By: Tom Lowe Date: 8-6-15
(12) The Lamb Worthy to Open the Scroll (Revelation 5:1-14)
Revelation 5:1-14 (KJV)
1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
Introduction
Chapter five is actually a continuation of chapter four. It begins with a conjunction (“and”), thus linking the two chapters. Remember, man (not the Holy Spirit) divided the Bible into chapters and verses.
What we will study in chapter five takes place in Heaven, where John was caught up in the spirit to meet the Lord and where he saw Christ setting on the throne, a throne encircled by the rainbow.
So far, John had only seen a throne, with a person sitting upon it Who was very glorious in appearance and dressed in very glorious apparel. The scene around the throne included twenty-four solemn persons, and four living creatures, in the shape of a lion, a calf, a man, and an eagle, each of them with six wings, and full of eyes; and he heard the four living creatures constantly giving glory to God, and the twenty-four elders harmonizing with them, and at the same time joining with them in giving high praise to God. Now the vision continues in Chapter 5, and the apostle will describe it for us.
We are about to see unfolded before our very eyes a detailed description of the earth’s future. What is contained in the book (scroll) will come before us now as the seals are broken in succession and its message disclosed. The unveiling of God’s purposes for the world, as divinely written on the scroll, will not take place until after the Church has been taken up to be with her Lord.
Before we begin this study, I want to apologize for being wordier than usual, but I consider Revelation chapter 5 to be one of the most precious in my Bible; and it cannot be overemphasized. It contains the key to the right understanding of the rest of Revelation, so, if we do not understand it, we may not understand the rest of the book. I cannot read it and remain silent. I find myself saying “Amen and amen.” We should be on our faces. He is worthy!
Commentary
1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
A vision has placed the apostle John in the throne room of God—“And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne” (Revelation 4:2)—but we are only told enough here to make us want to know more about this “THRONE,” and who it was that sat upon it. It is an awe-inspiring scene, which God will allow him to view and describe for us; “AND I SAW IN THE RIGHT HAND OF HIM THAT SAT ON THE THRONE.” Other versions render the first part of the verse as: “AND WHO HAD ‘IN’ HIS RIGHT HAND,” or ‘AT,’ or ‘UPON’ HIS RIGHT HAND,” as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it; though according to Revelation 5:7, the book (scroll) appears to have been in his right hand, which agrees with our version, and how others have rendered it.
“A BOOK WRITTEN WITHIN AND ON THE BACKSIDE, SEALED WITH SEVEN SEALS” sounds very much like Ezekiel's roll—“And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent to me; and, see, a ROLL of a book was therein” (Ezekiel 2:9)—which was written, “WITHIN AND ON THE BACKSIDE”, and it was indeed in the form of a roll. All writings in those times were on sheets of parchment, which, when finished, were rolled up in the form of a cylinder. This book seems to have consisted of seven rolls, to which was affixed “SEVEN SEALS”; and because there was not room enough “WITHIN”, some things were written upon the “BACKSIDE” of the outermost roll; though that was a thing contrary to the customary way of writing, and such writings were called "Opistographi" by the ancients; and the word is sometimes used by them when describing very wordy writings.
There are a variety of opinions concerning the things written in this book, but I have listed only the thirteen most creditable:
Some say it contains the Scriptures of the Old Testament, which were written in rolls—“Then said I, Lo, I come (in the VOLUME of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God” (Hebrews 10:7)—which came out of the “RIGHT HAND” of God, Who gave it to Christ, and He has given it to men. The word rendered here as “VOLUME” means “a little head;”—although the common meaning today is “a series of printed sheets bound typically in book form—and then a knob, and here it refers no doubt to the head or knob of the rod on which the Hebrew manuscripts were rolled. Books were usually written so they can be rolled up, and when they were read they were unrolled at one end of the manuscript, and rolled up at the other as fast as they were read. The rods on which they were rolled had small heads, either for the purpose of holding them, or for decoration.
Being “WRITTEN WITHIN AND ON THE BACKSIDE”, may denote the fullness of them; that they contain a variety of material on many subjects, and are useful and profitable, for different purposes.
Others think that on them are written the literal and mystical, or spiritual meaning of some parts of the Old Testament.
Still others think they include a clearer explanation of the books of the Old Testament, by those of the New Testament.
Yet another view has been offered: the book that John saw in the “HAND OF HIM THAT SAT UPON THE THRONE” is the title deed to the earth. The earth and the atmosphere around it have been in the hands of an invader. The cruel tyrant is Satan. He wrestled it from Adam, whom God had given dominion over it (Genesis 1:26-28), so that today the earth is in Satan’s power. When the devil offered to give the earth to Christ if He would bow down and worshipped him, our Lord did not repudiate his claim (Matthew 4:8-9). Three times our Lord called Satan “the prince of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Paul calls Satan “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), and “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). John wrote, “The whole world lieth in wickedness” (1 John 5:19). The scroll that John saw is the title deed to this earth, once committed to a man to rule for God but now in the hands of Satan.
