REVELATION 4-5
GOD'S THRONE IN HEAVEN
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Rev. 4:1-5
After these things I looked, and behold a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, 'Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this. Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; (NU omits: and they had) with crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
We have now arrived at the largest section of the book of Revelation...
4:1
Suddenly, John saw a door standing open in Heaven and the trumpet voiced One said, Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this. The Greek words, after this, are μετὰ ταῦτα (meta touta).These are the same words that Jesus used back in 1:19, when he told John to begin writing his words down. Now, they tell us that, from this point on, Christ Jesus will be telling us about future things.
Immediately, John was taken through a door into Heaven by the powerful trumpet-voice from above. Reminds one of the coming Rapture of the Church, does it not? That day is fast approaching when all true believers will also hear his trumpet-voice and be immediately taken up and away from this present earth. As we have it in First Thessalonians 4:16-17,
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
4:2-3
Arriving above, John's senses were literally flooded with stimuli. Heaven is a real place, beloved, much more real than where you and I are currently living right now. Once there, John's senses were confronted with a whole host of amazing realities. There was ... substance ... colors ... noises ... voices... angels ... people ... and thrones. But, foremost, John's eyes were drawn to an amazing throne upon which was sitting an awesome Throne-Sitter. He testifies, behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. It was a visible manifestation of the Father. We know this to be the case because Jesus will approach him in chapter 5. John says the Throne-sitter’s appearance was like the sparkling luminescence of a jasper stone, combined with the blood red of a sardius stone (named after Sardis, the area around which such stones are found).
There is wonderful significance in the colors of these two stones emanating from the Father's Person upon his throne. In Old Testament times, twelve precious stones were sewn on the Aaronic High Priest’s vest ... each one representing one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The jasper and sardius stones were the first and last stones on the vest. The jasper stone stood for the tribe of Reuben. Ruben’s name meant, behold a son. The sardius stone stood for the tribe of Benjamin. His name meant, son of my right hand. The fact that the Father's Person was emanating the colors of these two stones is very significant. For, both the Father and the Son sit upon this throne ... and they reflect one another. That’s because, in essence, they are truly One. The Lord Jesus perfectly reflected his Father when he was on Earth. As you have it in Hebrews 1:3a,
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. (KJV)
And again in John 1:18, we read,
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.
In John 14:9, when Philip wanted to see the Father, Jesus replied,
Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
In Heaven's scene that met John’s eye, we find that the reverse is also true. He that has seen the Father has also seen the Son. Doubtless, this is why the Father is reflecting the colors that are associated with his Son ... for this throne is his as well. In Matthew 11:27, Jesus said,
All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal him.
Next, John’s eyes lifted upward and he saw a magnificent emerald rainbow that surrounded the great Throne. You will recall that God designated rainbows to be the sign of his Covenant with Noah wherein he promised to never again destroy the Earth by water (Genesis 9:8-13). Every rainbow that has appeared on earth from that day to this has provided a constant visualization to God of that covenant. This beautiful rainbow around God’s throne is a permanent visual reminder for all who sees it that this God is the covenant and promise keeping God of all of human history as recorded in Scripture.
Now, I have a question about this scene. Where is Jesus? Shouldn't he be seated at the right hand of this Majesty on high? But he isn't, is he? Where do you think he is, then? To answer the question, let’s begin by asking ourselves, Where is Jesus right now, at this very minute? Why, he is seated on this very throne, is he not? As you have it in Hebrews 1:3,
Who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
And again, as we had it back in 3:21,
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
The fact that Christ is not present on this throne suggests that there is something extremely unique and unusual about this scene that John arrived at that day. I think it is safe to say that Jesus was not present when John arrived there because he had left his Father's throne. Now, in the future, Christ Jesus will only leave his Father’s throne for one of two reasons.
First, he will temporarily leave it to go and fetch his Church from earth and bring it back with him to his Father's house in Heaven (First Thessalonians 4:16).
Or, second, he will leave his Father's throne to return to Earth to rule and reign there for a 1000 years (Zechariah 14:34; Rev. 20:4).
Shortly, it will become apparent to us ... at which of these two events John had arrived. After we have examined all the evidense, we will find that, time-wise, John had arrived just after the Rapture of his Church and just before Christ has returned to He and his Father's Throne. Now, let's gather evidence in the text that supports this premise.
4:4
John says, Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones were twenty-four elders sitting. Can you identify these men? Let's see if we can do so by taking a closer look at them.
