Revelation Chapter 5 The Scroll and the Lamb/ Greg L Bahnsen /Revelation Verse By Verse {Part 20}

In Jeremiah 32, verse 17, we read, Ah, Lord Jehovah. Behold, thou hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power and by thine outstretched arms. There is nothing too hard for thee. The theme of Jeremiah here seems to be that because God is a creator, God can accomplish whatsoever he chooses to accomplish. Nothing is too hard for God, and all his plans will be realized in a sense that summarizes what we were looking at in Revelation the four chapter two Sundays ago, Two weeks ago, in Revelation chapter four, we, I hope you will remember, saw that John was caught up to the door of heaven. The door opened in heaven that was to make possible his seeing of a new vision. And when he looked, he saw a throne that was set there, a throne established in heaven with an emerald rainbow around it. And the one who was on the throne was similar in sight to a Jasper and Sardius stone. Lightnings and voices and thunders proceeded from that throne. Okay, so here's the throne set in heaven, the theme being the sovereignty of God, especially the sovereignty of God the Creator. And seven lamps of fire representing the seven spirits of God, burned before the throne. And there was a sea of glass likened to crystal before the throne as well. So you have John seeing the throne, this magnificent sight and sound coming from the throne. You have seven lamps and a crystal sea before it. And now four living creatures surround the throne. Four creatures which are cherubim with seraphim imagery combined in them. They are full of eyes, they have six wings, each one of them, and they are likened to a lion, a calf, a man, and an eagle. The Bible tells us, okay, so we have the throne. We have the seven spirits, the seven torches before the throne, the crystal sea before that. We have four cherubim around the throne. And then John sees 24 elders round the four cherubim as well, 24 elders, a rank of angels that are on their own thrones, wearing white garments and bearing golden crowns. Okay, so that's the setting. And you have to have that in mind. You have to be thinking through that imagery in order to come to chapter five and understand what's to happen there. The background of chapter five doesn't simply include the geographical location and the personnel that we've been talking about, but there's something going on in heaven. As John comes to this open door in heaven, there's an antiphonal song being sung. First of all, you have these four living creatures, these four cherubims singing, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, the Eternal One. So the holiness of God, his majesty, might and eternality are being sung about giving glory, honor and thanks to God. Now when the four living creatures do this, they are met in response by the 24 elders, who then fall down before the throne, cast their crowns before the throne and saying, our Lord and God is worthy to receive glory, honor and power. For you have created all things by your will. So if you will. The theme of chapter four can very easily be put, is the sovereignty of God in creation. We begin with the throne. You see, God's sovereignty, His rule and dominion over all. And the song of the four living creatures and the 24 elders centers around, of course, the glory of God. But the glory of God and His sovereignty, his domain is seen in his created ability, his creational ability. Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God to receive the glory and the honor and the power. Because you did create all things, and because of thy will they were. And they were created. Okay, so the creation of God is exalted there in chapter four. This is what John hears in the antiphonal song of heaven as he comes to the door of heaven. But now a drama begins to unfold. Not only do we have the personnel and their location in heaven, not only do we have the setting and we hear the song being sung, but we're going to come in chapter five into the drama of heaven and a new song is going to be sung. And so we're going to move from the sovereignty of God in creation, which is a foundational theme, to see the sovereignty of God in salvation, the sovereignty of God in redemption. In a sense, all of the Bible, all of Christian theology, can be summarized in the two themes of creation and redemption. You have God as he is and what he has done in creation. Then of course, the fall and the response of God, redemption, which takes us all the way to the consummation of the eternal state. John has seen the sovereignty of God in creation, chapter five in the new drama, the new song will take him into the theme of the sovereignty of God in redemption. Let's read chapter five through and try to get an overall picture of what's to happen there, and then start looking at individual verses. John has just heard this antiphonal song, and he goes on saying, and I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll written within and on the back close, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaim with a great voice who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof. And no one in the heaven or on the Earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look thereon. And I wept much because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look their eyes. And one of the elders saith unto me, weep not. Behold the lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, half overcome to open the book and the seven seals thereof. And I saw in the midst of the throne and on the. Excuse me, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a lamb standing as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came, and he taketh it out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the four and 20 elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sing a new song, saying, worthy art thou to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain and is purchased under