Now this is an awesome, awesome
chapter from the Word of God. Chapter 5. I want you to turn
to Revelation 5. My subject this morning, very
simply, the book. The book. And what a book. And this 14th chapter has three
divisions. This will be the way I divide
the message. Number one, the seal book. in
the hands of God. Number two, the opening of the
book. The opening of the book by Jesus
Christ our Lord. And thirdly, the great universal
joy to the people who have beheld the open book and the person
who opened it. Great joy. Great joy. Now, look at verse
1. And I saw in the right hand of
him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside
and sealed with seven seals. There's only one person who held
that book, and that's God Almighty. We're talking about God Himself.
across the page of chapter 4. And John said in verse 1 and
2, And I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven,
and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking
with me, which said, Come up hither, and I will show you things
which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the
spirit And behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on
that throne." That's God. The Heavenly Father has in His
hand a book. And it says here in verse 1,
I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book
written with the end on the back side and sealed with seven seals. What kind of book was this? What
kind of form was it? Well, the manner of writing back
then was on sheets of parchment, not a book like this at all. But the writing was on sheets
of parchment which were rolled into a cylinder. And a book was
called a volume or a row or a scroll. So this book in the hands of
God was a volume, a roll, or a scroll. Let me show you a type
of that in Ezekiel. Turn to Ezekiel chapter 2. Ezekiel
chapter 2, and you'll have a picture of the type of writing it was. In chapter 2 of Ezekiel, verse
9 and 10. Ezekiel 2, 9 and 10. This was
the type of writing they did then. And I looked, and when
I looked, behold, Ezekiel 2 verse 9, a hand was sent unto me, and
a roll of a book was therein, and he spread it before me. And
it was written within and without. And it was written therein, Lamentations,
Mourning, and Woe, in the right hand of God. on the throne was
a book, a book. What was in the book? What was
in that book? Well, several people have tried
to give a meaning, what was in the book. Somebody said one time,
well, that book in the hand of God contains all the law and
the types and the promises and the prophets written in the Old
Testament. But that can't be, that can't
be at all, because men like Abraham and Moses and David, they wrote
the Old Testament. They not only wrote the Old Testament,
they read the Old Testament and they understood the Old Testament.
But this book's in the hands of God, only known by God himself. It's in his hands. not in the
hands of Moses or Abraham or David, it's in the hands of God.
Other people say, well, the book is the New Testament, the gospel
and the epistles, which natural men don't understand. Of course
they don't, but believers do. Believers have the—our Lord Jesus
Christ opened the scriptures to the disciples, and they understood. They've got hearts burned within
us. Is he open for us to scripture? Your pastor opens the scripture
every Lord's Day. But this book, in the hands of
God, its contents is known only to God. It's by open—opened by
no one else, not an apostle, a prophet, a preacher, whomever. This book, I'll tell you what
it is. I know what it is. This book is the book of Almighty
God's eternal decrees. This book is the book of Almighty
God's purposes. This book is the book of Almighty
God's eternal kingdom, the kingdom of His dear Son. This book is
a revelation of God's everlasting covenant, God's everlasting mercies
to sinners. And this book in the hands of
God contains all things that were, all things that are, and
all things that shall be. And this book contains all that
God will do in the new heaven and the new earth and in the
kingdom of his righteousness. This book is the book of God. And it's in the hands of God.
I think Isaiah gave us a kind of an insight into this. Turn
to Isaiah chapter 46. I believe Isaiah gave us a sort
of an understanding of what's in this book. In Isaiah chapter
46. Listen to this. I say this is
the book. of God's eternal decrees, purposes,
promises, providence, God's kingdom, God's everlasting covenant. It's
in that book. Everything. All things that were,
are, or shall be in that book. And Isaiah said this in Isaiah
chapter 46 verse 9. Listen to this. Isaiah 46 verse
9. Remember the former things of
old, but I'm God. There's none else. I'm God. There's none like me. I declare
the end from the beginning. Everything that was, is, are,
and shall be. I declare the end from the beginning.
