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Marvel at The Lamb of God | Revelation 5:6-7 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Revelation Bible Study Series) · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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Let's come together now to the Book of Revelation in chapter 5
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and place your finger there. Verse 6, Revelation chapter 5,
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and verse 6. For the third time in Revelation
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chapter 5, John is going to tell us that he saw something.
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The first instance was in verse one when he reports that he saw
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a scroll in the right hand of God.
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The second occasion is in verse 2 when he says that he saw a
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mighty Angel proclaiming with a loud voice who is worthy to open
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the scroll and break its seals. And for the third time, he will
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say that he saw something, or more specifically, someone.
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And that is going to be the verse of our focus today.
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It's found in verse 6, but we'll read verse 6 and verse 7.
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And between the throne and the four living creatures, and among
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the elders, I saw a lamb standing as though it had been
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slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven
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spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
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And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who
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was seated on the throne. Father, I gladly confess that I
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need you. We need you.
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And we think of the words of the apostle Paul, who said to the
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Corinthians that he did not come preaching to them in human
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wisdom or with eloquence. He did not come with plausible
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words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power at
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the faith of his hearers would not rest in the wisdom of man,
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but in the power of God. Lord, you must speak today.
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You must be heard, and we just ask that through every weakness
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Your glory would shine. What a great task it is to speak
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about the Lamb of God, and so, by the help of your Holy Spirit,
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may be faithfully done in a way where Christ will be more real
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to each of us than anything else in this life.
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We need you, Lord. We ask for your help now.
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In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
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You know, there's a reason why we didn't continue reading
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further in this chapter. I thought initially we were
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going to finish this chapter today, but then I realized that
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what you find in verse 6 is just too glorious.
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The details about the Lamb of God are just so fascinating to
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just simply gloss over everything that you and I will
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find beyond verse 7 will be the adoring response of the entire
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universe to this pivotal moment in this heavenly vision.
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And we will look at those verses in the coming weeks because they
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have much to tell us about the kind of worship that Jesus
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Christ deserves. But today we're going to do 1
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simple thing. We're just going to behold
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Christ because this is who John is seeing in this vision, Jesus
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Christ. And though the wonder and the
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splendor of Jesus are infinite, we've been granted in this brief
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passage at least four amazing, remarkable attributes concerning
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his nature. You and I are are going to leave
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here with at least four strong reminders of who we just sang
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to, who we trust in, who we believe that we are going to see
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one day. Today, we're just going to
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behold Christ. And that is no small thing.
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People need Jesus. You know, it was Philip who went
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down to Samaria in Acts 8 verse five, and one of the most
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amazing revivals breaks out in Samaria.
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But in that verse, you know what we're told?
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He went down to Samaria and preached to them the Christ
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Jesus, simply Jesus. I believe in this day and age,
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we need to recover the simple preaching of Christ because that
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message alone can do miracles in people's lives.
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And it's not just for unbelievers.
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Oh, we need to know more about Jesus.
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And so in verse 6 alone, there are four things that should move
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us. And the first thing that I want
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us to consider about the Lamb is his humility.
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Did you pick up on the meekness of Christ in what we just read?
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Now remember, before this John the Apostle was weeping because
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no one was found worthy to open this scroll, the scroll that
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held the end times program for the earth.
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And an elder said, John, weep no more.
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There is one found who is worthy, but he describes him in
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a very particular way. He is the lion of the tribe of
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Judah, the root of David. Now here's the thing, if I'm
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told to behold a lion, what would you expect to see?
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A lion. It's not complicated, A lion
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like figure. But after John dries his eyes
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and looks more closely at what he was called to to see, he
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doesn't find a lion, he finds a lamb.
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Now that's strange to me because hopefully you remember last week
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we confirmed that this identity of Christ as the Lion of the
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tribe of Judah is exclusively found and introduced in the Book
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of Revelation. Why?
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Because it perfectly correlates with His mission at the Second
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Coming. He is coming with kingly
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authority. He is coming to take over.
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So then why is that label so short lived?
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The moment that we are told about the Lion, we come back to
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a familiar image of the Lamb. Well, evidently as much as the
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Holy Spirit in the Book of Revelation wants us to
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anticipate the soon coming Lion, He also never wants us to forget
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that He is the Lamb. So much so that the title Lamb
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appears a total of 28 times in the Book of Revelation. 28
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times. You would think that the lion
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label would be emphasized, but no, it's the Lamb.
