REVELATION
SIMPLIFIED
CHAPTER 5.2
Gleanings
from the Book of Revelation:
A
Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series
The
REVELATION
TO JOHN
(The
Apocalypse)
Chapter
Five
(Verses
2-4)
And I
(John) saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud
voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
And no
man in Heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the
book, neither to look thereon.
And I
wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book,
neither to look thereon.
The Setting
Chapter 5 is of critical importance to the rest of
Revelation's contents. The scene continues in Heaven; the Throne, the elders,
and the living ones are still in view. God has a design for the universe and a
purposeful final plan for His people. Left unnoticed by the spectacular worship, on the peripheral, our attention is drawn to a dramatic high point as
the appearance of a scroll causes a climax to the storyline. Everything God
intended and is going to measure for this world is wrapped up in this
seven-sealed scroll, containing the secrets and impending events of the
following chapters.
And I (John) saw
a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice
The word here for strong in the Greek
language is ischuros (pronunciation is-khoo-ros'), meaning valiant, forcible, or powerful. Many commentators vary
in opinion as to who this strong angel may be. However, simply guided by the
text's literal interpretation, it is a
strong angel, one of many in the ranks of angels. Also, the phrase loud voice conveys the idea he is
screaming at the top of his lungs, exceedingly mighty, and fearfully loud, a
pronouncement that could be heard throughout the universe.
Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
In this sentence, we hear the angel's inquiry:
1. Who is able to open the scroll?
2. Who qualifies to break these seals?
3. Who are the worthy ones?
And no man in Heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was
able to open the book, neither to look thereon
After an extensive search, verse 3 informs there
was no man or created being found in the universe having the power or authority:
In heaven, neither on earth nor under the earth that was capable of being the
rightful heir able to open the sealed legal document, not even to look upon its
contents. No one had the right, no one had the might. All creation thus shrinks
in unworthiness in its ability to perform such a simple task of opening a
scroll.
And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to
read the book, neither to look thereon
For someone who is in this vision, endeavor to
understand John's emotions. Indicating the importance of its contents, a moment
of tremendous suspense and anxiety overwhelms him. John becomes so grieved he begins
wailing. Here, the idea of weeping is one of audible continuation, as opposed
to silently. He is therefore experiencing the anticipation of:
1. No redemption
2. No future
3. No closure
4. No Kingdom
5. No freedom from sin and death
6. No defeat of Satan
7. No eternity
The Story of Redemption
The Bible is a continuous story of God's plan of
redemption – Salvation through Jesus Christ. Beginning in Genesis, the crimson
thread of redemption runs throughout Scripture, culminating in the presentation
of Jesus, Israel's Messiah, in the New Testament and ending in the Book of
Revelation.
Definition
Cutting through all the theological jargon of the
doctrine, Redemption has two parts to its definition:
1. The action of gaining or regaining
possession of something lost in exchange for payment of a ransom or clearing a
debt -- to purchase back by paying a price -- or to be set
free. All creation will be redeemed at Christ's Second Coming.
The idea of redemption is
similar to green stamps; some may
remember. A person accumulated a certain number of stamps according to the total
or item purchased. A merchandise brochure indicated the number of stamps
required for a free item. Our gas points earned at the grocery stores today
work in a similar fashion. A person accrues points and once the requirement is
reached, that person holds in their possession something of value they can
redeem at a later date.
2. Secondly, redemption is an
act of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil. The finished work of
Jesus Christ on the cross, whereby the price for man's deliverance from sin was
fully paid or freed from the bondage of sin. He bought us at a price. Our souls
were hence redeemed at Calvary.
In The Beginning
God originally owned this world. He was its Author
and Creator. Genesis Chapters 1 and 2 chronicle the account of creation.
Genesis
1:31 – And
God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it
was very good.
The Psalms further corroborate God's ownership and
the work of creation:
Psalm 24:1
-A Psalm of
David. The earth is the LORD'S, and the
fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Psalm
89:11 - The heavens are
Thine, the
earth also is Thine: as for
the world and the fulness thereof, Thou hast
founded them.
Since the earth was the Lord's, it was His to give
as an inheritance. After God's creation, Adam and Eve, the creation's first
beneficiaries, were placed in a beautiful garden paradise God had provided. Like
their home, God transferred the original title deed of the property to them.
