Chapter 5 – A Vison of the Lamb. . . Throughout history there have been many pretenders to earth’s throne who have sought to conquer and rule the world. The first and most powerful and notorious usurper was satan. After his rebellion against GOD was crushed, he and his angelic followers were thrown out of heaven (Luke 10:18; Rev. 12:3-4), and he became the “god of this world (2Cor 4:4). He inspired a host of humans to try their hand at conquest, men such as Nebuchadnezzar, the emperors of Rome, Attila the Hun, Napoleon, Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler (to name a few). In the future will come the most powerful satan-possessed human conqueror of all, the final Antichrist. All of those men, and a host of lesser lights, have one thing in common: they failed. Only one individual has the right, the power, and the authority to rule the earth: the Lord Jesus Christ. He will one day take bac what is rightfully His from satan the usurper, and all the rebels demonic and human. Chapter 5 introduces Jesus Christ, earth’s rightful ruler, who is pictured about to return to redeem the world from sin satan, death, and the curse. He is the central theme of John’s second vision of heaven. Awestruck by the indescribable majesty of GODs throne, the cherubim and elders begin a series of hymns of praise to GOD. Those hymns celebrate GID as creator and redeemer, and rejoice that He is about to take back what is rightfully His. This is the moment that all Christians and the entire creation long for. (Eph.1:14; Rom 8:19-22).
The Scroll . . .In his vision, John 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. God stretched out His hand, as it were, and in it He held a book. “Biblion” does not refer to a book in the modern sense, but to a scroll. A scroll was a long piece of papyrus or animal skin, rolled from both ends into the middle. Such scrolls ere commonly used before the invention of the codex, or modern-style book, consisting of square pages bound together. The scroll John saw in GOD’s hand is the title deed to the earth, which He will give to Christ. He will regain His rightful inheritance. He will do so by means of the divine judgments about to be poured out on the earth. While the scroll is a scroll of doom and judgment, it is also a scroll of redemption. It tells how demons who have collaborated with him. ‘No one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it.’ A search of the entire universe, from hell to heaven and ll points in between, turns up no one worthy to open the scroll. Overwhelmed with grief and dismay at this turn of events, John began to weep. John’s weeping, though sincere, was premature. Because his tears were inappropriate, one of the elders told Joh to stop weeping. The he drew John’s attention to a new Person emerging on the scene, The Lion that is from the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David. This Person, of course, is the glorified, exalted Lord Jesus Christ, described here by two of His messianic titles. The title the Lion that is from the Tribe of Judah derives from Jacob’s blessing on the tribe of Judah given in Gen 49:8-10. The worthy One has arrived to take back what is rightfully His.
The Song of The Worthy One . . . As they began their song of praise and worship, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. But before he begins to unroll the scroll in chapter 6 comes the song of praise in chapter 5. As they prostrated themselves before the Lamb in worship, John noticed that each one of the 24 elders was holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. In the Old Testament, harps were frequently associated with worship. The wide-mouthed bowls were used in the tabernacle and the temple where they were connected with the altar. They symbolized the priestly work of intercession for the people. As the elders brought before GOD the desires and prayers of the saints, they sang a new song. The song opens with a reaffirmation that Christ is worthy. . . to take the book and to break tis seals. He is worthy because He is the Lamb, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and the Kings of kings and Lord of lords. to break the book’s seals means to enact the judgments written in it. Then, further reinforcing Christ’s worthiness, the song continues, ‘for You were slain, and purchased for GOD with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation’. The song moves on to express the results of redemption: ‘You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our GOD; and they will reign upon the earth’. As the great hymn of praise reaches a crescendo, ‘every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them’ joins in. This all-inclusive statement is reminiscent of Psalm 69:34. Endless blessing, endless honor, endless praise, endless glory , and endless worship belong to GOD the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The creation is unable to contain its joy over its imminent redemption. (Rom 8:19-22). lost in wonder, love, and praise, the four living creatures could only keep saying, “Amen”. That solemn affirmations means “let it be”, “make it happen”. Soon this mighty host would march out of heaven to execute judgment, gather the elect, and return with Christ when He sets up His earthly kingdom. The stage is set. —- Taken from John MacArthur’s NT Commentary.
