Let's come together now to the Book of Revelation in chapter 5
and place your finger there. Verse 6, Revelation chapter 5,
and verse 6. For the third time in Revelation
chapter 5, John is going to tell us that he saw something.
The first instance was in verse one when he reports that he saw
a scroll in the right hand of God.
The second occasion is in verse 2 when he says that he saw a
mighty Angel proclaiming with a loud voice who is worthy to open
the scroll and break its seals. And for the third time, he will
say that he saw something, or more specifically, someone.
And that is going to be the verse of our focus today.
It's found in verse 6, but we'll read verse 6 and verse 7.
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. Father, I gladly confess that I
need you. We need you.
And we think of the words of the apostle Paul, who said to the
Corinthians that he did not come preaching to them in human
wisdom or with eloquence. He did not come with plausible
words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power at
the faith of his hearers would not rest in the wisdom of man,
but in the power of God. Lord, you must speak today.
You must be heard, and we just ask that through every weakness
Your glory would shine. What a great task it is to speak
about the Lamb of God, and so, by the help of your Holy Spirit,
may be faithfully done in a way where Christ will be more real
to each of us than anything else in this life.
We need you, Lord. We ask for your help now.
In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
You know, there's a reason why we didn't continue reading
further in this chapter. I thought initially we were
going to finish this chapter today, but then I realized that
what you find in verse 6 is just too glorious.
The details about the Lamb of God are just so fascinating to
just simply gloss over everything that you and I will
find beyond verse 7 will be the adoring response of the entire
universe to this pivotal moment in this heavenly vision.
And we will look at those verses in the coming weeks because they
have much to tell us about the kind of worship that Jesus
Christ deserves. But today we're going to do 1
simple thing. We're just going to behold
Christ because this is who John is seeing in this vision, Jesus
Christ. And though the wonder and the
splendor of Jesus are infinite, we've been granted in this brief
passage at least four amazing, remarkable attributes concerning
his nature. You and I are are going to leave
here with at least four strong reminders of who we just sang
to, who we trust in, who we believe that we are going to see
one day. Today, we're just going to
behold Christ. And that is no small thing.
People need Jesus. You know, it was Philip who went
down to Samaria in Acts 8 verse five, and one of the most
amazing revivals breaks out in Samaria.
But in that verse, you know what we're told?
He went down to Samaria and preached to them the Christ
Jesus, simply Jesus. I believe in this day and age,
we need to recover the simple preaching of Christ because that
message alone can do miracles in people's lives.
And it's not just for unbelievers.
Oh, we need to know more about Jesus.
And so in verse 6 alone, there are four things that should move
us. And the first thing that I want
us to consider about the Lamb is his humility.
Did you pick up on the meekness of Christ in what we just read?
Now remember, before this John the Apostle was weeping because
no one was found worthy to open this scroll, the scroll that
held the end times program for the earth.
And an elder said, John, weep no more.
There is one found who is worthy, but he describes him in
a very particular way. He is the lion of the tribe of
Judah, the root of David. Now here's the thing, if I'm
told to behold a lion, what would you expect to see?
A lion. It's not complicated, A lion
like figure. But after John dries his eyes
and looks more closely at what he was called to to see, he
doesn't find a lion, he finds a lamb.
Now that's strange to me because hopefully you remember last week
we confirmed that this identity of Christ as the Lion of the
tribe of Judah is exclusively found and introduced in the Book
of Revelation. Why?
Because it perfectly correlates with His mission at the Second
Coming. He is coming with kingly
authority. He is coming to take over.
So then why is that label so short lived?
The moment that we are told about the Lion, we come back to
a familiar image of the Lamb. Well, evidently as much as the
Holy Spirit in the Book of Revelation wants us to
anticipate the soon coming Lion, He also never wants us to forget
that He is the Lamb. So much so that the title Lamb
appears a total of 28 times in the Book of Revelation. 28
times. You would think that the lion
label would be emphasized, but no, it's the Lamb.
To be always reminded about the Lamb.
You would think again that there would be more to say.
