The Scroll in the Right Hand of the Almighty - 16

Let me read from the book of Revelation chapter 5 this evening. Revelation chapter 5.

Again, hear the word of the Lord. John writes, And I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll into lucid seals? And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll or to look at it.

But one of the elders said to me, Do not weep. Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

Then he came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. Now when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the lamb, each having a harp and golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood, out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth. Then I looked and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. 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 to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever. Then the four living creatures said, Amen, and the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped him who lives forever and ever. Well, you cannot accurately understand the contents of Revelation chapter 5 in divorce of what is recorded in chapter 4.

They are one in the same scene. And as you recall, John in chapter 4 and verse 1 was summoned into heaven through a door, and he was privileged to see heaven in all its splendor and all of its glory, and the most dominant thing he saw was a throne and him who sits on the throne. And that's what dominates chapters 4 and 5, the emphasis of a throne. Seventeen times in chapters 4 and 5 there is mention of a throne.

Thirty-eight times in the entire book of the Revelation. And the book of the Revelation speaks of God's sovereignty as he rules and reigns upon his throne over all of history. So, tonight as we continue here in chapter 5, again, understanding that there's a continuation here of chapters 4 and into chapter 5, John is still captured by this same vision, and he is recording that for us. And in chapter 5 verse 1 he says, And I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. John's attention now is drawn to an object in the right hand of the one who sits on the throne, that being Almighty God.

And what is his attention drawn to? According to verse 1 it's drawn to a scroll, a scroll that's in the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And what is being conveyed here is the one who is sitting on the throne is the author of whatever it is that is inscribed on the scroll.

It's in his right hand. He's the author of it. And this scroll is written inside and on the back, and it's sealed with seven seals. So the content of the scroll is hidden. It's unknown, except by the one who has written it.

The scroll is on the inside and on the out, which is communicating completeness. Now, before I move on, I want to give you one person from antiquity that I think has a good grasp of the book of the Revelation, and this is Augustine. He lived around the year 400, and this is what he has to say about his summary of the book of the Revelation. Listen, quote, All will be amen and hallelujah. We will rest and we will see. We will see and we will know. We will know and we will love. We will love and we will praise. Behold our end, which is no end at all.

I like that. A good perspective of what the book of the Revelation is communicating to us. So tonight in our consideration, I want to just, initially I thought I would get through the entire chapter, but I want to reserve verses 8 to the end of the chapter for the next message as we consider the new song that is recorded and is sung in John's vision recorded for us. Tonight in verses 1 through 7, I want us to think, number one, about the document, and that's what the scroll that John's attention is drawn to in verse 1. The document. And then there's a dilemma that develops in relationship to that document. So the document, the dilemma, and then number three, the deliverance.

That's where I want to go with you this evening. And we need to try and identify what John is communicating to us in relationship to this scroll. There are many theories postulated and set forth as to the identity of this scroll, and let me mention at least four of them, and then I'll move from what I think to be the most unlikely to what I believe to be the most plausible explanation as of the identity of this scroll. So number one, some believe that the scroll is the last will and testament of Jesus Christ.

And there's a couple of reasons and rationale for that. Probably the main rationale is that because Roman wills were sealed with seven seals. And we see, again, verse 1, John saying, I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

And again, in Roman culture, wills and testaments were sealed with seven seals. Peter talks to us about an inheritance. Now, this is an inheritance reserved for believers. An inheritance, imperishable, undefiable, reserved in heaven for you, Peter says. So an inheritance. So putting those two things together, that there is the last will and testament of the Lord Jesus, and you and I await our inheritance. It's reserved in heaven, and this is the unfolding and the revelation of what that inheritance looks like.

And that's one theory that's postulated. A second is that the scroll in God's right hand is the same as the Book of Life. That it is the record of the elect, the names of all the redeemed, of all the ages, ordained by God for salvation. So I say I'm moving from the most unlikely to what seems to be the most likely, and I've dismissed those first two because as you read on into Revelation chapter 6 and 7 and 8 and on, we get some insight as to what is indeed written on this scroll. And it's not about the last will and testament of the Lord Jesus. It's not the names of the redeemed of all the ages.

So it pretty much rules those two out. The third view is that the scroll is the Old Testament that is brought to full explanation and fulfillment in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And although that is true, Jesus is the fulfillment of all that was written in the Old Testament. The Old Testament shadows and pictures, and they find their fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember that occasion on the road to Emmaus when Jesus encountered the two men, and He began to unfold from the prophets in the Old Testament scriptures all related to Him? Well, it is true that the Old Testament finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

All the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ. But again, I don't think that that is what is being revealed here. The fourth, and I think to be the most plausible and the most consistent with the context, is that this scroll that is in the right hand of God contains the entirety of God's will for human history. And that is why, and again this is symbolic language, there is no manuscript that is going to contain the writings, whether inside or on the out, that is going to contain the entire history of mankind.

