Sunday LinkUp – May 4, 2025 – Revelation 5:11-14

SPECIAL MUSIC

SERMON

Worthy is the Lamb Who was Slain

Revelation 5:11–14  

Today, for the third Sunday of our Easter celebration, we will continue our journey through the Book of Revelation.  Last week we laid down some ground rules to help us get more out of our reading from this one-of-kind book.  Two of those ground rules will be helpful in today’s reading.  First, we were reminded last week that the central character of Revelation is Jesus, who is the slain and risen Lord who gained the victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil.  This will feature prominently in today’s selection.  Also, we were reminded last week that one of Revelation’s central themes is the secure and full salvation of the saints.  That too will be evident in our passage.

Last week we read chapter 1.  We jump ahead to chapter 5 for today’s reading.  It may be helpful to quickly summarize in order to set us up for today.  Otherwise, it may feel like we watched the opening scene of a movie and then stepped out to get some popcorn.

Here is some of what we missed: Last week, we were introduced to John, the author, and the seven churches, who were the recipients of John’s letter.  We learned that Jesus, the central character, “is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.”  We stopped before reading the seven letters to each of the seven churches.  We also missed a lot of apocalyptic language in describing the vision John was given about Jesus.  [Note: the term “apocalyptic” was explained in the sermon guide for April 27, but good practice would be to briefly explain it again each week of the series.]  After the reading of the letters to the seven churches we get a dramatic description of the throne room in heaven recorded in chapter 4.  Here we encounter some pretty crazy images that take our imagination on a wild ride.  We should visit some of these images as they set the stage for our reading today.

For starters, the vision is introduced with the picture of a “door standing open in heaven” and a voice like a trumpet speaking (Revelation 4:1).  Then we are given a magnificent description of one seated on a splendidly furnished throne that is surrounded by twenty-four additional thrones occupied by twenty-four elders adorned in priestly garments.  This is accompanied by “flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder” (Revelation 4:5).

And there is more.  Along with the twenty-four elders, we are shown four living creatures that resemble a lion, a bull, a human, and an eagle, each with six wings and “are full of eyes all around and within” (Revelation 4:6–8).   These four creatures are continually worshiping the One seated on the throne and “day and night they never cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come’”  (Revelation 4:8).  From here, there are a few more descriptions of the ongoing worship that is taking place continually in the throne room of heaven.

These images are influenced by or grounded in the Old Testament and go a long way in capturing what John is trying to convey.  But it would take us all day and then some to work through all that.  But what we can say clearly is that worship is the central activity taking place in heaven.  And it appears that this worship has been going on for all eternity.  So, John’s vision is giving us a sneak peek into a realm beyond our own.

Because of this we can see why John uses so much imagery to paint the picture.  There is no way to describe what is “literally” going on in heaven.  It is beyond our language and even our imagination.  But by engaging our imaginations,  we are brought into this transcendent reality that takes us beyond mere words.  All the images together force us to think beyond ourselves.  And this is very helpful in guarding us from conceiving of heaven in such a way that diminishes what God has in store for us.

For example, have you ever heard the quip that floating around in heaven on clouds playing harps forever sounds mighty boring?  Well, that would be true if we are thinking “literally.”  But floating on clouds and playing harps are images that are meant to convey something deeper than actual harps and clouds.  That is what John’s description does for us.  It is not merely trying to give a literal eyewitness description of what was observed but is attempting to engage us in such a way as to bring us into the very worship being described.   All the images and dramatic descriptions scoop us up into a realm that overwhelms us beyond our imagination.

Through John’s vision, we can come to understand that “worship” is what we are made for, and it is the pinnacle of human existence.  More to the point, we are made to see and know the Lord forever, without any hindrances.  As John records in his Gospel account, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3).  It seems that John is describing that “eternal life” by pushing human language to its breaking point.  We shouldn’t expect these descriptions to make complete sense.  They are not intended to.  They are intended to invite us into worship, into the very throne room of God where we encounter the One who alone is worthy of such worship.  This description in chapter 4 focuses on worship of the Father who is seated on the throne.

After this description, John draws our attention to Jesus by way of a scroll that is sealed and that no one can open.  This is a sad vision for John but then he records the words of one of the elders: “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.  He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals” (Revelation 5:5).  And with that John leads us further into the vision where Jesus is also the object of worship.

This vision includes the image of a “Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth” (Revelation 5:6).  That alone is a staggering and bewildering image to grapple with.  As this Lamb moves to take the scroll, the worship being offered to the Father is now given to the Lamb with a song that conveys confidence and assurance of the Lamb’s worthiness to open the scroll.  The worthiness of the Lamb is in some way connected to the fact that the Lamb’s sacrifice of blood has “purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

And that leads us to the portion of John’s Revelation that we have before us today.

