#5. The Triumphant Lamb We Worship (Revelation 5:1-14)
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
http://www.jesuswalk.com/lamb/lamb_5worship.htm
Audio (25:30)
Part of JesusWalk -- Behold the Lamb of God
Free Email Bible Study 
Life of Jacob
"Adoration of the Lamb," by Jan van Eyck
(1432), oil on wood, Ghent altarpiece, Cathedral of St. Bavo,
Ghent.
Revelation 5:1-14
5:1
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the
throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with
seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming
in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the
scroll?" 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under
the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4
I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open
the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders
said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah,
the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll
and its seven seals."
6
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain,
standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four
living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven
eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the
earth. 7 He came and took the scroll from the right
hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had
taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders
fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were
holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of
the saints. 9 And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to
serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth."
11
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels,
numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten
thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures
and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"
13
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth
and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them,
singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!"
14
The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the
elders fell down and worshiped.
Over the past four weeks we've been studying various aspects
of atonement and redemption brought about by the Lamb of God. In
this final week we examine a passage where we see some of the
same themes, but with a special note of victory, joy, and
finality. The suffering and pain are past and the Lamb that was
slain now stands -- he has been raised on high.
An Introduction to the Book of Revelation
If you've ever read the Book of Revelation you know that it is
full of symbols -- beasts and elders, angels and that great
serpent -- all manner of interesting creatures. Some people read
the Book of Revelation to figure out the time of Jesus' return.
But in Chapter 5, that isn't our concern. We want to catch a
glimpse of the far side of redemption. Fasten your seatbelt and
take a trip with me into the heavenly throne room.
The Book of Revelation, often called the Apocalypse or the
Revelation of St. John, is written by John, in exile on the
Island of Patmos off the west coast of Asia Minor (modern-day
Turkey). Though there are lots of theories about the author's
identity, early tradition is unanimous that Revelation was
written by John the Apostle, which is my tentative conclusion, as
well. It was probably written late in the reign of Emperor
Domitian (81-96 AD), about 95 AD. John writes of a revelation of
last things shown to him by Jesus Christ (1:1).
Revelation (Greek apocalypse) is written in an entirely
different literary style than the rest of the Bible, with the
exception of parts of the Old Testament Book of Daniel. This
genre, known as apocalyptic literature, includes such elements as
forecasts of spiritual turmoil, mythical images rich in symbolism
and composite character, and long cycles of discourse.1
But don’t mistake symbolism for uncertainty, as if the meaning is
up for grabs. John uses symbols to communicate his vision of
heaven and the exalted Christ, a vision that is inexpressible in
human language.
The first three chapters picture the exalted Christ and give
his encouragement and warnings to the seven churches of Asia. In
chapter 4, John is summoned up to heaven, where he sees the
throne of God surrounded by 24 elders and four living creatures.
We pick up the narrative of John's vision in Chapter 5. I am
resisting the temptation to comment on every element in chapter
5; I'm reserving my focus for the character and activity of the
Lamb.
The Scroll with Seven Seals (5:1-4)
God on the throne holds a scroll sealed with seven seals, but
no one is found worthy to break the seals and open the scroll.
Scholars have debated whether this is a bound book (sometimes
called a codex) or a scroll. The Greek word biblion could
mean either. Upon consideration, I think it refers to a scroll.
In ancient days some legal documents (such as wills) were
witnessed by seven different witnesses and each of the seven
would attach his own personal seal in sealing wax, each attached
to one of the seven threads wrapped around the testament. The
purpose of this was to make sure that no one could open the
document undetected until it was officially opened at the
appropriate time. The contents of this scroll in Revelation 5 are
probably either (1) a deed which conveys the promise of the
kingdom of God to mankind, or (2) a testament which bestows the
kingdom as God's covenant promise -- which amount to the same
thing. But no one is found "worthy", that is, "able" (5:6), to
open the seals, since whoever opens the scroll must have the
power to execute what is written in it.2 The key
question in this section is "Who is worthy?" (5.2). The Greek
word is axios, "pertaining to being correspondingly
fitting or appropriate, worthy, fit, deserving."3
There is weeping because no one is found worthy or able.