First, they are called elders. The Greek word used here for elders is the word πρεσβυτέρους (presbuteros). In the New Testament, this term is one that is used for the spiritual leaders of the Church. It describes their office. The other Greek word used for Church leaders is ἐπίσκοποs (episkopos), it is translated "bishop" or "overseer". It describes the function of their office.
Second, there were twenty four of them. What might be the significance of that particular number? Well, the old Aaronic priesthood was divided into twenty-four divisions (I Chronicles 24:1-19). Their priesthood ceased, however, when the Old Covenant in which it was based was replaced by the New Covenant instituted by the blood of Christ on the cross (Romans 11:17-22). The Jews ... having flatly rejected their Messiah and God ... Christ then turned to the Gentiles and they, along with a small remnant of Messianic Jews, assumed the new role of New Covenant priests. You will remember back in 1:6 that we believers have been made a kingdom of priests. I believe these twenty-four elders John saw around God's throne are representatives of that priesthood. They are probably individual heads of twenty-four divisions of Melchizedekian priests (Hebrews 7:16-17). If that is the case, then their individual divisions would be assigned specific times and tasks of service to the worshipod the Lord ... just as the ancient Aaronic priests functioned. In any case, everything about these men speak of the fact that they are representatives of the Church. This is further confirmed in 5:9 where John hears them singing to the Lamb ... You ...have redeemed us to God by your blood.
Third, they were seated upon thrones. Only the Church is promised thrones in Scripture. Jesus promised them to his disciples in Matthew 19:28,
Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Jesus' promise to his 12 chosen disciples above is a great help in deciding just who half of these twenty-four elders might be. Doubtless, they are the Lord’s Apostles, fulfilling his promise in Matthew 19:28 above. As such, they would be representing the Jewish side of the Church. It would make sense, then, that the other twelve are elders who represent the Gentile side of the Church. In that case, we should expect to find 12 men such as ... Paul of Tarsus, Barnabas, Timothy, Silas, Luke, Mark, Titus, Aquila, Gaius, Aristarchus, Epaphroditus, and Sopater.
Fourth, they were clothed in white robes. Back in 3:5, Jesus said, He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments. Only Church saints are promised white clothing in the Bible. Both words, garments and robes, are translations of the same Greek word, by the way.
Last, John says they were wearing crowns of gold. Only the Church is promised crowns in the Bible. They will be given out as rewards. The fact that these 24 elders are already crowned is important because it tells us that the Judgment Seat of Christ (II Corinthians 5:10) has already taken place and Christ's Church rewarded.
So, there is more than ample evidence here that the men who are seated on thrones around the throne of God are representatives of Christ’s Church. Not only had John been caught up into Heaven then ... but he had arrived there at a future day as well and ... at an all-important event that the Lord wanted him to witness. This is in agreement with Jesus' words, Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this. This yet future all-important event is one of those things.
4:5
Having seen the 24 elders on their thrones, next, John’s senses were struck by things emanating from the Throne-Sitter's Throne. It was literally vibrating with lightning, thunder and voices. Further, John observed there were Seven lamps of fire ... burning before the throne, which are the Seven spirits of God. Reminds us of that verse in Hebrews 1:7 does it not?
And of the angels he saith, who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. (KJV)
These are the same spirits are that greeted us back in chapter one. Now, however, John sees they are burning before the throne of God. What a sight! It is becoming apparent from his descriptions that this is a throne preparing for judgment. At long last, the one who sits upon this throne is about to intervene upon the earth. He is about to step in and do something about evil and wickedness and unbelief to which so many have so often accused him of being indifferent. The rumblings and flashes of lightning from the Father's throne, portend the fact that he is coming to the end of His patience and long-suffering. Like a nuclear reactor approaching critical mass, the throne of God is becoming unstable and the balance between long-suffering and justice is tilting toward the overriding demand for JUSTICE. That being the case, I believe the voices John heard coming from the throne were the stored up cries of countless thousands of saints who, down through the ages, cried out to God for help as they were being beaten, robbed, raped, tortured, and murdered ... then cast off like so much garbage! We can rest assured, God has not forgotten a single one of their cries. Proverbs 15:3, says,
The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
And, again in Deut. 32:25,
Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.’
The God of the whole earth was about to rise up and his 7 avenging angels burned before his throne, ready to carry out his bidding. The point-in-time when John arrived in Heaven was on the very brink of the fulfillment of the words of Romans 12:19b,
It is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay,' says the Lord.
