Revelation 5 – The Glory of the Risen Lamb

 

You can watch the Bible study based on this study on Monday nights from 8PM to 9PM, AEST, on this channel here.  

Tonight, we are looking at Revelation 5, it is important to remember with this book, perhaps more than others, that the chapter divisions were not put in there by John, but over a thousand years later[1], so the chapter divisions are to some degree arbitrary. Revelation 4 and 5 are really one act, or scene, and the rest of the book of Revelation unfolds what happens in this scene with the opening of the scrolls.

Revelation 4 takes us into the throne room of God, and chapter 5 takes us further through what is happening in this throne room. We will discuss this in the study, but note that it is not correct to ask exactly when this event happened, because it is happening in heaven, outside of time, and gives us a window into the authority of the Father and the Son to redeem his people, but we will come back to that.

Revelation 5 is a pivotal chapter in the Book of Revelation, offering profound insights into the heavenly realm and the unfolding of God's divine plan. This chapter is a continuation of the vision that the Apostle John received while exiled on the island of Patmos. It presents a vivid and symbolic depiction of events that are both awe-inspiring and deeply significant for understanding the ultimate triumph of good over evil. I think once we have finished going through this chapter you will see that the imagery of Revelation is not as scary as it can appear at times.

Here is some general historical information and Biblical information before we look into the passage. The scroll in this chapter has seven seals, a legal will in the Roman Empire at the time of John also had seven seals, because it was signed and sealed by seven witnesses.

Here are some passages also which will be useful in understanding this passage:

·       Regarding the imagery of the horn look at Deuteronomy 33:17, Numbers 23:22, Psalm 92:10, 2 Samuel 22:3, Jeremiah 48:25

·       Note 1 Peter 1:18-21 and compare it with Revelation 5:9-14

·       In Daniel 12:4, 9 the contents of the seals were closed up until the end of time. Here they are unsealed.

·       Note that John’s imagery is heavily reliant on the Old Testament, this is consistent throughout Revelation, and I cannot stress it enough.

 

1.     Just to recap, what was the overall theme or teaching or Revelation 4?

 

2.     What significant teaching in chapters 1-3 relates to Revelations 4 and 5?

 

3.     Why do you think verse one stresses that the one seated on the throne held the scroll in his right hand? Why seven seals?

 

4.     Read verses 2-3, isn’t it interesting that John mentions that a strong angel asked if anyone could open it, and no one could?

 

 

5.     Why would John weep loudly because he thought no one could open it?

 

 

6.     What did the lion of Judah overcome?

 

 

7.     Is there any significance to calling Jesus the “root of Jesse”? What does root mean?

 

 

8.     Verse 6 makes it very clear that John is still in the same place as he was in heaven in chapter four. I want to ask this question: why do you think John is told about the root of Jesse, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and then he looks and sees a dead lamb?

 

9.     Verses 7-14 are extremely significant for your Christology, that is a theology Jesus Christ and his work. How is Jesus able to take the scroll from the hand of the one holding it? What is the response of those in heaven? Why is this response significant?

 

 

10.  According to verse ten what is our future on earth?

 

11.  So what is the overall theme of this passage?

 

 

12.  Putting Revelation 4 and 5 together what is the overall teaching of these two passages?

 

13.  Why all the emphasis on the Father and the Son and not on the Holy Spirit? (John 15:26-27).

 

 

14.  Is there anything which you do not understand in this chapter so far?

 

15.  How do chapters 4 and 5 influence how we interpret the rest of Revelation?

 

List of References

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[1] The chapter divisions in the Bible were introduced in the early 13th century by Stephen Langton, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1207 to 1228. He added these divisions to the Latin Vulgate, which was the dominant version of the Bible at that time. These chapter divisions were later transferred to the Hebrew Bible. Before this, some form of chapter divisions existed in manuscripts dating back to the fourth century. However, the chapter divisions as we know them today were standardized by Langton's work.

The verse divisions were added later, in 1551, by Robert Estienne (also known as Stephanus) in his fourth edition of the Greek New Testament 2. The first translation to use these verse divisions was the Geneva Bible in 1557 for the New Testament and in 1560 for the entire Bible 2.