REVELATION CHAPTER 5, “Jesus the Lamb Who Was Slain Is Worthy To Open The Book”

Jim Bomkamp

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. In our last study, we looked at chapter 4 of the book of Revelation, and saw that it recorded an incident for us that is intended to symbolize the event known as the “rapture” of the church

1.1.1. Having just finished the letter to the last of the seven churches, the one we believe will exist just prior to His return, we saw that the Lord intentionally led the apostle John to record the event that will occur next in sequence before the end of times and His return, the “rapture” of the church

1.1.2. The writer of Hebrews wrote, "And unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time", Hebrews 9:28.

1.1.3. Likewise Jesus also said, "Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as you think not the Son of Man cometh", Matthew 24:44.

1.1.4. We first become ready for His return by personally receiving into our heart and life Christ as our Lord and Savior, and then we stay ready by walking with and abiding in Christ.

1.2. In our study today, we are going to look at chapter 5 of the book of Revelation.

1.2.1. We will see that before the throne upon which God the Father is seated there is brought a scroll and the call goes out for anyone in all of the earth who is worthy to open the book, after none acceptable are found, we see that Jesus as the ‘lamb that was slain’ is found worthy and comes up to receive the scroll and open it. We will see that the scroll is considered to be ‘the title deed to the earth’ and that its opening begins to unleash the 7 seal judgments which formally begin the 7 Year Tribulation period

1.2.2. By way of review, Jesus gave to John the outline of the book of Revelation in chapter 1 verse 19: the things that he had seen (vision of Christ in chapter 1), the things that are (the epistles to the seven representative churches in chapter 2 and 3), and then the things that will occur “after these things”, the Greek word “meta tauta” being used. Then, in verse 1 of chapter 4, John records Jesus telling him that he now wants him to come to heaven so that He can tell him about the things that will occur “after these things”, with the same Greek words “meta tauta” being used. So, Jesus queues us that chapter 4 begins the section of the Revelation which deals with events after the present “Church Age”, events which occur after the church has been “raptured” at the beginning of the seven year period of “The Tribulation”.

1.2.3. Chapter 5 of Revelation then is merely a continuation of chapter 4 with no interruption. In chapter 4 we witnessed the throne of God Himself, and with the very limited language which John used we got a very dim glimpse of the One sitting on the throne. We know that the One on the throne is God the Father, not Jesus, because here in chapter 5 we will meet Jesus who comes before the throne and see that He is the lamb as if slain who is in the midst of the throne.

1.2.4. Likewise, in chapter 4 there appeared to us two different groups of creatures.

1.2.4.1.There were the four Living Beings which we identified as the Cherubim from Ezekiel’s visions and his identification of them in Ezek. 10:20. These Living Beings end up being tour guides to John through his visions in the rest of the book.

1.2.4.2.There were the 24 elders wearing crowns who were sitting on their thrones surrounding God’s throne. We identified these being more than likely representatives of the church or representatives of both the church (12 apostles) and Israel (12 patriarchs).

1.2.4.2.1.The fact that these elders are seated on thrones and wearing crowns makes us think that there is no way that they could be some sort of angelic group of which God’s heavenly government is comprised.

1.2.4.2.2.The Bible never portrays angels as wearing a crown, or reigning upon a throne.

1.2.4.2.3.Conversely, angels are called simply “ministering spirits” sent out to render service to us in Heb. 1:14, and it is over angels that we shall be judges, not visa versa, according to Paul in 1 Cor. 6:3.

1.2.5. There has been much discussion regarding the nature of the ‘book’ that is referenced in verse 1 of chapter 5.

1.2.5.1.Some have said for instance that the book is simply a book of judgments.

1.2.5.2.However, I believe that what the ‘book’ represents is the “Title Deed To The Earth”, which Christ will open one seal at a time.

1.2.5.2.1.The rest of the book of Revelation is the story of the reclaiming of the earth by the One to whom it belongs.

1.2.5.2.2.The reclaiming is accomplished via three series of 7 judgments, the number 7 symbolizing as always “perfection” or “completion”.

