Throw Out the Lifeline

Bible Study Lessons

BIBLE CLASS NOTES

by Bill Thornhill

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST

Chapter Five.

In this chapter we have the continuation of the throne room scene. However a new dimension has been added. This is the beautiful scroll having seven seals. It is to that portion of the scene we wish to direct our attention as study verses 1 through 7. Verse one: And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. The scroll was in the right hand of the One who sat on the great throne; the Fountain of Living Light. The scroll’s being in the right hand is evidence the One on the throne approved of what was written therein and was now ready for it to be revealed to mankind. The fact the scroll was written “inside and on the back,” also symbolizes it was complete and needed nothing to be added. This scene is based upon Ezekiel 2:10, in which the prophet saw a similar scroll which was written on the inside and out. In Ezekiel’s case, the things written in the book were lamentations, mourning, and woe. Ezekiel’s scroll was book of judgments to come on the people of Judah and Jerusalem at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, Emperor of Babylon. The language of Revelation five strongly suggests the same thing for Jerusalem in the days of John, although this is not known at this point. These seals too, are full of lamentations, mourning, judgments, and woe. When in ancient times royalty sealed a letter or a scroll, no one dared open it under the penalty of death, except the one designated to do so. The scroll was so perfectly sealed by the “hand” of God that only One had the authority, ability, permission or right to open it. It is our view this sealed book is the one of which God spoke to Daniel when he said in 12:4,But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase. What Daniel was not permitted to reveal fully regarding “the time of the end,” is now to be made clearly known by John to the seven churches as the seven seals are opened. The number seven indicates his portion of the New Testament is the fullness or completion, of God’s revelation concerning his purposes in dealing with his people.

In the 2^nd verse John wrote, Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals? The word here translated “strong” carries more than just the idea of physical strength. He was a powerful, efficient, prevailing, valid messenger; therefore, one who was both true and powerful. This messenger came heralding, publishing, or making known a question. His question was the one on the minds of all taking part in this scene and those who would thereafter read it. The first word reaching out and grabbing our attention is “worthy.” The question is who, because of holiness of character, service to God and man, suffering and pain, is deserving of the honor to open the scroll?

In the 3^rd verse John said, And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. The phrase, “in heaven, on the earth, or under the earth,’ is a Hebraism meaning that he did not see anyone in the universe deserving to open the scroll. The word “able” is edunato, from dunamis, and refers to authority, might, power, right and majesty. It could not be “looked at” in the sense it could be read and understood because none of the seals had been broken to reveal its contents.

In the 4^th verse John confessed, So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. John wept as his purpose in being called to the throne room was to see the things that must take place after this was thwarted if no one could open the scroll. The word “much” suggests profuse crying, not merely the shedding of a few tears. However, John was soon consoled by one of the twenty-four elders who said, 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. (V. 5) The worthy One is the conquering Messiah of whom God prophesied in the blessing Jacob gave his sons just before his death. (Genesis 49:9-10). Further messianic language is used when the Lion is portrayed as the Root of David. (Isaiah 11:1). This is the One who gave David life, and then descended from him, the branch of David (Jeremiah 23:5); Zechariah 3:8). The elder announced the Messiah had “prevailed.” The word “prevailed” (enikesen) is the same word elsewhere translated “overcome.” There is another sense in which the Messiah overcame or prevailed. He prevailed because his Kingdom continues long after the persecuting Jews were sent into oblivion by the forces of Rome.

Having heard and understood the message of the elder, John wrote, And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into the earth. (v6). John seems to turn his eyes away from the elder to gaze once more at the center of the throne room. He saw a little Lamb. We use the adjective “little” because John used the diminutive form of arnion, the word for lamb. This same word is used in John 21:15 when Jesus told Peter to feed his lambs.

