The Lion, the Lamb, and the World

He also has “seven eyes.” Eyes represent wisdom and knowledge. Seven again means perfect. In tandem they inform us He has perfect knowledge, He is all knowing, He is omniscient. And these “are the seven spirits of God sent out in all the earth” (see 1:4). Now we know there is only one Holy Spirit of God, but the number seven again speaks of the perfection, completeness, and fullness of the Spirit (note Isa 11:2) who goes out over the whole of the earth. The emphasis is on His omnipresence.

This description is nothing less than a full affirmation of the Lamb’s deity, for only God is all-powerful, all knowing, and everywhere present. So, in light of what the Lamb has done (His work of atonement) and in light of who He is (God), He can do in verse 7 what no one else in all of creation can do.

“He [the Lamb] came and took the scroll out of the right hand of the One [the Father] seated on the throne.” No one else can do this. No one else even attempts to do this. John Piper notes,

The Lion gets the victory through the tactics of the Lamb. . . . Because Jesus is a Lion-like Lamb and a Lamb-like Lion, he has the right to bring the world to an end for the glory of his name and the good of his people.” (“Lion and the Lamb”)

One man, reflecting on this truth, put it in a familiar rhyme like this:

God’s Perfect Lamb

Mary had a little Lamb,

His soul was white as snow.

And anywhere His Father sent,

the Lamb was sure to go.

He came to earth to die one day,

the sin of man to atone.

And now He reigns in heaven alone.

He’s the Lamb upon the throne!

REVELATION 5:8-14

The redeeming blood of the Lamb is no embarrassment in heaven. Not only are they not ashamed to talk about it; they love to sing about it. Verses 8-14 introduce three beautiful hymns sung in heaven. The first is sung by the saints (8-10). The second is sung by the angels (11-12). And the third is sung by all creation (13-14). The first choir is the smallest, the second larger, and the third the largest of all. The first song is the longest, the second shorter, and the third the shortest by far. In heaven they sing about Jesus, the Lamb of God. How they sing and what they sing is inspiring and instructive for our worship when we gather to praise our Savior.

Jesus takes the scroll (5:8), and all heaven breaks loose! “The four living creatures and the 24 elders” fall down in adoration, praise, and worship. They have in their possession “harps,” the instrument of praise. They have in their possession “gold bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (see 8:3-5). In praise and in prayer, they bend their knees and put their faces to the “sea of glass, like crystal” (4:6).

Their praise is voiced in a new (Gk kainos, indicating a newness of kind or quality) song, the “Song of Redemption.” The Lamb is declared to be worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals. Why? Four reasons are given:

1. “Because You were slaughtered.”

2. “You redeemed [ransomed, purchased] people for God by Your blood.”

3. And from where? The missionary Lamb who is a Lion has ransomed people “from every tribe and language and people and nation” (see 7:9-17). No one is barred from the cross. All the barriers have been shattered and destroyed (Eph 2:11-22).

4. “You made them [the saints] a kingdom and priests to our God.” As kings we reign with Him, “coheirs with Christ” (Rom 8:17). As priests we serve for Him, “a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 2:5). We “will reign on the earth” looks to the millennium reign in 20:4-6 and possibly also to the eternal reign in chapters 21–22. It is no wonder He is so loved, adored, and praised by the saints.

The angelic host will not sit on the sideline and watch this glorious worship. They must get involved too! Suddenly, John sees and hears from around the throne the living creatures and the elders, “the voice of many angels.” The text says they numbered literally “myriads of myriads” (NIV, “thousands upon thousands”; HCSB, “countless thousands”), “plus thousands of thousands.” Their number, however, is not what is important. Speculation on the number of angels is wasted time. What they do, on the other hand, is worth paying attention to. They praise the Lamb with a magnificent sevenfold (again signifying perfection) blessing. The Lamb who was slaughtered is worthy (see 5:9) to receive (1) power, (2) riches, (3) wisdom, (4) strength, (5) honor, (6) glory, and (7) blessing. Neither we nor the angels can give Him the first four things. We can only acknowledge He has them in all their fullness and perfection. However, we can give Him honor, glory, and blessing.

The word blessing is the Greek word (eulogia) from which we get our word eulogy. Etymologically (and I know there is a potential fallacy here!) it breaks down to mean “a good word.” In other words, as long as we have breath, we can say a good word about Jesus. We can witness to others about Jesus. We can brag on Jesus. We can take the gospel to the nations for Jesus. We do talk about what we love, do we not? Are we talking a lot and saying good gospel things about our Lord and King (19:16)?

The redeeming work of the Lamb now draws the praise of all creation. After all, creation itself longs for the day when it “will also be set free from the bondage of corruption” (Rom 8:21). In a doxological affirmation John hears “every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them.” A. T. Robertson called these “the four great fields of life” (Word Pictures, 6:336). In words similar to but shorter than the previous hymn, all creation ascribes “blessing and honor and glory and dominion [ESV, “might”] to the One seated on the throne [i.e., God the Father] and to the Lamb [i.e., God the Son] forever and ever [lit., unto the ages of the ages].” The four living creatures who day and night never stop worshiping (4:8) say, “Amen!” We agree! So be it! “Oh, Yes!” (The Message). The elders once more (see 5:8) “fell down and worshiped,” and some translations like the NKJV add, they “worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.” Although not in the best manuscripts, the latter phrase certainly captures the spirit of the vision we have had the blessing of eavesdropping in on for a few verses. Imagine what it will be like when we are there!

If we were all gathered together and the state governor were to walk in, it would be appropriate for us to stand in honor of his office, whether we agreed with his politics or not. And if the president were to walk in, it would be right both to stand and to applaud, regardless of his politics. But if the Lord Jesus, the Lamb who is a Lion, were suddenly to walk in, to stand would be inadequate, and to stand and applaud would almost be arrogant. No, in light of who He is and what He has done, the only rightful response is to do what we see in verse 14: they “fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.”