The Worthy Lamb (Revelation 5:1–14) | Coronation (Part 13)

Transcript

JRNT 512
The Worthy Lamb
Revelation 5:1-14
9/28/2025
Jesse Randolph

Well, good evening again and welcome back to our Sunday Evening series in the book of Revelation. Last Sunday night, we took a glimpse into heaven’s throne room in Revelation chapter 4, and tonight we are going to continue on with what God revealed to the Apostle John in that throne room in Revelation chapter 5. This is where the Apostle John was given this glimpse into “The Worthy Lamb,” the Lord Jesus, the One who was slain, before that same Lamb rains judgment on this wicked and unrepentant planet in a future era known as The Tribulation.

Revelation 5 is this glorious chapter and we’re going to attempt to take it all in one bite here this evening. I really want us to appreciate the full context of what all God has revealed in this vision of the heavenlies that John received in this segment of this heavenly throne room scene. We’re going to go ahead and read our text, Revelation chapter 5:1-14 before we work our way through it here tonight.

Revelation 5:1, God’s Word reads, “Then I saw in the right hand of Him who sits on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. Then I was crying greatly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop crying! Behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the scroll and its seven seals.’ Then I saw in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and in the midst of 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. And He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sits on the throne. And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain and purchased for God with Your blood people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And You made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.’ Then 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, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.’ 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 the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever.’ And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen.’ And the elders fell down and worshiped.”

As I mentioned last Sunday night, the book of Revelation as a whole has been referred to in certain circles as “the throne book” because of how many times we see that word “throne” appears in its pages. Well, for our text this evening Revelation chapter 5, it has been called by some “The Lamb Chapter” because of its focus on the worthy Lamb of God who at His first coming came to take away the sins of the world and who, in this chapter, is preparing really to serve as the Master of Ceremonies as judgment falls upon this world.

Now in terms of setting, in the scene before us here in Revelation 5, the age of the Church, the Church Age is over. The Rapture has already taken place and again, The Tribulation is about to begin. Both from John’s vantage point and from ours, some 2,000 years later, what John has written in this chapter is prophetic. Meaning, it relates to the future. And as the glorified Jesus gave John this vision into the future, what John saw was a biblion, a scroll. He saw it in the right hand of the One who was sitting upon the throne. Look at verse 1 again, “Then I saw in the right hand of Him who sits on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.” Now, the “Him” here is God. God the Father. The scroll, which was in the right hand, the scroll is sitting “in the right hand of Him, it says, who sits on the throne.” So, the scroll is in the right hand of the Father who, as we saw last week is the One who’s portrayed as light in Revelation 4. Later in verse 7, we’re going to see God the Father, transfer this scroll to another member of the Trinity, God the Son. But we’re not there yet. As the scene opens the scroll is in the hand of Him who sits on the throne, God the Father.

Now, I should mention that I do appreciate that the LSB translation of the word “scroll.” The word biblion is translated as a scroll rather than book. Because that word biblion in the original context here would not have referred to how we think of leather-bound books with a spine, but instead to a scroll. In the ancient world and all the way up to really the 2nd century A.D., when something significant or important was written, it was not captured in a bound book that you would put on your shelf. It was captured in a scroll made of parchment that you would put in a bucket somewhere.

Note that something in our text was “written inside and, it says, on the back of that scroll.” In other words, the contents of the scroll were so full that the writing itself overflowed to the exterior, the outside of the scroll. Then whatever was written and on that scroll was sealed up. The scroll was “sealed, it says, up with seven seals.” Securely wrapped up, securely bound with seven seals. Likely fixed on the edges of that scroll in a continuous line so whenever it was open, each seal had to be successively broken until the entire scroll could be unrolled.

Now what did the scroll contain? What was inside this scroll? What was in the scroll that God the Father portrayed here as holding in verse 1 and that He’ll eventually transfer to God the Son? Well, all sorts of theories have been offered over the years about what is in this scroll. Some have argued that this is the book of the New Covenant which has yet to be instituted with Israel. But will be instituted with Israel and mediated with Israel in the Millennial Kingdom.

Some believe this is a book of redemption specifically, the Lamb’s Book of Life. Some think this is a scroll that’s the title deed to the earth. Some think it’s a record of the sins of mankind for all time. Some think it’s a bill of divorce through which the Lamb is divorcing unfaithful Israel. Some think it’s a testament or a will and what’s found inside is the believer’s ultimate inheritance which is to rule with Christ on earth in His coming kingdom.

The reality is we’re not told specifically what this scroll contains in this passage. John didn’t in this passage take down the words that were written on that scroll. We know he did eventually in the book of Revelation, but as we read Revelation chronologically, what we see, and this is going to lead into my conclusion on what is inside this scroll. As we read Revelation chronologically, what we see is that this scroll scene happens right on the cusp of Revelation 6, in the beginning of the period of tribulation, judgment that’s going to be poured out on the earth.