1.2.6. During the 7 Year Tribulation which is about to ensue, there are seven “seal” judgments, followed by seven “trumpet” judgments, followed by seven “bowl” judgments. These judgments take up the book of Revelation from chapter 6 until chapter 19.

1.2.7. It is also either the case that during the 7 Year Tribulation that the “seal”, “trumpet”, and “bowl” judgments occur concurrently, or that the “trumpet” judgments are contained within or come out of the seventh “seal” judgment, and that the “bowl” judgments are contained within or come out of the seventh “trumpet” judgment.

1.2.8. It is evident that the judgments that occur beginning with the “seal” judgments do comprise that 7 year period known as “The Tribulation” since the events described there are much more catastrophic than any that have ever occurred in the history of the world until the present time.

1.2.9. In Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 we find prophesied by Jesus a list of signs that will accompany “The Tribulation” and identify it, and these signs describe the same events seen in the book of Revelation.

1.2.10.It is also the case, that we are living in an age in which Jesus taught that similar but not as severe signs (what the world calls natural catastrophies or acts of God) upon the earth will be occurring in an ever increasing manner leading up to that 7 year period of “The Tribulation”. So, with the opening of the “seals”, sounding of the “trumpets”, and pouring out of the “bowls” we will see that some of these very things are indeed happening in a limited, yet increasing, degree in our day today.

1.2.11.Before we begin a discussion of this “Title Deed of the Earth”, I want to first give some background material for it.

1.2.11.1.The scripture clearly reveals that “the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof”, (Ps. 24:1, 1 Cor. 10:26).

1.2.11.1.1.We see for instance in the Old Testament that Moses told Pharaoh this very thing in Exodus 9:29, and Pharaoh’s problem was that he thought that it belonged to him. He didn’t see that God had simply allowed him to have a stewardship over the earth, and that he was accountable therefore to the Lord in all that he did.

1.2.11.1.2.Really all of us who are on the earth are just squatters, we don’t really own anything here, we are simply sub-letting from the Lord who one day is going to reclaim our property.

1.2.11.2.Satan was originally placed in a position of authority over the earth, however after his fall he no longer qualified to be given this position of authority.

1.2.11.2.1.Thus, we see for instance in the scriptures that Satan is given the title of “prince of the power of the air”, Eph. 2:2.

1.2.11.2.2.Jesus on the cross disarmed the rulers and authorities in the spiritual realm, and now he is the rightful heir of the earth and all that it possesses.

1.2.11.2.3.Paul wrote about this in Col. 2:15, “15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him”.

1.2.11.2.4.So, in the book of Revelation what is played out is the reclamation of the earth by its rightful heir, Jesus Christ. In order for Christ to take His rightful place of full authority over all of the earth, He must first judge those who are living on the earth, and render powerless the angelic principalities and powers in the spiritual realm.

1.2.12.There are some interesting pictures of the “Title Deed of the Earth” that are revealed in the Old Testament, for instance:

1.2.12.1.In the Old Testament, God commanded Moses to institute the year of Jubilee in Israel. What then was to happen on this year of Jubilee, which occurred every 49th year, was that the title-deed of all of the land was to return to its original possessors. This being the case, if a person sold a piece of land, or if a person had to give over title to his land to another because of debts, on the year of Jubilee the land was to return to its original possessor. In this way, no one actually was able to obtain property. All that anyone could really do was to acquire possession of land for the period of time of the purchase until the next year of Jubilee. We do not actually have any record however that Israel actually observed the year of Jubilee. Because of their rebellion against the Lord it is probably not the case that they observed it.

1.2.12.2.The book of Ruth gives us a very interesting and enlightening story with symbolisms and types relating to the “Title Deed of the Earth”.

