The Good Shepherd

Over the past several weeks Grace Gems has been publishing excerpts from the letters of John Newton. I have been blessed on a daily basis by the writings of this man and I highly recommend that if you have opportunity that you go to the Grace Gems website and read some of these for yourself.

Today instead of posting something from his letters they posted an excerpt from the sermon The Great Shepherd; I thought it was a good reminder of who we are, and more importantly, who our Savior is.

The Good Shepherd

"He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in His arms, holding them close to His heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young."

Isaiah 40:11

Our Lord expressly calls Himself the "good Shepherd of the sheep", and the apostle Peter calls Him the "chief Shepherd." (John 10, 1 Peter 5:4)

With respect to power and authority, He is the chief, and, indeed, the sole Shepherd. The eyes of all His people are upon Him--and His watchful eye is upon and over all His flock. None but an omnipotent and omnipresent Shepherd can relieve all the necessities of all of His people, in all places, in the same moment, and be equally near and attentive to each one! Such is our great Shepherd! He is eminently the good Shepherd also, for He laid down His life for His sheep, and has redeemed them by His own blood.

This great and good Shepherd has a flock, whom He loved from eternity, and whom having once loved--He will love them to the end! (John 13:1). He humbled Himself for their sakes, submitted to partake of their nature and their sorrows, and was made in the likeness of sinful flesh. He died for His sheep, "the just for the unjust," to redeem them from the curse of the law, from the guilt and dominion of sin, from the power of Satan--and to bring them to God!

They all, by nature, had "gone astray, every one to his own way;" but having thus bought them with His blood, in His own appointed time--He seeks, finds and restores His sheep! By the power of His Word and Spirit, He makes Himself known to their hearts, causes them to hear and understand His voice, and guides them into His fold! They are then under His immediate protection and government.

Considered as individuals, they are fitly described by the name of "sheep". A sheep is a weak, defenseless, foolish creature; prone to wander, and can seldom return of its own accord. A sheep has neither strength to fight with the wolf, nor speed to escape from it; nor has a sheep the foresight of the ant, to provide its own sustenance.

Such is our character, and our situation! We are . . .
unable to take care of ourselves,
prone to wander from our resting-place,
exposed to enemies which we can neither escape nor withstand,
without any resource in ourselves, and
taught, by daily experience, the insufficiency of everything around us.

Yet, if Jesus is our Shepherd, as weak and helpless as we are--we may say with David, "The Lord is my Shepherd--I have everything I need! Surely Your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever!" Every sheep has an inheritance reserved for them in heaven, (1 Peter 1:4-5) and they shall be safely kept, while they are sojourners upon earth, for the Shepherd of Israel is their keeper.

The Good Shepherd cares for His flock. Not the slightest circumstance in their concerns, escapes His notice. When they are ready to faint, borne down with heavy exercises of mind, wearied with temptations, dry and disconsolate in their hearts--He seasonably revives them. Nor are they in affliction without a needs-be for it. All His dispensations towards them are medicinal, designed to correct, or to restrain, or to cure--the maladies of their souls. And they are all adjusted, by His wisdom and tenderness, to what they can bear, and to what their case requires.

The Good Shepherd is represented as counting their sighs, putting their tears into His bottle, recording their sorrows in His book of remembrance; and as being "able to sympathize with our weaknesses".

There are lambs among His flock, and for these He expresses a special tenderness. "He will carry the lambs in His arms, holding them close to His heart." Though they are weaklings, they shall not be left behind. If a poor lamb is weary, and unable to keep up with the flock, He shall carry it. These are new converts in the Lord's family--they are, as yet, weak, unsettled and inexperienced. Almost every day brings them into a new and untried situation. They often meet with opposition and discouragement. What would become of them in such circumstances, if their faithful Shepherd had not promised that "He will carry the lambs in His arms, holding them close to His heart!"

John Newton

Revelation Chapter 5, Part 2 - The Slain Lamb

Today we pick our study of Revelation chapter five with verse six.

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. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Revelation 5:6-10

We have just been told that the One who is worthy to open the scroll is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and John looks to the throne but what he sees in not a lion, but a lamb, standing as if slain. The Greek word here is arníon (lamb) and this is the first of twenty-nine times this word is used in the book of Revelation, and with the exception of Revelation 13:11 every one of these references is to Jesus. Robert Van Kampen, in his commentary of Revelation tells us that we will see the lamb in Revelation as, standing, worshipped, praised, wrathful, honored, sacrificed, as the provider, leader, husband of the bride, the temple and light, and on His throne. He then adds:

From these references, we can discern that the lamb is John’s title of choice for the Lord in the Revelation. In the common phrase, ‘the Lamb of God,’ a Greek synonym is used. Thus the term arníon is unique to the Revelation and the New Testament as a title for the Lord Jesus.1

By using the picture of the Lamb John has just given us another Old Testament picture of the Messiah. Warren Wiersbe writes:

In the two names Lion and Lamb we have the two-fold emphasis of Old Testament prophecy: as the Lion, Christ conquers and reigns; as the Lamb, He dies for the sins of the world. We cannot separate the suffering and glory, the crown and the cross.

He then adds:

In fact, the whole Bible could be summarized by tracing the theme of ‘the lamb.’ Isaac asked, ‘Where is the lamb?’ and John the Baptist answered, ‘Behold the Lamb of God!’ Now John writes, ‘Worthy is the Lamb!’ 2

So, we know that the Lamb is the Lord Jesus Christ, but we can learn several other important things from this brief passage in verse six: (1) that the lamb was slain is a picture of the redemptive work of Christ; His substitutionary death on our behalf. (2) That He is standing is a picture of His resurrection from the dead. (3) That He is standing also shows us that He is no longer seated, but is moving. Dr McGee writes here:

He is moving to power. He is coming to this earth. The judgment of the tribulation is about to strike the earth.3

(4) That He is standing between the throne is a picture of Him as the Righteous Judge – as the only One worthy to break the seals and to open the scroll He alone is able to Judge the world and everything in it.

Still in verse six, John tells us this Lamb has “seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.”

