The Slaughtered Lamb Who Conquered

Let's pray together, shall we? Father now as we look into your word we pray that you'd accept our worship of listening as we seek to understand something more of the Lord Jesus Father in this era of changed times in this all that's going on I pray that you would help us to realize that our King is the one who has already conquered our King is the one who is sovereign over all and that all that is going on is happening under the authority of the King, the Lord Jesus. Help us to gain a picture, to grasp his authority and his lordship this morning as we look into your word. guide now our thinking we pray for your glory in jesus name amen whole crowds of pilgrims enthusiastically declared jesus their king and sovereign on that very first palm sunday so many centuries ago there must have been hundreds if not thousands of them declaring that he was worthy of their praise even the children ran through the temple precincts shouting, Hosanna to the Son of David, and by that declaring Jesus King.

Jesus is indeed the King. He is the Son of David. And in our text this morning, we see Jesus again receiving adoration and praise, but not just from people. This time we see him praised and adored in the actual throne room of God. Now last week as we looked at Revelation chapter 4 you witnessed the magnificent display of our God sitting on his throne The elders and creatures have declared him holy and sovereign in the actions and in their praises The glory of his holiness and sovereignty shine forth from his throne, which has, by his sovereignty, calmed the restless chaos of evil.

It is from this throne that all judgment and deliverance will proceed in this cosmic drama. And now we return to that throne room and we see something else. You follow as I read Revelation chapter 5. then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back sealed with seven seals and I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals and no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.

And I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, Weep no more. Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. 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 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 24 elders fell down before the lamb each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

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 Then I looked and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them, saying, To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever. And the four living creatures said, Amen.

And the elders fell down and worshipped. We see again this holy God who exercises sovereignty, sitting on his throne, surrounded by the elders and the cherubims. Yet something catches our eye, the intensity of glory, and in the echoes of praise, we fail to see the scroll. There in God's right hand is a scroll with writing on the front and the back. And along the edge, as it's rolled up, along the edge you see seven seals, preventing the scroll from unrolling and preventing anyone from opening it and seeing its contents.

Now you remember in the ancient world documents were sealed with a wax seal. That is, there would be a drip of wax put on it and then a stamp on that wax, which represented the author's insignia, which was the author's insignia, and was a token of the authenticity of that document. A sealed scroll could not be read until the seals were broken. But since the seals symbolized the owner's authority, it could not be broken without his authorization.

Now John knows what that scroll is. It's the scroll containing the purposes of God to be carried out in the midst of all that is coming against the congregations, the seven congregations that is just mentioned in the second and third chapter. It also his purposes for the people on this planet the judgments of war and plague and famine such a scroll contained the purposes of God in judgment and deliverance Now let's look back at the prophet Ezekiel.

Remember that most of the symbolism that you see in the book of Revelation comes from the Old Testament. So if you know these Old Testament passages, you know kind of what the symbols represent. So let's look at Ezekiel chapter 2. Here's the scroll. Ezekiel 2, beginning in verse 8. But you, son of man, that's the prophet Ezekiel, hear what I say to you.

Be not rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I give you. And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. And he spread it before me, and it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning, And, whoa, the scroll given to Ezekiel contained words of lament over the judgments that were to come.

And so we expect this scroll here in the book of Revelation to have the same thing. Judgments on wickedness and the deliverance of his people. You see the same thing, for example, in Daniel. Turn to Daniel chapter 7. Daniel 7 this marvelous vision of the Son of Man who reigns and in Daniel 7 verse 10 it says a stream of fire issued and came out from before him and a thousand thousands served him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the court sat in judgment and the books or the scrolls were opened Again, a book or scroll is opened in the throne room of God for the purposes of judgment.

Now, whoever opens this scroll not only reveals its contents, but is also the one authorized to carry out its edicts or its decrees. John and all those present knows that someone must approach the throne, unveil God's decisive purposes and carry them out. Whoever gets that scroll and has the authority to open it, not only reveals what's in it, but has the authority to carry out what's written. in it.

In the chaos and confusion in the world, in the persecution and seduction of the churches, in the wars and plagues and famines of earth, there is an ordered plan of judgment and deliverance. But who will reveal and execute that plan? The sound of a herald rings out. The voice of a powerful angel reaching every corner of the universe now rings out. Who is worthy to open the scroll and break the seals?

Now the question is not merely who is worthy to unveil the plan of God. The question is who is worthy to carry out the plan of God? Who has the right to receive from the Father's hand, all authority in heaven and earth to execute the decrees of God. That's what the question is. And so the voice goes to all corners of the universe, who is worthy to open the scroll?