What I would embrace, ultimately, is the view held by Robert Thomas that this is a judgment scroll. You could even call this a “scroll of doom.” What this means is that this scroll is laying out all the judgments in sequence that will fall on the earth during The Tribulation; leading to the coming of the promised Messiah and the establishment of His Kingdom.

So, in other words this scroll I believe contains a “history” of the future, you could say. It’s laying out all that is going to be laid out for us in sequence in Revelation 6-19. The Tribulation Period in successive steps, successive judgments, leading to the Lord Jesus setting up His Kingdom on earth. I believe that’s what John sees in God the Father’s right hand here. The scroll giving this comprehensive account of the future wrath of the Lamb on earth.

Well, that takes us into verse 2. John next says, “Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?’” What John is reporting on here now is this problem which has arisen in this vision he’s receiving of the heavenly throne room. A “strong angel,” a mighty angel, a powerful angel, apparently an angel important enough to be selected to make this announcement, asks this question. “‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?’” But note that as he was tasked with asking this question, the angel doesn’t ask this question in a soft or stilted voice. No. He announces this question. He proclaims this question. This angel is actually acting as a herald. He’s speaking with a loud voice. “Loud sound” is what it says in the original Greek.

Now, who is this “strong angel” who’s making this pronouncement? Asking this question. Many have thought it to be Gabriel since he is referenced in the closing and sealing of the book in Daniel. That may be. We’re not given any conclusive proof here in Revelation that that’s who this is. Regardless, we see here that the angel raises this question in this thunderous voice of proclamation. He says, “who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” Again, this is as much an appeal as it is a question. It’s an appeal that there must be someone out there who is worthy to open the scroll. There must be someone out there who is worthy to break the seals. This “strong angel” was looking for somebody who’s out there who is not only able to disclose God’s plans for the future, but ultimately and effectively to set those plans in motion to accomplish those plans, to bring those plans to pass. The sense here from the “strong angel” is that this is a matter of great urgency, great concern.

Well, we’ll soon see, there really is only One who will be worthy to open the scroll, to break the seals. Christ Himself. There is only One who has this kind of authority, Christ Himself. There is only One who can accept the challenge laid down by this “strong angel” here, Christ Himself. Who was there, as eternal God Himself, to witness this very document being written? Who knows the will of God perfectly? Who’s the One who came to this earth to pay the purchase price of our redemption? Who is the One who has been promised to return to this planet to reclaim those who once rebelled against Him? Christ Himself.

Easy for me to say, I have this entire book to look back on retrospectively and 66 books of Scripture to build that case. In this moment, John had a vision. In this moment he had to take in this vision before there was any sort of solution to who would be opening this yet unopened scroll. So, he had the problem before he had the solution. Look at verse 3, it says, “And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.”

There was apparently some sort of search that was conducted throughout heaven. The third heaven, God’s celestial abode. This search went not only in heaven but went on earth and even under the earth. That threefold characterization of the universe really mirrors what Paul says in Philippians 2:10 that “the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” But as this search goes on here in verse 3, no one was deemed worthy. No one was “able (it says) to open the scroll or to look into it.”

Surely as the survey was conducted there in heaven, there surely were those who as they especially looked under the earth, they could have found some deceased world rulers who would be ok with taking a peek at this scroll and giving it a shot to rule the world. Right? Surely there would have been one like a Lenin or a Stalin or a Hitler or a Mao or a Pol Pot, who would be willing to rule the earth. But the question the “strong angel” asked in verse 2 is not who is willing? The question he asks is what? Who is worthy. Who is worthy to open the scroll. Who is worthy to break this seal.

What John saw and what John heard is that there was no one who was worthy. No one was “able (verse 3) to open the scroll or to look into it.” No angel could open the scroll. Why not? Well, it was man who caused this earth to fall, and it would have to be a man who would have to help reclaim the earth. So, no angel would qualify. But no man, no mere man could open the scroll, either. Why not? Well, that’s all thanks to Adam. That’s thanks to the fall of mankind into ruin and sin thanks to Adam. Mankind has forfeited the right to open a scroll like this, break seals like that. Meaning, no man no matter how godly he is, no matter how reverent or righteous he is, would have the ability to open the scroll. Neither Moses nor Abraham could have opened the scroll. Or Issac or Jacob. Or David or Daniel or Isaiah or Jeremiah or Enoch or Elijah or Peter or Paul or James or Jude. None of them could have opened the scroll. For that matter, neither could have men like Martin Luther or John Calvin or Jonathan Edwards or Charles Spurgeon or Martyn Lloyd-Jones or John MacArthur or Charlie Kirk. None would be worthy of opening this scroll.

