Discovering Revelation Part 16
Revelation Part 16
We are in the Book of Revelation and I must say this isn’t a quick trip through it Amen?
Chapter 1: was all about John’s first vision in Heaven seeing Jesus in all His glory! Was a frightful experience for him!
Revelation 1:17-18
17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
• Jesus reveals Himself to John in all His Glory!
Chapters 2&3: Deals specifically with the 7 Churches in Asia Minor!
• John writes 7 letters to these churches dictated by Jesus!
• Jesus issues warnings to 5 of them to straighten up!
• Jesus Commends two of them for being faithful even to the end of their lives!
Chapter 4: Deals initially with the Rapture of the church leaving earth forever to be with Jesus in the air forever to be with the Lord!
• It then goes into Worship in Heaven looking at the Throne of God and all those who were assembled there!
• Last week we touched on what Worship is! Amen?
• Worship is Fundamental, Intellectual, Physical, Musical, Vocal, Emotional!
• Now we continue with Worship in Chapter 5
Revelation 5
The Book with Seven Seals
1 I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.
• “I saw” we see that the Apostle John is the witness here of the events!
• I want us to get this picture here in Heaven wonderful!
• All of our senses must be brought in here.
• John is both seeing and hearing everything that is going on.
• One day we as believers are going to experience the fullness of this very thing! Paul says our Citizenship is in Heaven! Amen?
Philippians 3:20-21
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
• There is a picture I want you to see here and it is amazing!
Illustration: Sight and Sound Theatre! In Pa.or Branson Mo. Picture?
• The Lord is providing a visual aide here to learn and remember!
• John sees a book or scroll in Greek in Jesus’ right hand.
• Roman law required the use of scrolls for Wills, also that they would be sealed 7 times!
• Jeremiah 32 provides an illustration where the scrolls were used as deeds to transfer from one person to another!
• Before the southern kingdom of Judah was taken by the Babylonians God spoke to Jeremiah to purchase land from his cousin Hanamel! He sold his field to Jeremiah knowing he would lose it to the Babylonians!
• But God knew when the 70 years of captivity was up Jeremiah would gain the land back. So Jeremiah purchased the land! Why God told him too!
• All this to say the scroll John saw in the hand of the Lord Jesus was the title deed to the earth!
• For Jesus this title scroll to the earth is a scroll of doom, gloom and judgment for the earth!
• It’s also a scroll of redemption! Daniel 7:13-14!
• It tells how Christ will redeem the world from Satan and those demons with him!
• Ezekiel describes the same scroll!
Ezekiel 2:9-10
9 Then I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me; and lo, a scroll was in it. 10 When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, mourning and woe.
• The number 7 is no accident either for it always represents the number of completion!
• You see Jesus has the title deed to this earth for He created it, He redeemed it, and it belongs to Him!
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?”
• This strong Angel is not named he is anonymous!
• This was a loud voice that could carry to the ends of the universe! Loud! Hear me?
• He was trying to find someone worthy to open the book and break the seals!
3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it.
• When the Angels loud voice ceases there is silence!
• For no one is found to open the book! Or look in it!
• The search throughout the universe turns up no one!
4 Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it;
• Then we see here that John begins to weep!
• This is the same weeping that Jesus weeps for Jerusalem!
Luke 19:41
When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it,
• Also, Peter’s bitter weeping when he denied Christ in Jerusalem! Luke 22:62
• Strong unrestrained emotion. Also, notice it’s the only time that tears are seen in heaven!
• But Johns weeping was a little premature for God was about to send the One who would open the book! Amen?
• John was ready to see evil in earth end!
5 and one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”
• Tears were unnecessary, one of the elders told John to stop weeping! Why?
• Behold, here He is, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David
• No human or Angel can redeem the universe ever! Only Jesus can!
• You see the Jews completely misjudged their Messiah!
• He is that Lion who will destroy the enemies of the earth but only according to His time table!
• We are all waiting for that day when enough is enough!
• He also is a descendant from King David!