The Lion Who Is the Lamb (5:5)
Suddenly, one of the elders says:
"See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has
triumphed...." (Revelation 5:5)
Who is he talking about?
"The Lion of the tribe of Judah" refers to Jacob's ancient
prophecy over his son Judah (Genesis 49:8-12), picturing Judah as
"a lion's cub" and a "crouching lion," from whose tribe, the Jews
believed, would come the Messiah:
"The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until he comes to whom it belongs
and the obedience of the nations is his." (Genesis 49:10)
"The Root of David" is a reference to Isaiah's prophecy:
"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit....
In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the
peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest
will be glorious." (Isaiah 11:1, 10)
Jesse is the father of King David, from whose descendents the
Messiah would come.
Notice the verb in this sentence: "the Lion of the tribe of
Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed." The Greek verb
is nikaō, "to win in the face of obstacles, be victor,
conquer, overcome, prevail." (Nike shoes get their name from the
Greek word for victory.)4 When Jesus said on the cross
"It is finished!" (John 19:30) and was then raised from the dead
on the third day, the victory over sin and death was complete.
The Slain Lamb Standing (5:6)
We expect triumph from lions, not from lambs, but when this
glorious "Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David," is
announced, John sees a lamb instead. The Lion is the Lamb, an
amazing and deliberate juxtaposition of might and meekness:5
"Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing
in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living
creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes,
which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the
earth." (Revelation 5:6)
See what the description tells us:
- The Lamb
is obviously a symbol for Jesus Christ
himself, whom John the Baptist had proclaimed, "The Lamb of
God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). But this
is no ordinary lamb.
- Appearing to have been slain
, his wounds were visible
in this vision. A sacrificial lamb would have been slain by
having his throat cut. It reminds me of the line, "those
wounds, yet visible above...." in the hymn "Crown Him with Many
Crowns" (see below). Yet somehow, this Lamb who has been slain
has triumphed -- just how he has triumphed we'll see as the
vision unfolds.
- The Lamb is standing
(Greek histēmi, Perfect
tense) in the midst of the throne and the elders. Though he had
been slain, he is now standing and lives -- an clear allusion
to Jesus' resurrection from the dead.
- The Lamb has seven horns
. In the Old Testament horns
signify power, probably from the demonstration of might when
two horned rams would fight (Deuteronomy 33:17). Seven is a
number that often expresses the idea of completeness or
perfection, so seven horns indicates complete might and
strength. This is reflected in the Gospels by the risen Christ
declaring, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given
to me" (Matthew 28:18).
- The Lamb has seven eyes
-- a bit grotesque if you take
this literally. But seven eyes indicate that the Lamb sees
fully, completely. The slain Lamb that stands is all powerful
and all knowing -- omnipotent and omniscient.
|
Detail of "Adoration of the Lamb" (1496-98) woodcut by
Albrecht Dürer.
Larger image. |
One of my favorite artistic illustrations of this scene of the
Lamb standing in the throne room of heaven is a
woodcut by Albrecht Dürer, "Adoration of the Lamb." His
literal image of the slain lamb with seven horns and seven eyes
appears a bit bizarre, but it is Dürer's direct way of conveying
the same symbolism to those who view his work. A victorious Lamb
bearing a flag with a cross is known in Christian symbolism as
the Agnus Dei, Latin for "the Lamb of God." Surrounding
the Lamb are crowds of worshippers bearing palm branches.
Q2. (Revelation 5:6) Decode (that is,
identify) each of the following symbols that relate to the
Lamb:
- The lamb itself represents ....
- Standing after being slain indicates ...
- Horns represent ....
- Eyes represent ...