None of them could and none of them would step forward to open this scroll. None of the millions of redeemed souls who have been saved by the blood of Christ over the centuries. Though they were around this throne worshipping, they could or would step forward to open the scroll. No one was worthy. The ranks of the living and the dead, those on earth, those in heaven, those in hell. They were all scanned to see whether there was one who was worthy. But verse 3 tells us no one was found. No one was qualified. No one stepped forward. No one moved. No one budged. No one in the celestial realm, the terrestrial realm, the subterranean realm was deemed worthy. No one was worthy to usher in the future kingdom. No one was found worthy to unroll the scroll or to read it.

That truth, that reality was deeply moving to John. Look at verse 4, “Then I was crying greatly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.” So here stands this aged apostle, who has just come out of seeing things back in chapter 4 like God the Father seated on His throne or near His throne, and He’s got this appearance like jasper stone and sardius. He’s just come out of this vision of this emerald rainbow encircling God’s throne. He’s just come out of this vision of angels and elders and seven lamps of fire, and something that resembles a sea of glass and now he has tears running down his weatherbeaten face. He’s weeping. Continuously weeping. I was crying greatly. He wept and wept. He was shedding many many tears. The thought was overwhelming John. In this moment that there was no one worthy to open the scroll. The thought was overwhelming him that perhaps there would be no one worthy to be found. And the thought crushed John with grief. Now these tears were no doubt John’s tears. These are real tears that the apostle was crying on Patmos as he’s experiencing this vision. But I’m also open to the idea that his tears here represent the grief felt by the people of God throughout history.

I found this quote from W.A. Criswell, longtime pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas many many years ago. This quote is actually found in John MacArthur’s commentary on this passage, and He says this. Criswell, “John’s tears represent the tears of all God’s people through all the centuries. Those tears of the Apostle John are the tears of Adam and Eve, driven out of the Garden of Eden; as they bowed over the first grave, as they watered the dust of the ground with their tears over the silent, still form of their murdered son, Abel. These are the tears of the children of Israel in bondage as they cried unto God in their affliction and slavery. They are the tears of God’s elect through the centuries as they cried unto heaven. They are the sobs and tears that have been wrung from the heart and soul of God’s people as they experience the trials and sufferings of life, heartaches and disappointments indescribable. Such is the curse that sin has laid upon God’s beautiful creation; and this is the damnation of the hand of him who holds it; that usurper, that intruder, that stranger, that dragon, that serpent, that Satan. John weeps for the failure to find One to open the scroll and redeem this earth now consigned forever to death. It meant that death, sin, damnation and hell should reign forever and ever, and God’s earth shall remain forever in the hands of Satan.” No wonder John was as it says here in verse 4, “crying greatly.”

Now, did John’s vision here portend that all of the wrongs of the earth would forever go unrighted? Or that the righteous would never be vindicated? Or that the wicked would go forever unpunished? Was the meaning here of John’s vision that the kingdom which had been promised to come (going back millennia), that that kingdom will now not in fact come? No. Look at verse 5, “And one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop crying! Behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the scroll and its seven seals.’”

Now going back to last week’s message, this shows that Revelation 4 and 5 are describing one scene. We have “one of the elders,” meaning one of the twenty-four elders representing the redeemed and raptured church, the completed church, speaking directly to John in this vision of heaven. This “elder” says to John, “stop crying!” Now the elder here is not saying “Suck it up, John.” “Stop being such a wimp John, stop being such a baby.” That’s not the sense here. This is rather an assured and assuring word, a comforting word. The elder here is saying to John, “John, you need weep no more.” Why? Well because there is One who is worthy. There is One who is capable and worthy of opening the scroll. Who the elder goes on to identify. Verse 5, “Behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” has overcome. The “Lion that is from the tribe of Judah.” The “Root of David.” He is worthy. He can open the scroll.

There’s significance to this elder’s words. Much significance. This is why I could see why you could take 7 weeks, 12 weeks to go through this chapter and not just one Sunday night.

First, this One who is worthy to open the scroll is called “the Lion.” You see that there. That speaks of His majesty, His power, His might. This majestic and mighty Lion is about to unleash His power and His roar upon the earth in The Tribulation. Next, we’re told that this worthy One comes from a “tribe.” So, He is this majestic Lion which speaks to His power and His majesty and His omnipotence. But He’s also human. He’s a member of a “tribe.” He was born on earth as a man, 100% human. So, He’s not only fully God, but he’s fully human. This worthy One belonged to a family. We know from our study of Luke’s gospel He had an earthly mother and an earthly father. He had half-brothers and half-sisters. He descended from a tribe. So, this worthy One is a Lion but He’s also from a “tribe.” Next, we learn that He’s specifically from the tribe of “Judah.” He had a nationality. It was from the tribe of Judah that the Messiah was prophesied to come. Genesis 49:9-10 and He came. This Messiah was of Jacob of Israel and He was of a particular tribe, one of the 12 sons of Jacob, the 12 tribes of Israel, namely Judah. The worthy One then, would be a “Lion of the tribe of Judah.”

