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SERIES: THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST, WEEK 22

TITLE: THE WORTHY ONE

TEXT: REVELATION 5:1-5

INTRODUCTION: (1) THE WORD WORTHY IS USED 4 TIMES IN REVELATION CHAPTER 5.

* IT IS USED IN REVELATION 5:2 WHERE IT SAYS: “AND I SAW A STRONG ANGEL PROCLAIMING WITH A LOUD VOICE, “WHO IS WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK AND TO BREAK ITS SEALS?”

** IT IS USED IN REVELATION 5:4 WHERE IT SAYS: “THEN I BEGAN TO WEEP GREATLY BECAUSE NO ONE WAS FOUND WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK OR TO LOOK INTO IT.”

*** IT IS USED IN REVELATION 5:9 WHERE IT SAYS: “AND THEY SANG A NEW SONG, SAYING, “WORTHY ARE YOU TO TAKE THE BOOK AND TO BREAK ITS SEALS; FOR YOU WERE SLAIN, AND PURCHASED FOR GOD WITH YOUR BLOOD MEN FROM EVERY TRIBE AND TONGUE AND PEOPLE AND NATION.”

**** IT IS USED IN REVELATION 5:12 WHERE IT SAYS: “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.”

(2) NOW THIS PARTICULAR WORD “WORTHY” IS USED TWO OTHER TIMES IN REVELATION, ONCE IN REVELATION 3:4 AND ONCE IN REVELATION 4:11 WHICH WE STUDIED LAST WEEK WHERE IT SAYS: (QUOTE IT).

* NOW BEYOND ITS 6 USES IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION, THIS ADJECTIVE “WORTHY” IS USED 35 OTHER TIMES IN THE N.T. AND IT IS A RICH WORD, PREGNANT WITH MEANING.

** IT ORIGINALLY MEANT “OF PROPER WEIGHT”, BUT IT’S MEANING DEVELOPED TO COVER QUALITIES OTHER THAN WEIGHT.

*** SYNONYMS WOULD BE SUFFICIENT, COMPETENT OR FIT.

**** WE’RE TALKING ABOUT QUALITIES OF BEING, PERSON, POWER OR ATTAINMENT.

(3) AND AS I ATTEMPT TO CONNECT THOSE THOUGHTS, TO BE WORTHY IS TO BE DESERVING.

* SOMEONE WHO IS WORTHY IS BEFITTING, THEY HAVE MERITED A RESPONSE.

** THERE IS THE WEIGHT OF WORTH, THE RIGHT TO SOMETHING.

*** AND WHEN I USE THE WORD “WORTHY”, WHO COMES TO MIND?

**** THE ANSWER IS GOD, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST; THE ONLY ONE WORTHY OF WORSHIP IN REVELATION 4, FOR ONLY GOD IS WORTHY, DESERVING OF WORSHIP AND PRAISE.

(4) I MEAN IT IS BEFITTING TO GOD TO WORSHIP HIM. HE HAS MERITED ALL WORSHIP AND THE WEIGHT OF HIS WORTH IS WHAT DRIVES US, IT COMPELS US TO WORSHIP HIM. HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO BE WORSHIPED.

* NOW WITH THAT IN MIND, AS WE COME TO OUR TEXT TODAY IN REVELATION 5:1-5, THE WORD “WORTHY” IS NOT CONNECTED TO WORSHIP, BUT WHO IS WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK THAT GOD ALMIGHTY IS HOLDING IN HIS RIGHT HAND, AND NOT ONLY WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK, BUT ALSO TO BREAK IT’S SEALS.

** AND WE’LL SEE IN OUR STUDY TODAY THAT THIS BOOK OR SCROLL IS THE TITLE DEED TO THE EARTH.

*** AND THERE IS ONLY ONE IN THE UNIVERSE WHO IS WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK AND BREAK ITS SEALS, AND THAT WORTHY ONE IS NONE OTHER THAN THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH AND THE LAMB OF GOD, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

**** THE WORTHY ONE IS THE LION AND THE LAMB, THE SAVIOR, THE ROOT OF DAVID, THE LORD JESUS. ONLY HE IS WORTHY.

(5) BECAUSE OF THAT, I’VE TITLED THE MESSAGE TODAY, “THE WORTHY ONE.”

* AND UNDER THAT TITLE AND THEME WE’LL LOOK AT 3 THINGS AS WE STUDY REVELATION 5:1-5.