Why come back to that? Because as we move through the
Book of Revelation and we witnessed the victories, the
triumphs, and the final redemption unfolding in the
final lap of human history, it's as though God the Holy Spirit
wants to continually remind us that all of that is only made
possible because of Christ's sacrifice.
His triumph ultimately came because of his sacrifice.
That's the message of this manifestation.
Our Lord already won the victory, and He did so through
His selfless love. He did so by laying down his
life. He did so by becoming the
Passover lamb. That's what John was supposed to
see, and that's what he is translating to us now.
Hopefully we understand that God being described as a lion is not
totally new. It's actually found in the Old
Testament on more than one occasion.
You don't have to turn to these references, just listen
carefully in Hosea 11/10 we read in Hosea 11/10 they shall go
after the Lord. He will roar like a lion when he
roars, his children shall come trembling from the West.
And Amos chapter 3 verse 8 the lion has roared, who will not
fear the Lord? God has spoken who can but
prophecy. So the people of God are
familiar with the imagery of God being like a lion.
But here's what's so startling that God who describes himself
in this way, depicting his ultimate authority, his ultimate
power, his ultimate dominion, but one day in human history
enter into this world and take on the role of a lamb with all
vulnerability, with all gentleness.
What a striking concept that these Hebrews and these people
who were set apart by covenant with God, who understood there
got to be this roaring lion, this mighty beast, would also
visit them and become a lamb. And you think about that, and
you realize that the Gospel show us just that, how this lion of a
God willingly subjected himself to the handling of rotten,
wicked men who thought that they can do as they please with him.
So they arrest him, they blasphemy him, they slap him,
they spit on him, they pull them wherever they think that they
can drag him, they slash him, they pound on him, and
eventually they crucify him. All the while he chooses to be
like a lamb led to the slaughter, and like sheep before
its shears remain silent. How?
Why? To save rotten, wicked men and
sinners, sinners like us forever and ever.
It was through his humility is through his lowliness is through
his surrender that he ultimately conquered.
So you see, John learned through this vision that the humility of
Christ would never and should never be forgotten.
But more than that, it's going to be the humility of Christ
that will be the impetus of our endless praise and glory.
Yes, we're coming to the end of all things.
We want to see the King. We want to see the lion.
But early in the Book of Revelation, we are reminded,
don't forget that he is the Lamb.
And don't forget that all these things that will transpire, all
these awesome acts of sovereign power, ultimately flow from a
humble Savior who succeeded 2000 years ago and made everything
that you and I will enjoy possible.
The humility of Jesus Christ, which leads us to our second
glorious characteristic of Christ found here, and that is
His preeminence. So we looked at his humility,
but look at his preeminence. Come back to verse 6.
And between the throne and the four living creatures and among
the elders, I saw a lamb standing.
Listen, the description of Christ's location is not void of
purpose. It's intentional.
The sense that you get from this one detail is that Christ seems
to be emerging as the centerpiece of God's throne
room. The spotlight now is falling on
him, and we know this very well. But in case someone is not
aware, Jesus Christ is and will be the object of our eternal
praise, and we're being prepared for that by this vision.
Here Christ is going to be the theme of heaven.
It was a Puritan who once wrote Take away Christ and what heaven
is but a blessed prison, a palace of silence and emptiness.
I am no Puritan, but I will add to that.
Take away Christ and heaven will be dark.
Take away Christ and heaven will become cold.
Take away Christ and heaven will be utterly lifeless.
And if you think that's an exaggeration, I base that case
from a realization of Scripture itself.
Let me give you an example. We're in Revelation 5.
Go to Revelation 21 and here you have a chapter that describes
the new heaven and the new earth that will follow the final
judgement. And notice what is said here in
this one verse of Revelation 21 verse 23.
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the
glory of God gives its light, and its lamp is what the lamp.
So just as a lamp is the instrument that holds and gives
off light, Christ is the chosen vessel to contain and radiate
the glory of God in the new heaven and the new earth, right?
Isn't that what a lamp does? It holds light, it illumines.
