This
week we are looking at a section of
a letter that is recorded in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of
Revelation. In this section of the book of Revelation that we are looking at we
are going to discover another reason why racism is ridiculous when it is placed
in the prism of the claims of Christ and the gospel. And it is in this section
of this letter that we are going to discover another reason why the claims of
Christ and the message of the gospel provides the solution to the universal
problem of racism.
Yesterday, we looked on as John, who was the disciple that
Jesus loved, was trying to explain what
he was seeing in the presence of God the Father in the throne room of Heaven.
John states that as he saw God the Father sitting on a throne in Heaven, in His
right hand was a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven
seals. This book was actually a scroll with writing on both sides that
contained the judgments that would fall on humanity at the end of God's story
here on earth.
The source of this scroll was God the Father. God the
Father was the author of this scroll and what was written on the scroll was
only known to God the Father and would only be made known by a person who was
authorized to break open the seals that kept the contents of the scroll secret.
That is why the strong angel was asking “Who has the power, the ability, and
the authority to break the seals and open the scroll, so that God’s right and
just judgment on the selfishness and rebellion of humanity can begin?”
John explained that there was not a single being in the
universe that had the power, the ability, and the authority to break the seals
and open the scroll so as the reveal God’s right and just judgment to the
selfishness and rebellion of humanity. And because of the reality, because of
what John saw, John responded by weeping greatly. John wailed because he saw
the wrongdoing and injustice of the selfishness and rebellion of humanity and
had placed his confident trust that there would be a day that God would rightly
and justly deal with the wrongdoing and injustice of humanity.
And now, it seemed that God’s justice and judgment was
being delayed and derailed. It seemed that God’s justice and judgment was being
delayed and derailed because there was no being that had the power, the
ability, and the authority to break the seals and open the scroll so as the
reveal and unleash God’s right and just judgment to the selfishness and
rebellion of humanity. And John was devastated to the point that he lost all
control emotionally. John was devastated until he heard the following in
Revelation 5:5:
and one of the elders said to me, "Stop
weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David,
has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."
Now to fully understand what is happening here, we first
need to ask and answer several questions. The first question that we need to
ask and answer is “Who is the Elder that approaches John and tells him to stop
weeping?” While there have been many views and suggestions as to who this group
of Elders are and who they represent, most likely, based on what these Elders
say and do in the book of Revelation, the elders are a special class or group
of angelic beings of high authority that assist is the execution of God's divine
plan and purposes.
And one of these angelic beings approached John and
basically said to him “stop weeping. There is no reason to lose it emotionally.
Get it together emotionally.” The angelic being then explained to John that the
reason why there was no reason to be weeping was because the Lion that is from
the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and
its seven seals.
Now that leads us to the next question that we need to
ask and answer, which is “who is the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the
Root of David"? The Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David
was a prediction that was proclaimed in a section of the very first letter that
is recorded for us in the Bible called the book of Genesis. In Genesis 49:9, a
man named Jacob, who was the father of the twelve sons who became the twelve
tribes of the Jewish people, predicted and proclaimed that a descendant from
the tribe of Judah would be a noble majestic King that would rule over the
Jewish people and humanity.
And that noble and majestic king, who was from the root,
or descendant of David, who was from the tribe of Judah, was Jesus Christ. As
the fulfillment of this Old Testament prediction, Jesus life, death, and
resurrection overcame, which means to conquer so as to achieve victory over,
the power of selfishness, sin, and death.
And because Jesus had conquered selfishness, sin and
death through His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, Jesus was
the one being in the universe who had the power, the ability, and the authority
to break the seals and open the scroll and unleash the fulfillment of God's
judgment on the selfishness and rebellion of humanity at the end of God's
story. John then reveals for us what happened next in verse 6-7:
And I saw between the throne (with the four
living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven
horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the
earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on
the throne.
Again, to fully understand what is happening here, we
first need to ask and answer several questions. The first question that we need
to ask and answer is “who are the four living creatures?” The four living
creatures, who form an inner circle closest to the throne of God, are the
cherubim that are described in a section of a letter that is recorded for us in
the Old Testament of the Bible called the book of Ezekiel. These four living
creatures are an exalted order of angelic beings that are consistently engaged
in the worship of God.
John states that between these four exalted angelic
beings, and the twenty four angelic beings that assist is the execution of
God's divine plan and purposes, there was a Lamb standing, as if slain, having
seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into
all the earth. To which some of you are thinking right now “Dave this is why I
don’t read the book of Revelation. The book is just too weird and too hard to
understand. So what is all that supposed to mean?”
The lamb standing, as if slain, refers to Jesus Christ
and the selfless sacrifice that He made to provide all of humanity the
opportunity to experience the forgiveness of sin and the relationship with God
that they were created for. Jesus is standing, because even though He was
slain, He is alive, never to die again. Another question that we need to ask
and answer is “what is the deal with the seven horns and seven eyes, which are
the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth”?
In the letters that make up the Bible, the number seven
is often associated with the concept of fullness, completion, or perfection.
With that in mind the seven horns depict Jesus as being the all powerful
warrior and king. The seven eyes refer to Jesus as being all knowing. John is revealing
Jesus as the all powerful and all knowing Lord and Leader of the Universe. When
John refers to the seven spirits of God, He is referring to the fullness and
perfection of the Holy Spirit which proceeded from Jesus.
Just as Jesus proceeded from the Father on the kingdom
mission that He was given, Jesus is the One who sent the Holy Spirit into the
world to keep in touch with the world and convict the world of sin,
righteousness and judgment. John then explains that Jesus, as the all powerful,
all knowing, perfect Lord and Leader of the universe who alone had the power,
the ability, and the authority to break the seals and open the scroll, took the
scroll that had been written by God the Father into His hands.
You see, there was no reason for John to be emotionally
devastated and without hope. There was no reason because Jesus was worthy to
open the scroll and unleash the fulfillment of God's judgment and justice on the
injustice of the selfishness and rebellion of humanity.
Friday, we will see how every being responded to what
transpired between God the Father and Jesus and discover another reason why
racism is ridiculous...
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