CHRIST – ABLE AND WORTHY
John Laurie
Revelation 5: 1-14
I have a very clear exercise before me, beloved brethren, which I seek the help of the Spirit of God to fill out, and that is to magnify Christ in the affections of the saints. This chapter which I have read is like a remarkable shaft of light, shining forth before the execution of the many solemn, serious and sad judgments that follow thereafter, but we have opportunity, as gathered here at this time, to be occupied with the Lord Jesus and His surpassing glories. His glories are infinite. It must be so because of the greatness of His Person, but He has very many glories. Some of them will yet shine out in greater lustre, and there are two particular glories I may be helped to emphasise in the course of the time together, but He has many, many glories. He is unsurpassed in His greatness. There is no one to be compared with our blessed Saviour. May we love Him more! I would be glad to think that the Lord might use this further time together to strengthen our own affections towards Him, and the affection in the hearts of all here, that there might be a greater response in living energy to Himself, the blessed Source of life. No one need be disappointed thinking they have missed the opportunity for this marvellous celebration; it is yet to come. We are told at the end of chapter 4: 1, “I will shew thee the things which must take place after these things”, and immediately after that John was “in the Spirit”, and beheld a throne (v 2), and then these many things began to proceed, the start of which we have read here.
“And I saw on the right hand of him that sat upon the throne a book”. I might just add to make it clear that it is God who sits upon the throne. Some might be interested to note a footnote which indicates that the Person sitting on the throne or ‘the sitter’ (note ‘g’) almost constitutes a divine title, such is the majesty of the One who occupies the throne. But He had “a book, written within and on the back” - how comprehensive in its requirements! - “sealed with seven seals”. Some of us have been enjoying looking at some of these passages in Revelation recently locally in Brechin and we were feeling that, amongst other things, it indicates that nothing could be taken from it - it was sealed - and nothing could be added to it - it was written on the back. It was complete and then sealed, “sealed with seven seals”.
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?” You might wonder why I am seeking to speak of something that in reality has yet to take place. Why should it be of importance for the saints as gathered at this very moment? Well, I think it is because the saints of the assembly have to be brought into a full understanding of the wonderful greatness of the Lord Jesus. We are not waiting for that to be fulfilled after the rapture. This is something that is proceeding now and is intended to prompt present response in the assembly. There will be wonderful response in this day that is referred to here and others will be gathered to participate in it, including the angels and the multitude of creatures, but now is the time when there is already response proceeding in the way of affection to the Lord Jesus, and I trust it will be promoted by a further consideration of His many glories. There is glory to God in the assembly now as there will be throughout all eternity. How marvellous! What a wonderful vessel is being formed, the wealth of divine workmanship that also will yet come out into glorious display, “the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God, having the glory of God”, Rev 21: 10. That is not an allusion to Deity; it is an allusion to the excellence of divine workmanship in expression that will be a witness to what has been wrought and formed even now, one would trust, even at this very hour when we are sitting together here, by way of the increase of the wealth yet to come out.
But there is a great question raised here. Angels in the book of Revelation do not proceed characteristically as independent creatures. They proceed in service and with instruction from the throne, and this strong angel raises the question, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to break its seals?”. And it says, “And no one was able in the heaven, or upon the earth, or underneath the earth, to open the book nor to regard it”. I am not aware that there has ever been such an extensive search as will take place at this juncture. I suppose the children here sometimes search for things and may have to say, ‘I cannot find it anywhere’. Well, that might just be in the very limited circumstances where you might have been looking or where any of us may look, but there has never been a search like this and never again will be thereafter, throughout heaven, earth, underneath the earth, looking for someone able and worthy. These are the two glories I intend further focusing upon.
The Lord is able; He is able for everything. There is not a thing that can overwhelm Him. Have we got exercises still in our various localities that we are seeking help to work out? Have we got exercises in our homes? Have we got personal exercises? There is nothing that can overwhelm the Lord. I love to say with perfect assurance, He is able; He is able for everything. I have to speak guardedly about others, and there are very many I greatly appreciate among the saints, but I have to speak consciously and guardedly about all because there is no one of whom I can say completely, as I feel free to do about the Lord, able for everything, able for anything. How great He is! How worthy He is! Does He not hold your affections, beloved brother, beloved sister? It is intended that He should fill and flood the hearts of every one of us. It is marvellous to think that, although John for the moment was deeply disturbed, the answer was later found. It says, “I wept much because no one had been found worthy to open the book nor to regard it”. Think of that expression! I take that to mean that no one had been found able or worthy to even begin to think about it or begin to consider what could be done about it. It was beyond anyone else other than the One who was identified; He alone is able to fill out the full requirements of the completion of the ways and will of God.