1.2.12.2.1.Naomi had been married to a man named Elemelech, and when famine had occurred in the land, they were forced to move and settle temporarily in the land of Moab. Naomi conceived and bore two sons, and those sons grew up and married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Naomi’s husband then died, and after that her two sons likewise died. Naomi next decided that she should move back to her homeland and people where she would be able to properly worship her God, as well. Orpah went back home to her Moabite people when Naomi decided to move back to Israel, however Ruth refused to depart from Naomi. Ruth vowed that Naomi’s people would be her people, and that Naomi’s God would be her God. So, Naomi and Ruth headed back to the land from where Naomi had come, and they came to the land owned by a relative of Naomi’s named Boaz. Boaz owned a field, and Boaz took care of Naomi, and because of the law of Moses forbidding anyone from disallowing any individual from gleaning from their harvest fields, Ruth began to glean from the fields of Boaz. Then, Naomi realized that Boaz as a close relative of hers could act as the “Kinsman Redeemer” and take her daughter-in-law Ruth as his wife and raise up sons unto Naomi’s dead son. So, she conceived a plot wherein Ruth would come into the threshing floor where Boaz slept and sleep at his feet and let him determine if he would take her as his wife. Boaz was startled in the middle of the night by Ruth at his feet, however he determined to try to take her as his wife. However, in order to do so he had to go before the rulers of the city and act as the “Kinsman Redeemer” and gain full possession of Ruth’s property by claiming he had bought it, and then he could marry Ruth, own and live on the property and raise offspring to her. This all worked according to plan.

1.2.12.2.2.Boaz’s grandmother was Rahab the harlot, and now he married Ruth, the Moabitess, and together they bore and raised Obed, who became the father of Jessie, who became the father of David. This then accounts for the two Gentile women that appear in the genealogy of Christ.

1.2.12.2.3.In this same story God has preserved for us some interesting typology that is fulfilled in the New Testament. As the “Kinsman Redeemer”, Boaz is symbolic of Christ. Naomi who introduces Ruth to Boaz is symbolic of Israel. Ruth then is symbolic of the church, which marries Christ. The land that they live on belongs forever to Christ.

1.2.12.2.4.This field of Boaz becomes then the fields in which a young lad named David tends his sheep, and the city becomes the city of David. Then, several centuries later, Joseph is required because of a census to go back to the city of his forefathers, which is the city of David, because of the census, and thus Christ, of whom Boaz is symbolic, is born in Bethlehem of Ephrata, the city of David. Then, as Christ is laying in the manger, it is shepherds out tending sheep in these same fields who receive the angelic announcement and song concerning the birth of Christ, and who then come to the manger to see Him whom the angels announced.

2. VS 5:1 - “And 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.” - John sees a book, or scroll, in the hand of Him who sat on the throne

2.1. The ‘book’ which we see in this verse is seen ‘in the right hand’ of God the Father, which I believe itself perhaps is an indication of the fact that the ‘book’ itself is representative of the “Title Deed of the Earth”, since the ‘right hand’ symbolizes the authority which He possesses.

2.1.1. The earth does indeed belong to the Lord, as the scriptures reveal.

2.2. This is an unusual book.

2.2.1. First of all, this was a “scroll” not a ‘book’, for in the day of John they did not bind books as such, but rather they wrote upon scrolls which were rolled up.

2.2.2. We notice that the scroll is written on the inside and on the back which is an indication that it is unusual, and this is perhaps also a clue to understand what the scroll symbolizes.

2.2.2.1.It may refer to the fact that the scroll contains information which is comprehensive in nature.

2.2.2.2.When Moses received the tables containing the Ten Commandments, unlike the Hollywood version of the movie, the tablets were written on the front and the back.

2.2.2.3.God’s Law could perhaps be looked upon as being comprehensive in nature, since it is not a work of man, but is designed by God and written by His very finger.

2.2.3. The fact that the book is sealed up by seven seals is symbolic of the fact that it is completely sealed up, and it would require an incredible authority and ability to remove the seals from the scroll.

2.3. As a note of interest, in Ezekiel 2:9-10, there is another scroll that is written on both sides, and Ezekiel is required to eat it. The scroll ends up turning his stomach as it contains judgments and woes upon Israel.

3. VS 5:2-3 - “2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?” 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.” – A strong angel cries for anyone who would be worthy to open the book and break its seals

3.1. Here in John’s vision, one who is described by him as a ‘strong’ or “mighty” angel comes to the forefront and makes a proclamation. He asks a question which then commences a search throughout all the earth, ‘under the earth’, and ‘heaven’ for one who is “able” to ‘open the book and break its seals’, but no one is found ‘worthy’ to do so.