Christ the Lamb will be the lamp as he shines forth perfectly the
glory of God. And just as the sun is essential
for sustaining habitation and survival on our planet, Christ
will be the central source of life and light in the world to
come. So much so that in this new
world you won't need the sun. SUN, because we have the sun,
SON, and just as this world as we know it would be stripped of
life if you took away the sun for a moment, take away Christ
and you strip heaven of its glory.
He is preeminent, He is central, He's the heartbeat of eternity.
Do you believe that Christ is truly that prominent, that
important in the world to come? Oh, it's quite possible that
future listeners who see this and hear this will think, yeah,
the Lord Jesus at best is like an exalted creature, the most
exalted creature. Or perhaps he is an important
part of God's redemptive plan, surely.
But to say that he is the preeminent one of heaven, the
object of every creatures love and honor.
Let me ask you this. Have you considered how he
differs in this text that we're reading the the the only verse
that we're looking at today, and how he compares to the other
participants and the actors of this heavenly vision in their
response to the throne. In other words, if you just
scale back and you look at how the four living creatures react
to the sight and the sounds of God's throne, and then follow
that up with the 24 elders and then compare it with Christ, you
can't help but see that He's different.
Let me show you. Go to Revelation 4 and look here
at verse 9 quickly. Remember, Revelation 4 and 5 is
the same vision. But notice what I said here.
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor
and thanks to Him who is seated on the throne, what do they do?
They worship. They pour out their praise.
They break out in song. What do you find in the next
verse? In verse 10, the 24 elders fall
down before him who is seated on the throne and worship Him who
lives forever and ever, and rightfully so.
But then now as John's gaze is fixed on this Lamb, he realizes
that there is a different posture that he possesses, and
it is incredible. What does the Lamb do?
Look back at Revelation 5, verse 7.
We read it together, the beginning of the message.
And He, that's the Lamb. And he went and took the scroll
from the right hand of him who is seated on the throne.
With incomparable dignity, majesty, and prominence, Christ
advances toward the throne of the Father.
Without explanation, without making a plea, without asking
permission. He reaches out and he grabs the
scroll in the hand of the Ancient of Days and takes it
unto himself. Who is this King of glory?
Who is this lamb? Why is he not siding with the
four living creatures and joining them in worship?
Why does he not join the 24 elders and fall down on his
face? I'll tell you why, because
whoever this Lamb is is worthy of worship.
He is the object of adoration. He is the one who shares in
essence with the Father, the Son of God himself, who approaches
the throne of the Father with such strength and boldness
because it's His right. And the Father doesn't reprimand
him. The Father doesn't stop him.
The Father gladly let's go of his grip and gives him that
scroll. Jesus the preeminent 1.
He is the center of heaven. And listen, if he's the center
of heaven, then he is worthy to be preeminent in your life and
mine. If He is the preeminent one in
glory, then He must be the exalted one in the Church.
And here's what I take from this.
If Christ is who He is in that world, if we make him #1 listen
carefully if He is #1 in your life, if He is number one in
this ministry, then we will get a taste of heaven on earth.
Only then. You put Him in any other place.
You put Him in the background, You put Him to the side.
If He's the piece of the pie in your life, it's never going to
work. He's everything He must be.
He's incomparable. He has no rival.
He stands alone. He's in His own category.
And until you and I arrive to that conviction, you will never
know the fragrance of heaven in your life.
We will never know the presence of God in our meetings.
Heaven shows us where Christ belongs, and in your heart it
must be the same. Crown him, Lord of all.
Crown him, King of kings, Crown him with your greatest
affection. Crown him with all that is
within you. He must be crowned as the
preeminent 1 for the four living creatures and 24 elders in the
myriad of angels Do so gladly. How dare we not do the same?
We who have experienced redemption, we who have known
grace, we who have been washed in His blood, do we dare put Him
in any other place in this life? No, that would be the crime of
all crimes. Such indifference to me is utter
blasphemy. Such a thought should be enough
fuel for you to break out of lukewarmness, to never be
content with Christ not being all consuming in your life.
