Here's that reading, chapter
5 of Revelation. And I saw in the right hand of
him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside
sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming
with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book and to loose
the seals thereof? And no man in heaven. nor in
earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither
to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man
was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to
look thereon. And one of the elders said unto
me, weep not. Behold, the lion of the tribe
of Judah, the root of David, had prevailed to open the book
and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and lo,
in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the
midst of the elders, 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 of the earth. And he came and took the book
out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. When
he had taken the book, the four beasts and 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 they sung a new song saying,
thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof
for thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred and tongue and people and nation and has made
us unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld and heard the voice
of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts and the
elders, and a number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand,
and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is
the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and
strength and honor and glory and blessing. And every creature
which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth, such as
are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,
blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth
upon the throne and unto the Lamb forever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and 20 elders fell
down and worshiped him that liveth forever and ever. Now, not losing sight of our
subject, worthy is the Lamb, or him, that was able to open
the seven-sealed book. Now, we can tell by the title
of our subject and the passage that we have read that it has
something very wonderful to do with our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, that it will be an occasion of giving him much glory and
glorifying him. Worthy is the Lamb for he alone
is worthy to take the book and to open it, and worthy to be
praised and have all honor heaped upon him. Worthy is the Lamb
to fulfill the need that is arisen in our text, and that is to open
the book. Now, as wonderful as this text
of the scripture is, yet there are two ways that it might be
approached, there are two ways that it might be used, and that
it might be applied as the subject of a sermon. Number one, of course,
is a topic or a theme as a topical approach, and the subject would
be worthy is the lamb and then as we say that would be three
or four points and a poem at the end to close out we might
take the tech worthy is the lamb and then we would have a one,
or two, or three, or four point. Worthy is the lamb to represent
God. Second, worthy is the lamb to
offer a suitable sacrifice for sin. Three, worthy is the lamb
to save sinners. And fourthly, worthy is the lamb
to be exalted to the very right hand of God, and so on like that. Now this is the easiest kind
of preaching to do, and it also is the most shallow, but it would
fall short of the context of the scripture that we have read. The second way to take this text,
Worthy is the Lamb, is that it can be viewed In the context
in which it is found, the worthiness of the Lamb in this vision of
John to open the seven sealed books and all that therefore
is connected unto it. This will require us, in due
time, to come to the question and seek to give it an answer.
This book, the seven-sealed book in the hand of God upon the throne,
taken by the Lamb of God and opened it. This book, or it might
be called a scroll, as it might be translated, What in the world
is this book? Now, let's look at some of these
things. Beginning with a human author, John the Revelator, as
he is sometimes called in our study, a servant of God and the
revelation of Jesus Christ that was made unto him in chapter
1, and verse 1. And we read that John, on a certain
occasion, was in the Spirit. Chapter 4 and verse 2. He was in the Spirit on the Lord's
Day. Chapter 1 and verse 10. And he heard a great voice. a voice as if it had been a trumpet
saying, I am Alpha and Omega. And what you see, write that
down in a book and send it to the seven churches which are
in Asia. And that covers chapter 2 and
chapter 3, the seven churches in Asia Minor. And then John
saw the visions in chapter 4 and in chapter 5. But first of all,
with that in mind, the visions of John, let's first consider
some special manifestations that were made to some of the choice
servants of God in time past. Think of Moses, if you will,
called up into the mountain, into the presence and glory of
God, 40 days and 49. Then I think of Paul, caught
up into the third heaven in 2 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 2, and he saw
things there he said that were not lawful for him to utter. I think of Peter's vision in
the 10th chapter of the book of Acts when he saw the sheet
let down and was taught that he ought to go and preach unto
the Gentile, and then John being bidden in Revelation 4 and verse
1. Come up here and said the voice
of the revelation or the vision unto him and see. Now, let's
jump in at chapter 5 and verse 1, but we will be going in both
directions. It said, and I saw in the hand
of him that sat upon a throne a book. And I think the word is biblion
here that is used, a book, a scroll, a writing. Also, the same word
is translated in other places in the New Testament. For example,
in Matthew chapter 19 and verse 7, a writing writing of divorcement. That's the same word that we
have here. In Mark chapter 10 and verse
14, he writes a bill of divorcement, and that's the same word that
we have here. And John uses this word 20 times
at least in the book of the Revelation, and he uses it in all the first
nine verses of chapter 5 that we have read. This will be significant
