Revelation 5 The Lion is The Lamb

You are listening to the podcast of Recast Church in Mattawan, Michigan. Recast Church.

I'm Don Felsick. I'm the lead pastor here, and we're going to go ahead and get started. So if you could find your seats, that's great. If you're out in the hallway talking, I love it that you're talking, but we are getting started in here.

So just come on in and take a seat. That's great. I'm glad that you're here this morning. Otherwise it'd be awkward. I'd just be standing up here at this table talking to empty chairs. And so I'm glad that you've gathered together as God's people.

The Need for Christian Community and Shared Worship

And I want to point out that there's something that I hope you find it, just like I do, very helpful and beneficial to gather together as God's people on Sunday morning. I think there's something that is very essential to the Christian life that's there.

We are made for community. I really hope that you've been walking with God and worshiping him really all along during your week. And I hope that there's not a huge change in your spirit when you walk through the doors of the school to come in here.

I hope that there's already been a sense of connectedness with God, already a sense of worshiping him throughout your week, already a sense of dependence upon him. But our life with Christ is not meant to be lived alone.

It is not meant to be lived in isolation. There's a lot of things I mentioned that we can do in our spiritual walk on our own, right? Like we can read the Bible, we can pray, we could, I mean, technically you could drink some juice and take a cracker on your own, right?

Like you could do that kind of thing. But there's something about that God desires for us to gather together that's a beautiful thing. And this morning we're gonna be continuing to take in the epic vision of the revelation that was given to the apostle John, particularly this kind of two-part series, if you will, in chapters four and five, this revelation, this vision of the throne room of God that's given to us.

And last week John was taken in the spirit to the throne room of God that he saw a door open in heaven, he said, and he was taken up into heaven into the throne room of God and there he saw the occupied throne at the center of the universe, the brilliance of the one that sits on that throne emanating a bright white and red light that emanated from that throne.

And he described the worship that is going on in that room spiritually even right now. And all of that worship was focused on God the Father, the almighty maker of heaven and earth, the one who has created all things.

But now this morning there's gonna be a twist in the story, we're gonna see something that shifts a little bit, that alters the routine of that throne room, where we're told that for eternity there's this ongoing cycle of worship that's happening, cycles of repetition of the worship of the Father in heaven, here in our text is paused for a moment, and that should grab our attention, something changes, something shifts.

And in the drama of our text here in Revelation 5, we find the revelation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the lion of the tribe of Judah, and suddenly he stands in the midst of the throne room as a lamb who had been slain.

The text is dramatic, intentionally dramatic, powerful, it demonstrates the worthiness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to receive all worship and all honor. So let's open our Bibles to chapter 5, and navigate over to that on your app or in your Bible, turn the page and get over there, and if you don't have a Bible with you right now, let us know and someone can bring you a Bible, if you don't have one you can raise your hand, but otherwise follow along as we read God's word to us, we're gonna read the entirety of Revelation chapter 5, and just a reminder that this is God's word to us recast, this is written by God himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit to John as he received this and shares it with us, and so we have the opportunity to hear what God desires for us to hear this morning in this reading, so pay attention, follow along.

The Scroll, the Search for Worthiness, and the Waiting for the Lamb

Revelation 5, then I, that's John speaking, then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne, a scroll written within and on the back sealed with seven seals, and I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals, and no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it, and one of the elders said to me, weep no more, behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has conquered so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals, and between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a lamb standing as though it had been slain with seven horns with seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth, and he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne, and when he had taken the scroll the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints, and they sang a new song saying, worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seal for you were slain and by your blood you have ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation and you have made them a kingdom and priest to our God and they shall reign on the earth, then I looked and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands sang with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing, and I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them saying to him who sits on the throne and to the lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever, and the four living creatures said amen and the elders fell down and worshipped.

Let's pray as we come to worship our great God this morning. Father I pray that you would ignite in our hearts a passion like we see for your glory here in this text. Father the drama that is set up here is an amazing thing that I see in you a desire to evoke emotion in us, a desire to instill in us a sense of awe and wonder, even to instill in us a sense of waiting and patience and looking into these things and longing for that day that is to come.