Reading on, we see here that He’d also be the “Root of David.” That is a reference, in one sense, to His Messiahship. Any Old Testament Israelite would know that the Scriptures had predicted that the Messiah would come from the line of David. Anyone who claimed to come as Israel’s Messiah, would have to prove Davidic descent. And we’ve seen again in our study of Luke and Luke’s genealogy and also Matthew’s genealogy, that Jesus did indeed descend from David’s line and that He did indeed come to fulfill that Davidic promise made to Samuel in II Samuel 7. So, He is from the line of David.

That “Root of David” language also is pointing to the deity of this worthy One. The One who was worthy to open the scroll, then was not only a human descendant of David, but He was also David’s God. In fact, turn with me over to Revelation 22:16 at the end of the book, the words of Christ. He says “I, Jesus, sent My angel to bear witness to you of these things for the churches. (He says then) I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” That language “root and descendant of David” is communicating two truths. First, in His perfect humanity, this One who was worthy had His roots in the Davidic family tree. He was “of David” in that sense. He was of the stem of Jesse from Isaiah 11:1, “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.” But in His deity, He was the root of David; meaning He was the predecessor of David, the source of David, the God of David. So, He was both. He derived from David, but He was also the God of David. Fully God, fully man.

Know what also this elder says to John about this lion and this root. Second, it says that He “has overcome.” He has prevailed. He has conquered. Now in the Greek language the verb there for overcome, that actually comes first in the sentence, and that’s important. That’s actually emphasizing that word, that term, overcome. He’s an overcomer. So translated literally, it could read something like “Behold, He has conquered, (or He has overcome) the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.”

Jesus overcame every spiritual power by His death on the cross. At the cross, when He cried out “Tetelestai. It is finished,” it was a victory cry. It was a shout of triumph. That victory cry and that work on the cross secured not only our redemption and salvation by those who have been washed in His shed blood, but it also securing His right to do what He’s about to do here; which is to stand up, to proceed to the right hand of God the Father, to take this scroll from verse 1, to break its seal, and then eventually to bring judgments upon this wicked planet that has lived in opposition and rebellion to Him all these years. Look at verse 5, He “has overcome so as to open the scroll and its seven seals.” He has the authority (note) to do both. He can both open the scroll, and He can break the seal. This is speaking to both His authority and His sovereignty.


We’ve seen that this worthy One is, among other things, a Lion. Next, we’re about to see that He’s described as a Lamb. Verse 6, “Then I saw in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and in the midst of 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.” John’s first observation in verse 6 is that he sees this “Lamb standing.” That’s sort of a strange expression. A lamb standing. I’m used to hearing about lambs laying or lambs bleating, or lambs feeding in a trough. I’ve never heard about lambs standing. Well, it’s clear here that what John is describing is no ordinary “lamb.” No. The One He is beholding is none other than Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. We often think in this part of history that we sit into today, we often think of Jesus being seated; and that’s good and that’s fair, that’s Biblical, that’s accurate. He is seated right now at the Father’s right hand in heaven. That’s because when He is completed His work of redemption and completed His work of salvation and when He completed His work at the cross and then ascended back to the right hand of God the Father, He sat down.

After completing what He had designed to do at His First Coming, He sat down. That’s Hebrews 10:10-13, “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, (meaning Jesus) having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time UNTIL HIS ENEMIES ARE PUT AS A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.”

That’s the position that Jesus is in today. He is seated. Revelation 3:21, to the church at Laodicea, in that letter Jesus says, “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” But that’s now. That’s today. But remember here, as John is viewing Jesus, He’s peering into the future through this vision that Jesus gave him. In this vision, Jesus is no longer sitting, rather He’s standing. Revelation 5:6, “Then I saw in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing.” What John saw, in other words was the Lord Jesus, the Lamb, standing ready to complete His work. Vacating His seat at the Father’s right hand and standing ready to act. The years at this point, the millennia by this point, of divine patience on Jesus’ part, are about to come to an end. Note who is there in the presence of this standing Lamb. Still in verse 6, the “four living creatures” who we saw last week were angelic beings. They bear features both of the cherubim of Ezekiel 1 and the seraphim of Isaiah 6. Also in the presence of this lamb, this standing lamb are these “elders” who we saw last time, represent the Raptured, redeemed, completed Church.

