Revelation 5:1-14
Preached Sunday Evening October 7, 2012
Introduction:
The apostle John was sure given a tremendous privilege when he was allowed to take a peek at some glorious events in heaven. The sights and sounds of what it is like before the throne of Almighty God almost surpass the boundaries of human comprehension. The brilliance of the celestial city and the beauty of that place will be a wonder to behold. All the beauty of the Earth and the universe only took Good six days to create. Jesus has been preparing a place for us over 2000 years!
Another wonder to explain in heaven is the thunder of musical praise. John recites his experience of Celestine Singing in our passage this morning. Heavenly beings fly about the throne of God crying out Holy, Holy, Holy! What a marvelous sound!
Revelation chapter five opens up with a dilemma. There was a book containing judgments to be revealed, but there was no creature worthy to open the book. Finally the elders, saved people, spoke of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God; it was he who was worthy to open the book.
After that the angels, tens of thousands of angels, Broke into singing; “Worthy is the lamb that was slain!” The angels sang Holy, Holy, Holy! They sang worthy is the lamb, but notice verse nine: there is a song the angels cannot sing. No angelic being will ever be have the privilege of singing “Since I have been redeemed!” If you are born again you can sing praises to God, songs that the angels cannot sing.
I. The angels sing Holy, Holy, Holy!
Revelation 4:8-9
8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
A. God is the prefect standard of holiness
Leviticus 20:26
26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.
Psalm 20:6
6 Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.
B. God deserves worship because of his holiness
Psalm 99:5
5 Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
C. God’s holiness poses Man’s sinfulness
Isaiah 6:1-5
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
1. Angels cover themselves
2. Angles cry Holy!
3. The sound causes the door frame to shake
4. Man’s reaction: “I am undone!”
II. Angels sing worthy is the Lamb!
Revelation 5:11-13
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
A. Give Jesus the credit he is due
1. Power = worship
John 5:23
23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
Revelation 5:1–5 (AV)
1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
2. Riches
Ephesians 3:8
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
3. Wisdom
Ephesians 3:10
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
4. Strength
Isaiah 26:4
4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
5. Honor
Hebrews 2:7,9
7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
6. Glory
Isaiah 42:8
8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
7. Blessing
1 Timothy 1:9-11
9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; 11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
III. The angels will never sing “I have been redeemed!”
Revelation 5:8-10
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
A. A new song belonging only to the redeemed
1. A story of conversion and deliverance
Psalm 40:1-3
1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
Psalm 144:9
9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.
Psalm 144:1
1 A Psalm of David.
1 Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
2. We are bought with a price!
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
B. “Thou wast slain”
1. Jesus, the Lamb of God
John 1:29
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
2. Tasted death for us
Hebrews 2:9
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
C. Redeemed us
1. Bought with Christ’s blood
Peter 1:18-19
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
2. Forgiveness of sins
Ephesians 1:7
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
3. Obtained this grace through faith alone
Romans 3:24-25
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;