And so father in the in the in between times where we sit as a church and as a people waiting for your justice, waiting for your kingdom, waiting for the king to arrive to set things right, but in this time and in this era father we lift up our voices and praise because of a redemption that we know has been brought to us through this lamb on his cross.

So father from that place may we worship you as a redeemed people, as a people who are being made a kingdom, who are priests unto you. Father that we know that one day we will reign on the earth, a new earth, because of what Christ has done.

So father would you set our hearts free to worship you this morning. Would you allow it to be so much more than an exercise of singing songs we know, but would you move us right into your throne room.

Would you help us to identify who you are and to humble ourselves before you, but also to rejoice in your great love lavished on us. We ask this in Jesus name, amen. Now you can go to be seated. I just want to say thanks to Dave for leading us in worship this morning.

I'm always impressed with how much noise he can make with one instrument so just that impresses me. I don't know if it does you, but I'm not musical at all so it's all it's all like magic to me, but I want to encourage you to get comfortable.

Get more coffee or juice or donuts while supplies last there and if you need to get up and stretch out in the back I know these are not the most comfortable seats in the world and so obviously if you if your back is distracting you from paying attention to God's Word then then get up and stretch out or whatever it takes.

Restrooms by the way are out the doors to the turn to the right and men's is upstairs, women's is downstairs. We'd ask that you use those bathrooms on this end of the building not the ones down here that we reserve for the kids ministry.

So if you need to use that those are those are available too. I'm gonna break down our text this morning into three chunks since it's a little bit of a longer text it's an entire chapter and this morning we're gonna really see three movements.

I don't alliterate very often so you're welcome this morning. First point is the waiting for the Lamb that is verses 1 through 4. We see the waiting for the Lamb. The second is the worth of the Lamb verses 5 through 7 and then the last section is the worship of the Lamb which takes up the lion's share.

See what I did there? Takes up the lion's share of the chapter 8 through 14 and that's where we're going. But before we launch into our first section I want to remind everyone of the setting of this text.

What is the context? What is going on as we enter into chapter 5? Last week we saw the routine worship that was going on around and currently is right now as we're seated here in Matawan. That worship that we saw in chapter 4 is going on around the throne of God.

There are cycles of singing, there is flashing lightning, there are peals of thunder, there's a halo, an emerald halo around the throne. There are 24 elders who fall before him and cast their crowns at his feet.

There are those four living creatures who sing continually to God and sing his praises. I don't want to be clear that I believe that what we're reading about here in our text is something that will yet occur.

It is future and John was told I must show I will show you that which must take place. In other words he was told that the things that were in the Revelation would indeed be much of it would be in the future and there is a day in other words appointed that only the Father knows when he will offer the scroll of the end of time to the Son.

I believe this is the scroll of final judgment is the scroll that ushers in a new kingdom and nobody can say what is written there. The text will tell us that there's only one who's worthy to even read it or able to look into it.

Only one with the proper clearance and proper authority can open this scroll. Not just anybody can read it but since it is within this scroll to bring justice, completion, and a new kingdom it's implied that only the rightful King can open the seals to this very scroll.

And so that's where we pick up on our text. The worship of God around his throne is going on as usual. Last week spoke in terms of what is always happening, what happens every time the living creatures sing and it's it's got this this Greek structure of sentence that's an ongoing process of what's going on routinely and habitually in the presence of God and at some point in history on one particular day a scroll will be picked up by the Almighty on the throne and placed on his right hand and the word is actually on the hand of the Almighty not in the hand he's he's holding it open open-handed but it's in his right hand of power.

The one seated on throne lifts up a scroll and holds it and John describes the scroll as having been written on both sides and sealed with seven seals. So we don't really use scrolls very often so there's a picture of a scroll there and there's a what some people think might have been like the scrolls like wax with an imprint on it.

An imprint would have would have demonstrated something about royalty so there really are two things that we can see about the scroll by his description. It is extensive in its content. Scrolls were made out of papyrus during this time and they would have had two levels of papyrus stretched out horizontally and vertically.

