Revelation 5:1-14 (Behold the Lamb, Jeff Kliewer)

Corporate Prayer and Coronavirus Exhortations

Let's go before the Lord in prayer. Gracious Heavenly Father, we know that you are the Sovereign God who's in charge, who's in control, and we trust you today. We ask as we open your word that you would speak to us and help us to understand.

Give us ears to hear, give us hearts that are feeling and alive that your word would change us from the inside out. We need to hear your word to us today. In Jesus' name. Amen. Well, I'd like to begin by reiterating a few of the coronavirus exhortations.

Number one, we obey the government. In Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2, we're told to obey governing authorities, and that's why we're not meeting, and yet we are. Virtually, by God's grace, we have the technology.

Number two, wisdom. We use wisdom in the decisions that we make, biblically, prayerfully making decisions. Number three, grace. That when people differ on issues of how to deal with the coronavirus, that we need to have grace one towards another, and the world needs to see that Christians are at peace at a time like this, that we are not frazzled, that we're not worried, that God is in control.

Number four, prayer. We need to pray against this virus, pray for God to accomplish his purposes in it for the time being, but ultimately that he would bring it to a close. He's the one who can stop it.

He is not out of control, and it seems that one of the purposes that he's given us is the opportunity to pray. With so many things going on in our lives, the busyness, we often don't have time to pray, but here we have a unique opportunity to open the Bible.

Our kids this year, we are doing a read through the New Testament, and because of the busyness of life, we have fallen so far behind where we should be at this point, but in this time, kids, we need to get caught up.

We need to spend extra time in the word, moving forward, and then lastly, love. We need to look out for each other. We've been going through and calling all the members and people that we have in our directory, checking on one another.

If you have an extra stockpile of toilet paper, you may want to offer that to someone who's running short in that department. You've got to have each other's back, so to speak. So, it seems providential that we would feel led to preach on the apocalypse just before seemingly apocalyptic events hit the United States of America, and really the world.

The Coming Apocalypse Is Not Yet Revelation's Final Judgment

Now, you look at what's happening with this virus, and it looks like the four horsemen of the apocalypse are riding out, but they're not. This is not the apocalypse. This is a virus that is causing great havoc, but the economic trouble that we see in America is like a down day of the market compared to the coming tribulation.

The devastation that you see, the death even, the death toll is like an ordinary day at a hospital compared to the coming apocalypse. The fear that people feel is like a walk in the park compared to what the book of Revelation describes as a coming apocalypse.

There are events in the book of Revelation that don't kill 10 or 20 ,000 people, but destroy one-third of the world's population. Consider that for a moment. Devastation the likes of which the world has never seen.

The four horsemen of the apocalypse. We'll talk about them next week in Revelation chapter 6, but before we see that, we need to look to the Lamb. The Lamb is the subject of Revelation chapter 5. We talked about in Revelation chapter 4, there's two amazing reasons to worship God.

Reason number one, for his attributes, who he is, the eternal one, the divine one, the all-powerful one, who needs nothing, who has always been, has no beginning and no end. His attributes, who he is.

Number two, for his creation, the things that he's made. He made all that is. Last time we talked about the eagle who spots a fish from miles away from his eagle eye and swoops in and catches that fish.

The amazing creation of God and the stars in distant galaxies. All of these things are reason to praise him. But today we see the pinnacle of worship.

Grace.

And most clearly displayed at the cross, we see the Lamb who was slain. Let's read it. Revelation chapter 5. Turn with me there and read along. We're using the ESV, the English Standard Version of the Bible.

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 and 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 seals, for you were slain and by your blood you ransom people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

And you have made them a kingdom and priest to 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, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the lamb who is 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. 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 worshiped and all God's people said, Amen. You guys are quiet today. Why are you so quiet? So we go through Revelation chapter five verses one to four.

The issue here is the presentation of a scroll, a scroll rolled up parchment with writing on the inside and on the outside. So what is this scroll? I don't want you to picture a scroll with seven seals laid across it.

Rather, picture a scroll that's rolled a little bit from the bottom. A seal is placed, rolled a little more, another seal, roll a little more for seven seals. That was the way that Romans would seal their official documents.

So this is like a title deed. This is how marriage licenses were done and property exchanges. A scroll rolled that way. And typically on the outside of the scroll, it says it was written on the back and on the inside.

On the outside was like a summary statement of what you would find in the scroll. And then within were the details of the contract. And it was sealed, therefore, with seven seals. So what is the issue with this scroll?

What does it mean?

