God on Trial - Rumor Notes 27

 

(Rev 5)

1 I saw, in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a book [scroll] written inside and outside, sealed shut with seven seals.

2 I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book, and to break its seals?"

3 No one in heaven above, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look in it.

4 And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look in it.

5 One of the elders said to me, "Don't weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome; he who opens the book and its seven seals."

6 I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.

7 Then he came, and he took it out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

8 Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

9 They sang a new song, saying, "You are worthy to take the book, and to open its seals: for you were killed, and bought us for God with your blood, out of every tribe, language, people, and nation,

10 and made us kings and priests to our God, and we will reign on earth."

11 I saw, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands;

12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!"

13 I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!"

14 The four living creatures said, "Amen!" The elders fell down and worshiped.

The ideas of heaven in crisis is brushed aside by many because of our failure to appreciate the nature of God's government. Our thinking is so infected by lies of the enemy about our loving Father that we find it incredulous to even imagine that God could ever be in a crisis given His infinite power.

This is precisely where we must allow the Spirit of God to open our minds and hearts to the true meaning of this stupendous revelation about God that defies nearly everything we have been taught or assumed about power. Simply because God has infinite power does not mean He can do anything and everything we wants. God is restricted in His use of power by the very nature of His own character which is love. This is where love and law intersect and things can become very confusing if we fail to understand the dramatic difference between the nature of God's law and the nature of the counterfeit.

Without a correct understanding of the difference between artificial and natural law, we find it impossible to reconcile what is going on here, for in the counterfeit view of law this makes no sense. But when we begin to see that heaven does not operate using our standards and methods for maintaining order and control, suddenly we begin to appreciate John's extreme distress. Only when we begin to taste the tears of John in our own hearts in sympathy with God, gained through a proper appreciation of His true character, can we then be able to also share the enormous relief and excitement that John feels when a solution is located that holds potential of saving God's authority.

Within the paradigm of artificial law it makes no sense that God could be trapped by accusations while being the Source of infinite power. In our system, power is what we use to force compliance to our rules. Because we have projected this back onto our perceptions and interpretations of God's interactions with us, we imagine that all God needs to solve this problem, since His is clearly superior in rank, capacity, authority and raw power, is to simply exert His authority to bring a stop to the rebellion. To do anything less we imagine would lessen respect on the part of all who serve Him, or so it is proposed by those who little appreciation for the nature of God's family system of government. We live under a corporate system of law that is not about family virtues and operates on the principles of this world that are infused into our thinking. This happened when our first parents gave their will over to the author of Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. That tree represents the counterfeit system of government we know too well, but it also blinds us to the original design for which we were created and produces all the dysfunction in our world full of sin.

Were God to simply exercise raw force and assert His innocence as it seems He could easily do, then He would not be holding the scroll waiting for someone else to come to His rescue. I realize that to even suggest that God might need rescuing from anything sounds like blasphemy, yet if we accept the truth that God is exactly like Jesus as Jesus insists, we have to challenge most of our paradigms about God's disposition, methods, motives and meanings. When we begin to grasp that the One sitting on the throne of infinite power over the entire universe has the same character and disposition as the Lamb who alone is qualified and trustworthy to save the One on the throne, we can appreciate better the scene portrayed in this chapter.

The evidence for this way of viewing God and how He exercises authority as being the same way Jesus does is all through Scripture. Yet until we are willing to see God as the most humble being in the universe, we will find it tough to grasp the extent of the crisis created by the enemy of God that threatened the entire universe, not just our world.

For the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son. (John 5:22)

Then he came, and he took it out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

Here we find key evidence corresponding to what we see transpiring here. God is holding a sealed scroll, likely filled with evidence that if made public could potentially solve the greatest government crisis of confidence ever. The One we always assumed to be the Supreme Judge is the one who is the accused. If a judge is accused with evidence presented incriminating the character of that judge, it is impossible to remove suspicions created if that same judge insists on presiding over his trial. He must recuse himself from any trial involving himself.

This is just what we find here in Revelation 5. God is on trial because He has been accused of abuse of power, of harboring secret dark motives out of harmony with His claims of running His government only on the basis of love alone, that God has a dark side that would be forced into action should rebellion reach a level sufficient to seriously threaten His authority.