But John wept much. That was not because of being unintelligent. I take it that it was because he is representative of one who carried, through exercise and with a feeling heart, concern about all that was due to God and required by God. Are we like that? Do you have an interest in regard of what is precious to the heart of the Lord Jesus locally? Do you have a care and an interest to seek to preserve what is pleasing to the Lord in your family and household? Heads of houses need always to be exercised about these things, and wives sympathetically supportive. The children, as brought up in “the discipline and admonition of the Lord” (Eph 6: 4), we would trust, would be helped to become respectful and appreciative of these things as well. John wept much because he had concern and felt there was a true need of an answer to this question raised by the angel proceeding from the throne.
But then it says, “And one of the elders says to me, Do not weep”. Well, that was not a rebuke for John. It was a comforting word, intelligently given by an elder representing the experience that had been gained and the knowledge acquired among the saints at the present time. Are we growing in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus and of His wondrous ability and worth? I judge that is what the elder represents, one who apparently had the advantage of having gained experience and knowledge of the work and ability of the Lord Jesus and was on that account able to give John a comforting answer. “Do not weep. Behold, the lion which is of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, has overcome so as to open the book, and its seven seals”. What a wonderful answer, given with confidence concerning One able and One worthy to fill out all that has yet to be accomplished according to the completion of the ways of God. Only One is able to do that, One who had and has a perfect understanding of the totality of the will of God, the Lord Jesus Himself who came here to do the will of God. All that God required of Him was met and answered to by Him. He could say when addressing His Father, “I have completed the work that thou gavest me that I should do it”, John 17: 4. He glorified God on the earth but now, according to the account given here, the time was arriving for the completion of God’s ways on the earth. We are yet awaiting that. There is an interesting thought that I was looking at before the meeting concerning Judah. It says in Genesis 49,
The sceptre will not depart from Judah,
Nor the lawgiver from between his feet,
Until Shiloh come,
And to him will be the obedience of peoples, v 10.
That will have its answer in the Lord Jesus, “the lion which is of the tribe of Juda”. He will be the One who will finally establish peace following the execution of the necessary judgments of God upon an evil world. He will be the One who will ensure that there will be conditions, through the subduing of the nations, that will make way for righteousness and peace to prevail on the earth. Are we not looking forward to the world to come? I am sure many of us feel saddened as we think at times of the things that exist all around us in the present world. How marvellous will be the world to come! The saints of the assembly, of course, will be with Christ and coming with Him in all His glory when He appears, but then He, as the Lawgiver and the King and the Ruler, will establish conditions on the earth that will bring about an evident reconciliation between heaven and earth. Things are not publicly reconciled at the moment between heaven and earth. What is proceeding in the world is entirely out of accord in growing measure with the mind of God in heaven, but One is able and worthy to fill this out.
“And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as slain”. It is the Lord Jesus who is referred to, the Lamb:
Who would hush the heav’n-sent story
Of the Lamb who came to die? (Hymn 371)
May we become more fervent in the outpouring of praise to the One who has so loved us, and to whom through grace we have been drawn; and who has, one would trust, become the Object of every heart here! May we all be lovers of the Lord Jesus and in greater measure! “A Lamb standing, as slain”! He lives, but He was seen as the One who had suffered and died, “standing, as slain”, an evidence of His wonderful, surpassing, suffering love. You might ask what then is the connection with “a Lamb standing, as slain” and a lion? Is a lion not a figurative expression of a mighty, strong animal? What is the connection with a diminutive Lamb seen “standing, as slain”? Well, it just shows the wonderful way that God’s will has been accomplished by Him who came to die and who death by dying slew! It seemed to men weakness and defeat, but indeed He gained the victory and has secured the answer for God’s glory for time and eternity as well as establishing the necessary provision for the blessing of our souls through marvellous mercy. As I speak, I trust the Spirit of God will help me to speak in such a way that our hearts will become enlivened even when we are pondering over and contemplating His glory now as together. How great He is, the Lamb, the One who suffered, the One who has gained His bride, the Lamb’s wife! He will have an answer in the sufferings of the saints too that will answer in some way to the longings of His own heart.
“Having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God”: these are figurative expressions that convey the mighty power that is His. “Seven horns”: what strength He possesses! I say again, He is able for everything and He is worthy, worthy to fill out everything to God’s eternal glory, “able” and “worthy”. Think of these two expressions! If you remember nothing else from this time, I would appreciate if all, even to the younger children, can bear in mind that Jesus is able and He is worthy. How good to go away with a sense of the One who is able and worthy! Men are looking for people and persons, and maybe a single person, able in some way to resolve things, but who could define who is worthy? The answer is in Christ alone. You can search heaven; you can search the earth; you can search underneath the earth; you can try politicians; you can try emperors; you can try what you like; there is only one answer. It is Christ Himself in all His surpassing glory. “Seven horns and seven eyes”: think of the Lord seeing everything and taking account of everything, and yet He is the One who loves us! It is marvellous to think that the One who knows all about me, including all my failures and weaknesses and even things that I might never wish anyone else to ever know about or see, He knows and sees! It makes me love Him on that account. I have confidence to speak to the Lord about anything. He knows it all in any case, but He loves when we draw near to commune with Himself and to enjoy the intimacy of His love.