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To be always reminded about the Lamb.
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You would think again that there would be more to say.
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Why come back to that? Because as we move through the
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Book of Revelation and we witnessed the victories, the
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triumphs, and the final redemption unfolding in the
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final lap of human history, it's as though God the Holy Spirit
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wants to continually remind us that all of that is only made
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possible because of Christ's sacrifice.
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His triumph ultimately came because of his sacrifice.
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That's the message of this manifestation.
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Our Lord already won the victory, and He did so through
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His selfless love. He did so by laying down his
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life. He did so by becoming the
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Passover lamb. That's what John was supposed to
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see, and that's what he is translating to us now.
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Hopefully we understand that God being described as a lion is not
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totally new. It's actually found in the Old
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Testament on more than one occasion.
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You don't have to turn to these references, just listen
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carefully in Hosea 11/10 we read in Hosea 11/10 they shall go
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after the Lord. He will roar like a lion when he
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roars, his children shall come trembling from the West.
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And Amos chapter 3 verse 8 the lion has roared, who will not
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fear the Lord? God has spoken who can but
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prophecy. So the people of God are
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familiar with the imagery of God being like a lion.
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But here's what's so startling that God who describes himself
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in this way, depicting his ultimate authority, his ultimate
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power, his ultimate dominion, but one day in human history
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enter into this world and take on the role of a lamb with all
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vulnerability, with all gentleness.
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What a striking concept that these Hebrews and these people
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who were set apart by covenant with God, who understood there
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got to be this roaring lion, this mighty beast, would also
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visit them and become a lamb. And you think about that, and
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you realize that the Gospel show us just that, how this lion of a
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God willingly subjected himself to the handling of rotten,
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wicked men who thought that they can do as they please with him.
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So they arrest him, they blasphemy him, they slap him,
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they spit on him, they pull them wherever they think that they
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can drag him, they slash him, they pound on him, and
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eventually they crucify him. All the while he chooses to be
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like a lamb led to the slaughter, and like sheep before
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its shears remain silent. How?
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Why? To save rotten, wicked men and
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sinners, sinners like us forever and ever.
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It was through his humility is through his lowliness is through
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his surrender that he ultimately conquered.
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So you see, John learned through this vision that the humility of
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Christ would never and should never be forgotten.
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But more than that, it's going to be the humility of Christ
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that will be the impetus of our endless praise and glory.
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Yes, we're coming to the end of all things.
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We want to see the King. We want to see the lion.
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But early in the Book of Revelation, we are reminded,
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don't forget that he is the Lamb.
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And don't forget that all these things that will transpire, all
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these awesome acts of sovereign power, ultimately flow from a
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humble Savior who succeeded 2000 years ago and made everything
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that you and I will enjoy possible.
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The humility of Jesus Christ, which leads us to our second
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glorious characteristic of Christ found here, and that is
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His preeminence. So we looked at his humility,
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but look at his preeminence. Come back to verse 6.
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And between the throne and the four living creatures and among
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the elders, I saw a lamb standing.
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Listen, the description of Christ's location is not void of
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purpose. It's intentional.
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The sense that you get from this one detail is that Christ seems
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to be emerging as the centerpiece of God's throne
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room. The spotlight now is falling on
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him, and we know this very well. But in case someone is not
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aware, Jesus Christ is and will be the object of our eternal
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praise, and we're being prepared for that by this vision.
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Here Christ is going to be the theme of heaven.
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It was a Puritan who once wrote Take away Christ and what heaven
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is but a blessed prison, a palace of silence and emptiness.
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I am no Puritan, but I will add to that.
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Take away Christ and heaven will be dark.
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Take away Christ and heaven will become cold.
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Take away Christ and heaven will be utterly lifeless.
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And if you think that's an exaggeration, I base that case
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from a realization of Scripture itself.
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Let me give you an example. We're in Revelation 5.
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Go to Revelation 21 and here you have a chapter that describes
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the new heaven and the new earth that will follow the final
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judgement. And notice what is said here in
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this one verse of Revelation 21 verse 23.
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And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the
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glory of God gives its light, and its lamp is what the lamp.
