REV. #14~ 5:1-6 THE 7 SEALED BOOK 7-18-09
Last time as we were in chapter 4: and the subject primarily was “The throne” and God the Father that sat on it, we read how the 4 living creatures and the 24 Elders, the {Church} worshipped and praised God as the 24 Elders cast their crowns at the foot of His throne. –Remember only the N.T. believers are promised crowns. -
4:8-11 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 9And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 10The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
But as we come to chapter 5: the subject changes somewhat and the emphasis is directed to the 7-sealed Book that’s in the Fathers hand.
Keep in mind that both chapter’s 4 & 5 are to do with the same occasion, both 4-5 are one scene, and remember too that you and I that are saved, the N.T. church, will witness all of this as we are the redeemed, the 24 Elders.
Listen as I read from chapter 5: John said;
1 And I saw in the right hand of HIm** that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
The “right hand” speaks of power and authority. Think of this book as a scroll that was rolled up and sealed with 7 seals, there was writing within and on the backside, of the scroll meaning that nothing more could be added. What was written was completed and final.
2And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “ Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?”
Notice, John is testifying that he saw this strong angle. This Arch Angel.
This strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, is most likely Gabriel as he was always Gods special messenger angel in the Bible, when God wanted to send a special message, He always sent Gabriel.
Gabriel is sent to Daniel in Daniel 8:15-16 and it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
Daniel 9: 21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. 22And he informed me,--
And then in the N.T. we find God still sending His messenger angel Gabriel over 500 plus years later to Zechariah the father of John the Baptist.
Luke 1: 18-19 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 19And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, --
And then to Mary Luke 1:26-27 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And the angel came in unto her, and said,--
We believe it was Gabriel that came to Joseph in a dream.
Matthew 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word:--
Back to our text in Rev.5:
3And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
God the Father said to His Son in;
Psalm 2:7-9 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 8Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; --[ Revelation 19:15 - and he shall rule them with a rod of iron:]
--thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Jesus Christ is the “heir of all that belongs to JEHOVAH GOD”
Heb. 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, --
No one in all creation was found worthy to open the 7-sealed scroll, or book other than The Lamb of God, Jesus.
He is our Kinsman-Redeemer” who was willing to give His life to set us free from bondage and to restore our lost inheritance caused by Adam back in Eden.
The redeemer had to be near of kin, willing to redeem, and able to redeem. Jesus Christ meets all of the qualifications. He became flesh, so He is our kinsman. He loves us and is willing to redeem; and He paid the price, so He is able to redeem.
Jesus bought us back; He redeemed us from off the auction block of sin you could say.
Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
JN.3: 16 -- whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
1 Corinthians 6: 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 7: 23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
I’ve read all that to help us understand why only Jesus is worthy to open the 7 sealed book.
This 7 sealed scroll was the title deed to all of creation, and Jesus the Lamb of God is the Heir of God His Father.
4And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5And one of the elders saith unto me,”Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”
Lets notice He is called Lion of the tribe of Juda;
In Genesis 49:8-10 as Jacob is on his deathbed, he gives his blessings to his 12 sons.
And when he was giving his son Juda his blessing he said;
8Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: ** thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. 9Judah is a lion’s whelp: [young one} from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 10The sceptre [official staff of a ruler, symbolizing his authority and power] shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; [the meaning of the word “Shiloh” is peaceable- Isa. 9:6 He is expressly called the Prince of Peace. and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
The image of “the lion” speaks of dignity, sovereignty, courage, and victory.
Jacob prophetically gave the scepter to Judah and made it the tribe of the kings.
Jesus is called “the Root of David “
David comes from the tribe of Juda, Jesus Christ is the only living Jew who can prove His kingship from the genealogical records. “Son of David” was a title often used when He was ministering on earth.
The Gospel of Matthew (1:1–17) recorded Christ’s descent from the patriarch Abraham, the two distinct lists of the ancestors of Jesus found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.
Luke (3:28–38) reversed the recording process, and traced the ancestry of Jesus back through Joseph, David, and Abraham to “Adam, the son of God.
Jesus is called “the Root of David”
This means He brought David (and David’s line) into existence. As far as His deity is concerned, Jesus is the root of David.
As far as His humanity is concerned, Jesus got His roots from David.
How the Messiah could both be David’s Lord and David’s son was a problem to the Pharisees.
Matt. 22:41-46 41While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 43He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44The LORD said unto my Lord, ** Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
6And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
But as John was looking on the scene he didn’t see a Lion, instead he saw a Lamb as it had been slain-- this is a great spiritual truth.
Jesus is called “a lamb” over 20 times in the Book of Rev. it conveys the idea of a pet Lamb.
But as we’ll see in chapter 6: 16-17 this LAMB is bringing wrath.
Rev.6:16-17 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
No dear heart, the next time He appears to this world it’ll not be a little meek Lamb, He’ll not turn the other cheek, He’ll not be spit upon and made fun of, they’ll not pluck out His beard this next time, their going to witness fury like they’ve never dreamed of.
REV. 6: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
He’s returning with vengeance, woe unto the earth dwellers at that time.
Cleansing is by “the blood of the Lamb” (7:14). The church is “the bride of the Lamb” (19:7; 21:9).
All through out the O.T. when a sacrificial lamb was offered, it was a picture and a type of THE LAMB OF GOD that was to come.
There in Genesis 3: 21 we read of the 1st sacrifice, and it was also provided by God, some innocent animal had to give it’s life, it shed its blood in order for Adam and Eve to have a covering. 21Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
When John the Baptist saw Jesus in JN.1: 29 he cried out-
“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin** of the world”
vs. 6-b having seven horns and seven eyes
These qualities revile His omnipotence, ** omniscience, ** and omnipresence; **
all three are attributes of God. The Lamb is God the Son, Christ Jesus!