Now, putting John’s whole thought here together in verse 6, the central focus is the Lamb. In that sentence where it says, “Then I saw in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing.” What John is conveying is that he saw the throne surrounded by these four living creatures and these elders, and the Lamb was in the “midst” of it all. The Lamb is central. He’s the featured component of this entire scene. As He’s “standing,” John notes, he notes he was one “as if slain.” He’s a Lamb who suffered. A Lamb who sacrificed as He bore the sins of the world. As He appeared to John, it looked as though He had been freshly slain. Which would seem to suggest that Christ, the Lamb bears the marks of His death, bears the marks of His crucifixion even in His present-day glorified condition. Even today it would seem that Christ bears the marks of what He took on at Calvary in redeeming us, in dying for us. You can think of it this way, there will not be either any doubting Thomases or any forgetting Thomases in heaven because of that picture. As one commentator I read this week noted “The memories of Calvary are treasured in Heaven.” Indeed.

Well next we see that this Lamb who suffered and this Lamb who saved is also a Lamb who is supreme. Look at the next part of verse 6, where this Lamb is described as “having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.” Now a “horn” was a common depiction of strength during this time. Psalm 18:2 says, “Yahweh is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 112:9 says, “His righteousness stands forever; His horn will be raised in glory.” As the Lamb John sees here is described as having these “seven horns.” This is a description of the fullness of power that He possesses. Recall what Jesus would say in Matthew 28:18 in the Great Commission. He said how much authority is in Me? “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” So, these “seven horns,” in other words, testify to Jesus’ omnipotence, His power.

Now the “Lamb,” here, still in verse 6, is also described as having “seven eyes.” There’s no mystery as to what those are because John tells us. He says that those seven eyes, are “the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.” As we saw last week when we traced out that “seven Spirits of God” language, we connected it back to its Old Testament reference in Zechariah chapter 4, where we saw that those “seven Spirits of God” are actually a reference to the singular Spirit of God, i.e. the Holy Spirit of God.

So, Jesus possesses the “seven spirits of God” which reminds us of what we’ve been studying even in Luke’s Gospel in chapter 4 that Jesus in His humanity even was “full of the Holy Spirit.” He’s full of the Holy Spirit as man, as He walked this earth for approximately three years. And it’s truly assured His present-day glorified condition as God that He is endued with the full measure of the Holy Spirit. So, the Lamb’s “seven eyes” represent the fullness of the Spirit of God which as you see there at the end of verse 6, is now “sent out to all the earth.” That’s suggesting His omnipresence. No wool, pun intended, is ever pulled over His eyes. He sees it all. He’s aware of it all. He doesn’t miss a thing.

Now, verse 7 comes one of the most significant, climactic, and dramatic events of all of time. This really is the focal point of the ages. As God the Son takes from God the Father the scroll mentioned back in verse 1. This is an incredibly dramatic moment. John had seen a scroll. He has wondered openly who is worthy of opening the scroll. John shed tears. He’s been told by one of these elders, one of these 24 elders, to stop crying. He’s been told that there is One who is worthy to open the scroll. The overcomer. The Lion from the tribe of Judah. The Root of David. And he has seen this Lamb now standing, as if slain. In this supercharged moment of suspense, we get these surprisingly simple words from John given how huge this moment is. Revelation 7:40, “And He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sits on the throne.” This Lamb not only stood, as we saw in verse 6, but He acted, He took the scroll.

Now we read that, that took language, and we might think that He snatched the scroll out of God the Father’s hand. “Out of the right hand of Him who sits on the throne.” But that’s really not the sense here. In fact, if you would, go back with me to Daniel 7 where we get, I think, an important clue about what’s really happening here. Daniel 7. We’re going to see him, the prophet Daniel, reporting on this same great event in the vision he received. Daniel 7:13-14, “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and came near before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every tongue might serve Him.”

I want us to stop right there, but I want us to know what we see here. We see the same two Persons of the Godhead mentioned here that we see in our passage in Revelation 5. We see God the Father, the Ancient of Days, and God the Son, the Son of Man. Did Daniel’s depiction here describe God the Son wresting anything out of the Father hand? No. Rather verse 14 says “and to Him, (meaning God the Son) was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom.”

So back to our text. I think this informs what we’re seeing in Revelation 5:7, Yes, the Lamb “came (it says) and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sits on the throne.” But it was done with the permission of and according to the purposes of the One who sits on that throne God the Father. Meaning, what we’re seeing here in verse 7 and what John saw in this vision, was God the Father voluntarily transferring authority and power to God the Son as the wrath of the Lamb was about to be unleashed upon this earth.

Going back to John’s wonder and John’s worry earlier in this scene, John’s angst and John’s tears, there was, in fact, One who was worthy to open the scroll. The Lamb received from the One on the throne, God the Father, the authority to do just that.