I believe all these charges and many more are what is displayed written on the outside of this scroll. The fact that this scroll is in the right hand of God denotes that an issue under contention is His use of power, for the right hand is a symbol of authority and power. Thus by location we may deduce what the crisis is about while the scroll likely contains evidence that could be used to exonerate God's reputation. But until His reputation is fully exonerated (Rev. 7:10) and every shadow of doubt about His methods and motives are fully dispelled, it is impossible for Him to effectively rule the universe without lingering seeds of rebellion lurking with potential to spring up again. This is something He is unwilling to allow (Nahum 1:9) so His only valid option is to continue to exercise methods consistent with true love to validate His claims that love really is the most powerful force in the universe, and that fear is a liar and must be eliminated entirely as incentive for obedience.

What we see here is a confrontation between the kingdom of darkness ruled by the father of lies, and the kingdom of love created by the One who is defined as love. We must grasp this reality and make it the center of our focus from here all the way to the end of the book if we hope to receive the amazing insights and appreciate the true meaning of the symbols portrayed here. If we commit to cling to the truth that God is only love, that He is light and in Him is no darkness at all, no shadow of turning, no deviation at any time from living out the foundational principle of other-centered love as the only way in which everything can operate orderly in total freedom, then we can begin to appreciate why God needs to be rescued from this dilemma and how the hero who appears soon here goes about to accomplish this.

Note in particular that the Almighty God of the universe does not even hint at seeking a resolution of this dilemma by resorting to force as all pagan myths do. Neither does He hold threatening thunderbolts in His hand. Rather, He passively holds the sealed evidence in His right hand of power that could vindicate Him if only it could be exposed. Yet even He is evidently unable to open it. This problem requires someone else to come to His defense. This is because the root problem can never be resolved through coercion but only through an effective revelation of the real truth that itself has the power to discredit all the slander that has undermined God's credibility to govern effectively.

May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written, "That you might be justified in your words, and might prevail when you come into judgment." (Romans 3:4)

May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, "THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED." (Romans 3:4 NAS95)

I saw an angel flying in mid heaven, having an eternal Good News to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, and to every nation, tribe, language, and people. He said with a loud voice, "Fear the Lord, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!" (Revelation 14:6-7)

Do we see the direct connections between these passages? To give God glory and worship Him is all part of conducting His trial to prove His true character. This is not something we are forced to do out of fear but rather from heart gratitude, genuine appreciation of the true character of love that defines the Godhead. Ourselves being transformed by exposure to this love presents us as evidence of the power within the eternal Good News that God is light and has no darkness at all, God is love and never resorts to fear to maintain control or prop up His authority. This is foreign to our way of thinking and living and perceiving God, yet it is the true gospel, the light that is flooding the whole earth as predicted in chapter 18. And it is this light of glory and praise that has within it the power to precipitate the final stages of this trial and finally bring it to completion. This chapter then is the context for the entire book as it describes a scene of judgment, but with God as the focus of the trial instead of a Him being a stern judge presiding over a trial about us.

This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. (John 3:19)

As we grasp this truth about judgment involving light exposing lies that cause darkness and fear, rather than viewing it through our context of supposedly impartial judges with juries imposing sentences and enforcing punishments, viewing God as the One on trial suddenly allows everything else to fall into place with a clarity and beauty like never seen before.

God desires from all His creatures the service of love—service that springs from an appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced obedience; and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service.

One of the elders said to me, "Don't weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome; he who opens the book and its seven seals."

I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing

We find here one of the first heard/saw couplings scattered throughout this book. What is important to learn is how the real truth about the cross of Jesus changes the assumed meanings of many things. John hears about a Lion here but when he looks for it he sees a Lamb. He hears about 144,000 people but when he looks he sees many more (Rev 7:1-4, 9). He sees a beast looking a lot like a lamb but then hears it speaking like a dragon (Rev 13:11). He hears about the bride of the Lamb but what he sees is a city (Rev 21:9-10). We must be careful about clinging to only what we hear or think we see lest we be in danger of rejecting what might be real in experience.

in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders

This strategically positions the Lamb at the very center of where the controversy is being played out, not only in heaven but on earth (symbolized by 4) among humans (symbolized by the creatures and elders) where the true image of God is designed to be most clearly exposed.

The Lamb is the hero of Revelation because He alone can save both God's reputation and authority as well as save all humans willing to receive His mind and be transformed into His likeness.

