Text: Revelation 5

Topic: Who alone is worthy to carry out God's final redemption and judgment?

• Revelation 4 sets up the drama of Revelation 5, showing God in his glory.

The first scene: The scroll of God's purposes is sealed.

• This particular scroll contains God's purposes for redemption and condemnation.
• This scroll had seven seals that had to be broken to bring God's purposes.

The second scene: Who is worthy to open the scroll? (5:2).

• God's challenge: "Who has rank so exalted? Who has a life so perfect and holy?"

The third scene: No one in heaven or earth could open it (5:3).

• No angel, no created being, no human being, no creature, no spirit, no one can open the scroll.

The fourth scene: John weeps because none could open it (5:4).

• If no one can open the scroll, none of God's purposes will come to pass.
• John represents a church that's been persecuted; was their suffering for nothing?
• John understood that if God's purposes fail, then all of life is meaningless.

The fifth scene: The Lamb is worthy to open the scroll (5:56).

• The Lion of Judah and the Lamb are the same.
• The elder says the Lion has "triumphed," meaning prevailed in a struggle.
• The Lamb looks as if he'd been slain, as if he'd been offered up in sacrifice.
• The Lamb has seven horns (signifying power) and seven eyes (omniscience).

The sixth scene: The hosts of heaven worship the Lamb (5:714).

• From here on, most references to God also include references to the Lamb.
• The praise begins because God's purposes will be fulfilled; God's way will win.
• The angels sing a new song of redemption, because Christ has opened the seals.
• If Christ hadn't died, then all of God's purposes in redemption would have failed.

• Because of Christ the Lamb, we know that God's purposes will be fulfilled.