God with thy blood. Men of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and made them to be unto our God a kingdom and priest. And they reigned upon the earth. And I saw and I heard a voice of many angels round about the throne and the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands of thousands, saying with a great voice, worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to receive the power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing, and every created thing which is in the heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea and all things that are in them. Heard I saying unto him that see sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the dominion forever and ever. And the four living creatures said, amen. And the elders fell down and worshipped. That's one of the most glorious visions of the Book of Revelation. That's just fantastic to imagine yourself being in the place of John, you see, as he stands in the heavenly throne room when the drama unfolds. You see? He sees now after he hears this song, he looks again to the throne. And in the right hand of the one who sits on the throne, there is a scroll being held shut with seven wax seals. And before we go on, perhaps I should explain the scroll itself and its meaning, the form of that book that the one on the throne, God the Father, was holding. Is most likely a scroll, as I've been identifying it. Commonly a scroll was used as a book in this time. Scroll was composed of 10 inch wide papyrus pieces which were pasted end to end. And they would be formed by taking these sheets of papyrus and laying them crisscross to one another. And so you'd have the papyrus with the grain running down and then the grain running across and you have them glued or pasted back to back and then end to end, and that would form a long scroll that was then rolled up. Now, the writing of such ancient scrolls was usually confined to the inside of the scroll or if you will, to the front of the sheet of paper, to use the modern equivalent. As the scroll was laid out, people would usually write simply on the front and then roll it up. That is, it would would be written on the inside. And the reason for that is not hard to understand. The vertical pieces that lie behind the front sheet were very rough and very hard to write on. And therefore it was difficult to do. So what John sees a very unusual, unique scroll because it is said here that it is written within and on the back the scroll is full of writing. I mean, there wasn't enough room on the inside, if you will. The back is full of figures as well. Now, some commentators, a very few hold that instead of having a scroll here, what we have is a leafed book, a book just like you hold in your hands now your Bible, the modern equivalent of an ancient scroll. And the seven seals then would really take a portion of the book and seal it over. So if you take this as 1/7 of a book, you put a wax seal over that and holds that portion together. And you can see how that has influenced the interpretation of the book of Revelation. If you see that, that book, that scroll, however, you want to take it in that way. Because the breaking of the seven seals then means what the opening up of 1/7 of the whole prophecy. And so the seven seals have got to represent the prophecy of the book Revelation. You come to the, the seventh seal, according to these commentators, and when you open it up, you come to the seven trumpets. And then at the end of the seven trumpets we have some sort of interlude and finally seven bowls at the seventh trumpet. Now, I don't think that's really what John is saying here. John is not talking about a book, a bibliome in the sense that we have one like a Bible that has seven seals over the seven portions of the book. He's rather talking about a scroll written on the front and on the back rolled up, and then there are seven wax seals affixed to the edge of the outside of the scroll, holding it together. It is closed, sealed. It is sealed completely shut with these seven wax seals. Now, what is the scroll? What does the scroll represent? Of course, lots of your interpretation. The book of Revelation will rest upon how you answer that question. Let me give you a few alternatives and then suggest to you what I think the Bible would have us to believe. Many ancient commentators thought that the scroll that was held in the hand of God the Father was the Old Testament. Was the Old Testament written as a scroll written on the front and on the back seven steels closing it. And the Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus Christ in the New Testament. That's why Christ is the one worthy to open the scroll. And they would take support for that interpretation from passages like Luke 4:21. Remember, Jesus is at Nazareth. He's preaching a sermon to his hometown. And he began to say, and say them today, hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ears? Jesus asked for the scroll to be brought to him, and that was the Old Testament. And he opens in the scroll right to the place in Isaiah that was appropriate, the year of jubilee declaration. And he reads that. And he first then goes into his interpretation and says, today this has been fulfilled in your hearing. And so many ancient commentators have thought that the scroll here in Revelation chapter 5 is just like that in Luke 4. The Old Testament scroll that Jesus fulfills Christ brings the Old Testament pope to its divinely ordained fulfillment and would be the theme of chapter five. Others have thought of it not as the Old Testament, something which is previous to Christ, but in a sense, something which is future to Christ instead. So eschatological book, the Lamb's Book of Life, that is, well, in the book of Revelation, you'll find six times a mention of the Lamb's Book of Life. And the fullness of the writing on this scroll, the front and the back being filled up, would then be symbolic of the multitude of those who