3.2. It appears that a long list of potential names of people, angels, and creatures are read off as part of this search. The search is comprehensive:

3.2.1. There was no one who is found among those who are ‘in heaven’.

3.2.1.1.‘Heaven’ is the very presence of God, or the “third heaven” which the apostle Paul mentioned being taken to in 2 Cor. 12:2, and John described in chapter 4 of Revelation.

3.2.1.2.I guess we have to ask the question as to why Jesus was not found in this search to be worthy?

3.2.1.2.1.I could suppose that it could be that as we will see later in this chapter that Jesus is found “in the midst of the throne”, and thus He might be overlooked?

3.2.1.2.2.I could suppose that Jesus could not be found initially in this search because He is going to appear in this vision “as a lamb”, and the search did not include such a creature?

3.2.1.3.The search in heaven had to include the names of all those who are redeemed through salvation in Christ and thus have been brought into the presence of God either as a result of the “Rapture”, or who preceded by their death those snatched up in the “Rapture” of the church. None of those who were redeemed by salvation through Christ were found worthy to open the book or its seals.

3.2.1.4.Evidently, no angelic creature in heaven was considered able or worthy to open the book.

3.2.2. A search was made of those who are ‘on earth’.

3.2.2.1.None of the names of the great men still alive on earth were found to be ‘worthy’ to open the book and its seals.

3.2.2.2.We have to believe that there are some redeemed men on the earth who have come to Christ since the “Rapture”.

3.2.2.3.We likewise know that there are many unredeemed men on the earth at this time (just after the “Rapture” of the church).

3.2.3. A search was made of those who are ‘under the earth’.

3.2.3.1.This is believed to be the place for those who have died who are not God’s people, and who are being held in Hades for the resurrection of the unbelieving dead prior to the Great White Throne Judgment of non-believers.

3.2.3.2.There are also fallen angels which are presently bound somewhere in the center of the earth. There was no creature who was found ‘worthy’ to open the book or its seals from those who are ‘under the earth’.

4. VS 5:4 - “4 And I began to weep greatly, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look into it;” - John wept at the prospect that none were found able or worthy to open the book

4.1. John gives a very human reaction here, He begins to ‘weep greatly’ because of the fact that no one ‘was found worthy’ to open this book, or even ‘to look into it’.

4.1.1. John realized the importance of this ‘book’, which symbolizes the “Title Deed of the Earth”.

4.1.2. He saw the hopes of all godly men since the beginning of time as being bound up in this book.

4.1.3. John saw that God could not receive the glory that is properly due His Name if there was not found someone ‘worthy’ to open the book.

4.1.4. John saw the wondrous and glorious mysteries of God’s plans made from all eternity bound up in this book.

5. VS 5:5 - “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.”” – One of the 24 elders upon the thrones tells John to stop weeping for there is someone who is worthy to open the book

5.1. One of the 24 elders finally speaks to John and tells him to quit ‘weeping’ because ‘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’.

5.2. The symbol for the tribe of Judah, which they made into a banner, is a ‘lion’.

5.2.1. In Genesis 49:9, Judah is called “a lion’s whelp”.

5.2.2. Just as the lion is the king of the animal world, this symbol of the ‘lion’ is a type of Christ Himself, and reveals Him as the ultimate courageous, majestic, and powerful King and Conqueror.

5.2.3. This is the only direct reference in the scriptures of Christ as being the lion of the tribe of Judah.

5.3. In this verse, the elder alludes to the fact that Christ as the overcomer will one day overthrow angels and conquer and rule over all the nations of the earth.

5.4. The elder says also of Christ in this verse that he is the ‘root of David’.

5.4.1. We are expecting it to be said of Christ that He is the offspring of David, however there is in a sense a play on words that is used here of Christ by this elder when he calls Christ the ‘root of David’. This means that instead of Christ being the descendant of David, Christ is the beginning of David, or the One who established David and his kingly descent.