** NO. 1 THE SCENE IN HEAVEN AT THIS POINT OF JOHN’S VISION, V. 1; NO. 2 THE SEARCH FOR THE WORTHY ONE, VV. 2-4; AND NO. 3 THE SAVIOR, THE WORTHY ONE FOUND, THE LION AND LAMB, THE LORD JESUS, V. 5.

*** SO WE’LL LOOK AT THE SCENE, THE SEARCH AND THE SAVIOR UNDER THE THEME OF THE WORTHY ONE TODAY.

**** AND WITH THOSE POINTS TO DIRECT US, LET’S JUMP INTO OUR STUDY AND LOOK AT OUR FIRST POINT, THE SCENE. LOOK AT REVELATION 5:1 PLEASE.

I. THE SCENE, (READ V. 1)

A. NOW THE TWO WORDS “I SAW” INTRODUCES US TO THE VARIOUS SCENES IN HEAVEN DESCRIBED IN THIS CHAPTER AND STRESSES JOHN’S STATUS AS AN EYEWITNESS.

* AND WE’LL SEE THESE TWO WORDS AND SIMILAR WORDS THROUGHOUT THIS CHAPTER AND THE REST OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION.

** FOR EXAMPLE IN THIS CHAPTER, LOOK DOWN TO V. 2, “AND I SAW.”

*** V. 6, “I SAW OR BEHELD.”

**** V. 11, “AND I LOOKED OR BEHELD AND I HEARD.”

1. AND THESE WORDS AGAIN DESCRIBE A SCENE CHANGE THAT JOHN STRESSES THAT HE IS AN EYEWITNESS TO.

* NOW AS WE GO BACK TO V. 1, WE HAVE A SCENE CHANGE, WE GO FROM PURE WORSHIP BY THE 24 ELDERS AT THE END OF CHAPTER 4 AROUND THE THRONE OF GOD, TO THE ONE WHO IS SITTING ON THE THRONE AND SOMETHING HE IS HOLDING.

** AND AS WE ZOOM IN, THE ONE SITTING ON THE THRONE, THE HOLY LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, THE ETERNAL ONE, THE ANCIENT OF DAYS IS HOLDING A BOOK IN HIS RIGHT HAND.

*** NOW THE RIGHT HAND IN SCRIPTURE IS THE HAND OF AUTHORITY, STRENGTH, POWER AND HONOR.

**** FOR EXAMPLE JESUS AS THE INTERCESSOR IS SEATED AT THE WHAT? THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER.

2. WELL IN THE RIGHT HAND OF STRENGTH OF THE FATHER IS A BOOK.

** NOW WHEN WE SAY BOOK TODAY, WE MEAN A BOUND VOLUME, PAGES THAT ARE BOUND TO A COVER THAT HOLDS THEM TOGETHER SO WE CAN TURN THEM.

*** BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT WE HAVE HERE, AND THE NIV AND THE NKJV PICK UP ON THIS, FOR THEY TRANSLATE THE WORD BOOK, SCROLL.

**** AND SCROLL IS THE BETTER TRANSLATION HERE.

3. NOW A SCROLL WAS A LONG PIECE OF PAPYRUS OR ANIMAL SKIN, ROLLED FROM BOTH ENDS TO THE MIDDLE.

* NOW THIS PARTICULAR SCROLL HAD WRITING ON THE INSIDE AND BACK.

** AND THE WRITING WITHIN AND WITHOUT WAS CHARACTERISTIC OF SCROLLS USED IN ISRAEL’S LAND-PURCHASE SYSTEM.

*** AND IN ESSENCE THE SCROLL WAS A DEED OR A CONTRACT.

**** DR. ROBERT L. THOMAS EXPLAINS THIS IN HIS EXEGETICAL COMMENTARY ON REVELATION 1-7, WHERE HE SAYS:

4. THIS KIND OF CONTRACT WAS KNOWN ALL OVER THE MIDDLE EAST IN ANCIENT TIMES AND WAS USED BY THE ROMANS FROM THE TIME OF NERO ON. THE FULL CONTRACT WOULD BE WRITTEN ON THE INNER PAGES AND SEALED WITH SEVEN SEALS. THEN THE CONTENT OF THE CONTRACT WOULD BE DESCRIBED BRIEFLY ON THE OUTSIDE.

