©1998 Larry Huntsperger
Peninsula Bible Fellowship
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4/26/98
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Rev. 5 The Book With 7 Seals
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Rev. 5
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Rev. 5:1 I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.
Rev. 5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?"
Rev. 5:3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it.
Rev. 5:4 Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it;
Rev. 5:5 and one of the elders *said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."
Rev. 5:6 ¶ And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
Rev. 5:7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
Rev. 5:8 When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Rev. 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
Rev. 5:10 "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."
Rev. 5:11 ¶ Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,
Rev. 5:12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."
Rev. 5:13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."
Rev. 5:14 And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped.
We return this morning
`to our study of the Book of Revelation,
``and with it we return also
```to the Throne Room of God Himself.
We are in Revelation chapter 5.
Last week we saw John invited into that Throne Room,
`and we heard him give us
``a brief, vivid description of it.
I mentioned last week
`that we might be able to best relate
``to what’s going on in the remainder
```of the book of Revelation
if we think of it
`in terms of a stage play
``John was invited to
```being presented in the very presence of God Himself.
The one distinction we made
`was recognizing that
``John was not watching actors
```presenting what might take place,
but rather he was seeing real events
`that, for us, locked into time,
``are still in the future.
So, Revelation chapter 4 presented the setting,
`and now in Revelation 5
``the presentation begins.
What we are permitted to witness
`in these 14 verses of Rev. 5
``is the scene in the presence of God
```that set sets in motion
````the final events
in God’s interaction
`with the human race
``and the physical universe
```He created for us.
The significance of this point in our history
`is tremendous
and the drama surrounding this event
`is intense.
It begins with God Himself
`sitting on His throne
``holding a book or scroll
```sealed with seven seals.
And I need to prepare you for something
`as the drama of this book unfolds
``throughout the Book of Rev.
We normally look at a book as being significant
`on the basis of what is written inside it.
But it’s not that way with this book.
We are told that the book does contain writing,
but we are never told
`what that writing says.
The significant thing in Revelation
`about this book
``is not what’s inside
```but rather what must take place
````in order to gain access
`````to what is inside.
Because we are not told
`what’s inside the book
``you are welcome to let your imagination run wild concerning the possibilities.
I’ll mention three suggestions
`that occurred to me.
Perhaps the simplest
`and most logical explanation
``is that it is the book of the final judgement and wrath of God
`poured out on that part of His creation
``that rejected His offer of forgiveness
```through Jesus Christ.
A second possibility is that
`it may be the Lamb’s Book of Life
``containing the names of all the people of God throughout history.
This Lamb’s book of life
`was mentioned in Rev. 3:5,
``and then makes other appearances
```in Revelation 13 and later.
There is nothing in the text
`that directly links these two books,
but it is a possibility
`especially since we are told in Rev.13:8 and 17:8
``that all the names contained in it
```were written there from the foundation of the world.
It could have been written, sealed with these seven seals,
`and then not opened until this point
``in God’s plan for mankind.
A 3rd possibility might be
`that it contains a description
``of the future God has for His people
once this phase of His program is complete.
The breaking of the seven seals
`completes this phase of human history
``and give us access
```to the endless future that follows.
The truth is
`right now it doesn’t matter
``what’s in the book.
If it did
`we would have been told.
What does matter very much
`is the series of events
``triggered by the breaking
```of each of those seven seals.
And before we return to the drama
`I want to prepare you for one more thing concerning these seals
``because it will be an extremely valuable tool
```in relating to the rest of the book of Revelation.
These seven seals
`actually provide us
``with an outline for the rest of the book.
It’s not complicated
`and it can help you hang on to what’s happening
``and when it’s taking place.
The remainder of the Book of Revelation
`is based around three groups of 7 items:
1. There are 7 seals to be broken on this book.
2. The breaking of the 7th seal
`then triggers 7 trumpet blasts.
3. The 7th trumpet blast
`then triggers the 7 bowels
``of the wrath of God
```poured out on the earth.
Each seal,
`each trumpet blast,
``and each Bowl brings about
a series of events on the earth
that culminate with the return of Christ
`to the earth in power and victory.
There are some other things
`going on along the way,
``but if you keep in mind 7 seals,
```followed by 7 trumpets,
````followed by 7 bowls of wrath
`````you’ll have a pretty good mental blueprint for the book.
And let me toss in just one more bit
`of Revelation trivia for you here.
This is just for those of you
`who like this type of thing:
So far in our study we have already seen
`several groups of sevens.
In the first three chapters
`we saw 7 churches to which Christ wrote.
We saw seven golden lampstands
`and seven stars Christ held in His hand.
Now, here in Revelation 5
`we find seven seals
``and I just mentioned 7 trumpets
```and seven bowls of wrath.
