The Scroll

“Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Revelation 5:5 (NLT)

I was thinking of doing a special blog this week concerning Easter and all of its significance and meaning but God intervened and placed Revelation chapter five in my way. In reality I couldn’t have asked for a better topic to discuss than Revelation chapter five because it has great parallels with the celebration that happened yesterday. Easter is all about Christ and His magnificence and so is Revelation chapter five. Easter has to do with the incredible victory that Jesus has given us and the same could be said about Revelation chapter five. Because of Who and what we celebrate on Easter we participate in a victorious triumph that will extend into eternity and as we see in Revelation chapter five the worthiness of Jesus and His conquering over death was what made Him the only one that could make those eternal promises to us in addition to being the only one that could open the mysterious scroll.

So far in this astonishing book we have moved from John briefly telling us the circumstances that led to the writing of this book; to Jesus giving a special message to His churches; to the wonderful throne room of God to personally witness, through John’s testimony, God Almighty on His throne and all of heavens inhabitants worshiping Him. Now in chapter five we are presented with a description of God sitting on His throne with a scroll in His hand.

In the time period that this book was written books were written on scrolls that were rolled up and sealed with wax or clay. This particular scroll happens to contain the full description and explanation of what God intends to do with His creation. It is sealed not once but seven times and these seals are located throughout the scroll so that you could only unroll it a certain length before having to break the next seal. The problem is that nobody was found worthy of opening this important scroll. No one in heaven, no one on earth, and no one under the earth was found credible enough to open the scroll and read it. John begins to cry, but wait, there is someone! One of the elders (who some interpret as being representative of the redeemed people of God) says that Jesus, and only Jesus, is worthy of opening this scroll.

Jesus was worthy because He lived a perfect life of obedience, dying on the cross for the sins of you and I, and rising from the dead which we celebrated yesterday. By Jesus rising from the dead He exhibited His control over sin, death, hell, and Satan himself. Because of this only Jesus can be trusted with the future of creation. Since Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world, only He can save us from the terrible things that are about to be revealed in the scroll.

Next it gets kinda weird. One of the elders tells John to look at the Lion of Judah and when John looks he sees a lamb. As John glances at the lamb he can still see the wounds that were afflicted on Jesus’ body during His trial and crucifixion. But in addition to looking as it “had been slaughtered” this lamb also had seven horns and seven eyes (seven is considered to be the number of God, holy and perfect. It is used over seven hundred times in the Bible and 54 of them are in the book of Revelation alone).

The seven horns, as they are throughout the scriptures, are a symbol of power. You see, although Jesus was the lamb that was slaughtered, He in no way was weak. He chose the path that led to His death because He knew that was the only way to rescue us. He was not weak. He could have got down off of that cross at any time. But He didn’t.

The seven eyes represent the Spirit of God that goes throughout the entire earth. This is the same Spirit that gives us power to live the life that Jesus wants us to live. As it says in Zechariah 4:6 “Not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit”. It is only through the mighty Spirit of God that anything of lasting value is achieved.

This Lamb steps forward and takes the scroll from the right hand of God. As He did this all the inhabitants of heaven fell down and worshipped Him. They sing to Him of how His blood ransomed His people from every tribe and every nation on earth. Because of His shed blood those that believe in Him and place their faith in Him will forever be priests of God and they will reign forever. “Worthy is the Lamb”, they sing. Worthy indeed.

This powerful Lamb whose Spirit is the source of strength in which it goes forth over the whole earth is the only one worthy of taking the scroll from God’s hand and opening it. This Lamb is the only one worthy of glancing at the full account of the end times that will usher His faithful into eternity. This Lamb, Jesus, holds the key to the future in His hands.

And it is this Jesus that we celebrated in churches and homes all over the world yesterday. My question is this, why do we wait for this one particular day to worship Him in this manner? Why is it that yesterday churches that remain filled only halfway to capacity every other Sunday of the year were overflowing? Where are these people the other 51 Sunday’s of the year? This Jesus is worth way more than one Sunday of commitment from you and I. This Jesus who sacrificed everything for you and I and who holds the contents of His creation in His hands deserves a little more respect. There will be a day when the things we are discussing will come to pass. There will come a day when EVERYONE will sing, “Blessings and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” Are you going to wait until then to worship Him like He deserves?

Next week we will start opening the scroll and taking a peak at what Jesus has in store for all of us. Until then, God bless.

The Throne Room

And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it.

Revelation 4:2 (NLT)

The book of Revelation moves quickly jumping from past to future events in just one verse. At the end of chapter three we have Jesus concluding His remarks to the churches in Asia and the first verse of chapter four has us peering into the throne room of heaven. John sees God on the throne orchestrating everything in His brilliance and splendor. Events are not spinning out of control, instead an all-powerful God is being worshipped as His Son Jesus is initiating the final battle against the forces of darkness.

