Rev 5:1-6
The Book Is In His Hand
Several weeks ago, we saw a change in John’s outline.
Rev 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen,
and the things which are, and the things which
shall be hereafter;
In Revelation 1, John wrote the things he had seen.
In Revelation 2-3, John wrote the things that are.
Beginning in Revelation 4, John wrote the things that would be.
John was called up into heaven in Revelation 4:2. John represents
the church. Revelation 4:2 represents the rapture of the church.
From that point forward, what John saw is what the church will see.
What did John see as soon as he was taken off this earth? He saw God
sitting upon His throne. John stepped into the throne room of glory
and attempted to describe the things which no earthly eyes had ever
seen.
What John saw in those first few minutes will be like what he will
see through the entire vision—things difficult to understand. No
body knows for certain how much of what John saw was literally and how
much was symbolic or how much was both. All we can do is speculate
1. He saw God’s throne, literally oozing with power.
2. He saw the 24 elders which I think represent the saints of the
Old and New Covenants.
3. He saw a sea of glass which I believe speaks of the peace and
calm of heaven.
4. He saw the four beasts which I think are literal servants of
God.
5. He saw the seven lamps which I think represent the Holy
Spirit and His power to illuminate.
6. And He saw a figure of God whom John described as if He were
transparent colors of light.
7. And He saw an important activity which occurs quite often in
heaven, everyone praising and glorifying God.
Chapter 5 is a continuation of what John was seeing in chapter 4. He
was still in the throne room and his attention goes back to the One
sitting upon the throne—God. And then John saw something in God’s
hand.
Notice what happens.
I. \\#1\\ There is a book.
A. It is actually a scroll and a bit of information is given
about it.
1. It is written on the front and back.
a. Someone says, "That is a lot of writing!"
b. God has a lot to accomplish through this scroll.
c. The rest of this book is going to be about that book.
2. It had been sealed with seven seals.
a. Seals were used to legally close important documents.
b. The purpose was to keep prying eyes from reading
it until it was time.
c. That indicates that this book had been written some
time ago but God was holding it back for a particular
time.
d. What has God been waiting for? My belief is that God
had been waiting for the rapture which occurred in
Revelation 4:2.
1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath,
but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus
Christ,
e. Many of our Bibles have seven raised ribbons across
their spines. These raised areas represent the
seven seals of the book of Revelation.
3. This book was in His right and of the One sitting upon the
throne - God the Father.
a. That is the hand that indicates action is immediate.
b. Preachers have been telling the world for centuries
that God is a holy God who will judge sin.
c. This book comes from that God’s hand and it will
prove the point.
B. This is a book of judgment on the whole earth. It is the book
which contains the end time judgments.
1. Each seal that is opened will unleash a judgment.
2. There are seven seals but the last one opens a new round
of seven judgments called trumpets.
3. The last trumpet will open a new round of seven judgments
called bowls.
4. That makes a total 19 judgments.
5. However, there are also seven thunders which will sound
and we are not told what will happen when those thunders
sound but I think it is likely that they will also be
judgments, making a total of 26.
C. Friend, you do NOT want to be on this earth when these
judgments begin.
II. \\#2-6\\ There is a problem.
A. Who is going to open this book?
1. We know it is a book of judgment.
2. No one with sin can open it. Then who?
B. \\#3\\ A search is made on the earth, under the earth (hell),
and above the earth (heaven) and no man was worthy to open
it.
1. They were looking for a man worthy to open the book.
a. Those are the three locations that a man might be.
b. No one was found worthy.
2. That is a reminder that every human being ever born is a
sinner.
3. We are not worthy to open the book because we are the
objects of the book’s wrath!
C. \\#4\\ John begins to weep. "He wept much!"
1. Why was John weeping? Was he looking forward to the
judgment of God?
2. No. He was weeping because unless that book gets opened,
mankind will continue its sinful plight into sin, death,
sorrow, and despair.
3. Sin does not make this world a better place. It makes it
a world of pain and death.
D. \\#5-6\\ But then John stops looking at the earth and starts
looking at the throne!
1. \\#6\\ There, coming out of the throne, he sees a Lamb
(capital "L," meaning it is Jesus!)
a. "coming out of the throne" means this Lamb is not of
the earth or man.
b. This Lamb is divine. He is God!
2. As if He had been slain—because He had but He is alive
evermore.
3. He has seven hours and seven eyes.
a. Seven is the number of completion or perfection.
b. A horn is the symbol of power. Seven means that this
Lamb has perfect or complete power. He is the all
powerful One.
c. The eyes means the ability to see or to know. It is
associated with the Spirit (capital "S," to refer to
the Holy Spirit) because Jesus is now confined to a
glorified body—just like the ones we will have. He
knows all things because of the Holy Spirit.
