What qualifications do you look for in a candidate for political office? For some, the only or main qualification is party affiliation, not a particularly wise or even beneficial criterion, be one a democrat, republican, independent or whatever. For others, the deciding factor is a particular position on a specific issue. For even others, it is which candidate will benefit them the most. Candidates for office play upon these factors when they seek votes, changing their message to fit the crowd. Yet how many candidates advertise an impeccably honest, absolutely virtuous character as their central qualification for office. Very few! Most would soon be unmasked as liars by their opponents.
How much do we value this qualification? Pick whatever issue is the most important to you, and then ask yourself this question. Would you pick a candidate who supported your issue yet had somewhat of a checkered past over a candidate who did not support your issue but whose character was unassailable?
I am convinced most of us do not really value moral character as the prime requisite to govern. At the same time, I am convinced that in our culture, at least, we do not trust the moral character of most of our leaders. That is why we dearly hold on to our form of government and the right to toss an official out of office as soon as we feel the need to do so.
Man's right to rule on the earth comes not from his top position at the head of a supposedly evolutionary process but from the fact that he was created in God's image to represent his creator on this earth. The extent to which he truly represents God determines his right to rule. Moral character, therefore, is the prime requisite to govern in God's eyes. Only one has achieved the right to rule on earth, Jesus Christ our Lord. Revelation is the record of the coronation ceremony of this One and His return to take up His Kingdom.
The stage has been set for us. John has described the throne room of God and the major participants that appear at the opening of the coronation ceremony. The one throne is set high above the others, and on it, appearing in visible form for the benefit of His creation, is God the Father. Glory radiates from His person. Around this throne on the vast expanse of the heavenly cathedral are twenty-four other thrones, and sitting crowned upon these were twenty-four elders. The Spirit of God was present, represented by seven lamps of fire. The angelic guardians and heralds of God's glory, the four living beings, the seraphim, also are in attendance, as they always seem to be when we see glimpses of this throne room. As the ceremony begins in chapter 4, all break forth in praise of God, saying, "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created." The ceremony continues in chapter 5 with the offer and the claiming of the Kingdom and the response to that claim.
John describes for us the unfolding of this ceremony in chapter 5 of the Book of the Revelation.
Revelation 5:1-14
| 5:1 | I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. |
| 5:2 | And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?" |
| 5:3 | And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. |
| 5:4 | Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; |
| 5:5 | and one of the elders *said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals." |
| 5:6 | And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. |
| 5:7 | And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. |
| 5:8 | When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. |
| 5:9 | And they *sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. |
| 5:10 | "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." |
| 5:11 | Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, |
| 5:12 | saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." |
| 5:13 | And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." |
| 5:14 | And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped. |
This passage can easily be divided into three parts:
| I. | The offer of the Kingdom (verses 1-4) |
| II. | The claiming of the Kingdom (verses 5-7) |
| III. | The response of those in the throne room (verses 8-14) |
The Offer
In verse one of chapter five, John states that he saw "in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals." While the text nowhere tells us what this document may be, which is literally a scroll rather than a book, it is very clear from the context what it must be. It is nothing less than the legal right to be the sovereign over all the earth. Notice the praise that is offered after the Lamb takes the scroll in 5:12-13:
| 5:12 | "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." |
| 5:13 | And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." |
The Lamb was worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, might, honor and glory. To the one who sat on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing, honor and dominion forever. Following the last of the trumpet blasts announcing the opening of this scroll, this announcement is made in heaven in 11:15:
| 11:15 | Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever." |
The possession of this scroll and opening its seals are linked clearly with power and dominion over the earth and all its kingdoms. The one, who can claim it and has the right and ability to open it, receives from Almighty God the right to be sovereign over the earth. This is the real and the only divine right to rule.