He's in the middle of everything.
But we come now to the Third Point, and in my opinion, this
is the pinnacle of everything. What we find here can surely
bring us to this, to our knees, and end this service early.
It's a sacrifice. We looked at his humility, we
considered his preeminence. But thirdly, we consider now his
sacrifice. Look back again at verse 6 and
between the throne and the four living creatures, and among the
elders, I saw a lamb. Wait, you were told about a
lion? Yeah, but I see a lamb.
Why? It's a megaphone about Christ's
humility. And I through his humility, he
has brought victory. And where is he standing?
In between the throne, the four living creatures, among the
elders. He's the centerpiece of heaven.
But thirdly, he's not just standing.
John looks closer. And look at the last part here,
or the second part at least, as though it had been slain.
What a fascinating feature of this vision we have here,
something that is familiar to us, I'm sure, that Jesus Christ
2000 years ago, he satisfied his duty and his role as the Lamb of
God who takes away the sins of the world.
That was accomplished 2000 years ago.
But what is he doing in heaven, bearing the marks of sacrifice
and wounds and death itself? Wasn't that done away with?
Wasn't that accomplished? Aren't we moving on now?
Aren't we supposed to see something else Instead?
What we find here is a vision, a symbolic depiction of Christ,
like a lamb who is freshly slaughtered and placed on the
altar. Here's why.
Because the death of Christ was not only performed on earth, it
is still being remembered and represented before the judgement
seat of the Father. Here's what I want to say with
this What Jesus Christ did on the cross is not a fading memory
in the mind of God. We find it here as vivid as an
ever present reality in His sight.
Do you see this Christ sacrifice is there, it's clear, it's real,
it's ever present. And this vision, this part of
the vision at least is for your confidence in mine.
It has to be because it testifies that even after
thousands of years, what Jesus Christ has done in that single
sacrifice on Calvary is still relevant and hasn't lost an
ounce of power. He's still presented before the
Father as a slain Lamb. In case that truth is not clear,
remember that the Lamb in this vision is what standing.
It would make sense for a slain Lamb to be on its side, lying
there, lifeless. But that's not what you find.
You find a paradox, a slain Lamb standing.
Why? Because yes, he did die 2000
years ago. But he's alive.
He's here. He's upright.
I saw a Lamb standing. He's no longer dead, he is alive
forevermore, and the efficacy of his sacrifice is still capable
of giving life. The one who was slain, who is
alive now, can and always give life.
So here's what this means for the unbeliever who might be
listening to this today. Listen carefully.
You can today, at this very moment, with absolute
confidence, cry out to God to save your soul, to be washed
from every wrong that you've ever committed.
And because of this slain Lamb before the throne of God, you
can know salvation because what He has done is still relevant
and it's still applicable. It could be known and it could
be applied to you now. He is the living slain Lamb.
The blood still flows, it's still accessible, it still can
be applied. But here's what this also means
for the believer. You and I have to rejoice in the
supremacy of the new covenant. A slain lamb, that is.
That is a common thing for an Israelite.
They've seen many slain lambs and bulls and goats, but one
slain lamb that is standing and remains there, never to be
replaced. What a strange thing.
If you need anything to give you energy to realize how you are
privileged on this side of the cross, understand this, that you
and I, when we sin and if we sin, don't have to fetch for a
brand new animal and bring it before a temple.
There is one lamb that is sufficient.
There is one lamb that we can appeal to.
There is One who was slain and is forever enough for anything
and everything that we do that breaks God's law, breaks his
heart. The Lamb who is before the
throne will never, ever lose its power.
And that power for you, Christian, is able to sustain
you until the end. It's a fountain of forgiveness
that never runs dry. It's something that you and I
can continually bring our dirty feet to and be washed in.
How great is this sacrifice? How much does it outshine even
Solomon's temple with all its beauty and splendor?
So next time you read the Old Testament and you read about the
hundreds of thousands of things that were slain and slaughtered
in order for their sins just to be covered for a moment, let
your heart leap with joy as you remember this one slain Lamb who
is eternally sufficient for you and I.
