Revelation 5 - We Were Made to Worship!

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The Scroll and the Lamb

5 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.”

Since this letter written by John is called "Revelation", it makes sense that at the center of this book is the "revelation" of God's perfect future plan in writing. Because of the divine nature of the scroll, someone would have to have to have the proper authority to open it. 

Literally no human person could open these scrolls. John says, "No one in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth." This would include saints who were heaven, Christians who were living at the time of John's writing, and the saints who had already died and were waiting for Jesus to return to raise the living and the dead. 

John wept because he probably thought the future of the world had been postponed indefinitely. Or, he was disappointed becasue he thought his role would be to witness the revelation. One of the seven elders comforted him by letting know that there was one who could break open the scrolls. 

The one who had the authority to unveil these scrolls was the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the descendant of King David, who triumphed over sin, death, and the power of the devil on the cross. 

6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits[a] of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went 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 God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:

Notice John uses another metaphor for Jesus, other than "the Lion". Jesus is also the "Lamb of God". When John the Baptist saw Jesus he said, "Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."

This was no meek Lamb, but one who was worthy to be worshipped based on His sacrifice for all mankind. The lamb had seven horns. A "horn" always represents power in the bible. The number "seven" is the number for perfection and completeness. So you might say Jesus, the Lamb, had perfect power. Also, the Lamb had "seven eyes", which are the "seven spirits". In the same way Jesus was aware of and could see everything. The seven spirits could be the seven churches too, because it says they were sent out into the world. 

And I looked, and behold… stood a Lamb: Because of the elder’s announcement, John expected to see a Lion, but saw a Lamb instead. John even used the specific word for a little lamb; he “Signifies a little or delicate lamb.” (Clarke)

The Lamb is presented in a way both sympathetic and powerful; He is living (stood a Lamb), but He still had the marks of previous sacrifice upon Him (as though it had been slain).

When men want symbols of power they conjure up ferocious beasts and birds of prey such as those that represent nations and sports teams. But the representative of the kingdom of heaven is a Lamb, representing humility, gentleness, and sacrificial love. (Guzik)

The fact that the Lamb looked like it had been slain, shows that the marks of the cross were still on him. 

He also bore the marks of omnipotence (seven horns) and omniscience (seven eyes). What a figure! A slain Lamb, who has the marks of omniscience and omnipotence!

Throughout the Scriptures, eyes suggest knowledge and wisdom, and horns suggest power. This Lamb has knowledge, wisdom, and power fulfilled perfectly: seven horns and seven eyes.

Which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth: The Holy Spirit is not only the Spirit of God (in the sense of being the “Spirit of the Father”), but also the Spirit of Christ (see Acts 16:7 and Romans 8:9).

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons 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.”

The result of Jesus' being the Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world, is that people from EVERY tribe, language, people, and nation were purchased and redeemed by the Lamb. This is a departure from the Old Testament when it was mainly the Jewish people and a few Gentile converts who were chosen by God. This is the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham, "I have blessed you and made your name great. You have been blessed to be a blessing to all nations." Genesis 15 

This also corresponds to Jesus' last words and commission to His disciples, "Go and make disciples of ALL NATIONS!"

The term for "nations" comes from the Greek word "ethnos", where we get our English word "ethnicity". We also use the term "people group". The bottom God line is that God the Father and the Son have always desired for all people to be saved.  1 Timothy 2:4

This group of people is also called a "kingdom of priests". A priest in the Old Testament was a mediator between God and man. But notice is flat design, not a hierarchical design. Martin Luther called this the "priesthood of all believers". This is why he called every Christian a "little priest" in the sense that God wants to use all of us to be his ambassadors and mediators. 

It is not by our own holiness that we are thought of as a priest, but because of the Lamb of God by whose authority we serve. 

Kings and priests to our God: Believers are kings because of their royal birth and their destiny to reign with Jesus. They are priests because they need no mediator other than Jesus Himself.

“When a fellow comes forward in all sorts of curious garments, and says he is a priest, the poorest child of God may say, ‘Stand away, and don’t interfere with my office: I am a priest; I know not what you may be. You surely must be a priest of Baal, for the only mention of the word vestments in Scripture is in connection with the temple of Baal.’ The priesthood belongs to all the saints.” (Spurgeon)

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 were saying:

“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, saying: “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.

Chapter 5 ends with the main theme of Revelation which is worship. As I mentioned this will be a huge part of what we will be doing in heaven. We see every creature, every angel, and every other being that has breath will be worshipping the Lamb, along with the four living Creatures and the 12 elders. They are in unison with one voice giving glory to the Lamb on the throne. The key word which describes their worship is that "Jesus is worthy of every aspect of our worship".  

At the essence of who we are is that we were made to worship. Many people worship the things of this world, but they will always leave them empty. The only One worthy of our worship is God the Father and God the Son, in the power of the God the Spirit. When we worship God we are fulfilling our purpose and it gives us great joy and contentment.

The angels can clearly see the greatness of God’s work in redeeming fallen men, so in response they credit power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing to the Lamb. In the same way, we can praise God for the way He works in the lives of other people. - Guzik

 “Depend upon it, my hearer, you never will go to heaven unless you are prepared to worship Jesus Christ as God. They are all doing it there: you will have to come to it, and if you entertain the notion that he is a mere man, or that he is anything less than God, I am afraid you will have to begin at the beginning and learn what true religion means. You have a poor foundation to rest upon. I could not trust my soul with a mere man, or believe in an atonement made by a mere man: I must see God himself putting his hand to so gigantic a work.” (Spurgeon)

This concurs with the purpose of John's gospel as well. John was confronting the heresies at the end fo the first century which said that Jesus was only a prophet, not really the Son of God. He was only a man not God! 

Though most of us worship regularly on Sundays, it doesn't mean we can worship God anytime or anywhere. Our whole life is one of worship, as we glorify God in all we saynd do. We offer our worship to God in response to His mercy and love. Our response is an act of worship and what Paul calls a "living sacrifice" in Romans 12:1-2

Did you take time to worship God today? Even if it is prayer, a song, or a reflection on the beauty of His Creation!