Well, I think it's a title deed to the universe. And the Father will be presenting this to the Son.

He is the heir.

He is the rightful ruler. But we have learned in the early parts of the Bible, the third chapter to be exact, that a usurper has come, the devil, Satan. And he has, in a sense, taken a position of authority in this universe.

And God will eventually make this right and crush the head of this serpent. He will eventually reestablish righteousness. But while sin is still in the world, we see suffering and death and all kinds of terrible things.

This is the making of all things right. The scroll is important because it represents the coming kingdom when God makes everything right. He throws away the rebellion and conquers the rebellion and makes the world the way it was intended.

And the way it was in the Garden of Eden. But was destroyed or marred by sin. In verse 2 it says, I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy? And that's the question. Who is worthy?

And when that question is asked, the mighty angel Michael, who oversees the people of Israel, that great angel is silent. For he knows he is not the heir. He is not the rightful king of kings and lord of lords.

Although he's sinless at this point and always will be sinless. Like Gabriel. He yet is not the one worthy to judge the world. Who is worthy to judge the world and make all things right? And there's no man.

You consider the great men. The presidents, Washington and Lincoln. If they're born again believers and they're there in heaven, they're not worthy to take the scroll. The great prophets of old. Abraham and Moses and David.

The king. None of them are worthy to take the scroll. No religious leader. No president. No person who's ever lived is worthy to take the scroll. And so in verse 4, what do we see John do? He weeps loudly.

Why is he weeping? Because there's no resolution. This is a horrible thing. These are the tears of the ages. Every orphan who's come home to find that his parents had died and he is now an orphan. Every orphan who cries the tears of pain and loss.

And every widow who buries her husband. And every guilty sinner who blames himself and beats himself up because he destroyed his own life by sin. Every sinner, every person who has wept is represented in this verse.

What can make it right? There's none worthy to take the scroll.

Or is there?

Verse 5.

We move on.

The Lion of Judah and the Root of David

And here we have the last promise of the second coming of Jesus in the Bible. It happens moments before. In Revelation 5, we have a picture in the throne room just before the second coming of Christ. As he begins to open the scroll and judgments are poured out on the earth, it's leading up to chapter 19 where he himself comes.

And so this scene in heaven is just before the promise. And John will see the one who is worthy. But in verse 5, it's only a promise. See 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.

Christians say, we have one who is worthy to open the scroll. We have a king that's unlike any other king. A Lord who's greater than any other pretender to the throne. We have King Jesus, and we have been saying this for 2 ,000 years.

And scoffers say, where is the promise of his coming? You say he's coming, but things continue on as usual. Day after day, every day, like the one before. 2 Peter chapter 3. Well, at a time like this, fewer people are saying that things go on day after day, just like the days before.

When a coronavirus comes across the world, one small invisible virus throws everything out of sorts. And all of a sudden, the world sees we do not have this under control. And those who scoff and say, where is the promise of his coming, need to recognize this promise has been made from the beginning, and it is sure.

The promise is sure. Go back to the book of Genesis. 2 ,000 plus years before. Well, it was written about 1 ,500 years before the time of Christ. So 1 ,500 BC, Moses pens these words. And he gives the promise in Genesis 3 .15 of one who will crush the serpent.

In Genesis 49, verse 10, we're told that out of the 12 tribes of Israel, one of them, the tribe of Judah, is like a lion. And there's coming one from the tribe of Judah to be the king. The scepter shall not depart from Judah.

He's called a lion. And so you see in verse 6, we're looking for this promise. In verse 5, he's called a lion of the tribe of Judah. That's a reference to Genesis 49 .10. He's also called, in verse 5, the root of David.

And you should rightly observe that the coming Messiah is a descendant of David, so a shoot of David, a branch from David. But Jesus is not only a physical descendant from the line of David, he actually pre-exists David.

He's David's root. In Isaiah chapter 11, it says, a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse. Jesse is David's father, not his son. A branch from his root will bear fruit, and the spirit of the Lord will be on him.

The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and power, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears, but in righteousness he will strike the earth, and with justice give decisions for the poor of the earth.

Wow!

A picture of the coming Messiah, who is the root of David. This is the promise. We've been making this promise again and again for thousands of years. When will this promised one come? The lion of Judah, the root of David.

In Isaiah chapter 11, after the promise of Messiah, we see the world is made right. We're told in that 11th chapter of Isaiah that the lamb lays down next to a lion. The world is made like the Garden of Eden.

