Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Books and articles written in the 1700s up early 1900s usually had a longer title then what we are used to today.

One such example of this is an article written in 1900 by D L Moody.

In the last few decades, we’ve shortened the title to Heaven with perhaps a subtitle reading, “Where it is, Its Inhabitants, And How To Get There.

To get the full affect as Mr. Moody had intended the title to be:

HEAVEN, Where It Is, Its Inhabitants, And How To Get There - THE CERTAINTY OF GOD'S PROMISE OF A LIFE BEYOND THE GRAVE, AND THE REWARDS THAT ARE IN STORE FOR FAITHFUL SERVICE.

AS GLEANED FROM SACRED SCRIPTURE.

BY D.

L. MOODY

In this 6 chapter article, Moody starts off by a story of a man he held in high esteem:

A leading divine has recently said:

When I was a boy I thought of heaven as a great shining city, with vast walls and domes and spires, and with nobody in it except white angels, who were strangers to me.

By and by my little brother died, and I thought of a great city with walls and domes and spires, and a flock of cold, unknown angels, and one little fellow that I was acquainted with.

He was the only one that I knew in that country.

Then another brother died, and there were two that I knew.

Then my acquaintances began to die, and the number continually grew.

But it was not until I had sent one of my little children back to God, that I began to think I had a little interest there myself.

A second, a third, a fourth went, and by that time I had so many acquaintances in heaven that I did not see any more walls and domes and spires.

I began to think of the residents of the Celestial City.

And now so many of my acquaintances have gone there, that it sometimes seems to me that I know more in heaven than I do on earth.

May the thought of loved ones gone before give additional joy to us as we follow in the way.

Heaven!

Most of us (if not all) have probably spent time like this friend of Moody’s to dream of the wonders of Heaven—what it will look like, what it will be like, what it will feel like.

The Apostle John does not dream it, he experiences heaven and records it for us.

Transition:

Last week we began putting on our spiritual glasses by looking at John’s vision of the throne room of YHWH with heavenly worship that began in Revelation 4. We’ll continue that process this morning as we examine the development of that vision now in Chapter 5.

As you might recall from last week, the vision recorded in chapters 4 and 5 is the key to the rest of the book.

It is only by looking through the lens of this vision that we will be able to properly understand everything else that we’ll see in our expository journey.

Revelation 5 continues the throne-room vision that began in 4:1.

Following the worship of God as sovereign Creator, the scene shifts to the Lamb as Redeemer

Scripture Reading:

Revelation 5:1-7

Revelation 5 somewhat echoes Jesus’s statement found in the Gospel of John 10:30: “I and the Father are one.”

Here now in Revelation, the Lamb’s position in the “center of the throne,” His worthiness to take the scroll from YHWH, His close relation to God, the Spirit, and the worship He receives alongside YHWH in the second half of the chapter which we’ll see next week, all point to Jesus’ oneness with YHWH.

For the early Christians who were committed to Jewish monotheism, to worship Jesus alongside God means only one thing: they regarded Jesus as God, as one who shared God’s nature and glory.

This passage communicates another important theological insight: victory comes through sacrifice.

Revelation 5:5–6 sums up the climax of human history: Jesus, the messianic warrior, came to give himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world through his death on the cross (cf.

John 1:29).

The Lion is a Lamb!

The slaughtered Lamb is alive by virtue of his resurrection and now stands exalted at the center of the throne of God, ready to carry out his heavenly ministry by the power of the Spirit.

Transition:

Lets now take a moment to experience what John is experiencing as he sees “the Look of Worth”

I. What John Sees (vv.1-2)

after explaining this throne room, John notices a smaller detail, a sealed scroll:

“a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals”

WHAT IS THE SCROLL?

Like with many of the other objects in Revelation, there are a number of opinions regarding what the scroll represents and numerous attempts to identify the scroll in Revelation 5 with some previous known scroll or a scroll to come (e.g., the Old Testament, the Lamb’s book of life, an account of the great tribulation).

The scroll does have a striking similarity to Ezekiel’s scroll that he ate.