His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself made purification for our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Hebrews 1:3)

This Lamb is a lion in disguise. He has the heart, will, strength of character, boldness, strength and courage of a lion, yet presents as gentle and child-like, willingly vulnerable and with an empathy in the disposition of a lamb. He is a lion in lamb's clothing. It takes far more moral fortitude and strength to not respond to evil with retaliation than it does to resort to violence in anger. Our usual definition of courage is actually foreign to how heaven sees moral strength, for we glorify violence as the epitome of the hero while it is really a sign of weakness. Resorting to force and violence to win over enemies betrays that one does not trust that love is really is effective or trustworthy. This is why the majority rejects the truth exposed by the Lamb, because they reject the reality that God is love and instead cling to the enemy's version of God as being a mixture of good and evil.

This Lamb willingly makes Himself totally vulnerable just like our first parents were naked (Gen 2:25), exposing Himself without resistance to abusive exploiters in order to restore humans back to their original design to live in joy. This is the epitome of how God governs the universe, from a position of vulnerability and innocence, maintaining and protecting the freedom of all.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29)

a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.

This Lamb is the superhero of not merely this book but the superhero of all superheroes. This is because He does not rely on the methods or motives or logic of earthy superheros that are all replicas of pagan mythical gods. Every other god is a false god because they rely on the tactics of the enemy of the Creator God to win. Every false superhero relies on the counterfeit system to win which is grasping for power by controlling others using a mixture of good and evil along with skill and cunning to manipulate circumstances and people.

Jesus the Lamb does not indulge in our politics, our reliance on deception to gain advantage, our addiction to control or anything involving selfishness. The power of this Lamb represented as 7 horns is not political power like horns often represent in our venue but are more likely connected to the horns of the altar of sacrifice in the sanctuary.

We see 3 sets of 7 here which are both numbers representing perfection or completeness.

Discuss the meaning of horns and why there might be 7 of them on this Lamb.

Discuss why there are 7 eyes and what eyes represent and what they are used for.

What and why are there 7 spirits of God? Do we find this list elsewhere? We studied it previously.

Having 7 horns gives the Lamb capacity to break an equal number of seals; 7 eyes give him ability to read, discern and interpret correctly what is written in the scroll.

What is implied that these 7 spirits are sent out into all the earth?

After these things, I saw another angel coming down out of the sky, having great authority. The earth was illuminated with his glory. (Revelation 18:1)

The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore when your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light; but when it is evil, your body also is full of darkness. (Luke 11:34)

This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. (John 3:19)

Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (John 9:5)

You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can't be hidden. (Matthew 5:14)

This light is linked to the rivers of fire that pour out from the throne, the fire mingled into the sea of glass, the fire identified in the most sacred book of Scripture as the very flame of Yahweh. This fire is the original power of passionate love that is not to be confused with all strange fire that is contaminated with selfishness that might look similar on the surface. The Lamb is the epitome of the true fire of God, and this Lamb most clearly demonstrated this by willingly submitting to the abuse of evil in order to bring to light the contrast between the power of love and the power of fear.

Then he came, and he took it out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

What point in history might this identify? When did Jesus take the scroll from Father God?

Right hand is a symbol of authority.

Is this a transfer of authority from Father to Lamb?

How is authority transferred in God's system? Is it top down like we do or something very different?

If God authorizes the Son to solve this dilemma because He is worthy, how can this inform us as to the nature of their relationship?

when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

They sang a new song

Compare this description with what we examined in the previous chapter for similarities and differences.

This time both groups fall down. Why the difference from last time when only the elders fell down?

Everyone involved this round each has a harp and a bowl. This is extremely important to assess as we move deeper into this book. We must understand this and have it securely fixed in our thinking in order to properly interpret other things that show up later that might seem dissonant with this scene and particularly with the character of the Lamb.

What are these bowls? They are lavers. What are lavers used for?

What is the contents of these bowls? This is critical to keep locked in our thinking for future reference.

What may we learn from the difference between harps and bowls of incense?

How do these differ in worship experience?

What we will come to see more and more clearly throughout this revelation of the truth about the way God fights this war is that these are the primary weapons He relies on to win this war. We must not miss this or we will fall into the snares of Satan who would have us imagine that God fights like the dragon fights. This is because we have such confused and slanted ideas of what constitutes power.

There are two instruments of warfare mentioned here just as it requires two wings for the eagle to fly.

"To whom then will you liken me? Who is my equal?" says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these, who brings out their army by number. He calls them all by name. by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power, Not one is lacking.

Why do you say, Jacob, and speak, Israel, "My way is hidden from Yahweh, and the justice due me is disregarded by my God?" Haven't you known? Haven't you heard? The everlasting God, Yahweh, The Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn't faint. He isn't weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might. Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall; But those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:25-31)

The harps of God that are the primary weapons relied on by those following the Lamb throughout this book represent praises, gratitude and glory given to the One on the throne and to the Lamb who alone accurately represents Him. We must embrace this, for this is the primary message of this entire book and is demonstrated as the norm in these two chapters. This is the contents of the New Song, the ammunition that alone has power to defeat every weapon brought against it. It is this ammunition that at last tears apart the empire of evil and precipitates its collapse in chapter 17.

I saw another great and marvelous sign in the sky: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them God's wrath is finished. I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who overcame the beast, his image, and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. (Revelation 15:1-2)

Check out Revelation 16:17-19 to see the final effect of these weapons used agains the empire of evil.

The censers or bowls full of incense represents the petitions and prayers of those who willingly follow the Lamb by embracing the methods, motives and message of the Lamb exclusively. But they always offer these prayers bathed in praise, gratitude and admiration of the wonderful revelation of love unleashed by the example of the Lamb. This is how they overcome, by the love unleashed through the testimony of the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony seconding the testimony of the Lamb that God is love, that God is light alone and in Him is no darkness at all.

They sang a new song, saying, "You are worthy to take the book, and to open its seals: for you were killed, and bought us for God with your blood, out of every tribe, language, people, and nation, and made us kings and priests to our God, and we will reign on earth."

This Lamb is trustworthy because it exhibits a strength of character far beyond anything ever witnessed previously in the universe, the very character of love that reflects the true character of the One who sits on the throne.

This character is in stark contrast to the lack of integrity and character exhibited by all the counterfeit gods we find especially in chapter 13. The Lamb reflects love alone while the counterfeits rely on fear, intimidation, threats and severe punishments for non-compliance to their demands.

Rather than threaten or killing others, this Lamb allows Himself to be violently mistreated and finally slaughtered by His enemies. Yet in doing so the light of the real truth about God's heart is finally released and exposed that has been locked inside the scroll ever since the enemy sealed it out of sight near the beginning of the war. This revelation of God's true character through the willing submission of the Lamb to all the violence and abuse that could be heaped up against Him is what alone has sufficient power to win the trust of those who are willing to believe His version of what God is like.

The outcome of embracing the real truth as exposed by this Lamb is that all who embrace His message, motives and methods come out of every divisive entity disrupting the perfect oneness of family love for which humanity was designed to experience. Throughout Scripture we read of God destroying nations, and it all can be very confusing until we separate destroying labels and divisive perceptions that divide people rather than attacking human beings directly. God hates sin but never sinners. We struggle to appreciate this because we are so infected by sin. But the liberating truth brought to us by this Lamb sets us apart as unique and incomprehensible to the world because it sheds all vestiges of hierarchy, control and all the defining opinions inherited from the mindset of commerce.

The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn't dwell in temples made with hands, neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things. He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. (Acts 17:24-27)

For you are all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 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. (Galatians 3:26-28)

You also once walked in those, when you lived in them; but now you also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth. Don't lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings, and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator, where there can't be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do. Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection. (Colossians 3:7-14)

made us kings and priests to our God, and we will reign on earth

What does a king look like in the kingdom of heaven?

What is their function, their disposition? How do they relate to those around them?

How does a God-like King reign on earth?

Jesus summoned them, and said to them, "You know that they who are recognized as rulers over the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you, but whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant. Whoever of you wants to become first among you, shall be bondservant of all. For the Son of Man also came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:42-45)

This disposition, reflective of the same mind that was in Christ Jesus, alone qualifies a person to properly reign on the earth. This is the nature of the kingdom of heaven represented in Daniel as the rock separated from the mountain without hands, that pulverizes all the kingdoms of the world and sweeps away their dust forever. This is the mindset of heaven that must be embraced by any who wish to side with the winner in this war. No compromise with the enemy is permissible lest we betray our fearless leader like the disciples did in the garden of Gethsemane.