5.5. Interestingly, there are a few scriptures from both the Old and New Testament that depict the Messiah to come as being both a descendant of David as well as the root of David, including:

5.5.1. Jeremiah, in Jer. 23:5-6, wrote about how that the Lord would raise up a branch from Jesse (David’s father) to be the king to rule on the throne over the earth, and that He would be called “The Lord our righteousness”, indicating His divinity and worthiness, “5“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I shall raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. 6 “In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The Lord our righteousness.’””

5.5.2. Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 11:1-10 of Christ as being both a descendant as well as a root of Jesse (the father of David), “11:1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; 4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. 5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist. 6 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the kid, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. 7 Also the cow and the bear will graze; Their young will lie down together; And the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 And the nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. 10 Then it will come about in that day That the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious.”

5.5.3. In Rev. 22:16, Christ says of Himself that He is the root as well as the offspring of David, “16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.””

5.6. It is because of Christ’s obedience unto the death upon a cross for our sakes that He is found ‘worthy’ to open the book and to loosen its seals.

6. VS 5:6 - “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.” – John sees before the throne a lamb standing as if it had already been slain

6.1. The elder told John that it was “the lion” who had overcome and was worthy to open the seals, however now we see that when John turns toward the throne to look for this One, instead of seeing a “lion”, he sees a ‘Lamb.’

6.2. Jesus will rule over the nations and thus be like a lion, however He will rule as ‘a Lamb’.

6.3. As a ‘Lamb’, Christ is symbolized in all of the Old Testament blood sacrifices for the atonement of sins committed. It is as a ‘Lamb’ without spot or blemish (having never sinned) that Jesus “overcame” and conquered sin, hell, death, the grave, the Devil, and thus He is worthy to open the book and its seals because He was willing to lay down His life as a sin offering for all of mankind.

6.4. Jesus is referred to as a lamb only twice in the Old Testament (Isaiah 53:7 and Jer. 11:19), twice in the gospels (John 1:29,36), once in the book of Acts (Acts 8:32), and once in the epistles (1 Peter 1:19), however in the book of Revelation He is referred to as the Lamb 28 times.

6.5. This is an interesting symbolism described here of Jesus in many ways:

6.5.1. He appears as a Lamb, yet He is seen as standing.

6.5.2. He is as a ‘Lamb as if slain’, meaning that He still has the marks of His suffering upon His body.

6.5.2.1.In the gospels, the writers do not go to great lengths in describing the degree to which Christ body was marred by His sufferings, however Isaiah wrote about in Is. 52:14 of the “suffering servant” (Christ) saying that He was beaten so badly that we could almost say that He was beyond recognition as a man, “14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men.”

6.5.2.2.It is an incredible thing to come to grips with as a Christian that our Lord will forever bear the marks of His suffering upon His body. The very marks of His sufferings are also those of His glory. They shall speak to glorified saints, angels, and created creatures for all eternity of the worthiness of Christ to be pre-eminent over all and to reign.

6.5.2.2.1.The image in our minds of Christ carrying for eternity the marks of His suffering should bring us also to cry out in worship constantly that He is worthy to be worshipped by us.

6.5.3. Jesus as the Lamb is seen having ‘seven horns’.

6.5.4. The significance of these horns has been interpreted variously by different authors.

6.5.4.1.John Phillips calls them “seven horns of omnipotence”.

6.5.4.2.John Walvoord speaks of the seven horns as symbolic ‘of the prerogative of a king (Dan. 7:24, Rev. 13:1).’

6.5.4.3.Tim Lahaya points out that in Daniel the horns represent kings.

6.5.4.4.Henry Morris brings out how that the seven horns may symbolize ‘the seven trumpets of ram’s horns’ that Joshua commanded them to blow when they conquered the city of Jericho.

6.5.4.5.I can say this for sure, that in the scripture horns are seen prophetically as symbolic of kings and their kingdoms, and seven horns is symbolic of a “complete” or “perfect” reign.

6.5.5. Jesus is seen as having ‘seven eyes.’

6.5.5.1.These eyes represent the sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit.

6.5.5.2.They basically reveal the omniscience of Christ, seeing all that is happening in every heart and in every part of the universe.