The best explanation, in my opinion, is that the subject of the sealed scroll is REDEMPTION. He who opens the scroll is the “Lamb,” still bearing the scars of crucifixion. His death was the “one sacrifice for sins for ever” (Hebrews 10:12), the wounds of which still bear witness to the substitutionary feature of that death (Zechariah 13:1, 6). The scroll, while containing a message of divine revelation pertaining to prophesy, speaks of redemption. True, redemption has its roots in the past, but its final fulfillment lies in the future. Redemption is not confined solely to our Lord’s first coming to earth; it is very definitely linked with His Second Coming. When Jesus spoke to His disciples concerning those things which are to precede His Second Coming, He said, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).
Another very sound explanation—from what follows in chapters 5-8—is that the scroll contains the rest of the book of Revelation. As each seal is broken, another part of the book is revealed. The final seal, the seventh one, opens the way to the seven trumpets, and so on through the rest of Revelation.
And their being “SEALED”—having the seal of God's truth, and the imprint of His wisdom, power, and goodness on them—may signify the authenticity of those writings; and also the hidden significance and meaning of them.
They are a sealed book to natural men, especially the prophetic and spiritual part of them.
Christ is the truest and best interpreter; yet this book was opened, and looked into, and read, and, in some measure, understood, even by the Old Testament saints; and before this time, it had been talked about by Christ, especially as it concerns himself. He had opened the understanding of His disciples to those Scriptures, and had deemed them, and others, worthy to open and explain this book to others, and had sent them into all the world for this purpose.
The Gospel is definitely the single most important thing revealed in the Holy Bible. Though written to Jews and Gentiles, the one “WITHIN,” and the other “WITHOUT,” it cannot be understood by the unsaved.
The mention of the book being “SEALED WITH SEVEN SEALS” shows the certainty of its fulfilment, and the authenticity, certainty, and hiddenness of it, until all its decrees are accomplished.
John reports that the book was in the “RIGHT HAND” of God, and from there it was taken by the Lamb, for it IS the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him—“The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place . . .” (Revelation 1:1), and it may be said that it was written, both "WITHIN AND ON THE BACKSIDE", to show that it contains a large number of things, a long chain of events to be accomplished.
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
In our present scripture the Church has already been raptured, the saints are with Jesus in the air (prophetically) and will soon be ready to reign with Jesus here on earth.
“AND I SAW A STRONG ANGEL,” that is, an “ANGEL” endowed by God with great strength, as if such strength was necessary in order to enable him to ask a question in a loud voice. The identity of this angel is unknown. Some suggest Gabriel because Gabriel’s name means “strength of God” (Daniel 8:16; Revelation 10:1). Someone has said, “Homer represents God’s heralds as powerful, robust men, in order to consistently attribute to them deep (low-pitched) and powerful voices.” The inquiry to be made was one of huge importance—it was to be asked of everyone in heaven, of every person on the earth, and of each and every one under the earth—and that's why a “STRONG ANGEL” is introduced, for he would be so mighty that his voice could be heard in all those distant regions.
“PROCLAIMING WITH A LOUD VOICE”, that is, a voice like a herald or crier would use. The object undoubtedly is to impress the mind with a sense of the importance of the revelations about to be revealed, and at the same time stress the impossibility of any created power seeing into the future. The importance of the proclamation becomes obvious when we are told that it was made by one of the highest angels. The revelation came from God, but was made by the highest angel, and that should be sufficient to show that revelations of the future are beyond mere created power.
“WHO IS WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK, AND TO LOOSE THE SEALS THEREOF?” That is, “WHO IS ‘WORTHY’” in the sense of having a rank so exalted, and attributes so comprehensive, that they would authorize and enable him to do it. In other words, who has the essential endowments of all kinds that would enable him to do it? It would require moral qualities of an exalted character to justify him in approaching the seat of the holy God, and to take the book from his hands; it would require an ability beyond that of any created being to penetrate the future, and disclose the meaning of the images which were employed. The fact that “THE BOOK” was held in the “HAND OF HIM THAT WAS ON THE THRONE” and sealed seven times, was in itself a sufficient proof that it was not His purpose to make the disclosure directly. It is not surprising, then, that the inquiry arose naturally as to whether there was anyone in the wide universe who, by rank, or character, or office, would be empowered to open the mysterious scroll.
3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
“AND NO MAN IN HEAVEN”—No one at all—who “WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE BOOK.” The idea is that there was no one in heaven—evidently referring to the created beings who serve God there—“WHO COULD OPEN THE BOOK”. It is not stated in the Bible that angels have foreknowledge of the future, and do reveal what is to come? The reality is that their faculties are limited in this respect like those of man?
