Participants:
Series Code: ARSS
Program Code: ARSS190004S
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00:16 Well, hi again.
00:17 We're on the final stretch for today. 00:20 Have you been blessed? 00:22 Praise the Lord. 00:24 I'm glad you're all here. 00:26 We are going to really motor. 00:29 I would like to try and finish the notes on Revelation 5 00:34 in our last session today. 00:36 It begins on page 29. 00:39 So we'll have a word of prayer 00:40 and then we'll get right into our study. 00:42 I'm going to follow the lesson pretty closely 00:44 because I want everybody to understand all of the details 00:47 because they're very important for what we're going to study 00:50 concerning the 24 elders. 00:51 So let's pray. 00:53 Father in heaven, we come before Your throne again 00:56 with humility, realizing that our knowledge is very limited. 01:00 Therefore, we need Your wisdom. 01:02 I ask, Lord, that You will speak to us through Your Word, 01:06 that Your Holy Spirit will be present in our midst 01:09 to open our understanding. 01:11 And we thank You for being with us. 01:14 In the precious name of Jesus, amen. 01:19 The central theme, we're on page 29, the central theme 01:24 of Revelation chapter 5 is the arrival of Jesus 01:28 to the heavenly throne room for the celebration 01:32 of His victory on earth. 01:35 Now we need to ask the question, first of all, 01:38 is Revelation 5 describing a judgment scene? 01:42 Because some believe that Revelation 5 is dealing with 01:46 the beginning of the investigative judgment in 1844, 01:50 and that it is transpiring in the Most Holy Place. 01:53 So that's the first thing that we want to ask the question, 01:56 is Revelation 4 and 5 dealing with the beginning of the 02:00 investigative judgment in 1844? 02:02 Or is it dealing with the inauguration of Christ in 02:07 the Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary upon His ascension? 02:11 So that's this section that we're going to notice now. 02:15 Some have noted that Revelation 4 and 5 02:19 bears a close resemblance to Daniel 7. 02:23 Which Daniel 7 is dealing with the beginning 02:26 of the investigative judgment in heaven. 02:28 However, there are also significant differences. 02:32 Daniel 7:9 tells us that thrones were put in place. 02:38 But Revelation 4:2 states that the thrones were already there. 02:44 That's one difference. 02:47 Daniel 7:10 explains that books, plural, were opened, 02:52 while Revelation 5:1 refers to a book, singular, that was sealed. 02:58 You can't have a bigger difference than books open 03:02 and a book that is sealed. 03:04 Daniel 7 describes Jesus as the Son of Man, 03:08 while Revelation 5:6 describes Him as a slain Lamb. 03:14 Revelation does not portray Jesus as a lion 03:17 until He has finished breaking the seals and opens the scroll. 03:23 Some have thought that Revelation 4 and 5 03:26 describe the beginning of the investigative judgment 03:29 in heaven in 1844. 03:32 The problem with this idea is that there is no judgment 03:35 language in chapters 4 and 5. 03:38 The language of the songs in Revelation 4 centers upon the 03:43 Father as Creator. 03:45 And in chapter 5 the emphasis falls upon Jesus as Redeemer. 03:51 Revelation 19:1-2 tells us that all heaven will sing 03:56 the judgment song after God has judged and punished 04:00 the great harlot who shed the blood of the saints. 04:04 So are you noticing the discrepancies or differences 04:07 between Revelation 4 and 5 and Daniel chapter 7? 04:13 Now the next paragraph gives us additional evidence that 04:17 we're not dealing with 1844 in Revelation 4 and 5. 04:21 Never in judgment scenes do we find jubilatory singing 04:27 such as we find in chapters 4 and 5. 04:31 That is, in judgment scenes. 04:33 During judgment scenes, there is generally silence in heaven. 04:38 For instance, in Daniel 7 which is speaking about the judgment, 04:42 there is no singing when the judgment sits 04:45 and the books are opened. 04:47 Furthermore, during the judgment scene in Revelation 20:11-15, 04:52 which deals with the judgment of the wicked after the millennium, 04:55 there is silence once again in heaven and on earth. 05:00 In addition, Revelation 5 mentions only one book 05:04 which Jesus does not open until all seven seals have been broken 05:09 and Jesus breaks the final seal at the second coming. 05:12 The opening of the books does not take place until 05:16 the post-millennial judgment. 05:20 Are you following me so far? 05:22 During the period, and here comes an additional evidence, 05:26 during the period of the fifth seal, the judgment 05:29 has not yet occurred. 05:31 So how can you say the introductory vision 05:32 is a vision of the judgment if at the moment of the fifth seal 05:36 the judgment hasn't even begun yet. 05:38 We know this because the souls under the altar, 05:41 and we're going to study this in detail, 05:43 are crying out to God that He will judge 05:47 and avenge their blood. 05:49 So has the judgment been transpiring 05:51 during the first four seals and in the fifth seal? 05:54 No, because the martyrs are crying out that God judge 05:58 and avenge them. 05:59 So obviously the judgment has not taken place. 06:02 Clearly, the judgment must transpire after the fifth seal, 06:07 not before. 06:08 In fact, we will see that the pre-advent judgment process 06:13 did not begin until after the signs in the 06:16 sun, moon, and stars in Revelation 6:12-13. 06:21 Furthermore, the judgment execution will not take place 06:25 until we get to chapter 19:1-2. 06:28 Are you understanding these points? 06:31 In other words, Revelation 4 and 5 06:35 is not talking about the beginning of the 06:38 investigative judgment in heaven. 06:40 Because at the fifth seal the judgment has not 06:43 taken place yet, because the martyrs are crying out 06:45 that God do them justice. 06:48 Now the next paragraph. 06:49 Revelation 5 portrays Jesus as a slain lamb 06:54 who has resurrected from the dead. 06:57 He comes fresh from the battlefield to the 06:59 presence of the Father. 07:01 The tense of the verb, "have been slain," 07:05 describes an action that began in the past 07:07 but whose results remain in the present. 07:11 Ellen White explains, "Christ is our Mediator and officiating 07:18 High Priest in the presence of the Father." 