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Revelation 5:11–12 NIV

Now that Jesus has been revealed as worthy to open the scroll, we find the circle of worship widen exponentially.  The vision will now include countless angels who form another ring around the encircled creatures and twenty-four elders.  So, we are invited to picture the throne being enveloped if you will by a series of concentric circles that are turned towards the throne in worship.  The first circle is made up of the twenty-four elders, the second circle is made up of the four animal-like creatures, and now the vision adds a circle of countless angels.  And the song the angels begin to sing echoes the song of the twenty-four elders and four creatures.  They are praising the slaughtered Lamb as worthy “to receive power, and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

Through this seven-fold expression of praise and worship, we are given some very good news about the reign of King Jesus.  First, he receives all these accolades.  He does not take them for himself.  Second, he is counted as worthy of receiving them.  That means, the Lamb has proven to be trustworthy with all that is given to him.  How often have we lamented the use of power in the hands of those who are not worthy of it?  What havoc has been wrought in our world by those who grasp at power and wealth only to use it for harm? How often has “wisdom” been used for evil, and strength to keep the weak down?  Have we not grown tired of giving “honor and glory and praise” to those who seek to set themselves on their own thrones in order to rule over us in tyranny and unrestrained control?

The good news is we now see in John’s vision that the days of such rulers are coming to an end.  Jesus is worthy to have all these things as he has proven to be the only one we can trust to have our good in mind.  He is the one who gave his life for us, spilled his blood to save us for himself.  His death means we can trust him with our life.  Praise God we have a Lord we can trust fully!

Notice how John will now let us see the circle of worship grow even wider on account of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” Revelation 5:13 NIV

Now that Jesus has been victorious as the conquering Lamb, all creatures have been set free to worship.  The vision displays that the Lord’s expansive and complete victory is for the entire cosmos.  There is no rock left unturned or dark corner untouched by the victorious light of Jesus’ work of salvation.  His creation and all creatures within are set free, redeemed, and invited into the throne room to worship.

Let’s have a word about worship to help clarify what it is we are being drawn into.  Worship is not something God needs as if he is on an ego trip.  Worship is the proper response of knowing who God is.  In a small way, we can think of worship as the natural response that comes from enjoying a majestic sunrise or sunset or some other natural wonder that captures our attention.  We are not “worshiping” in order to make something happen.  The enjoyment and “wow” moment of a beautiful waterfall for example, is produced by seeing and experiencing the waterfall.  So, when we think of worshiping God, we are really talking about seeing and knowing him for who he is without hindrance.  To see God is to worship him because he is that beautiful, that amazing and wonderful.

We will worship him for all eternity because we will never grow bored with who he is.  He will never cease to amaze us with his goodness.  Perhaps this is one of the things conveyed in the odd image of the four creatures who “are full of eyes all around and within” (Revelation 4:6).  That image conveys that there is nothing withheld from their sight.  There is no confusion within or without to whom they are in relation to — the One seated on the throne.  As a result, they are in full worship of the one they see.

What we see in Jesus’ victory is a salvation that frees us to know the Lord in the way God intended from the beginning.  Jesus has healed us of the blindness that comes from the darkness of sin.  He has removed all hindrances to seeing God for who he truly is in his heart and character.  That’s why Jesus is the Revelation of God.  It’s in Jesus that we can now fully see who God is as the one who is trustworthy and worthy of all worship.

Now we have another concentric ring added to the circle of worship.  Jesus and His Father, along with the Holy Spirit, are at the center of worship.  This is a life of worship that has been going on for all eternity, but now we, the redeemed creatures of the Lamb, are included in the circle of worship.  And let’s take note of our placement.  We are not the center, not even the inner circle.  Maybe we need that image included in John’s vision to keep us humble.  By grace, we are included in the circle, but that does not make us the center.  The center is always the triune God.  But that does not diminish our inclusion one bit.  John has a final word to conclude the vision of the throne room.

The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. Revelation 5:14 NIV

Notice that the inner ring says “Amen” to the words of worship being said by the outer ring, the redeemed creatures, and responds with further worship.  We are brought into the worship of God, not as spectators in the nose-bleed seats, but as real participants in the life of worship that has been going on for all eternity.  We are invited to make a real contribution in the divine life of heaven.  That is a marvelous truth that is hard to capture in mere words.  So, John invites us to engage our imaginations, to go beyond what our world offers today, and lean into the worship we will enter into fully upon Jesus’ return.

As we conclude this third Sunday of Easter worship, may we go forth seeking to know the Lord more and more, growing in our enjoyment and worship of him and his Father, who he reveals by the Spirit.  Worship does not have to end when we leave the sanctuary, for the Lord goes with us into this broken world, to continue his revelation to all.  As we go with him in our daily lives, may we also continue to know him and worship him and be a witness to him in all the dark corners of our world.  Knowing him is far greater than we could possibly imagine.  The more we come to know him, the more we will want others to come to see and know him as well.  Then they too can worship in the circle.

CLOSING SONG

Small Group Discussion Questions