“NOR IN EARTH” continues the thought of the first clause, the idea being that there is no one living upon the earth among all classes of people— scholars, philosophers mystics, gurus and prophets—who have ever been able to accurately predict the future, and disclose what is to come?
“NEITHER UNDER THE EARTH”, makes the statement all inclusive. These divisions make up the universe: what is in heaven above; what is on the earth; and whatever there is under the earth, the abodes of the dead. This clause is not an allusion to the supposed science of necromancy—the practice of talking to the spirits of dead people, and the use of magic powers especially for evil purposes—nor is there the notion that the dead can penetrate the future, and disclose what is to come? In times of great distress it always seems like the Israelites have been tempted to consult those among them who pretended to use magic and divination to predict the future. In all these great realms no one came forward who was qualified to break the seals and disclosure what the mysterious scroll contained.
No one “WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE BOOK”, because no one had the ability to do it. It was a task beyond their power. Even if anyone had been found who had a rank and a moral character which might have seemed to justify the effort, there was no one who had the power of reading what was recorded there with respect to coming events.
It follows from this that since no one was able to open the book, “NEITHER” was anyone able “TO LOOK THEREON”, that is to say, to break the seals and have a view of what was written there; however, we can rightly say that it was not beyond their power merely to see the book, for that is apparent from the fact that John himself saw it in the hand of Him that sat on the throne; and it is evident also from Revelation 5:5 that the elders saw it. But no one came forward who was able to inspect the contents to see what was written there. It could be seen (Revelation 5:1) that it was written on both sides of the parchment, but what the writing was remained a mystery. This goes to show that man cannot rescue himself from his own predicament and pit of sin, thus he stands mute at the challenge to take the scroll.
Actually, I stand opposed to those who say that John did not know what was written on the scroll, because he wept (5:4) when “no man was found worthy to open and to read it.” At the least, he must have known that it was something very important that God wanted His people to know. John knew that if that book were never opened, and the seals could not be removed:
All Old Testament prophecies would be null and void concerning the reign of Jesus upon this earth (Isaiah 9:6, 7; 11:1-16).
All creatures would remain under the curse (Romans 8:22).
The Bible would be untrue (Matthew 5:18).
All this would mean that God had made a promise which He could not fulfill. No wonder John wept sorely when no one could be found worthy to open the seals.
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
“AND I WEPT MUCH”, not so much on his own account, but because he feared his curiosity would not be satisfied, and that his strong desire would not be gratified. These feelings were raised in him upon sight of “THE BOOK,” and increased by the angel's proclamation; but this was not the cause of his weeping—he “WEPT” for the sake of the church of God, whose representative he was, and to whom the knowledge of this book, and the things contained in it, he believed must be very useful and profitable. The Ethiopic version reads, "and many wept"; many of those that were about the throne, as well as John, “BECAUSE NO MAN WAS FOUND WORTHY TO OPEN AND TO READ THE BOOK”
Someone is bound to ask the question, “but how can there be weeping in heaven?” Whatever the correct answer is to this question, it certainly is not revealed fully in the Scriptures. John “WEPT” because “NO MAN WAS FOUND WORTHY TO OPEN THE SCROLL,” and I only assume that the scroll, unopened and unread, brought forth from God’s servant tears of concern and compassion over an inheritance unredeemed.
There was a time in the life and ministry of our Lord when He “WEPT.” John wept, as we have seen. Jeremiah wept over the fallen city of Jerusalem. When did you and I weep over a world in spiritual darkness, from which men are passing one by one into an eternal eclipse, where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. John wept audibly, not because of any weakness, but because of deep concern.
“NEITHER” was there anyone “TO LOOK THEREON”; because there was no creature in heaven, on earth, or under it, that possessed the dignity and authority, as well as the ability, to open the book by unsealing it; and to read it with understanding, and then to share the prophecies it contains. That was enough to bring about the weeping; not to look into it, and foresee and predict what was to come to pass, in the church and world.
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
“AND ONE OF THE ELDERS SAID UNTO ME”, that is, one of the four and twenty “ELDERS” that were seated around, and near the throne. These had communion with Him, and knowledge of His will, and “ONE” of them is represented here as comforting John when he expressed his sorrow and concern, because there wasn’t a man that could be found anywhere, who was able to break the “SEALS” and “OPEN THE BOOK”; and they also gave him information—like persons of superior ability may sometimes receive from persons with much less ability—like the instruction that Apollos received from Aquila and Priscilla.
“WEEP NOT” and stop being so sorrowful, do not be so discouraged that you lose hope.