07:23 "Christ is our mediator and officiating High Priest 07:27 in the presence of the Father. 07:29 He was shown to John as a lamb that had been slain, 07:34 as in the very act of pouring out His blood 07:38 in the sinner's behalf." 07:41 So let me ask you, has Jesus just shortly before died 07:45 when He goes to present Himself for this scene 07:48 in Revelation chapter 5? 07:50 Yeah, the wounds are still what? 07:53 The wounds are still fresh on His body. 07:55 So it can't refer to the beginning of the 07:57 investigative judgment. 07:58 It must refer to coming from the battlefield 08:02 where He still has the wounds fresh on His body. 08:06 In contrast, Revelation 6:16-17, 14:14-20, and Daniel 7:13-14 08:16 describe Jesus as the Lion, not as the Lamb 08:21 who had been slain, fresh wounds on His body. 08:25 But these judgment scenes present Jesus as the Lion 08:28 or the Son of Man who comes to claim His kingdom. 08:33 Thus Daniel 7 and Revelation 4 and 5 08:36 describe different historical contexts 08:39 where the same beings are present. 08:40 And the reason why some people say that Revelation 4 and 5 08:44 is dealing with the investigative judgment 08:46 is because you have many similarities. 08:49 You know, in both you have a throne, 08:52 you have thrones, in both you have the angels that are 08:57 present, in both there's reference to records, and so on. 09:01 And so they say, "See, it's talking about 09:03 the investigative judgment." 09:05 So why are the same beings present in Daniel 7 09:09 as the beings that were present in Revelation 4 and 5? 09:12 The reason is very simple. 09:15 In 1844 all of those who were in the Holy Place 09:19 moved to the Most Holy Place. 09:21 That's why you have the same beings. 09:23 You have the throne, you have the thrones, 09:24 the Father sitting on the throne, the books open. 09:26 Because the entire entourage that is in the Holy Place 09:30 when Jesus went there now moves to the Most Holy Place. 09:33 That's the reason why you have similarities 09:35 in the personnel that is there. 09:38 But it doesn't mean that it's referring 09:39 to the same historical occasion. 09:43 So far so good? 09:44 Now let's go to page 31 and do a verse by verse study 09:49 of chapter 5. 09:51 Verses 1 and 2, "And I saw in the right hand of Him 09:56 who sat on the throne a scroll..." 09:59 Some version translate it, book. 10:02 But they wrote in scrolls back then. 10:04 "...written inside and on the back, 10:07 sealed with seven seals. 10:10 Then I saw a strong angel..." 10:12 This is an important detail. 10:14 We'll see a little bit later on. 10:16 "Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 10:20 'Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?'" 10:25 At this point Jesus has not arrived in heaven yet. 10:29 The word, "worthy," means, qualify. 10:31 Who is qualified to break the seals and open the book? 10:37 Who has the necessary qualifications that authorizes 10:40 Him to break the seals and to open the book? 10:44 And you'll notice here several verses 10:46 where the same word, "worthy," is used. 10:49 Matthew 10:10, the worker is worthy of his salary. 10:54 Luke 12:48, did not commit things worthy of stripes. 11:01 Luke 15:19, the prodigal son acted in an unworthy manner. 11:06 Revelation 16:6, the wicked who drink the blood have 11:10 earned the right to do so because of their actions. 11:14 Acts 26:31, Paul committed nothing worthy of death. 11:18 So the question that's being asked here 11:21 is, who has the necessary qualifications, 11:24 who has performed the necessary actions, 11:27 to make it possible to break the seals 11:30 and to open the book to reveal the contents of the book? 11:34 And now a crisis of universal proportions ensues. 11:39 Let's go to verse 3. 11:41 "And no one in heaven..." 11:54 The worthy person could open the book and read its contents 11:58 only when the seven seals had been broken. 12:01 In other words, the seals have to be broken first, 12:03 and then the scroll can be opened to reveals the contents 12:07 of the scroll. 12:08 A crisis of universal proportions ensues because 12:13 there's no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth 12:19 who is qualified to break the seals 12:21 and open the book or the scroll and read its contents. 12:27 Now, this is an important point. 12:29 John was not so much concerned with the breaking of the seals 12:34 as he was with the contents of the scroll. 12:39 You know, we're going to find that basically what the 12:42 scroll contains is the entire history of the world 12:44 from beginning to end. 12:46 Had John already seen the history of the Christian church? 12:49 In the seven churches he had already seen the 12:51 history of the Christian church. 12:52 His curiosity is not, "I want to know more of the 12:54 history of the Christian church." 12:56 There's something about this book that if it isn't opened, 12:59 it will be calamitous. 13:02 John's tears were not tears of curiosity, 13:05 they were tears of desperation and supreme agony. 13:09 The book contained information of life and death importance, 13:14 yet there was no one who was worthy to break the seals 13:17 and to open the book. 13:19 Not Moses who died and was taken to heaven, 13:23 not Elijah who was translated to heaven from among the living, 13:28 not Enoch who was also translated, 13:31 not the representatives of the worlds, 13:34 not the cherubim, not the seraphim, not the angels, 13:38 not even God the Father Himself was qualified to break 13:42 the seals and to open the scroll. 13:45 And so John says, "If this scroll isn't opened, 13:50 it is a calamity of universal proportions." 13:54 So what does John do now? 13:56 Verse 4. 14:07 At this point has Jesus arrived yet? 14:10 Has Jesus arrived yet? 14:11 No. Because He is worthy. 14:14 So no one was found in heaven-worthy. 14:17 This is another evidence that this is talking about 14:20 the ascension of Christ and His installation as High Priest. 14:24 Are you with me? 14:26 Now the Greek word, "wept," is very intense. 14:28 There are several Greek words for crying, for weeping. 14:33 This is a very intense word. 14:35 Luke 8:52 uses it to describe weeping over the 14:40 death of Jairus' daughter. 