking of the scroll begins the process of converting its contents into reality.

o   Eventually the promised kingdom will be ushered in, despite all the opposition of the devil.

o   These angelic beings, seeing what is about to happen, realize that this is more than enough reason for overwhelming praise.

 

·     “each one has a harp and a golden bowl with incense”:

o   The musical instruments of the elders, “a harp,” are the traditional ones used with the Psalms in the Old Testament.

o   It's often associated with joy and gladness.

o   It’s also connected with prophecy.

o   More than any other instrument, the harp is employed in Scripture in direct praise and worship to God.

 

·     The other item of worship used by the elders is the "golden bowls":

o   This Greek word translated "bowl," ordinarily depicts a small slender bottle with a narrow neck.

o   But the item here was used for offering incense and must have been a container with a large open mouth.

o   It’s the idea of a bowl or a saucer.

o   Another thing to note, golden bowls were the kinds of vessels that were used on the altar in the Old Testament.

 

·     The bowls were full of “incense”:

o   This references the Hebrew ritual where the effectiveness of an offering came only when it is accompanied by incense.

o   Here, this “incense” symbolizes the sweet odor of prayers rising to God. 

o   It’s a symbol of the prayers of the saints.

o   The fragrant smoke of incense ascending from a worshiper or altar was seen widely in ancient times as a natural picture of prayers ascending from earth to heaven.

 

·     The elders’ possession of bowls of incense brings to mind the view of Judaism that angels were the carriers of the prayers of men.

 

·     We’re going to see that it's best to see these specific prayers of the saints from a time of future trials:

o   These prayers seek the sending forth of judgment and the bringing about of Christ's kingdom.

 

·     Who exactly are “the saints” that are referred here?  Who are the ones who offer these prayers?

 

·     Are these the saints down through the ages, as some believe?

o   The problem with this broad definition is that the saints from all ages are now in heaven, and praise, rather than prayer for a specific need, is what concerns them.

o   These are the prayers of the saints who, having been martyred by the enemies of God, in the future, have a special cause to pray for vindication, while the Great Tribulation moves forward. 

o   Revelation describes a witnessing company of saints on earth during the outpouring of wrath that will be the objects of the beast's persecution.

o   These will be the ones who cry out to God for vindication after their martyrdom.

o   The symbol of their prayers in this scene, in advance of the opening of the seven seals, gives us a hint as to the part these prayers will play, once the seals are opened.

 

v.9, “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”:

·     Who's the “they” that are singing the song?

o   The most natural sense tells us that there are 28 singers:

Ø  The four living beings and the 24 elders.

 

o   That number will increase to include all creation by the end of the chapter.

 

·     However great the glories of things in the past, those will dim in comparison to the things to come.

 

·     This is a song composed especially for a great occasion, one celebrating the redemption of the saints:

o   Earlier songs in Revelation 4 celebrated God as Creator.

o   Now God’s plan has entered a new phase calling for a new celebration.

 

·     The word "new" in the Revelation refers to the quality of the thing, not “new” in reference to time:

o   This is not a time issue.

o   This is the description of a song that is new in nature, different from the usual:

Ø  It’s impressive. It’s better than the old one. It’s superior in value.

·     The first word of the song, "Worthy," gives us the entire theme:

o   The “worthiness” of the Lamb to receive the scroll and open the seals.

 

·     Christ is addressed as “worthy” in the same way that the Father was addressed as “worthy” in 4:11, "you are worthy."

 

·     The Lamb, who takes the scroll and puts its contents into action, He exercises divine judgment and sovereignty:

o   He, too, is God.

 

·   The reason for the Lamb’s declared worthiness is expressed in two ways: 

o   The first reason is in verse 9, "because you were slain and have redeemed for God with your blood [some] from every tribe and tongue and people and nation."

Ø  This deals with the payment of the price of redemption and justifies the description of worthiness.

