OPENING THE BOOK OF REVELATION –PART 20 Listen to Audio

                                    August 30, 2009

 

4:10-11- as the 4 living creatures offer a doxology to God in vs.8, so the 24 elders give praise in a similar manner.  “cast their crowns” is generally understood to be a gesture of returning  to the Lord what He had given them.

It expresses their love and honor of God.

  Their words –“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power;” is a truism.  His majesty of Person calls for the highest accolades.  Note again the triplicate words.

  “for you created all things”- echoing other vs.- Acts 17:24; I Cor.8:6; COL.1:16-17.  God is worshipped because He is the source of all life;  the intricate and multi-diverse life forms on earth demonstrate His omniscience.

“by your will they exist and were created”- note the 3 references to His

being Creator.  Creation expresses God’s glory- Psa. 8:1,3; 19:1-6.

 

5:1- John now describes the appearance of a “scroll written inside and on the back”- from this scroll will unfold the drama of prophecy.  This scroll is in the possession of the One on the throne [God] and the scroll is “sealed with 7 seals”.  When we combine the 2 sided writing with the seals, it emerges as

a comprehensively full and mysterious book.  Use of #7 suggests completion

or fullness  as well.  The scroll contains the long- awaited judgment of  God

upon the unrighteous- see 6:10.  That such judgments are “sealed” reveal

divine restraint until the time is correct.

 

5:2-5- John sees a “strong angel” [ischuron=ability, power]- in view of the gravity of the message of the scroll, a significant angel of power is used to

question who is worthy to open/loose the scroll. This angel uses a “loud voice”

to inquire.  The English has “proclaimed” giving added importance to this

question, the answer and the scroll itself.

    John then speaks of his own sorrow that no one is worthy [axios] –same

word as 4:11.  It speaks of weight, estimation—in this context, the word “worthy” likely refers to one that is qualified morally with supreme excellence.

    The scroll serves as an instrument to disclose or reveal the judgments of

God as instruments of His sovereign acts under His control-  “seals” being opened reveal the control of God over the cataclysmic events of Ch.6-7, leading us to the “trumpets” of ch.8-9 (11:15) and “bowls” of ch.15-16.

   John hears one of the elders tell him to cease [prohibition with present active imperative]  his tears as One is qualified to open the scroll and loss its 7 seals.

The word “prevailed” is from nikao—same root as “overcomers” and consistent

in depicting the conquering by righteousness.

   The One who has prevailed is “the Lion of ….Judah, the Root of David”- these are strictly Old Test. terms rarely associated with the church.

It quickly links this One with Gen.49:8-12, where this Son of Jacob is victorious,

powerful and legally invested with authority.  Further, references to Isa.9:6-7

page 2

 

and 11:1-10 must be recalled. 

 

5:6-7- Just as Christ emerged in Ch.1 as the Glorified Figure possessing the appearance of a sagacious judge ready to implement righteousness, who is returned from the dead—so now, Christ will appear as the back-from-the-dead Lamb taking the scroll and in 6:1 opening it.

  John “looked and behold..” in the midst of the features of ch.5, there

“stood a Lamb as though it had been slain”- this Lamb, possessing

death wounds, can be no one else but Jesus Christ.- John 1:29:36; I Cor.5:7;

I Peter 1:18-19.  As the One who suffered, died and provided redemption

for mankind, only Jesus Christ is qualified to initiate Divine judgment—

See John 5:22, 27.

  Further, the Lamb has “seven horns and 7 eyes”- He is invested with

appropriate power and knowledge (seven used to suggest fullness or completion) necessary for One to carry out such a grave action.  The 7 Spirits are “sent out into all the earth”—the Holy Spirit has a global ministry in a book of global judgments.

 

5:8- just as the elders/living creatures affirmed the worthiness of God to

be honored in ch.4, so they affirm Christ as worthy to open the seals.