14:43 Luke 22:62 uses the word to describe Peter's weeping 14:47 after he went out and he wept bitterly 14:50 because he had denied Jesus a third time. 14:53 It's used in Luke 19:41 which describes the weeping of Jesus 14:57 over Jerusalem as He descended the Mount of Olives 15:00 towards the city. 15:01 And it's a very intense word that is used in 15:03 Revelation 18:9, 11, 15, and 19 to describe the weeping 15:09 and wailing of the capitalists in the world 15:14 when Babylon falls apart and the world economy implodes. 15:18 So in other words, John isn't simply just shedding 15:22 a little tear here and there. 15:23 John is weeping in a loud voice saying, if no one is found 15:29 to break the seals and open the scroll, 15:32 that is a calamity of universal proportions. 15:36 But now comes the good news, verse 5. 15:50 Unfortunately, many times translations are a problem 15:55 because they don't translate the same word 15:57 the same way all the time. 15:58 That word, "prevail," is the word, "overcome." 16:03 It's the identical word, "He who overcomes..." 16:05 Jesus overcame and sat with His Father on His throne. 16:09 So it says that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, 16:13 the Root of David has overcome. 16:16 Where did He overcome? 16:19 On earth He overcame. 16:21 By the way, it's the same word that is used in John 16:33 16:24 where it speaks about Jesus having overcome the world. 16:28 Now it says, He overcame. 16:31 And then it says, "to open." That's future tense. 16:34 So what gives Jesus the right to break the seals 16:38 and open the scroll? 16:40 The fact that He overcame. 16:42 The fact that on earth He lived a perfect life, 16:46 and He died for sin. 16:48 Could the Father say that? 16:51 No. He wasn't qualified. 16:53 God is all-powerful, the Father is all-powerful, 16:56 but He wasn't qualified. 16:57 Because in order to be qualified to break the seals 17:00 and open the scroll, you had to be a human being 17:04 who never sinned and who paid the price for redemption. 17:09 So it says... 17:24 Let's read the note. 17:26 In ancient Israel, kings came from the tribe of Judah. 17:30 And Jesus is the Root and Offspring of David 17:33 and the Lion of the tribe of Judah. 17:37 Now this is very important. 17:39 Jesus, who is now the saving Lamb, will become a Lion 17:43 when He finally opens the scroll. 17:47 In other words, the Lamb will become a Lion. 17:51 Let me ask you, is a lamb a menace to human beings? 17:56 A dangerous animal? No. 17:59 But the lion is. 18:01 So at some point the Lamb is going to become a what? 18:04 A Lion. 18:06 Incidentally, have you ever read Revelation 6 18:09 where it says, "The great day of His wrath has come; 18:12 and who will be able to stand?" 18:14 And right before that it says the individuals on earth 18:17 who are lost are hiding in the caves and crying for the 18:20 rocks to fall on them. 18:21 They say, "Hide us from the wrath of the Lamb." 18:24 How many of you have seen a wrathful lamb? 18:27 Well, the Lamb has become a what? 18:29 Has become a Lion to those who trampled upon God's law. 18:34 So let's continue here. 18:35 In this context Revelation 6:16-17 18:39 is significant because these words which I just referred to 18:43 paradoxically describe the Lamb as a wrathful Lamb. 18:48 That is to say, the Lamb has taken over the characteristics 18:50 of the Lion. 18:52 The slain Lamb comes on the clouds of heaven, 18:54 and the Son of Man comes to execute judgment. 19:00 So Jesus will open the scroll when He takes over the kingdom. 19:03 Let's notice this statement from Ellen White 19:05 about the Lamb and the Lion. 19:08 "The Savior is presented before John under the symbols 19:12 of the Lion of the tribe of Judah and of the Lamb 19:16 as if it had been slain. 19:18 These symbols represent the union of omnipotent power 19:23 and self-sacrificing love. 19:27 The Lion of Judah, so terrible to..." Whom? 19:31 "...to the rejectors of His grace will be the Lamb 19:35 of God to the obedient and faithful. 19:39 The pillar of fire that speaks terror and wrath to the 19:42 transgressor of God's law is a token of light and mercy 19:46 and deliverance to those who have kept His commandments." 19:50 You know you go to the edge of the Red Sea, 19:53 the pillar of fire was a terror to the Egyptians. 19:56 But it was a source of comfort for the children of Israel. 20:00 She continues, "The arm strong to smite the rebellious 20:04 will be strong to deliver the loyal. 20:07 Everyone who is faithful will be saved." 20:12 Beautiful statement, isn't it? 20:14 We find this other statement, "As the Lion of Judah, 20:17 Christ will defend His chosen ones 20:19 and bring them off victorious because they accepted Him 20:24 'as the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.'" 20:28 If You don't accept Jesus as a Lamb, you will have to 20:32 face Him as a Lion. 20:34 That's what Ellen White is saying here. 20:37 Incidentally, in different terms Jesus said, 20:41 he who allows the fire of the Holy Spirit to consume sin 20:44 will be saved, but if you don't allow the Holy Spirit 20:47 to consume sin, then God's fire will consume you. 20:51 Jesus said he who falls on the rock will be broken, 20:54 but if you don't fall on the rock, the rock will crush you. 20:57 He said it in Matthew chapter 21. 21:00 So basically, what this is saying is that we must accept 21:04 Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, 21:07 and then we'll have no fear because the Lion 21:09 will be a protecting Lion. 21:11 The Lion will not be a destructive Lion. 21:15 As previously noted, middle of page 33, 21:18 the book of Hebrews emphasizes the priestly role of Jesus 21:22 while the book of Revelation underlines His role as King. 21:27 We must understand, and we've already looked at this, 21:30 Revelation 5:5 in the context of Revelation 3:21. 21:35 In fact, Revelation 5:5 expands upon the last part of verse 21. 21:41 After Jesus overcame, John saw Him break the seals 21:44 one by one and finally open the scroll. 21:47 He was qualified to do this because He, what? 21:51 Because He overcame. 21:53 Now let's go to verse 6. 22:10 Was He there before? 22:12 No, because there was no one in heaven, 22:14 or on earth, or under the earth 22:16 that could break the seals and open the scroll. 22:18 Obviously He wasn't there before. 22:20 But now he sees this Lamb standing there, 22:24 a Lamb as though it had been slain. 