CHRIST
THE LAMB OF GOD
Lesson
#10
Revelation
5:1-14
In Revelation 5, the vision John relates to us conveys one message:
Everything God has for men is in the Lamb, provided by the Lamb, revealed
through the Lamb, and shall bring praise to the Lamb of God. All that God
gives to sinners, he gives through Christ. And all that God receives from
sinners, he receives through Christ. In chapter 4, John saw the sovereign
majesty of the triune God in creation. In chapter 5, he tells us how that
he was made to see the sovereign majesty of the triune God in the redemption
of sinners by Christ Jesus. John saw five things described in these 14
verses. First, he saw...
1. THE THRONE OF GOD. The central object of the vision John
relates to us in chapters four and five is the throne of God. His vision
was constantly filled with "him that sat on the throne" (v. 1). In these
two chapters, he calls our attention to God's throne seventeen times! In
chapter 4, John describes the splendrous, incomparable glory of the triune
God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in his sovereignty. In chapter 5, he
describes the Mediator, the Lamb, whom he beheld in the midst of the throne,
by whom the triune God makes himself known to men. And that Lamb is himself
God, the Son.
As always, the throne of God is a symbol of his sovereignty. It is a symbol
of God's supreme majesty and universal power, authority, and dominion.
Let it never be forgotten that our God is God upon a throne. He rules all
things in total sovereignty. A god without a throne is a worthless god,
for such a god is no God at all! "But our God is in the heavens: he hath
done whatsoever he hath pleased" (Psa. 115:3). "Whatsoever the LORD pleased,
that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places"
(Psa. 135:6). The Lord our God, the one true and living God, is a God of
absolute sovereignty. He always does exactly what he wills in creation
(Rev. 4:11), in providence (Rom. 8:28; 11:36), and in grace (Rom. 9:11-24).
Every believer has learned, and rejoices to know, "that the heavens do
rule" (Dan. 4:26).
And we rejoice to know that God's sovereign throne is a throne of grace
(Heb. 4:16). Grace originates at God's throne. Grace is dispensed from
God's throne. And grace brings sinners to God's throne. Our God is sovereign;
and he is gracious. He is great; and he is good. He is almighty; and he
is merciful. "He delighteth in mercy!" God always exercises his sovereign
power and dominion to accomplish his everlasting purpose of grace toward
his elect. First, John saw the throne of God, the throne of all sovereignty
and grace. Then he saw...
2. THE BOOK OF GOD. In the right hand of the eternal God, John
saw a book, a book written within and without, bound shut, and sealed with
seven seals (vv. 1-4). This book is the book of God's eternal decrees.
It represents God's eternal plan and purpose of grace, his purpose of predestination,
which includes all things. It is to this book that our great Surety referred
when he said, "Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
I delight to do thy will, O my God" (Psa. 40:7-8; Heb. 10:5-10). William
Hendriksen said of this book, "It symbolizes God's purpose with respect
to the entire universe throughout history, and concerning all creatures
in all ages and unto all eternity."
Our God is a God of purpose, eternal, unalterable purpose (Isa. 46:9-11).
God's purpose of predestination includes all things (Eph. 1:11). The object
of God's eternal purpose of predestination is the salvation of his elect
(Rom. 8:28-30). Everything that comes to pass in time was purposed by God
in eternity (Rom. 11:36). And the object of God in all that he does is
the effectual accomplishment of the everlasting salvation of his elect.
In election, God chose a people whom he would save. In predestination,
he sovereignly ordained all things that come to pass to secure the salvation
of his chosen. And in providence, he accomplishes in time what he purposed
from eternity.
As John saw it, the book of God was closed, a mystery sealed with seven
seals. These seven seals do not represent an imaginary "seven dispensations"
of time. The writing within and on the back and the seven seals simply
mean that God's purpose is full, complete, perfect, and unalterable. Nothing
can be added to it. Nothing can be taken from it. The seven seals also
tell us that God's purpose of grace is unknown, unrevealed, a secret known
only to God, until Christ revealed it. He revealed it at first in the types,
shadows, and prophecies of the Old Testament. Then, in these last days,
he has revealed it to us more fully in the gospel. And in the last day,
when the restitution of all things is made, our Lord will perfectly reveal
God's purpose in all things.
The closed book indicated that God's plan was both unrevealed and unexecuted.
If the book should remain closed, God's eternal purpose would not be realized.
His plan would not be executed. The thought of God's purpose being shut
up, unrevealed, and unfulfilled, caused John great lamentation and grief.
And he began to weep. If God's book is opened, if the seals are broken,
then the universe is ruled and governed in the interest of God's elect,
according to the purpose of his grace. Then God's glorious purpose of redemption
would be accomplished. But if it is not opened and fulfilled, then the
purpose of God himself would be thwarted. The grace of God would be frustrated.
The plan of God would go unfulfilled. God himself would lose his glory.
But there is no cause to weep! Look at the next thing John describes.