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Rev. 4:6-8
Before the throne there was (NU adds: something like) a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!'
4:6-7
John's eyes continuing to be riveted on the throne before him, he says four living creatures, ζῷα (zoa) were there. Wherever they are found in the Bible, these awesome beings are almost exclusively found with the throne of God. The only exception is when one of them was placed at the entrance to the Garden of Eden to guard the way to the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:24). Ezekiel 1 and 10 are key chapters for a more detailed description of these magnificent beings and their throne related functions. The first time Ezekiel saw them, they were coming out of the wilderness carrying the throne of God. We learn from his account that they not only transport God's throne, but they also are its protectors ... flashing around it with lightning speed on with wings that thunder with deafening noise (Ezek.1:14, 24). It would be time well spent to read those chapters and get the big picture of our Lord's awesome creatures ... his Zoa.
John's view of the living creatures was one-dimensional because he only saw them from only one angle. Therefore, each Zoa appeared to have a different face. Ezekiel, however, tells us that the Zoa are four sided beings, and each one has all four faces. Therefore, they can always be situated so that whoever approaches God's throne from any direction will always see all four faces. This also enables them to maintain watch in every direction ... simultaneously! And, just as the colors of the Throne-sitter represent the Son, the faces of the living creatures reflect him as well. Each face of the Zoas, speak of a particular ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s look at them and see if it is not so...
THE LION FACE
The lion face of the living creatures emphasize that the one whose throne they bear, protect, and surround, is the King of Israel ... The Lion of the Tribe of Judah. This is the theme of Matthew's gospel. His argument is that Jesus is the King of the Jews. For example, that is why Matthew's genealogy only traces Christ's line back to King David, establishing Jesus' legal right to the throne of Israel.
THE CALF FACE
The calf faces of the living creatures emphasize the one whose throne they bear, protect, and surround, is God’s prophesied and beloved Servant. A calf or ox is a serving beast. In Isaiah, God says of his Son,
Behold! my Servant whom I uphold, my Elect One in whom my soul delights! I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. Isaiah 42:1
This is the theme of Mark's gospel. His argument is Jesus is God's Servant. As Jesus himself put it in Mark 10:45,
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Consistent with Mark's theme, there is no genealogy of Christ in Mark. Who cares about the lineage of a servant?
THE MAN FACE
The man face of the living creatures emphasize that the one whose throne they bear, protect, and surround is human ... he who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). He was and is the man, Christ Jesus (First Timothy 2:5). Ever since our Lord’s return to his Father's throne in Heaven, a man has been seated at the right hand of the majesty on high! Jesus became one of us ... a human being. This is the theme of Luke's gospel. That’s why Luke gives us such a detailed account of the birth of Jesus and gives Jesus' geneaology all the way back to Adam! Twenty-five times in Luke's Gospel, Luke quotes Jesus referring to himself as the son of man.
THE EAGLE FACE
The eagle face of the living creatures emphasize the fact that the one whose throne they bear, protect, and surround is God of very God. Make no mistake about it, Jesus Christ was and is deity. In the Old Testament, Jehovah God is often likened unto an eagle. Boaz used this metaphor when he said to Ruth,
The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge. Ruth 2:12
Psalm 91:4, says,
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust. (KJV)
The no holds barred theme of John’s Gospel is ... Jesus was and is God. You'll find no genealogy here. God the Son has no beginning nor end. He is the logos, the eternal Word. John takes up this subject with his very first verse, saying,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (KJV)
Then, in verse 14, he says,
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
4:8
Each of the living creatures had six wings. In Ezekiel's account, he said they flashed from place to place like lightning (Ezekiel 1:14). This speaks of the fact that the one whose throne they bear, and protect, and surround, is the Omnipresent One. He is anywhere and everywhere at all times.
Each of the living creatures were full of eyes in front and in back. The Zoa's myriad of eyes speak of the fact that the One who occupys this throne is the Omniscient One (all-knowing and all-seeing). As Luke observes about Jesus in Luke 6:8a,
But he knew their thoughts. (KJV)
The living creatures never cease, night and day, to proclaim, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come. At the point-in-time when John arrived in Heaven, the living creatures were continuously, spontaneously, and loudly proclaiming God’s holiness around the clock. This was because the judgments that Christ was about to unleash upon the earth were squarely rooted in his holy nature. The Judge of the Whole Earth ... the Holy One of God was about to act.
