◄ What Does Revelation 5:6 Mean? ►

The amazing things John witnessed during his heavenly vision, fill us with wonder and awe. He saw multitudes of angelic beings worshipping at the throne of God. There were 24 stately elders casting their crowns before the Lord, crying out, "O Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory, and honour, and power, because You have created all things, and because of Your will they exist and were created."

It was as his eyes began to acclimatise to the awe-inspiring, 'other-worldly' scene that flooded his senses, that John's attention was drawn to the right hand of the Majestic Person seated on the throne. He clasped a scroll with writing on the front and the back, but it was securely sealed with seven seals, and a mighty angel proclaimed in a loud voice: "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" It was then that it dawned on this beloved disciple that no one was worthy to open the scroll. 

No one was good enough to open the scroll, for all have sinned, all have fallen short of the glory of God, and all are deserving of God's eternal condemnation. Salvation was contained within that scroll, but only a sinless MAN had the authority and power to unseal its terrible pages and redeem a world lost in sin.

Grief, panic, and utter despair, penetrated John's heart when he realised the shocking truth; that no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll. No one was even worthy to look inside the scroll! No wonder that in the midst of this heavenly scene and amidst the great angelic rejoicing, John wept uncontrollably because there was no one who was worthy to break the seal and open the scroll.

No sooner had John descended into despair, than he began to be comforted by one of the elders who told him to stop weeping! He was commanded to LOOK and to BEHOLD: "Behold, the Lion from the tribe of Judah Who is the Root of David. HE has overcome!" All was not lost for the Lion of Judah can break every chain and open the book with its seven seals: "HE is worthy to unseal the scroll."

John may have looked for a Lion but as his vision expanded, he viewed the scene with greater understanding and wrote: "Then I saw a Lamb standing in the middle of the throne, surrounded by 4 living creatures, and the 24 elders. He looked like He had been slaughtered. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth." 

John saw the "Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world," in the middle of the throne. He had heard those words spoken by John the Baptist at the start of Christ's earthly ministry. He had read the words of Isaiah, who proclaimed their Messiah would be led as a lamb to the slaughter, and he watched as Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb of God, on the Cross of Calvary as the redemption price for the sin of the world.

And now He saw a Lamb, standing in the midst of the throne of the Majesty on high, looking like He had been slaughtered. I wonder what thoughts crossed the apostle's mind as He realised the enormity of what he was witnessing: "And He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth."

The master with Whom John walked and talked during His earthly ministry was the One Who washed their feet on that last night before He was betrayed and took bread and wine, to represent His body broken for us, and His blood shed on our account. He was now standing in the middle of the throne, surrounded by the four living creatures who worshipped Him and the twenty-four elders who cast their crowns at His feet.

The Lamb on the throne Who wore the marks of the crucifixion was meek and mild at His first coming. But at His second advent the same, slaughtered Lamb will return as the conquering Lion of the tribe of Judah, but it will be the scars He bore and the death He died (for the punishment of the wicked and the redemption of ALL who would believe on His name), that qualifies Him to open the seven-sealed scroll.

The Lamb on the throne had seven horns and seven eyes, representing the sevenfold manifestations of the Holy Spirit of God, and symbolising strength and wisdom, power and knowledge, authority and intelligence, omnipotence and omniscience.

Jesus is the eternal God and perfect Man, and He is the only Member of the Godhead and only Member of the Human race Who has the strength and wisdom, power and knowledge, authority and intelligence, and the sinless perfection to open the redemption Scroll. He is not only the representative Member of the triune Godhead, but also the representative Man of the human race. He is our Kinsman-Redeemer Who will break the scroll, execute judgement upon the earth, and has redeemed those who believe on His name.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the Lord Jesus, the holy Lamb of God Who was slain to take away the sin of the world. Lord, how bitter sweet it feels to know that I will see the marks in His hands and feet, the perfect Lamb slain for me so that I can have eternal life with Him. Thank You that the all-powerful Lamb Who knows everything, knows me and loves me. May I live my life loving Him more and more each day. In His beautiful name I pray, AMEN.