All things are made right, but where is the promise of his coming? All things seem to go on, 2 ,000 years now since he died. Where is the roaring lion? Behold the lamb.

Behold the lamb.

The Lamb Who Was Slain and the Meaning of the Cross

Look at verse 6. And between the throne and the four living creatures, and among the elders, I saw a lamb standing.

He looked for a lion,.

And he saw a lamb.

The lion is a lamb.

The world looks for a conqueror who's filled with strength and might and power, but our lion is so strong that he restrained his power and allowed himself to be treated as a sacrificial lamb, to receive the stripes on his back of a whip of scourging, to receive a crown of thorns on his head to mock his claim to be the lion, to be the king, a reed put in his hand to mock his claim to hold a scepter, mocked and abused and led like a lamb to the slaughter, and he did not open his mouth in protest.

Silently he goes, lays down upon the cross, raised up upon that tree to suffer and die. The lion is so strong, he restrains his power. He doesn't call the angels of heaven to come rescue him. He could have done it with the Word.

He restrains his power to pay the price of our sin. The reason that the lamb dies is not for his own sin,.

But for mine and yours.

And all of you who are watching right now.

He died.

If you will believe,.

His death substitutes for yours. The lamb lays down as a sacrifice on the altar of God, which is the cross, and having paid the price of sin, he's discarded into Joseph's tomb. His body rises on the third day.

He's alive,.

And he exalts to the right hand of the Father,.

Seated there,.

And he's coming back from the right hand of the Father to judge the world.

This is the lamb.

Behold the lamb. Notice he has seven eyes and seven horns. I'm not sure what John saw. It could be that in his prophetic vision, he sees an actual bloody lamb, one who has been sacrificed and yet is standing, blood on his white wool.

That could be what John saw. Or he saw Jesus himself and described him in the language of a lamb. So he saw the human Jesus because Jesus is still fully human in heaven. In fact, he still bears the marks in heaven.

So he looks like a lamb who was slain, as though this lamb had been slain. Marks in his wrists, marks in his side, displaying that he is forever the one who died for us and rose again. There's a song that captures this image.

Crown him with many crowns. One of the lines, I think it's the third verse, says, crown him the Lord of love. Behold his hands inside. Those wounds yet visible above in beauty glorified. No angel in the sky can fully bear the sight, but downward bends his burning eye at mysteries so bright.

I picture the angels in heaven when they see the lamb presented, gazing on his beauty. They can hardly look. Their burning eyes. God says he makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire. These burning ones looking at the lamb, they must bend their eyes down.

Hardly able to look upon the mystery so bright. The spirit of the Lord rests on him. It's very important that Jesus be the Lamb of God. Unless we have one who is fully human to die the human death that we deserve, there is no substitute for our sins.

Jesus did not die for angels. He died for humans. Stephen Wellam, a theologian, writes these words to explain the importance of both Jesus being God and Jesus being man. Scripture is clear. The triune God must save, and he alone can do it.

Salvation is God's work, and it is only God the Son incarnate who can redeem us. Listen. We do not need merely a man indwelt by and or joined in some kind of union with God the Son. What we need is the divine Son assuming our human nature into his own person so that he can represent us and act on our behalf as our new covenant head and substitute.

When we say behold the Lamb, as sinners, as people who are made in the image of God, yet fallen in Adam, we are lost unless a man saves us. He can be God. God can come and take on flesh as a man, but unless a man dies in the place of men, there is no substitute for a sinner like me.

The sacrifice could not be a lamb in terms of an animal, a bull, a goat, turtle doves. Any sacrifice that was offered. The Lamb of God needed to be a human. And so when John the Baptist saw him come to be baptized in the Jordan,.

He cried out,.

Behold the Lamb of God.

Who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus alone can stand in this place. And so he's the center of this picture in heaven. This is the pinnacle of glory. All of the glory that we've seen building up to this moment is climaxing now in this point.

Here is the Lamb and it says in verse 7, He went and He took the scroll from the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne. He is worthy. The Lamb is able to do it. He can take the sin of humans.

The Song of the Redeemed and the Worthiness of Christ

And now look at verse 8 through 10. It is the song of the redeemed. This is how believers have worshipped for 2 ,000 years. We can't stop singing. Christians are a singing people and we always sing about the cross.

The old rugged cross. We always sing about the blood.

Nothing but the blood.

The precious blood of Jesus. Here is the new song in verses 8 through 10. And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp. Now the harp is a symbol of praise.

Psalm 150, we praise Him with the harp and the lyre. But it's also associated with prophecy. So in 1 Samuel chapter 10, when Saul was told by Samuel to go look for the company of the prophets, you would see that they would be led forth playing a harp.

And as that harp played, Saul would be caught up into the spirit of prophecy. This spirit of prophecy gave Saul a new heart. The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. And when the spirit comes on,.

The believer,.

We want to worship.

The spirit makes us worship in spirit and in truth. And this is what happens here. This harp represents this joyful praise. It's not just going through the motions. Maybe there's somebody that you never would have stopped in at 515 Mount Laurel Road.

You've seen Harrington Middle School. You've driven by and you hardly notice that there's a little church there. But today, you're hearing the word preached. The spirit of prophecy has come into your house.

Maybe it was for such a time as this that coronavirus slowed the world down to the point where many thousands, perhaps millions of people around the world are sitting and watching live stream church services.

Maybe you've got nothing else to do. But here you are on a Sunday morning or tuning in after Sunday. Maybe it was for such a time as this that you would hear the spirit of prophecy that Jesus is worthy.

Here's the new song. Worthy are you to take the scroll, to open its seal, for you were slain and by your blood you ransom people for God. From every tribe and language and people and nation, there's one blood here.

We're all descendants of Adam. One race, all descending from Adam. And here at the throne room, from every ethnicity, every corner of the world, all languages brought together, we sing the same song. It's the song of the redeemed.

It's worthy is the Lamb.

Worthy are you. You have made them a kingdom of priests to God and they shall reign on the earth. Maybe you never knew it until right now, but I'm here to tell you the Lamb of God is worthy of your worship.

The Lamb of God is worthy of your worship. Whatever you normally do on a Sunday morning, it's not worthy of your worship. Whatever you normally do throughout the week, it's not worthy of your worship.

There is one who is worthy. One worthy to take the scroll. His name is Jesus.

I hope you're hearing that.

The Worship of Angels and Every Creature

Verse 11 and 12. Then I looked and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, the voice of many angels. So there's two kinds of sentient beings, two created species.

In heaven you have the humans.

Who have lived on earth and then resurrected up to the throne room. But you also have angels who are in the very presence of God. And these angels,.

They join in the party.

We were told in 1 Peter 1, verse 12, they've always longed to look into salvation. How is it that Jesus has become a man to die for men? Chapter 1, verse 12, 1 Peter, we're told angels long to look into these things.

The spirits of prophets long ago have anxiously looked for the coming Messiah. They didn't know, but they were serving us who live on this side of the cross, who can look back and worship Jesus. Angels have always wanted to understand this mystery.

And now they're seeing him presented and they fall down next to the men. It says myriads of angels. We know this from earlier in the text that this is 100 million plus angels worshiping, saying with a loud voice, it might be quiet in here this morning.

Can I get an amen?

I hear one in the back. And I see my wife making funny faces to keep me loose here. So it might be quiet in here because, folks, you're at home. But I'll tell you this about the throne room. When these angels worship, when they sing, it is with a shout.

Look at verse 12. It says, saying with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb who was slain. There's passion in this voice. Worthy to receive a sevenfold blessing.

Power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.

All praise, all glory. These angels are exuberant in worshiping God. Shouts of all creation now. Verses 13 and 14. And we'll close up. All creation joins in the party. I heard every creature in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea.

And all that is in them saying, to him who sits on the throne. Now, time out. I don't know what that looks like. We have a little dog named Sophie. I don't know how she praises. I think it looks a little bit something like when my wife's mother comes over, my mother-in-law.

Sophie goes crazy. It looks like worship. Just jumping and barking and whimpering. Just desiring to be with her.

To be touched by her.

Every creature in heaven and on earth. However they praise. The birds chirping. The crickets making their squeaky noise. The dogs barking. Every creature in heaven and on earth. The dolphins in the sea.

Leaping with joy for this scene.

And humans.

Not all humans. But all the company of the redeemed. We're told many places in scripture that those who do not trust in the lamb and accept this gift. They're not worshiping in a spirit of joy. But under the judgment of God.

God's name is displayed through their judgment. In Romans 9 17 the scripture says to Pharaoh. Remember Pharaoh? Let my people go. He refused and he refused. He was an enemy of God. Until finally forced to do so.

But we're told in Romans 9. For this very purpose I have raised you up. That I might show my power in you. That my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. There is a company of believers that worship joyfully.

But there is also a way in which God is glorified. By the judgment of people like Pharaoh. Which company do you want to be in? Those who are saved and joyful at the name of Jesus. Or those who hate him.

