Then I Saw…

“Then I saw in the right hand of the One seated on the throne a scroll with writing on the inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. I also saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or even to look in it. And I cried and cried because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or even to look in it. Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop crying. Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has been victorious so that He may open the scroll and its seven seals.” Then I saw One like a slaughtered lamb standing between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of the One seated on the throne.” (Revelation‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭HCSB‬‬)

Many people read the Revelation of John as a means of identifying, understanding, and preparing for the future. We want to know what tomorrow holds so we can be better prepared to deal with it. It is all about what will happen to me tomorrow and what I need to do to survive and thrive through those days. However, I believe this book was written for the seven churches of Asia Minor – and the rest of us, by extension – as a means of living through and being victorious in their first-century persecution reality. As you’ll recall, the primary goal given to these seven churches, as related in the seven letters we previously studied, is to conquer, to be victorious, or to remain steadfast/faithful to the end. In other words, be true every day to the faith they claim in Jesus and be obedient to His commands. As He says…

“So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore, don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭31‬-‭34‬ ‭HCSB‬‬)

Tomorrow’s victory and your eternal destiny will be determined by your obedience and faithfulness to Him today.

To give John and his readers the hope they need to endure, Jesus gives John this vision and tells him to write these things down for them (1:11). This vision is Jesus’ “unveiling” or revelation of the things these seven churches and our church need to know and understand in order to remain faithful to Him. However, what you see and how you understand these things is entirely dependent upon your view of God, yourself, and your present reality. The vision that Jesus gives to John takes him into the heavenly realm and gives him a glimpse of the things we can’t see on our own. 

We spent the last several weeks considering the One seated on the throne. He’s the One who is the sovereign King, the Holy LORD, and the divine Creator. How we perceive our world and our lives is based on how we see God and ourselves. Notice, I didn’t say that how we see those things defines them or the truth regarding them but only how we perceive them. We often perceive truth incorrectly. This is precisely the issue that Jesus faced with many of the people He encountered. They were unable to perceive or understand the truth regarding Him because their view of God and this world could not account for it. Those who were able to see past their perceived reality and catch a glimpse of His omnipotence experienced it in their lives. Consider the disciples in the boat after Jesus calmed the storm, Peter as he walked on water, Jairus when he confessed his faith in Jesus’ ability to heal his daughter, or the lame man when Jesus took his hand, forgave his sins, and told him to stand, take up his mat, and go home. 

Will we have eyes that see the truth and ears that hear His word so we can experience His omnipotent power? 

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness — how deep is that darkness!” (Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭HCSB‬‬)

John sees in the open right hand of the One seated on the throne a small scroll or little book (bible) with writing on both sides that is sealed with seven seals. At this point, we can only speculate as to the contents of the scroll and the words written on it. Some believe it contains the judgments of God, as outlined in the chapters that follow. Some see it as the Book of Life that contains the names of all God’s elect. Still others see it as the book that contains the future of God’s kingdom and His people. I think it is all of those things combined, but primarily I believe it contains the redemptive purpose, plan, and promises of God for all mankind. Stick with me, and I believe you’ll see why.  

The importance of the scroll and its message can be clearly seen in what follows: “I also saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” Nobody in all of God’s created order was found who was able to open the scroll or even look in it – no angel, man, or creature. That’s a significant statement; pay attention to it. Whatever is inside the scroll moves John to tears when he realizes nobody is worthy to open or look in it. We aren’t talking about a few tears; John is openly sobbing and continues to do so. He is overwhelmed by the thought that whatever the scroll holds can’t be revealed because no man is worthy to open it. You need to let this sink in, our eternal hope and the promises of God for His people can NEVER be realized by human effort, wisdom, strength, or achievement. Whatever is in that scroll can only be revealed by One who is not of human origin, One who is not of the created order but who is the Creator.

Then one of the elders interrupts him, “Stop crying. LOOK! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has been victorious so that He may open the scroll and its seven seals.” Nobody in all of God’s created order, whether angel, man, or creature, was worthy, but there is someone found worthy—the Lion of Judah, the Root of David (see Gen. 49:9-10; Is. 11:1,10; Jer. 23:5; 2 Sam. 7:12-16). Pay attention here, neither Abraham nor Moses, neither Joshua nor Caleb were worthy. Not even Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, or Daniel were worthy. Not James, Peter, Paul, or even John were worthy. There was no one found worthy to open the scroll and break its seals except ONE!

