Learning About the Lamb of God, Part 5

I can boil down what we’ve been studying about the lamb of God to two key points.

1. The Passover lamb safeguarded Israel from the death of the firstborn throughout Egypt.
2. The cross of Christ allows for everyone (Jew and Gentile) to find refuge under His blood.

(Here are the links to posts one, two, three, and four.)

This would be a nice place to conclude the series, but I can’t leave out the book of Revelation since the word “lamb” shows up 30 times in it. That’s a lot!

Rather than treat each verse, I’ll focus on chapter five, which has four references. This chapter develops the notion of Jesus as the Lamb of God in ways we might not expect.

To make everything more manageable, I’ll break up the material into four sections.

1. The Scroll of Judgment

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. ²And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ³But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! 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.” – Revelation 5:1-5

John sees God the Father sitting on His heavenly throne. God rules His creation; He’s not indifferent to what takes place within it. And at this stage of the book of Revelation, the time for judgment is at hand.

The Lord is holding a scroll which is full of text, but John can’t read it. The document is rolled up and bound by seven seals. It appears to be the time to read the contents, but no one is qualified to do so.

John breaks down at this setback, but one of the heavenly beings, an elder, encourages him. Someone indeed fits the bill.

The Lion of the tribe of Judah. This designation hearkens to one of the blessings the patriarch Jacob spoke to his sons before he died.

“You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness–who dares to rouse him? ¹⁰The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.” – Genesis 49:9-10

This prophecy accentuates rulership and governance. Fulfilled in Christ, it declares His authority over the world.

Just the kind of statement Christians suffering persecution would benefit from hearing.

But the elder isn’t finished. The qualified One is also identified as the Root of David. This phrase draws from the prophet Isaiah, but with a twist.

“In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to Him, and His resting place will be glorious.” – Isaiah 11:10

Like the previous passage, this verse speaks of royalty. But Revelation replaces “Jesse” with “David.” I suspect this substitution emphasizes the majesty of Jesus because while David was a king, his father Jesse wasn’t.

Now what about the scroll?

This appears to derive from the commission of the prophet Ezekiel.

“Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, ¹⁰which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.” – Ezekiel 2:9-10

God called Ezekiel to pronounce judgment to His people for their lack of repentance. If the scroll in Revelation 5 is similar, it too will be one of judgment.

2. The Lamb Is Worthy

“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷He went and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.” – Revelation 5:6-7

Now we get to the Lamb!

And this is no ordinary sheep!  Seven eyes and seven horns? It’s, well, unusual!

But the symbolism isn’t difficult to grasp. Eyes represent vision, and since they’re tied to “the seven spirits of God,” these must be the means through which Jesus sees human behavior. Horns in the Bible refer to power and authority. So this Lamb knows what’s going on in the world and has the ability to deal with it.

If the Lamb is going to judge humanity, no one will escape. There would be no hope of forgiveness and salvation. But John describes the Lamb “as if it had been slain.” This refers to Christ’s death on the cross. The One who will judge the world died for it first. He wants to save people!

3. The Purchase of a People

And when He had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. ⁹And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. ¹⁰You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” – Revelation 5:8-10

Next, John relates the Lamb to His followers. This passage begins and ends with descriptions of those who belong to Him. And as judgment is about to begin, the apostle distinguishes God’s people from the world. We Christians hail from every corner of the globe, but our loyalty lies with Jesus. He paid the price of our deliverance from the bondage we suffered and caused. Through Christ’s sacrifice, we are now part of God’s family. We are His kingdom. We serve Him as priests. Our lives have meaning and fulfillment because of what the Lamb of God has done for us.

For all these reasons, heaven regards Jesus as having earned the right to judge. He gave His all, and those who reject His offer and persecute His people have only themselves to blame for the consequences.

4. The Worship of the Lamb

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. ¹²In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” ¹³Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” ¹⁴The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. – Revelation 5:11-14

Following the declaration of Christ’s suitability, angels flock to the scene to begin praising Him. They don’t bemoan the negative aspects of judgment; instead, the angels celebrate the fruit Jesus deserves to reap. What the world denied Him, heaven ascribes to Him.

The judgment will set things right; a world gone wrong will once again conform to God’s will in all its splendor and glory. And at the center of it all will be the Lamb of God who made such restoration possible.

Let’s always and forever honor Jesus our Savior. The Lamb is our Lord!