And the universe responds, as our text says, with deafening silence. No one in all of the universe is worthy to receive that scroll no one is able to shoulder the responsibility of that now what happens what happens look at verse four and i began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it john begins to weep his sobs rack his frame with loud, uncontrollable weeping. You see, John, if we look at the first part of this book, in chapters 2 and 3, where he describes the churches, John has seen the dire needs of Christ's congregations.

He has seen their suffering. He has seen their compromise. He has witnessed the evil as it oppresses the church, the people of God, and evil in its more subtle forms, corrupting them. And now it appears that the scroll's seals cannot be broken and that God glorious plan will not be executed This means that for him history will not be governed in the interest and for the good of God people his church That God's children will have no protection in the hours of bitter trial.

That there will be no judgments upon a persecuting world. No triumph for believers. No sense to the events unfolding on planet earth. this is the darkness of utter hopelessness and this is why john weeps no one can open this scroll no one is worthy to execute the plans of god what's going to happen now what's going to happen to us listen that's the question this morning what's going to happen to us in all this is there no one worthy to execute the plan of god are we lost in the chaos of this pandemic is the church of christ left to be floating along in persecution are we going to be left open to the seduction of the world this is why john weeps by the way this is too often the attitude that most that many of the people of god have they act as if there's hopeless hopelessness but John he is in the darkness of utter hopelessness because there is no one who will execute God's sovereign purposes is there no one but now we see as we keep reading the text we see the one worthy to execute God's sovereign purposes read with me in verses five through seven look at the beauty of this and one of the elders said to me weep no more behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.

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 world. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. See the one worthy to execute God's sovereign purposes.

Suddenly, like a floodlight turned on in the darkness, hope bursts upon the Apostle John as one of those elders says to him weep no more for there is one who has conquered And because of that he has the right and the ability to reveal and execute God plan He is the lion of the tribe of Judah the root of David Now what he referring to? Well first of all let's look at the lion of the tribe of Judah way way way back in Genesis. Way back in Genesis.

And here we come to the story of Jacob blessing his sons. Genesis chapter 49. He blesses all his sons. And when he comes to his son Judah, this is what Jacob says. Verse 8. Genesis 49 verse 8.

Judah your brothers shall praise you your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies your father's son shall bow down before you Judah is a lion's cub from the prey my son you have gone up he stooped down he crouched as a lion and as a lioness who dares rouse him the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Judah will produce a king from his line, a king that will not only have the obedience of his brothers, but notice what Jacob says, he will have the obedience of the peoples, that is, he will have the obedience of nations, will bow down before this king. He'll be like a lion or a lioness, a powerful creature that no one dares to resist.

This lion-like ruler of great power surely has conquered, and he is worthy to open the seals. And then the root of David, we find this as a, this is an allusion to Isaiah chapter 11. Isaiah chapter 11. Turn there with me, Let's look at the first 10 verses of this chapter. Isaiah 11. Therefore shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord He shall not judge by what his eyes see or decide disputes by what his ears hear In other words he won be manipulated by what he sees and he won be manipulated by what he hears. He will not judge on that basis.

He will judge with righteousness. He shall judge the poor, verse 4, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. And he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together, and the little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

In that day the root of Jesse who shall stand as a signal for the peoples of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. You see, from the stump of the conquered people of Israel, a great conqueror will come. Look at this magnificent rain that comes out of the stump, this root of David. You see all the things described of him, all the wonderful things that come because of his reign and his rule, all this happening over the entire world, the curse reversed, all of it.

The ensuing verses then describe a powerful conquering monarch. It is this powerful lion, this mighty monarch who has conquered, and he is the one who can execute both judgment and deliverance. It is this one, this lion, who is able, who is qualified to open that scroll. And so John, his heart soaring, no doubt, looks up from his weeping, and he expects to see what?

A lion, right? He expects to see a lion. But instead, standing near the throne between the elders and creatures is a lamb that looks mutilated, is a lamb that looks like it has been slaughtered. Now, don't miss this. He's cried out. Who is worthy to unveil the plan of God?

Who is worthy to execute the decrees of God? And the elder says to him, well, it's the Lion of Judah. And he looks up, if you can imagine, he looks up from his weeping, expecting to see a lion. And what does he see? A mangled lamb standing near the throne. Isn't that amazing?

It looks like it's been slaughtered for sacrifice. but unlike any other sacrificial lamb it has the appearance not only of being slaughtered but of power for one thing it has seven horns now again remind let me remind you revelation does not give us photographs it gives us symbols all right if you take the book of revelation literally you'll miss the point is there really a mangled lamb with seven horns standing next to the throne of god no it represents jesus first of all it has seven horns now a horn represents strength in psalm 18 verses 1 and 2 we read this i love you O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. See, horn represents strength.

A horn can also represent powerful kings or nations, as it often does in the Bible's apocalyptic literature, this highly symbolic literature. For example, in Daniel 7, verse 24, as for the ten horns out of this kingdom, ten kings shall arise. In other words, we see there that ten horns represent ten kings, powerful people. These horns portray the supreme power of the Lamb.