Once again the central figure of the book is brought into view. He is the triumphant Christ. John ceased his sobbing to behold Him, the Kinsmen-Redeemer who held the crown rights to rule sovereignly over the earth. The hour of Christ’s triumph had come. “BEHOLD THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH”; which, of course, refers to Christ, who, according to the flesh, was to come from “THE TRIBE OF JUDAH”; and it is a fact that our Lord sprang from there, and for proof, we have the genealogies in the Old and New Testaments: and He is said to be “THE LION” of that tribe, an allusion to the prophecy concerning Judah in Genesis 49:9—“You are a lion's cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness-who dares to rouse him?”—where He is said to be a lion, an old lion stooping down and crouching, and on whose banner was the figure of a lion. Christ may be compared to a “LION”, because of His great strength. He is the mighty God, the able Saviour, strong Redeemer, and protector of His church and people, and the nemesis of their enemies; and because of His courage and resoluteness when He encountered Satan, and his principalities and powers; when He bore the sins of His people, incurred His Father's wrath, and the terrors of death set themselves in array against Him; and because of the fierceness of His wrath, and fury against the wicked; and for His generosity and leniency towards those that accept Him, and obey Him.
He is “THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH”; but he is also called “THE ROOT OF DAVID”; and in Isaiah 11:10, Christ is called the root of Jesse; and the meaning is either (1) that he is a branch that springs out of the roots of Jesse and David, or, (2) that He is David's son and offspring, according to His human nature (see Revelation 22:16), or, (3); that He is David's Lord, according to His divine nature. What’s more, the metaphor of a root agrees well with His role of Mediator, since He is hidden out of sight, and unknown to a natural man; and may denote His submissiveness in His state of humiliation, when He was like a root developing within dry ground; and because He is the root from which all the elect of God spring, in whom they have their being, and by whom they are created and supported, and from whom they obtain all the blessings of grace, all their spiritual life, holiness, fruitfulness, and perseverance.
“HATH PREVAILED”; or overcome all difficulties, seeing that He is one of worth and value, and of great authority and ability. Of course, the power of the Lion will be demonstrated when Jesus comes with multiplied millions of the saints ridding upon white horses (Revelation 19:1-11).
Christ was able “TO OPEN THE BOOK, AND TO LOOSE THE SEVEN SEALS THEREOF”; and to bring out all the prophecies it contains, and fulfil them; and He did it all, through the merits of His blood, His sufferings, and His death: hence, in the next verse, He is represented as a lamb that had been slain. And in the following verses, the four living creatures, and the four and twenty elders, proclaim His worthiness to take the book, and open it, and they give the credit to His having been slain, and having redeemed them by His blood (5:9). And since He, upon His resurrection from the dead, had all power in heaven and in earth given Him, as Mediator, for the protection of His church, He was deserving; and it was fitting and necessary that He, as the great prophet of the church, should have the privilege of delivering the prophecies concerning the state and condition of His redeemed ones in all ages. Only Christ conquered sin, death, hell, and Satan himself, so only He can set in motion the forces that will bring about the final destruction of all evil.
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
While the previous verse pictured Jesus 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 it has been killed (perhaps a reference to the slaughter of a Passover lamb). One of the elders called out to John to look at the lion (5:5), but when John looked, he saw a Lamb. Christ the Lamb was the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind; therefore, only He can save His people from the terrible events that will be revealed by the scroll. This is a beautiful picture; the Lion of the tribe of Judea became a slain Lamb, who is here seen as a conquering Lamb at the center of the throne of God.
“AND I BEHELD, AND, LO, IN THE MIDST OF THE THRONE AND OF THE FOUR BEASTS” describes the position of the Lamb from the seer’s (John’s) point of view. We are not to suppose that the lamb was in the center of the throne room itself; nor was he standing on the throne. He was placed where he would seem to be in the midst of the group made up of the throne, the living beings, and the elders. The Lamb is not on the throne, but in the middle front of it, and so apparently he was between the living creatures, and in the midst of the circle formed by the twenty-four elders, which would make him a conspicuous object. There is no mistaking the identity of the Lamb.
“AND IN THE MIDST OF THE ELDERS STOOD A LAMB AS IT HAD BEEN SLAIN, HAVING SEVEN HORNS AND SEVEN EYES, WHICH ARE THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD SENT FORTH INTO ALL THE EARTH” Here is the supreme moment of this vision. The lamb is one of the great distinctive ideas of the Revelation, where Jesus Christ is called the “LAMB” no fewer than twenty-nine times. The word he uses for Lamb is not used for Jesus Christ anywhere else in the New Testament. John the Baptist pointed to Him, and declared Him to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world—“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. . . And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 36)! Peter speaks of the precious blood of Christ, comparing it to a lamb without blemish and without spot—“But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19).