In this vision, back to Revelation 5 here, Christ took the scroll and then look what John saw next. Verse 8, “and when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”

When I was first dabbling in Christianity. As an unsaved, curious critical evaluative lawyer at the time, I got caught up in some of these “heaven tourism” books. Remember those? Heaven is for Real. 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper. Those books. I didn’t know any better. Those books described these near-death experiences that people said they had, where they got to momentarily peek or glimpse into heaven. In these books, Jesus is hardly there at all which is alarming. He’s hardly even a role player. He’s hardly even of a side feature in these books. These books describe heaven as being more about seeing loved ones and friends and when Jesus does finally enter the picture, He’s just that friendly Jesus who lets you sit in His lap. That’s actually what happened in Heaven is for Real. Well, thank the Lord I got saved. I got me a Bible, and I started reading what God has described about heaven. And that’s what we have here throughout chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation. God’s own description of His own throne room in heaven and His eternal abode.

Here in verse 8, after the Lamb “had taken the scroll” and this is why I bring that story up. “The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders.” What did that do? Did they pet the Lamb? They stroked the Lamb, right? They sidled up and cuddled with the Lamb? No. They “fell down before the Lamb.” Just as John did back in Revelation 1:17 where it says that he “fell at His feet like a dead man.” These “four living creatures,” these angels, and “these twenty-four elders” fell down before the Lamb. They fell down before Him in worship. And that’s what we’re going to do before Him one day. When we see Him, we’re not going to cozy up with Him. We’re not going to saddle up to Him, and I hate to say this to the Casting Crowns fans, but we’re not going to dance before Him. No. We are going to have faces that are going to hit the floor. We’re going to fall down right before His feet, and it is going to be glorious!

Back to verse 8, as the “twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb,” John tells us something else about them. Look at the last few words there. “Each one,” meaning each elder. And the structure here really refers to the elders, not the four living creatures at this point. Each elder has “a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”

Let’s start with the word “harp.” Is this actually supporting the idea that we’re going to be strumming harps on clouds in heaven for all eternity? No. John did see actual elders with harps in this vision. But those harps represent something. Now before I can tell you what those harps represent, I want us to jump ahead to this next description here of these “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Now, no surprise here. But the Roman Catholic Church has abused that language. The Roman Catholic Church would take the position that these “prayers of the saints” language supports the idea that those mere mortal men whom they call “saints” that we ought to be praying to as they mediate our requests before God. We should be praying to these saints as how they interpret that language prayers of the saints. It’s not just the Catholics. We also have on the Protestant side, especially those who are more squishy evangelical tribes, they’ve taken the position that “prayers of the saints” here in verse 8 is referring to prayers of saved people, saints in heaven as they pray for people down here on earth. The reality is neither is true. What does I Timothy 2:5 say? That “there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Right? Meaning, we don’t need to pray to St. Anthony or St. Michael or St. Thomas. But we also don’t need Martin Luther or dear old aunt Mildred to be praying for us from up in heaven. We don’t need either. We don’t do either.

So, then what are these “prayers of the saints” in Revelation 5:8? What does this mean? Well, context is king, right? That’s what we looked at this morning, in the gospel of Luke study? We must remember that John’s vision here, though he received it some 2,000 years ago, again is this picture of the future. What’s being pictured here is this church that’s already been Raptured and is now in heaven with Christ and this is right on the cusp, right on the verge of the start of The Tribulation. So what prayers are being prayed by the saints in that setting? Well, it’s the prayers for the coming of Messiah’s reign. It’s the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:10 when He says, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Now, back to those harps. These elders in John’s vision not only have “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints,” but it says they each have a harp. What’s that all about? Well, we get a clue in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, harps were actually associated with prophecy. The prophet Samuel, for instance, prophesied to the sound of harps. in I Samuel 10:5, in II Kings 3:15, Elisha called for a harpist while prophesying. So, you piece that together, harps and prayers. I agree with what one commentator has said which is that the scene as a whole is portraying is that all the prophecies ever prophesied related to Messiah’s Kingdom. And all of the prayers of the saints for Messiah’s Kingdom to come are about to be fulfilled and are about to be answered as we are getting closer and closer to The Tribulation. I think that’s more glorious by the way than strumming a harp on a cloud for thousands and millions and billions of years.

Well in these next three pairs of verses, we’re going to be getting into what some have called the “hymns of heaven.” First, in verses 9-10 is the song of the twenty-four elders and the saints. This choir sings of the redemption that was provided by the Lamb. Second, in verses 11-12, it’s the worship of the multitude of angels around the throne. That choir declares the power of the Lamb. And then last, third, verses 13-14, it’s the worship of “every created thing.” As that multitude testifies to the universal submission to the rule of the Lamb.

