In the book of Revelation, Revelation
chapter 5, and I'm just overwhelmed. I'm overwhelmed. I'm just constantly
overwhelmed as I go through this book and see the glories of Christ. It just struck me this afternoon
in my study what power an identity the lamb had that he was able
to go up to the throne and take that scroll from him who sat
on it. That's, there had to be an identity
there that was compatible, an identity there that was one. No man could go up to him that's
on the throne and say, I want that book. Now there's three
things I was thinking about that book, and I'm not going to expound
on it, I'm just going to mention it. That book or scroll was written
by God. When it's unfolded, it's written
by God. This is not a surprise to God,
he wrote it. And that scroll was sealed by
God. He didn't let anybody else seal
it. He sealed it. He wrote it. He sealed it. And
that scroll is opened by God. It's revealed to us. Now, it
was written before the foundation of the world, and it was sealed
up. And here we have it opened up
for us. And we just see more revelation
of our Savior, the Lord Jesus. I look at those four horsemen.
They're not near as scary as they used to be. They're Christ
writing and demonstrating his glory, power, might, and strength. And he may come as death. He did once in Egypt. We say the death angel came. No, he said, I'm going through
the land. I'm going through the land. And when I see the blood,
I'll pass over you. And if I don't see the blood,
there's going to be death in that household. So it was the
Lord that marched through the land there. We don't want to
give that credit to some entity, but we want to give credit where
credit is due. So as we look here tonight, it
is he came and took the book. He took the book. It's just an
amazing activity that the Lamb performed as he is before the
throne and God the Father sitting. And he comes up with all power
and all authority and all recognition and all glory between the two
and all oneness. And he takes the book. All right.
Revelation chapter 5, and we want to look here at verse 7,
8, and 9 a little bit tonight, but I just want to go back there
just a little bit to verse 6. And we notice there in verse
6, and I beheld and lo in the midst of the throne and of the
four beasts, four living creatures. And I just can't help but think
that they have an application toward the gospel. They have
an application that represents the gospel. Now they may have
other things about them, but there's an application there
about the gospel. They represent the gospel. The
gospel is the same behind and in front. It's never changed. And it is characterized in the
Lord Jesus Christ by being a servant, and by being an eagle, and by
being just, it just characterizes the gospel in the person of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And the gospel is the truth.
It is the truth about Christ. It's the truth about redemption.
It's the truth of God's greatness and power. It's a declaration,
and here these, four living creatures, the gospel is alive, it's not
dead, it hasn't passed away, it's still working, it's great
work of touching people's hearts, it's alive, and then it tells
us there, in the midst of the elders, the midst of the elders
represents the church, 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. And last week we mentioned,
or when we went over that, that the seven horns represent complete
power. There's no lacking of his power.
There's no niche about the Lord Jesus that his power is not applicable. And the greatest demonstration
of his power when he saves his people from their sins. Now,
did you notice the moon coming out tonight? You don't see that
very often. The power of God to put it there
and to keep it there and then to demonstrate his glory like
he does. It's just, but the power of God and the gospel, the power
of God that is irrevocable. And kings, we're going to get
to the second psalm someday, and the kings, they raise up
in derision against him, but he laughs them to scorn. He's
just so, there's no lacking. And then we find there that he
has complete knowledge. His eyes are in every heart. He has complete knowledge of
every heart, complete knowledge of every affair of his critters
and his greatest creation. He knows when the grass will
start. He prompts it, moves it, and ordains it. And he does the
same in regeneration. He prompts it, and moves it,
and ordains it. He causes it to happen. And he
has all knowledge. Everything. Everywhere. Where
the gospel is being declared, all knowledge is evident. And
he works in his capacity wherever it is, in whatever language.
