If you spend any time meditating on this chapter, you are sure to come away encouraged.
There are several huge statements being made here. First of all, God the Father is holding a scroll that He apparently cannot(or will not) open. Hello. That’s huge. The next time someone asks you “is there anything God can’t do?” you can say “Yes, he cannot remember my sins once they are forgiven, and He cannot open the scroll in heaven”. Of course, that’s one person of the Trinity, the Father who doesn’t open it. Actually God will open the scroll….God the Son.
This chapter tells us that there was no way for man to be saved unless the Son opens the scroll. Once the scroll is opened, history unfolds. And yet, the Son has already offered his life as sacrifice when He opens the scroll. Don’t think about it too long, it WILL fry your brain. Time isn’t the same in heaven as it is on earth.
What’s significant: The slain lamb (Jesus) stands between the throne and the 4 beings. Now, the throne is the center of heaven and the 4 beings surround the altar, so what the author is saying is that “Jesus is standing right in front of the throne…close to the throne”. In fact, He is so close that he reaches out and takes the scroll out of the Father’s hand. Jesus moves to the center with the Father. Just think about what that says about Jesus for a minute.
Jesus takes something from the Father…who releases it to Him. This is authority and privilege. The comment about 7 horns and 7 eyes underscores the point…horns stand for power and eyes stand for awareness. Jesus has perfect power and is present and aware in all places. All powerful (Omnipotent) and all knowing (Omniscient) and ever present (Omnipresent). The sevenfold Spirit is given credit for all of these attributes, and that is a great picture of the Trinity. The Father is on the throne, the Son is receiving the scroll and His description is the Holy Spirit. The three truly are one.
How come Jesus is allowed to walk to the center of heaven and take the scroll and open the seals? What gives Him the right to do that? It’s because He was crucified, offered as a sacrifice for our sins. That’s why He is described as a “slain lamb”, which is a reference of course to the sin sacrifice that the Israelite priests offered. Remember the words of John the Baptist when Jesus appeared? “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”. Remember the words of the prophets “like a lamb before the shearers is silent, He didn’t open His mouth” Isaiah 53. Jesus is the Lamb, the Lamb who was slain, who takes away sin. On earth the sacrifice appears weak…but in heaven He is now filled with incredible power. That would be very encouraging to a people who were being persecuted.
Hey, never mind them….that’s encouraging to me.
Encouraged,
PR