From ancient times of things that are not even done yet. They're
already written in that book. My counsel shall stand. I will
do all my pleasure. I call a ravenous bird from the
east, the man that executes my counsel from a far country. Yes,
I've spoken it. I'll bring it to pass. I'll purpose
it. I'll do it. I saw in the right
hand of him that sat on the throne a book. It's his hand. Known
unto God are all his works from the beginning. Well, it says
this, look, verse 1. I saw in the right hand of him
that sat on the throne a book written with, in on the back
side, a roll, cylinder, parchment, sealed with seven seals. This book's sealed. It's not
open. It's sealed. Why is it sealed, preacher? It's
sealed because it's already complete, known unto God, all His works. This book's already complete.
Secondly, it's sealed because it's unchangeable. What God doeth,
he does forever. Nothing shall ever be added. Nothing shall ever be taken away
from that book. Thirdly, it's sealed because
it's perfect. The seventh is perfection. It's sealed with seven seals,
and it denotes perfection, because eye hath not seen, ear hath not
heard, neither hath it entered the heart of man. It's that nobody hath seen it,
nobody's ever heard it, it's never entered the heart of man,
the things that God has decreed and prepared for them that love
him. And it's sealed. I'll tell you
why it's sealed. It's sealed awaiting, awaiting
the revelation of the only one who can open it. Waiting on Him. The only one who can fulfill
all that's written in that book. Who can bring to pass every promise. Who can seek and find everlost
sheep? Who can preside at the marriage
supper of the Lamb? That's who it's waiting on. Well, read verse 2. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming
with a loud voice, Well, who's worthy to open this book? and to loose
those seals there. Who's worthy? And verse three, he answered,
and no man. No man in heaven, no man on earth,
and no man in hell, and no man under the earth can open that book or even look there And verse 4, and I wept. It's
time to weep, isn't it? And John says, I wept. I wept
much. I wept because nobody, in heaven
not an angel, on earth not a man, or under the earth not a fallen
spirit. No man was found worthy to open
that book or to read it or to look there on. And I wept. And verse 5, And one of the elders
said to me, Here's some good news. I don't have all bad news
this morning. I got some good news. And one
of the elders said to me, Weep not. Weep not. Here's the gospel. Here's the
Redeemer. Here's the good news. Here's
the Lamb of God. Weep not. Behold! The Lion of the tribe of Judah. The Lion of the tribe of Judah.
A ransom has been found. That's what old Job wrote. He
said, deliver him from going down in the pit. I've found a
ransom. There is a Redeemer. My Redeemer
lives. I've found an atonement. We've
not. We've not. Who is He? He's the Lion of the
tribe of Judah. Old Jacob saw this. when he was
blessing his sons. Jacob said, Judah, the lion of
the tribe of Judah, Judah, Judah is a lion's wealth. My son, thou
art gone up. Judah is a lion's wealth. He
stooped down. He couched as a lion, an old
lion. The scepter shall not depart
from Judah. nor a lawgiver from between his
feet, unto a shadow comes, unto a shadow comes, and then to him
shall the gathering of the people be." He's called a lion, the
lion of the tribe of Judah. He's called a lion because of
his strength, an old lion. He's called a lamb for his humility
and his sacrifice. He's called the seed of Abraham.
He's called the root of Jesse. He's called the son of David.
He's called the Son of God. And listen to this verse, verse
five, And one of the elders said, Weep not. Behold, the Lion of
the tribe of Judah, the root of David, he hath prevailed. He hath prevailed. He hath prevailed
to Open the book, and deluce the seven seals thereof. And
read verse six, And I beheld, and I beheld, and lo, in the
midst of the throne. You see, Christ is God, with
God, was God, and He is God. And He's in the midst of the
throne. He's on the throne too. I can't explain all that. Not
even going to try. But God sits on the throne, and
God holds the book, and yet Christ is in the midst of the throne.
And Christ stood a lamb, a Passover lamb, a sacrificial lamb. And it says, And in the midst
of the throne stood a lamb, as it had been slain, had nail prints
in his hands, and a scar on his side, nail prints in his feet. It had been slain. And see this
lamb, listen to the description, has seven horns. Seven, seven,
seven. Listen. He has seven horns. What's that mean? Power. Power. Omnipotence. He has seven
eyes. What is that? Knowledge. Omniscience. He knows all things. Perfection.
He has seven spirits. That is, presence, omnipresence. This Lamb stood in the midst
of the throne, and He has prevailed to open the book. He is of the
seven horns, all power, seven eyes, all knowledge, seven spirits,
ever-present, all-powerful, all-wise, always
with us. Verse seven, The Lord Jesus came and he took
the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
He took the book. He's the only one that could.
