The Lamb's Enthronement

On May 27, King Charles III will give his speech from the throne to open Canadian parliament. But in the Revelation to John, the elder sees a far more critical "throne speech." 

Transcript

We have a new government and a new opposition, similar in some ways to the last one and yet with a different Prime Minister. We will expect, soon, a “speech from the throne.” This seems a good day, then, to look at our second reading from the Revelation to John. It is all about the enthronement, not of a new king or government, but of the Lamb Who Was Slain, of Jesus the Christ.

Revelation can be a tough read for anyone. It is written in its own language: an apocalyptic, coded language. Even when it’s translated into English, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, French or Spanish, it still seems to be in another tongue. So let me show you, as a language teacher, a little of how to read it.

Revelation 5:1-4

Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 

You may recall the words of Job, often used at funerals including Ellen Botto’s funeral yesterday: “Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!” (Job 19:23–24). Something that is written down has importance. Since paper was very rare and expensive, both sides were written on. And if what was written on the scroll was so important that only a specific person could read it, it was sealed with a wax seal that would have to be broken. 

Numbers in apocalyptic language are like adjectives. Red, blue and yellow are adjectives that describe the colour of something. Large, small, tall and short describe the size of something. In Revelation, numbers like four, seven, twelve and one thousand describe the meaning of an object relative to God. For example, four represents north, south, east and west – the points on a compass. So when there is four of something in Revelation, it means that thing has to do with the world and creation. 

The number three is the number for God: Father, Son and Holy Spirt. Three plus four is seven, and seven represents the Lord’s perfect work in creation. This scroll has seven seals, which means what is written on it is the Lord’s perfect intentions for the world. But are these intentions destructive and judgmental, or creative and salvific? The scroll is in the right hand of the one seated on the throne, the Father. The right hand of someone is their good hand, as opposed to their left which is their “sinister” hand. 

To sum up, this is the scroll that will proclaim the Lord’s good and godly intentions for all creation. Unfortunately, no one can open this scroll because no one is worthy. As Jesus himself said, no one is good but God alone. So who within creation can break this scroll’s seals?

Revelation 5:5

Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” 

Only twice in all of the revelation to John do elders, not angels, speak to him. This is one of those times. Both times the elders are speaking of the salvation and redemption of God’s people. The angels bring all sorts of messages from God. But it is pastors – the elders of the church – who bring you the Good News of salvation. In this case, they announce that one within creation is purely good because they are also God. 

Who is this? The elders describe him as “the lion of the tribe of Judah.” Before Jacob died, he blessed each of his twelve sons – the twelve tribes of Israel. He had a special blessing for Judah. He said, “Judah is a lion’s cub… The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples” (Genesis 49:9–10). The people of God believed this promise, that one of his descendants would bring obedience from everyone. 

Some believed this was David, descended from Judah, the greatest king in Israel’s history. But David died and was buried, and the whole world is not bowing before him. Who would this lion of Judah, this Root of David be? It would be Jesus, descended from Judah and David. Because he has triumphed over the forces of evil and sin and death, he is able to open the scroll and make known how the Lord will save his creation. 

Revelation 5:6-7

Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 

But how did Jesus triumph? Through his willing death and his vindication in resurrection. He was the true Lamb of God, slain on the cross, who is nonetheless alive standing in the throne of God and encircled by the angels and elders. 

Four is the number of creation, remember. What then are the four living creatures? They are the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – whose word has gone out to the four corners of the earth. Through the words of the evangelists people now know the Lord’s plan to save us from our sins, and to restore creation to goodness and rid it of evil once and for all. 

Seven is the number of the Lord’s work in creation. Since Jesus is both God and a human, he is fittingly described by the number seven. He has seven horns. With horns, one exercises authority and power. He has seven eyes, so he knows all things that happen within creation. He is intimately connected with the Holy Spirit, or the “seven spirits,” and through him has the Spirit gone out through the Gospels – even into our own hearts.

It is the Lamb, not the mysterious “One Seated on the Throne,” who is the center of attention in Revelation. Although it was the One Seated on the Throne who gives the Lamb authority and power, it the Lamb – Jesus – who exercises it. 

Revelation 5:8-10

And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” 

Here is the Good News written on the scroll! Here is what the Lamb has accomplished for us! He has made us a kingdom, he has made us priests, even though we come from every tribe and language and people and nation. 

What do we say we become in our baptisms? Sons and daughters of the Lord. That means we are brothers and sisters of Jesus. If Jesus is a king, what then are we? Are we not princes and princesses? In fact I’ve seen young Christian women with t-shirts that read, “I’m a princess because my brother is a king.” The world may think you and I are nothing, because we don’t live in Rideau Hall or Buckingham Palace, or work in the Parliament or National Assembly. The world doesn’t know who we are really are – royalty. And we have the privilege of inviting the whole world to be royalty with us!

What else do we become in our baptisms? Priests of the Lord! That’s why when I invite you to pray, it is as my fellow priests. I am only one priest among many, set aside to help you all fulfill your calling to intercede for the world. When we gather here we are going our “priestly duty,” or in Greek, our “leitourgia” – our liturgy. What else do priests do but go to God for the people who aren’t yet able to, because they do not know God in the Lamb who was Slain? 

Revelation 5:13-14

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

I teach the Lord’s prayer at the opening of every one of our English classes. I start with “Our Father,” then “your will be done” and “your kingdom come.” But at the every last class I teach a word that is not in English but in Hebrew: amen. What does “amen” mean? It means “this is most certainly true.” Ever wonder why Luther wrote that so often in the catechism? Same reason we say it at the end of each our prayers. The Lord hears his people and bears their burdens. He has answered our deepest prayer, salvation from sin and deliverance from death, through the blood of the Lamb who was slain, the Lamb with seven horns and seven eyes and the seven spirits. We can always say “amen” at the end of each of our prayers, never “I hope this works” or “are you listening God?” 

The people of God prayed for deliverance from Egypt. Did he answer them? Yes. Did they trust the Lord’s answer? No. They complained about it, they were frightened by it, they had a hard time ever saying “amen.” Let is not be so among us who have had the scroll broken open for us in Jesus!

Yes, persecution may come. Yes, hard times might come. Saul certainly had his share of hard times. So did Peter, who legend has it was crucified upside down. But Jesus, the Lamb who was Slain, encouraged both of them to trust him and announce the breaking open of the scroll. To believe that sins are now forgiven, death is no longer the end. That message is for you too.

The Revelation to John can seem like a mysterious book. In fact it has a simple message. The world is very evil, and the Lord permits human violence, disease and disaster to continue afflicting us. Trumpets blow, bowls are poured out, seals are broken. These things never afflict everyone all the time, but enough to be scary and to keep us honest about ourselves.

Yet the Lamb Who Was Slain, Jesus, sits enthroned above all this sin and the impact of sin. He has redeemed it by his blood. And while the world seems cruel and callous, the scroll of salvation is clear – we are God’s princes and princesses and priests, and because of the Lamb, we will enter into the presence of God forever. Amen? Amen.