Revelation 5: the Lamb

Hope after Hope Before Hope / Revelation 5

Intro: Revelation 4 and 5 Show us the reality of God to prepare us for the reality of His power and judgment.

• Revelation 4 is a picture into the throne room

• Revelation 5 is a picture of the power and particularity of Christ.

• And in chapter 5 we have a scroll that is introduced. And the one who is on the throne has the scroll.

• In this case some believe that the scroll is a will because in Roman law a will had to be sealed 7 times. And the seal cannot be broken unless by the son. And the will represents God reclaiming the earth. That He is bringing judgment because it is His and He is redeeming His possession. Anyone who has lived outside of that has to answer for that.

Revelation 5:2–5 ESV

And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

• understand we hear two titles:

• Lion of the tribe of Judah

• Root of David.

It’s easy to look for the lion to solve all of our issues. This passage shows us that our problem is only solved by the lamb.

Revelation 5:6–8 ESV

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

• we have a lamb who was slain

• but this slain lamb had seven horns

• and seven eyes

• We are supposed to be looking for what we think will conquer.

• And then are surprised to see what the Sovereign God uses to actually conquer.

• It is not strength and brute force.

• It is through sacrifice and the giving of His life.

• Once the Lamb opens the seals, for the next few chapters it gets pretty dark. Our role as we see God play out judgment on the earth is to see the Lamb. That every action is God’s reclamation of the earth and His people against the enemy, satan, and those who have actively rebelled against Him.

• What we will find is that there is all sorts of power that is thrown around. All sorts of beasts and dangers that crop up. But brute force power does not win. The Lamb who gives Himself in love for the sake of the world, does.