Those that live in the west in this age of democracy tend to believe that their form of human government, the democratic or republican form, is the form sanctioned by God. However, He has not declared this to be so. He has not specified one form above another for our age. What he has declared is that it is to man that the rule of the earth belongs, that man is to be His representative to order and have dominion over all the earth (Genesis 1:26-28). Nevertheless, man yielded to the temptation of Satan, disobeyed God and fell from the perfection in which he was created. In this fallen state, he could no longer truly represent His creator as he was designed to do. Control and power over the earth were effectively passed to Satan, the usurper. Yet the rightful rule still belonged to humanity, if a man could be found in whom was no sin or fault who truly and fully represented God.
In the court of heaven, seated in visible form upon a throne exalted above all in glory and majesty, almighty God now offers dominion over all the earth to anyone who could rightfully claim it. This is the scroll's significance, which was inscribed on both sides and sealed with seven seals.
An angel, John describes as strong, made the offer. The angelic announcer calls out, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?" This was a scenario that many people in John's day would have recognized. When the regent of a country under the control of Rome died or was deposed in some manner, the major claimants to the throne would appear to present their case and credentials to the Emperor, who would then bestow the authority to rule upon one he would choose. Many coronation ceremonies began with the claimant to the throne, first being certified to be the legitimate heir. Often in such ceremonies, an official announcement is made for all claimants to appear. So it is the case in this ultimate claim to sovereignty over all the earth. The call is made. Who is worthy to open this scroll and break its seals?
When no one steps forward to answer this call, John's response is to weep. Many who read this passage today wonder why John's reaction was so intense. The reason for this is that we do not understand what John so clearly saw. He realized what it meant when no one came forward. It meant that the world would never have peace or justice. It meant that suffering and misery for most would continue. It meant that the usurper Satan would remain the god of this world if no rightful and qualified man was found who could reclaim the world and order it as God had intended when it was initially created. Has man evolved for the better? Is he more moral, loving or just? Have these things, suffering, injustice, misery, famine and the like, disappeared in the last two thousand years since John's day? For a few of us, maybe, but for most of the world, no! Nor will they until the sovereignty over all the earth is delivered to the one to whom it is rightfully due, and He returns to reclaim His kingdom from the usurper who took it from man in the beginning. This is what John realized, and this is why he wept when no one came forward to claim the right to rule.
The Claim
However, John's fears are allayed in 5:5-7, where the claim is made. First, John is comforted by one of the elders. The elder says to John, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals." The person, the elder, speaks of is identified as the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David. This identification is, of course, our Lord Jesus Christ. Revelation 22:16 states:
| 22:16 | I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. |
This person, the elder states, has overcome so as to open the scroll and its seals. This reply tells us there was a trial or test that was won that qualified our Lord to have the right to claim the kingship over the kingdoms of the world. While Adam, our forefather, failed the test by eating the fruit in the garden and lost his position, our Lord passed the test by remaining faithful throughout His entire earthly life. While Adam may have been tested for thirty minutes or so, our Lord was tested for about thirty years. In Adam's test, his failure brought about physical and spiritual death; in our Lord's test, His death brought physical and spiritual life. By His death, He overcame and secured the right to open this scroll.
Now then, notice the abrupt contrast! While our Lord is identified by the elder as a Lion, a picture of regal strength, power and might, he appears here as a lamb. What John saw was a strange lamb indeed. Standing between the elders and the throne, it looked as if it had been killed, most likely its throat slit in preparation to be offered as a sacrifice. It also had seven eyes and horns, a bit strange for a lamb. While this is what John saw, we know it is a symbol of our Lord in His sacrifice for sin. We are told that the seven eyes and horns represent the seven Spirits of God. Again we have this seven-fold identification of the Spirit that someday we shall more fully understand. What we can learn from this now is that our Lord and the Spirit are linked in a way that makes them one.
Identified as a Lion, He appears as a lamb and one that had been killed at that, to claim the crown. The lesson is clear. If you wish to rule, you must become a servant. As a man, by dying for mankind, He became the sovereign over all mankind. In this way, He overcame so as to claim the crown. He came, as the text states, and took the scroll from the One who sat on the throne and thus claimed the right to rule.