Did I get that? I got that backwards. Horizontally vertically and the horizontal side would be the side that you would want to write on because it would follow the flow of writing. Have you ever written if you try to write on something that has ridges going up and down on it that's gonna be a bit tougher right?

And so they would always try to get said what needed to be said on the front side because occasionally they would overflow but they didn't want to have to write on the back side. This is a completely the image we're given is a completely full scroll written on the back and the front to demonstrate that it's extensive what the content of this scroll is.

And the seven seals designate that this is a legal scroll of royalty protected from public eyes. It is sealed up and not to be open kind of like a diary with one of those little locks on the edge of it.

Do any of you have one of those when you were a kid or I mean some of you still have one? I don't know but it's got the little lock that you know your parents could break it you know they could get into that right and make it never mind sorry.

But uh that's yeah I'm in trouble huh? But yeah so it's sealed it's sealed on the edges and the idea maybe not quite like this a lot of scholars believe that it would have been rolled up a little bit sealed rolled a little bit more sealed rolled a little bit more and sealed so that it would because what we're gonna see is we're gonna see progressively this scroll opened here in the next chapter and we're gonna see different things happen and occur as the scroll is revealed bringing and ushering in the end times.

But regardless of how that that seal was actually on there a seal was only to be broken by the one for whom it was reserved. And this scroll has been reserved for only one worthy to break this divine royal seal.

Only the rightful king has the right to break these seven seals. And so we come to our first division the first point of the text the first movement of the text is in verses one through four we find the waiting for the lamb.

This section is included strictly for the purpose of drama but I do not believe for a moment it is meant to be artificial. It is not an invented drama but it's a genuine drama it's a genuine intensity that we see in these first four verses that is significant for us.

John saw he said a mighty angel step up and belt out with a powerful voice who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals. Now this is not an interruption in the throne room of God this is intentional this is on purpose and although it kind of might be like a big startling movement in what has been going on there's been this routine cycle of praise and all of a sudden on one day something is different.

God picks up the scroll and the angel a mighty angel which is interesting the the adjective that's there mighty angel implies that maybe there are some that aren't so mighty but John sees this angel and he is powerful and he's got a booming voice and I believe that all those present understood that this interruption in the routine of heaven was significant and it was intentional.

All of those present knew something and especially John knows what's going down. I believe that John consider who John was he who sat under the teachings of his rabbi Jesus Christ. John who knew about the kingdom that Jesus had promised and was there for those teachings of the kingdom that was to come.

John who watched the church be persecuted who longed for justice to be brought in final vindication to come and was longing for that time when things would be set right and there would be a king on the throne who would rule over mankind in justice and in equity with no sin.

That very John knew what the scroll meant even if he didn't know what the words were on the paper he knew the significance of this event that was taking place. I know that because of his response. In verse 3 we see that a search is made far and wide it's as if there's like an image of couriers sent out or like an assessment is immediately made in the presence of God almighty who is worthy the cry goes out and so there's a search of sorts and uh when we think of the word worthy what comes to your mind who's worthy to open these seven seals.

We might think of aladdin and the diamond and the wrath and you know what do you think who's who's worthy. You know of the of the lamp or whatever. Or worthy is having the right moral character. Is that what we're looking for like who is good enough.

Is that what the is that what the text is asking who's good enough but worthy here is more akin to the concept of authority who has the right to open the scroll. The angel isn't asking. He's not asking who's good enough to open the scroll but he's asking who has the right to open this scroll.

Don't lose sight of where the scroll is. That is imminently significant in this text. Where does a scroll rest right now in this text in the right hand of the almighty on the throne who could come and take a scroll from him who could step up into his presence and take a scroll from his hand and say i'm worthy.

Can you imagine. And that is the crux of this text. That is the point of this text that is the the the moment of crisis for the world. Is there any worthy. He holds the scroll who could come and take that scroll off the hand of god who can break a seal that the almighty has set in place.

And no one in heaven no one on earth. And none under the earth. When you read under the earth it's not talking about worms and moles. It's talking about those who have gone on before those who have died.