“Then I saw One… like a slaughtered lamb standing in the midst of the throne.”

Wait! Weren’t we supposed to see the LION of Judah? Where is this ROOT of the mighty David? That’s why I started out reminding you of how we perceive things. We read God’s promises, and our biases cause us to miss how He’s fulfilling them. It happened to Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and right on down the line to you and me. The reason the bulk of the religious leaders in first-century Jerusalem rejected Jesus is because their eyes were closed to any fulfillment of God’s promises except in the manner they deemed appropriate and relevant. They were looking for a lion, not a sacrificial lamb. They wanted a king, not a suffering servant. They wanted to define how God would fulfill His promises instead of trusting Him and His Word. We often try to do the same thing.

One thing that’s really easy to overlook here is that the slaughtered lamb is standing in the midst or middle of the throne. He’s not out among the creatures or even the elders. He stands with the Father in the midst of the throne. The fact that He’s standing is also significant. You don’t expect a lamb that has been slaughtered to still be standing, but that’s because this is no ordinary lamb – “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn. 1:29) The ONE who is worthy is the ONE who was fully obedient to the Father’s will to the point of death – even death on the cross (see Phil. 2:8). So, the slaughtered lamb has overcome death and is alive forevermore. He is the One who was victorious over sin, death, and hell, and He is the only One who is able and worthy to stand in the midst of the heavenly throne with the Father. Why? Because He was fully obedient to the Father and His will: 

Father, if it’s possible, let this cup pass from Me. 

My Son, it’s not possible. Without the shedding of the Lamb’s blood, the curse of sin cannot be removed… 

Then I’ll be obedient to Your will, Father, and I’ll drink it.

Finally, the One standing like a slaughtered lamb in the midst of heaven’s throne had seven horns and seven eyes. Horns denote power, strength, and authority, and the number seven indicates that the Lamb has divine power, strength, and authority. In other words, it indicates that the Lamb is omnipotent and, thus, fully God. The eyes denote both wisdom and spirit, and the number seven, again, indicates that He has complete or divine wisdom or omniscience and spiritual presence or omnipresence. In other words, the Lamb is fully God.

This Lion of Judah, the Root of David, the Lamb who was slaughtered is the only One worthy, and “He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of the One seated on the throne.” This indicates that God acknowledges His right and authority to carry out everything written in the scroll. He has the right and authority to break the seals, and He will carry out all that is written in the scroll, the fulness of God’s purpose, plan, and redemption for creation. God’s Son will bring to fruition all that God wills for His creation. Because of who He is and what He has accomplished, He will fulfill the divine promises, He will carry out divine justice, and He ALONE will provide the only hope for our redemption and victory in the midst of this chaos. 

But what does that mean for these seven churches? It meant that the seven churches of Asia Minor needed to see their situation in light of what John saw. The One who is worthy to bring history and divine judgment to its final completion is not Caesar but Christ, not the king in Rome but the King on Heaven’s throne. How they view their circumstances is entirely dependent on who they see on the throne. If they think Caesar rules, then their view of the future is dramatically altered in a negative way. If they know Jesus rules, then their view of the future is filled with the hope of His reign and the fulfillment of His promises. The victory He demands of them can only be found and realized in Him.

What does it mean for our church and our lives? We need to see our past, present, and future, both personally and corporately, in light of the One who stands in the midst of Heaven’s throne. He alone is worthy to take the scroll to fulfill God’s promises and to carry out God’s judgment. He alone is able to redeem God’s people and provide the strength needed to endure the hardship these churches faced. The One who is slaughtered is full of mercy and grace, and He wants to come alongside us as we strive to walk in obedience to God and His will. He is not only the object of God’s love; He is the embodiment of it, and He pours the Father’s lavish love over us as He calls us to obedience, faithfulness, and endurance. 

How you view your life and your circumstances are entirely dependent on who sits on the throne, who’s in charge of your life. I agree with John’s vision: God is on the throne, and Jesus is the only One worthy of carrying out His will in my life. I pray that your eyes are opened, that the light of life pours in, and you are able to see who truly sits on the throne and who is worthy and able of carrying out God’s will in your life… the slaughtered Lamb is the only One worthy.