22:26 The wounds are fresh on His body, 22:28 He's come from the battlefield. 22:29 He's victorious. 22:32 Having seven horns. 22:34 We'll interpret that in a few moments. 22:36 Seven eyes represent that He's all, what? 22:39 He is all wise. 22:41 Eyes in Scripture represent wisdom. 22:44 Let me ask you, what animal represents wisdom? 22:47 The owl. 22:49 Why is the owl used as a sign of wisdom? 22:51 You know, my son's border collie is smarter than an owl. 22:56 And serpents are wise. 22:59 But an owl? 23:00 Why is an owl a symbol of wisdom. 23:03 Because of the great big eyes it has. 23:05 Because eyes represent wisdom. 23:07 Seven means totality. 23:08 Jesus has total wisdom. 23:11 And the seven horns represent total power, omnipotent power. 23:17 We're going to see that when we read the note. 23:19 So it says he has seven horns, seven eyes, which are the 23:23 seven spirits of God. 23:25 Now, what happens? 23:27 The seven lamps of fire that were there before the throne, 23:30 now they are sent where? 23:33 To the earth. 23:34 When is it that the Holy Spirit was sent to the earth? 23:39 It was after Jesus ascended to heaven 23:41 on the day of Pentecost. Right? 23:44 So this is talking about what happened 23:46 on the day of Pentecost. 23:48 Page 34, the top of the page. 23:50 When John saw the Lamb, the wounds on His body 23:54 were still fresh. 23:56 He had just come from the battlefield and 23:58 had the wounds to prove it. 24:00 He was standing in the midst of the throne because 24:02 kings and priests stood at their anointing. 24:07 So Jesus, at this point, is going to be anointed 24:09 to be the High Priest. 24:12 And priests and kings were standing 24:15 when they were anointed. 24:17 The seven horns are actually the glorious rays 24:20 of the sun that shine forth from the Lamb's crown 24:24 representing His almighty power as King of the kingdom of grace. 24:30 You know, let's go to the book of Habakkuk chapter 3. 24:33 This is an interesting detail. Habakkuk chapter 3. 24:38 And Habakkuk is one of those books that's not easy to find. 24:43 Is Habakkuk in the Bible? 24:45 Have you ever heard a sermon on Habakkuk? 24:49 It's magnificent book. 24:51 Tremendous description of the second coming in chapter 3. 24:55 Notice chapter 3. 24:56 This is describing the second coming of Christ. 25:00 I'm reading from the New King James. 25:13 Do you know how the King James Version translates this? 25:16 The King James Version says, "His brightness was like the 25:21 light and He had horns flashing from His side." 25:27 You say, "Now what is the relationship between horns 25:30 and rays?" 25:32 Well the fact is, have you ever noticed what the crown 25:34 of a king looks like? 25:36 It has little horns. 25:39 And so the King James says horns, but really it means rays. 25:43 Because the rays, you know, they look like the 25:46 tips of a crown. 25:49 And so, there is hidden, what? 25:51 It says in verse 4, "There His power was hidden." 25:55 Why does the light, why do the rays of light, 25:59 or the horns come from the side of the hands 26:01 of the person who is coming in Habakkuk chapter 3? 26:05 Because Ellen White explains in, Great Controversy, 26:07 and you have the reference there, that when Jesus comes, 26:10 glorious rays are coming out from the wounds in His hands 26:14 and the wounds in His side. 26:16 So the seven eyes represent fullness of wisdom 26:20 and the seven horns represent fullness of power, 26:22 according to Habakkuk 3:4. 26:27 Now let me read you this statement from 26:29 the spirit of prophecy, Acts of the Apostles, page 38 26:34 about the anointing of Jesus when He went to heaven. 26:37 "Christ's ascension to heaven was the signal 26:40 that His followers were to receive the promised blessing. 26:43 For this, they were to wait before they 26:46 entered upon their work. 26:48 When Christ passed within the heavenly gates, 26:51 He was enthroned..." 26:53 Ah, interesting. Enthroned. 26:56 In Revelation 4 and 5, He's standing 26:58 there before the Father. 27:00 But then what happens? 27:01 He sits on the throne, we read in Revelation 3:21. 27:04 So it says, "...He was enthroned amidst the adoration of angels. 27:08 As soon as this ceremony was completed..." 27:12 What happened? 27:14 "...the Holy Spirit descended..." 27:16 That's the seven spirits that are sent to the earth. 27:19 "...the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples 27:22 in rich currents, and Christ was indeed glorified, 27:26 even with the glory that He had with the Father 27:28 from all eternity. 27:30 The Pentecostal outpouring was heaven's communication 27:34 that the Redeemer's inauguration was accomplished." 27:39 In other words, He was anointed to be King in 27:42 the kingdom of grace, High Priest, and then 27:48 He sits on the throne. 27:49 And this is His inauguration, according to this. 27:52 According to His promise, He," that is the Father, 27:56 had sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to His followers 28:00 as a token that He had, as..." What? 28:05 "...Priest and King, received..." What? 28:08 "...all authority in heaven and on earth, 28:11 and was the Anointed One over His people." 28:16 Isn't that a significant statement? 28:19 So what did Jesus become when He went to heaven? 28:23 Priest, and what? 28:25 Priest and King. 28:27 Was He anointed to be both? 28:30 Were priests anointed? 28:32 Yes. Were kings anointed? 28:34 Yes. What were they anointed with? 28:37 With oil. 28:38 And by the way, when you look at the ceremony 28:41 in the Old Testament of the anointing of Aaron 28:43 as the high priest, you find in Leviticus chapter 8... 28:47 It's amazing. I didn't put it in the notes. 28:49 But, you know, you need to connect also Psalm 133. 28:54 What happened was that the oil that was poured on the head 28:59 of Aaron was so abundant that it was actually poured on his head, 29:05 it dripped down his beard, down his garments, 29:08 all the way down to Mount Zion. 29:11 What does that mean? 29:13 That Jesus received the promise from His Father 29:15 the fullness of the Spirit. 29:17 And it was so abundant that it dripped down upon the disciples 29:20 who were gathered in the upper room. 29:23 So the seven spirits that are sent to the earth 29:28 represent the fact that the Holy Spirit was poured out 29:31 without measure upon the disciples 29:33 on the day of Pentecost. 