Title The Glorious Lamb / Revelation 5:8-14
(Explanation of Revelation 17)
The glorified Lamb / Revelation 5:8-14
[Chapter 5] is the record of the Lamb who appears as the Lord of Judgment. Jesus, the Lamb who has the power of judgment, takes from the right hand of God who is seated on the throne the sealed book of what will happen in the future. Jesus does what no one else can do. The four living creatures and the 24 elders who witnessed this scene all give worship, glory, and praise to the Lamb. Today, we will share grace through the image of the Lamb who is glorified.
Lamb as the object of worship
[8] “And when he had taken the book, 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.” It has been entrusted with God's authority. Then the four living creatures and the 24 elders all bowed down before the Lamb, praising and worshiping his authority and power. Whether it be the four spirit creatures or the 24 elders who are representatives of the people of heaven, all must praise the Lord. In this worship, there is humility to bow down, there is thanksgiving and praise, and there is prayer.
“The harp” is a traditional string instrument used by the Israelites when praising God (14:2, Psalm 33:2, 98:5), and is a direct word used when referring to hymns. The Lamb is worthy to be praised with God. “Incense in the golden bowl” refers to the prayers of the saints, and it can also be interpreted as a prayer that the church on earth has been praying for. To offer prayer to the Lamb in this verse is to say that Christ, the Lamb, is the mediator of the saints.
[9] “They sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the book and to open its seals. For you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God a new song of men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” is an expression that appears frequently in the Psalms (Psalm 33:3, 40:3). It is a new song in terms of quality rather than time. It is a song about the new consummation of salvation achieved through the sacrificial work of Christ. In [Chapter 4] God was praised for the work of creation, and here the Lamb is praised for the work of redemption. The sacrifice of the redemptive blood makes the Lamb worthy of the sealing of the book. Praise be to his dying early in history to save all mankind.
His death is for “every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” He died for the universal humanity. “Bought it with your blood and offered it to God.” Mankind, who had no choice but to die, lived at the price of his sacrifice. Therefore, the saints who are redeemed by the blood of Christ are God's people and belong to God.
[10] The praise continues, “You have made them a kingdom and priests before our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Here we see the hope of a Christian community that will reign with Christ. The phrase “made a priest” means that we can come directly to God with boldness through the redemptive blood of Christ. The kingship means that we are participating in the present in anticipation of the complete kingship in the ‘future present’.
praise of angels
[11-12] “And I saw and heard the voices of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; You are worthy to receive honor and glory and praise.” The Lamb is now praised by the angels. It means the expansion of praise. “Thousands and thousands of thousands” [Daniel 7:10] refers to the multitude praising the Lamb that cannot be counted. It is the praise of a loud voice, and the subject of the praise is the high virtue of the Lamb.
As the content of praise from numerous angels, the content of this praise is also directed to God in [verse 13] and [Revelation 7:12]. This indicates that God and the Lamb are one and the same. There are six contents of praise.
1. Ability
By the supernatural power of God, we also belong to Christ. Christ is the very power of God. [1 Corinthians 1:24] “But to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
2. Wealth
This represents the fullness of God. It also belongs to God. [Proverbs 8:18] “Rich and riches are with me, and so are the riches and the intentions.” It also belongs to Christ. [2 Corinthians 8:9] “And you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.”
3. Wisdom
Christ is the wisdom of God. [1 Corinthians 1:24] “But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.” [Colossians 1:9] “For this reason we also, from the day we heard it, have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may fill your spiritual wisdom and understanding with the knowledge of the will of God.”
4. Power
This is the outward manifestation of 'power' and refers to the power to destroy evil or the adversary.
5. Honor and Glory
Christ was fundamentally equal to God, possessing honor and glory, but came to the world in the form of a servant, descended into a low position, and received honor and glory through the cross and resurrection. [Hebrews 2:9] “But we saw Jesus, whom we had been made lower than the angels for a little while, who suffered death, crowned with glory and honor, doing this by the grace of God to death for all to see”
These six things well represent the nature and nature of Christ. It can be called the confessional praise of angels and saints. It says that Christ is worthy to receive the praise of all creatures equally as God.
praise of all creation
[13] “And I heard all that is 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.” It is the praise of Christ who has accomplished the redemption of the entire universe to which all things belong as a response to the praise of all creation. It shows the response of all things in the universe to Christ's redemption. The person who is praising may change, but the one who will be praised is Jesus, the Lamb. It is the Lamb that was slain, but here we praise the Lamb who sits on the throne. He is the king of victory, the king of kings, and the lord of lords.
[verse 14] “The four living creatures said, Amen, and the elders fell down and worshiped.” Again, in response to the hymn of creation, the four living creatures and the elders end the heavenly hymn with Amen and worship. The four living creatures answered the six hymns of [verse 12] and the three hymns of [verse 13], Amen. We agree that it is natural for the Lamb to open the book, which means that it is natural for him to be praised.
Dear saints,
Jesus, the Lamb, deserves praise and glory. Worship is not for me, but for the Lord. Worship is an act of giving praise, glory, and honor to the Lord. I believe that we should become saints who strive to realize the example of heavenly worship that we learned today on this earth.