 

o   The past tense says, "you were slain" and "you have redeemed," which looks back to the once-for-all action of the work of Calvary.

o   Second, He has “redeemed” people “from every tribe and tongue and people and nation."

o   The background of the word “redeemed” has to do with the purchasing of slaves in a marketplace:

Ø  The word “redeemed” looks back to the believer’s release from the bondage of sin to allow the redeemed to now become "saints" by God’s grace alone, through their faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.

 

o   Remember, the Passover Lamb was sacrificed to provide the forgiveness of Israel:

Ø  Christ performs the same function as that Passover Lamb.

Ø  Except He does it once, for all time, never to be repeated again.

 

·   The context here, speaks of the freedom that results in the creation of a new people of God to rule upon the earth.

 

·   The person for whose benefit the purchase was made is none other than God Himself:

o   Those purchased are destined for His service.

 

·   The phrase "with your blood" shows the means by which the redemption was accomplished: 

o   The cost of the purchase was the blood of the Lamb.

o   Just like the Old Testament sacrifices, only this one was perfect, complete and never needs to happen again.

 

·   Notice, the redeemed ones come from every part of the human race:

o   From “every tribe and tongue and people and nation." 

o   Some from every conceivable background.

o   Yet the expression is not all-inclusive.

o   The benefits of Christ's redemptive work must be appropriated through each one’s faith in Him alone.

 

·   The redeemed include people from every nationality, without distinction of race, geographical location, or political persuasion.

 

·   People of every lineage, language, race, and political orientation are represented as recipients of Christ's redemption by His blood, through their faith.

           

v.10, “And you have made them a kingdom, and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth”:

·   The second reason for “worthiness” of the Lamb comes in a brief description of the benefits given to the redeemed.

 

·   The Lamb’s sacrifice establishes the redeemed as a “kingdom” and as “priests”:

o   As God's possession, the redeemed will not merely be God's people over whom He reigns, but will also share God's rule in the coming Millennial Kingdom.

o   This kingdom is the goal toward which the Revelation of God is moving.

o   The idea of “priesthood,” here, means full and immediate access into God's presence for the purpose of praise and worship:

Ø  Believers are currently viewed as a “royal priesthood.”

Ø  But this is only a glimpse as to the fullness of the way they will serve alongside Christ in the Millennial Kingdom.

 

·   "and they shall reign on the earth" is explained more fully in the earlier term "kingdom":

o   The fact that believers will serve with reigning power means that they will be sharing in the Lord’s governance of His Millennial Kingdom.

o   This will be spelled out more clearly in 20:4 regarding the Millennial Kingdom and in 22:5, regarding the eternal state.

o   The redeemed will join with Christ in His reign following His second coming to the earth.

 

v.11, “And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands”:

·   Here is the fourth occurrence of the phrase "and I looked." 

o   It tells us of another part of this vision of the throne room.

o   This one begins with a sweeping expression that includes all levels of heavenly angelic beings.

 

·   John heard the voices of many angels around the throne and the living beings and the 24 elders:

o   Along with seeing some of the angelic beings, John heard the sound they were making, "and I heard the voice."

 

·   Here is the first time a larger company of angels, designated by "many angels," joins the heavenly chorus:

o   Before it was composed of only the four living beings and the 24 elders:

Ø  They surround the thrones on which the Father and the Lamb sit.

Ø  It is an inner circle of the four living beings.

Ø  And then a larger circle of the 24 elders.

 

·   The word “myriad,” in Webster’s Dictionary means too numerous to be counted.

·   Their number, here, is literally “myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands”:

o   John is not trying to be numerically correct. He’s trying to show the number of heavenly beings joining this tribute to the worthiness of the Lamb – it was incalculable!!

o   Countless thousands of angels lift their voices in this great choir of praise and glory to Christ.

 

v.12, “saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing’”:

·   They sing, and they sing with a loud voice:

o   This is not a quiet sound! It could be millions of voices!!

 

·   Even though the angels stand outside any personal involvement with Christ’s redemption, they are far from being disinterested:

o   They recognize His sacrificial act and its infinite benefit to mankind by offering a more complete doxology [giving of glory] than the one in 4:11.                         

o   A “doxology” is a hymn or verse glorifying God.