• Remember at Christmas time the lineage in Matthew the legal, technical line from David through Solomon, but also in Mary’s line the biological heir from David through Nathan David’s son not to be confused with Nathan the Prophet!
• There’s a long back story to this which is remarkable the timing in itself but we have no time to discuss it here! Verse 6!
6 And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
• Then Johns attention is drawn to look between the Throne where the four creatures were and what does he see not a Lion but a Lamb! Listen, listen!
• Jesus could not be the Lion of Judgement, or the King of Glory, until first He was the slain Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Amen!
John 1:29
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
• This word Lamb in the Greek means a little Lamb or pet lamb!
• The imagery here is the picture of the Passover Lamb! Kept for 4 days!
• Where the kids would cherish it then it would be sacrificed and break the hearts of everyone!
• “As if slain” indicates the redemptive , substitutionary death of Christ!
• Folks Jesus was slain with violence! Violence! It was awful” Amen!
• But yet He is standing which speaks of resurrection!
• No longer seated at the right hand of God.
• He is moving now! He is moving to power!
• The Tribulation is about to strike the earth!
• Jesus is before the throne and ready to act as righteous judge!
• “Seven horns” represents complete Power! Dan 7-8
• He is Omnipotent! All Power!
• “Seven eyes” denotes complete knowledge!
• Christ is Omniscient! All Knowing!
• He is the All Knowing and All Powerful God!
• He moves in the fullness of the Spirit!
• That Spirit of wisdom and understanding!
The Lord Jesus is a Lion and a Lamb! Amen
• The Lion Character refers to His second coming!
• The Lamb Character refers to His first coming!
• The Lion is symbolic of His Majesty!
• The Lamb is symbolic of His meekness!
• As the Lion He is Sovereign!
• As the Lamb He is Savior!
• As a Lion He is Judge!
• As a Lamb He is Judged!
• The Lion represents the Government of God!
• The Lamb represents the Grace of God! Amen?
7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
• He took the book!
• The Lord Jesus moves to the Throne through the Tribulation period!
• He judges the world in Righteousness before He reigns in righteousness!
• He no longer intercedes for the Church! For the Church we are with Him!
• He begins to act as Judge! Verse 8
8 When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
• Here we see Jesus taking over now! The Great movement of all of creation begins!
• See the worship of the four living creatures and the 24 elders!
• Harps denote Praise in Heaven! A token of Praise to God!
• The 24 Elders act as Priest! Only the church is a priesthood of Believers in Heaven!
• All of the Lords Prayer from John 17 is answered right here!
• That they might know Him!
• That they might be with Him!
• That they might behold His Glory! Is all answered here!
• “golden bowls full of incense” identified as the Prayers of the saints!
• Once again the elders obviously represent the Body of Christ! The Church! The Priesthood!
9 And they *sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10
“You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
• Both living creatures and Elders sing this song!
• Continuous Praise! Praise to the Lamb of God!
• The New Song is the song of redemption the song the Angels do not sing!
• Now we can sing about our Savior! Who loves us and gave Himself for us!
• He is the only One worthy of our worship!
• They sing of His shed Blood! Amen?
• The pronoun them instead of us changed! Why?
• They are Praising the Lamb for those yet to be Saved! On earth! Tribulation Saints!
• We will reign over the earth with Jesus!
Angels Exalt the Lamb
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”
• Too many Angels to count worship! John surprised I’m sure at the countless numbers of beings worshiping the Lamb of God. What a picture! Amen?
• Here’s the Kicker for us still here!
• I really don’t know why you would want to go to Heaven if you do not want to worship and Praise Him down here! Amen???
13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying,
“To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”
• All creatures animals included worship Him!
• Then we all fall down in silent adoration and Praise to Him! How cool is that?
• Folks we must start praising Him down here now if we don’t the rocks will cry out! Amen?
14 And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
• Amen means “Let it be so” affirming the truth! Amen and Amen!
• Let’s pray to our Savior and your Savior! Amen?
• If you are not in the habit of praising Him down here why don’t you start right now?
• Let’s Pray!