A Place Of Grace
12-1-2024
  • John has been taken in the spirit into the very throne room of God Almighty… Chapter 4 was introducing us to what John saw and as we look at Chapter 5 we continue his survey of this magnificent sight to picture and behold. This is not a new event, a change in circumstances, or another moment… we are taking it all in.
    We saw the throne, the One sitting on the throne, the Holy Spirit, the elders, the four creatures… and now Johns attention is drawn to something seen in the right hand of He who sits on the throne
    It’s as if the praise and worship of the elders in verse 11 of the previous chapter has drawn his gaze here… Let’s read together Revelation 4:11-5:14…
    Revelation 4:11–5:14 NASB95
    “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

    Take Note

    You and I are being given a glimpse into things yet to happen, these things to come should impact you and I in some way today! In order for this to occur…
    self reflection needs to take place in our hearts,
    proper thought and attention needs to be given to the scriptures, and…
    we need to have a process in place in order to allow this to happen.
    We have helped our younger ones with this with note pages. Interestingly enough, we developed these from lessons and techniques for college notes. (images and fonts just help make it kid friendly)
    NOTES FRONT PAGE
    The front helps you grapple with the passage
    NOTES BACK PAGE
    The back is a reflection and creative aspects (engage the whole mind)
    Here is my example…
    NOTES BACK PAGE FULL
    As we look at our passage today I also want to help us “TAKE NOTE” of what we are being informed of and consider its implications for us today!
    NOTE SLIDE 1
    Our passage: Revelation 5:1-14.
    NOTE SLIDE 2
    Who is speaking… John, an Elder, an Angel… then a multitude! (elders, creatures, angels)
    NOTE SLIDE 3
    Words not understood: Myriads???… Scroll with 7 seals???… amen???
    These things to ponder allow us a place to dig deeper, think, and strive to grasp its significance for us today!

    The Scroll with Seven Seals

    Let me read several quick passages as we consider the scroll and its seals…
    God intended mankind to rule this earth… He gave it to us to govern…
    Genesis 1:28 NASB95
    God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
    Creation is suffering and in disorder because of man’s sin…
    Romans 8:20–23 NLT
    Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
    John would write in his gospel…
    John 1:1–3 NASB95
    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
    As the elders declare God’s creative work… John’s eyes are drawn to the attention of something in the right hand of our creator… it is a scroll (book) written inside and out… with seals. John would have recognized and identified it as a “deed” or a “last will and testament”.
    The external writing would declare its contents
    The seals would indicate that ONLY the One who is permitted could open to reveal its contents
    In the wake of creations praise it would beg the question as the angel cried out!!! “Who is Worthy”
    It’s as if John reels back with this question… spinning around looking
    Mankind had failed to rule well, stained with sin
    Our good deeds are even stained… Isaiah 64:6
    Isaiah 64:6 NLT
    We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
    Nowhere is anyone found… and John weeps
    Would creation stay in this lost, cursed state
    Had he been wrong about this Jesus he preached
    Was all hopeless??? and it seems he weeps too soon…
    Through the tears… one of the elders says, “Stop, behold”… LOOK!!!
    John stop crying… We have HOPE! We have One who is WORTHY!!!!

    The Lion & Lamb

    In Chapter 4 John uses the world “LIKE” 9 times in 11 verses. In this chapter as we behold, look, gaze upon our REDEEMER it is crystal clear! Not once does John use the word “LIKE”!!!
    THE LION IS:
    From the tribe of Judah (Genesis declares a Ruler would come through this tribe)
    A lion, power, authority, rule… THE KING
    “Root of David”… the One who has the rightful place on David’s throne, heir to the throne
    “Has overcome”… did you notice the past tense!
    He is worthy to break the seals!
    THE LAMB!!!
    “Standing” fully alive
    “As if slain” One sacrificed yet He is living!
    “seven horns, seven eyes, Seven Spirits of God”…
    Seven horns His perfect strength
    We also see the Holy Spirit, the One given to ALL those who believe!
    John describes this One he loved so deeply and dearly in such a powerful way. Jesus Christ is seen here as the Son of God like no other way ever described before!
    As John looks at the scroll with its seals and watches the Lamb take it… I wonder if his mind went to Ezekiel 2:9-10
    Ezekiel 2:9–10 NASB95
    Then I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me; and lo, a scroll was in it. When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, mourning and woe.
    What a powerful and majestic moment it must have been yet altogether terrifying moment when the Lion & Lamb comes and takes the scroll! What was to come as the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God would take the deed… What judgement and glory was to come???

    The Worship Scene

    At the moment Jesus takes the scroll, all of Heaven erupts into worship!!!
    The four creatures and elders bow in worship, offering the prayers of the saints
    NOT ONE OF OUR PRAYERS ARE WASTED!!!
    God hears them and they are offered in worship
    God in some form saves our prayers and hears them
    There is a new song!!! Verses 9-10 declare this new song and Jesus Christ as “WORTHY”
    NOTES SLIDE 4
    My favorite song is is our closing Hymn today #106… (worthy… holy… Jesus)
    Present tense: “You are worthy”… WHY?
    Because of His work (past tense)
    You “were slain” His death at Calvary
    You “purchased” with His blood… “all”
    The Gift of salvation was purchased for ALL to freely receive (yet so many refuse His gift)
    WHY?… Because You are King and Ruler… and those purchased with His blood will rule with Him!
    The deed given to man to rule, and man because of sin was not worthy to open the deed
    Yet, God… who became 100% man, while remaining 100% God came!
    This God/Man, this second Adam could take the deed
    This Son of God redeemed mankind that mankind could rule with Him!
    This Lamb of God, the Lion of Judah is about to put ALL CREATION back in its right place as He prepares to rule, as He prepares to cleanse sin and evil! Creation will be MADE RIGHT in the RIGHT HANDS!
    AND THEN… the angels, elders, creatures praise Him!
    Thousands of thousands
    Myriads of myriads… (this means a number that is innumerable, countless… and indefinite number!!!)
    Then… EVERY CREATED THING joins in the worship! Revelation 5:13 “And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.””

    Amen, amen, & amen…

    The four living creatures kept saying, “AMEN” = affirming what is being said or declared… this is TRUE!!!
    NOTES SLIDE 5
    Is my life declaring an “amen” to the worthiness of my Savior, my redeemer?
    The worship that is given, declared, sang in Heaven around the throne is given to One ONLY who is WORTHY…
    We have the opportunity to engage in what we call communion…
    we come with a common union as one body because of the worthy work of our Savior Jesus Christ
    Let us come and worship with bowed hearts before our God and King

    The Bread

    Remembrance of God becoming man… dying in bodily form for our sin, taking upon Himself all our sin

    The Cup

    The blood of the Lamb of God… the cost to purchase our salvation, our redemption
    ​
    As we come to our closing song… let us worship Him in voice and melody. He is WORTHY!

      • Revelation 4:11–5:14NASB95

      • Genesis 1:28NASB95

      • Romans 8:20–23NASB95

      • John 1:1–3NASB95

      • Isaiah 64:6NASB95

      • Ezekiel 2:9–10NASB95

    • Worthy You Are Worthy
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