Thunder rumbles and lightening flashes (images of God’s power) as strange creatures worship constantly saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty – the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” (v. 8)

When I read this chapter I instantly wonder about these strange creatures. What are they? Are they angels or some other heavenly envoy? If you take a step back and take a look at how they are described you can see that these creatures represent the character of God. These beings are covered with eyes.....they see everything just like our all seeing God!! Each one appears as a different animal and each animal symbolizes an attribute of God; first we have the powerful king of the jungle - the lion, then we have the faithfulness of the hardworking and persistent ox, third is the intelligence of the one with a human face (Genesis 1:27 anyone?) and finally we have the sovereignty of an eagle in flight. These amazing creatures are visuals of God’s remarkable nature. They not only guard the throne but they lead others in worship and are constantly proclaiming God’s holiness.

As the chapter continues, brilliant colors abound and glass sparkles like crystal as twenty-four elders lay their crowns down before God and fall down with reverence, devotion, and respect and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.” (v. 11)

When I see God being worshipped in this manner a lot of things go through my mind. First, I can’t wait to take part in this heavenly ritual. I can’t wait to be in the presence of the Almighty and to be worshipping Him as I was truly meant to. The other thing that goes through my mind is how far away and removed I feel from this event. I don’t even worship God like this when I go to church. I find that I can’t even sing with reckless abandon and throw my arms in the air for Him like others do. I feel like people are watching me. What does that say about my worship? Do others feel this way?

If only I could jump around and dance like a crazy man like David did in 2 Samuel chapter six. David was filled with joy and adulation and was not ashamed at all when confronted over his lack of couth. He replied “I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the LORD, so I celebrate before the LORD. Yes I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!”

When will I stop being concerned with what other people think of me and start worshipping God like He deserves? After all He chose me to be one of His children just as He did David. Must I wait until I am in the Throne Room of heaven? When will I lay my crown of importance down before the Lord and place God in His rightful place as first in my life? When will I proclaim God’s holiness day after day and night after night? Must I wait until eternity is unfolded before me? What holds me back? What holds you back?

These mighty and powerful images of our Creator do to me what was intended (I believe). They humble me and make me aware of a crazy big God sitting on His throne in heaven. They make me realize that it is not all about me but about Him. He is amazing, He is powerful, He is creative, He is scary. To approach God in any other manner is simply unacceptable.

Well, I am off to church. Maybe today I will throw my arms up in the air and worship Him as He is meant to be worshipped. Maybe....

Which of the 7 churches does yours look like?

This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands.

Revelation 2:1 (NLT)

I find it very ironic that the seven gold lampstands in Revelation are supposed to signify the seven churches of Asia Minor. Now we can argue that these messages to these churches was for a specific place and time in history or we can make a case for these messages being a generic implication to all churches everywhere. One thing you can’t dispute is the fact that a lampstand should give off light. It should brighten a darkened room and make things clear to see. If you are afraid of the dark a flick of a light switch (or in this case a lampstand) can bring light which will calm your fears and bring peace to you.

Now let me ask you this, does this sound like any church you know of? Does your church give off light in a dark world? Does your church brighten the lives of those in the surrounding community? Does your church bring calm and peace or is it more likely to bring about quarrels and divisiveness? A pastor of a church I attended once said that churches do a great job of shining light all over the inside of their building but very often the outside world never sees it. Why is that? Why do we go to church to be filled up and edified but often do little to pass some of that goodness on to others?

Is it because we are too busy or too stressed? Are there too many other demands on our time, resources, and energy? When was the last time your church fed the hungry or clothed the poor? Does your church make it a once-a-year effort to clean up the surrounding neighborhoods or are there believers in Christ consistently meeting the needs of others in their communities? When a brother or sister in Christ needs money or just help cleaning their yard do they turn to the church first? Is love and light bursting from the churches and into the lives of those that live and work around them?

Or is the church ridiculed and avoided because all that comes out of it are arguments and disagreements over doctrine or policy? Do people not want anything to do with the church because nothing but bias, prejudice and hatred come out of it? We really need to take a hard look at how we “do church” here in America. Too often church becomes big business with big staffs, big payrolls, big bands complete with lights and smoke machines, and big agendas that really have nothing to do with loving and caring for those around them. Too often the lights are on extremely bright inside the four walls of the sanctuary while being nonexistent or dim at best to the world around it. This is NOT what Jesus had in mind. This is NOT the church that He died for.

In chapter two Jesus calls out the churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Thyatira and in chapter three He has words for the churches in Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. He commends the churches for their hard work, endurance, suffering in the midst of persecution, remaining faithful, loyalty, love, and service. He rebukes them for losing their zeal, tolerating and compromising on their ideals, allowing immorality into their midst, becoming superficial, and maybe worse of all....becoming lukewarm. He tells these churches that they need to remember, not to fear, wake up, hold on, be diligent and over and over again repent, repent, repent.