And and i think it's interesting to just note that they're they're present. And they're they're searched through too. They haven't gone anywhere they're. They're still. They're still around. None among the dead none among the living none on earth none in heaven are worthy to look to open the scroll.

And as a matter of fact it even takes it as takes it up a notch. None are even worthy to take in its content. None are none have the authority to even read this scroll. John says the drama of this moment is intentional.

God has a flare apparently for the dramatic. I find that interesting in this text. He has a flare for drama. And he is uh is is setting this thing up there. The weight here in heaven is real. The weight here for this search presses down on those gathered in such a way that even john himself is moved to weep.

He's moved to weep at this moment. This is not a lonely silent tear here in the very throne room of heaven where eventually it is said in this very same letter in this very same book revelation that jesus will wipe every tear from our eyes here in that context at this point in history there is weeping in the presence of the almighty.

Why does this whale. Or why does this weight. Rather why does this weight produce weeping in john. Why is he. Why does he move to tears. Is he just a big sissy like i mean does the mighty angel look over at john saying a booming voice who invited that guy get him out of here.

Like is that the response of heaven when john is like weeping. He's like blubbering. Is he blowing snot bubbles. I don't know. But he is. He is beside himself. And i believe that john in this moment recognized the hope for justice the hope for the kingdom of jesus that has been promised.

And the culmination of all of history is wrapped up in this one scroll. It is all sealed away not yet to be realized. And he's longing for that. This isn't the daily newspaper that's got a rubber band around it.

This is the scroll of the final authority to bring all things to an end and start everything new. I believe there is a scroll with seven seals that hasn't been broken open yet. But when it happens our king will receive his final mission to wrap up sin and to wrap up the curse of death once and for all.

And john recognizes that history is right on the edge of completion. And the only thing stopping it is one worthy to open the scroll. And nobody comes forward. And there is a pause a dramatic pause and a dramatic weight that is produced weeping in john.

Now if you're anything like me you've already thought this. Um who's holding the scroll. God who's holding the scroll. Anybody think like maybe he'd be worthy to open it. Has anybody thought that like uh none worthy.

Like why. Why wouldn't god just go. Okay guys just kidding. Here's what it says. And i believe that he indeed could i believe that he is indeed worthy. Would you agree with me on that. He's worthy to open the scroll.

He can do this. But this is the scroll containing final judgment that culminates in the establishment of the kingdom of mankind really of the god man. Only the rightful king can break open these seals.

And so even the father sits as all of this unfolds. For it has been appointed to the son to judge. It has been appointed to the son to reign. The father and the spirit. Don't step in and say wait a minute.

I'm worthy. I've got this even though they could. And the apostle paul said it this way in the book of acts when he was preaching in athens. He's preaching there to a bunch of idol worshipers. And he's trying to describe who god is and the flow of history and where everything's going.

And he concludes with this. God now commands all people everywhere to repent because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed. And of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.

Do you hear that in the text he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed. There is a man god in flesh who is the appointed one through whom judgment will come.

And that's what the search is about. The search is where's the one. And so john weeps. And the word here is not a quiet subdued whimper. The greek goes over the top to clarify that john is blowing snot bubbles.

He is making a fool of himself. He is indeed blubbering. And i'll just sprinkle my applications in here as we move from point to point. But um here at the end of this first point i want to ask us all a question.

Do you long for the coming of jesus. Are you longing for his coming as much as john did as much as john did. Does his weeping seem a bit extreme to us. Does his weeping seem a bit extreme to you. I fear that we could probably trace a line between our love for this world and our lack of hunger for a new kingdom.

The more we love this world the less we are hungry for that which is yet to come. Consider here at this point here in this text where heaven waits are you waiting in a practical sense. Think of it this way.

Are you filling every moment and every hunger and every desire with the things of this world. It's a tough question the way our culture and the way of our hearts. Really the way of our culture and the way of our hearts is to never wait to never want.

Buy it now have it now. And by the way have it your way. I would suggest to you that the way we live the way we buy the way we fill up empty space in our hearts with activity and with stuff either prevents us or at least confuses for us a longing for the new kingdom.