7. VS 5:7-10 - “7 And He came, and He took it out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they *sang a new song, saying, “Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 “And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”” – Jesus takes hold of the book which causes all of those before the throne to begin to worship Him

7.1. When Jesus comes before the throne of God the Father and takes out of His ‘right hand’ the book containing the “Title Deed of the Earth”, this causes all who are before the throne to fall down before Him in worship.

7.2. Interestingly, either the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders, or just the twenty-four elders here each have ‘a harp’, and ‘golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints’.

7.2.1. It was true that in the tabernacle as well as the temple, that in the holy place there was kept a golden censor full of incense which was to be kept burning at all times. The incense is symbolic of our prayers which are to be continually offered up before the Lord.

7.2.2. Here in this verse in Revelation, the incense speaks to us that there is nothing in God’s purposes and the establishing of His Kingdom which is accomplished apart from the prayers of His people.

7.3. Here as the elders and the Cherubim have fallen before the Lamb, they now begin to sing a song about how Jesus is ‘worthy’ to ‘take the book and to break its seals’ because He was willing to be ‘slain’ for the sins of mankind, whom He purchased with His blood.

7.4. In the words of the song, it is notable that in heaven, Jesus will not have let a single people group slip by without a representative whom He has redeemed and bought by His death.

7.5. Finally, it is not angels, but of man they all sing, for Jesus has made ‘them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth’. Again I note that in the Bible angels have never been designated by God to be the ones who will ‘reign’ upon the earth.

8. VS 5:11 - “11 And 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” – John looks around the throne and sees an innumerable multitude gathered

8.1. Since to each person upon the earth there have been assigned at least one and perhaps more guardian angels, the number of angels now seen before the throne by John would have to be ‘myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands’.

8.2. Henry Morris says that a ‘myriad’ is actually ten thousand, so here the number of angels should be calculated as ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands. This would make the number 100,000,000 plus thousands and thousands (or as some say millions and millions).

8.3. From the context it appears that this number is more figurative than literal and exact.

9. VS 5:12 - “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.”” – All who are gathered around the throne are worshipping Jesus for being worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, might, honor, glory and blessing

9.1. Though not personally redeemed by Christ, all of the angels now join in together to sing ‘with a loud voice’ a worship song unto the ‘Lamb that was slain’, saying that He is ‘worthy’ to receive the seven-fold honor of:

9.1.1. power.

9.1.2. riches.

9.1.3. wisdom.

9.1.4. might.

9.1.5. honor.

9.1.6. glory.

9.1.7. blessing.

9.2. Curiously, someone once asked the question as to whether or not the people who are on the earth during the tribulation period might be able to hear this song as some shepherds heard the angels sing at the announcement made of Christ birth to a group of shepherds near Bethlehem.

10. VS 5:13 - “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.”” – John tells us that every living thing in heaven, earth, under the earth, and on the sea will be exalting Jesus

10.1. This verse raises some questions in my mind:

10.1.1.How could it be at this time, just after the “rapture” of the church, that ‘every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth on and on the sea, and all things in them’, sing a song of praise to the Lamb?

10.1.1.1.We know for instance from Philippians 2:10-11 that eventually every created thing will bow the knew and confess that Jesus is Lord, “10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

10.1.1.2.One person has speculated that it could be that John might have been transported into a point in the future and is seeing in this vision something that is to be future of the glorious appearing (Second Coming) of Christ. The events of the book of Revelation are not always chronological.

10.2. Those who will not bow the knee and worship Christ in this life, will eventually do so, however it will be too late for them to receive the salvation that He could have given to them had they done it in this life.

10.2.1.Since you will one day bow the knee and worship Christ, the Lamb of God, don’t be a fool and wait until it is too late to also receive salvation from Him!

11. VS 5:14 - “14 And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.” – The four living creatures keep saying ‘amen’ and elders fall down in worship of the Lord

11.1. The four Cherubim now keep saying, “Amen”, or, “So be it”, as they are in agreement with the song sung by every creature in heaven, on earth, or under the earth.

11.2. Finally, the elders again cannot contain themselves, but the fall down and worship the Lamb.

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