29:36 Now let's go to the bottom of page 34. 29:38 Verse 7. Now there's going to be movement. 29:42 See, now this Lamb as though it had been slain, 29:45 now He's going to approach the Father. 29:48 Did we read a statement from Ellen White where Jesus 29:50 approaches the Father and then they embrace? 29:53 Absolutely. She's not inventing this. 29:56 It's found there in principle in verse 7. 29:59 It says, "Then He came..." 30:01 Which means that He must not have been there before. 30:03 Hello. 30:04 "He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of 30:07 Him who sat on the throne." 30:11 The text tells us... This is the top of page 35. 30:13 The text tells us that Jesus came to the Father, 30:16 so He must not have been there before. 30:19 Up to this point, listen carefully, 30:22 there have been no songs in chapter 5. 30:26 Everything is in silence. 30:30 Is that what Ellen White said? 30:33 That all heaven was in silence. The Father said, "Sshhh." 30:37 And then Jesus comes and He approaches the Father. 30:40 Remember the statement from, Desire of Ages? 30:42 There's no singing. 30:44 And then they embrace. 30:46 And after they embrace, the Father says, 30:51 "Praise Him, all of you heavenly beings." 30:53 And there's an explosion of praise, 30:55 which we're going to notice comes in verse 9 and following. 30:58 So the text tells us that Jesus came to the Father, 31:01 so He must not have been there before. 31:04 Up to this point, there had been no songs in chapter 5. 31:07 All the beings that were present for the reception 31:10 of the War hero waited in suspense to see if someone 31:15 was worthy or qualified to break the seals and open the scroll. 31:21 Now we go to verse 8. 31:25 "...the four living creatures..." 31:27 That is the cherubim and seraphim. 31:29 "...the twenty-four elders..." 31:31 That is the representatives of the sinless worlds 31:34 of the universe. 31:44 You know, this might surprise you, but the 24 elders, 31:49 which we're going to see are the highest of angels 31:51 that represent the worlds, and the four living creatures, 31:55 which are the seraphim and cherubim, 31:57 They have an intercessory role. 32:01 They are the ones that present our prayers to Jesus 32:03 and Jesus to the Father. 32:05 You say, "What!" 32:07 Do you remember the dream that Jacob had? 32:11 What did Jacob see in his dream? 32:14 He saw a ladder. 32:15 Where was the ladder planted? 32:18 Solidly on earth. 32:20 And where did the top of the ladder reach? 32:23 Heaven. 32:24 And who was ascending and descending on the ladder 32:27 between earth and heaven? 32:28 The angels. What does the ladder represent? 32:32 Jesus. 32:33 John 1:51 say, "You will see heaven open and angels 32:36 ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." 32:40 So the angels bear our prayers to heaven 32:43 and they bring answers back to us. 32:47 You remember Daniel praying for wisdom to understand 32:50 the prophecy of the 2300 years, or the 2300 days? 32:55 Who did God send to give him an answer? 32:58 Gabriel. 32:59 Actually Gabriel says, "While you were just starting 33:02 to pray, I was on my way." 33:05 So the angels are much more important than what we realize. 33:09 They have an intercessory role. 33:12 Notice this statement from Ellen White, 33:14 Counsels to Teachers, page 110. 33:16 "Angels offer the smoke of the fragrant incense 33:20 for the praying saints." 33:23 Now Jesus is the absolute intercessor, 33:24 but the prayers are born to Christ 33:27 through the ministry of the angels. 33:29 And now that the Father and the Son have embraced, 33:32 now Ellen White says that the Father commands 33:35 the angelic host to praise. 33:36 Now it doesn't say that specifically in Revelation, 33:39 but the sequence is identical. 33:41 Now the heavenly beings are going to praise Jesus, 33:45 but the song is not going to be a song of creation 33:48 like in chapter 4 where the Father is by Himself. 33:51 The song is going to be a song of redemption, 33:54 because the Redeemer has arrived at the scene. 33:57 Let's notice verses 9-14. 34:11 Notice the tense; past tense. 34:26 And we're going to see there's a problem in translation here. 34:28 Actually, the proper translation is, "You have made them 34:33 kings and priests to our God. 34:34 And it says, the translation in the King James says, "And we..." 34:37 Really, the better translation is, "And they shall..." 34:41 Future. 34:42 "...reign on the earth." 34:49 In other words, they stand in the outer circle of the throne, 34:52 the creatures and the elders. 35:07 Now the hymn is in honor of the Redeemer, 35:09 because the Redeemer has arrived. 35:14 Notice, His death at this point is past. 35:45 Isn't it beautiful how Ellen White amplifies what we find 35:49 in Revelation chapter 5 35:51 in the last three pages of, Desire of Ages? 35:53 It makes it comes alive. 35:56 Now the mighty angel's two-fold question 36:00 will now receive an answer. 36:02 Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll, and why? 36:08 The Lamb can do it because He overcame and shed His blood 36:14 to redeem, that gives Him the ability to redeem, 36:20 or buy back the inheritance that Adam lost. 36:26 The word, "redeem," in Revelation 5:9 means, 36:30 to buy something back by paying a price. 36:35 In other words, it's kind of like a pawn shop. 36:38 You take something to the pawnshop. 36:40 And you have to pay a price to buy it back. 36:43 Well, man sold himself into slavery and sin. 36:46 Jesus has to pay the price to buy us back. 36:52 That's the idea of the word, "hagorazo," in Greek. 36:54 The word, "go'el," in Hebrew. 36:57 It translates the Greek work, "hagorazo." 37:01 Another related word is, "lutroo;" 1 Peter 1:19. 37:06 It has a similar meaning to go'el. 37:08 It means, to buy back by paying a price. 37:11 Did we already notice in Leviticus chapter 25 37:14 that a price had to be paid to buy back the lost inheritance? 37:19 And to buy the freedom of somebody that had 37:21 sold themselves into slavery. 37:23 Yeah, somebody had to pay a price, right? 37:25 A redemption price. 37:26 Those laws of redemption pointed forward to the fact that 37:30 Jesus had to become our next of kin, as we studied, 37:33 so that He could buy back our freedom, 37:36 and He could buy back the lost possession. 