Revelation 5:1-7 - The Lion and the Lamb

In these verses John was still beholding the throne room of God. Bear in mind that at this point, the heaven John witnessed was not the ultimate place where all saints will ultimately go. We need to know that what he saw was not just a collage of scenes to be enjoyed. Works have been going on. There is the need to rescue all creation from the danger of the deep rooted evil within it, which is continuously advancing. And there is the necessity to depose the powers that threaten to destroy God’s creation.

As John’s eyes were transfixed on the One who sits on the throne, he saw in His right hand a scroll with writings inside and outside and sealed with seven seals. The affixed seals indicate to us that the contents are valid, and not tampered with. The seven seals also highlight the importance of the content. The seals also tell us that the contents are hidden. While John could see the writing, he did not know the details of the message, until the seals were broken. What could the message of the sealed scroll be? It probably contain the secret plan of God to obliterate and halt the advancing world-destroying scheme, to install His plan to rescue the world, and put it back on the track that He had created it for.

A strong angel then came forward and proclaimed with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?” In saying that no one is found worthy to read it and to open the seals, shows us that John was realistic and he understood the deep-seated problems of the human race. We all know that God wants to rule His creation through human being who would obey Him. That was precisely His intention when He created Adam and Eve. He gave them the task. But they disobeyed and failed Him. God then raised the nation Israel with the hope to rescue His plan. He gave Israel the task to do so, but they too failed Him. These were major set-backs. Both Adam and Israel had failed. Who else is worthy to undo the scroll to execute God’s plan? In John’s assessment no one was worthy to do so, hence he broke down and wept uncontrollably.

Just then one of the elders told him to stop weeping for there is one who can do it. He is none other than the Messiah. Here He is referred to as the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David. We know these are Old Testament terms alluded to the Messiah of Israel. And here John said that He has overcome and won the victory and is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals. He can execute God’s plan. But as he heard the announcement that the Messiah can do it, what He saw was different. Instead of the Lion, what he saw was the lamb that was slain. Here we see the merging of the Lion and the Lamb. The implication is: the victory of the lion is secured through the sacrifice of the Lamb. Through this Messiah who was the Lamb that was slain, the victory of the Lion is secured. Through Him God conquers all forces of corruption and death and everything that would destroy God’s perfect creation.

Verse 6 tells us that the slain Lamb has seven horns and seven eyes referring to the Holy Spirit sent out to the world. This assures us that this Lion-Lamb is all powerful and all seeing. He has the right to take the scroll, break the seals and execute the plan. He truly is worthy of our worship. So let our praise continuously rise to the throne of God!