shall be saved. And you find support for that in Revelation 7, verse 9. After these things, I saw and behold a great multitude which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes and palms in their hands, no man could number, you see, the saved. And that's why the Lamb's Book of Life is written on the front and on the back. The difficulty with this interpretation is that there is no reason to introduce the thought of the Lamb Lamb's Book of Life. At this particular juncture in the book, it hasn't been suggested at all. In fact, there hasn't been any introduction or any background given that would make it appropriate. Moreover, as the seven seals are broken on this scroll and we begin to see what's going to happen, there is no correspondence in the subsequent events to the Lamb's Book of Life. And so it's a clever idea and I suppose, worth at least the few minutes we've given it. But I think that's about it. I don't think that's really what's intended. Well, a third interpretation is, in the Roman world, seven seals customarily were used to seal a last will and testament. See, as the person wrote this last will and testament, he would have seven men attest to it. And the seven men attested to it by putting their mark in the seal of wax. It sealed the testament closed. It sealed his will closed. And so what we have here perhaps, is the covenant of God, the last will and testament of the Savior. Now, In Hebrews, the ninth chapter, verses 15 and following, we read these words. And for this cause he that is Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where a testament is a last willing testament, there must of necessity be the death of him that made it. For a testament is a force where there hath been a death, for it doth never avail, while he that made it lives. We wherefore even the first covenant hath not been dedicated without blood, and so on. Now, here's a discussion of the inheritance of the saint that is tied allegedly to the notion of a last will and testament that the Savior makes good by his death. And in First Peter 1:4, you'll notice how Peter points out that the inheritance of the saints is yet future. He speaks of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead unto an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled. And it fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. So now the scroll that the Lamb of God comes and takes out of the hand of the Father In Revelation, chapter 5 is interpreted as this last will and testament says, a future inheritance of the saints that will meet made good as Jesus opens the seals. Well, I'm not favorable to that interpretation for a large, large number of reasons. In fact, it would probably take me the rest of the hour to explain all the reasons why I think this is an inadequate interpretation. But let me begin by saying that rests upon the testamental interpretation of Hebrews 9. And while those of you who are studying the seminary will be able to go and find a lot of commentators that the testamental interpretation of Hebrews 9, I do think that in Hebrews 9 we are not reading a last word testament, but we are reading of a covenant. And that's why it would take the rest of the hour to explain it, because of the large number of commentators who insist that a last little intestine is revealed there. But I would refer you to old Palmer Robertson's exegesis of that passage and how he demonstrates, I think, conclusively that the authority, Hebrews 9 couldn't have been thinking of anything, brought a covenant and not a last law and vestibule. And so you see, that would undermine the interpretation altogether. But let us say that Robertson's wrong and all these commentators are right. I mean, forgetting that for the moment you still have to deal with the context of Revelation chapter 5 and the subsequent events. And it turns out that the subsequent events, the breaking of the seals, have to do with judgment, you see, punishment, the upon the enemies of the kingdom. It's not the Christian inheritance that we read of so much with the breaking of the seals at all. And so I don't think it's adequate to the context either. Well, so is it the Old Testament that the scroll represents? Is it the inheritances of the saints, the last will and testament of the Savior? Is it the Lamb's book of life? Well, I've rejected all of these interpretations. Well, what is this scroll? It's in the right hand of God the Father. Father? Well, I think the Scriptures themselves give us a clue. Turn back to Ezekiel, the second chapter. In Ezekiel 2. Let's read verses 8 to 10. God says to Ezekiel the prophet, but thou son of man, hear what I say unto thee. Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house. Open thy mouth and eat that which I give thee. And when I looked, behold, a hand was put forth unto me. And lo, a roll of a book, a scroll was therein. And he spread it before me, and it was written within and without. All right, begin to see some of the literature parallels. Right. The hand is extended, God the Father extends his hand. In his hand is a scroll. On that scroll we find writing on the front and on the back, within and without. And then we read and there was written therein lamentations and mourning and woe. And that's entirely true to the context of Revelation 5. Because when the seals begin to be broken, you're going to see woe and lamentation and judgment punishment upon the persecutors of Christ's kingdom. Now, this is something of an introduction to Ezekiel's prophecy. It is that which has enabled Ezekiel to determine, that is in his writing, by his declaration, the course of history. And I think that's what we find in the Book of Revelation. As all commentators will grant, the course of history is in some sense being revealed to us. And so I would suggest that the scroll, just as in Ezekiel's prophecy, represents a prophecy of redemptive and judicial events in world history. The scroll is the writing out of human history, at least