Horns in the Bible represent strength or power; Easton’s Bible Dictionary says:

This word [horn] is used metaphorically for strength (Deut. 33:17) and honor (Job 16:15; Lam. 2:3). Horns are emblems of power, dominion, glory, and fierceness, as they are the chief means of attack and defense with the animals endowed with them (Dan. 8:5, 9; 1 Sam. 2:1; 16:1, 13; 1 Kings 1:39; 22:11; Josh. 6:4, 5; Ps. 75:5, 10; 132:17; Luke 1:69, etc.). The expression “horn of salvation,” applied to Christ, means a salvation of strength, or a strong Savior (Luke 1:69). To have the horn ‘exalted’ denotes prosperity and triumph (Ps. 89:17, 24). To ‘lift up’ the horn is to act proudly (Zech. 1:21). Horns are also the symbol of royal dignity and power (Jer. 48:25; Zech. 1:18; Dan. 8:24). 4

Here in verse six we are told that John saw on the Lamb seven horns. As we have already seen numerous times in this book the number seven signifies completion, so what we are seeing here is that Jesus, as the Lamb of God, has complete power, glory, and dominion over all of creation.

The seven eyes, we are told, are the seven Spirits of God. This is a reference back to chapter one where John wrote, “…to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and was and is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne.” Since we discussed this in detail in chapter one I will not go into this one again here other than to add that the seven eyes sent out into the whole earth indicate:

The ability to see the ‘entire earth’ at the same time [and] indicates absolute sovereignty. Therefore the slain, but alive Lamb is both the absolute power, and sovereign of the earth.5

Verse seven says that He [Jesus – the Lamb] came, and He took it [the scroll] out of the right hand of Him [God the Father] who sat on the throne. Then in verse eight we see the response of those around the throne as the Lamb takes the scroll; once again we see spontaneous worship break out in the throne room of Heaven. This verse says that the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb.

This verse also tells us that the twenty-four elders each had something in their hands; here we are told that they each had a golden harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Throughout the Old Testament we see harps associated with praise:

Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

Psalm 33:2-3

I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,

Psalm 144:9

Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!

Psalm 150:3

This is actually the verse from which many have gotten the idea that we will all have harps in heaven. While this verse does not teach that it does let us know that the worship in heaven will be accompanied by music.

Next, harps are also representative of something else in the Old Testament – Prophecy. We can see an example of this in 1 Samuel and 1 Chronicles:

After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim, where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying.

1 Samuel 10:5

David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was:

1 Chronicles 25:1

Based upon these references (and many more) it is quite possible that what John was witnessing here is a worship service that was directed toward the Lamb who has just taken the scroll, praising Him for all of the prophecy throughout the ages that is now about to be fulfilled as He opens the scroll and take His rightful place as the Lord and Redeemer of all creation.

We also see from this verse that in addition to harps the elders also held golden bowls full of incense, which we are told, are the prayers of the saints. Again, if we look to the Old Testament we will learn that the use of incense was commonly associated with prayer. John MacArthur writes:

Incense was a normal part of the Old Testament ritual. Priests stood twice daily before the inner veil of the temple and burned incense so that the smoke would carry into the Holy of Holies and be swept into the nostrils of God. That symbolized the people’s prayers rising to Him.6

The following verse from Psalm 141 is a good example of this:

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

Psalm 141:2

We see another mention of the prayers of the saints in chapter eight where we read:

And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne,

Revelation 8:3

So what are these prayers that the elders are holding in the golden bowels? Robert Van Kampen writes that these prayers are prayers for vengeance because:

The only prayers of all the saints unanswered and contextually appropriate at this point are the prayers for vengeance.”7

Jesus has just taken the scroll ad He is about to break its seals. As the scroll is unrolled judgment will be poured out upon the earth and all of the suffering endured by the people of God since the beginning of time will finally be avenged.

Now as we move into verses nine and ten we are told that the four living creatures, and the twenty-four elders sang a new song to the Lamb; they sang:

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Revelation 5:9-10

Notice that the verse says that this is a “new song.” Prior to this the only song sang was the song of creation, but now the song is the song of redemption. J Vernon McGee writes:

Praise is directed to the Lamb with the book. He is praised now as the Redeemer of men in all ages and races.8

And MacDonald and Farstad add:

In their new song, they acclaimed the Lamb as worthy to execute judgment because of His redemptive work on the cross.9

The song itself is an expression of worship; notice that it begins with the words, Worthy are You. Worthy here is the Greek word áxios, which means, “to weigh.” Dr. Zodhiates writes that this word is used of something with “inherent value as contrasted to… attributed value.10 This is a word of worship; to worship means to ascribe worth, and that is exactly what is happening here – they are ascribing worth to the Lamb of God.

They not only say that He is worthy they say what He is worthy to do, and in this case it is to take the book and break its seals. To break the seals is to open the scroll and enact the judgments within. Then they continue by stating why He is worthy to take the scroll and to break its seals. They say, “for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”

The Greek word translated slain here is spházō, which means, to slaughter or butcher and it most frequently used of “victims for sacrifice.”11 So the song is indicating that the death, or slaughter, of the lamb was a sacrificial death. This verse also tells us for what purpose this sacrificial death occurred; this sacrifice was for the redemption of mankind. Notice that the song says “and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”

The word translated purchased here is the Greek word agorázō. This word means to buy in its most literal form, but in speaking of this words use here John MacArthur writes that this word is:

[A] rich New Testament word for redemption that pictures slaves purchased in the marketplace and then set free.”12

This is the same thing that Peter wrote in his first epistle:

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

1 Peter 1:17-19

Notice also that it says the men He purchased with His blood are from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. These four terms (tribe, tongue, people, and nation) appear together four other times in the book of Revelation (7:9, 11:9, 13:7, 14:6) and let us know that these terms used together indicate a complete picture of humanity. Jamieson, Fausset, Fausset, Brown, and Brown point out in their commentary on Revelation that there is significance here also in the number four; they write:

The number four marks world-wide extension: the four quarters of the world. For “kindred,” translate as Greek, “tribe.” This term and “people” are usually restricted to Israel: “tongue and nation” to the Gentiles. Thus there is here marked the election-Church gathered from Jews and Gentiles.13

So from this we can know that Jesus has purchased a people for God from every part of humanity. The apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28 “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” And we know from this passage in Revelation that we are all one in Christ Jesus because He purchased us with His blood.

Verse ten then tells us that He made those He purchased to be a kingdom and priests to God, and that they will reign on the earth. This is a repeat of what was said in verse six of chapter one, and as was noted there, a kingdom in its most basic sense is a group of people ruled by a king. What this verse here is telling us is that the redeemed are a kingdom because Jesus, the Lamb, purchased them and made them a kingdom. But it doesn’t stop there; the verse says He also made the redeemed to be priests to God. A priest is one who offers service to God; by saying that those He purchased are priests He is saying that they now have complete access to God. John MacArthur adds:

The present priesthood of believers (1 Pet. 2:5, 9) foreshadows that future day when we will have total access to and perfect communion with God.14

And lastly this song says that the redeemed will reign upon the earth. This is a reference to the millennial kingdom when Jesus will rule the earth for a thousand years. This verse is telling us that the Redeemed will not only be a part of His kingdom on earth, but will actually reign with Him.