because this is the book that is the issue in chapter 5. It is the book and the opening
of it that is at the issue. But before we come to the opening
of the book, let's return to verse 1. This book is said to
be in the right hand of him that sits upon the throne, the throne
of God established and him upon it. Now, this one is not Christ,
as he is the lamb that takes the book and is worthy to open
it up. It is sealed, we read, with seven
seals. Who then is that one sitting
upon this throne with the book in his hand? Let's fall back
now into chapter 4 and do some reading. Chapter 4, verse 1 and
verse 2. Here's a vision in chapter 4
of one upon a throne. After this I looked, and behold,
a door was opened in heaven. And the first voice which I heard
was, as it were, a trumpet talking with me, which said, Come up
hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. Catch that. And immediately I
was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven and
one sat upon the throne. So this is John's vision of the
glorious God on his throne sat in the heaven. That it is God
is clear from chapter 4 and verse 8. And the four beasts had each
of them six wings about him and they were full of eyes within
and they rest not day and night saying Holy, holy, holy, Lord
God Almighty, which was and is and is to come. Then look again
at verse 9. And when those beasts gave glory
and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne who lives forever
and ever. Then verse 10 and 11, the four
and 20 elders fall down before him that sat on the throne and
worshiped him that lived forever and ever and cast their crowns
down before the throne saying, thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory and honor and power For thou hast created all things,
and for thy pleasure they were created. And in that now, let's
pick out some descriptions of this one sitting on the throne
and his majesty and his glory in chapter 4. In the third verse,
it is said, like a jasper and a sardine or a sardius stone
and a rainbow round about the throne like unto an emerald. And in verse 24, elders clothed
in white and with gold crowns. I'm sorry, that was verse 4.
And in the verse 5, for the throne came lightning and thunder and
voices and burning lamps. And in verse 6, before the throne,
a sea of glass like under crystal. Now John Gill, in dealing with
that, called these things symbols of the power, the authority,
the dominion exercised by the great and eternal God. But there's
another glorious vision that follows that of a great person
in chapter 1. And who could doubt or deny that
this glorious one in chapter 1 is none other than the Lord
Jesus Christ. In verse 5, He is the first begotten
from the dead, who washed us from our sins in His own blood. He made us, verse 6, kings and
priests. Verse 8, Alpha and Omega, the
first and the last. And you see that again in verse
11 and verse 17. In verse 18 of chapter one, fits
none but Christ as he walks among the churches and directs them. John is told what he is to write
unto them. And as I said, you have this
in chapter two and chapter three. So John has two great visions
of the son and of the father. glorious beings, the great and
eternal God, upon his throne, and then worthy is the Lamb that
is capable of opening this book, or capable of opening and making
known the things of God that are in the book. I think of Isaiah
chapter 6 when he saw the Lord high and lifted up and about
his throne the seraphim and the praising of Almighty God. Now,
back again to chapter 5 and verse 1 and following concerning the
book. And here are some points that
are right. First of all, the book is in
the right hand of him that sits upon the throne. This we determine
to be the one true and living God. But the book is not only
shut up, it is shut up, but it is also sealed. It is clothed
and closed, and it is sealed. And that was seven seals as John
sees it. Not one, not two, not five, but
seven seals are upon it, and it is clothed. It is tightly
shut so that none can see in. Verse two. The question is raised
by what is called a strong angel in that verse of the scripture,
a strong angel. And you will see this again in
chapter 10, verse 1, where it speaks of a mighty angel. You'll see it again way over
in chapter 18 and verse 21, where a mighty angel cast the stone,
as it were, into the sea. And the voice of this strong
angel that spoke was very loud, so loud as if to vibrate the
heaven and the earth and all therein, asking the question,
Who is worthy to open the book? Now, here is a book. It is closed,
and it is sealed. Who is worthy to open the book? Now, the question is not, who
is desirous? Who would like to open the book? The question is not, who will
try to open the book? But the question is, who is worthy
to open up the book? This being worthy for this task
is mentioned again in verse 4, in verse 9, and in verse 12 of
this very same chapter. Being worthy and the grounds
of his worthiness when we come to it. Now the word worthy according
to the concordance and the interlinear as it is used, seems to be used
in three ways. As an adjective, which generally
modifies the noun. Secondly, as a verb, expresses
an act or an action. And thirdly, also as an adverb,
which modifies the verb. The verb, in other words, would
be, he ran. And the adverb would be, he ran
fast. So he ran, and he ran fast. And John uses the first word,
axios, deserving, suitable, or meet. That the one to open the
seals of this book must possess the worthiness in order to do
so. And this worth must be sufficient
Under that which is contained in the book now This word is
some 40 times in the New Testament Used both as in a good sense
and a bad sin I mean the word worthy it 40 times good and bad
and For example, it is used in a bad sense, if I can call it
that, in Romans chapter 1 and verse 32, where it says, such
are worthy of death, such are worthy of death as commit these
things. In Matthew 10, 37, is not worthy of me. He that doeth this is not worthy
of me. Luke chapter 12 verse 48. Commit things worthy of stripes. John 1 27. Whose shoe latches
I am not worthy to unloose. Talking about our Lord Jesus
Christ. And then in Luke chapter 15.