It's the visual equivalent of what we saw in the last chapter, verse 8, where God is called the Lord God Almighty. It's the visual equivalent of Almighty. The Lamb also possesses seven eyes, again representing the Holy Spirit sent out into all the earth. And so this Lamb like God is not only powerful this Lamb is also omniscient The lamb has all power and all knowledge extending to the earth farthest corner Now here's the point you should not miss, and here is what you need to see.

Here, again, listen carefully. What is John trying to tell us here? Note, don't miss this, the lion who cannot be resisted, the monarch who is so powerful and who achieves final victory, overcomes and conquers by the apparent defeat of death. That is, this overwhelming lion-like monarch who is all-powerful has achieved his power by the apparent defeat of death being visited on him.

He's slaughtered, right? The apparent defeat of being killed. the messiah conquered not as a lion not as an irresistible monarch but as a lamb hauled off to be sacrificed he appeared powerless but he fulfills these powerful prophecies by dying and so this apparently powerless victim approaches god to take the scroll this apparently powerless victim comes to God to reveal and execute the decrees and the plan of God. Now look, this is the true reality.

The heavenly perspective of the road to victory. Don't miss this. He wins by dying. That's heaven's perspective. It's totally different than ours. This great lion, this irresistible monarch, conquers by death.

Oh, listen, we need to understand that. Heaven's perspective is so different than ours. We see victory as ramping up accumulating political power too often Accumulating political power in order to accomplish great things And God says, that's not my perspective. Victory comes through death. To the world it looks like losing, to God it's victory. And by the way, you'll see that all the way through the book of Revelation.

You'll see that all the way through. for example in chapter 12 who are the victors the one who die for the name of the lord jesus the world looks at them and says losers look at they're dying for this whoever this guy christ is and yet god calls them victors same thing here the king this irresistible monarch starts his march to victory by his death he appears the one who approaches the throne With the authority and the power to execute God's decrees, the one who approaches the throne to take that scroll looks like a victim. Right? Isn't that amazing?

And so, praise the one worthy to execute God's sovereign purposes. Verses 8-12. And when he, that is the slaughtered lamb, And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 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 priest to our God and they shall reign on the earth. Then I looked and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. you see now as the lamb reaches out to take the scroll praises erupt from the creatures and the elders as they fall down before the lamb they praise the one who has won the victory they praise him with the confidence that this slain lamb has the power to impose justice on the wickedness of the earth You see the elders have in their hands bowls of incense, which he identifies as the prayers of the saints. Look with me at chapter six for a moment.

Okay, so they're standing there with these bowls of incense. These are the prayers of the saints. They are saying, here are the prayers of the saints. You have power to execute justice. What are the prayers of the saints? Look at chapter 6, verses 9 through 11.

When he opened the fifth seal, and by the way, when we come to chapter 6 in our little mini-series here, we're going to see what these seals represent. Here's one. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, O sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?

Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. So here's the prayers of the saints. Look at chapter 8. Jump over to chapter 8, beginning in verse 1. When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.

These prayers are those of the saints suffering, calling on God to defend his reputation for justice by judging the persecutors of his people. And he will vindicate his people. And so the elders recognize this lamb as the one who can see that justice is done. And they bring the prayers of the saints where? To him. They're bringing the prayers of the saints to the lamb.

He is the powerful one who will execute the justice of God against those who persecute the people of God. And those elders also hold harps or lyres ready to accompany the heavenly chorus in a new song. Just like the children of Israel, right after the Exodus, sang the song of Moses, they sang the song of rejoicing. And so this chorus prepares to sing the new song to their deliverer.

And so here's the Lamb revealed, and now they bring to Him the prayers of the saints and a song of deliverance. Out of their mouths then comes this affirmation that this one is worthy. this lamb does have the right and the ability to open the scroll and to carry out the purposes of god the judgments of god he is worthy because by the violent death visited on him he redeemed the people from all over the world here's the victory of the lamb here's the victory of the lamb by his death he purchased a people what a powerful conquering death this is now i wonder what would happen anywhere even in this town if i was murdered what do you think would happen any great things no no but with the murder of jesus he conquers what does he do he purchases a people he redeems a people by your blood you ransomed people for god now please note jesus did not make salvation possible because he actually purchased a group of people for god his death did not make salvation possible his his death made it certain for the people he died for you see because of the death of jesus the gospel goes out to every tribe every nation every tongue and it successfully calls the people out to give their allegiance to the true and the living god because they have already been ransomed and purchased from the power of sin, Satan, the world, and self. There is a people already purchased by God or purchased by this lamb for God.

