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Scripture Reading: Rev. 4—5
In the previous chapters we saw the past and the present in relation to Christ. In the past Christ was God’s plan, the goal of God’s plan, and the center of God’s creation and redemption. In the present Christ is the life of the believers and the content and reality of the church on the earth. However, Christ is not only in the present; He is also in the future. He is not only on the earth; He is also in the heavens. With respect to time, Christ is the center of the past, the present, and the future. With respect to space, He is on the earth and in the heavens, and He is the reality of everything on the earth and in the heavens. Hence, if we want our revelation and vision concerning Christ to be complete, we must see Christ in the heavens and Christ in the future.
Chapters 1 through 3 of Revelation concern Christ in the church, and chapters 4 and 5 reveal Christ in heaven. Some Bible readers think that chapters 4 and 5 refer to the future. However, if we read these two chapters carefully, we will see that they do not concern things in the future but things that took place in heaven after Christ ascended. If these two chapters were not in the Bible, we would not know the scene in heaven at Christ’s ascension. Through these two chapters the scene in heaven at Christ’s ascension is revealed and presented to us.
If we carefully examine chapters 4 and 5 concerning the revelation of Christ in heaven, we will see a special scene. A throne is set in heaven, and God, who rules the universe, is sitting on the throne (4:2). Around Him are twenty-four elders and four living creatures (vv. 4, 6). The four living creatures have no rest day and night, for they continually say, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God the Almighty, who was and who is and who is coming” (v. 8). When the four living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits upon the throne, the twenty-four elders fall before Him who sits upon the throne and worship and praise Him, saying, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, for You have created all things, and because of Your will they were, and were created” (vv. 9-11).
In chapter 5 there is a scroll that is sealed with seven seals in the hand of the One who sits upon the throne (v. 1). In verse 2 a strong angel proclaims with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” This scroll concerns the mystery of the universe. Who is worthy to open the mystery of the universe? The meaning of the universe, why it exists, where it is going, how it will evolve, and how it will end are a mystery, and this mystery is held in the hand of the Ruler of the universe, who is sitting on the universal throne. Who is worthy to open the mystery in the universe? This question was proclaimed in heaven, but no one in the whole universe could answer, because no one in heaven, on the earth, or under the earth was able to open the scroll (v. 3). When John saw this scene, he wept much (v. 4). It would have been truly lamentable if no one was found worthy to open the scroll and the mystery of the universe!
In verse 5 one of the elders said to John, “Do not weep,” because “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” was worthy to open the scroll. On the one hand, Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. This indicates that He is a descendant, the seed, of Judah. On the other hand, He is the Root of David. This indicates that He is the source of David. He is a man because He is a descendant of Judah, but He is also God because He is the Root of David. He is both God and man. Furthermore, He won the victory by overcoming sin, the world, and Satan on the cross. He resurrected from the dead, overcoming death and Hades, and He ascended to the throne of God by overcoming the power of darkness in the air. The Lion of the tribe of Judah overcame everything that opposes God, everything that is out of Satan, and even Satan himself. Therefore, He is worthy and qualified to open the mystery of the universe. He is the center of the universe and the key to the universe. He created the universe, and He redeemed the universe. He solved all God’s problems in the universe, and He accomplished God’s plan for the universe. He opened the mystery of the universe, and He solved the problem of the universe. Without Him the universe would be a lamentable tragedy, but with Him the universe is like a wonderful, joyful song.
After the angel introduced the victorious Lion of the tribe of Judah, who opened the mystery of the universe, John saw a Lamb standing “as having just been slain,” who was in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders (v. 6). This indicates three things.
First, the victorious Lion who opened the mystery of the universe is the slain Lamb who accomplished redemption. The angel introduced the Lion who had overcome, but John saw a Lamb standing as having just been slain. He is a Lion toward His enemy, but He is a Lamb toward His redeemed. In the eyes of the angelic elder He was a Lion, but John saw a Lamb, not a Lion. The angel spoke as an observer of the scene, but John watched as a redeemed one. To the angelic observer of the scene, the One who overcame all the enemies was a majestic Lion, but to the redeemed John, the Overcomer who had ascended to the height was a slain Lamb. His being slain is His victory. He was slain to redeem those who belong to Him, but He also was slain to overcome His enemy. To His enemy, He is victorious, but to those who belong to Him, He is slain. The slaying of this overcoming One is a special mark that qualifies Him to open the mystery of the universe so that the lamenting universe can become a place of joy.