* ALL KINDS OF TRANSACTIONS WERE CONSUMMATED THIS WAY, INCLUDING MARRIAGE-CONTRACTS, RENTAL AND LEASE AGREEMENTS, RELEASE OF SLAVES, CONTRACT-BILLS, AND BONDS.

** SUPPORT COMES ALSO FROM HEBREW PRACTICES. THE HEBREW DOCUMENT MOST CLOSELY RESEMBLING THIS SCROLL WAS A TITLE-DEED THAT WAS FOLDED AND SIGNED, REQUIRING AT LEAST THREE WITNESSES. A PORTION OF TEXT WOULD BE WRITTEN, FOLDED OVER AND SEALED, WITH A DIFFERENT WITNESS SIGNING AT EACH FOLD.

*** A LARGER NUMBER OF WITNESSES MEANT THAT MORE IMPORTANCE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE DOCUMENT.

**** NOW WITH WHAT DR. THOMAS SAID IN MIND, MANY SCHOLARS AGREE THAT THE SCROLL JOHN SAW IN GOD’S HAND IS THE TITLE DEED TO THE EARTH, WHICH HE WILL GIVE TO CHRIST.

5. AND UNLIKE OTHER SUCH DEEDS, HOWEVER, IT DOES NOT RECORD THE DESCRIPTIVE DETAIL OF WHAT CHRIST WILL INHERIT, BUT RATHER HOW HE WILL REGAIN HIS RIGHTEOUS INHERITANCE.

* HE WILL TAKE BACK WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY HIS. FOR ONLY ONE INDIVIDUAL HAS THE RIGHT, THE POWER AND THE AUTHORITY TO RULE THE EARTH, THE LORD JESUS.

** AND CHRIST WILL DO THIS BY MEANS OF THE DIVINE JUDGMENTS ABOUT TO BE POURED OUT ON EARTH BY THE BREAKING OF THE SEALS OF THE SCROLL, FOR THE SEVEN SEALS ARE 7 JUDGMENTS POURED OUT ON THE EARTH IN REVELATION CHAPTER 6 AND REVELATION 8:1-5.

*** SO WHILE THIS SCROLL IS A SCROLL OF DOOM AND JUDGMENT, IT IS ALSO A SCROLL OF REDEMPTION.

**** FOR IT TELLS HOW CHRIST WILL REDEEM THE WORLD FROM THE USURPER, SATAN, WHO IS THE GOD OF THIS WORLD, BUT HAS NO RIGHT TO IT.

6. ONLY ONE IS WORTHY AS WE’LL SEE, THE LION AND THE LAMB.

* NOW ONE OTHER THING ABOUT THIS SCROLL WHICH IS THE TITLE DEED TO THE EARTH.

** IT IS SEALED UP WITH SEVEN SEALS ACCORDING TO THE END OF V. 1.

*** AND TO SEAL AN ANCIENT LETTER OR SCROLL WITH WAX ON THE OUTSIDE EDGE WAS CUSTOMARY.

**** THIS GUARDED THE PRIVACY OF THE CONTENTS UNTIL SOME AUTHORIZED PERSON BROKE THE SEAL AND OPENED THE SCROLL.

7. SO THE IDEA IN THE SEALING IS, TO INSURE THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO TAMPERING WITH THE CONTENTS. AND ONLY THE OWNER COULD OPEN THE SEALS AND DISCLOSE THE CONTENTS.

* AND NOTE THERE ARE SEVEN SEALS ON THIS TITLED DEED OR SCROLL. AND WHEN THE LAMB – THE LORD JESUS BREAKS THE SEALS, IT IS NOT MERELY A DISCLOSURE OF THE SCROLL’S CONTENTS AND HIS RIGHT OF OWNERSHIP, BUT AN ACTIVATION OF SEVEN SPECIFIC SEAL JUDGMENTS.

** FOR IN REVELATION 6:1 IT SAYS: “AND I SAW WHEN THE LAMB BROKE ONE OF THE SEVEN SEALS.”

** AND THE FIRST JUDGMENT ROLLS OUT IN V. 2 OF REVELATION 6.

*** AND WHEN CHRIST BREAKS A SEAL AND CONTINUES TO OPEN UP THIS SCROLL, JUDGMENTS WILL BE POURED OUT ON THE EARTH.

**** AND THE SEVENTH SEAL JUDGMENT INTRODUCES AND ROLES OUT THE SEVEN TRUMPET JUDGMENTS AND WHEN THE SEVENTH TRUMPET IS BLOWN, THE SEVEN VIAL OR BOWL JUDGMENTS ROLL OUT WHEN WE SEE THE CLIMAX OF GOD’S WRATH.

