Month: November 2024

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In the Hands of the Lamb

The hands of Jesus – imagine them. What a precious picture this should be for us. See the nail-scarred hands of the Son and see all things as being in those hands.

This is the whole point of what we read about in Revelation 5 and 6.

The Lamb of God took hold of the scroll with its seals. He can do so because He knows the world we live in. He came as the Son of Man to experience what depravity had done to His Creation on earth.

In Genesis 6, the Lord became grief-stricken. That’s the only way to look at how the ways of men on earth affected Him who made them.

Man was made free. Blessed, he was, with a mind and a heart and the ability to reason, to compare, and to choose. The world fashioned for him was full of diversity. The Garden he was to dress and keep was populated with a variety of trees – including the one of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Over the course of time the imaginations of man grew to be more and more given to vanity; they were only evil continually. And so the Lord chose the course of the Flood. A total cleansing with water wiped away all that breathed upon earth. Only those on the Ark, a vessel built in obedience by Noah and his family, survived the waves of judgment.

Jesus came and faced a world that still lived under the power of wicked one and hell’s activities. He submitted to the reign of men in the Temple, representing religion, and before the chair of Roman justice, representing human government. Their imaginations and actions were only evil continually – these combined forces sent the innocent Christ to the Cross.

At Calvary, a flood of different kind spilled forth. The pouring out of the Son’s precious Blood answered the dominion of sin. This efficacious flow cleanses those who choose to come under it making them whiter than snow.

Triumphing over the evil machinations of mankind in His incarnation, the Lamb who was slain now stood ready to reveal the last words on evil. He was about to unwrap the progression of history.

The Progression of Conflict

Each seal opened introduces an element of how conflict operates in our spheres of life. This was set in motion when the fruit of the Tree was taken, that original moment when men believed the mouth that spoke accusation. The charge leveled against the Lord was that He was keeping people from real happiness.

They bought it; they received the accusation and ate from the forbidden tree. The serpent won this battle, but the man and the woman did not join forces with him. Instead, they became like the eater of the dust, destined for a ground-level existence of independent detachment from their Maker. They brought themselves low and began to live for themselves and not for God.

The serpent had nothing left to say to them. He was silent as the man and woman wrestled with feelings of shame. They were tortured at the sight of their nakedness. The coldness of sin was evident to them at once. They hid. They covered up.

The Voice of Heaven still walked onto humanity’s first crime scene. He came not to conduct an investigation. He knew what had happened. He knew and yet He would not keep Himself away.

God came after Adam and Eve. His cry, “Where are you?” was a cry of anguish. He understood what their choice meant regarding their capability for fellowship in His Presence. He knew He would be ushering them out of the Garden and setting cherubim with swords to guard its gates.

Does it bother you to think that the Lord feels the sting of death as much as we do? This, I think, could be the main reason why people have such a distorted opinion of God.

There is a gross misunderstanding of how the Lord made us for relationship with Him. The pleasure of this relationship He would have to redeem. His prized creatures had made themselves slaves to their desires. The lust of the flesh, first stimulated through an offer to the intellect, flamed forth and left them burned.

The celebration we read about in Revelation 5 marks the moment when Heaven realizes the Day of the Lord is closer than ever. The elders, the angels, and all creatures, aware and in tune with God, cannot help themselves. They are so excited for what comes next.

Jesus begins to unseal the stories that lead to the big finish. The pages we turn will bring us to the marriage supper of the Lamb, to the coming of the New Jerusalem.

What of wickedness? The Lord lets us in on its destiny.

Horses and Riders

The first seals – four of them – introduce us to four horses. This animal represents warfare. Since the Fall in the Garden, a battle has raged. Constant conflict has plagued the face of the earth and the faces of men.

Seal 1 shows the white horse carrying the ultimate Conqueror. This horse and He who sits upon it is Christ. First things must be communicated first. The Son is crowned. With His bow, He fires the arrows of the Almighty, as David wrote of in Psalm 45:5 — “Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; the peoples fall under you.”

Some see this white horse picture of one depicting the antichrist with his fiery darts. I cannot buy that interpretation given the contexts shown in the previous chapters with Christ in His sovereignty.

The next three seals show us more horses – one red, one black, and one pale green. These beasts stand for the things that bring the most death and destruction to earth.

Red is for the war horse. Note the text: the rider possessed a great sword representing power to “take peace from the earth” and usher in a season of mass killing.