They have been purchased at the cross. And because of his death because of his death the gospel conquers hard sinners That why we can be confident when we take the gospel because there is a people out there who have been purchased by the lamb and they will respond his death will be victorious and so he is worthy because he's ransomed the people for god he is worthy because by his death he constitutes those conquered into a kingdom and priests we those of us who have been purchased by the lamb are a kingdom and we exhibit to the nations the glorious rule of god over us even when we are suffering and oppressed we show the world the rule of God in our hearts. We show the world the rule of God over all of His people.

We show the world the joyful submission that comes. We are that kingdom. We are under the authority of this king. We show the world that. We are priests. I'm reminded of Romans chapter 15, verse 16.

I love this passage. This is the Apostle Paul writing about his ministry. Here's what he says. We are ministers of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. You see what he's saying? He says, we're like priests.

And you know how the priest would take an offering and offer it to God? He says, I preach the gospel. People are saved and I offer them to God, right? I'm a priest that takes those people sanctified by the Spirit and I offer them to God. We serve in the capacity in that capacity and submission to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we offer people to God.

We offer those who come to Christ, to God. We display the glory of God's rule. We are a kingdom and we are priests. And notice, and we will reign. Again, this is heaven's perspective to the world we look like a bunch of losers. But heaven's perspective is we are a kingdom and someday we will reign Those who are oppressed and persecuted will be the ones who rule The Lamb has conquered by His death and He is worthy to take the scroll.

Now John looks up, and he sees thousands upon thousands upon thousands upon thousands of angels appearing and starting to approach the throne. There is a thunderous volume of song, like 10,000 Mormon tabernacle choirs as these angels joined the creatures and the elders. When I was in college, I was in a singing group and we'd go on tour and Beck and I were both in that singing group and we were in New York, singing in churches in New York and one day we went to Niagara Falls.

And Beck and I went to that one place that they have, it's like the cave underneath the falls. You can come into this cave and actually see the water coming down. And it was thunderous. The water coming down, Niagara Falls coming down, it was just absolutely thunderous that you can't even hear one another talk. Right? Imagine standing there and instead of the roar of water, you hear a roar of beautiful music.

And they too, all these thousands upon thousands upon thousands of angels, affirm the worthiness of the lamb who has conquered he is worthy to receive power wealth wisdom might honor glory and blessing what does it mean to receive it means to receive that he receives it because that's what happens when he takes the scroll when he takes the scroll he receives the scroll of god's plan and it is the scroll of power and wealth and wisdom might honor, glory, and blessing. That's what's in that scroll, and he receives it. Finally, John tells us to praise the one on the throne and the one worthy to execute God's plan.

Verses 13 and 14. And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them saying, to him who sits on the throne and to the land be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever. And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the elders fell down and worshiped John is stunned as every single creature in the universe joins the praises of the heavenly choir They praise Jesus and the Father who sits on the throne.

They say that we all should ascribe to God blessing, honor, glory, and might. And we ought to do it forever. Now this climactic praise service prefigures the day when every creature, both willing and unwilling, will praise the Father and the Son. It began, notice this, I want you to notice how the praise keeps growing. In chapter 4 it began with the four creatures praising God for his holiness and his sovereignty. and then the 24 elders bring their praise to the throne of God that's chapter 4 and then we see that the 4 and the 24 join in praising the conquering redemption of the Lamb that is followed by those 28 joined by the countless angels praising the Lamb for his redemptive purposes and finally every creature in the universe including the four creatures the 24 elders, all the angels and then the rest of every creature in the universe praise both the sovereignty that God the Father and God the Son exercise in creation and redemption both God and the Lamb are sovereign over this earth and so this Palm Sunday we see what? we see that this lamb who was slaughtered is really the one who has the power and the authority the right and the ability to unveil and to execute the plan and the purpose of God what is the heavenly perspective we have to gain right now? here it is we can look to heaven and see the sovereignty of our God he is sovereign the Father is sovereign for he has created all things he is holy and almighty the lamb is sovereign because his conquering death overcomes the power of sin purchased a people for God.

And so we can say to the Father, worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they exist and were created. And to the Lamb, worthy are you to take the scrolls and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed a people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priest to our God, and they shall reign on the earth. Let's pray.

Father, at this time, as we come, as we stand in your very presence right now, as all of us together now, even though we're apart, all of us together stand in the very throne room of God by prayer, we praise and honor you. because you because you have created everything and by your will they exist You are sovereign over all As we come into this throne room we praise you O Lamb because you are worthy to execute the plan of God. You have the authority of God himself to do all that he has planned. And we thank you.

Father, now we pray that we would end our worship thinking of the sovereignty of our Father and the worthiness of the Lamb who has conquered. Thank you for this King, our Lord Jesus, who by His apparent defeat has actually won the victory of God. Help us to get heaven's perspective. help us to see Jesus as Lord and King thank you in Jesus name Amen