8. AND WARREN WIERSBE SUGGESTS THAT: (I QUOTE) “IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE TRUMPET JUDGMENTS WERE WRITTEN ON ONE SIDE OF THE SCROLL AND THE BOWL JUDGMENTS ON THE OTHER.” (END QUOTE)

* AND THAT MAY BE CORRECT. BUT THE THING I WANT YOU TO SEE IS, THIS SCENE PORTRAYED IN REVELATION 5:1 IS STRATEGIC FOR THE ROLLING OUT OF GOD’S JUDGMENT AND WRATH AND THE EVENTS IN CHAPTERS 6-19.

** NOW THE SCENE OF V. 1, LEADS TO A SEARCH FOR THE WORTHY ONE TO OPEN UP THIS SCROLL AND ITS SEALS IN VV. 2-4. SO LOOK AT V. 2 PLEASE WHERE WE’LL START TO SEE OUR 2’D POINT TODAY, THE SEARCH.

II. THE SEARCH, (READ V. 2)

A. NOW JOHN SEES SOMETHING ELSE IN HIS 2’D VISION WHICH STARTED IN CHAPTER 4:1 AND WHAT HE SEES IS A STRONG ANGEL, TRANSLATED A MIGHTY ANGEL IN THE NIV.

* AND ONLY ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS IS AN ANGEL DESCRIBED AS STRONG OR MIGHTY IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION, ONCE IN REVELATION 10:1 AND ANOTHER TIME IN REVELATION 18:1.

** NOW IN REVELATION 5:2, THIS STRONG OR MIGHTY ANGEL IS NOT NAMED.

*** SOME IDENTIFY HIM AS MICHAEL AND OTHER AS GABRIEL, BUT SINCE THE TEXT DOES NOT NAME HIM, I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THE TIME TO SPECULATE AND MAKE ARGUMENTS.

**** BUT NOTICE THAT THE ANGEL SPOKE WITH A LOUD VOICE SO THAT THE PROCLAMATION WOULD PENETRATE TO EVERY CORNER OF THE UNIVERSE.

1. FOR THE ANGEL SOUGHT SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE WORTHY TO OPEN THE SCROLL AND BREAKS ITS SEALS.

* SO THIS SEARCH FOR THE WORTHY ONE BEGINS. WHO IS WORTHY, WHO HAS THE RIGHT, WHO IS DESERVING, TO WHOM IS THIS HONOR BEFITTING, WHO IS WORTHY.

** AND THIS QUESTION IS ANSWERED IN V. 3 TO SOME DEGREE LOOK AT V. 3 PLEASE.

B. READ V. 3. NOW A SEARCH OF THE UNIVERSE, IN HEAVEN, ON EARTH, AND UNDER THE EARTH, REVEALS THAT THERE IS NO ONE WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK OR EVEN TO LOOK INTO IT.

* FROM HEAVEN TO HELL AND ALL POINTS IN BETWEEN, TURNS UP NO ONE WORTHY TO OPEN THE SCROLL.

** NO ONE WAS ABLE, AND THE VERB “WAS ABLE” IS RELATED TO OUR WORD DYNAMITE AND LIT. MEANS, NO ONE HAS THE POWER, THE CAPABILITY, THE RESOURCES, OR THE STRENGTH TO OPEN THIS SCROLL.

*** NO ONE WAS WORTHY. NO ANGEL CAN OPEN IT, NOT EVEN MICHAEL OR GABRIEL.

**** ABRAHAM CAN’T OPEN IT, JOSEPH COULD NOT OPEN IT, MOSES CAN’T OPEN IT, DAVID COULD NOT OPEN IT, PETER COULD NOT OPEN IT, NOR COULD THE GREAT APOSTLE PAUL.

1. NO CREATED BEING WAS WORTHY. WELL, THE RESPONSE BY JOHN TO THIS IS GIVEN IN V. 4. LOOK AT V. 4 PLEASE.

C. READ V. 4. NOW JOHN IS CONSUMED, OVERWHELMED WITH GRIEF AND SORROW OVER THIS.

* THE TEXT SAYS, “I BEGAN TO WEEP GREATLY.”