Before we move on it must also be pointed out that there is a bit a disagreement among scholars when it comes to the interpretation of verse ten. The disagreement arises due to the way this verse was translated in the King James Version of the Bible. In the KJV the verse reads:

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Revelation 5:10 (KJV)

Notice that the words “us” and “we” have replaced the words “them” and “they” in this verse. So the question arises: are the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders including themselves in the group of those who have been redeemed by the Lamb? Or are they sings praise to the Lamb for the redemption He purchased for us? If, as was pointed out in the previous chapter, these twenty-four elders are angelic beings, then the correct translation would be “them” and “they”; however, if these twenty-four elders are representative of either Old Testament saints, or New Testament believers then “us” and “we” would be appropriate. The problem that arises here is that the twenty-four elders are not the only ones singing; according to verse eight the four living creatures are also part of this choir, and we know for sure that they are angelic beings. We also know from Scripture that angels are not part of the redeemed, so I tend to agree with the translation in the NASB, but I will let you decide.

1 Van Kampen, Robert. Revelation Commentary Ch5 Pg3 (© www.revelationcommentry.org). Orlando Fl.: Sola Scriptura
2 Wiersbe, W.W. (1997, c1992). Wiersbe's expository outlines on the New Testament (810). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.
3 McGee J. Vernon (c 1983). Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee Vol.5 1 Corinthians-Revelation Pg.936 Nashville TN.: Thomas Nelson.
4 Easton, M. (1996, c1897). Easton's Bible dictionary. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
5 Van Kampen, Robert. Revelation Commentary Ch5 Pg4 (© www.revelationcommentry.org). Orlando Fl.: Sola Scriptura
6 MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Re 5:8). Nashville: Word Pub.
7 Van Kampen, Robert. Revelation Commentary Ch8 Pg2 (© www.revelationcommentry.org). Orlando Fl.: Sola Scriptura
8 McGee J. Vernon (c 1983). Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee Vol.5 1 Corinthians-Revelation Pg.936 Nashville TN.: Thomas Nelson.
9 MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (Re 5:9). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
10 Zodhiates, S. (2000, c1992, c1993). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.) (G514). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.
11 Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W. (1996). Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words (2:342). Nashville: T. Nelson.
12 MacArthur, J. (1999). Revelation 1-11 (172). Chicago: Moody Press.
13 Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., Fausset, A. R., Brown, D., & Brown, D. (1997). A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments. On spine: Critical and explanatory commentary. (Re 5:9). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
14 MacArthur, J. (1999). Revelation 1-11 (172). Chicago: Moody Press.

Next time we will pick up with verse eleven as we look at the Shouting Hosts.

20 Reasons Why Michael Jackson's Life & Death Matters:

Here is somethng I never thought I would be writing: a blog post about Michael Jackson.

My musical preferences tend to lean more toward the heavier side of music, so I was never really a fan of Michael Jackson or his music. I knew some of his songs, and at one point I even owned a copy of Thriller (due more to the fact that Eddie Van Halen played guitar on one track than it being a Michael Jackson album), but to say I was a fan would be stretching the truth.

But as I have watched over the past few days the total media saturation of the coverage of Michael's death it makes me sad to think that a life that was so blessed with talent could come to such a tragic end. That is why while I was searching Sermon Audio for something to listen to this morning the title of this sermon caught my eye.

In this sermon Craig Musselman gives us 20 reasons Why Michael Jackson's Life & Death Matters.

Here are the 20 reasons he lists:

1. It teaches us the dangerous power of idolatry
2. It highlights the reality of 1 Peter 1:24-25
3. In short, Michael Jackson was an example of a wasted life
4. It reinforces that sobering reality of 1 Timothy6:7
5. It teaches us that enormous wealth is poisonous to flesh
6. It confirms the biblical truth that fallen man is given to self-destruction
7. It demonstrates that life is a vacuum outside of Jesus Christ
   
8. It reminds us that the LORD gives and the LORD takes away
9. It reveals in vivid display the sad reality of man's depravity
10. It reveals man at his greatest and his worse….a wicked wretch in both cases
11. It's a great reminder that its been given unto men once to die and then judgment
12. It reveals the insanity of a life lived for one's own glory and not God's
13. The greatest of icon's are still sinners in need of a Savior
14. It shows how gracious and giving God is towards sinners, and how thankless, greedy, and self-consuming man is
15. It teaches us the vanity of popularity
16. It proves Satan's promises always fail
17. It teaches us how damning are the bright lights and golden promises of this world
18. It reveals how much stock people put into what's of such little or no value
19. It reminds us of how short life really is
20. Because in the end – he's just another man –just like you…same disease… same Creator… same need…and will face the same Judge

These are things that each of us needs to think about in our own lives.

Here is the sermon:

New Blog

For anyone that is interested in news and politics I have created a new blog to look at current events from a Christian perspective. You can find it here:

My News and Politics Blog.

Please check it out and feel free to leave your comments.

Christian! Or Christian?

Here are a couple more Sermons that every Christian should hear:

A Study Of Covenant, Part 3 - The Abrahamic & Mosaic Covenants

These next two parts are where I want to spend the most time and go into the most detail in this series on Covenant, because this is where covenant becomes very important to us. In this part we are going to look at the covenants that God made with Abraham, and with Moses and the people of Israel, and then next time The New Covenant that Jesus made with the Church.

There are other covenants we could look at when we discuss salvation; covenants that directly relate, and covenants that allude, in types and shadows, to our salvation, and I encourage you to study these on your own. I have picked these three because they each directly play a part in our salvation, and by understanding these three covenants you will understand what it means to be in a covenant relationship with God.

1. The Abrahamic Covenant

Let me set the scene; Abram, the son of Terah lived in Ur of the Chaldeans with his father and his extended family. The family was moving from Ur to Canaan but when they came to Haran they settled there. When Abram was 75 years old God appeared to him in Haran and made him a promise (actually it was several promises)

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 12:1-3

So Abram did what the Lord told him and he left his home and headed for the land God had promised him. In the next few chapters we are able to journey with Abram as he escapes a famine by going to Egypt, we see family problems arise as he separates with his nephew Lot, we see Lot get captured and Abram waging a war against several kings to get Lot back, and we see Abram receive a blessing from one of the most mysterious people in the Bible, Melchizedek. But what we don’t see in all this time is Abram and his wife Sarai having any children. This is a problem because as pointed out above, Abram was already 75 years old before any of this took place.