37:40 Now the question is, what did the book contain 37:47 that led John to weep bitterly, 37:50 that it would be a terrible calamity, 37:53 that the book would not be opened? 37:56 Well, let's notice the next section, the sealed book. 38:03 Of course, the big question is this: 38:05 What does the sealed book contain? 38:08 And why would it be so catastrophic for the book 38:11 to remain sealed? 38:14 While the book is sealed, no one can read its contents. 38:18 And there's an analogous case of this, which is Daniel 12:4, 38:22 where it says that Daniel was supposed to 38:25 seal the book until the time of the end. 38:27 What does that mean? 38:28 It means that the book could not be what? 38:30 It could not be fully understood because it was sealed. 38:33 But at the time of the end, what was going to happen? 38:36 The seal would be taken off the book of Daniel 38:38 and people could read and understand its contents. 38:42 We find some valuable information, 38:44 background information, in the book of Jeremiah 38:47 where we find a description of a title deed. 38:50 The title deed that the Israelites lost when they were 38:53 taken captive to Babylon. 38:55 The picture is thus: Adam forfeited the title deed 38:59 to the world, Satan claimed it, and only the Redeemer, 39:05 the go'el, could redeem it or buy it back. 39:09 The scroll contains the entire sweep 39:11 of the history of salvation. 39:13 When the Lion of the tribe of Judah finally opens the book, 39:17 the universe will see that only Jesus and His followers 39:21 have the legal right to the possession that Adam lost. 39:25 In other words, what you have in this book 39:28 is a will or a testament of the human race 39:32 that reveals who will inherit the lost possession 39:38 that Adam originally had which he forfeited by disobedience. 39:43 So what would happen if the scroll remained sealed? 39:48 It would never be revealed who is going to inherit? 39:52 Who is going to be saved, who has the right to be saved, 39:55 in other words. 39:57 Let's read some statements here, 39:59 we don't have time to read all of these statements, 40:01 written by scholars about the way in which wills or testaments 40:06 were written back in biblical times. 40:10 This is in the book by Ranko Stefanovic, 40:12 Revelation of Jesus Christ, page 197. 40:15 "In order to protect the contents of legal documents, 40:19 such as deeds of sale, contracts, wills, and letters, 40:23 a seal impression was normally made with a signet 40:27 or ring at the end of the written document. 40:30 The sealing thus functioned in place of a signature, 40:34 indicating authenticity, validity, authority, 40:38 ratification, or protection of the document. 40:41 In order to protect the contents against an inappropriate 40:45 disclosure, the document would be tied with threads, 40:49 and then the seal was impressed at the knots on the bullae; 40:53 that is a blob of clay, wax, or some other soft material, 40:58 which kept the papyrus scroll folded." 41:00 So you had kind of these threads, and then at the tip 41:04 where the two ends meet, a blob of wax 41:07 or clay would be placed to seal the deed or the document. 41:14 "An unbroken impression would indicate that the sealed 41:17 document had not been opened. 41:20 Only the owner could break the seals and disclose its content." 41:27 There's another statement that Ranko makes which is important. 41:32 "Archeologists have brought to light many documents 41:35 sealed with two to seven or more seals. 41:38 For instance, Roman law dictated that a will 41:41 or testament had to be sealed with a minimum of seven seals 41:46 of witnesses in order to render its contents valid, 41:50 although some evidence shows that more than seven seals 41:53 were used on occasion... 41:55 Like any sealed scroll of the time, the scroll of Revelation 5 41:59 appears rolled up, tied with a cord, and sealed along 42:04 the outside edge with seals of wax affixed at the knots. 42:10 As such, it could not be opened and its contents disclosed 42:15 until all of the seven seals were broken. 42:18 The breaking of all seven seals is preliminary and preparatory 42:22 to the actual opening of the scroll and the disclosure 42:26 of its contents." 42:28 Are you catching the picture? 42:30 So basically, this scroll is the will 42:33 or testament of the human race. 42:34 It shows who's going to inherit that which Adam lost, 42:37 and who is not going to inherit what Adam lost. 42:42 Now let's notice a couple of statements from Ellen White 42:46 where she corroborates this view. 42:49 At the bottom of page 38, in, Manuscript Releases, 42:53 volume 9, page 7, we find Ellen White's description of 42:58 what this book contains. 42:59 It actually contains the entire history of the human race, 43:04 and the decisions that people have made 43:06 within the course of history whether either for 43:09 or against the Lord. 43:11 It says there, "There in His open hand lay the book, 43:16 the roll of the history of God's providences, 43:20 the prophetic history of nations and the church." 43:24 So what does the scroll contain? 43:27 "...the prophetic history of nations and the church. 43:30 Herein was contained the divine utterances, 43:33 His authority, His commandments, His laws, the whole symbolic 43:37 counsel of the Eternal, and the history of all ruling 43:41 powers in the nations. 43:43 In symbolic language was contained in that roll 43:46 the influence of every nation, tongue, and people from the 43:50 beginning of earth's history to its close." 43:55 In other words, it contains the entire history 43:58 of the human race recorded. 44:00 And the decisions that people made within the course 44:03 of history which will reveal of they will inherit 44:06 what was lost or whether they will not recover what was lost. 44:09 Are you with me or not so far? 44:13 Now Ellen White also has another very important statement 44:16 where she actually specifies a specific event, 44:22 historical event, that was recorded in that scroll. 44:27 Notice, Christ's Object Lessons, page 294. 44:32 "Thus the Jewish leaders made their choice." 44:34 When they said, "Release unto us Barabbas. 44:37 We have no king but Caesar," Ellen White explains, 44:41 "Thus the Jewish leaders made their choice. 