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So just as a lamp is the instrument that holds and gives
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off light, Christ is the chosen vessel to contain and radiate
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the glory of God in the new heaven and the new earth, right?
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Isn't that what a lamp does? It holds light, it illumines.
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Christ the Lamb will be the lamp as he shines forth perfectly the
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glory of God. And just as the sun is essential
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for sustaining habitation and survival on our planet, Christ
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will be the central source of life and light in the world to
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come. So much so that in this new
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world you won't need the sun. SUN, because we have the sun,
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SON, and just as this world as we know it would be stripped of
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life if you took away the sun for a moment, take away Christ
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and you strip heaven of its glory.
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He is preeminent, He is central, He's the heartbeat of eternity.
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Do you believe that Christ is truly that prominent, that
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important in the world to come? Oh, it's quite possible that
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future listeners who see this and hear this will think, yeah,
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the Lord Jesus at best is like an exalted creature, the most
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exalted creature. Or perhaps he is an important
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part of God's redemptive plan, surely.
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But to say that he is the preeminent one of heaven, the
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object of every creatures love and honor.
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Let me ask you this. Have you considered how he
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differs in this text that we're reading the the the only verse
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that we're looking at today, and how he compares to the other
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participants and the actors of this heavenly vision in their
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response to the throne. In other words, if you just
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scale back and you look at how the four living creatures react
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to the sight and the sounds of God's throne, and then follow
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that up with the 24 elders and then compare it with Christ, you
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can't help but see that He's different.
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Let me show you. Go to Revelation 4 and look here
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at verse 9 quickly. Remember, Revelation 4 and 5 is
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the same vision. But notice what I said here.
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And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor
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and thanks to Him who is seated on the throne, what do they do?
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They worship. They pour out their praise.
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They break out in song. What do you find in the next
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verse? In verse 10, the 24 elders fall
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down before him who is seated on the throne and worship Him who
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lives forever and ever, and rightfully so.
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But then now as John's gaze is fixed on this Lamb, he realizes
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that there is a different posture that he possesses, and
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it is incredible. What does the Lamb do?
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Look back at Revelation 5, verse 7.
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We read it together, the beginning of the message.
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And He, that's the Lamb. And he went and took the scroll
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from the right hand of him who is seated on the throne.
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With incomparable dignity, majesty, and prominence, Christ
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advances toward the throne of the Father.
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Without explanation, without making a plea, without asking
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permission. He reaches out and he grabs the
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scroll in the hand of the Ancient of Days and takes it
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unto himself. Who is this King of glory?
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Who is this lamb? Why is he not siding with the
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four living creatures and joining them in worship?
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Why does he not join the 24 elders and fall down on his
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face? I'll tell you why, because
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whoever this Lamb is is worthy of worship.
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He is the object of adoration. He is the one who shares in
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essence with the Father, the Son of God himself, who approaches
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the throne of the Father with such strength and boldness
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because it's His right. And the Father doesn't reprimand
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him. The Father doesn't stop him.
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The Father gladly let's go of his grip and gives him that
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scroll. Jesus the preeminent 1.
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He is the center of heaven. And listen, if he's the center
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of heaven, then he is worthy to be preeminent in your life and
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mine. If He is the preeminent one in
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glory, then He must be the exalted one in the Church.
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And here's what I take from this.
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If Christ is who He is in that world, if we make him #1 listen
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carefully if He is #1 in your life, if He is number one in
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this ministry, then we will get a taste of heaven on earth.
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Only then. You put Him in any other place.
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You put Him in the background, You put Him to the side.
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If He's the piece of the pie in your life, it's never going to
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work. He's everything He must be.
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He's incomparable. He has no rival.
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He stands alone. He's in His own category.
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And until you and I arrive to that conviction, you will never
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know the fragrance of heaven in your life.
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We will never know the presence of God in our meetings.
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Heaven shows us where Christ belongs, and in your heart it
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must be the same. Crown him, Lord of all.
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Crown him, King of kings, Crown him with your greatest
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affection. Crown him with all that is
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within you. He must be crowned as the
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preeminent 1 for the four living creatures and 24 elders in the
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myriad of angels Do so gladly. How dare we not do the same?
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We who have experienced redemption, we who have known
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grace, we who have been washed in His blood, do we dare put Him
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in any other place in this life? No, that would be the crime of
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all crimes. Such indifference to me is utter
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blasphemy. Such a thought should be enough
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fuel for you to break out of lukewarmness, to never be
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content with Christ not being all consuming in your life.