After Abram and Lot separated in chapter 13 God once again appeared to Abram and said:

“Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”

Genesis 13:14-17

Here we see God reemphasizing His earlier promise to Abram. From here we go into the war with the kings that was mentioned above which culminates at the end of chapter 14 with Abram receiving a blessing from the king and priest of Jerusalem, Melchizedek. At this time Abram refused to accept any reward from the king of Sodom because he didn’t want him to be able to say that he made Abram rich; he was still relying on the promise that God had made to him.

Then in chapter 15 God once again appears to Abram and tells him in verse 1, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield; your reward will be very great.” (Genesis 15:1) And Abram asks God in verse 2 how any of this can come to pass since he is childless. Then Abram comes up with a solution to help God out; Abram says since I don’t have any offspring of my own I can name an heir from among those born in my house. I have a servant that fits this bill; his name is Eliezer of Damascus and he can be my heir.

Look at how God replies to Abram:

And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

Genesis 15:4-7

Please note that this is where Abram received salvation; this is where he believed God, believed the promise, and it was credited to him as righteousness. The word translated here “credited” is the Hebrew word Hoseb, and it is an accounting term which means to put on the credit side of the ledger.

So, Abram believed God and took Him at his word, but he still had questions. In verse 8 Abram asks how will I know that I will possess this land? And god says:

“Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”

Genesis 15:9

Why did God tell Abram to do this? He was going to make a covenant with him, a solemn binding agreement.

Abram did as he was told. He brought the animals that God requested, and he split them down the middle and laid the pieces out opposite each other. Then we see beginning in verse 13:

Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for yourself, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

Genesis 15:13-21

There are a few important things to point out here: First please note that Abram did not pass between the animals, only God did; God was assuming the full weight and responsibility of the covenant He was making with Abram. Second I think in this passage we can see a picture of the Trinity; we see God the Father represented by the smoking fire pot, and we see the Holy Spirit represented by the flaming torch, and I think Jesus was represented here by the animals that were slain. Third we see that the covenant promised Abram both offspring and a land.

In chapter 16 we see Sarai get into the act as she is now trying to help God out with keeping his promise. In this chapter we see Sarai give Abram her maid Hagar thinking that if Abram and Hagar had a child it would be the offspring that God had promised and everything would be good. We know now that things didn’t work out as she had planned, and she ended up blaming Abram for the problems this caused.

Then in chapter 17 God again appears to Abram and instituted the covenant that He had cut with Abram back in chapter 15. God restates the terms of the covenant by telling Abram that he would be the father of many nations. God then changed his name from Abram to Abraham, and changed Sarai’s name to Sarah. Many Hebrew scholars believe that what God did here was insert part of His own name into Abram and Sarai’s names.

God also instituted a sign of the covenant, the sign of circumcision. He said, “Every one of your males must be circumcised. You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin to serve as a sign of the covenant between Me and you. “ (Genesis 17:10-11). Why circumcision you ask; remember early on in this discussion we noted that as part of the covenant ritual some from of scar was used as a sign to remember that you had a covenant partner? Well, that is what circumcision is; the scar that reminds of the covenant. And I hear you say, “OK I get the scar thing, but I still don’t understand why circumcision.” I think Kay Arthur has the best explanation I have ever read; in her book on covenant she says:

Because, beloved, the cut is at the closest site of paternity—and it is for Abraham’s descendents! The seed is from the man. It comes from where the covenant will be made. It is a covenant with Abraham and his seed.1

In this chapter we also see Abraham laughing because he is now 99 years old and Sarah is 89, and the thought of two people as old as they are having a baby is funny. Again Abraham has a solution to help God out; he says to God, “If only Ishmael could live before You.” In other words, “why don’t you just establish your covenant through Ishmael?” But God said, “No, not through Ishmael. You will bear a son with Sarah, your wife, and you will call his name Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him and with his offspring.” One year later, when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 Isaac was born. God had kept His promise, because His promise was based on covenant.

We will come back to this covenant later in our discussion, but for now just remember that God made a covenant with Abram and that covenant promised a seed and a land.

Now let’s move on to the next covenant we want to look at; the covenant made at Mount Sinai; the covenant of the law.

2. The Sinai Covenant

It is now several years after God made the covenant with Abraham. Abraham’s descendents have been enslaved for 400 years just as God had prophesied to Abram on the day He cut covenant with him. They have been released from captivity and are now camped at the base of Mount Sinai where God is about to make a second covenant with the children of Israel.

Will this covenant invalidate or replace the covenant God made with Abraham? No, that was an everlasting covenant that cannot be altered and cannot be replaced. So why make another covenant? The answer to that is found in the New Testament book a Galatians, which we will look at in detail later on, but right now let’s just look at this details of this covenant and see what we can learn.

First of all, as the name implies, this covenant was made with Moses on Mt. Sinai. We can see this in Exodus 34. We will not look at the whole chapter here, but I do want to look at a few verses from this chapter. In verses one through nine we see God telling Moses to cut two stone tablets and to bring them up the mountain where he is to meet with God. While he is on the mountain God came down in a cloud and stood there with him. These verses tell us that Moses spent 40 days on this mountain, and that while he was there he didn’t eat of drink anything. But why was he there? We get the answer in verse 10:

And he said, “Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.

Exodus 34:10

God was making a covenant with the people, with His people, Israel.

In verses 11 through the end of the chapter God give Moses instruction for the Israelites to follow. Then look at what He says in verse 27:

And the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”

Exodus 34:27

And what did Moses write down? Look at verse 28:

And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 34:28b

The covenant God mad with Moses and the children of Israel was what we know as the Ten Commandments. As we have already seen, in a covenant there are duties imposed and blessings and consequences for either keeping or breaking the covenant. Do we have these here?

In verse eleven God tells Moses that if they obey He will drive out the nations that inhabit the land that they are about to inherit, but if they disobey there will be consequences. We also saw that when a covenant is made between a superior and inferior the inferior has the responsibility to either accept or reject the terms of the covenant. Did they accept the terms of the covenant? For the answer to this let’s look at Deuteronomy chapter five.

Deuteronomy is the last book of the Torah, the five books of Moses. In this book Moses is restating the terms of the covenant that God made on Mount Sinai with those who came out of Egypt. It has been forty years since the exodus and he is talking to the generation that is about to enter the Promised Land to possess it. In chapter five he says:

“Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, while I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain."

Deuteronomy 5:1-5

Then he proceeds to restate the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. In Deuteronomy 5:22-33 the Israelites tell Moses that they are afraid that they will die if they hear God speaking to them, so they tell Moses to go listen to what God has to say and then report it to them, and whatever it is they will obey. The whole rest of the book of Deuteronomy is a restating of the terms of the covenant, the blessings for keeping it, and the curses for not keeping it.