Again, John is speaking to us symbolically. But here is, I believe, the record of the remainder of human history, both in the judging of the wicked and the redeeming of God's elect. And again, the scroll written on both sides. It is a bit unusual for scrolls in Roman days to be written on both sides, but again, the point is that it contains the whole story, the entire counsel and purpose of God's will. And again, it is in God's hand because He is the author of the content. It is written on both sides because it speaks of its completeness. And the fact that it is mentioned that there are seven seals also speaks of its completeness, that it is complete, and because it is complete and there is nothing more to be added to it, it is sealed. So, what is the identity of this scroll?

It is the sovereign plan of God for human history, for redemptive history. So, there is much, much more that can be said. I read an awful lot from a lot of different sources and some not very commendable.

So, I tried to condense it down to the four that seem to be worth considering. But notice with me, we move from the document to the dilemma. The appearance of the scroll prompts an immediate dilemma. Notice verse 2. John says, Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seal? John is wondering who has the qualifications, who has the authority, who has the right to come to Almighty God and take the scroll out of his right hand and break the seal and open the book and reveal its content. This angel, unnamed angel, but a strong angel is proclaiming with a loud voice. And I think the emphasis on a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice is to communicate that the search went throughout heaven, throughout the earth, and it says no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth. No one answered the call.

No one was found worthy. It's a dilemma. And it's a dilemma because until there is someone qualified with authority and has the right to approach Almighty God and take the scroll and unseal the scroll and reveal what's inside, we are left in the dark.

The content cannot be revealed. And John laments in verse 3, No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look at it. And what did that provoke in John? Consternation, bewilderment, frustration. No, it says, verse 4, So I wept. I wept much. And why did he weep?

Because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll or to look at it. No one. Now, keep in mind who John is. John is the beloved apostle. And John is weeping because there was no one found. There was no one qualified.

And that included himself. He was not qualified. He had no right. He had no authority to approach Almighty God. And again, he was not a nobody.

He was the prophet of God, the apostle of God, the one beloved of Jesus. And his weeping reveals at least a sense of his own unworthiness. And I think it's a mark of, I was going to say Christian maturity, but I think that's probably correct. But it's also a sign of correct Christianity when we come to the place where we understand our unworthiness before Almighty God. Sin and its consequences makes us unworthy.

We ought to weep before God because we have no access to God. Our sin disqualifies us to go to God. And until we've been taught that, until there's a breaking, until there is a weeping over our sin, there's very little hope for a person to truly be converted. He who makes light of sin makes light of the Savior. So it's a good thing to be exercised in the inner man, to weep over our sin and our failures and to seek God's forgiveness. Philip Hughes in his commentary says this, quote, there is nothing so calamitous in the story of mankind than the total unworthiness of man as a sinful creature in the presence of his Maker. Nothing is more lamentable than the fact that by our own ungodliness, we have lost our worthiness to serve God as we were made to do.

We've all disqualified ourselves. We are all unworthy before Almighty God. And this is a dilemma because if the scroll is not opened, it means there will be no protection for God's people in the hour of bitter trial. There will be no judgment upon the world for their rejection of Christ and His authority. There will be no ultimate triumph for believers in Christ. There will be no new heaven and new earth. There will be no future inheritance and glory. There will be no ultimate triumph and consummation of Christ and His kingdom. It is the unfolding of the rest of redemptive history.

It is God's decrees that have been established in the past. And the thought that there was no one worthy to open the seal and reveal its content was cause for John to weep. He says, so I wept much because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll or to look at it. The relief for John's weeping is found in verses 5 to 7. Verses 5 to 7 say this, But one of the elders said to me, Do not weep. Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.

Then he came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. What is the relief for John? What is the relief for John? It is the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the qualification of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the Son of God approaching His Father with all the authority in heaven and on earth to take the scroll, remove its seals, and reveal the content. You see, the relief does not come from an angel, notice verse 5, but one of the elders. It is not the loud voice of the angel that is recorded in verse 2, but it is one of the elders said to Him, Do not weep. One of the elders, as I mentioned to you in the previous message, I believe the 24 elders who are occupying the 24 thrones around God's throne, recorded there in chapter 4, are representative of the church triumphant. It is the church representative from the Old Testament, Old Covenant, New Covenant, the entirety of the church redeemed before the throne. And it is one of the elders who speaks to John and tells him, Do not weep.