However, after they disobeyed God (the fall), subsequently they were expelled
from their land and thus forfeited their rightful inheritance to the usurper,
Satan. Since the fall, the kingdoms of this world and the world systems have
been under the control of the god of this world.
You recall when Satan tempted Jesus in the
wilderness he said:
Luke 4:5-7
- And the devil,
taking Him up into an high mountain, shewed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto Him, All this power will I
give thee, and the glory of them: for that is
delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will
I give it. If Thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be Thine.
In other words, if Jesus bowed down in worship to
Satan, the usurped inherited title deed would be transferred and released to
Jesus. If this had happened, perhaps no other chance would be provided for
man's sin. God's plan of redemption would then have been thwarted.
Redemption by Restoration
After being usurped by Satan, God recorded a plan
of how man and the earth would be redeemed. When God finally takes and regains
control of the earth, everything cursed, evil, or ungodly will be destroyed and
replaced by a theocratic government, a Kingdom on earth when He rules again.
The godly will rejoice for one thousand years. At
the final Great White Throne Judgment -- when all the books are opened -- and
everyone is judged, the believers will then enter into His new world, a new Heaven
and earth. The unbelievers consequently
will spend their eternity in Hell.
The Promise of Redemption - The First Gospel
The protoevangelium -- or first gospel -- begins the
battle of the seeds (between good and evil) and for the right of
inheritance:
Genesis
3:15 - And I
will put enmity between thee (the serpent) and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed;
it shall bruise thy (Satan's) head, and thou shalt bruise His (Jesus's) heel.
Upon examining this verse carefully, one discovers
a war will commence between the serpent who represents Satan and evil, and a man
who is good but has fallen under condemnation (cf. Romans 3:23) because of
disobedience to God's original command concerning the forbidden tree (cf.
Genesis 2:16-17). This verse is a prophetic promise of a coming Redeemer –
representing man -- The Messiah and Saviour Jesus Christ, the one who will
crush Satan's head, a precursor:
John 3:16 –17
- For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn
the world; but
that the world through Him might be saved.
God sent His son Jesus Christ (read Philippians 2:5-11),
who shed His divinity and put on human flesh to be the next of Kin to reclaim
the original inheritance lost to Adam. His victory at the Cross (having only a
bruised heel) over death and Satan (whose head was crushed), made Christ the
rightful heir. Presently, He is holding the points (so to speak) to be redeemed
at a future date.
Redemption is God's Grace
Creation is also a reminder of the grace of God.
Grace is something we are unable to achieve or accomplish on our merit. It is
God giving us something we neither earn nor deserve. Creation belongs to God,
and He gives the earth that belongs to Him for our enjoyment. The Psalmist brings
this to our attention:
Psalm
115:15-16 -
Ye are blessed of the LORD
which made heaven and earth. The Heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath He
given to the children of men.
The Lord desires in return, to remember and honor
Him for what He has done for us by worshipping Him on a day of rest set apart
for that sole purpose. In the Old Testament economy, creation was on Saturday –
The Sabbath. In the New Covenant (redemption), Sunday is the first day of the
week. On this day, we remember Him for His finished work on the Cross – The Resurrection
(victory over death and Satan).
Also, because of creation, the Levite priests set
this example: Nehemiah 9:5-6 - Then the Levites…said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God
for ever and ever: and blessed be Thy
glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. Thou, even Thou, art LORD alone; Thou hast made
heaven, the
Heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things
that are
therein, the seas, and all that is
therein, and Thou
preservest them all; and the host of Heaven worshippeth Thee.
The End Times Promise of Redemption
In Luke 21:5-36 and Matthew 24 (read), Jesus
identifies the approaching and warning signs of the end times on earth,
indicating the Lord's return is near.
Luke explains:
Luke 21:28
- And when
these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Every believer in history, Old and New Testament
saints, martyred believers, and those who survive the Tribulation will
participate in His glorious Second Coming.
Due to the length of the topical study of redemption,
it will be continued in the next lesson.
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the announcement in Heaven that is so
important?
2. What does worthy
mean in this passage?
3. Why is John crying?
4. In simple terms, define redemption.
5. To Whom does the Earth belong?
6. Why do you think the world was created?
7. Where do we presently stand in God's redemptive
plan?
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