In Isaiah 53, a chapter very dear to Jesus and to the early Church, Jesus is compared to a lamb brought to the slaughter—“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” But in this case the word is amnos, whereas the word that the Revelation uses is arnion. This is the word that Jeremiah uses, when he says: “I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter” (Jeremiah 11:19). By using arnion and using it so often, John wishes us to see that this is a new concept which he is bringing to men. There several things which are worthy of noting, concerning this new idea:
The Lamb still bears the marks of having been slain— consequently, we have the picture of the sacrifice of Christ, still visible in the heavenly places—and when we enter Heaven those marks will be a constant reminder that even in the heavenly places, Jesus Christ is the one who loves us and gave himself for us.
There is another side to this. This same Lamb, with the marks of sacrifice still on it, is the Lamb with the seven horns and the seven eyes.The seven horns stand for omnipotence. In the Old Testament the horns stands for two things.
It stands for sheer power. In the blessing of Moses the horns of Joseph are like the horns of a wild ox and with them he will push the people together to the ends of the earth (Deuteronomy 33:17). Zedekiah, the prophet, made iron horns as a sign of promised triumph over the Assyrians (1 Kings 22:11). The wicked is warned not to lift up his horn (Psalm 75:4).
It stands for honor. The good man’s horn shall be exalted with honour (Psalm 112:9). God exalts the horn of His people (Psalm 148:14).
Here is the great paradox; the Lamb bears the sacrificial wounds upon it; but at the same time it is clothed with the very might of God which can now shatter its enemies.The Lamb has seven horns; the number seven stands for perfection; the power of the Lamb is perfect, beyond withstanding.
b. The Lamb has seven eyes, and the eyes are the Spirits which are dispatched into all the earth. The picture comes from Zechariah. There the prophet sees the seven lamps which are “the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth” (Zechariah 4:10). It is an eerie picture; but quite clearly it stands for the omniscience of God. In an almost crude way it says that there is no place on earth which is not under the eye of God.
“Here is a tremendous picture of Christ. He is the fulfillment of all the hopes and dreams of Israel, for He is the Lion of Judea and the Root of David. He is the one whose sacrifice benefited man, and who still bears the marks of it in the heavenly places. But the tragedy has turned to victory and the shame to glory; and He is the One whose all-conquering might none can withstand and whose all-seeing eye none can escape.
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
Christ stepped forward and took (“hath taken” is better) the scroll from His Father, who was seated on the throne. It is very important to see the movement taking place here. The Lord Jesus moves to the throne through the Tribulation. He judges the world in righteousness before He reins in righteousness. He is no longer the intercessor of the church, for the church is now with Him. He is beginning to act as Judge.
Christ was worthy to take the scroll because of His sacrifice on the cross, by which salvation was won for all who believe. In this vision the time had come for God to unleash the final acts of history before setting up His kingdom. Christ would open the scroll and begin the process that would bring about the end of this fallen world.
Suppose the question had been asked Him, “What is the basis of Your claim to the title deed of earth?” His reply could have been three fold. He could have said, “That world is mine by right of creation, for I made it; it is Mine by right of Calvary, for I redeemed it and bought it with My blood; it is Mine by right of conquest—since the only language the unregenerate heart of man understands is the language of power—I’m going back to wage war and to claim that world.” The world is His, and His writes are not questioned at all. As He steps into the spotlight, His right is instantly conceded. And noticed this: from the moment the Lamb is put into the picture, John cannot take his eyes off Him. He mentions Him again and again—four times within the space of the rest of this chapter alone (5:6, 8, 12, 13).
The End of verse 7 is the highpoint of John’s vision—Christ readily and gladly took the scroll into His hand—for He delights to make known the will of His father. This means that the plan of God is ready to be carried out, and Jesus Christ is the One who will implement the plan. All power in heaven and on earth has been given to Him (Matthew 28:18). He may take the book and break the seven seals of judgment and thereby execute the purposes of the sovereign, Creator God. At His enthronement the heavens rejoice (5:8-14; 12:5-12), for He truly is worthy and the people of God now have their reigning Savior.
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
When the Lamb with the death wounds in His body stood up, turned to the throne of Him who held the book in His right hand, and took the book, every redeemed person—millions of them—burst into a song that never had been sung before. This act of the Lion-Lamb guaranteed the subjection of this wicked earth including Babylon, Antichrist, the dragon, and the host of others who spurned the love of God as it was shown in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The picture of the “ELDERS” is interesting. They have “HARPS,” or possibly small lyres, which are often used with worship in Revelation. The harp was the traditional instrument to which the Psalms were sung. “Praise the Lord with harp,” says the Psalmist (Psalm 33:2). “Sing praises to the Lord with the harp; the harp, and the sound of melody” (Psalm 98:5). “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God upon the harp” (Psalm 147:7). The harp stands for the music of praise as the Jews knew it.
