Revelation 5:6-14

Before moving on, I want to back up and point out something about the scroll in God's right hand. In Zechariah 5:1-4 we see something similar to Revelation 5:1-5, with insight into what this scroll might mean — and why John might be weeping. The flying scroll there represents a curse, a judgment, a purging, a cleansing. This makes sense given what comes forth as Jesus opens it. The scroll sounds like the authority, will, and orders from the Father for Christ to mete out his righteous vengeance and justice in the world (Deuteronomy 32:35, 41).¶

The Lamb who was slain¶

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.

2 Corinthians 5:16 (ESV)¶

John now sees Jesus — but not as he once knew him. He sees him the way John the Baptist saw him: "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). John is seeing Christ as the Lamb that was slain, not as a man that was murdered. He is seeing the full substance of every shadow from the Old Testament — all the symbolism and typology and foreshadowing, from the covering of animal skins God gave Adam and Eve, to the ram caught in the thicket instead of Isaac, to the blood on the doorposts in Exodus, to the sacrifices from that time forward. Jesus is the Lamb of God.¶

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

Revelation 5:6 (ESV)¶

Seven horns, seven eyes¶

Jesus as the Lamb has features earthly lambs do not. Seven horns: the first time "horns" appears in Scripture is when Abraham was stopped from sacrificing Isaac and God provided a ram caught by its horns. The only other place we see seven horns is when the priests carried seven ram's-horn trumpets around Jericho — Israel's first battle in the promised land, which the Lord gave into their hands. Horns represent strength, might, and all authority and power (Matthew 28:18). The seven eyes are the seven spirits of God — Jesus knows the mind of God and the mind of man, God's heart and man's heart (Jeremiah 17:10; 1 Corinthians 2:9-11). Christ the Lamb, who has all authority and the fullness of God's Spirit, is about to take the scroll and open its seals.¶

And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Revelation 5:7-8 (ESV)¶

I am convicted that I know who Christ is and love him for what he has done, yet I often forget to fall down and worship him. I pray we would grow in our hunger to worship our Savior — not just singing songs of praise, but falling down before him in adoration and humility. These heavenly beings model it: they fall down (humility), they have harps (praise), and they have bowls of prayers (prayer). Thank God my salvation is not based on these things, but on Christ alone — yet I desire to worship the Lord more in this way.¶

A new song — made to reign¶

And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."

Revelation 5:9-10 (ESV)¶

God has made us to reign, to rule. This reminds me of what Peter teaches about the coming of the Lord:¶

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God... But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.

2 Peter 3:11-14 (ESV)¶

Holiness and godliness — without spot or blemish, and at peace. This is what Christ desires to make us into. Let us let him search us, know us, and change us — surrendering to the Savior in everything, to prepare us not only to reign one day but for the work we have now to do.¶