44:44 Their decision was registered in the book that John saw 44:48 in the hand of Him that sat upon the throne, 44:51 the book that no man could open." 44:55 So that particular historical event, she's describing only one 44:58 of all historical events that are in that book, 45:00 when they said, "Release unto us Barabbas," 45:04 and, "We have no king but Caesar," 45:06 their decision was written in this book. 45:09 And then she states this: 45:11 "In all its vindictiveness, this decision will 45:15 appear before them..." 45:17 Before whom? 45:19 The Jewish leaders. 45:20 "...will appear before them in the day when this book is 45:24 unsealed by the Lion of the tribe of Judah." 45:27 So are the Jewish leaders going to see the result of 45:30 their decision in the scroll? 45:32 Absolutely. 45:33 Now, what conclusions can we reach from this 45:35 very significant statement? 45:38 Let's notice the next paragraph. 45:40 Several important points emerge from this last statement. 45:44 Ellen White is writing this around the year 1900. 45:47 That's when, Christ's Object Lessons, was actually published. 45:50 It is clear that at that point the scroll was still sealed. 45:54 Would you agree with that? 45:55 The scroll was still sealed 45:57 when she wrote, Christ's Object Lessons? 45:58 Of course. She says when the book is opened. 46:01 So it hasn't been opened yet. 46:04 Furthermore, in order for those who cried out, 46:06 a very important point, "Release unto us Barabbas," 46:09 to see the consequences of the decision they made in the past, 46:13 they must what? 46:15 They must resurrect. 46:18 When would that be? 46:22 After the millennium. 46:24 Technically. 46:26 This means that the scroll will remain sealed 46:29 until they resurrect in the second resurrection 46:32 after the millennium. 46:35 So when is this scroll going to be opened, 46:38 the last seal broken and the scroll opened 46:42 before the whole world? 46:44 By the way, after the millennium, is everybody 46:46 who has ever lived outside the holy city? 46:53 Outside the city, are all of the wicked from all history there? 46:56 Yes. 46:58 Are all the redeemed in the city? 47:01 Is everyone in heaven and earth, under the earth, in the sea, 47:05 or whatever, there? 47:07 Yes. 47:10 And the last seal is broken and the scroll will be unfurled. 47:13 Have you ever read in the writings of Ellen White 47:15 about that great panoramic view above the holy city? 47:20 You know, this is before you had a wide screen, 47:23 you know, technology. 47:25 Ellen White says, in panoramic view God is going to show 47:28 the wicked, and the righteous who are inside the city, 47:32 the entire history of the human race. 47:37 Are you following me or not? 47:39 And inside the city are those who inherited, 47:42 recovered what was lost by Adam. 47:45 The meek will inherit the earth. 47:47 And we will be kings and priests, the Bible says. 47:52 But outside the holy city are including those individuals 47:56 who said, "Release unto us Barabbas." 47:59 So the scroll reveals who will inherit life 48:03 and who will inherit death, and the reason why 48:07 those inside the city receive life 48:10 and those outside the city receive death. 48:12 It's the last will and testament of the entire human race. 48:16 Now we know why John was so bent out of shape. 48:19 He said, "If this book isn't opened, nobody will inherit. 48:23 Everyone is lost. 48:24 We won't be able to know who's going to inherit 48:26 the lost possession." 48:27 Now Ellen White expands upon the moment when this will be opened. 48:30 And incidentally, let me just share this. 48:32 These records will be examined by God's people 48:35 during the thousand years. 48:37 Okay? 48:38 So in a certain sense, the scroll will be opened 48:41 before the righteous during the thousand years 48:45 for them to be able to see why the wicked were left behind. 48:49 But the opening of the scroll where the whole universe 48:51 is going to see it, both the living and those who died, 48:55 the righteous and the wicked, takes place at the end 48:57 of the thousand years. 48:59 Let me just read in closing this amazing passage 49:02 from Ellen White, Great Controversy, 49:04 where Ellen White describes the moment when 49:07 the will and testament of the human race 49:09 will be opened and it will be revealed 49:11 why the righteous were saved and why the wicked were lost. 49:16 This is in, Great Controversy, several pages, pages 666-669. 49:22 You'll never forget where the page begins, 666. 49:27 "Above the throne is revealed the cross; 49:31 and like a panoramic view..." 49:34 And I added, in high def. 49:36 "...appear the scenes of Adam's temptation and fall, 49:40 and the successive steps in the great plan of redemption." 49:43 Is that the whole of human history? 49:45 Yes. 49:47 "The Savior's lowly birth; His early life of simplicity 49:49 and obedience; His baptism in the Jordan; 49:51 the fast and temptation in the wilderness; 49:54 His public ministry, unfolding to men heaven's most precious 49:59 blessings; the days crowded with deeds of love and mercy, 50:03 the nights of prayer and watching in the solitude of 50:05 the mountains; the plotting of envy, hate, and malice 50:08 which repaid His benefits; the awful, mysterious agony in 50:12 Gethsemane beneath the crushing weight of the sins 50:16 of the whole world; His betrayal into the hands of the 50:18 murderous mob; the fearful events of that night of horror, 50:22 the unresisting prisoner, forsaken by His best loved 50:25 disciples, rudely hurried through the streets of 50:28 Jerusalem; the Son of God exultingly displayed before 50:32 Annas, arraigned in the high priest's palace, 50:36 in the judgment hall of Pilate..." 50:38 Are those the individuals who were present when 50:41 the Jews said, "Release unto us Barabbas." 50:44 We have no king but Caesar." 50:45 Absolutely. 50:48 Once again, "...before the cowardly and cruel Herod..." 50:51 She mentions these by name. 50:53 "...mocked, insulted, tortured, and condemned to die, 50:56 all are vividly portrayed. 