The black horse and its rider indicate the ravages of famine to come. The fruitfulness of the earth withered and wasted, the sounds of starving voices pleading for meager rations of wheat and barley. Luxuries will still exist in the form of oil and wine, but basic necessities to make bread for sustenance are absent.

The pale green horse points to the sicknesses unto death. We’ve witnessed this on a small scale. COVID-19 was the most recent example of a worldwide pandemic. We saw how this panicked people on every level of society. Life was shut down. Strange and unreasonable laws were instituted. Science was proclaimed as the rule for life.

Hell and Death, when set loose, are voracious in their appetites for destruction. A fourth of the earth perishes during the marching of these horses.

Judgment in Motion

Heaven knows what’s going on. The fifth seal brings us back to the throne room and to a vision of the martyrs and their prayers. Their testimony for Christ and His Word made them enemies of the world system. These were slain for their faith and are joined together with the elders I believe. They are robed and they are heard: “They cried out with a loud voice, ‘O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’  (Revelation 6:10).

Rest for a little season, the Lord tells them. More are coming – fellow servants, brothers and sisters yet to lose their lives for the testimony of faith in the Son.

Seal No. 6 unveils for John the way of the wrath of the Lamb. That statement is difficult to fathom. Lambs have no claws, no sharp teeth. How does the Lamb express wrath?

See these words: “And the Heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled up” (Revelation 6:14). Truth has been proclaimed and rejected. The consequences of the curse of death must proceed.

There is only one Name under Heaven by which men might be saved – the Name of Christ (see Acts 4:12). To refuse that Name is to remain subject to the wrath decreed in the Word that never fails.

Heaven draws down the shade and releases the hold of mercy. Earthquakes and darkness prevail. The sky appears to fall as demonic forces are driven down. Those in charge, the rulers among men, scramble for places of safety. And yet these ones will still refuse to honor the One who made them.

The great judgment day of the Holy and True One shall come. “And who shall be able to stand?”

We stand because we have put our faith in Him. We anticipate the hope of His glory. A free, clean, holy eternal age will be ours to enjoy. Like Job, we declare this: “…I know that my redeemer lives, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth” (Job 19:25).

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The Scroll, its Seals, the Songs

Behold the Lamb. The Baptist proclaimed this message to his followers. When Jesus arrived, the forerunner cleared the air and made plain the character of the Messiah and His Mission. The Lamb came to take away the sin of the world.

The Apostle John heard this declaration and believed. He began to follow Jesus.

At the time of the writing of Revelation, John again encountered the Lamb. Here, we read of how this man beheld the Lamb in His glory. He had been transported to the place where he could witness the full scope of Christ’s reign over Creation.

We come to Revelation 5 and begin to see a series of passages that describe life on earth. The vision starts with words on pages that are sealed followed by trumpets, thunders, and bowls.  Each one of these things come in sets of seven.

First, John saw a book. It was a something of a scroll. It rested in the right hand of the One who sat on the Throne.

The unusual thing about this scroll was the way that it was written. The Apostle noticed that this scroll had writing on both sides of it.

Scrolls inscribed by pen and ink had to be crafted on one side only. The reason was that having ink on both sides of the parchment would have created a sticky mess. The pages would have been rendered unreadable.

The significance of having words on both sides of the scroll is that Heaven reads the way of our world from a different perspective. The Throne of the Lord possesses the vantage point of omnipotence, omniscience, and everywhere presence.

Imagine a fine tapestry, an elaborate oriental rug perhaps. One side is ordered and ornate. Go to the other side and what is seen is how the threads are woven together and tied off.

Think of the fabric of our earth this way. We see what we see, but there is a whole series of unseen strands, seams, and knots fashioned according to the mind of God.

The King of History

Seven seals held the scroll together. These would have appeared to John as official-looking fasteners, each carrying an imprint of governmental authority.

In Roman days, the Empire affixed wax seals impressed with an imperial symbol. The seal could only be opened, or broken, by a designated authority recognized by the government. The tomb of Jesus was sealed in such a manner. To break a seal unlawfully was counted as a high offense and was punishable by death.

John sat in wonder at the scene before him. A strong angel posed the big question: “Who is worthy to open the book and loose its seals?” (Revelation 5:2).

All was still. None moved to take the scroll.

John was crestfallen. He wept much. He sensed the importance of the words contained in that book.

Who was worthy? One of the elders among the 24 seated in that throne room came forward to comfort the Apostle.

