Revelation 5 Who is Worthy

Have there been times when you felt you didn’t measure up to your own expectations or someone else’s? It’s hard because you often feel as if you’ve let them down, or you’ve let yourself down.

In Revelation 5, we’re in heaven’s throne room and everyone is worshiping, but then, in the middle of the worship, John notices that there’s a scroll in the right hand of him who is sitting on the throne. Now John realizes that there’s something special about this scroll because it has writing on both sides, meaning there’s a lot going on with the scroll, but also that it’s sealed with 7 seals, meaning it’s really important and not just anyone has the authority to open it.

From the Old Testament, we get some clues as to what’s on the scroll. Psalm 139:16, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Later on, the prophet Ezekiel is given a message for Israel, “He said to me, “Son of man… I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn… You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.” It’s about our future, about God’s plans for creation and humanity.

A mighty angel comes forward and cries out, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” It’s going to take someone with power, authority and wisdom to open this scroll. There are so many powerful beings in the throne room worshiping right now. There are the elders with kingly authority, there are the four powerful wise creatures, there are the angels who are God’s messengers and even power angels like Michael and Gabriel, but none of them step forward to open the scroll. John’s watching carefully to see who will take the scroll, who has the authority, power and wisdom to open and carry out God’s plans for creation. I wondered this week about how they must have been feeling, how they must have been thinking that, even though I’m a powerful angel or king or creature, there’s no way I’m worthy, no way I’m good enough. It helped me understand John’s tears better.

As John watches for someone to step forward, he writes, “I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.” In the middle of the most amazing worship, John weeps for the future of humanity. The church is under siege by different Roman Caesars and the culture of the time. Men and women are being tortured for following Jesus as their only Lord and Saviour and the times are dark, it feels as if evil and Satan are winning. John weeps. As John weeps, an elder comes to John and tells him, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” John recognizes the titles from the Old Testament, from Jacob’s blessing of Judah, many times great grandfather of Jesus, and from the prophet Isaiah who speaks of a new king and Messiah who will come out of the family tree of Jesse and King David, pointing to when God’s kingdom will be completely established here in earth. These are titles of hope and salvation.

John looks and unexpectedly sees a Lamb looking like it had been slain standing in the center of the throne room of heaven, in the center of the throne itself, surrounded by the four living creatures and elders. This is a lamb whose life was given as a sacrifice for sin, a lamb that also has seven horns and seven eyes, showing that this is no normal lamb, but a lamb of power and wisdom, echoing back to John’s own words in his gospel where he calls Jesus, “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

This Lamb is Jesus, Son of God, fully human and fully God, and he’s worthy to take the scroll and to open it. We’re reminded here that Christmas is not just about a baby in a manger’ This baby grows up, teaches us about God our Father, calls us to choose God over all other gods, and goes to the cross, where as God and man he takes the sin of the world on himself to pay punishment for our sin. Because Jesus has gone to the cross, because he’s fully God and fully man, he’s worthy to take the scroll and open it. Jesus directs and leads history to its grand climax where heaven and earth come together again and sin and Satan are completely defeated forever. Jesus is the promised Messiah, the one Israel has been waiting for, for thousands of years, and he’s worthy and he makes us worthy to be children of God through his blood.

The worship continues with a new song, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open the seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” This is redemption, the church word that teaches us what Jesus has accomplished on the cross: that he’s paid the price for our sin, once and for all; freeing us from the punishment for our sin. We still face the consequences of our sin, but we live now in God’s grace and forgiveness. Jesus’ blood is for all those whom God has chosen, the persons from every tribe and language and nation who are part of God’s people. So many promises here are being fulfilled from the Old Testament, all the hope God’s people have been hanging onto for thousands of years has come true. This is why Jesus is worthy to open the scroll.

We are saved for a purpose, to be a kingdom and priests to serve God. We’re called to be a people whose loyalty is completely on Jesus, a people whose identity is in Jesus and shaped by Jesus so all other nations in the world are blessed through us and they can see who Jesus is through us. We’re called to be priests. As Kelly Kapic writes, “First, in our priestly role, all Christians are to live sacrificially for others. We are people of the cross. Jesus laid down His life for sinners in desperate need of grace and love. As imitators of the crucified Lord, we now offer ourselves to Christ through sacrificial acts of love done in behalf of our neighbors, even the neighbors who consider us their enemies. We can be truly “honorable” through our works of grace and mercy, hoping that these very people may one day “glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12). We do not make atonement for others, but through our lives, we point them to the Lamb of God who alone can bring reconciliation between a holy God and sinful humanity (v. 21). Second, we are faithful in our priestly role as we offer intercession on behalf of others. Paul makes a similar point when he urges Timothy to offer “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings” for” all people, for kings and all who are in high positions” (1 Tim. 2:1–2a). Part of living as the chosen people and a holy nation is that we are set apart to be instruments of God’s grace and reconciliation in this world. And this begins with prayers. We pray not just for those we love, nor even just for God’s people, but for the world, including dangerous emperors (1 Peter 2:16–17).”

This brings us back to heaven’s throne room, a place and time of worship. Hear the angels’ praise, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise! To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, forever and ever!” Remember, this vision is given during a time of persecution, during hard times. The next 15 chapters or so of Revelation are about the great battle for history that we’re living in right now and are a part of, the battle the Lamb is leading against Satan and his allies. Worship gives us strength and hope so that we can be a kingdom and priests working towards the return of Jesus because Jesus is worthy to lead creation to its grand climax in his return.