51:00 And now before the swaying multitude are revealed 51:02 the final scenes: the patient Sufferer treading the path 51:05 to Calvary; the Prince of heaven hanging upon the cross; 51:09 the haughty priests and the jeering rabble deriding 51:12 His expiring agony; the supernatural darkness; 51:15 the heaving earth, the rent rocks, the open graves, 51:18 marking the moment when the world's Redeemer 51:21 yielded up His life. 51:22 The awful spectacle appears just as it was. 51:25 Satan, his angels, and his subjects have no power to turn 51:29 from the picture of their own work. 51:31 Each actor recalls the part that he performed. 51:34 Herod, who slew the innocent children of Bethlehem 51:38 that he might destroy the King of Israel; 51:41 the base Herodias, upon whose guilty soul rests the blood 51:44 of John the Baptist; the weak, timeserving Pilate; 51:48 the mocking soldiers; the priest and rulers 51:50 and the maddened throng who cried, 'His blood be upon us, 51:54 and upon our children!' 51:55 All behold the enormity of their guilt. 51:58 They vainly seek to hide from the divine majesty 52:00 of His countenance, outshining the glory of the sun, 52:04 while the redeemed cast their crowns at the Savior's feet, 52:07 exclaiming, 'He died for me!'" 52:11 Are you catching the picture? 52:14 By the way, those who are in the city, they lived during the 52:17 period of the seven seals. 52:20 And they overcame. 52:22 Next paragraph. 52:24 "Amid the ransomed throng are the apostles of Christ, 52:27 the heroic Paul, the ardent Peter, 52:30 the loved and loving John, and their truehearted brethren, 52:34 and with them the vast host of martyrs; 52:36 while outside the walls, with every vile and abominable thing, 52:40 are those by whom they were persecuted, 52:42 imprisoned, and slain. 52:44 There is Nero..." 52:45 So now we're moving on to the history of the church 52:48 and the Roman empire. 52:49 "...that monster of cruelty and vice, beholding the joy 52:52 and exaltation of those whom he once tortured, 52:55 and in whose extremist anguish he found satanic delight. 52:59 His mother is there to witness the result of her own work, 53:03 to see how the evil stamp of character transmitted 53:06 to her son; the passions encouraged and developed 53:09 by her influence and example have borne fruit in crimes 53:13 that caused the world to shudder." 53:15 And now it's going to move on to the Middle Ages. 53:19 So what does the scroll contain? 53:23 The history of the world. 53:25 From Adam in the Garden of Eden. 53:27 The decisions that were made either pro or con. 53:31 And the reward that each receives based on 53:33 what is there found in the records. 53:36 She continues, "There are papists priests and prelates, 53:40 who claimed to be Christ's ambassadors, 53:43 yet employed the rack, the dungeon, and the stake 53:46 to control the consciences of His people. 53:49 There are the proud pontiffs," popes, in other words, 53:53 "who exalted themselves above God and presumed to 53:56 change the law of the Most High. 53:59 Those pretended fathers of the church have an account 54:03 to render to God from which they would fain be excused. 54:07 Too late, they are made to see that the Omniscient One 54:11 is jealous of His law and that He will in no wise 54:14 clear the guilty. 54:16 They learn now that Christ identifies His interest 54:20 with that of His suffering people; and they feel the 54:23 force of His own words, 'Inasmuch as ye have 54:26 done it unto one of the least of these, My brethren, 54:30 ye have done it unto Me.' 54:32 The whole wicked world stand arraigned at the bar of God 54:37 on the charge of high treason against the 54:40 government of heaven. 54:42 They have none to plead their cause; they are without excuse; 54:46 and the sentence of eternal death 54:48 is pronounced against them." 54:53 So what does the scroll contain? 54:58 The entire history of the world. 55:01 Those who cried out, "We have no king but Caesar. 55:07 Release unto us Barabbas," are they going to be there? 55:10 Are they going to face that again? 55:12 Are they going to see it? 55:14 Yes. 55:15 You know, human beings boast about their technology. 55:20 You know, the megabytes and terabytes 55:21 and all the other kind of bytes. 55:25 What kind of technology do you need to record the entire 55:28 human race, the history of the entire human race, 55:30 without missing a single detail? 55:34 Because we're going to see it again just as it happened. 55:37 What kind of technology? 55:39 You know, human beings, they boast, but really 55:42 what man has invented is only a little microscopic itty-bitty 55:46 reflection of the tremendous capacity that God has. 55:51 That's what's contained in the scroll. 55:53 And by the way, you know, prophets spoke in the 55:56 language of their day. 55:58 You know, John obviously wasn't going to say 56:00 that this was a computer. 56:03 Or that is was recorded on a flash drive. 56:07 No, because that didn't exist. 56:09 So he says books. 56:11 Ellen White later on used photography. 56:13 She said our lives are being photographed by God. 56:17 I think if God called a prophet today, the prophet would say 56:21 God is computerizing. 56:23 Or God is videotaping our lives. 56:26 He's videotaping the entire course of human history. 56:31 And by the way, when that scene is presented above the city 56:37 in ultra-high definition, better than even 4k, 56:43 at that time, after the panorama is seen, 56:48 the entire universe: Satan, his angels, the wicked, 56:53 and the righteous will bow before God 56:56 and they'll say, "Righteous and true are Your ways, O God." 57:01 Only at this moment can Satan and his angels 57:04 and the wicked be destroyed. 57:06 Because the entire universe for once is in harmony 57:10 that God was right and Satan was wrong. 57:14 And sometimes we think that the wicked are going to 57:16 be attacking the holy city when they're destroyed. 57:19 No. 57:21 Ezekiel 28 and, Great Controversy, says that 57:24 when the wicked see the panorama and how Satan has 57:26 deceived them, they now turn from God 57:30 and those who are in the city, and they turn to Satan and say, 57:34 "You deceiver," and they launch themself against 57:37 Satan with the intention of tearing him apart. 57:41 Read Ezekiel 28, the first half of the chapter. 57:44 But then God, in His mercy, will rain fire from heaven 57:48 to destroy Satan, and his angels, and the wicked. 57:53 And once everything is burnt up and purified, 57:57 God will create a new heavens and a new earth 58:00 where righteousness dwells. |
Revised 2022-02-15