The “ELDERS” also have “GOLDEN VIALS” (bowls) “FULL OF ODORS” (incense); and the incense is the prayers of God’s devoted people who have been under the persecution of evil in the world and as a result of the persecution have been killed—“And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (6:10). The likening of prayers to incense comes also from the Psalms. “Let my prayer be before thee counted as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2). The elders and the creatures fall down in worship of Jesus. This pictures all of the heavenly beings worshipping the Son, just as they had done for the one on the throne (4:10), acknowledging Christ’s deity. The only appropriate response to this moment is praise. In this case, the instruments and implements they use are harps and bowels of incense. But the significant thing is the idea of intermediaries in prayer. In later Jewish literature this idea of heavenly intermediaries bringing the prayers of the faithful to God is very common. We find that many angels participate in this great work; and sometimes it is the guardian angels who bring the prayers of men to God.
There are certain things to be said about this belief in heavenly intermediaries.
From one point of view it is an uplifting thought. We are, so to speak, not left to pray alone. No prayer can be altogether heavy-footed and leaden-winged which has all the citizenry of heaven behind it to help it rise to God.
From another point of view it is quite unnecessary. Before us is set and open door which no man can ever shut; no man’s prayers need any assistance, for God’s ear is open to catch the faintest whisper of appeal.
The whole conception of intermediaries arises from a line of thought which has met us before. As the centuries went on, the Jews became more and more impressed with the otherworldliness of God, His difference from men. They began to believe that there never could be any direct contact between God and man and that there must be Angelic intermediaries to bridge the gulf. That is exactly the feeling that Jesus Christ came to take away; he came to tell us that God “is closer to us than breathing, nearer than hands or feet” and to be the living way by which for every man, however humble, the door to God is open.
There He stands, the Lamb and the Lion, the One who is both Savior and Sovereign. At present Christ sets with the Father (Ephesians 1:20; Revelation 3:21), but He shall stand again and claim His inheritance; the earth.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
As with so many new things in Revelation, the elders and creatures are singing a “NEW SONG.” The phrase “A NEW SONG” is very common in the Psalms; and there it is always a song for the new mercies of God (psalm 40:3; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1). In this case, “NEW” is not a chronological designation, but rather, an acknowledgement of the high quality of the song. This song is meant for this particular situation, not simply reused from another. The song celebrates the fact that Jesus is worthy to take the scroll. He is the One to accomplish the plan of God—dying for people from every nation in the world. Not only did Jesus die to bring humanity to God, but He also enabled believers to stand before God holy and just.
One of the characteristics of the Revelation is that it is the book of new things. There is the new name (2:17; 3:12); there is the new Jerusalem (3:12; 21:2); there is the new song (5:9; 14:3); there are the new heavens and the new earth (21:1); and there is the great promise that God makes all things new (21:5).
The praise rendered to the Lamb by the four living creatures and the elders is rendered because He died. In this song there is a summary of the results of the death of Jesus Christ; and in verses 9 and 10, the song acknowledges that the redeemed belong to God.
There are some things I would like to say about the death of Jesus Christ:
It was a sacrificial death. That is to say, it was a death with purpose in it. It was not an accident of history; it was not even the tragic death of a good and heroic man in the cause of righteousness, and of God; it was a sacrificial death. The object of this sacrifice is to restore the lost relationship between God and man; and it was for that purpose, and with that result, that Jesus Christ died
The death of Jesus Christ was an emancipating death. From beginning to end the New Testament is full of the idea of the liberation of mankind achieved by Christ. He gave His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). He gave Himself a ransom for all (1 Timothy 2:6). He redeemed us—literally bought us out—from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13). We are redeemed not by any human wealth but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:19). Jesus Christ is the Lord that bought us (2 Peter 2:1). We are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23). The New Testament consistently declares that it cost the death of Jesus Christ to rescue man from the dilemma and the slavery into which sin had brought him. The New Testament has no “official” theory of how that effect was achieved; but of the affect itself it is in no doubt whatever.
The death of Jesus Christ was universal in its benefits. It was for men and women of every race. There was a day when the Jews could maintain that God cared only for them and wished for nothing but the destruction of their enemies. But in Jesus Christ we meet a God who loves the world. The death of Christ was for all men and, therefore, it is the task of the Church to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all men. The disciples thought that as long as Jesus was alive, He could save them. But Jesus revealed that only His death would save them and all those who trust in Him.
The Lord Jesus Christ, was “WORTHY TO TAKE THE BOOK, AND TO OPEN THE SEALS THEREOF” because of His self-sacrifice. Because He is worthy, He is able to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. The song of the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures praises Christ’s work. He is worthy because:
He was killed
He ransomed people with His blood
He gathered people from every tribe and language and people and nation into His kingdom
He made them priests
He appointed them to reign on the earth.