Let’s take a look at that first song verse 9 and 10, which testifies to the redemption of the Lamb. By the way this will be our song, verse 9 and 10. We won’t be singing Chris Tomlin songs in glory. We won’t be singing Jonathan Goodding songs or Max Whitson songs as great as they are, in glory. Each of those men points us to this song ultimately. The song we’ll be singing forever. Verses 9-10, “And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain and purchased for God with Your blood people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And You made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.’”

That’s a magnificent moment. It’s this transcendent glorious moment. And recall that the build-up to this moment has been locating that One who was worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. And behold! Now One has been found and He’s worthy. This moment calls it says, verse 9, for a “new song.” A song sung by church saints who have been Raptured before the beginning of The Tribulation and this song is incredible. The song declares the worthiness of the Lord Jesus Christ as it proclaims His authority to take and open the seven-sealed scroll. He has that authority because He’s been slain and His death brought redemption for people from every tongue and tribe and people and nation. It begins with these words; words which give me goosebumps when I see it. The second song down in verse 12, “Worthy are You to take the scroll.” This Lamb is the long-awaited, long-anticipated, long hoped for worthy one.

Reading on. The Lamb is the worthy one “because You were slain.” Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” He “died.” He was “slain.” He suffered this merciless, violent death on behalf of wretched sinners like you and me. And that death was substitutionary. The Lamb of God stood in our place.

Not only that His death was redemptive. Look at how the song continues, still in verse 9. “You purchased, (You were slain, and you purchased) for God with Your blood people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” That word “purchased” comes from the ancient slave markets that John would have been familiar with. In John’s day, it referred to buying slaves and then setting them free, emancipation. The death of the Lamb set us free from the slavery we were once into our sin. He freed not only us, but His death and resurrection broke the chain of sinners all over this planet. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to worship (with) fellow followers of Jesus Christ from Vietnam and Senegal and the third century and the 16th century, from every different language group, and tribe and skin pigmentation. It’s going to be glorious.

Note these words, in verse 10, “And You made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God.” We’ve seen that language already back in Revelation 1:6 and there we saw, as is the case here, that John is borrowing from the Old Testament here. Specifically, from Exodus 19:6, where God the Father said to the Israelites at Sinai, “you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” What this language is indicating, is that church-age saints like you and me, have a privileged position now as the people of God. We are eminently privileged to be part of the family of God now. But these truths about our being privileged in Christ now they will come to their full fruition in the future, when Christ sets up His literal 1,000-year reign on this planet. When we as it says in Revelation 20:6, “will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” And we will do so as it says here in verse 10, here on earth. “They will reign upon the earth.” The millennial passages of Scripture, in other words are not teaching us about Christ reigning in our hearts today. No. What they are teaching us is that we will one day reign with Him on this earth. Not in the sky, on earth. To which we should all be praying, as Christ commanded us to do again in Matthew 6, “Your kingdom come.”

The first song, verse 9-10 again, is that song of the twenty-four elders and saints about the redemption provided by the Lamb. Next, in verses 11-12, is this outburst of worship of the multitude of angels around the throne as they testify to the power of the Lamb. Verses 11-12, He says “Then 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, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”

So, the first song is sung by the elders and the redeemed church. Next, in the second outburst, is John’s awareness of this even larger group now joining in the heavenly chorus. It’s this expansive company of angels. He says, “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around throne.” Then mixed in with those angels are more angelic beings. Those “living creatures,” which we saw last time are angels. Those cherubim, seraphim, hybrid types. And then additionally there are some “elders” mixed in with that group, this second group as well.

Note how massive this group is. Of the angels alone, John describes that “the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands.” That word “myriad,” in Greek, can either mean “10,000” which was the largest numeric unit used in the ancient Greek world. Or it can mean “a number impossible to count.” Now if we even go with that first option, the literal “10,000” option, that would mean if you put all these numbers together that John is describing well over 100 million angels in this second chorus. And millions more, “thousands of thousands” on top of that. And note he says they’re “saying with a loud voice.” He doesn’t say singing. This is saying they’re saying with a loud voice. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.

It’s this sevenfold angelic adoration of Christ. It emphasizes the perfection of the Lamb. Every one of those seven attributes is attributed to Christ elsewhere in Scripture. The apostle Paul called the Lord Jesus, in I Corinthians 1:24, “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” In Ephesians 3:8, Paul spoke of the “unfathomable riches of Christ.” In II Thessalonians 1:9, Paul referred to “the glory of His might” when Jesus comes again. The author of Hebrews declared that Jesus was, Hebrews 2:9, “crowned with glory and honor” when He tasted death for everyone. Paul noted, Ephesians 1:3, that our “spiritual blessings” are “in the heavenly places in Christ.” Every one of these descriptions here is stated of Christ earlier in the New Testament. And the angelic worship that we see here in verses 11-12, what we’re seeing is not only them worshiping the Lamb for His comprehensive perfection and majesty in each of these attributes, but they’re worshiping the Lamb in anticipation of Him bringing those attributes to bear on this next phase of history as He brings judgment upon the earth.