He took the book. He took it willingly. He took
it. God gave it and Christ took it.
He gave his son and Christ took upon him our transgressions and
iniquities. He took the nature of the seed
of Abraham. He took our sins in His body
on the tree. He took our place on the cross. God gave it and Christ took it. And He took the book. He came
and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon
the throne. And when He had taken the book,
listen, When he had taken the book, four beasts, four and twenty
elders, fell down before the Lamb to worship the Lamb. I want you to look back at verse
5 for a moment. A word that I read and I didn't
say much about it, but it says in verse 5, one of the elders
said, Weep not, behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root
of David, he has prevailed. He has prevailed to open the
book. How did he prevail? He was born
of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under
the law. He grew up before God as a tender
plant, a root out of dry ground. He prevailed. He was despised and rejected
of men, a man of solace. He prevailed. He fulfilled every
promise. He was tempted in all points
as we are, yet without sin. He prevailed. He went to the
cross of Calvary. For our sins in His body on the
tree was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. He prevailed. He arose. and ascended to the right hand
of God, where he sits, ever living to make intercession for us,
he prevailed. He's the great high priest, and
he will come again, for he said, I go to prepare a place for you,
and when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be
also. in the hands of God, the Lamb
prevailed and opened the book. Now, here's the joyous occasion
at the opening of that book. Verse 8, And when he had taken
the book, the four beasts, the four and twenty elders, fell
down before the Lamb. having every one of them hearts
and golden vows full of odors, which are the prayers of the
saints, and they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take
the book and to open the seal thereof, for Thou was slain and
hath redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred and
tongue and people, and nation, and you've made us. You have
made us. You have made us kings and priests. That's the only person that ever
held those two offices, king and a priest. Our Lord Jesus
Christ. There are three offices in the
Scriptures, prophet, priest, and king. Nobody ever held them
all except Him. And He has made us. unto himself, kings and priests unto God. Think
about that. Already made us kings and priests
to God. And we shall reign on the earth.
And I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels round about
the throne. And the beasts and the elders
and the number of them were ten thousand times ten thousand.
That's a a known number for an unknown
number. That's what that is. An unknown
number. A number which no man can number.
Number them ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands and
thousands. And all of them, all of them
with a loud voice saying, where there is a land that was slain
to receive power. Here's a sevenfold amen. Listen. To receive to receive
power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory
and blessing. He has the preeminence. It's
His. All His. You won't share it with any man.
It's all His. And every creature which is in
heaven, there may be folks here trying to share the glory with
Christ, but not that. Every creature in heaven every
one of them, which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the
earth, and such as are in the sea, all of them I heard say,
Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." And
the four beasts said, Amen. So be it. So be it. So be it. and they worshiped
him that liveth forever and ever. May God bless this message to
your heart, give you a deep, heartfelt love,
gratitude, and praise for him who is our Redeemer, Christ Jesus
our Lord. Our Father, thank you for your
word. how empty and lost and weary
and hopeless we would be without this book. We praise your name
and thank you, not only for putting this book in our hands and preserving
it through all these many, many years, but you put the words
of this book in our hearts and made us to see who is on the
throne, Almighty God, and to see that eternal book of God's
decrees and purpose and promise and covenant, and to see it opened
by our Lord Jesus Christ and revealed to us. Praise God, from
whom all blessings flow. Praise him, all creatures here
below. Praise Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost. Praise the Lord for his mercy
and grace to us. Lord, bless this message to the
hearts of everyone here this morning. What a powerful scripture. What a powerful truth. What a
powerful, wonderful gospel. What a wonderful Savior. Especially, Lord, bless this
word this morning to our young folks. We thank you for these
who have held faithful and strong and loyal and true throughout
the years. Bless them. Thank you for them. But we pray
for our young people. So many temptations and trials
and heartaches ahead of them. So many pitfalls and temptations. But Lord, put this word in their
heart. Give to them a knowledge and
understanding and love for the Lord Jesus Christ. And walk with
him as Enoch did of old. Bless the message to their hearts
especially. And bless our pastor as he preaches
this morning and as he returns home We thank you for him. We thank you for his faithfulness
and the gifts that you've given him and the glorious gospel you've
taught him. And I ask you to continue to
bless this church in days to come in a very special, special
way. And we'll give you the glory
and the praise in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you.