And God is glorified in judging the wicked. Look in your heart. When you hear a sermon. Does it make your skin crawl?

Does it seem boring?

I'm glad you guys are not in your head. No. But there is a class of people. A group of people. Half people perhaps more. Who desire not to worship the lamb. If that's you pray for this new heart. To change right now.

The four living creatures said amen.

Can I get an amen?

Amen.

Alright we got some. I think that these four living creatures.

They're like Pentecostals.

You think that Christians are crazy? Sometimes Christians look a little strange right? I mean we raise our hands when we're worshiping. We shout amen when someone's preaching. We're strange. Christians are a little strange.

These four living creatures. One of them has the face of an ox. Another an eagle face. Another a lion face. And one has a face that looks like a man. And they're throwing themselves on the ground. Shouting amen.

The picture is joy and exuberance.

And the elders.

These old dignified men. They're falling down and worshiping. They're throwing crowns at his feet. Joyfully. They've seen something. That changes everything.

Behold the Lamb and Respond in Faith and Repentance

Behold the lamb.

In closing. How do we apply this?

Behold the lamb.

Maybe you've never seen him before. But right now. See him striped. With that whip. Scorched. Not for his own sin. But the skin of his back ripped off. Sheared literally. By a cat of nine tails. See him scorched.

See him sheared literally. As his beard is pulled from his face. In Isaiah chapter 50 verse 6 it says. They tore his beard from his face. See him disgraced and spat upon.

This lamb.

See him go silent before the shearers. See him raised up on a cross. Discarded to Joseph's tomb. See him rise from the dead. See him exalted to the right hand of the Father.

Behold the lamb.

You must look to see him. And if you see. Everything changes. If you see the lamb. You're changed from the inside out.

How do you do that?

It's very simple.

Number one.

Know him. Believe him to be. The son of God. The lamb of God is fully human. And fully God. God has come in the flesh. Believe that first of all.

Who he is.

He is not an ordinary prophet. He's not an ordinary teacher. Just another religious teacher. You might have seen the bumper sticker. That has a number of different religious symbols. All laid across the back of the car.

And the idea is to say. That all of these things are equal. They all lead to the same place. There's no differentiation between them. But this presentation. And the truth is. Jesus is utterly unique amongst all people.

And he stands above them. So far as the farthest star is above the earth. There is no comparison. Between the glory of Jesus Christ. Know first of all who he is. Number two. Know what he has done. What did the lamb of God come to do?

He came to die. Jesus was born to die. He lays down his life for our sins. And all of these things were prophesied. Know that it's true. That's the third thing. Objectively true. Because God foretold this.

Hundreds and thousands of years before he did it. He's promised it over and over again. Read Isaiah 53. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. These words were written 800 years before Jesus came. Prophetically telling that Jesus would die.

It's all according to the scripture. He was silent before the shearers. All we like sheep have been led astray. But the Lord has laid upon him the iniquity of us all. He was crushed for our iniquity. The chastisement that brings us peace was laid upon him.

He is the lamb of God. This was all foretold. Number four. There's a promise that comes to you.

If you will believe.

You will be forgiven. Of all of your sin. How so? Because your sin is paid for by Jesus. So your sin is forgiven. And you are given eternal life. His life having risen from the dead. He now offers life to you.

And lastly. Repent. You must turn away. From every false teaching. Every lie that says you can make it on your own. Even religious systems that you might have been trained in. It may be your family tradition.

It may be something you hold very dear. You might have a world view. Be it some kind of Darwinian evolution. That doesn't even believe there's a God. Or some secular humanism that builds everything around almighty man.

You must be willing to turn away.

From that.

And turn away from your sin. The sin that you love and that you hold dear. Turn away from it.

And take Jesus.

Believe in the Lamb who was slain.

Behold the Lamb.

He is worthy. If you want to do that. This prayer will not save you. But if you believe those things that I just told you.

You believe.

Pray these words. To affirm that to God. To reassure your heart. That you are part of this company.

Of the redeemed.

So you can sing the song of the redeemed. Pray these words. Right there in your house. Your whole family can do it.

Say this.

I am a sinner. I deserve to be punished. I deserve to die. For my sins. But right now I believe in Jesus. The Lamb of God. Jesus died for my sins. Jesus is the Lamb of God. Jesus rose from the dead. So I repent.

I turn from sin. I trust in Jesus. I believe in Jesus. Father forgive me. Take my sin away from me.

Save me.