To sum up, what John observed was a throne set for judgment. It was rumbling like a volcano ... emitting flashes of lightning ... surrounded by four living creatures who were ceaselessly proclaiming, Holy, Holy, Holy ... as 7 angels burned like fire before it. What a sight! What sounds! And, what a day it will be when you and I will be in attendance at this very event when the long-delayed justice and retribution of God is about to be unleashed upon the earth.
Christ Jesus came into our world to save poor lost sinners. But, in order to do it, Jesus had to shed his own blood on the cross and die in our place. His death was absolutely necessary. As we have it in Romans 3:25-26 (speaking of Jesus),
Whom God set forth as a propitiation by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
So, it was the holiness of God that sent Jesus to the cross. And it was there that God's just demand against sin was completely met and satisfied. Jesus paid it all ... experienceing every sin ever committed or would be committed, and then, absorbing God's wrath for it all. We sinners were the offenders, but God's wrath was poured out on his substitutionary Lamb instead of on us ... paying sins ultimate penalty ... death ... for us all. As we have it in Romans 6:23a,
For the wages of sin is death.
Only after that sacrifice, could Holy God freely justify and forgive sinners. Only after the cross, could Holy God remain just in pardoning and receiving sinful men and women to himself (Romans 3:25-26). Amazing plan, amazing grace! After the cross, on the 3rd day, Jesus arose from the dead. Proof that his sacrifice had been accepted. Then, after many days of fellowship and ministery to his disciples, Christ Jesus returned to Heaven to sit down on the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:3b).
Keep in mind, however, eternal damnation will be the just punishment of all who turn their backs on the great salvation Christ Jesus has so freely and graciously provided. The awful consequences of spurning Christ's sacrifice and blood will be set before us in the pages to follow.
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Rev. 4:9-11
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: You are worthy, [NU omits: O and adds: our Lord and God], to receive glory and honor and power; For you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.
4:9-11
After John's observing of God’s awesome throne setting up for judgment, suddenly all of Heaven began to be caught up in a great outpouring of worship. As the four living creatures were crying, Holy, Holy, Holy ... the twenty-four elders left their thrones and fell down before the Throne-Sitter and began casting their crowns at his feet (The NIV says they lay their crowns before the throne but, Dr. Zodhiates says the Greek verb cast, βαλοῦσιν (balousin) ... in all its applications retains the idea of impulse.). Unfortunately, real, uninhibited, and spontaneous worship is a bit of a rare thing down here but, praise God, it's the norm up there. Again, keep in mind that this event that John is telling us about is a real one in time yet future ... and you and I are actually going to be there when it actually occurs. Doubtless, it will be worship so complete and so sublime that presently it is almost beyond comprehension. My, how you and I will worship on that day! We will speak to our dear Lord with utter abandon and adoration. With all our hearts we'll confess what he means to us and what he has done for us. He loved us, he saved us, he kept us. Our great God's plan, Son, Spirit, Word, and grace and mercy rescued us to himself. Doubtless, we too will cast our crowns at his feet with utter and glorious abandon.
John heard the elders cry, You are worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things. Our great God and Father is worthy of worship simply because he is our Creator. It is fundamental to a creature to praise its Creator. May I ask you a question? Are you glad that God created you? Are you thankful to him for your existence? Isn't it wonderful that he brought you and me into being? Life ... the gift of existence ... is a priceless treasure, brother, and sister. Thank you, Jesus! My, how we will worship our wonderful Creator on that day!
In conclusion, let me suggest that a helpful way to remember the content of a chapter in the Bible is to simply assign a key word to it. Here, in chapter 4, I suggest a good key word is Holy. It is the central theme of the chapter and at the core of God's nature and will be fundamental to the judgments of the Tribulation that are about to unfolded before us.
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Rev. 5:14
And I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?'. And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open (NU omits: and read) the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll, or to look at it.
5:1
Although this is a new chapter, John's words, And I saw, tells us that we are still at the same scene which began back in 4:1. John is continuing his record of this yet future, incredible day at which he stood. In fact we will discover that the things described to us here in chapter 5 are the key to the entire event.
John’s attention is now drawn to a mysterious scroll in the Throne-Sitter’s right hand. As he looked more closely, he saw that it was completely full of writing on its front and on its back. There was no room left anywhere upon it for more to be written. In this regard, it was exactly like the book found in Ezekiel 2:9-10,
Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. Then he spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.