the portion of human history. It's a prophecy of redemptive and judicial events in the course of history. This is God's plan. And the fact that it is written on both sides represents what that God's purposes shall have their full of consternation and that his plans completely fill you see, they cover all, if you will. There's no contingency zone in God's plan. It isn't as though God has this course of history written out and then there's some blank lines and then we have to come in and fill in, you see those points. God has determined every single thing in advance. The scroll of History is full of his writing because it is declared by his decree. God's decree covers everything whatsoever happens in history. For all things happen according to the one who by his sovereign counsel decides, of course, the providential force of history, the one who governs all of history. And so the scroll is a prophecy, if you will, a prophecy of redemptive and judicial events. And that prophecy rests in the right hand of the God, the Father. These events, just like the whole story of human history, these events are in God's ultimate sovereignty. He is the governor of every human event. All of history is determined by his decree. John says, I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back closed, sealed with seven seals. But then the drama begins. John goes on, and I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof. Who can open the book of human history? Who can open, who can reveal God's prophecy? Who has the right to break the seals of this book and to declare for us the end from the beginning? And no one in the heavens are on the earth or under the earth. Now, if you look at the Psalms of the Old Testament, you'll find well throughout the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms, you'll notice that this in the heaven, on the earth and under the earth is a common formula to designate all created things. When John looks to the heaven, he looks to the earth and to under the earth. What he's saying is in the whole realm of creation, there was no one and no thing found that could open the scroll of of the book. Indeed, no one was worthy to even look upon the scroll of the book. And then John weeps because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look thereon. An interesting thing, by being sealed, the scroll of history was hidden from every eye. No one could pry into it, no one could control the decree of God. No one could even reveal what would happen. History was an enigma indeed, apart from the person and the work of Christ. John is telling us, apart from Christ, history is an enigma. History cannot be made sense of apart from Christ. It would be tempted to go into a lengthy discourse on the philosophy of history. As a philosopher by trade, I guess I'm tempted strongly in that direction. But let me just summarize in broad strokes something that I think you need to know to understand the full significance of this. In the course of Western history and philosophy, the notion of a philosophy of history was first dominant and in fact has predominated throughout, was dominant because of Christians and their approach to life. You see, Augustine wrote the first philosophy of history and it was entitled what? The City of God. The City of God. You see, Augustine, with this strong Pauline view of the sovereignty of God, how God determines every event, could from that perspective, write a philosophy of history. That is, he could see Christ is the center of history. Christ is the meaning of history. Christ is the goal of history. Everything had its place in history because there was a God who ordered everything according to his plan. But at the time of the Enlightenment, the age of reason, the age of secularization, the defection of men from their God given moorings and presuppositions and philosophy, the age of the Enlightenment philosophy of history became quite a problem. The meaning and the purpose and the goal of history became shrouded in darkness, ignorance and despair. And I don't say that thinker is a Christian. Any secularist will tell you as much. Philosophies of history fail to be optimistic. Philosophies of history at the Enlightenment now, of course, you do get evolutionary notions of history later on, and you get the grand liberal enlightened hope you see, for history. But how long did that last? At best, 40 years. You see, and then a few world wars kind of killed that kind of optimism. But anyway, after the Enlightenment, the philosophy of history becomes very chaotic. A lot of different theories being proposed, none of which offer a very potent interpretation of the course of history. Now we come to our present day and you will notice the secular theologians, I say theologians, but secular theologians, not orthodox theologians, those who have sold out, you see, to the presuppositions of humanism. The secular theologians have given up on the philosophy of history altogether. Imagine that the theologians have given up on a philosophy of history. It's the theologians who started us along the line of doing philosophy of history. And so Boltmann, a name that will be known to many of you, Rudolph Boltzmann, in his broad History and has apology, writes this very short but pungent statement. We cannot claim to know the end and goal of history. Therefore, the question of meaning in history has itself become meaningless. We cannot hope to know, we cannot claim to know the end and the goal of history. We don't know of history where it's going, what its aim is, what its call off is. And therefore the question of meaning in history is itself meaningless. You can't ask what meaning history has. History has no meaning. This is a theologian speaking. That's why John wept, because of what both lawn would say. You see, John wept because it appeared that no one could open the scroll, that no one could reveal God's ordering for history, for the ribbon in fact be nothing but darkness and ignorance and