John has entered through a door into heaven and finds the heavenly host saying Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created”. And in His right hand is a scroll, sealed, the judgments of all things. But who can open it, who could execute these judgments? There was only one, in Revelation 5:5–6 “the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered … a Lamb standing as though slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth”. Now, rising voices are heard in Revelation 5:13 And I heard every creature that is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea and everything in them saying, “To the one who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever”. The time of fulfillment has come.
A Throne Was Set in Heaven
Revelation 4:1–11
We don’t often have this experience of “an open door in heaven” in Revelation 4:1 but there are times when God has revealed things as he does here, there is a purpose for John being there, “I will show you the things which must take place after these things”. But first, get the setting in Revelation 4:3 “a rainbow was around the throne” and in
Revelation 4:5 And from the throne came out lightnings and sounds and thunders, and seven torches of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.
and “before the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal” in Revelation 4:6. God is on his throne and it is a powerful scene “Ezekiel describes Yahweh in a similar way (Ezek 1:26–27). In Exod 24:10, Moses also describes the divine presence of Yahweh using precious stones … John … describes the overall effect of His glorious presence”.1
And around the throne are creatures attending and crying out in Revelation 4:8 “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God All-Powerful, the one who was and the one who is and the one who is coming!”
And around the throne are elders saying in
Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.”
Who Is Worthy?
Revelation 5:1–7
In the greatest courtroom of all, God, the Father, has written the judgments and they are sealed in a scroll. People sometimes ask, How could God allow these things? Yet if there was ever any rule of law, God must uphold it. If there was ever any good or evil God must judge it with righteousness. Just our earthly courts take time for deliberate action, so had God in
Revelation 5:1 And I saw in the right hand of the one who is seated on the throne a scroll, written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.
Then, a proclamation went out seeking someone to open the scroll, to break the seals which also meant to execute these judgments before all of creation in
Revelation 5:2–3 And I saw a powerful angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.
There was only one worthy, only one able, the Lion, the lamb, in
Revelation 5:5–6 And one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. 6 And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing as though slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth.
You Are Worthy
Revelation 5:8–14
As Jesus takes the scroll that contains the judgments of God all of heaven and every creature break out with singing and we learn that the prayers of the saints have been kept by the elders, held for this time in
Revelation 5:8 And when he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one of whom had a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
and the elders begin to sing in
Revelation 5:9–10 And they were singing a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and bought people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
and the angels also joined in
Revelation 5:12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
and every creature joined saying in
Revelation 5:13 And I heard every creature that is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea and everything in them saying, “To the one who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever.”
I Watched When The Lamb Opened
Revelation 6:1–8
How Long Holy and True Lord
Revelation 6:9–17
Study Verses
- Revelation 4:1–11 A Throne Was Set in Heaven
- Revelation 5:1–7 Who Is Worthy?
- Revelation 5:8–14 You Are Worthy
Today’s Reading
- Revelation 4:1-11
- Revelation 5:1-14
- Revelation 6:1-17
References
- 1. Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Re 4:3). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.