 

·   The meaning of this doxology isn’t that God has given Christ the seven gifts and powers, but that Christ is worthy to receive adoration for these things that He already possesses.

 

·   The slain Lamb is not only worthy to take the seven sealed scroll and open its seals, but according to this angelic choir, He is also worthy to receive recognition for the following qualities:  power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing:

o   Power is His omnipotent power.

o   Riches include not just spiritual wealth, but also wealth in all realms as an all-sufficient God.

o   Wisdom is the attribute of God that shows itself in the design and purposeful creation, and in the governing of the world, appointing limits and goals in the carrying out of His will, and controlling the destiny of the universe:

Ø  Wisdom establishes the rule of righteousness on earth and is the moral power, which affects the progress of world’s history.

Ø   To believers Christ becomes the wisdom of God.

 

o   Strength is His position whether it’s actively exerted or not.

o   Honor refers to the honor that is God's rightful possession:

Ø  Honor is given to Christ because of His sacrificial death.

 

o   Glory is the superior term, that suggests "divine heavenly radiance":

Ø  The loftiness and majesty of God. 

Ø  In regard to Christ, glory is associated with Him in His incarnation.

 

o   Blessing means praise, that quality of Christ brings to mind man's thankfulness for the benefits received from Him:

Ø  It’s what makes Him worthy of our praise. 

Ø  Praise creates in the believer willingness, without being forced, to return blessings for blessings given.

 

o   The more usual sequence in doxologies addressed to God puts "honor," "glory," and "blessing" toward the beginning.

o   But here, the "power" terms are put forward to emphasize the power of the Lamb:

Ø  While it’s true that the Lamb is about to assume this power through opening the seals, this doxology [glory giving] is offered in recognition of the power He already has.

 

v.13, “And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever’”:

·   With the conclusion of the angelic praise, the whole creation joins in the blessing.

 

·   This song, by all creation, brings to a crescendo the description of what’s happening in the throne room.

 

·   Revelation chapter 4 focused upon the “One” sitting upon the throne. Revelation 5:1-12 is focused on the “Lamb.”

 

·   The song and description of 5:13-14 join together the glory of the “One” on the throne and that of the “Lamb”:

o   The worship offered to both is united in one great closing doxology sung by all created things throughout the entire universe.

 

·   The three divisions of creation, found in Revelation 5:3, “heaven, earth and under the earth,” becomes fourfold through the addition of the “sea”:

o   The gathering is now complete. Not one creature is being omitted.

 

·   The term "created thing" in the New Testament is a term referring to "a creature":

o   In this passage it refers to an intelligent creature. 

o   These creatures are intelligent beings that have the intellectual appreciation of God and the Lamb.

 

·   All intelligent life in God's creation join in, even fallen angels imprisoned "under the earth" and unredeemed humanity, who must someday join in recognizing the preeminent qualities of God and the Lamb.

 

·   As is the case with other heavenly songs in this book, this one anticipates the great future day when no one will withhold from God His due.

 

·   The ending song is brief, but forceful, "to the One sitting upon the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor and the glory and the might for ever and ever":

o   Worship offered to the “one sitting upon the throne” is worship offered to the Lamb.

o   Here we see the Deity of Christ.

 

·   This last doxology has four offerings:

o   Blessing, and honor and glory.

o   The fourth offering is "might," which is found in the doxology of Revelation 1:6.

o   This word, “might,” refers to active power.

o   This is an appropriate term for God and Christ:

Ø  They are active in their creation.

 

·   Notice in this doxology, we see the word “and” in between:

o   The use of "and" in between each term reinforces this worship is like a great tower of praise.

o   Endless blessing and honor and glory and strength belong to the One sitting upon the throne and to the Lamb.

o   Their exaltation is not temporary:

Ø  It goes on infinitely as the concluding "for ever and ever" emphatically notes with complete unanimity, the entire universe joins in the deserved acclamation.