** AND THE VERB USED HERE IN THE GREEK TRANSLATED WEEP IMPLIES AN AUDIBLE WEEPING, A LOUD WAIL, THE SOBBING OF A BROKEN SPIRIT.

*** IT’S A WORD THAT EXPRESSES STRONG, UNRESTRAINED EMOTION.

**** IN FACT, THIS SAME GREEK WORD IS USED TO DESCRIBE JESUS WEEPING OVER JERUSALEM IN LUKE 19:41, AND PETER’S BITTER WEEPING, AFTER BETRAYING THE LORD IN LUKE 22:62.

1. AND LIKEWISE, JOHN BURST INTO TEARS HERE IN REVELATION 5:4.

* AND THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL HERE ON EARTH FOR CHRISTIANS TO WEEP, TEARS ARE PECULIAR TO EARTH AND SUFFERING AND PAIN, BUT TO SEE SOMEONE WEEP IN HEAVEN IS STARTLING.

** AND WE KNOW THAT ONE DAY GOD WILL WIPE AWAY ALL TEARS IN REVELATION 21:4 WHERE IT SAYS: (QUOTE IT).

*** AND WE KNOW THAT FOR NOW, IN THIS LIFE TEARS ARE A PART OF LIFE, AND PSALM 126:5&6 SAYS: (QUOTE THEM). ALSO QUOTE PSALM 56:8 AND THAT JESUS WEPT IN JOHN 11:35, THE SHORTEST VERSE IN THE BIBLE.

**** AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE EXPECT TEARS ON EARTH, BUT AGAIN TEARS IN HEAVEN ARE UNEXPECTED.

2. BUT THIS IS JOHN’S RESPONSE, THAT THERE WAS NO ONE WORTHY TO OPEN THE SCROLL AND TO LOOK INTO IT.

* JOHN UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR BEING SOMEONE WORTHY TO OPEN THE SCROLL, THE TITLE DEED TO THE EARTH, AND HE UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE FOR THE EARTH TO BE JUDGED AND PREPARED FOR ITS TRUE KING.

** BUT HIS GREAT WEEPING WAS PREMATURE, FOR LOOK AT V. 5 PLEASE WHERE WE’LL SEE OUR THIRD POINT TODAY, THE SAVIOR, FOR THERE IS ONE WHO IS WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK, NONE OTHER THAN OUR SAVIOR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

III. THE SAVIOR, (READ V. 5)

A. NOW SOLOMON WROTE IN ECCLESIASTES 3:4A THAT THERE IS “A TIME TO WEEP AND A TIME TO LAUGH.”

* AND THE LORD HAS GIVEN US THE ABILITY TO WEEP AND WEEPING DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE WEAK, BUT IS SOMETHING THAT GOD HAS ORDAINED THAT WE DO AT APPROPRIATE TIMES. (ILLUSTRATE THIS WEEK).

** BUT JUST AS THERE IS APPROPRIATE TIMES TO WEEP WHICH IS A GOOD THING, THERE ARE INAPPROPRIATE TIMES TO WEEP, WHEN OUR EMOTIONS AND NOT GOD’S TRUTH AND SPIRIT ARE IN CONTROL.

*** AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE ONE OF THE 24 ELDERS TALKED ABOUT IN CHAPTER 4 TELLS JOHN TO “STOP WEEPING.”

**** AND THIS VERB “STOP WEEPING” OR “WEEP NOT” IS IN THE IMPERATIVE MOOD IN THE GREEK, SO THIS IS A COMMAND.

1. JOHN IS TOLD TO STOP WEEPING. THIS WAS INAPPROPRIATE WEEPING. FOR YOU SEE JOHN HAD TO KNOW THE TRUTH THAT THERE WAS SOMEONE WORTHY TO OPEN THE SCROLL.

* I MEAN JOHN LOVED CHRIST, HE WAS THE BELOVED DISCIPLE, AN APOSTLE, AND AS A SEASONED SAINT IN HIS OLD AGE, HAD TO KNOW THE CHRISTOLOGICAL TRUTHS ABOUT THE SAVIOR. HE WAS NO ROOKIE OR NOVICE, NOR WAS HE UNLEARNED WHEN IT CAME TO THEOLOGY ABOUT CHRIST.