He's not held back by language. He's not held back by definition
of words. He's not held back by brokenness
of ministers. He's just not held back. He's
got all power and he has all knowledge. And then those spirits,
he has complete presence. Complete presence with his church
and complete presence with all his people. He is absolutely,
he surrounds them. It's illustrated in the Old Testament
as that prophet said, Lord, open his eyes. And he looked up in
the hills and saw, oh, there are more for us than there are
for them. Complete presence. And his presence is calming. His presence is purposeful. And it makes us purpose. So we
just see that there in that one illustration. And I was talking
the other day to someone, draw that picture. I've seen the drawings
of this. Oh, how ridiculous that lamb. We've got horns coming out and
eyes all over his head. How ridiculous. How pitiful. Let's keep it in its spiritual
context, and it's so beautiful. He has complete power, he has
complete knowledge, and he has complete presence. Not one part
is lacking. And then there in verse seven,
verse seven, And he came and took the book out of the right
hand of him that sat on the throne. And I wrote down here, oh, I
wish I could get around. I wish I could grasp that statement. The lamb came and took the book
from him who sat on the throne. There has to be an absolute complete
oneness between those two. And you know, that's what the
Lord said. He said, my father and I are one. There's a oneness
that we see nowhere else in all of creation. Would you turn with
me to the book of John chapter 10? I want to read that statement.
This lamb was able by his own power and position to step up
to the one on the throne and take the book by his own power
and by his own position. He's able to step up to the throne. God Almighty sitting on the throne
and the Lamb comes up and takes that book. Now there has to be
as much giving of that book as there is the taking of that book.
The father had to be in such a frame of mind about the one
that was taking the book to give and offer the book as it was
for the lamb who took the book to take the book. It's such a
oneness there. You just see an illustration
of this when someone gives something to someone. Out of their love
they give it. I give it, they give it up. and the other takes it. The one
offers and the other takes. It's such a completeness there
in that transaction. And we just see it here with
the father and the son, such a completeness. As the son, the
lamb, reaches out to take it. This is just an illustration
of the absolute compatibility of the godhead. and in complete
agreement with what the redemptive work would be, and that the Council
Halls of Eternity would resound with the glory of the oneness
of the Godhead in purposing our redemption. God the Father, the
Lord Jesus said this, all that the Father giveth me. Now, he
gave them over as the Son took them. The father gave a gift
and that was all that the son would ever die for. And there
was this oneness in that transaction. The father gave and submitted
to and the son reacted by taking them and gave his life a ransom
for them. What total oneness there. And
that is so brought out here in the book of John chapter 10.
out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. The lamb
needs no invitation. I like that thought about the
lamb in the presence of the throne of God. He didn't need to be
invited. In fact, he says in John 17,
restore unto me the glory that I had with you before the world
was. There's no need of invitation
to be in the presence of the Father. By his good work of redemption,
he is welcomed in the presence of the Father. By his good work
of redeeming his people from their sins, and that's one of
the things that the 420 elders and the four living creatures
are going to sing a new song about as a redemption to the
blood of Christ. This effective and effectual
ministry of the Godhead and demonstrated here as the father completely
gives over that gift to his son and his son so completely overwhelmingly
takes that gift and then find that's why he came and laid down
his life at the cross. The transaction was complete.
You gave, I took, and they're redeemed. And the church just
said, Amen. Let's sing a new song about this.
Let's get down on this, the grace of God. John chapter 10, we're
gonna get there. John 10, verse 30, the Lord Jesus
mentions this. John 10, verse 30, it says, I and my Father are
one. Then the Jews took up stones
again to stone him, and Jesus answered them, many good works
have I showed you from my father, for which of those works do you
stone me? And the Jews answered him saying,
now, they had some insight. They understood what he was saying
by the words he chose. And they said, they said here,
For a good work we stony not, but for blasphemy. And because
that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. I and my father are one. There's
such a unity in that statement, such a oneness in that statement.