The Response
The response of the heavenly court is found in the remaining verses of this chapter. First, the twenty-four elders and the four living beings respond. This human and angelic choir of twenty-eight must indeed have been something to behold and hear. We are told each had a harp. Perhaps it is from this passage that the picture of saints sitting on clouds with harps comes. While others may also have harps, here we only see this group. They each also carry a golden bowl filled with incense. Again we are told this represents the prayers of the saints. Believers were told by our Lord to pray for the coming of the Kingdom. Down through the age of the church, uncountable petitions have risen to God the Father for our Lord to return and for this to take place. While there is no doubt that our God has heard each and every prayer so made, this part of this coronation ceremony portrays that these prayers, now offered to the One on the throne in a symbolic way, are about to be answered. The regent is about to be crowned; He is about to return to the earth, defeat the usurper, take up His rule and establish His kingdom.
These twenty-eight then break into song, a new song we are told. While we do not yet know the tune, we do know the lyrics. The English translation (for who knows in what language this is to be sung!) is:
| Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth. |
The song praises the Lamb, stating that He is worthy to open the scroll because He has redeemed by His sacrifice the people for the kingdom not only from Israel but also from every tribe, nationality and ethnic group of the world. He has restored to them what Adam lost back in the fall, their position as God's personal representatives upon the earth to rule over it.
Then joining this choir were countless angelic voices. John states it as "myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands." A myriad is a group of ten thousand, so there were ten thousands of ten thousand or, as we would state it today, hundreds of millions. Thousands of thousands is equivalent to millions. A simply uncountable host of angelic beings in that immense cathedral of heaven join the choir of the twenty-four elders and four living beings in praising the Lamb, declaring that He is worthy "to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."
Finally, all creation echoes this praise for John hears, as the text states, "every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them." How John hears this is not stated. It might be that the praise of the creation is made audible. We do know that now, although we do not audibly hear it, it groans suffering, as it were, the pains of childbirth.
Romans 8:19-22
| 8:19 | For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. |
| 8:20 | For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope |
| 8:21 | that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. |
| 8:22 | For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. |
It is at the coronation of Jesus Christ our Lord that we through Him are restored to the position God intended us to have. Ecology and the responsibility we have as inhabitants upon our world to manage and take care of it are issues at the very forefront of people's minds today. And yet, until we as people are restored to what we should be, we will never be able to fix our world. Man in his sinful and fallen state will never be able to restore harmony and balance in our world. Until our Lord is exalted as sovereign over this world, and we through Him, it will struggle, groaning in anticipation of its deliverance from the curse. At the claiming of the crown by the Lamb, creation breaks into praise and John, in some way, is able to hear this. It cries out blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!v
At this, the seraphim that attend the throne break into "amens," and the twenty-four elders fall down and worship. The first part of the coronation ceremony is accomplished. The Lamb has claimed the right to rule!
Chapter five is the beginning of the coronation ceremony. In the first part of the chapter, the offer of the kingdom is made (verses 1-4). When none step forward to claim the crown, John is devastated and breaks into tears. In the second part (verses 5-7), he is comforted then sees one appear to claim the right to rule. The Lamb, Jesus Christ our Lord, takes the scroll from the One on the throne. In the last part (verses 8-14), the throne room breaks into praise for Him, who has claimed the right to be sovereign by taking the scroll. This praise is widened then to include the creation itself.
What should we learn from this? The main lesson is, of course, that there is only one, the Messiah, Jesus our Lord, who is worthy to be sovereign over all the earth. He and He alone can right this world of wrongs, establish justice and restore balance and harmony. He can do this because He has first restored the people of this world. There will be no world peace; there will be no balance between man and nature until He reigns.
This does not mean we are to ignore these issues. They are important and do deserve our attention. However, we must remember what our primary focus is during this age, that of introducing people to our Savior Jesus the Messiah, who will one day be sovereign over all the earth. Just as He secured the kingdom by delivering its people from their bondage, so we too are to be about His work of redemption, sharing the good news of salvation by faith in Him, for until the people are changed, our world never will be.