Ezekiel’s scroll (book) contained a prophecy of impending judgments on Israel. Ezekiel was instructed to preach the contents of his scroll to Israel to warn them that if they did not repent, judgment was coming. The Throne-Sitter’s scroll, we have here in Revelation 5, also contain judgments to come but, this time, they will be inevitable and will come upon the whole earth. Beginning in chapter 6, these judgments will unfold before us as Christ Jesus breaks the seals off the scroll.
John heard a strong angel with a loud voice cry … Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals? But … no one was found worthy to open the scroll, or to look at it. The scroll in the Throne-sitters right hand was a unique (book) indeed. It was a document for one Person’s eyes and hands alone! If he could be found, he would open it and, then, the extensive program it contained would commence ... bringing about utter defeat of all of God’s enemies ... and establish God’s long-awaited kingdom and dominion on Earth. But the scroll belonged to one alone … only one was worthy to open it.
It contained the program and authority from his Father to:
purify ... his ancient Jewish people, Israel save ... every last person on planet earth who would respond in faith to Christ Jesus eliminate ... the enemies of God and the gospel of Christ Jesus institute ... the long-promised and awaited Jewish kingdom on earth
A strong angel cried out ... his tremendous voice seeking for anyone worthy to come, receive and open the scroll. No doubt, his cry thundered in every nook and cranny of every occupied realm. His call was to insure that there was no other created being to whom this scroll could possibly belong. A man was needed who had the moral and spiritual qualities to receive the Throne-sitter's scroll and carry out the things written within it. It would take a perfect and righteous Man ... for he who enforces holiness must himself be Holy; he who judges sinners must himself be sinless. In John 8, we have the account of a woman caught by some Jewish leaders in the very act of adultery. They then dragged her to Jesus and demanded what Jesus thought should be her just punishment (under the Old Testment law, by the way, the penalty was death by stoning). Jesus stooped down and began writing in the dirt ... and, after awhile, he replied, He that is without sin let him cast the first stone. Do you remember what had happened? All her self-righteous accusers had slunk away! No one could judge her because no one was any better than she! The Scripture says, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). All but one, that is … the One who will justly do the stone-casting one day. Being sinless, righteous, just, all all-knowing ... he is worthy you see. The Lord Jesus Christ is qualified. His blood was shed on Calvary's cross and he died there for sinners. And now, for centuries he has been offering his great salvation to all who will simply believe and receive him. Jesus is the Way out of everyone's hell-bound, lost, and broken life. His blood can wash and make the foulest clean!
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. First John 2:2
This whole scene here in Revelation 4 and 5, by the way, is the expanded version of the exact same event Daniel witnessed in thumbnail Daniel 7:13-14, when he saw the Son of Man come to the Ancient of Days to receive his kingdom and authority and dominion...
I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. Then to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.
Revelation 4 and 5 provides us with the fleshed out detail of the future day of Christ's coronation and commissioning. John fornd himself standing in the middle of it. The scroll in the Throne-Sitter’s hand contained Christ’s authority, title, and right to dominion over the whole earth. It was the legal and authoritative decree from the Ancient of Days to take rule and reign over all peoples and nations. It contained the detailed agenda, judgments, personages, and events that would bring it all to pass and put all enemies under Christ’s feet. It is the most significant and crucial document of all time.
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Rev. 5:5-7
But one of the elders said to me, ’Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and [NU omits: to loose] its seven seals. And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then he came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne.
5:5
An elder approached the weeping John and told him to dry his tears because, indeed, One had been found who was worthy and qualified to take and to open the scroll. Then, as John was drying his eyes, a Lamb appeared in the midst of the Throne. This was his rightful place, by the way. The elder cried, Behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. Won't that be something when you and I hear these exact sane words at this monumental event one day?!
Let's look at these 2 Messianic titles...