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He's in the middle of everything.
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But we come now to the Third Point, and in my opinion, this
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is the pinnacle of everything. What we find here can surely
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bring us to this, to our knees, and end this service early.
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It's a sacrifice. We looked at his humility, we
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considered his preeminence. But thirdly, we consider now his
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sacrifice. Look back again at verse 6 and
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between the throne and the four living creatures, and among the
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elders, I saw a lamb. Wait, you were told about a
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lion? Yeah, but I see a lamb.
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Why? It's a megaphone about Christ's
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humility. And I through his humility, he
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has brought victory. And where is he standing?
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In between the throne, the four living creatures, among the
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elders. He's the centerpiece of heaven.
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But thirdly, he's not just standing.
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John looks closer. And look at the last part here,
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or the second part at least, as though it had been slain.
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What a fascinating feature of this vision we have here,
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something that is familiar to us, I'm sure, that Jesus Christ
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2000 years ago, he satisfied his duty and his role as the Lamb of
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God who takes away the sins of the world.
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That was accomplished 2000 years ago.
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But what is he doing in heaven, bearing the marks of sacrifice
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and wounds and death itself? Wasn't that done away with?
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Wasn't that accomplished? Aren't we moving on now?
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Aren't we supposed to see something else Instead?
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What we find here is a vision, a symbolic depiction of Christ,
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like a lamb who is freshly slaughtered and placed on the
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altar. Here's why.
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Because the death of Christ was not only performed on earth, it
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is still being remembered and represented before the judgement
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seat of the Father. Here's what I want to say with
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this What Jesus Christ did on the cross is not a fading memory
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in the mind of God. We find it here as vivid as an
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ever present reality in His sight.
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Do you see this Christ sacrifice is there, it's clear, it's real,
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it's ever present. And this vision, this part of
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the vision at least is for your confidence in mine.
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It has to be because it testifies that even after
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thousands of years, what Jesus Christ has done in that single
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sacrifice on Calvary is still relevant and hasn't lost an
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ounce of power. He's still presented before the
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Father as a slain Lamb. In case that truth is not clear,
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remember that the Lamb in this vision is what standing.
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It would make sense for a slain Lamb to be on its side, lying
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there, lifeless. But that's not what you find.
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You find a paradox, a slain Lamb standing.
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Why? Because yes, he did die 2000
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years ago. But he's alive.
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He's here. He's upright.
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I saw a Lamb standing. He's no longer dead, he is alive
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forevermore, and the efficacy of his sacrifice is still capable
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of giving life. The one who was slain, who is
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alive now, can and always give life.
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So here's what this means for the unbeliever who might be
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listening to this today. Listen carefully.
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You can today, at this very moment, with absolute
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confidence, cry out to God to save your soul, to be washed
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from every wrong that you've ever committed.
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And because of this slain Lamb before the throne of God, you
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can know salvation because what He has done is still relevant
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and it's still applicable. It could be known and it could
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be applied to you now. He is the living slain Lamb.
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The blood still flows, it's still accessible, it still can
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be applied. But here's what this also means
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for the believer. You and I have to rejoice in the
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supremacy of the new covenant. A slain lamb, that is.
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That is a common thing for an Israelite.
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They've seen many slain lambs and bulls and goats, but one
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slain lamb that is standing and remains there, never to be
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replaced. What a strange thing.
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If you need anything to give you energy to realize how you are
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privileged on this side of the cross, understand this, that you
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and I, when we sin and if we sin, don't have to fetch for a
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brand new animal and bring it before a temple.
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There is one lamb that is sufficient.
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There is one lamb that we can appeal to.
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There is One who was slain and is forever enough for anything
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and everything that we do that breaks God's law, breaks his
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heart. The Lamb who is before the
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throne will never, ever lose its power.
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And that power for you, Christian, is able to sustain
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you until the end. It's a fountain of forgiveness
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that never runs dry. It's something that you and I
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can continually bring our dirty feet to and be washed in.
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How great is this sacrifice? How much does it outshine even
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Solomon's temple with all its beauty and splendor?