Ezekiel 2:9–10,

SO is this the same scroll?

no, but very similar!

Both scrolls contains words of judgement Ezekiel’s scroll with words of “lament and mourning and woe” could be characteristic of what is written in Revelation.

Both scrolls have writings on both sides.

The fact that both scrolls have writing on both sides and, especially now in Revelation, is covered with seven seals points to the full, complete with no room to add anything, comprehensive plan of God’s judgement.

The scroll in our passage this morning includes more than Ezekiel’s, as it includes YHWH’s final redemptive plan to defeat evil once and for all, to rescue his people, and to transform his creation through the victory achieved by Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, as the later chapters will indeed confirm.

The scroll here is in YHWH’s right hand, and as I’ve mentioned previously, YHWH’s right hand conveys God’s power and authority (cf.

Rev. 1:16–17, 20; 2:1).

This ain’t the only scroll in Revelation!

There is another scroll five chapters later as well!

Two main scrolls are mentioned in Revelation: the “scroll” (biblion) in the right hand of God in chapter 5 and the “little scroll” (biblaridion) of chapter 10.

The context weighs in favor of identifying the first scroll as YHWH’s plan in its entirety for judging evil, redeeming his people, and transforming his creation, a plan which is clearly anchored in the death and resurrection of Christ as pictured here and consummated at his return.

Thus, the plan that connects the cross to the new creation is summarized in Revelation 6–22.

Most scholars see a strong connection between the two scrolls of Revelation 5 and 10, although the two are not completely identical.

If the scroll of Revelation 5 represents God’s redemptive plan, the “little scroll” narrows the focus to the suffering of the church in God’s plan for the world.

Both visions emphasize the sovereignty of God and the certainty that God’s purposes will succeed.

The suspense builds as the entire universe’s future hangs in the balance as the search commences for someone capable of taking the scroll, breaking its seals, and unfolding the final stages of God’s plan for human history—very unlike the Ezekiel scroll.

Transition:

So John is seeing this action begin to pick up, John is immersed in the suspense of the angel’s question unanswered.

So what does John do?

II.

What John Does (vv.

3–4)

Since no created being is found worthy of opening the scroll, John weeps uncontrollably.

He cries and sobs!

What is happening?

The term for “weep” (klaiō) here is was used in ancient Greek for mourning the death of a loved one, such as Mary weeping at the death of her brother Lazarus, or when grieving a broken intimate relationship, as when Peter wept bitterly after realizing that he had denied Christ for the third time.

But none of that is happening here, so what is happening?

The mere thought that God’s plan to bring deliverance and restoration and justice and victory might never be realized drives John to utter despair.

Why?

Human beings are helpless without a Savior.

John’s desperate weeping reflects the universal response of people who realize they are worthless!

We cannot deliver ourselves from the power of sin and the curse of death.

We simply cannot save ourselves.

We are bound from birth for an eternity apart from God —Hell!

For the gospel to have the “good news” impact it should have, we must realize this and those we share the Gospel with must realize this too.

Perhaps using your imagination can help: “How would you feel if there was no victory over death, no end to pain and suffering, no power to defeat Satan, no end to destructive addictions, and so on?”

The Enlightenment worldview says that human beings made the scroll (or plan) collectively, and they are developing ways to open it.

Postmodernism, on the other hand, denies that such a scroll even exists—there is no grand story that offers life and hope—we are on our own to write our own individual scrolls if we so wish.

Here John identifies with all of humanity and asks the universal question: Is there a God, and will he come to our rescue?

In Jesus, God’s answer is “YES!”

Transition:

But John now needs to experience Christ to be reminded that there is hope!

III.

Who John Experiences (vv.5–6)

Only the Lion-Lamb is worthy to open the scroll and He is here!

“Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David”

In the midst of unrestrained mourning, John is comforted by an elder!

who tells him what?

stop crying!

Although no human being can do the job, there is one who is worthy and capable of opening the scroll.

He describes Jesus, the worthy one, using two important messianic titles.