- The number seven carries the idea of ...
To summarize, then, the Lamb has the qualities of being of
....
http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=72
|
Worshiping the Lamb Who Is Worthy (5:7-8)
Worship is due this Lamb. Falling prostrate before a king or
deity is worship, humbling oneself before One who is greater.
"The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down
before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding
golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the
saints." (Revelation 5:8)
Sometimes I hear people make fun of harps, white robes, and
clouds on which to sit and dangle one's feet. But if you consider
the harp a kind of guitar with the elders singing praise choruses
to the Lamb, maybe you can relate better to this scene. The 24
elders hold in their hands 24 golden bowls6 filled
with the prayers of God's people, symbolized as incense rising in
a sweet smell before the throne as it is burned.
You and I may not be there in this heavenly enthronement
ceremony, but our prayers are, valued with golden bowls that bear
our petitions before the Lord. Our prayers are not forgotten, but
heard in the very presence of the Almighty God on high!
God's people are referred to as "saints." The Greek adjective
hagios bears the root meaning "pertaining to being
dedicated or consecrated to the service of God, dedicated to God,
holy, sacred, that is, reserved for God and God's service."
Referring to people, it means, "the holy ones, believers, loyal
followers, saints," speaking of Christians as consecrated to God.7
We are not called saints because we are perfect, but because we
have been made holy by Christ, sanctified, set apart for God's
own service and use. You and I are these holy ones, dedicated to
God himself.
A Song of Redemption (5:9-10)
The song the elders sing is a "new song," one not heard
before. It is sung upon the occasion of enthroning the
triumphant, conquering Lamb. Examine the words with me, for the
song explains the basis of the Lamb's worthiness to open the
scroll and execute its kingdom, its promises, and the awesome
events leading up to the end.
"And they sang a new song:
'You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because (hoti) you were slain
and with your blood you purchased (agorazō) men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our
God,
and they will reign on the earth.'" (Revelation 5:9-10)
The song explains the Lamb's worthiness with a clause
beginning with the Greek conjunction hoti, used here as a
"marker of causality, subordinating, because, since."8
The Lamb is able to execute God's plan for the Last Days because
he was slain and with the blood produced by his own sacrificial
death, presumably, he "purchased men for God."
"Purchased" (NIV), "ransomed" (NRSV), and "redeemed" (KJV)
translate the Greek verb agorazō. In terms of things, it
means "to acquire things or services in exchange for money, buy,
purchase." With regards to persons it means "to secure the rights
to someone by paying a price, buy, acquire as property."9
Notice that John the Revelator does not provide a theory of
the atonement, per se, but states matter of factly, that by the
Lamb's blood he redeemed enslaved men and now owns them as his
servants, his saints, his set-apart people. How? We're not told.
Why? He doesn't say at this point. But for this victorious feat,
the Lamb is worshipped and praised.
And what of the redeemed? Who are they? Not just God's chosen
people, the Jews, but now from every tribe, language, people, and
nation (ethnē) -- throngs of people from around the globe
are purchased for God.
A Song of Praise (5:11-12)
Now the millions of angels sing a second song in praise to the
Lamb:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:12)
They sing, not just to the Lamb, but to "the Lamb who was
slain." Not only is he worthy to open the scroll and break its
seals, he is also worthy of praise in his own right. When you add
up the number of elements of praise found in this song of praise,
and you'll grasp the truth conveyed here, that the Lamb is worthy
of all praise -- seven-fold perfect, fulfilled, complete
praise!
A Song to the Divine Lamb (5:13-14)
The third song of praise is not sung by just the 24 elders or
millions of angels. This song is sung by every creature or
created thing (human, animal, vegetable, mineral?) in both heaven
and earth, the underworld and the mysterious deep.
"Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under
the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!'
The four living creatures said, 'Amen,' and the elders fell
down and worshiped." (Revelation 5:13-14)
Notice that this worship is directed toward both "him who sits
on the throne," that is, God the Father (in Trinitarian
terminology), but also to the Lamb.
