Revelation 5: The Lion, the Lamb & the Scroll

Bible Study Series: Revealing Jesus in Revelation

Revelation Chapter 5 - The Lion, the Lamb & the Scroll

by I Gordon

We are in Revelation chapter 5 today and let me start by saying that I love this chapter. While I haven't done a verse by verse study of it, until now, I have referenced this chapter in various other studies. This is one of those chapters that ties the grand plan of God all together. It draws from various Old Testament stories, laws and prophecies, to unveil this plan. When I was a young Christian I used to listen to Chuck Missler quite a bit. Maybe you did too? I would turn on the radio in the evening and his radio show always started with the same phrase - "Welcome to 66 / 40. 66 books by 40 different authors and we now find that it is an integrated message system from outside our time domain." He knew that the entire Bible is one integrated message system. All of the Bible is linked... it is all from the same source, God, and tells the same incredible story. So we are going to look at that story today. It is a story of the greatest fall one could imagine. It is the story of the greatest price paid by the greatest redeemer that one could imagine. It will tie the future to the past and the past to the future. And it is all outlined in Revelation 5. Now that's certainly a big build up I know! I hope I'm not over selling it and then fail to deliver! : ) But it is a wonderful chapter. So today we will look at:

• The mysterious scroll (what does it mean?)
• The greatest anguish (what made John weep greatly?)
• The awesome redeemer (why is He a a lamb and a lion?)
• The eternal song (will you be singing it?)
• The everlasting honor (will you be giving it?)

And it all starts and revolves around a somewhat mysterious scroll. 

The mysterious scroll

Rev 5:1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.

We can't go past this first verse too quickly because it holds the key to what happens in the rest of the chapter. We see that the One who sits on the throne is holding something special in His right hand. It is a scroll. A slightly odd scroll for it has writing on both the back and front and is sealed with seven different seals. So what is this scroll? What is written on it? And why does it have seven seals? Let's breakdown what we see in this verse:  

• The One on the throne: This pictures God the Father who is upon His throne. He holds this scroll in His right hand but, as we shall see, is looking for One with the right to open it. 
• The scroll: Being in the Father's right hand, this scroll is obviously very important but why? The Old Testament, in Jeremiah 32:6-15, gives helpful background on understanding its significance. I encourage you to read that passage but here is the executive summary: Jeremiah had previously prophesied that Judah was going to be destroyed by the Babylonians. The king of Judah enjoyed this prophecy so much he had Jeremiah jailed. While in prison, Jeremiah's cousin visits him and says 'Jerry, Jerry, Jerry... boy have I got a deal for you! I have a fantastic property, low maintenance, all day sun, olive trees, juicy figs... it's got it all Jerry. For this week only I've got a super sale going on and have discounted it by three whole shekels! You heard that right - three shekels off! You are a close relative Jerry...  you have the right to buy it. Come on, what do you say?' Now it's fair to say that this was not exactly the time to be buying real estate. Firstly Jeremiah was in prison. Secondly the Babylonians were coming and the land would soon be worthless. Thirdly Jeremiah knows that he will soon be exiled and likely never come back to Israel. So what does God say? "Buy it Jeremiah!" And so though Jeremiah knew all that was about to occur, in obedience to God he purchased the property as a sign to all that God would be faithful and one day bring the Jews back to their land. Now this is where it becomes very relevant to Revelation 5. When Jeremiah paid the price for the land, a scroll was written and it was sealed up. This was the title deed to the property. Normally on the inside was written what the purchaser had redeemed - that is, what they would take possession of. On the outside were the conditions that were to be meet to take possession. Now this document was very important because it proved who the rightful owner of the land was. So given that the Babylonians were about to invade, Jeremiah placed the scroll, this title deed for the property, in an earthenware jar so it would be protected and last a long time. According to Jeremiah's prophecy about the exile, it would have to last 70 yeas (Jer 29:10) and while he knew that he would never take possession of the land, this scroll would allow a close relative of his to one day take possession of this land. 
• The seven seals: The scroll in the Father's right hand had seven seals. There is a contextual reference in the seven seals. Seven is obviously very prominent in the book of Revelation and speaks of perfect completion. The seven seals also would have been recognized by John's readers within the Roman world. John MacArthur writes concerning the scroll:

"Romans sealed their wills seven times—on the edge at each roll—to prevent unauthorized entry. Hebrew title deeds required a minimum of three witnesses and three separate seals, with more important transactions requiring more witnesses and seals."

So to sum up the picture before us in this first verse:

• The scroll in the right hand of God the Father is a title deed to this earth.¹
• It is sealed with the perfect number of seven seals which once broken, will reveal the conditions for the rightful owner to take possession of this planet.
• But the question before us is who has the ability and right to take and open this scroll? Is there someone that can take possession of, and rule, this earth?

The Greatest Anguish

Rev 5:2-4 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" (3) But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. (4) I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.

So the loud voice of a mighty angel² sounds forth the most important question heard on heaven or earth ' "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?' Now, on the surface you might ask 'well, what is the problem? Just open it. Why doesn't God just open the scroll? Or Michael the archangel? Or maybe Moses or King David?' Yet no one in heaven or on earth, or even under the earth could open the scroll. They couldn't even have a sneaky peek inside. So what is going on here?