Jesus would commend, rebuke, and call to action the many churches and denominations of today the same as He did 2000 years ago. Jesus; The Son of Man, The First and the Last, The Lion of the tribe of Judah, The Christ, The King over all kings and Lord over all lords, the Alpha and the Omega, The Beginning and the End, has the same expectations for the churches of today. He wants better for us. That’s why He revealed Himself in the manner that He did and had John write these things down. Jesus walks among the lampstands and He knows them intimately. He knows each situation that His churches go through and He wants them all to reach their maximum potential.

In closing I want you to think of this; the group of believers that you worship with each Sunday is God’s vehicle for changing the world. Take it seriously........Jesus does.

Revelation!!!!

God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and He blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.

Revelation 1:3 (NLT)

I am about to do the unthinkable....at least I thought it was unthinkable for me!!! Due in large part to the world as we know it falling apart around us and our culture falling into the depths of immorality more and more each day, I am going to attempt a discourse on the final book of the Bible; the book of Revelation. I don’t know how far I will get as this is a difficult enough book to just read on your own never mind interpret and publish for the world to see. The book of Revelation can be interpreted several different ways and as we work through it let me be clear that I am only writing what I feel. My only resources as I write are my study Bible and any insight that God grants me along the way. I am not reading outside material and I am going to try not to bring anyone else’s opinion to the discussion. This is going to be a difficult undertaking so I ask for your prayers. I will tell you I feel led to do this and the more I read of it on my own the more I want to share with you. So, by the grace of God, here we go!!

The first time Jesus invaded His creation He came in the most humble of forms. He was born in the most simplest of places and His first nap came bundled in strips of dirty cloth and lying on a bed of straw. He subjected Himself to time and to parents and as He grew His hands got tough and calloused as He became a man working in his earthly fathers trade. He was raised in a land that was under heavy oppression from foreign rulers and as He traveled the countryside doing miracles and preaching the will of God He was dogged and hounded at every step by those that wished to rid the region of His influence. Those closest to Him hardly understood Him at all and when the chips were down they abandoned Him. Finally He was caught, tried, convicted, and put to death in the most disgraceful manner possible by foreign hands no less. And as He died He was spat upon and cursed.

The book of Revelation reveals that the next time Jesus comes back it is going to look really, really different from that first time 2000 years ago. The first time He was the suffering servant, next time he is kicking @$$ and taking names!! His first appearance was as a lamb but when He returns He comes as a lion!! Two thousand years ago He lived in a land that was ruled by a foreign army, when He returns He is coming as The King with an army like no one has ever seen before in the history of mankind!! Let there be no mistake about it, when Jesus returns the whole world is going to know it!! Evil will be vanquished and He will settle accounts with all who reject Him while ushering His faithful into eternity.......but I’m getting a little ahead of myself. Let me start at the beginning.

As the book of Revelation opens the apostle John was on a prison island and he was advanced in age. He saw a vision of Jesus that was very different from the person he walked all over the Judean countryside with for three years as a follower and disciple. Jesus looked nothing like John remembered. He didn’t look like the Sunday school paintings of a gentle shepherd holding a sheep on His shoulders. He wasn’t smiling gently with outstretched arms either. John says that when he saw Jesus he fell down as if dead. He saw a vision of Jesus the Almighty not Jesus the suffering servant. He saw Jesus as he never had before, and this was a guy that witnessed the transfiguration. Here Jesus revealed Himself as the mighty Son of Man with white hair and fire in His eyes. John saw Jesus as The High Priest who is the only one allowed into the presence of God to obtain the forgiveness of sin. His voice thundered with authority and power and the force of His message was evident as John quivered in fear. But Jesus told John to get up and write down what he was about to be shown.

“Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look – I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys to death and the grave.”

Revelation 1:17-18 (NLT)

This vision of Jesus should drastically alter the way we view Him. I don’t think it is enough to think of Him as the gentle shepherd protecting and watching over His flock. I don’t even think it is enough to think of Him bloodied and beaten while hanging on a cross. To view Him only in this manner does Him a disservice and it makes Him very small. Jesus is much, much bigger than that. Jesus is the Creator of the universe, He is all powerful, and He holds all the keys to your future in His mighty hands. He will defeat all the armies of the evil one and His power will reign supreme. The book of Revelation should make you reevaluate the way you think about Jesus. As your view of Him changes you should allow His power, not only His great love, transform your life.

That could probably sum up the book quite well. Jesus is coming back. He is all powerful. He wins. But the book of Revelation is packed with so much more to dissect and ruminate over. Of course the themes of God’s sovereignty, Christ’s return, and judgment run all over the pages of this book but there are also vital messages to God’s people; messages of hope and also of warning. Be ready for the time is near!

Next week we will look at the letters that Jesus had John write to the seven churches. There is a lot of fascinating material to look at!! Until then, God bless you and have a great week!