** BUT WHAT HAPPENED? TRUTH WAS NOT ON HIS MIND NOR WAS IT HIS FOCUS.

*** AND TRUTH MUST UNDERGIRD AND BE USED TO POUR ALL THE EMOTIONAL EVENTS OF OUR LIVES THROUGH.

**** FOR BELOVED, EMOTIONS CAN CLOUD SPIRITUAL JUDGMENT.

2. AND IT DID LATER FOR JOHN ON TWO OCCASIONS WHEN HE BOWED TO WORSHIP AN ANGEL. AND AN ANGEL RESPONDS IN BOTH CIRCUMSTANCES, WORSHIP GOD IN REVELATION 19:10 AND REVELATION 22:9.

* JOHN WAS OVERWHELMED IN HIS EMOTIONS AND DID SOMETHING THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY WRONG!

** AND IF OUR EMOTIONS ARE IN CONTROL AND NOT GOD’S WORD AND GOD’S SPIRIT, WE CAN DO THINGS AND BE CAUGHT UP IN THINGS THAT ARE FLAT OUT WRONG.

*** AND I AM NOT CONDEMNING CRYING AND EMOTIONS AS WE GO BACK TO V. 8, IT’S AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO TIMES OF GRIEF AND SORROW AND CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.

**** BUT THERE IS INAPPROPRIATE WEEPING AS IS HERE WHEN EMOTION AND NOT TRUTH IS IN CONTROL. DO YOU SEE THAT?

3. WELL, THIS ELDER TELLS JOHN TO STOP WEEPING, WHY? THERE IS A WORTHY ONE, WHICH AGAIN JOHN SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT.

* AND THE WORTHY ONE IS DESCRIBED WITH TWO MESSIANIC TITLES, AS THE LION THAT IS FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH AND THE ROOT OF DAVID.

** AND FIRST OF ALL THE MESSIANIC TITLE OF CHRIST AS THE LION THAT IS FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH IS TAKEN FROM GENESIS 49:8-10, WHERE JACOB ON HIS DEATHBED SPEAKS TO HIS 12 SONS AND ADDRESSES EACH ONE OF THEM.

*** AND TO HIS SON JUDAH HE SAID: “JUDAH, YOUR BROTHERS SHALL PRAISE YOU; YOUR HAND SHALL BE ON THE NECK OF YOUR ENEMIES; YOUR FATHER’S SONS SHALL BOW DOWN TO YOU.”

V. 9 – “JUDAH IS A LION’S WHELP; FROM THE PREY, MY SON, YOU HAVE GONE UP. HE COUCHES, HE LIES DOWN AS A LION, AND AS A LION, WHO DARES ROUSE HIM UP?”

V. 10 – “ THE SCEPTER SHALL NOT DEPART FROM JUDAH, NOR THE RULER’S STAFF FROM BETWEEN HIS FEET, UNTIL SHILOH COMES, AND TO HIM SHALL BE THE OBEDIENCE OF THE PEOPLES.”

**** NOW SHILOH HERE IS TALKING ABOUT CHRIST, MEANING THE ONE WHO IS PEACE, TRANQUILITY AND CHRIST’S LINEAGE GOES BACK TO THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, THE LION TRIBE.

4. AND JESUS AS A LION WILL DEFEAT AND DESTROY HIS ENEMIES, HE IS THE POWERFUL ONE WHO IS NOT THE KING OF THE BEASTS, BUT THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

* BUT THERE IS ANOTHER MESSIANIC TITLE HERE, THE ROOT OF DAVID. AND THIS MESSIANIC TITLE COMES FROM ISAIAH 11:1 & 10 WHICH SAYS:

ISAIAH 11:1 – “THEN A SHOOT WILL SPRING FROM THE STEM OF JESSE, AND A BRANCH FROM HIS ROOTS WILL BEAR FRUIT.”

ISAIAH 11:10 – “THEN IN THAT DAY 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.”

** NOW THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE ROOT OF KING DAVID DECLARES THAT HE IS FROM THE LINEAGE OF KING DAVID, WHO ALSO WAS FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH.

*** ROOT REFERS TO WHAT SOMETHING SPRINGS FROM AND HERE IT IS A TERM FOR OFFSPRING.

**** AND AS THE GENEALOGIES OF MATTHEW 1 AND LUKE 3 REVEAL, JESUS WAS A DESCENDENT OF DAVID BOTH ON HIS STEP-FATHER’S SIDE FOR HE HAD NO HUMAN PHYSICAL FATHER BEING BORN OF A VIRGIN, BUT ALSO JESUS WAS A DESCENDENT OF DAVID ON HIS MOTHER MARY’S SIDE.

