I have always been fascinated, thrilled and amazed by this passage of scripture found in Revelation 5:1-6. It takes place in Heaven with the host of angelic beings, elders and whoever else is there, looking on as witnesses. One sits on the throne Who could be none other than God Almighty. He holds in his hand a scroll, sealed but also written on the inside and out. Another character, identified as “A Strong Angel,” asks a question, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and open the seals of it?” Hopelessly the answer came, “and no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.” What a tragedy! John, who saw this vision began to weep and the Bible says that he wept much, because no one was found who was worthy, or qualified, to open the scroll. No one could read it, and it further says that no one was found who was even worthy to look at it! As we will discover in a bit, it was a tragedy because of the very important significance of this scroll. All of creation depended on it being opened.
But then one of the elders spoke up saying, “Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” How exciting! The mighty – the LION of Judah! A strong beast of an individual – How fitting to find such a specimen! Then he turned to see this Lion and what he actually saw might have seemed a bit like a let-down. When he looked, instead of a Mighty Lion he saw a meek Lamb and not only a Lamb but it looked like it had been slain – sacrificed! How could such a creature be worthy to open the scroll? Who was this guy anyway?
Let’s first look at the Lion. Way back in the first book of the Bible – Genesis, chapter 49, Jacob was on his death bed and he was speaking his final words over his sons. He said this to his son, Judah – “Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.” (Genesis 49:9-10). From Judah came King David and it was promised that One would reign on his throne perpetually. This is ultimately fulfilled in the Messiah. The name “Shiloh” refers to the Messiah. It literally means “tranquility” referring to the final, lasting peace that will ultimately be found in the Messiah. This is who John expected to see when he turned to look.
But instead of the Mighty Lion of Judah, he saw the Lamb – the sacrificial Lamb looking like it had already been slain. And indeed, He had. John the Baptist witnessed twice of the Lamb. In John 1:29 we are told that the next day, after witnessing the day before, that One was coming whose shoe he wasn’t even worthy to stoop down and release its buckle, then John saw Jesus walking toward him and his disciples. He made this statement concerning Him: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” Later, after John had baptized Jesus, he was standing with two of his disciples and again saw Jesus coming and said to them, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36). John was identifying Jesus as the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ, Who was to pay the required price to fulfill redemption for all of creation. Jesus made this sacrifice when He was crucified on Calvary.
To really put this all together and understand the significance of what was taking place in the passage from Revelation 5 we need to finally identify the scroll. It became customary in the Old Testament, that when a contract was established, it was written on a scroll and all involved were to sign it. Once signed, it was sealed and a brief summary of what was in the contract was written on the outside. Ezekiel 2:9-10 speaks about this. It says, “Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.”
This scroll in Revelation 5 represents none other than the deed to all of creation. The requirements to fulfill the contract and to redeem – or buy back – what was lost to the devil in the Garden of Eden – it was all in that scroll. It required a sacrifice. But not an animal sacrifice like those millions that were made over the course of the history of Israel, but one human sacrifice to pay for redemption. But not just any human could fulfill the price. It had to be a human being that had never known sin.
That’s why John wept. When they looked for someone to take the scroll, not one creature anywhere in existence was worthy. None were sinless. None had given up sinless blood and then been raised again to life, thus conquering sin and death. Not one could be found. Not until, that is, when the elder told John not to worry because the Lion of Judah was worthy. That’s why John saw, not a stately lion, but a sacrificed Lamb. Jesus was the Lion of Judah. But He was also that sacrificed Lamb that took away the sin of the world. He was the one – the ONLY ONE – who could worthily receive that scroll in Heaven because only He had lived the perfect, sinless life. Only He had given His life as a sacrifice for the sin of mankind. And only He had been resurrected to never die again in order to conquer the death penalty placed on mankind when he sinned in Eden.
Has it happened yet? I don’t know. It might have. It might be happening right now. Or it might be very close to taking place. What I do know is that we must be ready. If He hasn’t already, Jesus is about to receive the deed that redeems all of creation and then all the things recorded in Revelation will take place. We must be ready. Ready to go with Him when He calls His Church – the called-out ones (for that is what the word “church” literally means) to go to their eternal home. It is going to happen. Many have tried to predict when, but only God the Father knows (Mark 13:32). When we don’t know the only thing we can do is to be ready. Are you ready? Are you ready for the Lion Who looks like a sacrificed Lamb to receive the scroll and take back possession of all of creation? If not, you can be ready. Romans 10:9-10 tells us, “… that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
The key is to believe – really believe - to the point that you are willing to make the necessary change in your life, your heart and your beliefs to accept the Messiah. He is about to receive the scroll. Where will you be when He does?
— Jerry D. Ousley is the author of “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey”, “Ordeal”, “The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional” and his first novel “The Shoe Tree.” Newer books include “Finality” and “Dividing God’s Church.” Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge