Thursday: Jesus Is Worthy
In Revelation 5:1-5, once again we see a throne. A scroll is introduced written on both sides. It is sealed with the divine seal, and no one in heaven or earth can open the scroll. Heavenly beings tremble. The issue is serious. No angelic being can represent humanity in earth’s final judgment. John weeps because no one can open the scroll. Then one of the elders, one of those redeemed from the earth, speaks words of encouragement to John’s heart. Jesus, the Lamb of God, is worthy to open the scroll.
Image © Steve Creitz Goodsalt.com
John beholds the ultimate answer to the sin problem in Revelation 5:5-6. Here the aged prophet beholds the only way anyone can pass the final judgment at the throne of God.
“But one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll.’ … And I looked, and behold, … a Lamb as though it had been slain” (, Revelation 5:6, NKJV).
Read Revelation 5:8-12. How does all of heaven respond to the announcement that Jesus is worthy to open the scroll of judgment and redeem us?
Jesus, the Lamb of God who has sacrificed His life for the salvation of all humanity, takes the scroll of judgment and opens it. All of heaven bursts forth in rapturous praise. His victory over Satan’s temptations, His death on Calvary’s cross, His resurrection, His high priestly ministry, provides salvation for all who choose by faith to respond to His grace. The judgment is incredibly good news for the people of God. It speaks of the end of the reign of sin and the deliverance of God’s people.
Can anything be more encouraging? Jesus stands for us in the judgment. His perfect righteous life covers us. His righteousness works within us to make us new. His grace pardons us, transforms us, and empowers us to live godly lives.
We need not fear. Jesus stands for us in the judgment, and the powers of evil are defeated. Judgment is passed in “favor” of the people of God (Daniel 7:22). The purpose of the judgment is not to find out how bad we are but to reveal how good God is.
| Again, dwell on the great hope that we have in the judgment: Jesus as our substitute. Why is that our only hope? |
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One of my atheist friends described how he saw Christianity as using fear as a main driver to get people to join or remain in the church. His description centred on judgment and its graphic execution. Interestingly, this person grew up in post-war Europe, and in his childhood sang in church choirs and learned to play classical music in convent schools. One of his favourite pastimes in retirement is to sit and listen to Mahler's 2nd Symphony (The Resurrection Symphony) while sipping a glass of red.
I find it touching that this person, who has come into his atheism quite understandably through his interaction with a rather cruel and unforgiving church and its clergy, still finds so much solace and enjoyment in a piece of music that centres on the resurrection of Jesus.
The central theme of the book of Revelation is Jesus. It says that right at the very beginning:
And if we get ourselves bogged down in trumpets, horses, lamps, seals and forget the focus, then it is small wonder that we end up with a theology that is difficult to understand at best, and frightening at worst.
We have nearly 2 millennia of misrepresentations of Jesus to make up for. Seeing we have this work to do, what manner of people ought we to be?
Revelation chapter 5, celebrates the everlasting victory of Jesus over Satan and His successful redemption of all humans who choose to be saved. We are to weep with the prophet until we find Him who purchased our salvation at great cost, through suffering and death and blood poured out.
Think of how much more comforting it is to know that our Judge is Jesus, Someone who has been here; Someone who knows what temptation is like; Someone who knows our sorrows, toils, and troubles."Because he has tasted the very dregs of human affliction and temptation, and understands the frailties and sins of men; because in our behalf he has victoriously withstood the temptations of Satan, and will deal justly and tenderly with the souls that His own blood has been poured out to save because of this, the Son of man is appointed to execute judgment." Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 210
The book of Revelation is beautiful if you really understand it as a Revelation of *Jesus* - how He nurtures and cares for His people (most directly evident in the vision of the 7 lamps) revealed through various symbols. Of course there are the fearsome foes of the Lamb and the church, but in the end, the Lamb wins!! And His people win with Him and experience the sweet fruit of victory - they will walk with God in a renewed creation which pulses with His love. And all the inhabitants will be focused on the happiness of those around them.
The lesson author's last comment today,
should be the focus of our walk with God, and the message we share with those we are given an opportunity to witness to.
Can I please get help on the last question? I didn't quite understand it.
(Again, dwell on the great hope that we have in the judgment: Jesus as our substitute. Why is that our only hope?)
Dear Aleo,
Thank you for your question. I'll share my answer.
Right now, because our first ancestors, Adam and Eve, followed Satan's lie in the Garden of Eden, Satan claims ruling powers of this world as prince (The Latin word for prince means “he who occupies the first place; the most important, the principal one.” Satan is the most powerful demon here. Jesus called him the ruler of this world in Jn. 12:31 and the Father of all Lies and deceptions in Jn. 8:44.) Unbelievers are still caught in Satan's lying influence, powers and bondage (2 Tim. 2:26; Eph. 2:2; 1 John 5:19).
But those who put their trust in Jesus are no longer under Satan's rule (Col. 1:13)! We are transferred to the Kingdom of Jesus. How? Heb. 4:15 says that Jesus was tempted in every way humans have been but He did not sin. Jesus's life and death here proved to all in every universe that unselfish, loving devotion to God is possible, as well as proving that living a life in total harmony with God's law is also possible when born of the Spirit. Adam turned away from God, and so he gave up humanity's God-given dominion of this world. Jesus came to act on our behalf, and as our substitute. He obeyed God perfectly in His own life, and took on all the consequences of the sins in all of our lives, thereby both justly and mercifully delivering dominion of this world back to us who choose Jesus as our substitute.
We see in Rev. 11:15 that Christ receives "the kingdoms of this world." As much as Jesus is the monarch of all the universes, this scene specifically focuses on the kingdoms of Earth because this is where the controversy is. The kingdom that the saints possess in Dan. 7:22 is Christ's kingdom that He received from the Father upon His ascension back into heaven. As High Priest, Jesus represented us when He went before God, and whatever He received, we receive. Rom. 8:16-17 says we are "joint-heirs" - we both inherit. 1 John 2:28 tells us that abiding in Him - the rightful heir - is our only hope of having confidence before God at His coming.
Lots of texts, I know...hope this is clear and useful. It was a blessing for me to review. God bless you, Aleo!
Hi, Aleo.
Today's lesson seems to be the perfect follow-up to some of the conversations we've been having, here at Sabbath School Net. If, as the prophets and apostles have testified, God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing (Ecclesiastes 12:14), and we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10), with what confidence can we contemplate such a scenario?
Who can feel sure that his or her faith in Jesus is strong and pure enough to stand the test of authenticity? And our character? Good luck with whipping that into shape!
This all reminds me of a precious Christian song, "The Heart of Worship," the lyrics of which read in part:
If we can stop making religion all about ourselves, and remember that it's all about Jesus,
The Father and His Son Jesus Christ will prevail!!!! It is the Father’s Will and HIS Righteousness which will prevail over the counterfeit containing deceptions and lies offered by Lucifer. Their victory has been won through the faithfulness of His Son Jesus Christ, who demonstrated His Father's love for His children.
They are the Ones who will be acknowledged by all creation, and all of heaven will attest to this. It becomes necessary to cleanse the earth and heaven, but those of humanity who have not bent their knee, who have not received the mark of the beast, the adversary of God, are safe and protected, as their life is found in Christ Jesus.
There is still time to accept God's truth, as we share it with others; now we know, now we ‘get the picture’, now we understand, now we can resolve to stay faithful to Jesus Christ our Savior until the end. As the events written about in the book of Revelation unfold, we know who the victor will be. Jesus, in whom we have chosen to have our life, will be found worthy of the rulership of the new earth and the new heaven!!
Rev.22:16-17 - ”I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will - let him take the water of life freely.”
Even if it had all been a lie, the story of a God Who became like a man to save the lives of His creatures is fantastic! Who would think about this answer to evil's self-degradation? God on the cross means love painted with blood!
I studied Bible docs, Daniel and Revelation early Adventist history and choir from a wonderful man named Halle Glass at Ozark Academy in Gentry Arkansas. I was working for a man at the time named Winiford Breniger and when I told him what we were studying, he said I think that we have it wrong.
Wimp further said that Ellen White did not endorse the The evangelistic series of Daniel And revelation or the publication of a great treatise on it. And he showed me where she said "When it comes to Daniel and revelation, they should be published his companion books without commentary. Let people draw their own conclusions".
And then he read portions of Revelation, eight and 14 and he said "I believe that the woes that are mentioned there are not what is said they are in the book, Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith, but they are actual world wars, WW1, WW2 and WW3 yet to come"
I mean people, look at the descriptions of the locust and the noises. If you only thing you've ever seen fly was a bird or an insect. How would you describe it?
Shocking news to a 16-year-old boy. Calls into question everything I had been studying in church school since I was seven years old.
I was born in La Sierra, California in a state that had less than 10 million people in it. In fact, I believe only about 8.9 million people. My folks moved to Arkansas when I was 15. And I drove my own car there.
We were studying from a book called the Great Controversy by our dear Sister White. As you may, guess is created quite a conflict in my little head.
The conflict now is mostly resolved, as you will see in days to come… Royce
I love a quote of EGW that says that "The same power that spoke the world into existence is in God's Words in The Bible." So then if we do what it says to do in 1 John 1:9 we know that we have God's forgiveness and also His cleansing us from "All unrighteosness," right? Then any so called "Final Judgement," can be left to Him and we do not have to be concerned about that even now, right? And the entire Book of Revelation is for us and not just the "Three Angels" of Revelation 14 I would say.
What is this book or scroll in Revelation 5:1-3 ?
It is the book of the everlasting covenant. -- The book of the covenant that was made before the earth was created:
The whole symbolic counsel of the Eternal!!
The covenant. Only the ONE slain, the One Who had ratified that covenant with His own blood, the One Who conquered death and the grave, could take that book and administer ALL the terms of that covenant.
The forth and fifth chapter of Revelation show Christ's inauguration as priest in the heavenly sanctuary.
There we also see the seven lamps of fire before the throne referred to as seven spirits. (Rev. 4:5) These were about to be poured out upon the seven churches, lighting their candlesticks.
Peter, on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:32-33) points to this outpouring.
As Jesus opens the seals we see the church's reactions to the covenant.
When the sixth seal is opened two parties come into view in the final events of earth's history. As Christ appears and the heavens recede like a scroll and every mountain and island is removed, those who have been deceived into thinking they have no need to repent and forsake their sins so their sins would be pardoned/blotted out, now flee from the face of Him who sits on the throne. To them the coming of the Lord is a consuming fire and they cannot face it.
The other group is pictured standing before God's throne with palm branches, worshiping God Who wipes away every tear from their eyes. (Rev. 7:9,17)
Since many were seen rushing for the mountains begging them to fall upon them to hide them, we hear the question being asked: "WHO WILL BE ABLE TO STAND?" (Rev. 6:17)
Chapter 7 gives the answer.