Now in these final two verses, 13-14; we see the chorus widen even further. As God and the Lamb receive even more praise from every created thing in heaven, on earth, under the earth, even on the sea. Verses 13-14, “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 the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever.”

Now remember as he took in this vision in the 90s AD, from the island of Patmos, John was looking forward, way forward. What he sees is this third wave now of praise. In verses 9-10, it was the song of the twenty-four elders and the saints, singing that song of redemption, that’s going to be our song. In verses 11-12, it’s the voices of the multitude of angels around the throne, testifying to the power of the Lamb. We just looked at that. Verse 13 now, it’s the testimony of “every created thing” as they acknowledge the universal submission to the rule of the Lamb.

Now note first there’s this statement of universality. “Every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them.” This, again, is future in orientation. Look at the sweeping scope of what’s being described, who’s being included. It’s everything. It’s every area of creation, heaven, earth, subterranean, sea, everyone, everywhere. It’s comprehensive.

From these realms, John says, here in verse 13, “I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever.” That language, there’s a couple of things. First of all, he’s equating the Lamb as being an equal essence to the One who sits on the throne, God the Father. This is a passage that speaks to the deity of Christ. His language also resembles that future-oriented language in Philippians 2:10-11 where Paul says that “the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.”

What both are saying is a future is day is coming. Where from every possible sphere and and from every single tongue, there will ring out this acknowledgment of the rule and the authority of “Him who sits on that throne.” God the Father “and to the Lamb.” A future day is coming when not only those who believed in this life, but those who rejected Him. The wicked, Christ-hating sinners in this life on this earth. There will be a day when even fallen angels and demons and Satan Himself, will have to recognize and honor Jesus Christ is Lord. That’s what’s being said here. That’s what’s being said in Philippians 2:10-11. As one commentator puts it, “He will be praised at the focal center of things by the sinless sons of light and by the redeemed of all ages with joy unspeakable and full of glory. And He will be praised at the furthest circumference of things by every damned and outcast soul with sobs and tears and choking cries. This acknowledgment that Jesus Christ is Lord will be made by the angels, the fallen angels as well as the unfallen angels. Even the Devil himself will have to acknowledge the lordship of Christ at this time.”

Ultimately, all will come to a place as it said in Psalm 2:12 where they have to “Kiss the Son.” And recognize as that same passage indicates, “how blessed are all who take refuge in Him.”

With that, we come to verse 14, where John reports that after seeing these three movements of worship in heaven, the following happened. It says, “And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen.’” And the elders fell down and worshiped.” That word “Amen” means trustworthy or sure. It means in context “So be it.” The fact that the four living creatures kept repeating, kept saying “Amen,” only adds emphasis to those three outbursts of praise that we just looked at, aimed at worshiping God the Son and God the Father. The “elders” again there representing the redeemed and Raptured Church, they “fell down and worshiped.”

Now on a future date, those very individuals will one day storm out of the heavens behind the risen Lamb. Those very individuals that are saying Amen, those ones that are now worshipping in verse 14, they will be a part of those “armies in heaven,” that we see in Revelation 19:14, who are “clothed in fine linen, white and clean, following Him on white horses.”

But now at this phase they worship. As they wait for that next installment of history. As this scene that we’ve been looking at in heaven gets ready now to shift to earth. As this One who is worshiped and praised by saints and angels in heaven, will now become the righteous Judge of this wicked earth. As the risen Lamb, the worthy Lamb, now becomes the conquering Lion.

That’s what will get into next Sunday night as we move into Revelation 6 and launch into this study of The Tribulation. Let’s pray.

Father, we thank You for a chance this evening to consider things that are far too glorious for us to truly comprehend. We thank You that You have revealed these things to us in Your Word. We thank You that we have captured on the pages of Scripture, this glorious scene of the throne room of heaven in Revelation 4 and 5, which is majestic. Which is transcendent. Which is glorious. But we also know as we keep it in context that this scene that John is envisioning here all these years ago is right on the threshold of the judgment that you are going to reign on this earth one day. God, I pray that we would, as believers here now, today in the church age, in a sense keep one foot here on earth and one foot in heaven, as we consider all of these truths together. As we consider the fact that we are on mission right now. The Rapture hasn’t happened. This heavenly scene, we’re not there yet. We have a mission to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ to this lost and dying planet before The Tribulation falls on it. So, I do pray that our study of this glorious book will fuel in us a passion to proclaim this saving gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray at the same time we would like with that eye toward heaven as we look forward to our future and what glories await us as we prepare one day to worship the risen Lamb. May we honor Him this week with our lives and all that we think say or do. In Christ’s name, Amen.