enigma for the course of history. Christ alone has the key to history's meaning. And that meaning to history is not to be found anywhere in the creation itself, whether in the heavens, on the earth or under the earth. There is no imminent, no near interpretation of history. There is no interpretation of history that can originate in the created realm. The interpretation of history must come from the Creator, the one who is transcendent, the one who is lord over history. And verse three is telling us at least that much. Then verse four, we see that John wept much because no one was found worthy to open the book and to look thereof. That grief of John has been something of an enigma to many interpreters. I mean, so John's standing there and you see, we watch television so much, I think we've been, in a sense, been dulled to the drama that's being put forth in chapter five. So you would say, well, okay, so John sent up to God's throne room, right? And God has this scroll, and nobody's able to open the scroll. Why does John break down crying? I mean, it just doesn't seem to be appropriate. Well, it doesn't seem appropriate to you that John has this great grief. In fact, the grief says he wailed because no one was able to open the book. If that seems somehow out of place, you see, then you really have missed the significance of the scroll. See, John knows what the scroll is all about. He knows the person who holds the scroll of God, you see, in the right hand of his sovereignty holds all the course of human events there. And John wants to know what's going to happen. He's been promised that he's going to be shown things that are going to happen hereafter. And when nobody can open the scroll, he waves in agony. Has the promise of God in the old passage been frustrated? The agony and tension of the centuries, will it not be relieved? For God's sakes, will God deprive John finally of that promised insight into the course of events? John Wales, for fear that he's not going to have the prophecy laid out to him, resolves the problem. The tension is resolved when we read one of the elders say it unto me. Don't read Don. Stop your wailing. There's no reason for this. You see, you had to see the background. You had to see that no one in creation, no thing in the created realm could interpret history and determine it. You had to see that by way of despair. So you can appreciate this. The moral reliance is of the tribe of Judah. The one who is the root of David he hath overcome to open the book and the seven seals thereof. Jesus Christ is given two designations here, both of which are very significant. And then we are told that he who is the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has done something. I'd like to take some time looking at these days designations and the action that they are to reveal to us. The lion was of the tribe of Judah. Look at Genesis 49, verses 9 to 10. We get some Old Testament background to this designation of Christ. In the New Testament, Jesus is never called the lion of the tribe of Judah, except here in Revelation. So we turn to the Old Testament to find the literary background background for the designation. And you find it in Genesis 49, beginning at verse nine. Judah is a lion's wealth from the prey. My son, thou art gone up. He stooped down, he pouched as a lion and as a lioness, who shall rouse him up? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler staff from between his feet. Judah was to have, you see, kingly authority. The scepter was to belong to Judah, and Judah is likened to a lion. And so now Jesus, who comes as Shiloh, you see, the one who inherits the dominion of Judah, the one who is the king that Judah was to bring forth, is the lion of the tribe of Judah. You see, Judah is likened to a lion here. And that's what's being referred to now. The figure of a lion was also popular in contemporary Jewish literature. If I would have brought some of my intertestamental literature with me, I could have read some passages in 4th Ezra for you that point to the Jews seeing their promised Messiah as a lion. And so Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah. We'll return to this image in a moment. But he's also the root of David. The root of David. And that designation comes from Isaiah, the 11th chapter, verse one. The prophet Isaiah said, and there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit. The stop of the Israel is going to be leveled like a tree. There's only going to be a stump left. But out of the stock of Jesse there's going to come of shoot. There's going to come one little plant growing up out of the trunk of the tree, that is going to be the branch out of his roots, and it shall bear fruit. And now let's read verses 2 through 10 to see what the outcome for that. It appears that Israel has been level. But now God is going to bring the Messiah out of that out of that stump anyway. And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him. This is going to be important, for when we look at the Lamb of God in Revelation 5, we're going to see that the seven eyes represent the seven spirits of God. And here we have it again. And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and light, the Spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of Jehovah. And his delight shall be in the fear of Jehovah. And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears, but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked, and righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and faithfulness to God of his loins. And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them, and the cow and the bear shall feed their young ones shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ass, and the suckling child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's. Daniel they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain. For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea. And it shall come to pass in that day