Well, as far as I can tell
`there are actually 17 groups of 7
``in the book of Revelation.
There are:
7 years
`7 churches
``7 Spirits of God
```7 Golden lampstands
````7 stars
`````7 seals
``````7 horns
7 eyes
`7 angels
``7 trumpets
```7 peals of thunder
````7 heads
`````7 diadems
``````7 plagues
7 golden bowels of God’s wrath
`7 mountains
``and 7 kings.
I don’t know why that is.
`If there is some deeper significance to it
``I certainly don’t know what it is.
I simply share it with you
`because I thought it was interesting.
Now, back to the drama.
God Himself holds this book
`sealed with 7 seals.
A being whom John describes as
`"a strong Angel"
``then proclaims with a loud voice,
"Who is worthy to open the book
`and break the seals?"
The question, of course
`is not just who is worthy
``to break the seals,
but who is worthy
`to release the final progressive
``wrath and judgement of God
```on the world?
Who has earned that right?
Who’s motives can be trusted
`as being absolutely pure?
At first no one comes forward.
John obviously recognizes
`that the opening of that book
``is crucial to the future of God’s people
```and God’s program for the world.
The fact that no one comes forward
`creates a tremendous sadness
``and sense of grief and emptiness within John.
I have to tell you
`it helps me so much to see that response
``in John.
This is John
`standing in the throne room of God,
``surrounded by remarkable creatures
```all praising and honoring God.
This is John
`who knew Jesus according to the flesh,
``the John who stood at the base of the cross during the crucifixion
`and who beat Peter in a race to the open tomb following the resurrection.
But this is also John
`still fighting his battles
``with a mind and emotional system
```that was trained in rebellion against God.
This is not John in His new body.
It is John in his old body
`viewing the world he will one day enter for eternity.
And his first response
`when faced with a problem
``for which he can see no solution,
even while standing in the presence of God
`is to struggle with feelings of helplessness and grief.
He didn’t bounce over to the throne
`and proclaim boldly,
"No problem! You’ll take care of it, won’t you God?"
What he did
`was to weep greatly.
And there isn’t a word of condemnation from God for John’s response.
Instead He sends one of the Elders
`to comfort Him
```and to provide the only thing
that ever has the power
`to once again restore
``a correct perspective on our world,
```our circumstances,
````and our future -
he points John to his Lord Jesus Christ.
Rev. 5:5 and one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."
I take great comfort in knowing
`that if John didn’t instantly trust His Lord,
``even while standing in the throne room of God,
`then there is plenty of room in the family of God
``for someone like me, too,
who doesn’t always instantly turn in trust
to Christ.
Sometimes trust takes a lot of reminding
`and a lot of grieving
``and a lot of remembering
```and a lot of looking from a different perspective.
I think its important to note here, too,
`that the One who was worthy
``to display the great wrath of God
is the One who had first displayed
`the great mercy,
``and compassion,
```and kindness,
````and grace of God.
Rev. 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
Rev. 5:10 "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."
It was not just His perfect righteousness
`that qualified Christ
``for this role.
It was that He had used that perfect righteousness
`as payment for our sin.
And even as we see the wrath of God
`being poured out on the world
``in the breaking of these seals
we continue to see His mercy being displayed.
With each progressive seal
`there is an intensity of turmoil
``and tension
```and devastation on the earth.
But along with it
`there is an intensity
``of His call to repentance
```and acceptance of His offer of forgiveness.
Remember our Tribulation Communication Tool Box from last week?
Remember 144,000 evangelists?
Remember the 2 prophets?
Remember Angels flying in mid-heaven
`warning all the earth
``of what is happening and why?
Rev. 14:6 ¶ And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people;
Rev. 14:7 and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters."
The wrath of God
`could have been poured out on the world in a day
``on those who had turned their backs
```on His offer of salvation through Christ.
But it is not.
It is poured out gradually,
`bathed in His mercy
``and continued call to repentance.
Chapter 6 then begins the breaking of the seven seals
`and we’ll look at those next week.
But, knowing our strong tendencies towards doubt and fear,
`and given the fact that we
``are moving quickly into a study
```of the final wrath of God
````poured out on the world,
let me close by reminding you
`of just two statements
``from Paul
talking about the Christian’s relationship
`to the wrath of God.
The first is from
`the list of 7 birthday presents
``God gives to every believer
```the day they are reborn into the family of God.
That list is found
`in the first half of the 5th chapter
``of the book of Romans.
The list begins by saying,
"Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,..."
But the 6th gift in that list
`is the one I especially want to mention.
In Romans 5:9 Paul says,
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
He just says right out,
`though our sins justify our receiving
``the wrath of God,
rather than that wrath being poured out on us
`it was poured out on Jesus Christ instead.
And then Paul says it again so beautifully in 1 Thess. 5:9
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ...
AMEN!!