Just one sacrifice no more. And here's what this means for
our study in Revelation. There is only one who can save
people from the terrible events that are described in that
scroll. Remember what's in the scroll?
Pretty much what we find in Revelation 6 onward.
And just as Israel was spared from calamity sweeping over
Egypt because they would take that Passover lamb and apply its
blood on their doorpost, so applying the blood of this lamb
can save you and I from the horrors and the judgments and
the eternal consequences that this book promises will come to
pass. What a glorious thought.
Here you have the lamb who is going to take this scroll.
And this Lamb is the only one who can save us from what's
going to happen when that scroll is broken.
His sacrifice, a slain Lamb standing.
We finally come to the last point, and that is his power.
Notice what I said after we are told that he 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. Now, if you thought a slain Lamb
standing was strange, it only gets a little bit more cryptic.
I've never seen, I've seen a lamb being slain, a real lamb
being slain. I've never seen it standing
after it had its throat cut. And I also have never seen a
lane with 7 horns and seven eyes.
Have you? That would be concerning.
But remember, this is symbolic. This is not meant to be literal.
This is meant to convey an important message.
And again, John expects his readers to be students of the
Old Testament. And if you've read through the
Hebrew Scriptures, then you know that all over the place is a
horn, a symbol of strength and power and kingly authority.
You find it in the Psalms, you find it in the law, you find it
in prophecy. The horn is a symbol of
strength. And so for the Lamb to have 7
horns means what? That he has absolute and total
power? That he is incomparable in his
strength? That He is in fact omnipotent.
The Lamb is all powerful. OK, but what about the eyes?
Seven eyes? Once again you have another Old
Testament illusion. There is one place in the Old
Testament where we're told about the seven eyes of the Lord.
And in that verse you have the meaning of it.
So here's a reference to put in the margin in Zechariah 410.
Notice what the prophet saw and was told in Zechariah 410 For
whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and
shall see the Plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the
whole earth. So earlier in a vision Zechariah
saw these seven eyes and God gives them the meaning of it.
They represent the all seeing, surveying eyes of God throughout
the whole earth. And that same description is now
applied to who? Jesus.
That Jesus possesses complete knowledge and discernment.
He is aware of absolutely everything.
So not only is he omnipotent, he's omniscient.
And the way he exercises his omniscience is through the
agency of the Holy Spirit. That's why we're told here back
in Revelation 5-6, the seven eyes, which are the seven
spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
So we see something here, the unison of the Holy Spirit and
Christ, that the try unity of God at work here, the
omniscience of Christ exercised through the agency of the Holy
Spirit. Why are we being told this?
Why are we being told that Jesus is all powerful and he's all
knowing? 2 reasons and this is where
we're ending. You connect those truths with
the fact that He is the Lamb of God, the pleasing sacrifice
before the Father, and you understand this.
Christ is capable of saving anyone from anywhere.
There is no sin too great, and if you have not been paying
attention to this message, this is something that you need to
lean into, especially if you are in bondage.
There is no sin too great. There is no place too dark or
far where Christ's power cannot reach and deliver from.
And I can testify that truth in my own life as a 20 year old
college student in a basement apartment.
No preacher, no talented music band, no human appeal.
Where it all turned around for me was in a long weekend with an
open Bible and the manifest presence of God in that room.
And so real was that encounter with the truth of Jesus Christ
and His love for me that I can say with absolute confidence
that the shackles of sin have been broken and left in that
basement apartment. He reached for me because He
knew where I was and He knew what I needed.
And this Lamb of God knows where you are and possesses the power
that you desperately need. He can set you free.
A lamb. Oh yeah, but he has seven horns.
Here's one reference to perhaps persuade you that this is indeed
one of the meanings of this vision in Numbers 23, verse 22.
Don't turn there, just listen. And numbers 2322 it says God
brings them out of Egypt and is for them like the horns of a
wild ox. Do you see it?