And it is demonstrated here in the book of Revelation by the
Lamb who has complete power and complete knowledge and complete
presence that he could come into the presence of the Father and
with invitation in the eyes, a word not spoken, But an invitation
from the eyes and being of the Father and reciprocated by the
Lamb could give that scroll over. And then we're going to see the
Lord Jesus in, again, the revelation of Jesus Christ. He opens. Now in this case, he opens a
book, opens a scroll. But He opens and no man shuts. He opens. What a declarative
statement about God that He opens. He's the first cause for all
things. Not one thing starts at our end
except sin. All right, now, as we look here,
there must be a divine relationship between the one sitting on the
throne and the lamb in order for this to be, and it is truly
brought out here by the words of the Lord Jesus. Our eternal
security is foundation in this. I and my father are one. Go back
and look what they're just talking about, what the Lord Jesus You're
in my hand, I'm in the Father's hand, he loses none. He's talking
about security. Our security is foundation in
the relationship that the Lord Jesus Christ had with his Father
and that they are one and they are one in mind and purpose and
essence. The oneness and design and plan
and execution of the whole purpose related to the church marks all
the persons of the Godhead. They are about the same design. If they're going to draw a picture,
a person who studies art, they can identify pieces of art that
look like they were done by one of the old artists. And they
can tell you whether it is a authentic piece of art or a copy. Now if the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit, and I'm just saying this for an illustration,
if they were put in different rooms and given the same colors
and the same piece to draw on, you could not tell the difference
in their artwork. Even one who was an art critic
could find no difference. You could overlay all of their
thoughts about redemption and there wouldn't be a line difference. It would be so true that no printing
press could even match what they have. There's such a oneness
there that you lay all three prints together and they're identical. And we're talking about the work
of redemption. All had their part, yes, but
it was identical in purpose. And that's the work of redemption.
And we're going to sing a song about that in just a moment.
Since Christ and his Father are one in nature and essence and
will and power and design, nothing of created strength or creature's
policy can counteract Jehovah's purposes. No created being can
come up to God and say, what doest thou? we have the Lord Jesus sitting
on the throne. Now let's go back to the book
of Revelation here. This is the power that was illustrated
by the Lamb of God to take the book. Remember what John did
when he thought there was no one able or capable of taking
that book? He wept a great deal. And it
was real tears. He was saddened by the very thought
that there could possibly be no one to open this book, but
he was gladly, gladly was he instructed there is someone,
there is a lamb, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root
of David hath prevailed, he's there. Now notice here in verse
seven, he came and took the book out of the right hand of him
that sat on the throne, and when he had taken the book, The four
living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before
the lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full
of odors, which are the prayers of the saints. And that's an
interesting statement about God's people praying. Sweet smelling odors. And this is that real prayer. This is the Lord's instructions. Don't give long, flowery prayers
to be heard of men. Make them short and sweet and
in the closet. That's what these prayers are.
These are short, sweet, in-the-closet prayers, and they're a sweet-smelling
odor to God. And the 4 and 20 elders are holding
these These bowls of these odors, they're such a sweet smell to
God. And then it tells us there in
verse nine. And they sung a new song. Now there's no one but Christ
could do this. No one could take this book and
open this book. It so illustrates that he is
the only mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.
No one could take the book. It says that. No man could take
the book and open it, but the Lamb could. the one with all
power, the one with all knowledge, and the one with all presence
could take this book and open this book, and we're gonna spend
several chapters of study on what is confined in this book,
the revelation of Jesus Christ. We're gonna spend several evenings
going through the revelation of Jesus Christ. Now, if you
draw it out, you're gonna have a monstrosity. If you'll let
the spirit reveal what the book has to say about it, you'll say,
that's my savior at work. That's my savior going to and
fro in this world. He's king of kings and lord of
lords, and he rides with authority. He's not a mealy-mouthed, worried
God, but he rides with his back straight, and all things bow
before him." Now that's our God. That's the God of the Word. That's
the God of our salvation. That's the God of our hope. He's
a God that is all-powerful. Would you turn with me way back
to the book of Isaiah for just a moment? Isaiah chapter 63. None but Christ could do this.