The prodigal son uses this word twice. verse 19 and verse 21
saying I am no longer worthy to be called thy son So it's
used in the bad sin, but it is also used in a good sense in
the scripture for example in 1st Timothy chapter 1 and verse
15 the gospel is worthy of all acceptation 1st Timothy 1 15
Matthew 10 10 the workman is worthy of his meat also of his
hire in 1st Timothy 5 and verse 18 and of course these verses
here in chapter 5 of the revelation of our text today when the strong
angel cried out Who is worthy to open the book and to loose
the seals that are upon it? Then in verse 3, a great disappointment. In the third verse, no man. Not
one, not a single man could be found. Not any, no one whatsoever. And that includes heaven and
earth, and they that are under the earth were able or worthy
to open the book and to release the seven seals of it. Then in
look at verse four of our chapter, John the Revelator, seeing this,
hearing this in his vision, Begin to weep and he began to weep
heavily and that because none was found Worthy to open the
book and to read it and to look upon what was contained therein
I was reading Thomas Goodwin this week on this verse the old
Puritan said and I'm quoting John weeps Thinking perhaps there
would be an end of his vision and he must lay down his pen
unquote thinking perhaps this is the end of the vision. But
alas, when we come to verse 5, one of the 24 elders answered
John. That one is here, and one is
worthy, and one is available to open the book and to loose
the seal, so to make its contents known and come to life. Now,
the elder calls this one found that is worthy notice. He gives
him two titles, as it were. Number one the lion of the tribe
of Judah and number two the root of David and certainly that's
none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Gil noted this is the
Holy Christ. We see the prophecy of this in
Genesis chapter 49 and verse 8 verse 10 excuse me when Jacob
made that prophecy and you see it again in this referred to
in Isaiah 11 and verse 10, and said the apostle in Hebrews 7
and verse 14, the Lord sprang out of the tribe of Judah, even
though Moses said nothing concerning priesthood connected with this
tribe. None at this tribe ever gave
attendance at the altar. But Christ was made a priest
after the order of Melchizedek, not after the order of Levi. Then in verse 6 of our chapter,
John uses another symbol and another illusion on the Christ. In the midst of the elders stood
a lamb. A lamb as having been slain. The Lamb. The Lamb of God, as
John called Him. This is John's favorite way,
or shall I say, one of his favorite ways of describing the Lord Jesus
Christ. And he uses it at least 25 times the book of Revelation, referring
to him as the Lamb. He does so in 11 different chapters,
referring to him as a Lamb, and with a proper name and the capital
L in our translation. So we can trace it all the way
back unto the Passover, when a lamb was slain commensurate
with each house in Israel, Exodus chapter 12. Lambs were many times. sometimes daily, slain in sacrifice
in the Old Testament worship. It is Isaiah in chapter 53 that
sets forth Christ as the Lamb led to the slaughter and slain,
yet opening not his mouth. It is John, John 1 29, 135 or
7 that refers to him as the lamb of God that bears away or that
carries away the sin of the world. It's referenced in Acts 8 and
verse 32 as him being the lamb. In 1st Peter 1 and verse 19 calls
him a lamb without blemish and without spot. And as a Puritan
put it, but so have others, Christ called a lamb in allusion to
the sacrifices under the Mosaic Law, many which were made of
lambs in the very prime of their life. So let us take note that
the Lord is called both a lion and a lamb. Now, it doesn't seem
as if it goes together, does it? But he is called both a lion
and a lamb. And it does seem strange, perhaps,
to read in Revelation of the wrath of the lamb, Revelation
6, 16, that some of might and greatness would hide their faces
from the wrath of the lamb and would seek to be covered from
it. Going back to John's vision and the threefold representation
of the Holy Christ here in this chapter of the book as the lamb,
it looks back to John's vision, the lamb, the lion, and the root
of David. Here is the ferocious lion, the
king of the beast and of the fiend. Here is the root and the
offspring of David that would rule as a king. And yet, it is
under the symbol and character of a lamb that he stands worthy
to receive and to open the book, that its contents might be made
known at last. Not just as a living lamb, but
as a lamb having been slain. A lamb who has become or been
a sacrifice. but then alive. Yes, he died. Yes, he was slain, but he is
alive and that forevermore. Let's remember Revelation 1 and
verse 5, the first begotten of the dead and the very words of
