"And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals." Revelation 5:1 (KJV)

As we begin in Chapter 5 here I want you to stop and notice that it begins with a simple conjunction. That word "and" tells us that there was something that went before it. It tells us that we are still a part of that glorious worship service mentioned in Chapter 4 of Revelation and we see that Judgment is about ready to be poured out on all the earth. We can see by that first verse that, "... in the right hand of him that sat on the throne" was a book "...written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals."

Now, this book is not the Lambs book of life, but it is the judgments and we're going to go into those here in a bit. But let's read on for a couple of verses here and we see John saying ...

"And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon." Rev 5:2-5 (KJV)

Okay, so we know two things from these verse we have just read. He that sat with the book with the seven seals was not Jesus, but none other than God The Father.

Now I want you to recall the lesson on September 3rd where we discussed "the Keys of Hell and death" versus the "Key of David"? (I would encourage you to go back and re-read that lesson).

I don't want to deliver that entire lesson to you today, but it is important to the understanding of what is going on in the heavens in this passage here today. Let me just remind you of a portion of that lesson.

The Passover, as we know it, was the night when death was to strike the first born of every household in the Land of Egypt. Remember now, that was not the first born of just the Egyptians, that was the firstborn of every household. That meant that the Israelites were just as vulnerable to the death angel as were the Egyptians. But God knew what he was doing as we will see here in a moment.

Moses was instructed by God to smear the blood of a lamb on the doorpost of every house of the children of Israel, and by so doing those inside that house would be saved. How? As the Death Angel came to do as the Lord commanded, when it came to a door or a house that had the blood of the Lamb smeared on the door post, it "passed over" them and could not enter in - because of the blood. In other words the plague of death would "pass over" that house and the first born would not die, but this is what we want to merge with our lesson today ... it also meant that God was "passing over" the judgment of sin and ". . . the Keys of Hell and death" to His Son Jesus.

John goes on to say there in verses 3 an 4

"And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon."

Can you hear the passion of John's heart for evangelism. It was what drove him for God to show forth to a world of sinners "the remedy" for salvation. And that's just what happens next.

We read in Revelation 5: 5-8 these words:

"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. 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 as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints."

Now, turn with me if you will to Daniel 7:13, 14. It says there:

"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." Dan 7:13,14

We are seeing here the same picture that John gives us of the "Ancient of Days" or "He that sat on the throne" speaking of God...giving to JESUS the TITLE DEED to this world. He is handing over to Jesus ALONE the book with the seven seals.

Now, here's another interesting thing on this book with the seven seals. It was a custom during the time of Jesus and on down through the centuries, that when a Will was written or a Decree made, it was sealed with seven seals. It is no less out of the ordinary that we would find that here in the Book of revelation chapter 5.

One thing we must remember while we continue this study is that while Jesus is the only one worthy to open the book, the judgments were the design of God. It is His judgments being poured out, on those that rejected his Son Jesus - ultimately rejecting Him.

Some would like to call this a God who is mean-spirited. Yet, how can they when He has given generation after generation the opportunity to come to Him, yet they would not. He has given each man a "lifetime" to choose him or reject him. To me, knowing the consequences and rejecting him anyway, makes them their own judge.

Now I should quickly mention there that portion of scripture there in the 5th verse that says:

"... the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof."

If you still have your Bible there handy look with me at Genesis 49 beginning there with the 8th verse. It says:

"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. 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? 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." Genesis 49:8-10 (KJV)

Who was that Lion of The Tribe of Judah? Jesus ... How do we know that? Because it describes him there in Genesis 49: 8 where it says:

"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."

All the brethren of Christ will praise Him but this passage says, "thy father's children shall bow down before thee." That's speaking of Israel. The Israelites are the Descendents of Abraham and Jacob. Again we hear John say....

"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 as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." Rev 5:6 (KJV)

Now the "Lamb" here means a little Lamb - signifying his willingness to be sacrificed; and notice the terminology, "as it had been slain"...

He was our substitute and was slain in violence....and we find here that even though the winds of the Tribulation are blowing here we find a worship service going on there in the heavens as Jesus the Lamb comes to take His rightful place next to His Father and takes from him the Book with the seven seals and gets ready to open the book to unleash the wrath of the Father on an un-repented world. Listen to the rest of the chapter as I read it. What a glorious depiction there is of the Worship service that will take place on that day. John writes:

"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever." Rev 5:9-14 (KJV)

GLORY TO HIS NAME! YOU and I will be a part of that great worship someday if we trust Him and live for him.

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

-- God bless you --