Part 6 of our "Revelation of Jesus Christ" Study took us to chapter 4; it declared the creator of Heaven and earth to be none other than Jesus Christ- Jehovah our Salvation.
We last see John in heaven gazing upon ONE being on the throne. This being is God himself, [Revelation 4:8], who is being worshiped by beasts and elders.
Chapter 5 continues from this scene.
And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.
What do you observe here?
A. there is a HIM sitting (alone) on the throne
B. HE (alone) is holding a heavily sealed scroll ( 7 seals to be exact)
C.An angel (curiously described as strong) poses the question about worthiness to open the scroll and loose its seals
D. NO ONE- I repeat NO ONE in heaven was able to open the scroll
1. What about the other persons in the triune godhead?? co-equal, co-existent, and thereby just as worthy as the ONE who now possesses the throne.
E. NO ONE in earth is able to open the scroll
John responds with weeping, but is quickly told not to weep but to look.
5 ... “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose[b] its seven seals.”
The strong angel is not worthy
There are two emphasized things here:
A. Lion
B. Tribe of Judah
Let's take a look at the first mention of these two points together- Genesis 49:9
Judah, my son, is a young lion
that has finished eating its prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down;
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
But the rest of Jacob's blessing over Judah is worth noting:
“...
9 Judah, my son, is a young lion
This is where the phrase lion of the tribe of Judah is pulled
that has finished eating its prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down;
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
also Isaiah prophesied the government shall be upon his shoulders..the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end... Isaiah 9:6
nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,[a]
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,[b]
the one whom all nations will honor.
and Jesus declared all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Matthew 28:18
11 He ties his foal to a grapevine,
the colt of his donkey to a choice vine. Matthew 21:2
He washes his clothes in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes. Mark 15:17
12 His eyes are darker than wine,
and his teeth are whiter than milk.
Do any of these lines ring familiar?
So John looks up and before his eyes is - well, a Lion, right?
6 And I looked, and behold,[c] in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain...
A lamb?
What of the lion?
And why is the lamb described as a lion?
Could it be that the lamb and the lion are one and the same?
Let's look again -
Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose[b] its seven seals.”- Revelation 5:5
Behold means, to look on- take a look- perceive with your eyes- visually take in- Behold. He tells him to look and see the lion of the tribe of Judah and
When we dissect the "lion of the tribe of Judah" and Jacob's foretold blessing/prophecy in Genesis, Jesus fulfills it all. Then the Word of God reveals to us plainly that Jesus is the lamb.
The Lion is the Lamb.
He is God.
God, the alpha and Omega, the one who sits on the throne in heaven, is the lion and the lamb- the only ONE worthy to open the scroll and loose the seals.
He became for us the lamb.
Yet he remained the Lion.
Yet he remained Creator of earth and heaven, while walking earth, while his Omnipresent Spirit still inhabited heaven.
How?
To be continued...
We last see John in heaven gazing upon ONE being on the throne. This being is God himself, [Revelation 4:8], who is being worshiped by beasts and elders.
Chapter 5 continues from this scene.
And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.
What do you observe here?
A. there is a HIM sitting (alone) on the throne
B. HE (alone) is holding a heavily sealed scroll ( 7 seals to be exact)
C.An angel (curiously described as strong) poses the question about worthiness to open the scroll and loose its seals
D. NO ONE- I repeat NO ONE in heaven was able to open the scroll
1. What about the other persons in the triune godhead?? co-equal, co-existent, and thereby just as worthy as the ONE who now possesses the throne.
E. NO ONE in earth is able to open the scroll
John responds with weeping, but is quickly told not to weep but to look.
5 ... “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose[b] its seven seals.”
The strong angel is not worthy
There are two emphasized things here:
A. Lion
B. Tribe of Judah
Let's take a look at the first mention of these two points together- Genesis 49:9
Judah, my son, is a young lion
that has finished eating its prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down;
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
But the rest of Jacob's blessing over Judah is worth noting:
“...
9 Judah, my son, is a young lion
This is where the phrase lion of the tribe of Judah is pulled
that has finished eating its prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down;
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
also Isaiah prophesied the government shall be upon his shoulders..the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end... Isaiah 9:6
nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,[a]
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,[b]
the one whom all nations will honor.
and Jesus declared all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Matthew 28:18
11 He ties his foal to a grapevine,
the colt of his donkey to a choice vine. Matthew 21:2
He washes his clothes in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes. Mark 15:17
12 His eyes are darker than wine,
and his teeth are whiter than milk.
Do any of these lines ring familiar?
So John looks up and before his eyes is - well, a Lion, right?
6 And I looked, and behold,[c] in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain...
A lamb?
What of the lion?
And why is the lamb described as a lion?
Could it be that the lamb and the lion are one and the same?
Let's look again -
Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose[b] its seven seals.”- Revelation 5:5
Behold means, to look on- take a look- perceive with your eyes- visually take in- Behold. He tells him to look and see the lion of the tribe of Judah and
6 And I looked, and behold,[c] in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain...Yes, the lion is the lamb.
When we dissect the "lion of the tribe of Judah" and Jacob's foretold blessing/prophecy in Genesis, Jesus fulfills it all. Then the Word of God reveals to us plainly that Jesus is the lamb.
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.- John 1:29There is not a Lion and a Lamb.
The Lion is the Lamb.
Jesus is the Lion and the Lamb.
He can be both because he becomes what is needed in diverse environments, and situations.
And get this-
he can manifest in various ways in diverse times, simultaneously.
How?
"...and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6He is the almighty, all-knowing, ever-present Jehovah.
He is God.
God, the alpha and Omega, the one who sits on the throne in heaven, is the lion and the lamb- the only ONE worthy to open the scroll and loose the seals.And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.- Isaiah 63:5The only one worthy to redeem us with his blood was God himself.
He became for us the lamb.
Yet he remained the Lion.
Yet he remained Creator of earth and heaven, while walking earth, while his Omnipresent Spirit still inhabited heaven.
How?
He is God.
Limitless in power and boundless to time and space. He is eternal. immortal, invisible, and accessible only through his projection of himself in flesh form- Jesus, Jehovah has become our salvation.
The God-ness of God justifies the action in the next verse.
To be continued...
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