He's the only mediator. And notice here in Isaiah 63,
an interesting verse. It's becoming more interesting
here in the Columbia Gorge as we see more vineyards. It tells us here with regard
to that, Isaiah 63 in verse three, he says, I have trodden. I have trodden the winepress
alone. No one could do what he did except
it be the Lord. He is one mediator. No one helped
Jesus Christ into the winepress. No one helped Jesus Christ press
out the grapes. No one helped him out. He tread
it alone. He got in alone, he treaded alone,
and he got out alone. No one can say that they helped
him. Can you imagine what would be
said if it took someone to roll the stone away from that grave
before he could come out? Can you imagine what thoughts
would go through people's mind if they had to go in and sit
him up before he came out of that tomb? My goodness, we'd
have religions based on that. They'd be called the strangest
names, too. The Rolling Rock Baptist Church. Roll your stone away, Baptist
Church. And he didn't have any of that.
He came out alone. He did it alone. It was purpose
that way. And it tells us here, I've trodden
the winepress alone, and of the people there is none with me.
No man helped him. I was reading there about Moses,
and they were fighting the Amalekites. His arms got heavy. They set
him down on a rock, and Aaron Hur held his hands up. Now that's
good, because we need people holding our hands up, but Christ
did not. He didn't need any help holding
his hands up. He didn't need any help being
a mediator. He didn't need any help trodding
out the winepress alone. For I will tread them in mine
anger and trample them in my fury and their blood shall be
sprinkled upon my garments and I will stain all my raiment.
Now, whose blood? He's angry with the elect to
the point he would redeem them. He had nothing to do with the
non-elect. He didn't go on and wind that
for them. He had nothing to do with them.
Because it tells us over here, going back to the book of Revelation,
it says here, In Revelation chapter 5 verse 9, they sung a new song
saying, thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals
thereof for thou was slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every
kindred. Now, if there is ever a verse,
and I've said this before, if you want to find out the truth
from someone, you want to find out instantaneously if they're
preaching the truth or believe the truth, ask them who did Christ
die for? Now if they say he redeemed people
out of every kindred nation and people and tongue, but he did
not redeem everyone in every nation kindred people in tongue,
then you got somebody to visit with. But if they say he died
for everybody, number one, call him a liar. Number two, he died
for a whole bunch of people that are never going to be with him.
Oh, that's the worst kind of death. ineffectual death, a death that
didn't accomplish a thing, a death that made people savable if they'll
vote for him. And here the scriptures so clearly
and wonderfully say, he has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred, tongue, and people, and nation. He redeemed the people
out of a whole group. He has redeemed people out of
a whole group. He redeemed them completely at
the cross. And he is able, because of that
redemptive work, to call them and make that call effectual
and work and stir them in their soul that even though they're
headed for Damascus to arrest saints, they're changed on the
way because they had met an appointment with the caller. The Holy Spirit
through the Word of God. So here, now this is a song. I couldn't find eight notes in
here. I found five. You might find more. I think
there's eight in an octave. And then it starts over. Well,
here we have five. First note. Thou. That's speaking of Christ. First
note. First word. of this psalm is
about Christ, thou. And then it tells us in there,
art worthy to take the book, thou art worthy to take the book,
and to open the seals thereof, and was slain and hast redeemed. Now I could pick up several others
here, but I just want to talk about this redemption. He redeemed
us. Redemption by its very nature
means someone is sold into slavery. And redemption means they're
going to be redeemed or bought out of slavery. You can use the
same word about an article when you pawn it, and you can go and
redeem it. But it really carries with it
the idea of slavery. Someone is sold into slavery. Now, remember the woman that
the prophet was used to fill up the oil jugs? What was she? My sons are going to be taken
and put into slavery. We owe a debt, and we cannot
pay it. And they're going to be sold
into slavery. I need to redeem them. I need
to pay for them. I need to pay the debt so they'll
be free. The Lord sent a prophet down
there and there was a crucible and they kept pouring. He says,
okay, now go sell and redeem them and then the rest you use
to feed your family. It's a redemptive price. It's
a price of slavery. It's a price of a slave to redeem
them, to buy them out of slavery. Now, we're sold into slavery
in Adam. and were bought out of slavery
by Christ. We're sold into slavery by the
will of man, a free choice of man. We were sold into slavery
and were purchased out of slavery by the free choice of Jesus Christ
the Almighty to redeem a certain number of people out of all humanity. And the song says, redeem us
out of. You left the rest, but we're
thankful you redeemed us out. What a chord that hits. And we
find in here that it's God. He redeemed us to God by thy
blood. Now, God is the first cause for
all things. The river of life proceeds out
of the throne of God. Now we're not going to get to
heaven and see water. I don't believe we're going to
see a river like that. It's an illustration. It's a
point to ponder. He is the first cause of my redemption. It flows from him and comes to
me. It doesn't flow from me and go
to him. Redemption started with God and
came down to us. It doesn't start with us and
go to him. Redemption is like a stream flowing
downhill. We can't get there unless it
gets to us. We'll not drink until we're brought
to the water. We'll not be redeemed unless
God redeems us. He is the first cause for every
spiritual activity. If we are going to ever pray,
he has to prompt us. We can say words, but if we're
ever going to pray, If we're ever going to get the new birth,
he has to give it to us. If we're ever going to see Christ,
he has to open our eyes. He is the first cause for all
things. And we hear a note in here, buy
blood. Buy thy blood. Now that's a redemptive
price. Blood is a redemptive price.