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Here they are appointed as kings and as priests. This is similar to John’s greeting in Revelation 1:6—“And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
Verse 10 adds to what is said in verse 9 by pointing out another benefit we receive from the death of Jesus Christ: THE DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST WAS AN AVAILING DEATH. He did not die for nothing. In this song three aspects of the work of Christ are singled out.
He made us Kings. He opened to men the royalty of the sonship of God. Men have always been sons of God by creation; but now there is a new Sonship of grace open to every man. We are kings, and as such we shall go forth with Him to rule the earth.
He made us priests. It is not that we are going to be such, but that we are such. This is what He made us. In the ancient world the priest alone had the right to approach God. When an ordinary Jew entered the Temple, he could make his way through the Court of the Gentiles, through the Court of the Women, into the Court of the Israelites; but he could not enter the Court of the Priests. He could go only so far and no farther. But Jesus Christ opened the way to God for all men. Every man becomes a priest in the sense that he has the right of access to God—we shall worship Him in His immediate presence.
He gave us triumph. His people shall reign upon the earth. This is not political triumph or material lordship. It is the secret of victorious living under any circumstances. “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). In Christ there is victory over self, victory over circumstance and victory over sin.
When we think of what the death and life of Jesus Christ have done for men, it is no wonder that the living creatures and the Elders burst into praise of Him. Now think of this, I am going to be in Heaven someday to worship Him in spirit and in truth (and you may be standing next to me). One day I shall be in the company of a great multitude gathered out of every nation on the earth, and together we shall praise the Lamb who redeemed us by His blood. The first expression of praise in Heaven was on the ground of creation (Revelation 4:11), but this song celebrates the glorious work of redemption. It is a worship service unprecedented in all history.
Every redeemed soul becomes a part of God’s kingdom in a royal and reigning way. In that day we will not be subjects of the kingdom, but reigning ones with the King of kings (Revelation 1:6; 2:26-27; 3:21; 20:4-6). Jesus promised His own that they would share with Him in the day of His rule over the earth (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:28-29). Paul also said that those who persevere with Christ “shall reign with Him” (2 Timothy 2:12). The role of the redeemed during the millennium is a regal one.
I don’t believe that I could remind you too often that He purchased redemption for you through His precious blood, we have been made kings and priests (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 20:5, 6), “AND WE SHALL REIGN ON THE EARTH. Let me urge you to keep in mind this fact: You are somebody if you are born again. Through the blood of Jesus Christ you are a royal priest, you are a king, and you need not bow before any two-legged human being and confess your sins to him. There is one Mediator between God and men—the Man Christ Jesus—and you may rest assured that He will mediate between you and God the Father.
Let me put it this way: the best is just ahead. Believers, we have much to look forward two, and not anything to worry about if we believe (Romans 8:28, 31). All things work together for good to them that love the Lord, to them who are the called according to His purpose. If God be for us, who can be against us? Therefore, we know we are on the winning side, and all the glories of Heaven are just ahead. It cannot be long, it must be soon!
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
John’s vision widens so that he sees and hears the adoration of the innumerable voices of the angels of heaven, who speak as if they were one voice. They stand in a great outer circle around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, and they begin their song. We have repeatedly seen how John takes his language from the Old Testament and here there is in his memory David’s great thanksgiving to God: “David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying: “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all” (1 Chronicles 29:10-12).
You will note that the angels are not singing. We hear a lot about angels singing, but the Bible does not tell us that they sing. I know of only one place in Scripture where angels are said to sing; it was at the time of creation—“while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy” (Job 38:7). The morning stars here are angels, but their song was silenced when sin entered and spoiled the beauty of the original creation. From that time we never again hear of angels singing. Angels speak, as did a host of them at Christ’s birth, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). Now in Heaven John saw and heard them praising the Lamb but not with singing.
These numbers are not meant to be the equation for a specific quantity, but are instead a description of the vastness of those in the vision. The phrase “THOUSANDS OF THOUSANDS” is more literally “myriad upon myriad.” The word “myriad” was used by the Greeks to describe something too great to count. Today, we might think of “billions upon billions.” This is the entire Angelic host. Daniel saw a similar vision: “Millions of angels ministered to him and a hundred million stood to attend Him” (Daniel 7:10).
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
The song of the living creatures and of the elders told of the work of Christ in His death; now the angels speak of His worthiness and of the possessions of Christ in His Glory. Seven great possessions belong to the Risen Lord. The first four descriptive words are qualities of Jesus: “POWER, RICHES (wealth), WISDOM, AND might (STRENGTH).” The last three describe the response to Jesus: “HONOR, GLORY, AND PRAISE (BLESSING).”
