Coffeeville First Baptist Church by Craig Baker 1/16/25
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In Revelation 4, John began to give us a look into the throne room of heaven. Though they are separated into two chapters, the vision John wrote of in Revelation 4 and 5 are continuous without a pause between them. When we study Revelation, we are sometimes quick to rush past chapters 4 and 5 eager to get on into John’s vision of the apocalypse, but we need to realize that what takes place in these two chapters is crucial to understanding the remainder of Revelation. When these things take place in the throne room, they confirm Jesus’ sovereignty and power over all things and set into motion everything else John was shown after this. The things we are told in Revelation 6-22 will not and cannot happen until the things of chapters 4 and 5 take place. In chapter 4, we are told at the center of it all is the amazing sight of God on His throne. Around His throne are 24 elders and 4 living creatures signifying His power, wisdom, strength, and sovereignty. These 4 living creatures appear to lead heaven in the worship. The 4 living creatures and elders continuously worship God. Then in Revelation 5:1, John tells us he noticed in the right hand of God a scroll written on the inside and outside and sealed with seven seals. There is no way we could over-emphasize the importance of this scroll. You may recall that 7 is the number of completeness, so having seven seals indicated that this scroll is completely sealed. Having 7 seals also speaks to its importance, for in biblical times this practice was reserved for only the most important of documents. In ancient Jewish culture when a family fell on hard times and could not pay their debts, they were required to forfeit their land or offer themselves as servants until their debt was paid. A description of the property they forfeited or the terms of their servitude was written on a scroll and sealed 7 times with the conditions for paying off their debt written on the outside. To regain their property or be released from servitude, the debtor could either pay off the debt or have a relative who met certain qualifications pay the debt for them. That relative was called a kinsman redeemer, and they alone had the authority to break the seals and declare the debtor free and clear and return them to their former status. Most agree that the scroll of Revelation 5 contains the deed to earth and God’s plan for its judgment and restoration. The Bible tells us that earth was man’s original inheritance that was lost because of our sin, and Satan was allowed to become the ruler of this world. We can never repay our sin debt, and therefore, never reclaim our inheritance and our place in God’s kingdom. We needed a redeemer who was worthy to repay our debt and set things right again, and that brings us to the question asked by the angel in Revelation 5:2. Perhaps this angel was the mighty Gabriel or archangel Michael. We are not told, but one thing is for sure, his voice commands attention, and he asked, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” The question is thrown out before all creation. John does not say, but in my mind, I imagine the throne room fell silent as they waited for one to come forward who was worthy. We do not know how long they waited, but John admitted that he “wept much” because there appeared to be no one worthy of opening the scroll. To understand John’s reaction to no one coming forward to open the scroll, we simply need to consider the world of sin, evil, and brokenness John lived in. Without one to open the scroll, there was no hope for man to be redeemed or the misery of this world to end. Our world is still filled with sin, evil, and brokenness, and without one worthy of opening the scroll, you and I would still live in the same hopelessness John was feeling at that moment when no one came forward to open the scroll. The scroll must be opened, the seals must be broken, otherwise, God’s purposes would be left unfulfilled, and His creation would never be redeemed. Realizing this John wept uncontrollably. However, all hope was not lost. While John was in the grip of despair, verse 5 tells us an elder came forward assuring John that he need not weep for there is one who is worthy. The Root of David, the Lion of Judah, has prevailed and is worthy. “The Lion of the tribe of Judah” is a title that goes back to the blessing that Jacob, just before he died, gave to his son Judah (Gen 49:9-10). The second part of the title, “the Root of David” comes from Isaiah (11:1), when an ideal king would come from the bloodline of David and usher in an era of peace and rule the world in righteousness. This is God’s plan, foretold in the Old Testament, by which He promised to provide a means of redemption for a sinful world and achieve the purpose of His creation. John looked, expecting to see a ferocious lion, a powerful figure, ready to tear the scroll open. Imagine his shock when instead of a lion he sees a small lamb, but not just any lamb. There before John stands a Lamb that looked like it had been slain. It has seven horns and seven eyes and seven spirits that roam the earth. If we try to picture this lamb in our minds, we likely come up with some grotesque image, but when we study the symbolism, we see the beautiful picture John’s words paint of the awesome power of the Lamb. This lamb looked as though it had been slain. It still had the marks of death, yet, it was very much alive standing before him. There is only one way that a slain Lamb can possibly stand, and that is if it has been triumphantly raised from the dead. The seven horns represent its perfect power, the seven eyes its perfect knowledge, and the seven spirits its perfect presence. Who is this lamb John saw come forward to open the scroll? It is Jesus, the all powerful, all knowing, and ever-present Lamb of God who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the redeemer, the resurrection, the life for all who believe in Him. As Jesus, the Lamb of God, took the scroll we are told the 4 creatures and 24 elders followed by all of heaven and then all of creation sang a new song of praise to Him (Rev. 5:8-14) proclaiming that by the blood of the Lamb men from every tribe, tongue, people and nation have been redeemed to become kings and priests who will reign on the earth. I have tried to imagine the worship scene John described, but my mind simply cannot grasp what this will truly be like. 100 million or more angels along with all creation singing praise to Jesus, the scope and majesty of it all is simply beyond our comprehension.
