John Sees Jesus

Jesus, only is worthy to open the scroll. This scroll, that no ordinary man, no matter how great could open or even look upon, is the will, or testament of God the Father. It give to His Son the right to claim as his own, all of fallen creation. The next few verses tell us why of all who could not step forward and meet the challenge, Jesus is worthy.

First, He Is Worthy By His Title.

He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

The reference to Genesis 49:8–10, 8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.

9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Jacob whose name had been changed by God to Israel, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit prophetically gave the scepter, a kings badge of office, to Judah and made Judah the tribe of the kings. Jesus is the final fulfillment of that prophecy.

The elder also calls Jesus, The Root of David, which means that the greatest King of Israel, David and all of David’s line came into existence through Jesus. Humanly speaking from the physical DNA side, Jesus came from David, but on the God side, the supernatural side, David had come by plan, purpose and protection of Jesus, the Son of God. The Messiah could be both David’s Lord and David’s son, because the Messiah was both God and man.

Jesus is also Worthy By Position.

Revelation 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb

Jesus stands before the throne of God, in the place of honor, in center of the four living creatures, and in the center of the elders so that all of the throne room and all of heaven must focus on Jesus. This the place of greatest honor and only Jesus could stand in that position.

Jesus is also Worthy By His Sacrifice. Revelation 5:6 …stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.  

 This vision of the Lamb, with its throat cut and the wound still showing, is not meant to be beautiful, but it is powerful when we understand what is symbolizes.

When this day does come for all of God’s children, we will not see a lamb but instead will see Jesus in all his glory, but now for the churches under persecution, Jesus is seen in a way that only His own will understand.  He is the slain lamb of God, sacrificed for our sin, but he is also the Lion of Judah coming in all his power. John sees seven horns and seven eyes, this is the number of perfection and it symbolizes perfect power in the seven horns and perfect wisdom in the seven eyes, and perfect never absent, presence in the seven Spirits in all the earth.

These attributes of omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence are the attributes of that only God can possess and so in this symbol we see Jesus, the Lamb God, is very God of very God, God who took on human flesh to come and dwell on the earth.

Jesus alone was worthy to open the book and claim the title-deed of heaven and earth, because only Jesus died for the guilt of mankind, only Jesus suffered in our place, only Jesus rose again. Only Jesus laid down his life and then, proving He truly was God the Son, took that life back in His own great power.

Finally, Jesus is shown as worthy By His Action

Revelation 5: 7  And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. Jesus steps to the throne and takes from the hand of God, the scroll, claiming the title to all of creation and the right to be the Eternal King of Heaven and Earth.

No one questions His right to take the scroll from the hand of God.
John’s Pain Turns to Praise.

Can you imagine the feeling John must have had, the depths of his despair then soaring to the heights of praise? No man was found and all must have seemed wasted and empty. All the sacrifice, all the persecution, all the loss of family and friend, all the hope empty, but then, “Behold, the Lion.” Decades ago, John had been at the Jordan river when he heard John the Baptist say, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Then he looked where the Baptist was pointing and he sees the man Jesus.

Now he hears Behold the Lion and he looks and perhaps now expects to see the Lord Jesus as a man, standing in power and glory, but when he looks he does not see a man nor does he see a lion, but instead he sees a lamb slain.

Slain but living, wounded as unto death, but now standing before the throne with seven horns and seven eyes. This could not have been what He was expecting but it was exactly who he thought it would be. This is Jesus, God the Son slain for the sin of mankind, but now alive and possessing all power and all wisdom as symbolized by the seven horns and seven eyes.

John knows who this is, just as the church he is writing to, knows who this is, just as you and I know who this is. This is Jesus. Jesus who was, and is and is coming again. Jesus, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. The Romans wouldn’t recognize him and a lost world won’t be able to see Him but John, the churches and the children of God, will know their Lord, Savior and King.