The Lamb had the marks of having been slain; however, he was not dead! In 13:8 the Lamb is presented as the one slain from the foundation of the world. This, of course, refers to the fact the death of Christ on the cross as the perfect sacrificial victim had been planned by God before the world was ever created. The metaphor of a small lamb being used for our Christ tends to show his docile, meek, and submissive nature in doing the will of God for the redemption of mankind. Oppositely, when we think of Jesus under the figure of a lion we tend to consider his noble, powerful, conquering ability especially when it comes to defeating Satan who is himself presented in Scripture as a roaring lion. In 22:1-3 Jesus is presented as the Lamb in the Temple sharing the throne of God. He is the small weak Lamb who became the mighty Lion.

John continued his description with the picture of seven horns, eyes, and Spirits. Of this language Sweet wrote,

Seven horns: a symbol of power, answering to Lion (contrast 13:1, 17:3). The seven eyes symbolize wisdom, answering to Root. John is interpreting Isaiah 11 by Zech. 3:8-10, where Zerubbabel is called ‘branch’, and Zech. 4:1-10, where the ‘seven lamps’ are equated with the ‘seven eyes of the Lord which range through the whole earth’. ‘range through” here becomes sent out into: sent (apestalmenos) is a keyword in John’s Gospel. Ct. 20:11f.’ “as the Father has sent me out, so I send you… Already the seven spirits have been linked with the seven torches or lamps (4:5), which symbolizes the churches (1:20, 2:1, 3:1).

We agree with Sweet that the seven horns are figures for power, but add seven horns create the image of perfect power. This same figure is used to describe the strength of Joseph’s sons among the tribes of Israel in Deuteronomy 33:17. it was also used as a symbol of power by the false prophet Zedekiah in 2 Chronicles 18:10, when he urged Jehoshaphat to go to war against Syria. Hence, seven horns of the Lamb represent his perfect power to accomplish the will of God. Jesus confessed in Matthew 28:18, All authority (power) has been given Me in heaven and on earth. We also concur with Sweet that the seven eyes symbolize the perfect wisdom and / or knowledge of our Lord and Savior which he sent into the world by the Holy Spirit as he inspired the apostles (John 14:16-17; 16:12-15). This figure is drawn from Zechariah 3:9ff, and declares the Lamb is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent through his “seven Spirits” who inspired the apostles, prophets, and evangelists to preach the Gospel to the whole world.

The throne room had been relative calm since the end of chapter four. However, at the taking of the scroll activity resumes, including worship, and anthems of praise. John related the events taking place as soon as the Lamb received the scroll from the hand of the One on the throne. His words were: Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (v. 8) At the moment the Lamb received the scroll, the four Zoa and the twenty-four elders began to worship him by prostrating themselves before him. John said they had harps and golden bowls of incense, which were the prayers of the saints. Did he mean to imply both the lyres and the bowls of incense represented the prayers of the saints, or only the bowls of incense represented those prayers? Were the prayers of the saints considered both melodic, as the music of the zither, and sweet smelling, as the aroma of fine incense, in the ears and nostrils of God? If both are not modified by the phrase which are the prayers of the saints, we must assume the harps were symbols of the song they were about to sing. If the prayers of the saints were agonizing cries such as were uttered in 6:10, we cannot see how they could be considered melodic in the ears of God. Hence, the lyres, no doubt, represented the song about to be sung and the golden censers of incense emitting smoke, the prayers of the saints. There were neither literal harps nor censers. These were songs and prayers of the elders, and perhaps the Zoa as well, being offered at the throne of the Radiant Light.

John returned to the symbol of praise pointing out the hosts of the throne room sang a “new” anthem, in verses 9 and 10 And they sang a new song, saying: 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, and having made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth. The idea of a new song is based on Isaiah 42:10 in which the prophet urged Israel to sing a new song to Yahweh. He wrote: Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you coastlands and you inhabitants of them! This song is new in the sense it is fresh, or recently made. It could not have been sung before the Lamb was slain. The new song was sung to the Lamb because he was Yahweh’s Messiah who came into the world and accomplished all the prophets said he would. This new song is mentioned seven times in the Old Testament. In addition to the reference from Isaiah above, it is found in Psalms 33:3, 40:3; 96:1; 144:9; and 149:1.

Why was the Lamb worthy? The answer is found in the rest of the sentence. He had been slain. He had been offered up as the eternal atoning sacrifice when he had died on the cross. He died to bring men salvation and when they received it, he added them to his church. Secondly, the price of redemption was the precious blood of Christ, as a Lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:18). When Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians he emphasized they were a purchased people. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Also echoed in 1Corinthians 7:23. The redeemed came out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. The words take us back to Genesis 12:1-3 in which we find he promise made to Abraham that in him and in his seed would all clans of the earth be blessed.

The song also praised the result of our redemption. This song certainly suggested that the prophesy of Daniel 7:13-14 had been fulfilled.

The doxology of the Lamb ended with, And we shall reign on the earth. A more literal rendering is, And they shall reign in the land. For the Christians to whom this book was written, this little clause gave assurance they would be victorious over those who persecuted them. With the destruction of Jerusalem, he caldron from which persecution boiled, suppression by the Jews would forever end. That would mean victory for the saints, and victory is a form of reigning. There was another sense in which the saints of God would reign in the land; there would come a period of unhampered spread of Christianity. The word “reign” here does not mean to rule over something or someone in a political or religious sense, as many Dispensationalists mistakenly believe. It refers to persons who make up a royal family; he family of a king. This is in harmony with 1 Peter 2:9. Saints of God do not “rule” over anyone is a political sense, not even the apostles were permitted to do that (Matthew 20:20-28), but we are attached by right of redemption to the One who rules; exercises dominion spiritually. This anthem is heavily influenced by the Book of Daniel. He spoke of a redeemed people to whom God had given a Kingdom (Daniel 7:13-14, 18, 22, 27). Also in the 10^th verse we again see the influence of Exodus 19:6, in which God’s people were spoken of as a kingdom of priests.

In the 11 and 12^th verses John wrote, Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing! At this point it is obvious the vision John saw is widening in its scope. The Holy Spirit was saying the host was so large it could not be counted. This inexpressible number of heavenly messengers is, no doubt, based upon Daniel 7:10, in the vision of the Ancient of Days, when Daniel saw A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated and the books were opened. The similarity of the two scenes is so uncanny one must be based on the other.

These accolades the Lamb was entitled to receive deserve a bit of attention. “Power” comes from dunamin, and refers to efficacy, authority, right and majesty infinite in nature. “Riches” is derived from plouton, and says Christ has the right to abound in riches. “Wisdom” is from sofian, denoting enlightenment, prudence, insight into the nature of God’s plan. “Strength” comes from iscun bespeaking power or efficacy; the power or ability to prevail. “Glory” is from doxan, denoting splendorous, radiant light. Finally, the chorus pronounced him worth to receive “blessing” from eulogian (from which we get our word eulogy) and means to glorify through praise, to honor through praise.

Each of these characteristics is preceded by the definite article. This means Christ was / is esteemed in such a way as to have the right to receive the power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing due him because of his magnificent part in the scheme of redemption.

In the 13^th and 14^th verses, John again saw the scope of the veneration of the Lamb increase, And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! Then the four living creatures said, Amen! And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever. The scene moves from the worship of the Lamb by those in the throne room of God, to the entire heavenly realm and furthest reaches of the universe. When John said every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all therein worshipped the Lamb, he used a figure of speech called hyperbole to emphasize the Lamb was worth of veneration by every creature in the universe.

The four Zoa, who supported the throne of God, demonstrated their approval by saying Amen! This word means, “so be it,” or as some say, “thus it is, and thus it should be.” After these glorious expressions of praise to the One who sits on the throne and the Lamb, the Lamb was ready to begin the opening of the scroll with the seven seals.