4. \\#5\\ The elder called the Lamb, "the Lion of the tribe
of Judah."
a. He may look like a Lamb but He is coming out like a
Lion!
(1) Jesus is coming out of the closet! He has been
meek and lowly long enough. When the book is
brought out, He will come out roaring!
(2) Notice the elder. They seem to have two tasks.
(a) They are going to lead in worship.
(b) From time to time, they are going to reveal
truth.
(c) These elders are pictures of the saints,
both the Old and the New Covenant saints.
(d) What they are doing is what we should be
doing.
i. Not just worshipping but leading others
in worship.
ii. Pointing others to the truth. THIS
truth that the Lion is about to roar
and all other truths that are
contained in the Bible.
b. He is also called "the root of David."
(1) The root is not the product of the tree but the
source of the tree. He did not say the "branch"
but the "root."
(2) This is the One who brought forth David. Indeed,
He is the One who brought forth Abraham and the
whole Israeli nation.
(3) Here Jesus associates Himself with Israel. You
cannot hate Israel and love Jesus. God has tied
the two together.
(4) The focus of the book of Revelation changed at
Revelation 4:2.
(a) Prior to Revelation 4:2, the focus was on
the church.
i. The word "church" was used 18 times in
chapters 1-3.
ii. The only time it is used after Rev 4:2,
is \\#Rev 22:16\\ when John has
finished the vision and charges the
churches to believe this book.
(b) After Rev 4:2, the focus becomes Israel.
Israel is the nation around which the end-
time events will happen.
c. We are told that the Lamb is going to open the seven-
sealed book.
E. \\#7-14\\ Tears Are Turned to Joy
1. That which was at the first a sorrow turned to a delight
and that which brought tears brought praise.
2. What changed?
a. They quit looking away from the throne for their
solutions and looked to the throne.
b. They quit looking at the earth and started looking
toward the heavens.
c. They quit looking at the creature and started looking
at the Creator.
3. Friend, if you want to stop weeping and start rejoicing,
start looking to God!
4. I do not say that there will be no more tears but I
will say that God will not send a tear without also
sending a blessing!
III. Notice A Possible Pause
A. Most of my ministry, I have thought that AS SOON AS the
rapture takes the place, the tribulation would begin.
1. I no longer think that those two events MUST happen at the
same time.
2. Neither do I necessarily think that the forced signing of
a treaty with Israel and others must mean the tribulation
has begun.
B. \\#Dan 9:25-27\\ give us the "time" details about Jesus’
coming, His death, and the tribulation. This morning, I am
only interested in one statement found there.
Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks
shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:
and the people of the prince that shall come
shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and
the end thereof shall be with a flood, and
unto the end of the war desolations are
determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many
for one week: and in the midst of the week he
shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to
cease, and for the overspreading of
abominations he shall make it desolate, even
until the consummation, and that determined
shall be poured upon the desolate.
C. The beginning of the seven year tribulation will be at the
confirmation of the covenant or treaty.
1. There is going to be a covenant that will last one week
(seven units).
2. This treaty will offer Israel both a carrot and a stick.
a. I think the carrot will be that Israel can build its
temple.
b. I think the stick is that Israel will have to give
away more land.
3. The beginning of the one week is when this treaty is
"confirmed."
a. The word confirmed means strengthened, forced, made
great or mighty.
b. It may be that this treaty will be signed and enforced
on the same day, but it may be that there will be
gap between the two.
c. Many treaties today are gradually enforced over time.
d. So that it is possible that this treaty might be
signed several weeks, months, or even years before it
is enforced.
e. The rapture of the church is a totally separate event.
f. The rapture could happen before the treaty is signed
or after it is signed and before it is enforced.
g. The only Biblical stipulation I can see between the
rapture of the church and the enforcement of this
covenant is that the rapture will happen FIRST,
whether by seconds or by months we cannot say.
h. Personally, I do not think the time between the
rapture and the confirmation will be a long period of
time, but I do see a gap in Revelation between
Revelation 4:2 and Revelation 6:1, what I take to be
the actually beginning of the tribulation.
D. Why should any of this concern us?
1. Because our President is determined to force Israel into
just such a treaty!
2. He is determined to do two things:
a. To empower the Muslim nations.
b. To weaken Israel and force them to give up their land.
3. He might succeed but even if he fails, he has built the
framework for such a treaty to be made.
a. I can not tell you that the rapture will happen soon
but I will tell you that the stage is set!
b. The rapture could happen soon.
c. But God could also tear down this stage and build
another later.
d. You had better get ready!
I think the book is in God’s hand. He is about to start looking for
someone to open it!
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