First, the Lamb is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. When Jacob was giving his final blessing to his sons ... when he came to Judah ... he prophesied that royalty would come from Judah's line … namely, the royal One called Shiloh. He said,
Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him shall be the obedience of the people. Genesis 49:9-10
Because of Jacob's prophecy, the Lion became the symbol of the tribe of Judah. Jesus was born of that tribe and Shiloh is one of his names. It means "rest". One of the great blessings of Christ's Millennial reign on Earth is that he will provide rest to the earth and all its peoples. There is a crying need for that today, is there not? Our world is tangled in such endless turmoil. It will not experience REST, however, until Shiloh comes. Peter, preaching to the Jews in Acts 3:19-21, said,
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
Second, the Lamb is called the Root of David. This further identifies the one who John saw appear at the throne and take the scroll from the Throne-Sitter’s hand. This Messianic title emphasizes that Jesus is of the royal line of king David. He is the descendant of David's father, Jesse. And, as such, he will one day rule the world. Let's look at another wonderful prophecy concerning this coming Davidic King. It is found in Isaiah 11:1-10,
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, and he shall not judge by the sight of his eyes, nor decide by the hearing of his ears; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his loins, and faithfulness the belt of his waist. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek him, and his resting place shall be glorious.
When the angel Gabriel announced Jesus' birth to the virgin Mary, he said,
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Luke 1:32-33
5:6-7
John says, in the midst of the throne ... stood a Lamb as it had been slain. What a paradox, the great conquering King of kings appears in Heaven before his Church as a Lamb ... slain. To them, he is God's Lamb, first and foremost, you see. To Israel, he will reign as their King. So, there standing on the throne in full view of his entire Church, all of his other saints, and all of God’s holy angels, Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God, stood. What a moment that will be when it actually occurs! To we believers, he will ever be our dear, precious, sacrificed Lamb. I believe he will forever bear the marks on his body of his sacrificial death ... a reminder throughout eternity of how much he loved us and what he did for us. Let’s take a moment to look at a few scriptures that speak to this.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ' Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!' John 1:29
Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. First Peter 1:18-19
He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. Isaiah 53:7
The Lamb had now returned to his Throne. Let’s look closer at John’s description of him...
... he had seven horns. Horns in the Bible are often symbols for power. The strength of horned creatures reside in their horns. Having seven horns is symbolically declaring that this Lamb possesses all or perfect power. Make no mistake about it, the Lamb of God possesses all power. By the raw power of his Word alone, the entire universe is presently being held together! As we have it in Hebrews 1:3,
Who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high...
Now that’s POWER, brother. This Lamb is the Omnipotent One himself!
... he had seven eyes. Here, the symbolism is explained to us. John says his eyes are the seven spirits of Godsent out into all the earth. Again, this is referring to the same seven spirits who greeted us back in chapter one and who were, at that moment, burning before the Throne (4:5). The Lamb's eyes are symbols of these spirits because they are the ones who will, as extensions of Christ, carry out his judgments on earth when they blow their seven trumpets (8:6).
...the great moment arrived. The Lamb took the scroll from the Throne-Sitter's hand. I can almost hear the growing runble of gasps and exclamations from all who witnessed it that day, can't you? Words fail to describe the profound significance that this moment will bring in Heaven. We'll just have to see it and hear it for ourselves. Oh yeah ... and we will!
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Rev. 5:8-14
Now when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made [NU changes: us kings to: them a kingdom] and priests to our God; and [NU omits: we] they shall reign on the earth. Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing! 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, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power be to him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the [NU omits: twenty-four] elders fell down and worshipped [NU omits: him who lives forever and ever].
5:8
When Jesus receives his commission to judge the earth and establish his eternal kingdom here, it will be the greatest turning point in human history! It can't happen too soon, Amen? So, when he took the book from his Father’s hand, the greatest praise and worship session Heaven will likely ever see, errupted. First, the Church, represented by the twenty-four elders, fell before the Lamb and began singing to him. Then, the living creatures ... accompanied by myriads of angels exuberantly began to speak forth their praises. This drew in all of God’s created creatures to join the mounting thunder of praise ... topped off by the biggest and loudest Amen ever uttered from the combined voices of the four living creatures. Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus will not hold a candle to the crescendo of praise and song that will break out in Heaven the day the Lamb takes his scroll from his Father's hand! Because this event is so important, it would be worthwhile for us to examine it even more closely.
First, the elders fell down before the Lamb. They had fallen before the Throne-Sitter in chapter 4 but now, they fell before the Lamb. As they were falling, they were seen to be holding two things. John says they had:
...Harps. Since these elders are representatives of the Church, I believe this implies that all of we believers will have one of these instruments one day. Now, I’m a guitar player of sorts. My boys and even one grandson can out-play me now but I have often used a guitar to facilitate my own praises as well as those of others. Nevertheless, I look forward to getting my hands on one of these harps in Heaven. It is apparent that they are specifically designed by God to inhance the praises of his people. Don't you worry about being able to play it. You'll do just fine.
