Commentary
by Walter Albritton
Jesus, the
Lamb of God, is Worthy of our Worship and Praise
Revelation 4, 5.
Key Verse: Worthy
is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and
strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. – Revelation 5:12
Not all
worshipers appreciate modern “praise” music. Some prefer the stately old hymns,
like “All hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,” and “Jesus, Lover of My Soul.” I am blessed in that I love both the great old
hymns and the new “praise” music, especially when our Lord Jesus is lifted up
in song. Nonetheless, I must confess
that few songs stir me more deeply that the moving chorus, “Worthy is the
Lamb.” Sometimes I feel like falling on my knees; at other times I feel the
urge to lift my hands in praise of the mighty Lamb of God. I can hardly imagine
John the Revelator sitting quietly with his hands in his lap as the Spirit
revealed to him the “new song” being sung in the throne room of heaven! Indeed,
it is with weeping, rejoicing, and praise that John shares his magnificent
vision of the “Lion” who is the Lamb.
Little wonder
that the final book of the Bible should be the Book of Revelation. (Help others
to understand that the name of this book does not have an “s” at the end; far
too many people misidentify this as the Book of Revelations. The entire book is
one remarkable revelation of the
nature of Jesus Christ.) The author, John, is the beloved apostle. He begins by
telling us that the revelation is a message he received from Jesus, and that it is a message about Jesus. What he offers us is not speculation, but revelation!
John may have
been imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos, but his spirit was free to see, hear, and understand the glorious truth about the person of Jesus Christ. John shows us that our
Savior’s identity is multifaceted. He is both the Lamb and the Lion. He is the
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending. He is the first and the last,
the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the prince of the kings of
the earth. As much as any book in the Bible, the Book of Revelation stirs us to
fervent worship of Christ. When we
“hear,” through John’s inspired writing, the voices of heaven singing praise to
the Lamb, we want to join them, adding our voices to the heavenly chorus. In
later chapters we will see the powerful imagery that inspired Handel’s
“Messiah.”
John takes us,
in chapter four, into the throne room of God. God, of course, is seated on the
throne. In his right hand is a book sealed with seven seals. A strong angel
speaks in a loud voice, asking if there is anyone worthy to loose the seal and
open the book. John is grieved by the announcement that there is no man
anywhere, on earth or in heaven, who is worthy to open and read the book. Then,
John says, one of the elders proclaims -- You need weep no more for there is
One here who is worthy to open the
book. He is the Lion of Judah and the Root of David, the Lamb of God, whose
name is Jesus!
Who are the
“living creatures” present with the elders in the throne room? The best
explanation I have found is that they are the cherubim seen by Ezekiel and the seraphim described by Isaiah. These living creatures never cease to
sing, and they exist for one purpose – to serve and praise God. Perhaps they
are the keepers of heavenly harmony who dispense to us the deathless melody of
heaven.
Is it not
wonderful that we cannot think about heaven without thinking also about singing? No wonder the songwriters
proclaimed, “I have a song that Jesus gave me,” and “in my heart there rings a
melody.” Jesus shared with us that the angels in heaven sing, and one day, by
the grace of God, we shall add our voices to the heavenly chorus. My heart
trembles when I consider what it will be like one day to add my own voice to
that great multitude in heaven, crying with them, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our
God the Almighty reigns”!
Attention now
focuses on the Lamb. Some 29 to 30 times John refers to the Lord as the “Lamb.”
It is interesting that John uses a different Greek word for “Lamb” in the
Gospel (John
Since the
number seven was considered symbolic of perfection, the seven spirits represent
the unlimited potential of Christ to understand the needs of his people, meet
those needs, and punish those who reject him. As the song says, “No one
understands like Jesus,” and no one can encourage believers to overcome the
Adversary like Jesus!
When the Lamb
takes the book from God’s hand, the elders and all present begin to worship. Their worship is a blend of praise and prayer. Here we find the
idea that the prayers of the saints are a sweet-smelling fragrance to God. In
every age, in every hour, God delights in the prayers of his saints. All who
believe and trust Jesus are the saints of God, and all of us may please God by
offering to him our prayers and our praise. This defines worship; it is sincere
prayer and praise more than the reading of ritual. Little wonder the elders and the “living creatures” (a better
translation than the “four beasts”) burst into singing a new song. They are aware of a new relationship to God
made possible by the mighty deeds of Christ. He is the author of the new
covenant. His blood has secured our salvation! He is the Savior because he has
saved us from our sins. Our sins have been forgiven! Who, having been made
aware of this precious truth, is not stirred to sing songs of praise to God?
This is the
message of the book opened by the Lamb. God has conquered death and made life available to his people! The
shedding of his blood was sufficient, fully adequate for the salvation of all
who henceforth are willing to “call on the name of the Lord.” The blood of the
Lamb establishes a new covenant, thus ending forever the need to sacrifice the
blood of animals. The book opened by the Lamb is the book of life, eternal
life, for Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Our new
relationship with God through the blood of Jesus carries with it the privilege
and responsibility of serving Christ as “kings and priests.” We become sons and
daughters of the King. We live in the Kingdom to serve Him, always dependent
upon his power and provision. One day, after ministering to him and for him, by
serving others, we shall reign with him in heaven. What a great honor Christ
offers us here! What a great reward
awaits us in heaven! Yes, Christian, tell the world – Worthy is the Lamb! Let
us offer our Amen, our voices and our lives, to worship the Lamb upon the
throne! Hallelujah! + + + + (Contact
Walter at walbritton@elmore.rr.com)