Sunday, October 12, 2008
Revelation 5:5
Sunday, October 12, 2008 |
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
The scene is the throne room in the “third heaven” where John sees God the Father on His throne with Jesus at His right side. As John observes from the sidelines he sees that in the right hand of God there is a "book", a sealed book, sealed with "seven seals" and the book has writing within and on the backside.
What a scene. As John stands there a "strong angel" proclaims "who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals", verse 2. This book contains the "seven sealed judgments" as described in Revelation 6 and Revelation 8:1.
These "judgments" will be the first of twenty-one progressively worse judgments that will be released upon the earth during the coming Tribulation Period. However, this book is also the "title deed" to the earth that God the Father will give to Jesus the Son.
All of the judgments, twenty-one of them; seven seals, seven trumpet and seven vial judgments are for the purpose of preparing the Earth and humankind for the "Kingdom" that the Father will give to His Son, Jesus.
That's yet in the future, seven years after the incident found here in Revelation 5. Someone says, "who is worthy to open the "sealed book?" As John looks on from the sidelines he starts to weep when all of a sudden one of the twenty-four elders says "Jesus is worthy to open the sealed book."
Just then Jesus steps to the throne of God, takes the sealed book from His Father and all of the elders, twenty-four of them, and the four beasts, fell down to worship the Lamb, Jesus Christ, who now holds the "sealed book," the "title deed," to not only the Earth but all of Creation.
Then there was singing in the third heaven with the heavenly harmonies of the twenty-four elders and the four “beast”. The sound was expanded when over one hundred million angels joined in, ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, verse 11.
As John listened he heard, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing."
Just think, we will be a part of that “heavenly choir”, since the twenty-four elders represent the Church who will be there at this time, the Rapture having taken place earlier, Revelation 4:1-2.
Looking ahead to Revelation 6, we see that the Lamb, Jesus Christ, opens all seven of the sealed judgments to begin the judgment period that brings Jesus to the promised throne in the Temple, located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and the establishment of His 1,000 year Kingdom.
There is a mixed emotion within me as I write these words for this devotion. There's "joy" as I think of that time with Jesus and our praise to Him. However, there is "sadness" as I think of family, friends and loved ones who will face that seven years of judgment because they have refused to receive Christ as Lord and Saviour.
We must allow this "mixed emotion" to cause each of us to do what ever it takes to win our friends, family and loved ones to Jesus Christ. Maybe you should sit down at the computer and send those close to you an e-mail with the Gospel in it or maybe make a quick telephone call to them right now. We all need to do this before it's eternally to late.
PRAYER THOT: Thank you Lord for the prospect of that future gathering in the heavenlies to praise You. Help me to win others to You Lord so that they can join us there for that great time of celebration as well.
For further study - Revelation 5:1-14
The scene is the throne room in the “third heaven” where John sees God the Father on His throne with Jesus at His right side. As John observes from the sidelines he sees that in the right hand of God there is a "book", a sealed book, sealed with "seven seals" and the book has writing within and on the backside.
What a scene. As John stands there a "strong angel" proclaims "who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals", verse 2. This book contains the "seven sealed judgments" as described in Revelation 6 and Revelation 8:1.
These "judgments" will be the first of twenty-one progressively worse judgments that will be released upon the earth during the coming Tribulation Period. However, this book is also the "title deed" to the earth that God the Father will give to Jesus the Son.
All of the judgments, twenty-one of them; seven seals, seven trumpet and seven vial judgments are for the purpose of preparing the Earth and humankind for the "Kingdom" that the Father will give to His Son, Jesus.
That's yet in the future, seven years after the incident found here in Revelation 5. Someone says, "who is worthy to open the "sealed book?" As John looks on from the sidelines he starts to weep when all of a sudden one of the twenty-four elders says "Jesus is worthy to open the sealed book."
Just then Jesus steps to the throne of God, takes the sealed book from His Father and all of the elders, twenty-four of them, and the four beasts, fell down to worship the Lamb, Jesus Christ, who now holds the "sealed book," the "title deed," to not only the Earth but all of Creation.
Then there was singing in the third heaven with the heavenly harmonies of the twenty-four elders and the four “beast”. The sound was expanded when over one hundred million angels joined in, ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, verse 11.
As John listened he heard, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing."
Just think, we will be a part of that “heavenly choir”, since the twenty-four elders represent the Church who will be there at this time, the Rapture having taken place earlier, Revelation 4:1-2.
Looking ahead to Revelation 6, we see that the Lamb, Jesus Christ, opens all seven of the sealed judgments to begin the judgment period that brings Jesus to the promised throne in the Temple, located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and the establishment of His 1,000 year Kingdom.
There is a mixed emotion within me as I write these words for this devotion. There's "joy" as I think of that time with Jesus and our praise to Him. However, there is "sadness" as I think of family, friends and loved ones who will face that seven years of judgment because they have refused to receive Christ as Lord and Saviour.
We must allow this "mixed emotion" to cause each of us to do what ever it takes to win our friends, family and loved ones to Jesus Christ. Maybe you should sit down at the computer and send those close to you an e-mail with the Gospel in it or maybe make a quick telephone call to them right now. We all need to do this before it's eternally to late.
PRAYER THOT: Thank you Lord for the prospect of that future gathering in the heavenlies to praise You. Help me to win others to You Lord so that they can join us there for that great time of celebration as well.