“Weep no more! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof” (Revelation 5:6). The Son of Man had triumphed in His work on earth. He could lay claim to dominion in every corner of it.

It was not by power, nor by might, that this victory came. The Son won by the Spirit moving through His weakness in humility.

And so here John beheld the Lamb standing as the One slain. Memories of the Cross flashed into his consciousness. By that offering of His broken body, the Son gained the authority to set in motion the progression of human history that would be unveiled in the coming pages.

Seals unsealed. Trumpets sounded out. Thunders roared. Bowls poured forth. These things are coming soon.

Worship Breaks Forth

First, however, John sees a season of absolute worship. The Lion prevailed as the Lamb. He gave His life as the ransom for all. He took the scroll. The Story’s final chapters are in His hands. The grandest of grand finales are about to be shown to all present. The joy of the moment long anticipated could not be contained. Father, Son, and Spirit altogether in union with saints and angels shall celebrate as John looked on.

The rounds of rejoicing begin with the elders, the representatives of mankind there in the presence of the Throne. A new song burst forth from them as they bowed to the Lamb. They took up their harps; they grabbed their guitars and began to play and sing.

Fragrances rose from the bowls that they held. The whole place was made to smell of prayer. The supplications of the saints of the all ages scented the scene.

The song was full of the lyrics of redemption. The work of the Lamb had drawn men to Him and to His salvation. Redeemed to God by the Blood – a new and living institution had formed. This is the Church of Christ in her glory, members in particular called out from “every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

Paul wrote of this mystery of oneness begun by work of the Son in his letter to the Ephesians. “Now there are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19).

Yes, the oracles of God were sent to the world through the people of Israel, out of them came the Son and Savior. Now, all are one in Him who is the Chief Cornerstone of the Temple, a holy habitation filled with Spirit.

This moment in time is what all believers — all those who have chosen to hear and become friends of God — have been waiting for. No wonder their joy breaks through. Soon they will form a kingdom of priests to rule and reign with Him.

All Creation Joins in Song

The sound of this song ripples in all directions and to all creatures. The voices of untold angels enter into the chorus of faith. “And the number of them was 10,000 times 10,000, and thousands of thousands” (Revelation 5:11).

Again from Ephesians, we read Paul’s words about this angelic interest in the program of redemption: “His intent was that now, through the Church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 3:10).

The Story told on earth speaks beyond the clans, tribes, and nations formed from the dust. The record of Righteousness goes forth to the eternal audience, to the greater congregation mentioned in Psalm 40, to the cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1).

God’s purpose was to demonstrate His ultimate power to the realm invisible to our eyes. He revealed that the nature of the Lamb was the way for Him to roar as the Lion throughout the universe. It was this joy that Christ incarnated, living as one of us, set before Him in His mission.

Revelation 5 climaxes with a declaration of total communion found at last in all the Lord has made. “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 unto Him who sits upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.’”

May we think upon this reality, for it is reality for the Lord who is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. Let us look unto Jesus. Let us behold the Lamb, “… the Author and Finisher of our Faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Alleluia and Amen.

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The Scene of Sovereignty

“Come up and see, and I will show you things to come.”

Jesus extended this invitation to John the Apostle in Revelation 4. At once, he went in the Spirit through the open door and into the place of majesty.

The scene before John reflected the sovereignty of the Almighty. All was honor and glory and fullness.

Revelation began with the Lord confirming the triumph of the Finished Work of the Lamb of God. John celebrated the cleansing power of the Blood to release us from the stain of sin. He fell before the Son when he saw Him. Awed by the Presence, John could only put his face to the ground. And then Jesus touched him and lifted him.

The encounter represented the personal relationship Jesus establishes with each of His sheep. He proceeded to give John words and a mission to communicate those words to the particular churches and their leaders.

Judgment indeed begins at the house of God. These congregations were family to the Lord, and as the good, good Father, He took note of areas worthy of commendation as well as those things in need of correction in each assembly. He gave directions and charged them to turn to the way of Truth.

Now, in Revelation 4, John gets taken higher. Up and up he went to bask in glimpses of the Lord in authority over Creation. In Revelation 5, the Apostle will begin to witness the scope of the Son’s position over human history and its ultimate outcome. John’s experience fulfilled what was written in Psalm 119:96: “I have seen the end of all perfection.”