Why does this song say that the Lamb has made us priests to God?

What is a priest and what do they do? Who do they serve and how.

We must keep in focus that this entire war and the judgment it includes revolves around the One sitting on the throne who was left holding the scroll and unable to open it Himself. How might that affect our idea of serving as a priest? If it is God's reputation that needs salvaging the most, how can a kingdom of priests (mentioned in chapter 1) help to bring this about?

Jesus is the ultimate high priest, so He should be our prime example of what it looks like to serve as a priest to our God. How can Jesus' ministry as priest inform us as to what it looks like to be a priest to God? What do we find described right here in this passage that could inform us as to how the Lamb acts as a priest to God and how we might follow His example? Is it the disposition of the Lamb under evil circumstances and injustice that provides the most compelling evidence to save God's reputation?

I saw, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!"

I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!"

The four living creatures said, "Amen!" The elders fell down and worshiped.

What do we witness happening here compared to everything that has come previously?

Worship here goes exponential. Worship ignites more worship on the part of more beings, not unlike a fast growing wildfire.

Notice how much more elaborate and potent is this worship compared to chapter 4. Why?

What we catch a preview of here is the final outcome of the war, when every created being throughout the entire universe acknowledges the real truth about God that has too long been sealed away inside the scroll. This does not mean however, that every created being will want to live in the consuming fire of passionate love, but merely that the evidence provided by the Lamb is so incontrovertible that it overwhelms every lie, slander, insinuation and deception of the enemy that has for so long undermined God's authority to govern with love alone.

Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations: they have no knowledge who carry the wood of their engraved image, and pray to a god that can't save. Declare you, and bring it forth; yes, let them take counsel together: who has shown this from ancient time? who has declared it of old? Haven't I, Yahweh? and there is no God else besides me, a just God and a Savior; there is no one besides me.

Look to me, and be you saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else. By myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Only in Yahweh, it is said of me, is righteousness and strength; even to him shall men come; and all those who were incensed against him shall be disappointed. In Yahweh shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.

(Isaiah 45:20-25)

God always governs in love, but all who obey Him must do so from a genuine appreciation of His love, never out of fear. The universe will never be secure until every doubt about the superior power of love is eliminated. This is what the Lamb proves beyond a shadow of a doubt. But every being must be fully convinced in their own mind without any coercion. Otherwise lingering fear would be like a lurking ember ready to break out in the fire of rebellion at some time in the future.

Security can only be achieved through respect for the final choice of each created being, not by use of force, threats or coercion. This is the context of this entire book and must be appreciated so as to see how everything fits together properly. Every thing heaven's side does in this war must be interpreted through the disposition and character of the Lamb. This is what must be kept in view in our study.

For those interested, here are some interesting facts and numbers compiled from these two chapters. As with all other symbols in Revelation, numbers are primarily symbolic, not necessarily literal yet highly significant.

Chapter 4

1 on the throne

24 around the throne

3 things come out of the throne – lightnings, sounds, thunders

7 lamps and spirits before the throne

4 creatures in the midst and around the throne

6 wings on each of 4 creatures (6 x 4 = 24)

3 times Holy (describing the One on the throne) (3 + 4 = 7)

3 reasons given for worthiness by the 4 creatures – glory, honor, thanks

3 reasons given for worthiness by the 24 elders – glory, honor, power

Chapter 5

1 book in 1 hand of the 1 seated on the throne, with 7 seals locking it shut that need to be broken

1 Lamb identified as in the midst of 3 other entities – the throne, the creatures, the elders

1 Lamb described as having 3 attributes – 7 horns, eyes, spirits

4 creatures each have harps and bowls

24 elders each have harps and bowls

The sum of these is 28 harps and 28 bowls

The New Song contains 2 sets of 2, possibly paralleled

The Lamb is worthy to (1) take the book and (2) open its seals

The Lamb was (1) killed and (2) bought us for God

This purchase results in an exit from 4 divisive conditions/labels

tribe, language, people, nation

The Lamb transforms these from living under these 4 conditions into serving in 2 functions,

as kings and priests

The resulting praise aroused by all this lists 7 things

power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, blessing

Every created thing which is

in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them

in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them

To (1) him who sits on the throne, and to (2) the Lamb

4 things – blessing, honor, glory, dominion