To Him belongs the “POWER.” Paul called Jesus, “Christ the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24). Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). He demonstrated his power in creation (Colossians 1:16); in maintaining an orderly universe (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3); over demons (Mark 5:1-20); over disease (Mark 5:25-29); and over death (Mark 5:35-43). He is not one who can plan but never achieve; to him belongs the power. In Heaven all men and angels yield to His authority. We can say triumphantly of him: “He is able.”
To Him belongs the “RICHES.” The Bible says, “He was rich” (2 Corinthians). “Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Paul speaks of “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8). There is no promise that Jesus Christ has made that He does not possess the resources to carry out. There is no claim on Him which He cannot satisfy.
To Him belongs the “WISDOM.” Paul calls Jesus Christ “the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24). He has the wisdom to know the secrets of God and the solution to all the problems of life. We Christians know that Christ is made unto us wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30). Hardly a day goes by without our having to turn to Him for wisdom, and we know that He always gives it to us liberally (James 1:5). In Heaven all wisdom is attributed to Him.
To him belongs the “STRENGTH.” Satan is strong but Christ is able to bind Him (Matthew 12:29) and He will bind him (Revelation 20:2). Christ is the strong one who can disarm the powers of evil and overthrow Satan (Luke 11:22. In Heaven all men and angels acknowledge Him as the source of their strength.). There is no situation with which He cannot cope.
To him belongs the “HONOR.” Christ is honored in Heaven but dishonored on earth. In Heaven he is praised, while on earth He is blasphemed. He is crowned with honor (Psalm 8:5; Hebrews 2:7, 9) and clothed with honor (Psalm 104:1). The day is coming when every knee shall bow to Him and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord (Philippians 2:11). A strange thing is that even those who are not Christian often honor Christ by admitting that in His teaching alone lies the hope of this distracted world.
To Him belongs the “GLORY.” As John has put it: “We beheld his glory, from Glory as of the only Father full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Glory is that which by right belongs to God alone. To say that Jesus Christ possesses the Glory is to say that He is divine.
To Him belongs the “BLESSING.” To bless means to make happy. The Psalmist called upon the whole man to make Him happy when he said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, blessed His holy name and bless the lord, O my soul, and forget not His benefits” (Psalm 103:1-2). There is the inevitable climax of it all. All these things Jesus Christ possesses, He uses in the service of the men for whom he lived and died; He does not keep them for himself. And why shouldn’t He, inasmuch as He created all things?
Therefore, their rises to Him from all the redeemed thanksgiving for all that He has done. And that thanksgiving is the one gift that we who have nothing can give to Him who possesses all.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
Now the chorus of praise goes so far that it cannot go farther, for it reaches throughout the whole of the universe and the whole of creation. Every creature joins with the innumerable amount of worshippers in the singing. There is one vast song of praise to the Lamb. We may denote one very significant thing. In this chorus of praise God and the Lamb are joined together. Nothing could better show the height of John’s conception of Jesus Christ. In the praise of creation he sat him by the side of God.
In the song itself there are two things to know.
The creatures which are in heaven add their praise. Who are they? More than one answer has been given and each is lovely in its own way. It has been suggested that the reference is to the birds of the air; the very singing of the birds is a song of praise. It has been suggested that the reference is to the sun, the moon and the stars; the heavenly bodies are praising God by their shining. It has been suggested that the praise gathers up every possible being in heaven—the living creatures, the elders, the myriads of angels and every other heavenly being.
The creatures which are beneath the earth add their praise. That can only mean the dead who are in Hades, and here is something totally new. In the Old Testament the idea is that the dead are completely separated from God and man and live a shadowy existence. “In death there is no remembrance of thee; in Sheol who can’t give thee praise?” (Psalm 6:5). “Shall the dust praise thee? Shall it declare thy truth? What profit is there in my death if I go down to the pit?” (Psalm 30:9). “Dost thou work wonders for the dead? Do the shades rise up to praise thee? Is thy steadfast love declared in the grave, or thy faithfulness in a abaddon? Are thy wonders known in the darkness or thy saving help in this land of forgetfulness?” (Psalm 88:10-12). “For Sheol cannot thank thee, death cannot praise thee; those that go down to the pit cannot hope for thy faithfulness” (Isaiah 38:18).
The day is coming when “EVERY CREATURE WHICH IS IN HEAVEN, AND ON THE EARTH, AND UNDER THE EARTH, AND SUCH AS ARE IN THE SEA, AND ALL THAT ARE IN THEM, HEARD I SAYING, BLESSING, AND HONOUR, AND GLORY, AND POWER, BE UNTO HIM THAT SITTETH UPON THE THRONE, AND UNTO THE LAMB FOR EVER AND EVER.
14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
The final “AMEN” is added by the four beasts to show they are in agreement. There is no distinction drawn in their worship between the One setting on the throne (God) and the Lamb (Jesus). They worship them as one.
I hope you will agree with me, that this is a wonderful chapter! May God Bless you, as you study His Word.