that the root of Jesse that standeth for an incentive of the peoples unto him shall the nations seek. And his resting place shall be glorious. You see, the stump of Israel is there, but out of Jesse's root you see, will come forth that one little branch that is having a great grow up to become a pole. You see a very tall tree, an ensign for the nations. And Isaiah pictures all the nations of the world looking to that one pole that has grown up out of that stump of Israel. And their desire will be to that pole, and they will seek after him. And so there will be peace present, and the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. This one who is the lion of the tribe of Judah, the one who's the root of David, he will destroy all evil. He will deliver God's people from affliction, he will deliver them from spiritual affliction, he will deliver them from social oppression. And he will establish a completely new order, an order that is not simply blessed individually, but will be blessed in terms of social institutions. There will be equity for the meek of the earth, for those who have previously been afflicted. They'll be lifted up. There will be peace among the nations, and the knowledge of God will govern the earth. It's not just individual inner salvation, but it's a total worldwide transformation that Isaiah prophesied. I don't care whether you happen to be a premill or amil or a post male at this particular point, you can't deny that Isaiah in chapter 11 is talking about a total renovation of the earth. And it's going to be accomplished through the one who's the root of David, the one who will make the knowledge of the Lord flow. As far as you see, the earth is as the waters cover the sea. Return back to Revelation 5 with that you see preview of what John is getting at. John says, and one of the elders saith unto me, weep not. Behold the lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the one who is to have the dominion, the one who is the root of David, the one who is to rule over all the nations. He hath overcome to open the book and the seven seals thereof. The Greek actually is he hath won the victory. Amazingly, he has won the victory by his death. It will turn out, for we will see that the lion of the tribe of Judah is really a lamb that's been slain. But he has won the victory nonetheless. And let's pursue the theme of Christ winning that victory by his death by first looking at Hebrews, the second chapter, verses 14 and 15. Christ has won the victory over death through his death. Since when the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the saying that through death he might bring to nothing him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetimes subject to bondage. Jesus has won the victory over death. Second Timothy, chapter 1, verse 10. There Paul speaks of Christ that hath now been manifested by the appearing of our Son, Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Jesus abolished death. Indeed. Revelation 1, verse 18 teaches us that Jesus is the living one who says, I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Jesus has the authority over death and over Hades because he is the living one, the one who was put to death, but has come to life forevermore. So Jesus has won the victory over death. But the Bible stresses also that he's won the victory over the one who had the power of death, that is the devil, Satan. Matthew the 12th chapter, verse 29. Jesus, of course this periphery has been accused of the Pharisees of casting out demons by the power of Satan. He says in verse 27, and if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore shall they be your judges. But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. For how can one enter into the house of the strongman and spoil his victim goods? Except he first bind the strong man, then he will spoil his house. Jesus, you see, is spoiling the house of Satan. Jesus has bound the strong man, and now Jesus proceeds to destroy his house and his works. Luke the 10th chapter, verse 18. Jesus says to his amazed 70 followers after they returned, saying, lord, even the demons are subject unto us in thy name. That's rather amazing. Can you imagine going out from an evangelistic venture and finding out that even the demons, you see, respond when you use the name of Jesus Christ. That would be amazing, wouldn't it? Well, they returned and they expressed their amazement to the Savior. And in verse 18, he said unto them, I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven. Jesus knows that the power of Satan has been spent. It's been grounded out. If you want to use the 20th century parallel to this, you see, as lightning is grounded into the earth, so the power of Satan has been grounded out and his disciples have power over Satan. John the 12th chapter, verse 31. Jesus befalls. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. In context, what is Jesus talking about? His death. And I, if I be lifted up, I will do what? I will draw all men to myself. That's right, the prince of this world. You see, Satan is going to be judged and cast out even through the death of Jesus Christ. John 16, verse 11. Jesus speaks of he, when he shall come to paraclete, the Holy Spirit will convict the world in respect of sin and of righteousness, of judgment, of sin. Because they believe not on me of righteousness, because I go to the Father and ye behold me. No more than verse 11 of judgment. The Holy Spirit will convict men of judgment. Why? Because the prince of this world hath been judged. When the Holy Spirit is given, the prince of this world will have been judged, and he will convict men of that judgment. Because if the prince of the world is judged, how much more those who are his followers. And then look at Colossians the second chapter, verse 15. I'll begin reading at verse 14. Having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, he hath taken it out of the way and nailing it to the cross, our death