Revelation 5
Notes
Transcript
Who is Worthy?
Who is Worthy?
1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it,
4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.
Right hand of him who was seated on the throne - God
Scroll
written within and on the back - highly unusual, because of the quality of paper at this time only one side was finished for writing. This gives us a picture of something more important, like a will or a contract that was to be opened, read, and the contents followed to the letter.
Seven seals - the first of a series of judgments to come on the earth, seven trumpets and seven bowls will follow.
This scroll is like God’s deed to the earth, and the opening and reading of what is in it will be followed. Executing judgment on the just and the unjust according to what God sees fit.
Mighty angel - who is worthy?
Notice the hopeless answer in verse 3, no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.
Not even the living creatures nor the 24 elders were worthy, not anyone else in heaven was worthy, and not even anyone among the living or the dead (on or under the earth) had the authority to open this scroll.
Tony Evans makes this comment “There was no being found who was worthy to even look at the Lord’s plan for judgment, let alone administer it, prompting John to weep.
Notice weeping shows a different emotion than just crying, it involves a deep internal pain and agony of what is occurring.
John recognized just how dire the situation was that no one was there on the earth and that no one could open the scroll and even provide hope for the church. But there is someone who the elders will point out that has the authority, and they urge John to weep no more.
The Lamb!
The Lamb!
5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.
8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
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,
10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,
12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
5-7) Finally, someone has been found with both the ability and the authority to open the scroll and the seven seals.
Lion of the tribe of Judah - there is a mighty Lion that has been found!
8 “Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you.
9 Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
11 Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
the Root of David - notice that not only is this Lion from the shoot of David, but is the actual ROOT, the source of the strength and the power and the might of David!
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
Even though Jesus is represented first as the Lion, a conquering and victorious animal, notice what John sees next, I saw a Lamb standing as through it had been slain - Praise God, our victorious Lion of Judah came as a meek Lamb to be slain for the sins of the WORLD, so He could reign victorious with us in eternity! He alone is WORTHY to open the scroll.
It just goes to show that no matter how good a “Christian” we have been, we are still sinful man in God’s eyes and we fall short of God’s glory when it comes to judging the earth, and Jesus alone has been given this authority.
22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,
27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
8) Seven horns -
Seven eyes which are the
seven spirits of God
Notice the symbolism, three times we see the number seven being used. We see a symbol of something that is complete and in righteous perfection!
When Christ takes the bowl, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before Him in worship, with harps and with golden bowls of incense - which is described as the prayers of the saints. The prayers of God’s people are pictured as incense rising from golden bowls - showing us that our prayers are live a sweet incense to God, something that is pleasing to Him! And they sang a new song - notice before the 4 living creatures and the 24 elders had previously praised God for his perfection and as the creator, but now they are singing a song to the Lamb affirming His deity.
9-10) Look closely at the song:
“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,
and you have made them ya kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
Notice there is no race, no nationality, no creed among the redeemed people in heaven, we are there to only worship the King! We can never forget, Jesus Christ came to save the lost sinners, not a demographic. Isn’t it time we join together as believers and learn to worship Him here on earth, because we will be worshiping together forever (eternally) in heaven!
11) Then John looks again and he sees, literally everyone around him - the 4 living creatures, the 24 elders, and an innumerable (hundreds of millions) number of angels praising Jesus with a loud voice:
12) “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
Worthy - this word is used for the fifth time since Revelation 4:11, showing both the Father and the Son as being worthy - symbolizing their equality of divine nature.
Seven fold tribute is given - power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, blessing
These worshipers were praising Jesus showing Him the reason that He was worthy, because He had been slain and redeemed the world!
13) Then every creature, not only those in heaven, but those on the earth, and under the earth, and in the sea joined in praising Jesus!
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
All of creation now joins in praising Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah, the slain Lamb, and the one worthy to open the scroll. Here we see a 4 fold doxology, a praise! Blessing, and honor, and glory, and might - it was all given to the one who was found worthy.
14) And notice the closing - when you are in a worship service where the Spirit is moving and all of creation is glorifying God, sometimes the only thing left to do is just say “Amen” and worship Jesus. And that is exactly what the four living creatures and the 24 elders did.