"Worshipped" in verse 14 is the Greek verb proskuneō,
"to express in attitude or gesture one's complete dependence on
or submission to a high authority figure, (fall down and)
worship, do obeisance to, prostrate oneself before, do reverence
to...."10
Isn't it sacrilege for a creature to receive praise along with
God? Yes. But the Lamb is no creature. He is God -- God the Son.
As Paul writes:
"Who, being in very nature God...
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death --
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:6, 8b-11)
Now God has highly exalted him. Every knee is bowing
and every tongue -- "every creature in heaven and on earth and
under the earth and on the sea" -- is confessing that Jesus
Christ is Lord. And God the Father receives glory from it, too,
since the Father and the Son are One. Notice that these songs of
praise in Revelation 5 teach us that not only God the Father, but
Jesus the Son, is also to be worshipped and praised.
A great 5-week Bible study for the
Easter season,
Behold, the
Lamb of God, available as a 80-page printed book or
e-book for yourself, your class, or your small group!
Now
available on DVD for small group teaching and discussion. |
Jesus, "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world"
-- and your sin as well as mine -- this Jesus is worthy of our
worship and praise. In Revelation 5, heaven can't seem to
restrain itself. It breaks out in songs of praises to the Lamb
again and again. As we come to know and appreciate Jesus the Lamb
of God, we too will desire to praise him more and more.
This coming Easter, join your voices with multitudes who sing
the great song of praise:
"Crown him with many crowns, the Lamb upon his throne,
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless King through all eternity.
"Crown him the Lord of love! behold his hands and side,
those wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified...."
Concluding:
"All hail, Redeemer, hail! For thou hast died for me;
thy praise shall never, never fail throughout eternity."11
Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Prayer
Oh, Lamb of God, we do worship you with other saints of God
around the world. You have redeemed us by your death and
resurrection, and now we are yours. Not unwilling slaves, but
servants out of love and respect and honor and everlasting
gratitude. We love you, Lord Jesus, and lift up your name as
Holy! Holy! Holy! Amen. Hallelujah!
Key Verses
"You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:9-10)
References
- Dale C. Allison, Jr., "Apocalyptic," DJG 17-20.
- G.R. Beasley-Murray, The Book of Revelation (New
Century Bible Commentary; Revised Edition; Eerdmans, 1978), p.
123.
- Axios, BDAG 93-94.
- Nikaō, BDAG 673.
- The lion and lamb appear together elsewhere in apocalyptic
literature in the Testament of Joseph 19:8-9 -- "And all the
beasts rushed against him (the lamb), and the lamb overcame
them, and destroyed them and trod them underfoot. And because
of him the angels and men rejoiced, and all the land ... His
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, which shall not pass away."
In this text, probably dated in the first century BC, the lion
is a Messiah from Judah, while the lamb is a Messiah from
Aaron. The lion and lamb in this passage are not contrasting
figures, but variant symbols of one idea, the all prevailing
Messiah. (Beasley-Murray, pp. 124-125).
- "Bowls" is the Greek noun phialē which refers
specifically to a bowl used in offerings (BDAG 1055).
- Hagios, BDAG 10-11.
- Hoti, BDAG 731-732.
- Agorazō, BDAG 14. See also Morris, Apostolic
Preaching, pp. 50-52.
- Proskuneō, BDAG 882-883.
- "Crown Him with Many Crowns," words by Matthew Bridges
(1800-1894), an Anglican and later Roman Catholic, and Godfrey
Thring (1823-1903) who added the final stanza, "Crown him the
Lord of Life...."
Part of JesusWalk -- Behold the Lamb of God
Copyright © 1985-2009 Ralph F. Wilson. <pastor
joyfulheart.com> All rights reserved. A single copy of this article is free. Do not put this on a website. See legal, copyright, and reprint information.
Christmas Incarnation