Christ in Revelation chapter 1. And verse 18, which I'll flip
there and read. I am he that liveth and was dead. Behold, I'm alive forevermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell
and of death. I became dead, but I am alive. I was dead, but I'm alive. that
forevermore chapter 2 and verse 8 and have the keys of hell and
of death he has overcome death and the grave psalm 16 8 through
10 quoted in Acts chapter 2 25 through verse 28 having the keys
of Hades of the grave and it has a double
effect as it is written in Revelation chapter 3 and verse 7 to the
angel of the church at Philadelphia saying he that has the key of
David see Isaiah 22 22 to open that no man shuts and a shut
that no man can close chapter 5 is being worthy to open the
book has the closest connection with his having been slain and
then living again and that he was dead and is alive forevermore. And looking in this chapter,
we see at least three times that this connection is made between
his death and his worthiness to open the book. Chapter 5,
verse 6, a lamb, as it were, having been slain. Chapter 5
and 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 has redeemed us unto God." Chapter 5, verse 12, saying
with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive
power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory
and so on. Now, especially the last two
verses. Worthy are you to take the book
and open the seal, for you were slain, you redeemed us to God
from far and wide of every tribe and nation and such like. Worthy
in view of having been slain to be highly honored and exalted. This must cause us that we think
of that saying, Revelation chapter 13 and verse 8, the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. Yes, the Lamb slain in the mind
and the decree of God from the very foundation of the world. Now there are two things in chapter
5 that receive multiple mention. The book sealed is the first
one. The scroll, the writing, the
little book. And the second thing is the one
found worthy to open the book and to break the seal, whom we
know to be Christ, the resurrected one, who though for a while was
dead, buried, and in the grave, yet the resurrected Christ, alive
forevermore. Death has no more claim. upon
him, nor can it. So the beast, the elders, many
angels, and every creature in heaven and earth and in the sea
praised the Lamb, singing a new song, and worshiped him, the
one that lives forever. instruments they played, and
songs they sang. Now, this was on the account,
or as a result, because he is found worthy to open the seals
of the book, to get inside of it, to have access unto it, and
to make it known. And we see that in verse 7 that
we have read. Now, the Lamb takes the book. preparation for the opening of
it. He stirs up heavenly anthems
unto Christ, though he begins to break the seal one by one
in chapter 6. There you have a record of the
breaking of the seals one by one. Now, the great question
is, what book is this? What book is this that no man
was able to open or to break the seal, but Christ, being worthy,
has done so? What is the content of this book,
and why is only one able to open it? There are some surmises about
what this book is. Some think that it might be the
Holy Scripture, the Bible. Some think of this first. They
were not completely shut up and unopened, for the Spirit of God
had taught many, many things out of the sacred scripture. Well, then we move on. Could
it be what is called the Book of Life in Revelation chapter
3 and verse 5, Philippians 4 and verse 3? Is this a record of
those that are living? Or could it be the Lamb's Book
of Life in Revelation 21 and 27, where we read of they which
are written in the Lamb's Book of Life? Again, could it be the
Book of Deeds and of Works? which we read about in Revelation
20 and verse 12. Notice, and the books, plural,
the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the
book of life, and the dead were judged out of those things which
were written in the book according unto their deeds. In Daniel chapter
7 verse 10, you read something kind of like that. The judgment
was set and the books were opened. Look also at Daniel 12 and verse
4. See Revelation 10 and verse 2. 10 verse 8 and verse 9 an Angel
with a little book we find it in that place now for what it
is worth this book What is it this book and for what it is
worth? I read every commentator that
I have just about that I could find that dealt with it and almost
to a man all of the commentators In Revelation chapter 5, do not
associate this book with any of those that we have just mentioned,
which are mentioned in the book of Revelation. First, because
as we mentioned, his worthiness to open the seven seal book is
related to his having been slain, having died and lived again.
and to have accomplished great things by his death. I hope we have time to say something
about that in the end. Something else. It concerns those
things which shall be hereafter. Chapter 1, verse 19, chapter
4, and verse 1. Now, I grant you here, before
we move along, that there are about as many different views
of the book of Revelation as a centipede has legs. But the Puritan Thomas Goodman
wrote this. See if you agree. What is this
book? It is a book containing the affairs
of the world and of the church and God's decrees about them
both, unquote. Herman Hoeksema wrote in his
book, Revelation, this book is symbolic of the living and powerful
decree of God with regard to the thing shortly to come to
pass, of the living, irresistible decree of God that powerful all-comprehensive
decree of God. Even W.E. Vine said in his book,
It represents the revelation of God's purposes and counsel
concerning the world. I said even him because he's
not that strong. John Gill, the book of God's
decrees, is here meant the rule and the measure of all that he
does, a train of events to be accomplished thereafter, unquote. Now, in chapter 6, as I mentioned,
you have the opening of the seals that began. And by the way, when
you read the word beast here, at least in our King James version
of the scripture, it could be translated living creature. Think of some kind of wild, ferocious
beast, but living creature is how most prefer to understand
that. Now, we see. First seal. When the first seal is opened
in chapter 6, great thunder erupts, shattering thunder. A white horse
and the rider has a bow and a crown and is a conqueror. In fact,
the first four seals contain horses as we look at them. One white, one red, one black,
and one pale horse. One black in verse 5, the pale
in verse 8. representing victory, war, famine,
and death. Great calamities upon the earth,
even as the gospel and the word of God is going forth and souls
are being converted. In chapter 6, verse 9 through
11, the fifth seal is here removed, and John sees something amazing. He sees the martyrs. He sees
those that were killed and beheaded for the faith under the altar
crying out for the vindicative justice of God. Some would be
killed for their testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, and their
blood, like that of Abel, would cry out unto God from the ground
or from the earth for vengeance. In Revelation 6, 12 through 17,
the opening of the sixth seal brought a great calamity upon
the material world. Earthquakes, the sun black, the
moon dark, and red like blood. We have that in Matthew 24, 29,
do we not? A mention of these things. Then
in chapter 1, I'm sorry, chapter 8 and verse 1, the opening of
the seventh and the last seal, and how amazing, silence in heaven
for a half hour. And then the preparing of the
prayers of the saints. bottled as an incense, and brought
up there before the Almighty God, and offered unto him silence,
and then the prayers of the saints brought up as a great incense
before the Lord God Almighty. How the prayers of the saints
made in and through Christ, unctioned by the Spirit of God, are a sweet
odor unto the God of heaven. Well, worthy is the Lamb. He was slain. He is alive forever. Now these things teach us, in
closing, a few words. The impact, the far-reaching,
deep impact. the death and the resurrection
of Christ had upon the world and the fulfilling of the decree
of Almighty God that he is Lord Lord of all and that the wrath
of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and
ungodliness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness
Paul writes that Romans 1 verse 18 and verse 19 the wrath of
God has been revealed again and again Well, the weatherman calls
it Mother Nature. But when we look at the scripture,
we find the judgments of God coming upon the world again and
again from heaven against ungodliness. Visitations of the wrath of God
and the judgment of God, yet the hosts of heaven worship Him
and praise His holy name. and blessed name, and sing alleluia
unto him around about the throne. This worthy one, not only dead
and alive, but worthy to open the book, in him to open to us
the counsels of God. When he makes God's will known,
he is the one that brings us the knowledge of the will and
the way and the decree of God, making known the things of the
Lord, able to open them up so that they come to pass exactly
as the Lord God wills and as he has decreed. Well, this is
a fascinating text, and I don't claim to have done it full justice. But even at that, may the Lord
take it and in some way bless it to our hearts today.