warrant due to sin. You see, he has been nailed to the cross of Christ. And when Christ went to that cross, he has despoiled the principalities and the powers. He made a show of them openly triumphing over them in it. In his death. By his death, Jesus destroyed the one with the power of the death, which is to say, Satan. He has triumphed over the principalities and the powers. The lightning of Satan. The power of Satan has been drowned out. Satan has been bound. Satan's house is being destroyed. The prince of this world has been judged and cast out. And so in Revelation 5, John is told that the lion of the tribe of Judah, the one who the Old Testament said would have uttered dominion the one who is the root of David, the one who would rule over the nations in peace. He has won the victory prophesied. He has already conquered death, he has conquered Satan, and he is the captain of our salvation, the one who has overcome the world. John 16:33. In virtue of his incarnation, his death, his resurrection and his ascension, Christ has won the victory. Christ now reigns at God's right hand. It's interesting that it's in the right hand that this prophecy that the Lamb will open is to be found. At God's right hand. Jesus now reigns. Let's look at three passages teaching that to save some time. Hebrews 1, verse 3. Who do you think? Effulgence of his glory in the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they notice how much more excellent Jesus is. Verse 7. And of the angels he hath said, who maketh his angels, winds, and his ministers a flame of fire. But of the Son he saith, thy throne God is forever and ever. And the scepter of thy uprightness is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Verse 13. And of which of the angels hath he said? Said at any time sit thou on my right hand? For how long? Until I make thine enemies the footstool of thy people. Turn to Acts, the second chapter, verses 34 and 35. And Jesus by his death conquered death with Satan the day of Pentecost. Peter declared that he sat down at God's right hand to subdue all his enemies. Verse 33. Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this which ye see and hear. For David ascended not into the heavens, but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet. First Corinthians 15, verses 25. Paul teaches similar doctrine. For he must reign until he have put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be abolished is death. And so the future and the final victory of Jesus Christ in history has been an extension of the current rule. Jesus Christ, the one who has overcome the world, the one who has overcome death, the one who has overcome Satan, the one who sits at God's right hand exercising dominion until every enemy has been put under his feet. John is hearing an antiphonal song in heaven. He sees then a scroll in the right hand of God the Father. And the strong angel says, who is able, who is working to open the scroll of God's prophecy, the scroll of history, and to lay it out for us? And no one is able. And John is frustrated and he wails in agony. And now an elder says to him that he isn't to weep because the lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the one who is the root of David, has gained the victory. And he will open the book and the seven seals thereof. And then John says, I saw in the midst of the throne. And I think we're smart in terms of literary interpretation. We're supposed to think that John has somehow missed it. Up to this point. He's been so overwhelmed by the sights and the sounds that he's heard. Now he looks, and lo and behold, in the midst of the throne and in the middle of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders, there's also a lamb standing. He turns, you see, he's heard of the lion of the tribe of Judah. And he turns and he sees the lamb. And he describes this lamb standing as though it had been slain, but having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and he took it out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. Men very often think of ravenous animals as the symbol of strength for world governments. In Russia, the bear is the symbol of their strength. In Britain, the lion is the symbol of strength. In France, the tiger is the symbol of strength. In the United States, the spread eagle is the symbol of strength only the kingdom heaven would dare to take as its symbol of might. A helpless lamb, the lion of the tribe of Judah, sounds so majestic. And John turns, and he sees a lamb standing as though they've been slain. So John turns to look at the lion, the victor he saw instead of sacrificial victim. And I think this is one of the most dramatic and I think one of the most beautiful ways that the Bible teaches us that the victory of Jesus Christ comes by means of his obedient suffering. That's the irony of the cross, that by the cross of Christ at his weakest moment, he yet won the victory. He, for a dead, obediently suffered and still gained the nations of the world as his inheritance. The humiliation of suffering that God's servant was to undergo was a precondition to his conquering and becoming the conquering Messiah. The humiliation of suffering through his death was the precondition of opening up world history for the sake of his kingdom. You notice how that is taught in Acts, the second chapter. Well, let's look at Acts 2 and 3 very quickly. There's other portions of the Scriptures that point this out as well, but in Acts 2, which we were looking at a moment ago when we begin reading at verse 31 now he foreseeing this spake of the resurrection of the Christ, yet neither was he left unto Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. See, Jesus was crucified, he had to die. This Jesus did God raise up. This Jesus, you see, the one who was obedient unto death did God raise up. Where are we all witnesses? Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the fountain the promise of the Holy Spirit, he is now reigning until every enemy is put under his throat. The death of Christ. This humiliation was a precondition to his exaltation and his reign. Chapter 3, verse 18 of Acts. For the things which God commands foreshadowed by the mouth of all the prophets. What is the central theme of all the prophets? Contrary to the expectation of Israel, contrary to the expectation of so many dispensationalists, the things which God foreshadowed by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer hath been fulfilled. Verse 21, whom the heavens must now receive, until the times of the restoration of all things, whereof spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that had been of old. And then, verses 25 and 6, ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham, and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed unto you. First. God, having raised up his servant, sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from your iniquities. You see, Jesus had to suffer and then enter into his glory. He had to suffer and then enter into his reign. And now he is going to extend his blessing to all nations. John heard of the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, the one who had overcome. And he saw the suffering Lamb of God, the Passover Lamb of God, the suffering servant of God. The Jews did not see that necessity that Christ would have to first suffer and in him his glory. However, the Bible tells us that that theme of suffering Then glory permeated the Old Testament Scriptures. I think, by the way, that's contrary to so much a premillennial interpretation of the Bible. We find this in Luke 24. We've looked at this before, but it bears repeating. Luke 24:26. Jesus on the road to Emmaus. And here the instruction, these foolish men slow of heart to believe. All the prophets have spoken. They're so in despair because Christ has been crucified. He is dead. Verse 26. Christ says to them, behooved it not the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory. And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Verses 44:7. And he said unto them, these are my words which I speak unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms concerning me, then opened he their mind that they might understand the Scriptures. And he said unto them, summarizing all the Scriptures, that they would understand. Thus it stands written that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead through dead, and that repentance and remission of sin sin should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Yes, the reign of the Messiah over history, the dominion of Jesus Christ, subduing every enemy, had to be preconditioned by his sacrificial death. Christ must first be humiliated and then glorified. He must first suffer and then reign. Verse 6. I saw in the midst of of the throne, under the four living creatures, in the midst of the elders, a lamb standing as though it had been slain and yet lives. And it has seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. Now, the horn was a symbol of might and dominion in Scripture. Deuteronomy 33:17 and Psalm 18, Psalm 112:9 are illustrations of that fact. To exalt the horn of someone you see, is to exalt his might, to strengthen his hand, to give him supremacy. Jesus is a lamb of God, but he's not like most lambs that you see. He has horns, but he isn't like most animals that have horns. He has seven horns. That is the fullness of full majesty and sovereignty is his. As Jesus says in Matthew 28, all power and authority in heaven and earth is mine. And not only is Christ all powerful, having the seven horns, but he also is all seeing. He has seven eyes. Now, we've had on previous occasions opportunities to see. But the seven eyes here represent the seven spirits of God, which is to say the Holy Spirit. Spirit of God in the Scriptures. Zechariah 4:10 is the old Testament background for it. We also have encountered that imagery in Revelation, chapter 1, verse 14. So Christ is full of power, he has full sovereignty, but he also has seven eyes. He is the Holy Spirit of God and is all seeing. That has troubled some people to think of the Holy Spirit being incorporated into the image of the Lamb of God. And what does that mean? It's a very ornate image I recognize. But the theme of the Holy Spirit being united to the Savior and the operations of salvation is a common one in the New Testament. Look at Galatians 4, verse 6 perhaps is a good place to begin. And because ye are sons of God, because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts. The Holy Spirit is in the New Testament often designated the Spirit of the Son. That doesn't jeopardize the doctrine of the Trinity. But the Spirit is very closely allied with the Son and the operations of salvation. John 14, verse 26. But the comforter, when the Holy Spirit, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, you see, the Holy Spirit comes in the name, under the authority and jurisdiction of Jesus Christ. Chapter 15 of John's Gospel, verse 26. So when the comforter has come, whom I will send unto you from the Father? Even the Spirit of truth, Jesus sends the Spirit. John 16, verse 7. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you. But if I go, I will send him unto you. And so closely is the Holy Spirit aligned with Christ in the operations of salvation that Paul can say in a very disturbing way. If you're not familiar with the Gospel background to this, in First Corinthians 15, verse 45, Paul says, so it is written, the first man, Adam, became a living soul. The last Adam, Christ, the Son of God, the last Adam became life giving Spirit. And there's no way you can interpret life giving Spirit that has a reference to the Holy Spirit. He became life giving spirit. And in Second Corinthians 3, verse 17, we'll stop with this. Second Corinthians 3:17, Paul says, now the Lord is the Spirit. I won't bother to get into a lengthy discussion of systematic theology and how one deals with these references.