Why? Behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, as prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. This is the only verse that I know of in the Bible that refers to Jesus as the Lion of Judah. That title sees Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophecy made by Jacob, the patriarch, in Genesis chapter 49, verses 9 and 10. Kind of a portion there in the study of Joseph that oftentimes gets skipped over.

Not a lot of attention is paid to it, but it is filled with important information. And it's that portion where Jacob is on his deathbed and he calls his children to his bedside and he pronounces prophecies concerning each of his sons. And in relationship to his son Judah, he says, Judah is a lion's cub. And Jacob there prophesies that there would be a royal dynasty emerging from the tribe of Judah.

And to him shall be, according to Genesis 49, verses 9 and 10, to him, that descendant, shall be the obedience of the nations. And here Jesus is the promised heir from Judah. He is the lion. He's the lion of the tribe of Judah who reigns over the kingdom with power.

He is unchallenged over his domain and his sovereignty over history. Secondly, that elder identifies Jesus not only as the lion of the tribe of Judah, but he says the root of David. The root of David has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.

And that name or that identification is perhaps least known to us. It is another messianic title and it's derived from Isaiah chapter 11 and verse 1. It says, then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

You remember the genealogies that are recorded in Matthew chapter 1 and Luke chapter 3 that reveal that Jesus was indeed the descendant of David, both on his father's side and on his mother's side. Jesus. Jesus is the one worthy to take the scroll and open its seals for three reasons. Number one, because of who he is. Who is he?

He is the rightful king from David's kingly line. Number two, for what he is. What is he? He is the lion from Judah's tribe with the power to destroy his enemies.

And number three, because of what he has done. What has he done? He has overcome. He has overcome.

Notice again. I looked and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elder stood a lamb as though he had been slain, seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then he came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. He's the one who has overcome at the cross. He defeated sin and death and all the forces of hell.

That's who he is. So he's the one who has authority because of who he is, the rightful king from David's kingly line, because of what he is, the lion from the tribe of Judah, and number three, because of what he has done. He has overcome.

He's conquered death and sin and the grave and the devil himself. Verse six says, John says, and I saw or and I looked and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures. You remember the identity of the four living creatures? The cherubim of God with their explanation there in chapter four. In the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders, again the 24 elders on their thrones, stood a lamb.

Again, this is symbolic language. A lamb standing. Not on all fours, but a lamb standing as though it had been slain, had the appearance of death, but it was alive.

Having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Now notice what the subject is here in verse six. The subject in the sentence is the lamb. It's not the lion of the tribe of Judah.

It's not the root or the branch of David. It is the lamb. That is the focal point of verse six. And again the lamb was standing as though it had been slain, which again signifies a body. Jesus in his glorified humanity bears the marks of Calvary.

And he always will. And that's what John is seeing in this vision. A lamb as though it had been slain. Again, the lamb stands at the center of God's throne, slain yet triumphant. And then there is these three times, seven mentioned in relationship to horns, eyes, and the spirit of God. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And again the number seven emphasizes and symbolizes completeness. The horn. Seven horns.

It's the symbol of might. And with seven horns, Jesus possesses all authority to rule in heaven and on earth. Seven eyes. With seven eyes he's able to observe everything that happens in the universe.

Nothing escapes his notice. He has perfect knowledge, perfect discernment, and understanding. The eyes of the Lord go to and fro throughout the whole earth, the Bible tells us. And then John provides an explanation. I mentioned to you I think last Sunday night that many times all John does is identify and give us the description of what he saw without explanation, without commentary.

Here's one of those times where he adds a word of explanation, a word of commentary that helps us understand this vision. The seven eyes, he says, having seven horns and seven eyes, and then he says, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. So John is giving us this word of explanation as to the identity of the seven eyes. He says the seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. They're the seven spirits of God commissioned by him. It speaks of the fullness of the Holy Spirit. And you wouldn't know this apart from me telling you this unless you have really delved into the passage and have some knowledge of the language. But the Greek participle that's translated sent in verse six, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth, that verb is in the perfect tense and it indicates continuing presence and work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts and lives of God's people. The Holy Spirit is sent out into all the earth. And he's not passive, he's actively involved and working in the hearts and lives of God's people. That's an encouragement.