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So next time you read the Old Testament and you read about the
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hundreds of thousands of things that were slain and slaughtered
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in order for their sins just to be covered for a moment, let
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your heart leap with joy as you remember this one slain Lamb who
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is eternally sufficient for you and I.
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Just one sacrifice no more. And here's what this means for
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our study in Revelation. There is only one who can save
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people from the terrible events that are described in that
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scroll. Remember what's in the scroll?
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Pretty much what we find in Revelation 6 onward.
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And just as Israel was spared from calamity sweeping over
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Egypt because they would take that Passover lamb and apply its
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blood on their doorpost, so applying the blood of this lamb
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can save you and I from the horrors and the judgments and
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the eternal consequences that this book promises will come to
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pass. What a glorious thought.
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Here you have the lamb who is going to take this scroll.
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And this Lamb is the only one who can save us from what's
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going to happen when that scroll is broken.
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His sacrifice, a slain Lamb standing.
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We finally come to the last point, and that is his power.
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Notice what I said after we are told that he saw a Lamb standing
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as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven
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eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all
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the earth. Now, if you thought a slain Lamb
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standing was strange, it only gets a little bit more cryptic.
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I've never seen, I've seen a lamb being slain, a real lamb
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being slain. I've never seen it standing
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after it had its throat cut. And I also have never seen a
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lane with 7 horns and seven eyes.
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Have you? That would be concerning.
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But remember, this is symbolic. This is not meant to be literal.
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This is meant to convey an important message.
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And again, John expects his readers to be students of the
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Old Testament. And if you've read through the
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Hebrew Scriptures, then you know that all over the place is a
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horn, a symbol of strength and power and kingly authority.
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You find it in the Psalms, you find it in the law, you find it
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in prophecy. The horn is a symbol of
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strength. And so for the Lamb to have 7
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horns means what? That he has absolute and total
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power? That he is incomparable in his
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strength? That He is in fact omnipotent.
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The Lamb is all powerful. OK, but what about the eyes?
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Seven eyes? Once again you have another Old
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Testament illusion. There is one place in the Old
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Testament where we're told about the seven eyes of the Lord.
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And in that verse you have the meaning of it.
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So here's a reference to put in the margin in Zechariah 410.
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Notice what the prophet saw and was told in Zechariah 410 For
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whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and
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shall see the Plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
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These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the
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whole earth. So earlier in a vision Zechariah
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saw these seven eyes and God gives them the meaning of it.
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They represent the all seeing, surveying eyes of God throughout
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the whole earth. And that same description is now
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applied to who? Jesus.
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That Jesus possesses complete knowledge and discernment.
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He is aware of absolutely everything.
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So not only is he omnipotent, he's omniscient.
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And the way he exercises his omniscience is through the
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agency of the Holy Spirit. That's why we're told here back
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in Revelation 5-6, the seven eyes, which are the seven
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spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
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So we see something here, the unison of the Holy Spirit and
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Christ, that the try unity of God at work here, the
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omniscience of Christ exercised through the agency of the Holy
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Spirit. Why are we being told this?
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Why are we being told that Jesus is all powerful and he's all
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knowing? 2 reasons and this is where
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we're ending. You connect those truths with
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the fact that He is the Lamb of God, the pleasing sacrifice
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before the Father, and you understand this.
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Christ is capable of saving anyone from anywhere.
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There is no sin too great, and if you have not been paying
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attention to this message, this is something that you need to
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lean into, especially if you are in bondage.
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There is no sin too great. There is no place too dark or
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far where Christ's power cannot reach and deliver from.
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And I can testify that truth in my own life as a 20 year old
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college student in a basement apartment.
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No preacher, no talented music band, no human appeal.
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Where it all turned around for me was in a long weekend with an
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open Bible and the manifest presence of God in that room.
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And so real was that encounter with the truth of Jesus Christ
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and His love for me that I can say with absolute confidence
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that the shackles of sin have been broken and left in that
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basement apartment. He reached for me because He
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knew where I was and He knew what I needed.
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And this Lamb of God knows where you are and possesses the power
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that you desperately need. He can set you free.
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A lamb. Oh yeah, but he has seven horns.
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Here's one reference to perhaps persuade you that this is indeed
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one of the meanings of this vision in Numbers 23, verse 22.
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Don't turn there, just listen. And numbers 2322 it says God
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brings them out of Egypt and is for them like the horns of a
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wild ox. Do you see it?