Look now at Deuteronomy 26:16-19 for a summary of the covenant:

“This day the Lord your God commands you to do these statutes and rules. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared today that the Lord is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his rules, and will obey his voice. And the Lord has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, and that he will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that he has made, and that you shall be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.”

Deuteronomy 26:16-19

Remember back to the beginning of this study I said that part of the covenant ceremony was to set up a memorial to be a testament to the covenant. Look now at Deuteronomy 27:1-8

Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep the whole commandment that I command you today. And on the day you cross over the Jordan to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones and plaster them with plaster. And you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over to enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you. And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster. And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. You shall wield no iron tool on them; you shall build an altar to the Lord your God of uncut stones. And you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God, and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and shall eat there, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God. And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.”

Deuteronomy 27:1-8

The people have been commanded to create a memorial so that they would remember the terms of the covenant. Moses tells them in chapter 30 that this is not too difficult for them to do; all they have to do is obey. They have a choice to make, life and prosperity or death and adversity. If they obey, God promises them every blessing, but if they disobey they will be driven out of the land that He gave them.

Moses dies at the end of Deuteronomy and Joshua becomes the new leader of the nation. In the book of Joshua we see the Israelites enter the land just as God had promised. At the end of the book of Joshua, as he is about to die, the nation is again addressed and reminded of the terms of the covenant. In chapter 24 Joshua gives us a condensed version of the history of Israel followed by this exchange:

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.” And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord.” Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.”

Joshua 24:14-22

The rest of the Old Testament chronicles the history of the nation of Israel as they turn from God and are exiled from the land, return to God and come back to the land, and repeat the process again and again, just as God stated in the terms of the covenant. But this is not the end of the story, there is still another covenant, a New Covenant, a covenant that does what we could not do on our own, empower us to obey; we will look at this covenant next time.



1 Arthur, Kay: Our Covenant God: Learning to Trust Him. Colorado Springs CO.: WaterBrook Press, c1993. Pg. 233

Worthy Is The Lamb!

And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

Revelation 4:8

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Revelation 4:11

And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Revelation 5:9-10

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Revelation 5:11-14

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”

Revelation 11:17-18

And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Revelation 15:3-4

“Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.”

Revelation 19:5

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;

Revelation 19:6-7

And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

Revelation 19:9

Take some time today to praise and worship Jesus Christ - the Way the Truth and the Life - who is the Lamb who was slain, and who alone is worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.

Well Done Good And Faithful Servant - Part 2

It seems like just yesterday that I was sitting here at my desk writing a tribute to my grandfather-in-law who had just gone home to be with the Lord. And now, just six short weeks later I am faced with writing another tribute, this time for my grandmother-in-law, who departed this world last Wednesday afternoon. She was 88 years old (today would have been her 89th birthday), a strong Christian, and she was ready to go home.

As I look back over the past 26 years that I have been a part of this family I have many fond memories of the time we spent together. As I think about those times I cannot remember a single time when we were together that she did not turn the conversation to spiritual matters and talk about Jesus; in fact I cannot think of a more appropriate or accurate thing to say about Mamaw than this - she was a witness for Jesus Christ. Yes, she was a good cook, and she loved her family, but first and foremost she told everyone she came in contact with that they needed to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Mamaw had been sick for the past several years, and her health took a severe downturn in the last 2-3 years leaving her unable to care for herself. She was suffering from dementia and completely bedridden at the end, unable even to take a drink of water without help. My last visit was on the day of Papaw's funeral. Because of her condition, both physical and mental, she was unable to attend. So after everything was completed that day all of the grandchildren and their spouses decided that we would stop by to see her on our way home even though we knew that she would probably not know who we were or that we had even been there. We were wrong. And what happened that day is something that I will never forget.

As we came into the room that day, Mamaw,who was barely able to lift her head off of her pillow, looked around the room and recognized every one of us in the room calling us by name. Then, this frail woman, who could no longer even care for herself, proceeded to share Christ with each of us, using the small amount of energy she had to share the gospel with us saying that she wanted to make sure that everyone in that room was going to be with her in heaven. That was the kind of woman she was; she wanted to make sure that everyone was going to be in heaven, and because she didn't think that she had much time left she used what she had to double-check the spiritual condition of her grandchildren and their families.

As I think back on that day I am struck with just how important Jesus was to her. I could see this over the years that I knew her, and everyone that I have talked to said the same thing - she loved Jesus.

At her funeral I had the opportunity to look though her Bible, and although I don't know when she started using this Bible I know that she was not able to use it over the past couple of years. But as I flipped through its pages I saw note after note on just about every page in her Bible; everywhere there was a blank spot on a page she had written a note about how something on that page had spoken to her. And notice I said above that I don't know when she started using that Bible. That is because my wife has another Bible that belonged to her that she started using in the 1940's and that Bible is literally falling apart - not from neglect but from heavy use.

I have heard it said that a person whose Bible is falling apart probably are not, and that is true of Mamaw; she endured some of the most trying things that a mother could endure: the loss of of child at a young age to cancer; another child who had special needs and whom she cared for until she was just physically not able to do so any longer (over 65 years); a grandson who was in a serious car accident and paralyzed. Through all of these tragedies and hardships she never lost her faith, and in all the time that I knew her I never heard her complain.

So as I look back over the short time that I had the privilege of knowing her what I see is someone that I want to emulate. In his letter to the Philippians the apostle Paul wrote:

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

Philippians 3:17

Mamaw could have written this verse; she clearly led by example, and there are very few people that I can think of that would be better to imitate.

So with this short few paragraphs I say good-bye (for now). And I pray that if I live to be 89 years old the most important thing to me will still be to make sure that my whole family knows Jesus and that because of what He did on the cross we will all be together with Him in heaven forever.

The Sovereignty of God and Prayer

Here is an article that I have been saving by John Piper that looks at God Sovereignty in our salvation and our responsibility to pray for the lost. The typical argument from those who place man's free-will over the sovereignty of God in salvation is that if we really believed that salvation is all God's doing - the he alone works in salvation - then our prayers for the lost are illogical and a waste of our time. Here Dr. Piper shows that it is in reality those who hold to the Doctrines of Grace who are being consistent in their theology when they pray for the lost.

I encourage you to read this slowly and to think about what he is saying here. And as always, I encourage you to comment - especially if you disagree.

The Sovereignty of God and Prayer

I am often asked, "If you believe God works all things according to the counsel of his will (Ephesians 1:11) and that his knowledge of all things past, present, and future is infallible, then what is the point of praying that anything happen?" Usually this question is asked in relation to human decision: "If God has predestined some to be his sons and chosen them before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4,5), then what's the point in praying for anyone's conversion?"