Israel's redemption is being revisited and the Lord says I
brought them out of Egypt. What's Egypt?
The picture of the world? Bondage, slavery, misery, and
God, like a horn of a wild ox, powerfully drove them into
liberty. I want to tell you today that
the horns of the Lamb of God can drive you out of slavery, of
shackles, of bondage, of heaviness of heart.
You have to call upon Him. He is able to save to the
uttermost those who draw near to God in Him to the uttermost.
That's the good news of this part of the vision.
But here's the sobering truth. Jesus Christ holds the power to
execute the cycles of wrath inscribed on that scroll, and He
will do so perfectly. He will do so in perfect
justice. So this vision, I argue,
corrects a common misconception about Jesus, the idea that
Christ, oh, he's a lamb, right? So he's gentle and he's tolerant
and he's laid back. You know, he's just going to let
the world go as it is and everybody's going to be OK in
the end. He is a lamb.
Praise God, He's gentle, meek, and mild.
But remember that this Lamb has seven horns and he has seven
eyes. He is going to execute judgement
one day. Can I show you one of the most
paradoxical things in the Book of Revelation?
It still has to do with the Lamb, but notice his
description. This kept me up a little bit at
night. I was trying to figure it out.
I'm not sure if I have fully yet.
Revelation chapter 6. This is when the seals are
broken open and you come to the final seal and look at verse 16
of chapter 6. Then the kings of the earth, and
the great ones, and the generals and the rich and the powerful,
and everyone slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and
among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the
mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him
who was seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the lion,
lion, lion, the wrath of the Lamb.
For that, for the great day of their wrath has come.
Who can stand wrath of the Lamb? I've never seen an angry lamb,
have you? I've seen an angry lion.
On TV, thankfully, an angry lamb, the wrath of the Lamb.
There seems to be a distance between the words wrath and
lamb. How does that work?
Is it not a shocking wake up call that the same Lamb who is
willing to forgive any sin, who possesses the power to wash away
any iniquity, is also the one who is going to judge every sin
and hold everyone accountable? It's as though if you don't
accept the blood of the Lamb, then here's the wrath of the
Lamb. That's really the decision of
all decisions is enough. You can't argue that Jesus
Christ of Nazareth died and was buried, and we Christians
believe that he rose. What do you do with that
historical truth? What do you do with that
knowledge? What do you do with the Lamb?
Do you apply his blood by faith? Or do you join the terror of
kings and governors and generals, the rich, powerful,
everyone, slave and free, who will when they hide themselves
from the Lamb? His power.
He is powerful enough to save anyone, and he is powerful
enough to judge everyone. I saw Lamb standing as though it
had been slain. Where is Christ in your life?
Has He over the past few months been pushed to the background,
the back seat? Have you lost faith that He is
able to actually set you free from a besetting sin, Maybe a
sin that has latched onto your life as of late?
Let's pray, we ask Lord, that the Lamb of God would be loved
by His people and would be believed on by those who might
be hearing this message and don't really know Him as they
should. Amaze us again with Christ.
We believe that will heal us from so much.
Everything that we said in these past few minutes.
We pray you would make so real to every heart in this place.
We've now come to worship together with these truths in
our hearts. In Jesus name we pray.
Amen. As the praise team comes up, I
want you to know what Jesus Christ has done for you.
If you don't believe on him, if you don't know him in a saving
way, He died for you. He shed his blood for you and He
wants you to be saved. If you have never put your faith
and trust in Jesus, if you've never really confessed them as
Lord, I ask you today to realize that this, this vision that
we've been studying, though very rich in symbolism, speaks of a
truth, speaks of a reality that is ongoing.
Christ can see you, Christ can hear you, and Christ at this
very moment can rush upon you and transform you, and you will
know it without, without a doubt.
And believer, if if what you've heard today has become dull to
you, ask Him to open your eyes and and ask him to be able to
respond to the truth that we find here in the same way that
those perfect creatures in heaven can't stop doing loving
Him and pouring out your praise to Him.
He is faithful to help us. Let's sing to Him.