It's the redeeming price. It's the price to redeem slaves. The blood of Christ. Now, that
just means it was absolutely out of our league. We'd never make it. We never
could work up enough to match that. It's just completely out
of our league. The blood of Christ is completely
beyond us. It is, and it symbolizes his
life that was given for a ransom price. Blood, the life of the
flesh is in the blood. He died, it's the ransom price
was the life of the Lord Jesus. It's out of our league, we'll
never get there. We can't get that amount. Our government is
gonna be dealing with trillions of dollars. That's out of my
league, but it's a word we are common with. But the blood of
Christ, that truly is out of our league. The life of the Son
of God. It's beyond matching. We don't
have anything. We have a few dollars. When they
talk about dollars, we're just multiplying them out and getting
trillions. We know what a dollar is, but we just have no concept
in our natural state of what the life of the Lord Jesus is. until he reveals himself to us,
the ever-living God. Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the living God. And redemption he redeemed us
out of. This redemption is personal and
it is particular. If he ever had the opportunity
of ever telling us that he is intending to save everybody,
this would have been a different verse, like a whole bunch of
other ones. But this would have been a different verse. He would
have said, I intend to save all out of every kindred nation people
in town. I intend to do that. And up to
man, if they don't come, then I'll fail. Here, his purpose
is, the words of this song is, and has redeemed us to God by
thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. Out of. There is a number that
no man can number that God the Father gave to God the Son to
redeem and pay the full price for on the cross. And the Holy
Spirit's purpose in the covenant of grace is to seek out and find
and bring the gospel to them. So through the gospel and the
preaching of the word, he will regenerate them and they shall
be called the children of God. He will adopt them, they shall
be called the children of God. He will redeem them, they shall
be called the redeemed of God. This is his purpose. So the Lord
Jesus here is a lamb having perfect knowledge and all power and perfect
presence in all places at all times, is a lamb that took a
book, not by permission, but by position and authority. It was given to him as much as
he took it, And then the gospel and the church fell down and
praised him for his redemptive work and shared with us our redemption
is not our own. It's of God. And it is a redemption
that is effectual and a redemption that is personal. And there will
be every group of people that has ever lived on the face of
the earth be represented in the church of the living God as they
sit down in glory. And they will just like there
was two elephants represented all elephants. in the ark. And there were two dogs representing
all dogs in the ark. And there were two monitor lizards
representing all dinosaurs in the ark. Every nation, every
group of people, every language, everyone will be represented
in heaven because he's going to redeem a people out of them.
Now the rest, what do you do? Left them alone. Yes, preach
to them. How long do we preach to them?
Isaiah said, until this thing is folded up, preach to them.
But if I don't move in them, they won't move to me. But when
I move in my own, my redeemed ones, they will come. They will come to me. They will
acknowledge that salvation is of the Lord. And that is all. We're going to stop there tonight.