The implicit argument here is that if prayer is to be possible at all man must have the power of self-determination. That is, all man's decisions must ultimately belong to himself, not God. For otherwise he is determined by God and all his decisions are really fixed in God's eternal counsel. Let's examine the reasonableness of this argument by reflecting on the example cited above.

1. "Why pray for anyone's conversion if God has chosen before the foundation of the world who will be his sons?" A person in need of conversion is "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1); he is "enslaved to sin" (Romans 6:17; John 8:34); "the god of this world has blinded his mind that he might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" (II Corinthians. 4:4); his heart is hardened against God (Ephesians 4:18) so that he is hostile to God and in rebellion against God's will (Romans 8:7).

Now I would like to turn the question back to my questioner: If you insist that this man must have the power of ultimate self-determination, what is the point of praying for him? What do you want God to do for Him? You can't ask that God overcome the man's rebellion, for rebellion is precisely what the man is now choosing, so that would mean God overcame his choice and took away his power of self-determination. But how can God save this man unless he act so as to change the man's heart from hard hostility to tender trust?

Will you pray that God enlighten his mind so that he truly see the beauty of Christ and believe? If you pray this, you are in effect asking God no longer to leave the determination of the man's will in his own power. You are asking God to do something within the man's mind (or heart) so that he will surely see and believe. That is, you are conceding that the ultimate determination of the man's decision to trust Christ is God's, not merely his.

What I am saying is that it is not the doctrine of God's sovereignty which thwarts prayer for the conversion of sinners. On the contrary, it is the unbiblical notion of self-determination which would consistently put an end to all prayers for the lost. Prayer is a request that God do something. But the only thing God can do to save a lost sinner is to overcome his resistance to God. If you insist that he retain his self-determination, then you are insisting that he remain without Christ. For "no one can come to Christ unless it is given him from the Father" (John 6:65,44).

Only the person who rejects human self-determination can consistently pray for God to save the lost. My prayer for unbelievers is that God will do for them what He did for Lydia: He opened her heart so that she gave heed to what Paul said (Acts 16:14). I will pray that God, who once said, "Let there be light!", will by that same creative power "shine in their hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (II Corinthians 4:6). I will pray that He will "take out their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26). I will pray that they be born not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God (John 1:13). And with all my praying I will try to "be kind and to teach and correct with gentleness and patience, if perhaps God may grant them repentance and freedom from Satan's snare" (II Timothy 2:24-26).

In short, I do not ask God to sit back and wait for my neighbor to decide to change. I do not suggest to God that He keep his distance lest his beauty become irresistible and violate my neighbor's power of self-determination. No! I pray that he ravish my unbelieving neighbor with his beauty, that he unshackle the enslaved will, that he make the dead alive and that he suffer no resistance to stop him lest my neighbor perish.

2. If someone now says, "O.K., granted that a person's conversion is ultimately determined by God' I still don't see the point of your prayer. If God chose before the foundation of the world who would be converted, what function does your prayer have?" My answer is that it has a function like that of preaching: How shall the lost believe in whom they have not heard, and how shall they hear without a preacher, and how shall they preach unless they are sent (Romans 10:14f.)? Belief in Christ is a gift of God (John 6:65; II Timothy 2:25; Ephesians 2:8), but God has ordained that the means by which men believe on Jesus is through the preaching of men. It is simply naive to say that if no one spread the gospel all those predestined to be sons of God (Ephesians 1:5) would be converted anyway. The reason this is naive is because it overlooks the fact that the preaching of the gospel is just as predestined as is the believing of the gospel: Paul was set apart for his preaching ministry before he was born (Galatians 1:15), as was Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5). Therefore, to ask, "If we don't evangelize, will the elect be saved?" is like asking, "If there is no predestination, will the predestined be saved?" God knows those who are his and he will raise up messengers to win them. If someone refuses to be a part of that plan, because he dislikes the idea of being tampered with before he was born, then he will be the loser, not God and not the elect. "You will certainly carry out God's purpose however you act but it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John." (Problem of Pain chapter 7, Anthology, p 910, cf. p 80)

Prayer is like preaching in that it is a human act also. It is a human act that God has ordained and which he delights in because it reflects the dependence of his creatures upon Him. He has promised to respond to prayer, and his response is just as contingent upon our prayer as our prayer is in accordance with his will. "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (I John 5:14). When we don't know how to pray according to God's will but desire it earnestly, "the Spirit of God intercedes for us according to the will of God" (Romans 8:27).

In other words, just as God will see to it that His Word is proclaimed as a means to saving the elect, so He will see to it that all those prayers are prayed which He has promised to respond to. I think Paul's words in Romans 15:18 would apply equally well to his preaching and his praying ministry: "I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles." Even our prayers are a gift from the one who "works in us that which is pleasing in his sight" (Hebrews 13:21). Oh, how grateful we should be that He has chosen us to be employed in this high service! How eager we should be to spend much time in prayer!

Dr. John Piper

Desiring God Ministries

Revelation Chapter 5, Part 1 - The Sealed Book

In the previous chapter we were taken to Heaven where we saw a throne and One sitting upon it. We saw that around this throne there were twenty-four other thrones with twenty-four elders seated upon them. We saw an emerald rainbow and a sea of glass. We saw four living creatures that are unlike anything we know here on earth. We saw lightning and we heard thunder. And we heard the praises that are issued day and night unto our God.

Now we come to chapter five and we continue with the scene that we began in the previous chapter - John is still in the spirit, and he is still in the throne room of heaven; what we will see now in chapter five is a continuation of the vision that began in chapter four.

Since this chapter is a continuation of the vision of chapter four I am once again going to borrow Warren Wiersbe’s outline for this chapter; he outlines this chapter as follows:

The Sealed Book (5:1-5)
The Slain Lamb (5:6-10)
The Shouting Hosts (5:11–14)1

In this chapter we will see Jesus, as He is about to return and redeem the earth from sin, death, Satan, and the curse that is upon the earth. Jesus is the rightful ruler and He is the central theme of this chapter. So, now that we have an outline and know the theme for the chapter lets jump right in and see what we can learn.

1. The Sealed Book (Verses 1-5)

Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Revelation 5:1-5

The chapter begins with the words “Then I saw” in the ESV, but the chapter begins with the word “And” or “Then” in most other English translations which indicates that this vision in chapter five is a continuation of the vision begun in chapter four. So what this means is that after John has seen the twenty-four elders cast their crowns before the throne and heard them say, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” (Revelation 4:11) he then looks and he sees a book in the right hand of “Him who sat on the throne.”