The issue goes back to garden of Eden. It goes back to the fall. God gave mankind dominion over this earth but that dominion was lost when they chose to disobey God and believe Satan in the garden.  The curse then came upon this world and Satan became the 'the god of this world' (2 Cor 4:4). You will no doubt remember that in the temptation, Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor saying 'All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me." (Matt 4:8-9) Jesus didn't dispute the fact that all the kingdoms of the world were in Satan's hands but He definitely wasn't going to bow to Satan. There would have to be another way that this world could be redeemed, rescued and put right. 

Now scripture tells us that there was no one that could be found who could open the scroll. There was no one worthy. You can probably imagine the angst amongst those watching this scene. 

• 'Michael, mighty archangel, what about you? Will you step forward?' 'I cannot. This earth was given to man, lost by man and man must redeem it'.
• 'Adam , Son of God, what about you? Will you open the scroll?' 'I'm sorry, I failed. I followed the lie and started this whole mess. I lost my rights.'
• 'Abraham , father of Israel, will you redeem this land?' 'I can't... I couldn't even wait for God to bring about His promise and produced an Ishmael causing centuries of conflict... I'm sorry.'
• 'Moses , Oh great deliverer, can you deliver here?' 'I wish... But I was angry, disobeyed God in my anger and struck the rock. I wasn't even allowed into the Promised Land. I cannot redeem. I needed redemption myself.'
• 'David , Oh great and mighty king, what about you?' 'Um, one word - Bathsheba. It is true what I wrote 'Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. I cannot.'
• 'Paul , great Apostle and leader of the church, can you lead us out of this situation?' 'No. I spent the early part of my life persecuting and putting God's people to death. It is true what I wrote that I am the greatest of sinners.'

The search, it seemed, was in vain. There was no one that was found worthy. We shouldn't underestimate what this meant. It meant that there was no one to redeem this world. There was no one who could right the wrongs we see down here. There was no one that could prevent Satan from controlling this world or stop the ongoing sin and misery that occurs on this planet. The Bible says that at this point John just wept and wept. I would say that he is the only man to have ever wept in heaven! The Greek word means 'To weep, wail, lament, implying not only the shedding of tears, but also every external expression of grief' The Bible says he did this 'greatly'. He literally bawled his eyes out with loud groans as the realization of this incredibly dire situation became real to him.³ 

[John’s tears] represent the tears of all God’s people through all the centuries. Those tears of the Apostle John are the tears of Adam and Eve, driven out of the Garden of Eden, as they bowed over the first grave, as they watered the dust of the ground with their tears over the silent, still form of their son, Abel. Those are the tears of the children of Israel in bondage as they cried unto God in their affliction and slavery. They are the tears of God’s elect through the centuries as they cried unto heaven. They are the sobs and tears that have been wrung from the heart and soul of God’s people as they looked on their silent dead, as they stand beside their open graves, as they experience in the trials and sufferings of life, heartaches and disappointments indescribable. Such is the curse that sin has laid upon God’s beautiful creation; and this is the damnation of the hand of him who holds it, that usurper, that interloper, that intruder, that alien, that stranger, that dragon, that serpent, that Satan-devil. ‘And I wept audibly,’ for the failure to find a Redeemer meant that this earth in its curse is consigned forever to death. It meant that death, sin, damnation and hell should reign forever and ever and the sovereignty of God’s earth should remain forever in the hands of Satan.
W. A. Criswell, Expository Sermons on Revelation 

The Awesome Redeemer

Rev 5:5-7 Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." (6) Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. (7) He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

Now I love the drama in this scene. Never say that God is not the master of the 'dramatic pause!' He allowed it to look like all was lost before one stepped forward in this heavenly scene. A great lion stepped forward. No wait, its a lamb. No wait, well, it is actually both! The elder tells John not to weep⁴ for someone called 'the root of David' had been found and there is One seen, like both a lion and a lamb. So what attributes do you think of when you hear the word lion? What about a lamb? How are they both portrayed in the Lord Jesus? William MacDonald writes on this well stating:

"In Revelation our Lord is presented both as Lamb and Lion. As the Lamb of God, He is the sacrificial One, bearing away the sins of the world. As the Lion, He is the Judge, punishing His enemies. At His First Coming, He was the Lamb. At His Second Coming, He will be the Lion. The Lamb had seven horns (omnipotence) and seven eyes (omniscience). His possession of the seven Spirits of God reminds us that the Lord Jesus was endued with the full measure of the Holy Spirit (Joh 3:34 b). The seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth suggest omnipresence."
Believers Bible Commentary

The Eternal Song

Rev 5:9-10 NKJV And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, (10) And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."

Oh the relief in heaven (and John is now only crying tears of joy!) when the Lamb stepped forward and took the scroll. At once those strange living creatures and the 24 elders fell down to worship the Lamb! And they were holding golden bowls full of incense which are said to be the prayers of the saints. So what do you think these prayers are for? And why mention them now?