Second, the phrase as having just been slain reveals two aspects of one fact. On the one hand, the scene that John saw in heaven took place after Christ had been slain. Hence, the scene refers to things taking place in heaven after Christ was slain, that is, after Christ resurrected and ascended to the heavens. The mystery of the universe in God’s hand was opened after Christ was slain, was resurrected, and had ascended to heaven. On the other hand, the death of Christ is ever new, and to His redeemed in eternity He will always be “as having just been slain.” Whenever we speak of the Lord’s death, we always sense its freshness, as if He has just been slain.
Third, the slain Lamb, the victorious Lion, is the center in heaven and the center of the universe. He stands in the midst of God’s throne, in the midst of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the twenty-four elders in heaven. The four living creatures represent creation, and the twenty-four elders represent the angels. The fact that the slain Lamb, the victorious Lion, stands in the midst of God’s throne, the four living creatures, and the elders indicates that the Lamb is the center of God’s administration, creation, and the angels in heaven and in the universe. The mystery in God’s hand depends on the Lamb, everything that creation expects depends on Him, and everything related to the angels also depends on Him. As the One who is God yet man, He was slain and has won the victory. He is the victorious Lion-Lamb. He overcame God’s enemy, redeemed God’s people, solved God’s problem, and accomplished God’s plan. He broke through Hades and ascended to the height. In the universe only He is worthy to open the mystery in God’s hand, and only He is worthy to be the center in heaven and the center of everything in the universe. Christ is God yet man, He is the slain and victorious Lion-Lamb, and He receives universal worship and praise in heaven (vv. 9-14).
When the Lamb took the scroll with the mystery of the universe from God’s hand and opened it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before Him and worshipped and sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain and have purchased for God by Your blood men out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made them a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign on the earth” (vv. 9-10). This song of praise is concerning the Lamb’s being slain, accomplishing redemption, and being worthy to open God’s mystery. Around the throne and the living creatures and the elders are ten thousands of ten thousands and thousands of thousands of angels (v. 11). These angels loudly praise the slain Lamb, saying, “Worthy is the Lamb who has been slain to receive the power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing” (v. 12). Then every creature in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, and on the sea and all things in them bless God who sits upon the throne and the Lamb who is the center of the universe, saying, “To Him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever” (v. 13).
There are two groups of creatures in the universe: the angels and all other creatures. Both groups of creatures are represented before God in heaven. The twenty-four elders represent the angels and were the first to be created in the universe. Because they are ancient and elderly, they are the elders in the universe. The four living creatures represent all the other creatures. The four living creatures are not only representatives but also leaders. If we study Revelation 4 and 5 carefully, we will realize that the twenty-four elders are not only representatives, but they also lead many angels in their worship and praise of the Lord. In addition, we will realize that the four living creatures are not only representatives, but they also lead all creation to bless the Lord. In chapter 4 only the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders worship and praise God, but in chapter 5 in addition to the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders, many angels and all creation worship and praise God and the Lamb. In chapter 4 only the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders are worshippers and praisers, and only God is being worshipped and praised. In chapter 5, however, the worshippers and praisers are increased to include many angels and all creation, and the One being worshipped and praised has also increased to include the Lamb who has been slain. It is not until the victorious, slain Lamb is in heaven as the center of the universe that the universal worship and praise of all things is fully realized. All things in the universe worship and praise God and the Lamb because Christ the Lamb has been slain, has overcome God’s enemy, has accomplished God’s plan, and has opened the mystery of God. The issue of Christ’s being slain and overcoming is that God is worshipped and praised by all things universally, and Christ is worshipped and praised together with God.
Revelation 4 and 5 show a picture of Christ in heaven. In heaven there is God’s throne, which represents the central government of the universe. Around the throne are twenty-four elders and four living creatures, around the elders and the living creatures are ten thousands of ten thousands and thousands of thousands of angels, and around the myriads of angels are all creation in heaven and on the earth. Christ is the center of this scene, and He receives universal worship and praise together with God. God’s purpose is for Christ to have the first place in all things and to be the center of all things. All the angels and every creature that is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, and in the sea and all things in them take Christ as their center and offer worship and praise before Christ to God. This is the scene in heaven when Christ ascended, and this is also the scene in heaven today. From Christ’s ascension to the day that He comes again, the scene in heaven is of Christ being the center of all things before God and together with God receiving the worship and praise of all things.