The word that is translated book here is the Greek word biblíon, and it should be noted that this is actually a scroll since bound books as we know them today did not exist in the first century. There are several indications here that support this conclusion:

1. The basic book form at the time of this writing was a scroll.
2. That all seven seals were visible indicates that this was a scroll.
3. The fact that the contents of the book could not be known until it was opened indicates a rolled up scroll.
   

So what we see here is a rolled up piece of parchment that is written on both the inside and on the back, and that is sealed up with seven seals. Warren Wiersbe writes:

John could see writing on both sides of the scroll, which meant that nothing more could be added. What was written was completed and final.2

But what is this scroll that is in the hand of God, and what does it represent? There has been much written about this book, or scroll, and there are as many opinions as to what it may be as there are commentaries. To this point Dr J Vernon McGee writes:

Godet considers this scroll to be ‘the book of the new covenant.’ Others label it ‘the book of judgment.’ Walter Scott considers it ‘the revelation of God’s purpose and counsel concerning the world.

McGee then adds:

It perhaps should bear no title because it is, as Dr. Harry Ironside has suggested, the title deed to this world.3

While there is plenty of evidence to suggest that any of these opinions may be correct, I believe that careful study of Scripture will show that it is Dr Ironside who is right – that the scroll that we are seeing here in God’s right hand is the title deed to the earth. Here are a few quotes by other commentators who also hold this position:

The scroll John saw in God’s hand is the title deed to the earth, which He will give to Christ.4

John MacArthur

The scroll represents Christ’s “title deed” to all that the Father promised Him because of His sacrifice on the cross.5

Warren Wiersbe

The roll, or book, appears from the context to be ‘the title-deed of man’s inheritance’ [De Burgh] redeemed by Christ, and contains the successive steps by which He shall recover it from its usurper and obtain actual possession of the kingdom already “purchased” for Himself and His elect saints.6

Jameson, Faucet, Faucet, Brown and Brown

The case can also be made for this being the title deed to the earth by looking at Revelation chapter eleven. At the end of this chapter when the seventh trumpet sounds we read:

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

Revelation 11:15

We will see as we go though this that as the seven seals of this scroll are opened judgment is poured out upon the earth, and we will also see that with the opening of the seventh seal the seven trumpet judgments commence, so the verse above from Revelation eleven, which shows the earth becoming once again the kingdom of God and of His Son Jesus Christ, is a direct result of the opening of this scroll.

As was briefly mentioned above, this scroll is sealed with seven seals. The picture here is of a Roman will; Warren Wiersbe writes:

A Roman will was sealed with seven seals; this scroll is the will, or testament, giving Christ the right to claim creation by virtue of His sacrifice... A will could be opened only by the heir, and Christ is the “heir of all things".7

Earl Palmer adds:

It was first-century tradition to validate and secure books and scrolls with a clay or wax seal imprinted with the special mark of the sender. The seal then had to be removed or broken in order to read the document. In some cases, more than one seal was placed upon a document.8

The seals that are on this scroll then are used to seal it and keep anyone but the rightful owner from reading what is written therein. It should be noted that the scroll was rolled up and then the seven seals were placed upon it. Some have suggested the scroll was rolled up a little and a then seal was placed on it sealing that portion of the scroll, then it was rolled up some more and another seal was attached, and so on. This way, as the scroll is opened a seal will be broken and the scroll unrolled revealing what is written there, then the next seal will be broken. This however cannot be the case here because John was able to see all seven seals at the same time, which would indicate that the scroll was rolled up and then sealed along its edge. This would also mean that all seven seals would have to be opened before the contents of the scroll could be read. This point will become more important as we move through the next few chapters.

Now in verse two John sees a strong angel who proclaims, or asks, in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?" This angel has been identified by some as being either Michael, or possibly Gabriel, but the text does not give this angel a name so we cannot be dogmatic on this point. There are, however, other places in the book of Revelation where angels referred to as strong:

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire.

Revelation 10:1

Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more;

Revelation 18:21

In the Psalms we also see references to strong angels:

Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word!

Psalm 103:20 (NASB)

So while we do not know the identification of this angel, we do know that there are a multitude of angels, and that angels are strong and mighty. We also know that they use their strength in the performance of, and obedience to, the word and will of God. Dr. Zodhiates writes that the Greek word translated here as strong is the word ischurós, which can be translated as “Strong, mighty, [or] powerful.” He then adds that it refers to “powers both of body and mind, physical and moral. [One who is] valiant in war… able to overcome… firm in faith… strong in influence and authority, mighty, honorable.”9

This is a description of the angel John saw making this proclamation. He is valiant, firm in faith, strong in influence and authority – a mighty warrior of God. And what does he say? “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?" Matthew Henry wrote:

This angel seems to come out, not only as a crier, but as a champion, with a challenge to any or all the creatures to try the strength of their wisdom in opening the counsels of God; and, as a champion, he cried with a loud voice, that every creature might hear.10

So the picture we have here is reminiscent of the giant Goliath standing before the armies of Israel. In 1 Samuel 17 we read the account of Goliath coming out and challenging the Israelites to send a man to fight him, and while this is not a perfect comparison to what John sees, it conveys the same idea. This angel is standing and crying out so that every creature in heaven, on the earth and even in hell can hear, and he is met with only silence. The champion of God is looking for someone who is worthy to break the seals and to open the scroll, and no one is found. John MacArthur writes:

But as the echoes of his cry recede there is only silence. The powerful archangels Michael and Gabriel do not answer. Uncounted thousands of other angels remain silent. All the righteous dead of all the ages, including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Peter and the rest of the apostles, Paul, and all the others from the church age, say nothing. No one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. A search of the entire universe, from hell to heaven and all points in between, turns up no one worthy to open the scroll.11

So John weeps. Verse four tells us that he weeps greatly. The word weep here is the Greek word klaíō, which conveys the idea of “not only the shedding of tears, but also every external expression of grief.”12 This is the same word used to describe Jesus weeping over Jerusalem in Luke 19:41 and of Peter weeping after he denied Jesus on the night of His arrest and trial. John MacArthur writes:

It is thus a word that expresses strong, unrestrained emotion.

