Revelation (Apocalypse) #5: ; The Vision from the room with the Throne Room (Part II) chapter 5
God worshiped because He is redeemer
« The Lamb that was offered in sacrifice is worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and praise. » Revelation 5.12
After the frame, here is now the content of the vision:
The book in the hand of Him who sits on the throne, God (v. 1).
A scroll written on both sides (rare) [Ezekiel 2.10]:
Here, then, would be the totality of what is to be revealed: here is the book of God’s plan for redemption and for the judgment of human beings.
History tells us that Vespasian’s will was also sealed with 7 seals.
It is a kind of guarantee that the person opening the door is the right person!
So here we have a legal document, very official, very complete. The breaking of the seals means putting into action what the document contains and not to peek into it but to implement what is written in it.
The challenge posed by the mighty angel: who is worthy to open the book, to break its seals?
The silence !
Nobody ! No one to implement God’s plan! Would evil have the upper hand after all? Does God really care about his Churches, his own? This explains John’s tears.
But one of the elders comes to console John (verse 5), there is someone who is worthy: the lion of the tribe of Judah.
The lion and the Lamb
The lion of the tribe of Judah refers to the OT (Genesis 49.8-10)
« 8 Judah, your brothers will honor you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down to you. 9 Judah is a young lion. You come back from the carnage, my son! *He bends his knees, he lies down like a lion, like a lioness: who will make him get up? 10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the peoples obey him. »
The root of David refers to Isaiah 11.1, 10. The word « Rod », pun, because it also means « To reject »
1 Then a branch will sprout from the stump of Jesse, an offshoot from its roots will bear fruit. 2
The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him:
spirit of wisdom
and discernment,
spirit of advice
and power,
spirit of knowledge
and fear of the Lord.
3 He will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge on appearance, will not level reproaches on the basis of hearsay. 4 On the contrary, he will judge the weak with righteousness and correct the wretched of the earth with righteousness. He will strike the earth with his word as with the blow of a rod, and with the breath of his lips he will put the wicked to death. 5 Righteousness will be like a belt around his waist, and faithfulness like a belt around his hips.
10 On that day *the root of Jesse, set up as a banner for the peoples, will be sought after by the nations, and his dwelling place will be glorious.
Always a successor on the throne of David: 2 Samuel 7, very important promise but this successor is however rejected, rejected, Psalm 89.
He hears that it is a lion but he sees a lamb: mixed metaphor, the lamb happens to be the lion (all power, all suffering).
What John sees is not a lion, but a lamb: the victory of this Lamb is already won and that is why He is worthy.
While the kingdoms choose powerful animals, the kingdom of God chooses a lamb as its symbol.
Lamb slain (violent death), while He is standing! This Lamb is triumphant, but the way he triumphed was through death. Key moment of saving faith, of the redemption of humanity.
Colossians 2. 14-15: he blotted out the document written against us which condemned us by his prescriptions, and he canceled it by nailing it to the cross. 15 He thus despoiled rulers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them by triumphing over them on the cross.
Powerful: 7 horns (always symbols of power or royalty), 7 eyes (omniscience).
This Lamb appears on the throne, in the middle of the throne (one of the strongest proclamations of the divinity of Jesus in the NT, once you understand the symbolism of chapter 4: an inaccessible throne!).
Important affirmation of the divinity of Jesus Christ. He is partaker of the divinity.
When he receives the book
The reaction of the animals and the 24 elders: they sing a new song, celebrating a new stage in God’s plan for redemption and judgment.
The subject of their praise: not only the creation, but now the redemption of people from
every tribe, of every language, of every people and of every nation.
The object of their praise: he who sits on the throne and the Lamb!
Those who accompany them: around the throne, animals and elders, a multitude of angels (verses 11 and 12) and even all the creatures of the universe (v. 13)!
Vision expanding here, who’s going to come back to the throne in chapter 7?
This is also why God raised him to the highest place and gave him the name which is above every name so that in the name of Jesus everyone should bend their knees in heaven, on earth and under the earth and every tongue recognize that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Conclusion
He who speaks to the churches has received all power and all authority.
He holds in His hand the Churches and their destinies.
He knows their daily lives, their strengths, their challenges, but also their weaknesses.
He holds in his hand the unfolding of God’s plan, a plan for redemption but also for judgment.
God’s children can trust Him, even though they suffer; He himself suffered death for their redemption and salvation.