Revelation 5 is an incredible chapter, and perhaps one of the easier understood chapters in Revelation.
Revelation 5:1 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.
God has the very words of future history recorded on this scroll, sealed and held in His hands. He is in absolute control of future history. He is sovereign. The scroll contains God's decrees and plans for the future - the struggles and victories as the gospel is presented and the judgements on those who reject it (in chapter 6). God has written it down and no one can change it. He is on the throne, He alone is King, He is Ruler of everything.
And there was no one worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. No man, no angel, no demon, no one was worthy.
In his sermon Christ: the Lion and the Lamb, Piper says that not even God could open it....
It would look as though he didn't care that we have trampled his glory in the dirt. It would look as though he could just sweep our sin under the rug of the universe. Something must be done to demonstrate the righteousness of God if the opening of this scroll is going to bring infinite blessing upon repentant sinners who deserve only condemnation. If God were to open the scroll himself without any mediator, without any go-between, and deal directly with sinful man, we would all be consumed and there would be no salvation at all.....
God is a God of love because he will not open the seals of history without the hands of a Savior.
And if there is no one worthy, all there is left is weeping, for there is no hope, no salvation, no new heaven and earth - only weeping.
But then came Christmas with the plan of Easter set in place! The Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God.
The Lion of Judah can open the scroll because He has conquered. The Lamb of God can open the scroll because He was slain, and by His blood He has ransomed mankind for God.
And we worship Him because not only is He a Lion, He is the Lamb. And not only is He the Lamb, He is the Lion.
We worship Him because He is so complex, He has all the right qualities in all the right proportions.
From Piper....
- we admire him for his glory, but even more because his glory is mingled with humility;
- we admire him for his transcendence, but even more because his transcendence is accompanied by condescension;
- we admire him for his uncompromising justice, but even more because it is tempered with mercy;
- we admire him for his majesty, but even more because it is a majesty in meekness;
- we admire him because of his equality with God, but even more because as God's equal he nevertheless has a deep reverence for God;
- we admire him because of how worthy he was of all good, but even more because this was accompanied by an amazing patience to suffer evil;
- we admire him because of his sovereign dominion over the world, but even more because this dominion was clothed with a spirit of obedience and submission;
- we love the way he stumped the proud scribes with his wisdom, and we love it even more because he could be simple enough to like children and spend time with them;
- and we admire him because he could still the storm, but even more because he refused to use that power to strike the Samaritans with lightning and he refused to use it to get himself down from the cross.
The human heart was made to stand in awe of ultimate excellence—you were made to admire Jesus Christ the Son of God—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, King of kings, and Lord of lords—and if your heart is not much taken up with him, then you don't need to look any farther to know the deepest source of your frustration. (emphasis mine)
Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.
Jesus, You are worthy!
Tomorrow's passage: Revelation 7-10
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