5. BEYOND THAT IN ROMANS 1:3, PAUL SAID THAT JESUS WAS “BORN OF A DESCENDENT OF DAVID ACCORDING TO THE FLESH.”

* AND IN SCRIPTURE THE TERM “SON OF DAVID” IS A MESSIANIC TERM USED FREQUENTLY IN THE GOSPELS.

** AND BOTTOM LINE, JESUS IS THE WORTHY ONE TO TAKE THE SCROLL AND ITS SEVEN SEALS BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS.

*** THE RIGHTFUL KING FROM DAVID’S LOINS; WHAT HE IS, THE LION FROM JUDAH’S TRIBE WITH THE POWER TO DESTROY HIS ENEMIES; AND ALSO BECAUSE OF WHAT HE HAS DONE.

**** AND WHAT HAS HE DONE? THE ANSWER IS GIVEN IN V. 5, HE “HAS OVERCOME.”

6. AND THE WORD OVERCOME OR TRIUMPHED IN THE NIV AND PREVAILED IN THE KJV AND NKJV IS THE GREEK VERB NIKAO WHICH COMES FROM THE NOUN NIKE WHICH MEANS VICTORY.

* AND WHEN DID THE VICTORY TAKE PLACE; WHEN DID THE TRIUMPH TAKE PLACE? WHEN DID JESUS OVERCOME?

** WELL, AT THE CROSS HE DEFEATED SIN AND THROUGH HIS RESURRECTION HE DEFEATED DEATH, AND THROUGH HIS DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION HE DEFEATED ALL THE FORCES OF HELL.

AND AS I WRAP UP THINGS TODAY: (1) THERE CAN BE NO QUESTION THAT THE ONLY ONE WORTHY IN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE FITTED TO TAKE THE SCROLL AND OPEN ITS SEALS IS THE MIGHTY VICTOR OF CALVARY, OF THE CROSS, OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, THE ONE WHO IS THE LION AND WILL BE PRESENTED AS THE LAMB BEGINNING IN V. 6.

* HE IS THE VICTOR, THE TRIUMPHANT ONE, THE OVERCOMER.

** AND I MENTIONED THE WORD NIKE JUST A MOMENT AGO WHICH MEANS VICTORY.

*** AND WHAT IS THE SAYING OF THE NIKE COMPANY THAT THEY ADVERTISE TODAY?

**** JUST DO IT.

(2) AND THAT’S AN APPLICATION FOR US TODAY THAT ARE VICTORS, OVERCOMERS THROUGH CHRIST’S DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION.

* AND WHAT DO WE DO IN RESPONSE TO HIS VICTORY AND THAT HE IS THE WORTHY ONE?

** WE WORSHIP HIM, WE REVERENCE HIM, WE ADORE HIM, WE OBEY HIM, WE TELL OTHERS ABOUT HIM: WHY?

*** BECAUSE HE IS WORTHY. AND BELOVED, HIS WORTHINESS TO OPEN UP THE SCROLL AND THE SEALS, HIS WORTHINESS AS OUR REDEEMER AND SUSTAINER.

**** HIS WORTH AS OUR CREATOR AND SUSTAINER DRIVES US TO BOW, TO REVERENCE, TO AWE, TO HOMAGE AND TO BE LIVING SACRIFICES FOR HIM.

(3) AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS WE EXALT THE LORD’S NAME BECAUSE HE IS WORTHY.

* I CLOSE WITH A SONG WE SING HERE AT FAITH WHICH WE’LL CLOSE WITH IN A FEW MINUTES. IT SAYS:

** YOU ARE THE HOLY ONE, THE LORD MOST HIGH

YOU REIGN IN MAJESTY, YOU REIGN ON HIGH.

YOU ARE THE WORTHY ONE, LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN

YOU BOUGHT US WITH YOUR BLOOD AND WITH YOU WE’LL REIGN.

**** YOU ARE THE KING OF KINGS, THE LORD OF LORDS, ALL MEN WILL BOW TO YOU BEFORE YOUR THRONE.

***** WE EXALT YOUR NAME, HIGH AND MIGHTY ONE OF ISRAEL, WE EXALT YOUR NAME LEAD US ON TO WAR IN THE POWER OF YOUR NAME. WE EXALT YOUR NAME, THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES,

- OUR VICTORIOUS KING, WE EXALT YOUR NAME.