It also says then, “which are the seven Spirits of God which are sent into all the earth”, “the seven Spirits of God”. I was connecting that in my mind recently with an interesting reference in Isaiah 11, “and the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah”, v 2. There is a list of seven. How great He is!
“And it came and took it out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne”. I love going over these words, beloved brethren. That was not presumption on His part; it was an evidence of the competency of the Lamb to take up all that was needed on God’s behalf. How glorious He is, able to fill out everything in finality in view of the eternal state of blessedness when God shall tabernacle with men (chap 21: 3), not a single element of intrusion ever left to remain and cause disruption in order that God might find a full answer in a living system of things. We have been engaged with what is living: it will characterise eternity. The last enemy, death, will be gone as well. What a living system of things will subsist throughout eternity for the praise and glory of God!
“And when it took the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb”, these intelligent persons and these experienced persons, I have no doubt again it is some witness to the accumulation of the work of God among the saints merging in the appellation of the worthiness of the Lamb, “having each a harp and golden bowls full of incenses, which are the prayers of the saints”. I would think that is an allusion to the prayers of the saints that might still at that juncture be on the earth, not those who belong to the heavenly family to which we are privileged to belong. These are persons with sympathetic interest in relation to what is going up before God in prayer. They are able then to “sing a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open its seals” and so on, persons able to sing with affection and intelligence to the Lamb in all the freshness that a new song would speak of, persons who have known the blessedness of redemption and its fruitful answer to God “out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation”, and so on.
It is not the privilege of the angels to sing of the blessedness of redemption. They have not had the experience of redemption: that belongs to the saints. The angels are not said to merge in the song sung at this juncture. They have their part shortly, but this is the special portion of the saints singing with intelligence and particular affection to the Saviour in a time of His wonderful, redeeming love, and its glorious answer, “out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and made them to our God kings and priests”. Oh how blessed when you think of those secured and able to take up priestly function in response Godward. We have been engaged over these recent readings thinking of life according to God. There is some evidence of it in activity in this chapter in Revelation surely, life finding its expression in priestly response from intelligent persons as it goes up to God and to the Lamb.
And then there is this vast multitude around the throne, angels, living creatures and elders “and their number was ten thousands of ten thousands and thousands of thousands”. I might just say to younger people here, who might be curious in some way about this vast number, you cannot take up a calculator and work it out because it is an indefinite number. It is not a specified number; it is an indefinite number given to convey the surpassing immensity of the answer there will be for God in the multitude of the hosts praising Him out of all the families, especially the saints of the assembly. But what an accumulation of wealth God will have in answer to His glory, vast numbers, “every creature which is in the heaven and upon the earth and under the earth”! What a worthy answer secured! “Worthy is the Lamb that has been slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing”. Count up the number of these expressions as well and you will see how interesting the fulness of them is represented in it! How blessed the answer! How worthy the Lamb is! I might be allowed to repeat again He is able and worthy. Let us cling with confidence to the Lord who so loves us! He is able to help us in everything that may yet be needed to the end of the dispensation until He comes for us.
Do you feel perplexed and wonder about the terrible upheaval in various parts of the world at the present time, and rising disturbance in the Middle East? Sad as that is, and, indeed, a matter that should no doubt concern us and cause us to be prayerful before God, may I say, Look up! Occupy your heart with Jesus who is able and worthy to bring all to conclusion! Things are not ever going to be out of control by the One who “sits upon the throne”. God has committed everything with confidence into the hands of a blessed Man who in His Person is “the root of David”. That is an allusion to His Deity, but as Man He is able to take up and discharge everything for God as He is in love for His own able to help us through. He is able and is worthy. May we not be falling short in the acclamation of His worth at the present time! It is our privilege now. We do not wait until the time to come. We will have our part in it then as well. I have confidence that we will share in the expressions of worthiness: “To him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb” on account of all that has been secured through redemption in a coming day as well, but it is our privilege now. May we not fall short in response to the Lamb, who has so suffered and rescued us from loss ourselves, and brought us to Himself in order that we might be available in priestly function to His God and Father, and answer with joy as those who belong to the assembly, and to Himself as forming part of His wonderful bride!
Well, I feel I have not more to say except just to add that the living creatures said, “Amen”. I take it that is signifying that these creatures with intelligence given of God see the rightness of such an acclamation of worth and join in saying, “Amen”. In other words you can understand, and we would say, ‘So let it be’. And then it says, “and the elders fell down and did homage”. May our hearts too be bound together in response and worthy praise to the Lord Jesus in view of His glory!
Edinburgh
21st October 2023