...golden bowls full of incense. The symbolism of the incense is explained here. John says the golden bowls of incense are the prayers of the saints. Very soon, what we are reading about here will actually come to pass in history. And, it will begin the process of issuing in Christ's long-awaited reign on Earth. This has been the dream, yes, the prayer of God’s people, both Jews and Gentiles, from ancient times. And, God has not lost a single one of those prayers. At this exact point-in-time when Jesus takes the scroll from his Father's hand ... they will be poured out afresh before his throne by the elders of the Church. What an event! The time will now have come to answer them, you see. I am sure that many of your prayers are in those bowls. Have you ever prayed, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven? Those prayers of yours will surely be mingled in with all the others in those golden bowls to be poured out afresh before God on that momentous day.
5:9
Second, the Church began to sing to their Lamb. These words continue to nail down the Lamb's identity. The song that the elders sang was about the redemption that their precious Lamb had provided for them. They sang, you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. I can’t wait to hear that put to melody, can you? This word, redeemed, means "was purchased out of the slave-market of sin." As you have it in Titus 2:13-14,
Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people, zealous for good works.
With the blood of Christ, you and I were redeemed out of the slave-market of sin ... and, for the express purpose of setting us free! Glory to God!
Third, innumerable angels joined in, speaking their praises to the Lamb. The NIV says the angels sang. But, they didn't. The Greek word here is correctly translated, saying. The Greek word is λέγοντες (legontes). Old traditions are hard to break, I guess. Angels are never found singing in Scripture. Not even when the Shepherds heard them that night in Bethlehem, you ask? I'm afraid so. Apparently, of all of God’s created beings, only you and I have the ability to sing!Let's think about it for a moment. Music is an amazing and wonderful thing. I love all kinds of music, from classical to jazz, from country to gospel, from rock to blues. I like it all. I love instrumentals too. Where do you think music came from in the first place? What is its original source? The obvious answer is that it came from our Creator ... the Lord Jesus Christ ... the source of all things. So, music finds its origin and nature in God himself. Did you know that Scripture says God will sing to his people one day? It does. We find it in Zephaniah 3:17,
The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
God himself is musical. Human beings alone were created in the image of God. Therefore, they alone, are musical. Problem is, fallen man’s expressions of music are all too oftened distorted and centered upon themselves or even perverted and foul. Nevertheless, even man’s worst music has elements of the image of God in it. Frankly, I wish the Church would utilize a broader spectrum of music in its worship and praise. A good Jazz or Bluegrass version of Christian hymns, Psalms or praise songs might really draw our hearts into worship! Take it for what it’s worth ... all music has a divine element to it. It stems from our Creator.
So then, the reason why you never find angels singing in the Bible is because they can’t. They were not made in the image of God, you see. It says here that the angels exuberantly joined in saying with a loud voice ... Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Notice also that they do not speak about redemption. That is because they have not and cannot experience it. Christ Jesus did not die for the angels. But they do know worthy when they see it. So, they speak loud and clear to their great Sovereign Lord about his worthiness.
Then, all the creatures chimed in. Do you think that every creature will actually speak praises to the Lamb on that day, you may ask? Yes, I believe they will. At Jesus' triumphal entry, didn’t he say that if his disciples stopped their praise to him (as the Pharisees demanded) that these very stones would cry out (Luke 19:40)? John heard all the creatures join in saying, Blessing and honor and glory and power be to him that sits on the Throne and to the Lamb forever and ever. The animal kingdom will play a significant role in our Lord’s future kingdom, by the way. They are mentioned in many Old Testament prophecies. Romans 8:19-22, speaks of this as well.
For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
Last, the four living creatures capped it all off with a thundering, Amen. The scene closes with the Church still worshiping. At long last, their precious Lamb was going to rise up ... put his enemies under his feet ... and reign!
A good keyword for chapter 5 would be the word Worthy. Jesus is the only human being who ever lived who was worthy to take the Throne-sitter's scroll and open it. Sinners who choose to reject him and his great salvation ... will one day face him as their Judge. He died for them and has done everything possible to save them. Therefore, he is worthy to judge them. The Lion, not the Lamb, is the one before whom those who persist in unbelief will have to one day stand. Furthermore, it is to this Lion that entire new generations of sinners will have to answer and obey during his 1000-year reign on Earth.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.