The way that we are so eager to fill up our every longing and never be in want. There's something about us that needs to want. We should want. We should be in a place of hunger for something more. But if all we do is move from one gadget to the next and keep filling up our empty spaces keep filling up our time keep filling up everything and satisfying ourselves.

Where is there room for a longing for that which is to come. It's an indictment to me as well something i've got to process and think through. If we are constantly seeking to meet our every desire with the sin-cursed kingdom of this world what room is there in our hearts to long for something more.

The Worth of the Lamb and the Centrality of Christ’s Authority

And that moves us into the longing for something more. What is the more our second point or the glory of the second and third section of our text for one steps forward one steps forward. And he is worthy.

He is worthy. One of the elders interrupted john mid-sob and said. Okay done. Stop it. Cut it out. Quit weeping. Check it out. Behold pay attention to this is what the greek word means. Snap to attention john.

Stop blubbering and look. Watch. The lion of the tribe of judah. The root of david has conquered says the says the elder who steps forward. Both of the titles the elder gives the lion of the tribe of judah and the root of david are titles that are reserved in the old testament for the messiah.

Any jew even today looking at those texts goes. Yeah that's talking about the messiah. They're not necessarily going to tie that to jesus but they're gonna. They're gonna acknowledge. Yeah that's that's messianic.

All throughout the old testament are promises of one who would come to be a blessing to all nations. He would be from the tribe of judah. He would be from the lineage of king david. And here the elder reminds john that the lion has been victorious.

He has conquered. Interestingly up to this point the the lamb. The lion rather has not conquered by destroying his enemies. But we know he has conquered how by laying down his life for his enemies. And through this victory he now possesses the authority according to this text to now open this final scroll.

There's a man through whom god can judge the peoples of the earth. There is one who has the authority to open this final scroll of the kingdom. There is one who is the rightful king the lion of the tribe of judah the root of david.

And there as if he just appears there. I don't know. Maybe he was standing there all along and john didn't take it in. Maybe he just is i don't know just comes down whatever between the throne and the four living creatures there in the inner circle standing right next to the throne of the almighty john.

John's spiritual eyes take in a lamb. Not the jesus he hung out with on the shores of galilee but a lamb. And despite having the appearance of having been slaughtered the lamb is standing despite having the appearance of having died.

He is now on his feet. The lamb has seven horns showing perfect power and authority. And seven eyes which we are told are the spirits of god sent out into all of the earth. And just to be clear i don't believe that in eternity we're going to see jesus as a physical lamb with seven horns and seven eyes i think we are.

We have to identify that we are indeed looking at some figurative language here. And it tells us that his eyes are not literal seven eyes but they represent the seven spirits of god. He doesn't have a literal seven horns but he does have the completed power and authority of the almighty which the horns represent.

And he does send out the holy spirit into the world in conjunction with the father. The lion is revealed to us as a slain lamb that now lives. And the lamb is not weak. The resurrected lamb has power authority and the comprehensive reach of the holy spirit throughout the whole world.

And after chapter four last week our jaws ought to drop. When we read verse seven the lord the lamb approaches the throne of the almighty and it says takes the scroll from his hand his right hand of power where all others in the presence of that one fall on their faces where all others in his presence sing endless praises to the one on the throne the lamb approaches as a friend and takes the scroll the way you or i might borrow a book from a good friend takes it up.

So as we wrap up the worth of the lamb here have you considered how unique and how central christ is to the entirety of history. He is the only rightful king he is the only one worthy to judge and wrap up history.

He didn't just die on the cross not just some past stuff that jesus has done for us. That's really significant. That's awesome. And that's glorious. And that is what we remember when we come to communion every week we're going back to.

I mean it's a backwards look in history when we take communion right. It's a remembering what has been done for us and that is indeed central to our faith. But that's not all of it. He has an integral role in establishing his kingdom forever and ever.

There's a future hope for his return and setting up his kingdom. And final justice and final judgment injustice. Consider that this one who will step up to the throne one day and take that scroll from the almighty loves you and gave his life for you.

