A VISION OF HEAVEN 

Revelation 4

(Part 2)

4:8 Each of the four living creatures (the lion, the bull, the eagle and man) had six wings (three sets of two, with each having a distinct function) and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."  

The wings of the four living creatures furnish covering for their eyes when they stand before God (no one can see God and live), and in flight they provide speed.

The eyes of the four living creatures symbolizes their ability to see what is going on in God’s universe and marvel at what God is doing.

The four living creatures praise God continually. Their song reminds us of that of the seraphim in Isaiah 6:3 - Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts.

The attribute that most accurately and profoundly explains God is that of holiness. It is the attribute of attributes. The second is that of omnipotence: the Lord God Almighty.

4:9-11 9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship Him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.

All of God’s creation, especially man, was created to glorify and honor the creator God forever, thus the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives for ever and ever.

Man, like Lucifer, the angel of light who fell from heaven, rose up in rebellion against God and worshiped the creation rather than the creator. This brought a curse upon the earth which has affected all living things. Man redeemed turns from the creation and gives glory and honor to God as the creator of all things.

Only through God’s Son and His death on the cross and resurrection to life is there the hope of the curse being removed for all who put their trust in Him.

The living creatures are eternally in awe of God’s grace and mercy in light of His holiness and power, and they are eternally thankful to God.

The throwing down of their crowns expresses the truth that He alone reigns. All other sovereignty must yield to His.

THERE IS ONE WHO IS WORTHY!  Revelation 5:1-14

5:1 Then I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.

John continues to reveal what he observed when he was permitted to look into heaven and see the throne of God. He relates what he saw at the throne but avoids the use of God’s name.

John says that the scroll was written on the inside and on the back to indicate that the message was so extensive that both sides of the writing material had to be used. The term he uses is “scroll,” which normally had writing only on its smooth inner side.

The number of seals (7) represents completeness; John’s scroll contains the eternal decrees of God and His redemptive plan for the conclusion and climax of human history. The whole story of human history rests in the hand of God. Known to God from eternity are all His works. Acts 15:18.

5:2-5  And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! There is one who is worthy! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.  He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

The mighty angel spoke in a loud voice so that everyone throughout creation could hear him. Notice the present tense of the participle “proclaiming” to indicate that he continued to call for anyone to step up to the throne of God. The implication is that no one touched by sin could approach the throne. Only those who are worthy may come.

The closed scroll indicates the Plan of God unrevealed and unexecuted. If that scroll remains sealed God’s purposes are not realized; His plan is not carried out. To open that scroll by breaking the seals means not merely to reveal but to carry out God’s plan.

The angel calls to those who dwell in all the parts of God’s creation: in heaven, on the earth, and under the earth. He wants to know if there is any creature anywhere worthy of breaking the seals and looking inside the scroll, that is, of reading it.

No one in the entire universe was coming forward to answer the angel’s call, break the seals, and open the scroll. No human being or angel was worthy; indeed their silence testified to their unworthiness. Even though human beings have tried and are trying repeatedly to bring about their own salvation, their obvious failure disqualifies them. Consequently, if the scroll remained closed, God’s curse would continue to rest on sinful humanity, creation would not be set free from the bondage of decay, and suffering would last forever.

One of the elders, as representative of redeemed humanity, addresses John. He tells him to stop weeping and focus his attention on “the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, [who] has overcome.”

The verb overcome conveys good news. It links this verse to the letters to the seven churches, which have the recurring refrain “the one who overcomes”, and also to Jesus who says “I have overcome death and hell, the first-fruits of the dead, and the King who ascended to heaven and sits at God’s right hand.” As the conqueror, Jesus is worthy to break the seals and unroll the document. As the author of salvation, Jesus received the honor and distinction to take the scroll out of God’s hand and open it.

John uses Old Testament language to depict Jesus: “the lion of the tribe of Judah” is an echo of Jacob’s words. The patriarch blessed his twelve sons and singled out Judah as the tribe from which a ruler should come forth. Jacob said to Judah, “You are a lion’s cub, O Judah.… The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs, and the obedience of the nations is his” (Gen. 49:9–10).

As a descendant of David Jesus is human, and as Messiah he is divine. He is worthy because of his role as mediator, and he is able because of his divinity. He is the one and only God-man.

No one in the entire universe—heaven, earth, under the earth—was able to open the scroll or even look inside. As a result John weeps audibly. Would God’s purposes for the church come to naught? Would evil triumph, would all hope be gone?

From a Lamb to a Lion, from a Priest to a King. The conquering Lion King has triumphed! And he did it through the cross as our sacrificial Lamb and our great High Priest. He alone is worthy to open the scroll because He is it’s author and finisher. 

History is, after all, HIS STORY! He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, what He starts He finishes.  He has the keys of Death and Hell, and He has the Keys to immortality and life everlasting. He is the author of Creation and the New Creation.