Thursday, April 19, 2007

Third Pass at This Weekend's Bible Lesson: Revelation 5:11-14

[You can find the first two passes at the lesson here and here. The first link will explain what these posts are about.]

Verse-by-Verse Comments
11Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,
(1) It's typical of apocalyptic literature to speak of looking, then hearing.

(2) The throne of God is surrounded by the praises of thousands. The thousands mentioned here have already been mentioned in Revelation 4:10. There, they cast down their crowns before God. No matter what respect or honor others may accord angels or us, we all must bow to God!

(3) Daniel 7:10 also portrays thousands serving and bowing before God.

(4) In Greek, a myriad is ten-thousand. Clearly, John sees thousands joining in with praises of God.

12singing with full voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
(1) Here, the myriads offer a sevenfold hymn of praise to the Lamb, Who gave up His life so that all who repent and believe in Christ may live. (See here.)

(2) From corporate worship on earth, John sees a vision of worship in heaven. There is a connection between the worship we offer here and the worship offered in heaven.

(3) Our term worship comes from a compound of old English words. In worth-ship, we declare the worthiness of God to be given all honor and praise.

(4) Seven was the Hebrew word symbolizing completeness. Creation, according to Genesis 1, was completed in one week and on the seventh day, God declared His work "very good" (in the Hebrew: tov tov). Total praise in response to God's completeness and perfection is being offered here.

(5) Ironically, in a Roman culture that valued violence, power, and wealth, glory was being ascribed to one whose road to eternity was marked by self-sacrifice, service, and poverty.

13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
(1) The Lamb is accorded the same honor as the Father, indicating His oneness with Him.

14And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
(1) Amen means Yes! or Let it be! It's a word of affirmation for whatever confession, conviction, or prayer has preceded it.

(2) The four living creatures are mentioned in Revelation 4:6-9.

Finally: Richard L. Jeske says, plausibly I think, that the hymn of redemption found in Revelation 5:9-10, capped by a doxology--a word of glory to God--in Revelation 5:12-14, should be seen as a companion to the hymn of creation in Revelation 4:11. Writes Jeske:
The Lamb who was slain is the only one worthy to open the scroll that is held in God's right hand (5:1). In other words, the cross of Christ is the means for interpreting our past, present, and future. Through Christ crucified we are able to understand the fallen, hostil world, and in him we see it redeemed (5:9-10).

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