 

v.14, “And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen.’ And the elders fell down and worshiped”:

·   The four living beings close the doxology of every creature with a solemn "Amen" of confirmation:

o   They spoke the first doxology of 4:8 and now conclude the final one.

o   Notice: they do not say “Amen” just once, but as the Greek verb tense tells us, they keep repeating it over and over and over.

o   After everyone became silent, the four living beings voiced their complete agreement with what they, along with everyone else, had just spoken.

 

·   The 24 elders conclude the whole series of praises with actions accompanied by no recorded words, “and the elders fell and worshiped.”

 

·   This is a fresh act of worship by them:

o   As they fell before the One sitting upon the throne in 4:10, so now they prostrate themselves and worship before Him and the Lamb.

o   They acknowledge their complete subjection to the Father and the Son (Lamb of God).

o   They seek to exalt them in praise and adoration throughout all eternity!

 

What a glorious description of what will happen at a future date to be determined by God alone.

 

John’s description of what he saw gives us just a glimpse of what is happening in heaven as we wait for our Lord, Jesus, to return for His bride, the Church.

 

May the Lord bless you and encourage you to keep your eyes on Him as you continue to grow in your knowledge of Him and His Word.

 

 

By His Grace,

Gary T. Dromi, Ph.D., D.Min.

 

 

 

A Journey through Revelation, Part 13: The Scroll and the Lamb

Introduction:

In this article, we'll be looking at – The Scroll and the Lamb.

           

Revelation 5 continues the glimpse into heaven that began in chapter 4. The scene in Revelation 5 shows that only the “Lamb,” Jesus Christ, is worthy to open the scroll, which reveals the events of future history.

 

Jesus holds the future. Jesus is in control of the future; He alone is worthy to set in motion the events of the last days of human history in this current age.

 

Let’s take a look at what John sees next, starting in verse 1.

 

v.1, “And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.”

·     The last article looked at who’s on the throne.

 

·     The throne room described in chapter 4 is the setting of the scene in chapter 5:

o   The first scene introduces the “book,” which contains the remainder of what’s goig to happen in the Revelation.

 

·     "I saw in the right hand." The Greek words tell us that the “book,” or scroll, lies on the open hand of the One sitting on the throne.

 

·     The scroll being in God's hand indicates its Divine source:

o   We see God’s supreme authority over the information contained in it.

o   And the absolute assurance of His power to translate what’s written in the book into action in the future.

 

·     v.1b, "a book written inside and on the back":

o   The word translated "book" is more the idea of a rolled up scroll rather than a book with multiple pages.

o   "inside" means inside the scroll before unrolling, and "on the back" refers to the backside of the scroll after it is unrolled:

Ø  So the scroll had writing on the front and on the back of it.

 

·     A very important issue for us is what exactly does the scroll contain? There are several theories:

o   First, some believe the scroll represents the New Covenant:

Ø  But this is unlikely because the New Covenant of Jeremiah is one of mercy, and the things in this scroll are definitely judgment.

 

o   A second theory is that the scroll is a testament, or a will, assuring the inheritances reserved by God for the saints:

Ø  The problem with this "inheritance" theory is that Revelation nowhere else supports it.

 

o   A third idea is that the scroll represents the Lamb's book of Life which is very prominent elsewhere in Revelation:

Ø  If this were the meaning, then John's purpose in recording the book's contents would be to reveal the identity of the redeemed. 

Ø  But we don’t see that anywhere in Revelation.

Ø  Also, as the seals of this book are broken, only tribulation and wrath are revealed, not the names of the redeemed.

 

o   A fourth theory is that the "book" or “scroll” represents God's redemptive plan, foretold in the Old Testament and now completed in the New Testament:

Ø  The problem with this idea is that the opening of the seals doesn’t relate to the redemptive work of Christ.

Ø  It relates to things yet future.

Ø  It tells of the wrathful contents of the Revelation itself.

 

o   The fifth idea is that the scroll represents Christ's title-deed, or contract-deed, to the world:

Ø  This is close to the true interpretation, but it still lacks one important element.