That's our hope. That's the promise of grace to help us on our way to God. And then we're told, again this description of the Lamb, then verse seven says, then he came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. The appearance of the Lamb as he moves toward the throne where Almighty God resides and he has the scroll in his right hand, it causes praise to break out from everywhere in the universe. All of human history is moving to a climax and the unfolding of God's decrees are going to take place and transpire from this point forward. And John is going to record those things for us.

And many of those things are God's judging and the pouring out of his wrath on an unbelieving, rejecting people. And again, then he came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. God is going to entrust with the authority to bring its contents to realization to his Son, the Lamb. And only the Lamb is empowered to break the seal and open the scroll. I'll just read verse eight and then I'll be finished because I want to reserve the rest of the chapter for consideration next week as we consider the new song that's mentioned in verse nine.

They sang a new song. But verse eight says, now when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures, the cherubim of God, and the twenty-four elders, the church, the redeemed church, representative of all the ages, fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp and golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints. Again, keep in mind what is transpiring here. The one and only person in the entire universe who is worthy and able to take the scroll from the hand of Almighty God is the Lamb. And when he takes the scroll and breaks the seal to open it, what do we find? We find the four living creatures, the cherubim of God, the twenty-four elders, all assume a posture of worship. They acknowledge the power and authority invested in the Lord Jesus Christ and they are jubilant that the contents of the scroll are now being revealed.

And they delight in the realization of God's plan and God's purpose and God's decrees being revealed. We all wonder, how is this world going to wind up? How are things going to consummate? How will there be a new heaven and a new earth?

What events lead up to that? And that's what is contained in the scroll that has been sealed until now. And that's going to lead us and direct us in our study as we move into chapters six and seven and eight and nine and further on. But do you see, as we mentioned last Lord's evening, God's purpose for all that He's created. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof and all who dwell therein. Everything and everyone has been created for the purpose of Almighty God. And we find our ultimate purpose in this scene, worship.

We have been created to worship God and to find our contentment and our satisfaction and our fulfillment and our purpose in that. And as we engage ourselves on this earth, despite the fact that we're redeemed but we are redeemed sinners, we're still struggling, we only see through a veil dimly that we can't see everything there is to see, but what we do see provokes worship in us. But here's the scene that unfolds before us, those who've gone on before us. The question lingers in our minds, I wonder what they're doing, I wonder what heaven is like, I wonder.

You don't need to wonder, here it is set before us. And God in His kindness has revealed this to the beloved apostle John and He has instructed John to record these things for our encouragement, for our comfort, for our admonition. Unlike Paul who was taken to the third heaven and was forbidden to talk about what he saw, John's instructed to write down what he sees.

So we have this reliable source of information that doesn't leave us to a spiritualizing or sanctified imagination. We don't need to wonder what heaven's like, what will be going on around the throne. Here it is, worship of Almighty God and again as we come together, Lord willing next Sunday night we will spend our entire time unpacking this new song that's recorded. I don't know if you've noticed this but there are five doxologies here in chapters four and chapter five.

There are two recorded in chapter four and there are three recorded in chapter five. And it shouldn't surprise us. We're given this revelation to provoke worship. That we might extol and worship and honor and glorify God.

And that's what transpires as this scene unfolds. It is the natural response and it should be our natural response. And if we're put off by this, we're unconcerned about this, we're uninterested about this, then it reveals that there's something amiss in our hearts because this is what God has created us for. That's why when we come together as the people of God, I hope you prepare your hearts for corporate worship.

And in your preparation, I hope your mindset isn't going to be or isn't, well what is there going to be there for me? No, in worship we give of ourselves. We ask God to sanctify us. We ask God to prepare us. We consecrate ourselves in the totality of our being, our minds, our wills, our emotions. We're to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And we come in worship to give worship to God.

And here's the interesting thing about that. Because we've been created for that, our highest purpose and satisfaction is in that, that regardless of how sincere and how pure our motives are to give all to God, be lost in wonder of God, God blesses us for engaging in that activity. It's wonderful. That's why God-centered worship is so satisfying to the people of God. It warms our hearts. It satisfies our longings.

We're content with that. To know God, to worship God, even with the hindrances we have, is a blessing the world knows nothing of. And it should create a longing and a growing desire to enter into this realm and to join this throne where we're able to do this free of sin, free of every hindrance, free of every distraction. All praise and honor to Him who sits on the throne. Let us pray.

Father, thank You, thank You, thank You for revealing this wonderful portion of Your Word to us. That we're not left to speculate. We're not left to wonder. Our lives aren't full of questions. We have this vision recorded that John was privileged to have of what we will be doing throughout all eternity. And Lord, we long for that day when we will say with the throne, gathered around Your throne, blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever. Amen.