Emerald Expression

Consider the Throne of Heaven as John expressed it in Revelation 4. One sat upon the seat over Creation. Only One — God the Son — and His appearance was full of sparkling and radiant spectacle. A rainbow enveloped the place with its emerald hue, the bright green, emphasized. The saying goes that someone can be green with envy. But in the economy of God, green symbolizes renewal, restoration, and resurrection.

Autumn brings falling leaves and their hues of brown and yellow and red as the decay takes its toll. Winter sends cold. Snows fall. The world gets iced over.

With Spring comes the thaw. Warmth softens the soil. The Easter lily blossoms and trees and fields come alive again. Green with freshness, our landscapes and vistas shout the arrival of a new beginning.

That’s what John is being shown – a New Creation is coming. The world has been entrapped in death. The wages of sin have exacted their tolls over and over and over.  The ruler of darkness, the liar and the prince of the power of the air has had his way. His time is short, however.

The Son’s Day approaches. Ultimate reality is communicated in the vividness of these visions brought before John. The Lord reigns.

The Community

Portrayed for John is the community of Heaven and its unity with the earth. Unlike the individualistic, self-oriented, destructive nature of this world’s cosmic system, the Lord shares His government. Note that 24 “elders” are situated around the Throne. They are robed in white, crowned with gold.

Who are these attendants? The testimony concerning their garments and the crowns indicate that they are representative believers who worship the Lamb. No Scripture identifies them. They discern the sense of attitude proceeding from the One on the Throne. They sit in counsel, ruling and reigning with the Son, their presence is a precursor of how His saints shall rule with Christ in a glorious era to come to earth.

Thunders and lightnings and voices are heard. Lamps — seven of them — are seen. These torches are like the tongues of fire seen in Acts 2. These fires represent the manifold nature of the Holy Spirit whom Christ sent to live in those who come to Him. Isaiah 11:2 gives some definition of His sevenfold nature: “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.”

Seven is the number of wholeness and completion in the Bible, and the Spirit evidenced the Finished Work of redemption in coming to fill the disciples of Jesus. Revelation 5:4 refers to the seven “eyes” of God in another reference to the Spirit. This reflects the omniscience and omnipresence of this Person of the Godhead.

For John, these visions indicate the authority of Heaven in the spirit realm. Satan may have a grip on power in the atmosphere he stimulates with worldliness, but above it all sits the Lamb of God on His Throne.

Four Creatures and the Crystal Sea

Also, we read of beasts bearing different faces. The imagery is similar to what we read in Ezekiel chapter 1. One beast has the face of a lion, another, the face of an ox, the third, the face of a man, and the fourth,  a face of an eagle.

In keeping with what the Lord is revealing to His Apostle, these beings represent the Lord’s sovereignty and His power among all things that have the breath of life in them. The lion points to animals in the wild as the ox speaks of domesticated beasts. The eagle represents the fowl of the air. And then there is man, the one made in God’s image to exercise dominion.

These beings possess six wings to designate their representative status, similar to how military rank is demonstrated. This picture would have been commonly understood given the attire worn by the Roman soldiers throughout the region where John and the churches lived. Also, the four creatures were said to be “full of eyes” — they perceived the things going on in their realms of representation.

God’s Throne is in command of Creation, every part of it. He is in charge and His purposes continue.

What else did John observe before the Throne? A sea of glass with the appearance of crystal.

To the ancient mindset, the image of the sea stirred fear. Dark and stormy, with waves and forceful currents, the waters were most often spoken of as signifying chaos and impending doom.

In Heaven, the sea is clear and still, firm in its form. John once witnessed Jesus awakened from sleep during a turbulent and raging storm on Galilee’s waters. The disciples were sure their boat was about sink to the bottom. Terrified, they cried out to Jesus. With calm, the Son stood and spoke to the air: “Be muzzled” (see Mark 4:39). At His word, the wind and the waves fell silent and calm.

Before the Throne, no chaos exists. All is in order and under full control.

Harmony and Worship

Taken together this scene is punctuated for John with music. The sounds of worship are heard from the elders and from the beasts. Their songs are ones the Lord wanted John to teach the believers to sing as they faced seasons of trial. The rest of the letter that is the Revelation to John will graphically inform the Jesus followers of the troubles destined to come.

The message we must take from Revelation is this one: the Lord reigns in majesty. Hold fast to this Truth in spite of human circumstances. The Lamb who was slain is alive forevermore and we are His people. Seated above, He ever intercedes for us.

Heaven knows. Heaven sees. Heaven sings.

And so should we lift our voices in praise to Him:

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”

“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for You have created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”