Ø  It fails to account for the actual contents of the book.

 

So what’s the correct interpretation?

 

o   The sixth interpretation is the correct one:

Ø  The scroll contains the warnings of God as revealed in the visions that start in chapter 6. 

Ø  Viewed from God's perspective, these are the judgments that will fall upon the earth during a relatively brief period of time, 7 years.

Ø  At the conclusion of these judgments will be the coming of the promised Messiah and His Kingdom.

Ø  It’s a history of the future that gives the stages that lead up to the installation of the Kingdom of Christ on the earth.

Ø  Have you ever noticed that no actual reading from the scrolls is recorded in Revelation? Rather, the contents are enacted, not read.

 

o   So, here, in the scroll is a complete account of the future wrath of God opened by the Lamb.

o   The horrors of the seal-visions alone are enough to earn the title "The Scroll of Doom."

o   The eternal and Almighty God of chapter 4 makes clear the plan of Revelation:

Ø  This seven-sealed scroll declares His will regarding the coming together of Christ’s Kingdom.

Ø  When the Lamb breaks the seals, it is not just to disclose the scroll's contents, but it activates those contents; it sets God’s judgments in motion.

 

·     The scroll is written "on the inside and on the back," meaning that the writing on the back symbolizes the fullness of the contents:

o   The decrees of God contained in the scroll are extensive and all inclusive.

o   They represent the whole direction of God regarding the future of the world.

o   And, as I said before, no further revelation will be coming.

 

·     Notice that the scroll is "sealed with seven seals":

o   The word "sealed" indicates the security of the scroll.

o   The seven seals indicate the importance of the scroll’s contents, and those seals guarantee the secrecy of the document.

o   The seals on the scroll kept it closed, symbolizing an event that was still a hidden mystery, but a Divinely ordained mystery.

o   A seal was an impression, usually made on clay, wax, or some other soft material, that restricted an unauthorized person from access to the contents.

o   The use of seven seals also stresses the intensity of the mystery that is contained inside.

 

The second scene of chapter 5 revolves around finding someone with the credentials or qualifications to break and open the seals on the scroll. 

 

At first, no one can be found who’s qualified, which causes the John deep grief. Then he hears the good news that a person is found and that brings an end to John's weeping.

 

v.2, “And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?’”

·     "a strong angel." Who is this angel?

 

·     Some believe it to be either Gabriel and Michael:

o   Gabriel, because elsewhere in Scripture Gabriel is a messenger of God.

o   And Gabriel was the one who ordered Daniel to close and seal the book.

o   Those who believe its Michael believe so because he is as an archangel and because of his special interest in the events of the last days.

 

·     The problem with accepting either of these two beliefs is that neither here, nor in the two other places where a "strong angel" is mentioned in Revelation is a name given:

o   If this angel were known by name, his name probably would've been given.

o   Because it is not, he is best left unnamed and identified only as a mighty angel who performs God's will.

 

·     The word "strong" denotes active power:

o   This angel actively exercises his might in fulfillment of God's purposes.

 

·     The angel displays his strength, here, by proclaiming his God-given message in a loud voice:

o   He “proclaims” rather than simply “says.”

o   He does so in a “loud voice,” which demonstrates his strength.

 

·     This strong angel asks a question about finding a “worthy” person to break the seals of the scroll:

o   "worthy," here, means sufficient, competent, or fit.

o   It’s a quality of being, a quality of person and a quality of power or accomplishment.

o   The worthiness required for this is so great, that no created being can achieve it.

 

·     Notice the phrase "to open the scroll, and to break its seals":

o   It's unusual because one would normally break the seal of the scroll before opening it.

o   Without a lot of explanation, these words show that the opening and the breaking are essentially the same action.

o   We’re going to see that Christ's ability to break the seals and open the scroll, not only allows the telling of the prophecies inside, but also speaks of His ability to make them come true.

 

v.3, “And no one in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look into it.”