I can assure you that on that day you're going to be glad to know him. Would you agree with me on that and that final day of judgment. Are you going to be raise your hand. If you think you're going to be pretty happy to be affiliated with the one who has the right with the one who has the authority with the one who is worthy.

Are you going to be glad then. I think you're going to be glad then. So how about now those of you that raise your hand you're going to be glad on that day. How about now. Are you glad today. Are you glad and rejoicing enough that it would be okay to share it with your co-worker.

Are you glad and and and happy to be associated with jesus christ in your neighborhood at your family gatherings. Maybe that's the hardest. A little bit easier in the neighborhood a little bit easier with co-workers than maybe with family.

Anybody know what i'm talking about. Anybody here have some unsaved family. Those can be the some of the toughest things. It's like it's hard to break that conversation sometimes and break into that. Are you ashamed of the name of jesus now.

But man hopeful for that day. An ambassador who is embarrassed of the one they represent an ambassador that is ashamed of their country. Can they rightly be called an ambassador. At least not a good one.

Right. I'm trying to hit you with a two by four. I'm just just suggesting to you that with that glory and with that joy that we will experience in knowing him and having him be our advocate on that day that's going to be a glorious thing that's going to make all the difference.

Where does that put us now in our boldness for him. In a world that it's becoming increasingly difficult to be bold about our faith. Right. And it's constantly it's it's it's pressing in and it's challenging us more and more.

It seems like every week some new story comes out in the news. Or there's some new issue. Or there's new some new um something being tried in law or or some court case or something that's going on out there that's just pushing and pushing and pushing.

When you think about the worth of the lamb he alone is worthy. And that leads to the last point the worship of the lamb. As soon as the transfer of the scroll takes place as soon as he takes it the four living creatures and the 24 elders fall flat on their faces in the worship of the lamb.

It says that these 24 elders all hold a harp. In one hand it shows their function of worship. And they hold golden bowls full of incense that the text tells us are the prayers of the saints. Interesting.

So the incense that is held in these golden bowls that the implication is that it's burning in their presence in the presence of god is the prayers of the saints. And it's awesome to consider that those of you in the room who are in christ those of you that are in the room that are indeed made holy through the sacrifice of jesus christ which is declared of you if you have indeed trusted him for salvation you get to make a guest appearance here in the text.

You're mentioned here. We're mentioned here in this very text guest appearance. Because when the prayers of the saints are mentioned here that word saints is anyone who is made holy in christ. Our prayers are rising up and form spiritual incense before the throne of god.

Our prayers fill the bowls of the elders and create a pleasing aroma to the almighty. Even now even today our prayers go into those bowls and i mean we can you know somebody having your mind this literal bowl whatever i mean it's just it's an imagery of what our prayers are to the almighty.

And it is setting the backdrop of the throne room of god. It's setting the atmosphere our prayers having an impact on the place where the almighty sits on his throne. Is that a glorious picture. Isn't that an amazing thought that when we pray it is it is actually arising to god as a pleasing aroma to him.

The elders and the living creatures arranged around the throne and the lamb all sing a new song. This is significant because they've been singing a song all along right. We know that there's been this repetitious song and now it's a new song.

And it's not just a new song but in greek it's actually there's two different words for new. There's new as in novel and then there's new as in new kind of. And this is a new kind of song. This is a song to the lamb where eternity has been sung to the almighty father.

Now this is a song that is being sung by the worshipers in in heaven to the lamb. In chapter four the worth of the almighty was declared in singing. And here the worth of the lamb is now being sung a new kind of song.

If jesus is not god then this worship would be short-lived. God is not going to stand by and allow worship of another in his presence without his sanction. But as jesus said i and the father are one.

And yet jesus is openly declared to be worthy to open the scroll for three reasons here in our text he is worthy to open it because he was slaughtered. He bought people from the whole world and he has made a kingdom of priests who will reign on the earth.

These are three very important functions that the lamb has performed. They are not lightweight deeds. They were not easy to accomplish. He was slaughtered. He was the sacrifice that god accepted to restore sinners to himself.