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Israel's redemption is being revisited and the Lord says I
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brought them out of Egypt. What's Egypt?
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The picture of the world? Bondage, slavery, misery, and
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God, like a horn of a wild ox, powerfully drove them into
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liberty. I want to tell you today that
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the horns of the Lamb of God can drive you out of slavery, of
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shackles, of bondage, of heaviness of heart.
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You have to call upon Him. He is able to save to the
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uttermost those who draw near to God in Him to the uttermost.
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That's the good news of this part of the vision.
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But here's the sobering truth. Jesus Christ holds the power to
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execute the cycles of wrath inscribed on that scroll, and He
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will do so perfectly. He will do so in perfect
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justice. So this vision, I argue,
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corrects a common misconception about Jesus, the idea that
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Christ, oh, he's a lamb, right? So he's gentle and he's tolerant
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and he's laid back. You know, he's just going to let
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the world go as it is and everybody's going to be OK in
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the end. He is a lamb.
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Praise God, He's gentle, meek, and mild.
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But remember that this Lamb has seven horns and he has seven
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eyes. He is going to execute judgement
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one day. Can I show you one of the most
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paradoxical things in the Book of Revelation?
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It still has to do with the Lamb, but notice his
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description. This kept me up a little bit at
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night. I was trying to figure it out.
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I'm not sure if I have fully yet.
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Revelation chapter 6. This is when the seals are
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broken open and you come to the final seal and look at verse 16
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of chapter 6. Then the kings of the earth, and
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the great ones, and the generals and the rich and the powerful,
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and everyone slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and
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among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the
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mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him
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who was seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the lion,
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lion, lion, the wrath of the Lamb.
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For that, for the great day of their wrath has come.
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Who can stand wrath of the Lamb? I've never seen an angry lamb,
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have you? I've seen an angry lion.
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On TV, thankfully, an angry lamb, the wrath of the Lamb.
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There seems to be a distance between the words wrath and
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lamb. How does that work?
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Is it not a shocking wake up call that the same Lamb who is
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willing to forgive any sin, who possesses the power to wash away
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any iniquity, is also the one who is going to judge every sin
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and hold everyone accountable? It's as though if you don't
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accept the blood of the Lamb, then here's the wrath of the
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Lamb. That's really the decision of
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all decisions is enough. You can't argue that Jesus
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Christ of Nazareth died and was buried, and we Christians
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believe that he rose. What do you do with that
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historical truth? What do you do with that
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knowledge? What do you do with the Lamb?
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Do you apply his blood by faith? Or do you join the terror of
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kings and governors and generals, the rich, powerful,
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everyone, slave and free, who will when they hide themselves
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from the Lamb? His power.
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He is powerful enough to save anyone, and he is powerful
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enough to judge everyone. I saw Lamb standing as though it
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had been slain. Where is Christ in your life?
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Has He over the past few months been pushed to the background,
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the back seat? Have you lost faith that He is
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able to actually set you free from a besetting sin, Maybe a
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sin that has latched onto your life as of late?
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Let's pray, we ask Lord, that the Lamb of God would be loved
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by His people and would be believed on by those who might
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be hearing this message and don't really know Him as they
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should. Amaze us again with Christ.
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We believe that will heal us from so much.
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Everything that we said in these past few minutes.
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We pray you would make so real to every heart in this place.
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We've now come to worship together with these truths in
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our hearts. In Jesus name we pray.
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Amen. As the praise team comes up, I
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want you to know what Jesus Christ has done for you.
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If you don't believe on him, if you don't know him in a saving
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way, He died for you. He shed his blood for you and He
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wants you to be saved. If you have never put your faith
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and trust in Jesus, if you've never really confessed them as
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Lord, I ask you today to realize that this, this vision that
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we've been studying, though very rich in symbolism, speaks of a
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truth, speaks of a reality that is ongoing.
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Christ can see you, Christ can hear you, and Christ at this
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very moment can rush upon you and transform you, and you will
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know it without, without a doubt.
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And believer, if if what you've heard today has become dull to
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you, ask Him to open your eyes and and ask him to be able to
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respond to the truth that we find here in the same way that
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those perfect creatures in heaven can't stop doing loving
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Him and pouring out your praise to Him.
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He is faithful to help us. Let's sing to Him.