·     The search across the universe fails to find anyone qualified or able to open the scroll or look at it:

o   No one in heaven = no angelic beings

o   No one on the earth = no human beings or animals

o   No one under the earth = no demonic beings

 

·     Because no one was qualified to break the seals, no one could read the scroll's contents.

 

·     Notice John’s reaction in v.4:

 

v.4, “And I began to weep greatly, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look into it;”

·     John was deeply grieved to the point of tears over the lack of anyone being found worthy to open the scroll.

 

·     John began to weep "greatly" which means loudly:

o   John was literally sobbing.

o   Have you ever wept like that?

o   Can you see, in your mind’s eye, how John was reacting to this situation?

o   This weeping was unrestrained emotion.

 

·     Why was he weeping with such great emotion?

o   Maybe he realized how morally corrupt all created beings are:

Ø  Remember, John had known the depravity of man and a sin cursed world.

 

o   A second possibility is that he wept because he feared that the hoped-for Revelation, promised in chapter 4:1, would be withheld:

Ø  There wasn’t anyone qualified to open the seals and reveal the mysteries inside.

Ø  Therefore, it would remain a mystery.

 

o   The third, and better, reason for his sobbing is his fear that the events contained in the scroll will remain unfulfilled and the purposes of God will not be carried out.

 

o   We need to remember that opening the scroll included the power to put into action the things revealed in the scroll:

Ø  So the disappointment is over more than just a withholding of revelation.

 

o   John was weeping over the possible delay of God's final actions in the future.

Ø  He didn’t want to see God's justification of his people delayed, so he broke out in tears

 

o   But with God, there's always hope.

 

v.5, “and one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.’”

·     At this point, a member of the angelic order of elders intervenes to relieve John's sorrow:

o   There's no symbolic meaning here. An elder steps forward and commands John to stop weeping, and then he tells him why.

 

·     The elder sees beyond John's limited human perspective:

o   He knows that his sorrow isn’t necessary and tells him to stop weeping.

o   It wasn’t right for John to weep because of what Jesus was about to do. He’s about to open the seven-sealed scroll.

 

·     The elder starts by using the word "behold" to get John’s attention:

o   “behold” is a strong word. The Greek word is in the imperative form, meaning that it is a command to look, listen, and pay attention.

 

·     Notice his explanation, "the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah":

o   That phrase comes from Genesis 49:9-10, “You are a lion’s cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.”

o   This pictures kingly might and boldness.

o   Here in chapter 5, the tribe of Judah's noblest Son, Jesus, is a rightly called “the Lion of Judah.”

o   Here is one whose strength, majesty, courage, and power, as well as intelligence, resembles all the qualities of "the King of kings."

 

·     A second title used here for Christ, He is "the root of David":

o   He is the "offspring" of King David, the greatest king in all of Israel’s history.

o   He is in the lineage of David.

o   This title describes Christ’s headship in the final kingdom of David.

o   Both "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" and "the root of David" are familiar Old Testament Messianic titles, but they are tied together, only here, in the New Testament.

 

·     A key purpose of Jesus’ death and resurrection is explained by the phrase "has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals": 

o   The opening of the scroll is certainly one of the purposes of Jesus’ victory at Calvary.

o   Yes, it brought salvation to men, but it also allows Him to be the only person, in the entire universe, qualified to open the scroll!

o   He won the victory, which enables Him to open the scroll of destiny and its seals and to implement God's plans throughout the final stages of human history.

 

Now we come to the third scene of chapter 5, which introduces the main character of this heavenly drama, “the Lamb”. 

 

He takes the scroll from the “One” sitting upon the throne, and the angelic beings respond in a glorious tribute to Him.

 

v.6, “And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.”

·     Between the throne and the elders there’s the Lamb:

o   He’s in the center of all those who surround the throne.

o   He’s at the center of all that’s going on.

 

·     While the previous verse pictures Christ as a lion (symbolizing His authority and power), this verse pictures Him as a lamb (symbolizing His submission to God's will) that looks as though He’s been killed. In fact, He was the sacrificial Lamb of God.