And then adds:

This is the only time in Scripture that tears are seen in heaven.13

We must ask the question here, why was John weeping? W.A. Criswell answers this question with these words:

[John’s tears] represent the tears of all God’s people through all the centuries. Those tears of the Apostle John are the tears of Adam and Eve, driven out of the Garden of Eden, as they bowed over the first grave, as they watered the dust of the ground with their tears over the silent, still form of their son, Abel. Those are the tears of the children of Israel in bondage as they cried unto God in their affliction and slavery. They are the tears of God’s elect through the centuries as they cried unto heaven. They are the sobs and tears that have been wrung from the heart and soul of God’s people as they looked on their silent dead, as they stand beside their open graves, as they experience in the trials and sufferings of life, heartaches and disappointments indescribable. Such is the curse that sin has laid upon God’s beautiful creation; and this is the damnation of the hand of him who holds it, that usurper, that interloper, that intruder, that alien, that stranger, that dragon, that serpent, that Satan-devil. ‘And I wept audibly,’ for the failure to find a Redeemer meant that this earth in its curse is consigned forever to death. It meant that death, sin, damnation and hell should reign forever and ever and the sovereignty of God’s earth should remain forever in the hands of Satan.14

John knew, as did all of heaven, that the redemption of creation from the curse of sin required that someone open this scroll. When no one was found worthy to do so John was so overcome with grief that he wept greatly.

In verse five then we see one of the elders speaking to John. This is referring back to chapter four and the twenty-four elders who are seated around the throne. We are given no other indication as to the identity of this one who is speaking to John other than that it is one of the elders. And the elder tells John to, “Stop weeping…” Again, John MacArthur writes:

John’s weeping, though sincere, was premature He need not have wept, for God was about to take action.15

The elder continues, “…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.” There is One who is worthy to open the book, and He is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is described here as The Lion from the tribe of Judah, and as the root of David. These are both Old Testament allusions and titles for the coming Messiah, so let’s take a few minutes to look at each of these and see what we can learn.

The first title the elder uses is “the Lion from the tribe of Judah.” This title goes all the way back to the book of Genesis where in chapter forty-nine. As Jacob was dying, he pronounced blessings on each of his sons. We read the blessing to his son Judah in verses nine and ten.

Judah is a young lion— my son, you return from the kill— he crouches; he lies down like a lion and like a lioness—who wants to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, or the staff from between his feet, until He whose right it is comes and the obedience of the peoples belongs to Him.

Genesis 49:9-10 (HCSB)

The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus did in fact come from the tribe of Judah.

For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

Hebrews 7:14

Then the elder uses the title “the root of David.” We can see reference to this in the promise that God made to David in II Samuel chapter seven. In this chapter we see that David wanted to build a house for God, but God had denied him that request. But God then goes on to tell David that his son would be the one to build the temple, and then He makes this promise in verse sixteen:

And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.

2 Samuel 7:16

Then in Isaiah chapter eleven we read:

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

Isaiah 11:1

In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

Isaiah 11:10

In these verses (and many more) we see that God promised David that One would come from his line who would rule over the people of God forever. J Vernon McGee writes here:

He [God] says, ‘I am going to bring One in your line who shall rule, not only over these people, but over the whole earth.’ The Lord Jesus Christ has the right to rule, as He is the fulfillment of the prophecies made in the Old Testament relative to the future of the world.16

In the gospels the title “son of David” is used numerous times of Jesus, but one must ask the question, “How can Jesus be both the son and the root of David?” Jesus asked this same question of the Pharisees in an attempt to get them to recognize His deity. We can read this account in Matthew chapter twenty-two:

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet’? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”

Matthew 22:41-45

It is clear from even a casual reading of the Gospels that the Pharisees missed who Jesus was – the promised Messiah – but as we study the book of Revelation it is clear that these two titles refer to none other that the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Messiah that was promised throughout the entire Old Testament, and He alone is worthy to take the scroll from the right hand of the One on the throne and to break its seals. Robert Van Kampen writes:

The references to Judah and David establishes Jesus as the royal descendant of King David. This requirement is stated throughout the New Testament. However, it is not based solely on His genealogy that makes Him worthy to open the book. [Nikáō, the Greek word translated 'has overcome'] gives the reason that this particular Judeo-Dividite is worthy to open the book.” He continues, “This verb means to conquer. The Greek construction means ‘to conquer absolutely.’ John did not explicitly state what this Judeo-Dividite did to conquer here, but an indirect allusion is given in verse 6.17

1 Wiersbe, W.W. (1997, c1992). Wiersbe's expository outlines on the New Testament (811). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.
2 Wiersbe, W.W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. (Re 5:1). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.
3 McGee J. Vernon (c 1983). Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee Vol.5 1 Corinthians-Revelation Pg.933 Nashville TN.: Thomas Nelson.
4 MacArthur, J. (1999). Revelation 1-11 (164). Chicago: Moody Press.
5 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. (Re 5:1). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.
6 Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., Fausset, A. R., Brown, D., & Brown, D. (1997). A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments. On spine: Critical and explanatory commentary. (Re 5:1). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
7 Wiersbe, W.W. (1997, c1992). Wiersbe's expository outlines on the New Testament (809). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.
8 Palmer, E. F., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Vol. 35: The Preacher's Commentary Series, Volume 35 : 1, 2 & 3 John / Revelation. Formerly The Communicator's Commentary. The Preacher's Commentary series (159). Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Inc.
9 Zodhiates, S. (2000, c1992, c1993). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.) (G2478). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.
10 Henry, M. (1996, c1991). Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible: Complete and unabridged in one volume (Re 5:1). Peabody: Hendrickson.
11 MacArthur, J. (1999). Revelation 1-11 (165). Chicago: Moody Press.
12 Zodhiates, S. (2000, c1992, c1993). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.) (G2799). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.
13 MacArthur, J. (1999). Revelation 1-11 (165). Chicago: Moody Press.
14 Criswell, W.A. (1969) Expository Sermons on Revelation (3:69–70) Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
15 MacArthur, J. (1999). Revelation 1-11 (165). Chicago: Moody Press.
16 McGee J. Vernon (c 1983). Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee Vol.5 1 Corinthians-Revelation Pg.935 Nashville TN.: Thomas Nelson.
17 Van Kampen, Robert. Revelation Commentary Ch5 Pg2-3 (© www.revelationcommentry.org). Orlando Fl.: Sola Scriptura

We will pick up our study next time in verse six where we will look at the slain Lamb.

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

I was going to post part one of Revelation chapter 5 today, but when I listened to this sermon earlier today I decided that this was more important. So take some time, open your Bible, and let the Holy Spirit speak to you; this is the most important question you will ever ask.

I will put the Revelation post up in the next few days.

The Motions

Here is a song by Matthew West that I find to be very convicting. I don't want to get to heaven and be asking myself "what if I had given everything?" I want to get there and like the apostle Paul be able to say:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

2 Timothy 4:7

I want to get there and know that I have given everything. And I want to hear Jesus say, "Well done good and faithful servant,"

How about you?