Think of all the prayers that have risen to God over the ages asking for justice, for judgement, for things to be put right on this planet and for the return of the King! All the prayers that have gone up to heaven asking 'that your kingdom come' are in those golden bowls. Some of those prayers will be mine and none of those prayers were lost! They are all before the Lamb and are about to be answered. And it is interesting to know that these prayers are liken by heaven to incense, as a pleasing aroma before the Lord.  As the Psalmist write:

Psa 141:2 May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

And a new song in heaven was sung. One that had never been sung before. The 24 elders sang a song of their redemption by the Lamb.⁶ There were many songs in the Old Testament. Angels sang at the beauty of creation. The song of Moses was sung when they overcame Pharaoh and Egypt at the Red Sea and shall be sung again by those that overcome the Antichrist through death (Rev 15:3). But here is a song of redemption. A song about the only One that is worthy. And the entire church, from every tribe and tongue, shall sing it!   

The Perfect Song to Honor the King

"You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." (NKJV)

Pastor David Guzik breaks the song down in the following great points: 

• The song honors the price of redemption: for You were slain
• The song honors the worker of redemption: You... have redeemed us
• The song honors the destination of redemption: have redeemed us to God
• The song honors the payment of redemption: by Your blood
• The song honors the scope of redemption: every tribe and tongue and people and nation
• The song honors the length of redemption: have made us kings and priests to our God
• The song honors the result of redemption: and we shall reign on the earth

And let me add this about the songs that we see in Heaven: They are all Christ centered. 'You are worthy', 'You were slain', 'by Your blood', 'you have made us kings and priests'. It is all about Jesus and what He has done... as it should be. Now think about the worship songs you sing today. They may follow this and I hope they do. But many are 'man-centric' about how we feel and what we are going to do. If this is the case, let me just say that heaven has it right and earth has it wrong! 

As a final point on this, note that in their song, the elders, representing the church, sang that 'You... have made us kings and priests to our God'. The New Testament teaches the priesthood of all believers. And I found the following quote both amusing and true!

When a fellow comes forward in all sorts of curious garments, and says he is a priest, the poorest child of God may say, 'Stand away, and don't interfere with my office: I am a priest; I know not what you may be.  You surely must be a priest of Baal, for the only mention of the word vestments in Scripture is in connection with the temple of Baal.' The priesthood belongs to all the saints.
Charles Spurgeon

The everlasting honor

Rev 5:11-14 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. (12) In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (13) Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" (14) The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Once this song of redemption started everyone had to get in on the worship! Have you seen those flash mobs where one person starts singing in a food court or wherever, and then other people start popping up like meercats, joining in, and before long a whole choir is singing? Well this is the ultimate heavenly flash mob! What started with the elders has, before long, been joined by thousands upon thousands of angels encircling the throne and singing worship to the Lamb. And it doesn't stop there. Then every creature in heaven and on earth is singing His praise! How great it will be to be part of that crowd! This is a concert you want to go to and be part of. Don't miss this event! I believe that this is the first time in scripture that it speaks of angels singing since the day of creation and boy will it be a sell out!  

But we don't just want to offer Him praise then. We want to offer praise now. And we want to offer ourselves today⁷. He is the One who deserves all that we have.

Conclusion - Honoring the lamb that was slain

As we conclude, there is one last point that I want to focus on for it is a theme running through this whole scene. And that it that the Lamb is seen as One who was slain. This comes out several times: 

• In the first vision: "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain..."
• In the first song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain..."
• In the second song: "In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain..."

As we conclude, think for a moment about the pain, agony and humiliation that Jesus went through for you and me. He was mocked, spat on, beaten, scourged, and had a crown of thorns pressed through the skin on His forehead. He was beaten and scourged so badly that He didn't even have the strength to carry his cross. And all this before hanging naked, in agonizing pain, for six hours upon the cross. Remember - this is the One that created everything that is seen. Including those that did this to Him. At any moment Jesus could have spoken a word to stop it all. But He didn't... He remained silent, so that you could experience heaven and eternal life. 

Isa 53:6-7 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (7) He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

When He was seen after His resurrection in His resurrection body, He still had the scars in His hands and feet. Many saw them. Thomas felt them. When John saw the Lamb come before this heavenly throne, there was still something that made the Lamb look like it had been slain. Did He still have His scars? If so why would they continue in the new resurrection body? Charles Spurgeon said it best:

“Why should our exalted Lord appear in His wounds in glory?”
“The wounds of Jesus are His glory.”  

This is why He has everlasting honor and the songs will go forever and ever! 

This is the greatest story of all. It plunges the depths of the greatest anguish before rising to the heights of the greatest worship and praise. It has tears of anguish and tears of joy! It is the story of redemption and the redeemer. It is the story of the One who came as a Lamb and will soon be revealed as the Lion! 

The scroll that was taken from the right hand of Him who is on the throne will soon be opened. Each seal broken will bring forth a judgement upon the earth bringing us closer to revealing the King of kings - the rightful ruler of this world. 

And that is what we shall explore next time!  

God Bless.

FOOTNOTES