The Book of Revelation: Chapter 5

Scripture References:

• Revelation 5:1-14 - The sealed scroll and the Lamb who was slain
• Revelation 4:1-11 - The throne room of heaven
• Genesis 9:13 - God's rainbow covenant
• Philippians 2:7-8 - Jesus made himself of no reputation
• Genesis 49:10 - The scepter shall not depart from Judah
• 2 Samuel 7:12-16 - The Davidic covenant
• John 1:29 - "Behold, the Lamb of God"
• Isaiah 53:7 - He was led as a lamb to the slaughter
• Isaiah 11:1 - There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse
• Psalm 23:1 - The Lord is my shepherd

As we continue our journey through the book of Revelation, we find ourselves moving seamlessly from the throne room worship of chapter 4 into the profound drama of chapter 5. Remember, when these letters were originally written, there were no chapter divisions. This was one continuous revelation that would have been read from beginning to end in the early church gatherings.

Last week, we unpacked chapter 4 and got a glimpse of heaven's throne room. No doubt it was an experience that we cannot even begin to fathom. Surely tears of joy flowed from John's eyes as he witnessed this holy, heavenly worship service. But as chapter 5 begins, a crisis occurs that was troubling enough to cause John to break down in tears of sorrow, not joy.

The Crisis in Heaven

In verse 1, John notices that God the Father had a scroll in His right hand, the right hand symbolizing authority and power. This wasn't just any ordinary scroll. Notice that verse 1 says there was writing on both the inside and the outside, which symbolizes that nothing else could be added; it was complete and perfect. It was also sealed with seven seals, just as a Roman will in that day was sealed with seven seals, indicating its importance and legal significance.

Curious about what the scroll contained, John waited for it to be read. But when a strong angel proclaimed with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?" (verse 2), something shocking happened: no one stepped forward. No one in heaven, on earth, or under the earth was found worthy to open it.

The result? Verse 4 tells us that John "wept much" at the unworthiness of the Lord's creation. Perhaps John wept at his own sinful history that removed his name from the "worthy" list. Can you imagine the devastation? All of creation waiting with bated breath to see what this important document contained, yet no one was worthy to open it.

The Lion of Judah and the Root of David

Just when all seemed hopeless, verse 5 brings us hope. One of the elders, representing the church, spoke words of comfort to John: "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."

Let's unpack these powerful Messianic titles:

"The Lion of the tribe of Judah" - Judah is the royal tribe of Israel. While Israel's first king, Saul, came from the tribe of Benjamin, David's line of kingship came from Judah. This became Israel's "permanent line" as evidenced by Jacob's promise in Genesis 49 that "the scepter would not depart from Judah."

"The Root of David" - This title narrowed Jesus' lineage from tribe to family. He wasn't just a Jew from the tribe of Judah; He was part of the royal line! The prophet Isaiah prophesied about this Messianic title when he wrote in Isaiah 11:1, "There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots." Jesse was the father of King David, and it is this offspring that Isaiah prophesied about: the one upon whom the Holy Spirit would rest and who would judge with righteousness and justice.

When John heard these two titles in verse 5, he without a doubt knew they were titles for the Messiah. I believe John quickly realized he was about to see his Savior, Lord, and friend in all His deserved glory. Can you imagine the joy and anticipation?

The Unexpected Lamb

But the figure John saw in verse 6 was not what he was expecting to see. John probably expected to see the Warrior King, but instead, he saw the Sacrificial Lamb. A lamb, one of the most helpless and gentle of creatures. In those days, sheep would provide wool for a while until the time came for their slaughter. As Philippians 2:7-8 tells us, Jesus "made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."

The all-powerful God made Himself powerless. He provided wisdom and instruction for a while until the time came for His slaughter. John would have recognized Jesus in this role, don't forget he had seen the Savior on the cross, torn, battered, and bloody. Here in verse 6, Jesus entered the room as the redemptive sacrifice! The slain Lamb was a reminder to everyone of the justice that would soon take place. Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, was slaughtered on the cross of Calvary so that every person who was about to experience the coming wrath would have an opportunity for redemption.

The Lamb's Divine Attributes

Verse 6 also tells us that there were some unusual characteristics about this Lamb:

• Seven horns - representing His complete power (omnipotence)
• Seven eyes - eyes represent wisdom and knowledge, so seven eyes represent complete knowledge (omniscience)
• Seven spirits of God sent out to all the earth - we know this represents the Holy Spirit, referring to His omnipresence

This description in verse 6 is nothing less than the affirmation of the Lamb's deity. For only God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent!

So get this: In light of what the Lamb has done (His work of atonement) and in light of who the Lamb is (God), He can do in verse 7 what no one else in all of creation can do! This is why He was able to take the scroll in verse 7: only He is worthy!

An old poem, "God's Perfect Lamb," captures this very thought:

Mary had a little Lamb,
His soul was white as snow.
And anywhere His Father sent,
The Lamb was sure to go.
He came to earth to die one day,
The sin of man to atone.
And now He reigns in heaven alone.
He's the Lamb upon the throne!

Three Hymns of Heavenly Worship

Notice what happens in the rest of the chapter when the Lamb takes the scroll—all of heaven breaks loose in worship! The redeeming blood of the Lamb is no embarrassment in heaven; in fact, they love to sing about it!

Here in verses 8-14, we find three beautiful hymns sung in heaven:

1. The Hymn of the Saints (verses 8-10)
The redeemed, represented by the 24 elders, sing first: "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."

This is our song. The angels couldn't sing what the saints sung because they don't know what it means to be redeemed. Only we who have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus can sing this hymn of redemption.

2. The Hymn of the Angels (verses 11-12)
Then thousands upon thousands of angels join in: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!" Note that the angels couldn't sing what the saints sang, but they could join in proclaiming the worthiness of the Lamb. The worship is building like a great crescendo.

3. The Hymn of All Creation (verses 13-14)
Finally, every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and in the sea joins the chorus: "Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever!"

When the symphony came to rest in verse 14, the four living creatures closed the celebration with a fitting "Amen." The elders, though, weren't ready to stop worshipping as they fell down and continued worshiping the Lamb!

A Call to Worship Now

What a worship service we will have throughout all eternity! Let's get some practice down here!

It's hard to leave chapters 4 and 5; they are the highlights of the book. A holy, heavenly worship service like none we've ever experienced or will experience this side of eternity! But it's also hard to leave because of what lies ahead. The scroll is now in the hands of the Lamb and the seals will soon be opened; God's wrath is about to fall. I hope you've enjoyed the celebration, because now it's all going to get dark very fast!

This reminds us that eternity is real, and it's coming sooner than we realize. If you woke up tomorrow and found out that God had answered all of your prayers, how many people would be in heaven today?

Let's determine to take as many people to heaven with us as we possibly can. Let's be found faithful, because God rewards faithfulness. The best is yet to come for those who know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. One day, we'll join that great worship service and cry out together: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!" What a hope we have anchored securely in Jesus and in Jesus alone. May we live each day in light of this eternal reality, making much of Jesus because He truly is worthy of all our praise.

All for Him,

Pastor Dustin