 

·     Now that John has filled in the details of the Lamb’s location, he gives us the details about His appearance:

o   John’s choice of the word “Lamb” helps to see the contrast between the “Lamb of God” and the “Lion of Judah,” both of which are facets of Christ’s person:

Ø  He combines the meekness and gentleness of a lamb with the majesty of a lion.

Ø  We’ll see, in the next verse, the horns of power.

 

o   It’s extremely important to understand that it’s Christ’s death as a sacrificial lamb with its redemptive results that qualifies Him to open the scroll.

o   The next part of this verse helps to confirm this.

 

·     Look at the phrase "standing as one slain":

o   On the one hand, the elder has described this person as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” in verse five, showing His supreme power. 

o   On the other hand, His appearance is that of a "lamb standing as having been slain," speaks of His supreme self-sacrifice.

o   These descriptions show us the unique characteristics of the life of Christ. 

o   His supreme self-sacrifice leads to His supreme power, so there is no contradiction between the two.

o   Notice John says that this lamb is "standing":

Ø  It describes the Lamb as standing in a natural living position.

Ø  He’s not dead!

Ø  Even though slain, He’s alive!

 

o   The marks of His death are visible, but because of His resurrection, they are not permanent.

o   Special attention to Christ’s death and resurrection are not just an accident here:

Ø  Later verses will show it to be the one thing that enables Him to take, and open the seven-sealed scroll.

 

·     The Lamb had conquered, because He had been slain: 

o   When Christ died on the cross, He defeated all the forces of evil. 

o   Christ, the Lion, will lead the battle in which Satan will finally be defeated in Revelation 19. 

o   Christ, the Lion, is victorious because of what Christ, the Lamb, has already done.

 

·     John goes on to say that the Lamb has "seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent out into all the earth":

o   In the Old Testament a “horn” is a symbol of strength or power.

o   It symbolizes kingly dignity and is used in the book of Revelation several times.

o   The horns are seven in number, symbolizing the fullness of Christ’s power.

o   The “Lamb” with seven horns is an all-powerful warrior and King.

 

·     The best interpretation of the symbol of the “seven eyes” is that it represents sight, intelligence, and wisdom to the fullest, in other words, His omniscience:

o   Nothing escapes the notice of the Lamb.

o   Only He is all-powerful, as indicated by His seven horns.

o   Only He is all knowing, as indicated by His seven eyes.

 

·     "the seven spirits of God" is the symbolic representation of the Holy Spirit  and that  comes from the relationship of the third person of the Trinity to the second person:

o   The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son just as he does from the Father, according to John 15:26.

o   The Holy Spirit is Christ’s agent for keeping in touch with the affairs of the world, as the phrase "sent out into all the earth" tells us.

o   The Holy Spirit is Christ’s agent for understanding what is going on throughout the whole world.

o   Jesus is at the right hand of God in heaven. The Holy Spirit is in the world indwelling the lives of believers. He convicts the world of sin.

 

v.7, “And He came, and He took it [the scroll] out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.”

·     After describing the Lamb's position and appearance, John tells of the transfer of the scroll from the Father to the Son.

 

·     By allowing the Lamb to take the scroll, the “One” sitting upon the throne authorizes Him to put into action His plan for the judgment of the world.

 

·     The Lamb, and only the Lamb, is qualified to do this because of His victorious death on the cross and the redemption made available to man by His death and resurrection.

 

·     The exchange of the scroll from Father to the Lamb fulfills Revelation 1:1, "the revelation . . . . which God gave Him to show."

 

·     What occurs here is a dramatic description of a transaction that affects the future course of the whole world, which will include all of mankind.

 

·     These future events must be understood in as realistic a way as possible and that’s what the apostle John is trying to share with us.

 

In the next article, we’ll look at what happens as Jesus takes the scroll and the response of the four living beings and the 24 elders.

 

We’ll see thousands upon thousands of angelic beings praising the Lord.

 

May the Lord bless you as you continue to grow in your knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ,

 

By His Grace,

Gary T. Dromi, Ph.D., D.Min.