3. THE LAMB OF GOD APPEARS TO OPEN THE BOOK (vv. 5-7). "One
of the elders," one of those chosen of God, redeemed by the blood of the
Lamb and saved by grace, "saith unto me, weep not." Why should he stop
weeping? "Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed to open
the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." In other words, Christ
has conquered all his enemies and ours (John 12:30-32). By the shedding
of his blood, by his death upon the cross, this Lion of Judah, this Root
of David, has prevailed. He has removed the sins of his people, satisfied
the law, crushed the serpent's head, and conquered death. By virtue of
his sacrifice, Christ has earned the right to open the book and to rule
the universe in accordance with God's eternal purpose of grace (Rev. 10:1-3).
God has given him power over all flesh that he might give eternal life
to his elect (John 17:2).
John beheld the Lord Jesus Christ, not only as a conquering Lion, but also
as a sin atoning, mediating Lamb. He saw the Lamb in the midst of the four
beasts and the twenty-four elders as a Lamb that had been slaughtered.
That means that the virtue and merit of his sacrifice is abiding, perpetual,
and efficacious (I John 1:9; 2:1-2). This Lamb, symbolically, has "seven
horns." Horns are emblems of power. Christ is the horn of salvation. As
such, he has plenty of power. He is able to save his people (Heb. 7:25),
keep them in his grace (John 10:27-29), and to do for them all that they
need. He also has "seven eyes," abundant wisdom. These seven eyes represent
the gifts, power, and wisdom of the Holy Spirit which are dispensed to
God's elect upon the earth by virtue of Christ's death, resurrection, and
exaltation as our Substitute (Psa. 68:18-20).
Then, as John looked on, Christ the Lamb took the book out of the right
hand of him that sat upon the throne (v. 7). John Trapp said, "As a Mediator
he took it, as God he gave it." Our Savior did not ask for the book. He
took it, because it is his right to do so. This is the significance of
what John saw. The Lord Jesus Christ, our Mediator, received authority
to rule the universe according to the will of God by virtue of his sin-atoning
sacrifice (John 17:2). This is a picture of the coronation of King Jesus
(Heb. 2:8-9). As the Father's reward to him for his mediatoral accomplishments
at his ascension, Christ received for himself a kingdom (Luke 19:12; Phil.
2:6-11; Psa. 2; 110; Dan. 7:9-14). God has turned the world over to the
rule of the God-man, the Lamb, our Mediator! God governs the universe,
according to his own eternal decrees, through the Lamb. This is Christ's
reward and every believer's comfort.
4. HERE IS THE SONG OF THE REDEEMED (vv. 8-12). As soon
as the Lamb took the book in his hands, and accepted the scepter of universal
monarchy, a song of praise broke out in heaven. This song began with the
church, the redeemed ones, and was taken up by the heavenly angels. This
song is a celebration of Christ's worthiness to rule the universe according
to God's purpose (Rev. 10:1-3), and to receive all praise, honor, and glory
forever. The basis of both his worthiness of such honor and the praise
given to him by saints and angels is his effectual redemption. Praise is
not given to him simply because he was slain, (Many have been slain!),
but because his slaughter was the accomplishment of our redemption. The
death of Christ, as the sin-atoning Lamb, was the accomplishment of a particular
and effectual redemption. The song does not say, "Thou hast redeemed every
kindred, tongue, people, and nation." That would mean either that his blood
was shed in vain for the multitudes who are lost, or that all the universe
is saved. Neither of which is true. This song says, "Thou hast redeemed
us OUT OF every kindred, tongue, people, and nation!" Having seen
the throne of God, the book of God and of the Lamb of God, and after hearing
the song of the redeemed, John beheld...
5. THE CONSUMMATE PURPOSE OF GOD (vv. 13-14). It is God's ultimate
purpose that everything and everyone in his creation bow before and bring
honor to his dear Son. And God will see to it that his purpose is accomplished
in the end (Psa. 76:10; Isa. 45:20-25; Col. 1:18). He who made all things,
sustains all things, and rules all things shall have the eternal praise
of all things. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!...For
of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever.
Amen" (Rom. 11:33, 36).
These are the things John saw when he was in the Spirit. He saw that the
entire universe is governed by the throne of almighty God, and that God
rules the universe through the Mediator Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God.
Having accomplished the redemption of his people by the sacrifice of himself,
our Lord Jesus ascended back into heaven and sat down at the right hand
of the Majesty on high, exalted above all principality, power, and dominion.
God the Father put all things in subjection to Christ, under his feet,
and made him to be Head over all things to his church, which is his body,
"the fulness of him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1:22-23). Ultimately,
all things will glorify Christ, our God and Savior. God's purpose will
be carried out in his creation. The throne of God is secure. The Lamb of
God reigns supreme, without rival, by incontestable right. The kingdom
of God is safe and secure. The glory of the eternal God is sure. Blessed
is that person to whom these things have been revealed!
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