The Lion and the Lamb

The Lion became a Lamb, and not just any Lamb, but a Lamb “standing as if it had been slaughtered. *

But it is this Lamb who is the only one, the only one, in heaven, on earth, or under the earth who is worthy to take the scroll from the right hand of the One on the throne in the throne room of heaven.

What is John telling us with this imagery? If we’re looking at a stage setting for a drama, what do we see? If we’re painting a picture in our minds canvas, what do we see?

The Lamb, “standing as if it had been slain,” is Jesus of Nazareth, the one John the Baptist declared to be “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” This Lamb appeared as if it had been slain because Jesus was executed by crucifixion, but was raised and is alive—“I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever…” (Revelation 1:18)

Whenever we are given the image of the risen Christ with a weapon, it is a two-edged sword that is coming from his mouth. It is the word of the Lord that has the real power. We humans have devised all manner of weapons to kill one another, and we do so every day—knives, swords, guns, bombs, artillery, tanks, drones, cluster bombs, nuclear bombs—we humans know how to kill, and we practice killing every day. It is, we believe, these weapons of great power and destruction, these weapons of shock and awe, that make us powerful. And yet, history proves, nations with the most powerful weapons have been defeated, their armies surrendered, their powerful weapons destroyed.

In 1939, 40, and 41 the German army looked as if it could not be defeated. Their tanks rolled over one nation in Europe and Africa after another. The planes of the Luftwaffe bombed at will, and the London “blitz” which began September 7, 1940 saw plane after plane drop bombs on the great city one day after another. But by April, 1945, the German army was in tatters, and the few planes of the Luftwaffe sat quiet and still on the tarmac.

Meanwhile, in the Pacific, the army of the Empire of Japan was taking island after island, nation after nation with its powerful army and navy. The Japanese became so confident in their air force and navy that by December, 1941 they were ready to take on the biggest prize of all—the United States of America.

There were those then, as there are those now, who believed the United States should remain isolated and have no part in these wars in Europe or in the Pacific. What these “America First” isolationist failed to recognize then, and are failing to recognize now, is those with dreams of world conquest don’t stop, won’t stop, until they are defeated.

December 7, 1941, the Imperial Air Force of Japan dropped bombs on Pearl Harbor, and shook the world, opened the eyes of the isolationist, and, to use the words of the Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto—who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor—“I fear all we’ve done is to awaken a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve.” The Admiral’s words proved prophetic.

One can reach back in history and find many examples of great and powerful armies that were ultimately defeated. Worldly power is just that, worldly power, and like all things in this world it is bound by time and space, and ultimately will come to an end; either by being defeated by a more powerful force, or by decay from within.

It is this Lamb who “stands as if it had been slaughtered” that is worthy to take the scroll that contains the revelation of the ultimate defeat of evil, and the victory of God’s justice. What we see unraveling before us today is not the end of the story of human history. The violence of today will ultimately give way to the peace of tomorrow—but not yet. As John saw in his great vision (Revelation) there are many things that must take place before the sound of God’s trumpet announces, Enough! No more! As we live in this world where there is always some chaos and confusion, violence and wars, heartbreak and pain, it’s difficult to see how God will bring it to a righteous and just ending, but it will happen. The Lamb with the scroll will see that it happens. Ultimate power lies in the word of the Lord.

Many a haughty person who publicly or privately laughed at God has been brought low and faced their day; for there is always a pay day some day. As we will see in The Revelation, God’s justice will be served—the scroll, now in the hands of the Lamb, the Lamb who was slaughtered by the powers of this world, will reveal it.

In John’s vision, he describes for us the prayers of those who face the troubles of today, and his words to us come through the imagery of the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures who are before and around the throne of God. When the Lamb had taken the scroll form the right hand of the One seated on the throne, “the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Your prayers are precious. Your prayers are so precious they are, in John’s vision, placed in golden bowls and compared to sweet smelling incense. (We’re always wanting answers to our prayers on our time schedule, but the One before whom our prayers are presented is not bound by time or space. But the Revelation given to John assures us our prayers are precious to God; why else would John see the vision of our prayers in golden bowls? We must not forget the message in the Revelation is always for us to endure, hang on, keep on keeping on; for even in the face of great evil we must trust the contents of the scroll—God’s justice will be done.)

The promises of God bring a “new song” to the voices of those who continually praise him;

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,

for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God

saints from every tribe and language and people and nation;

you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God,

and they will reign on earth.”

Only the Lamb is worthy to open the scroll.

The Lamb is worthy because he gave his life, shed his blood, for our sin.

The “our” includes people from all over the world, not just people like us.

Even now we—“from every tribe and language and people and nation—are a part of a great kingdom—the kingdom of God.

Furthermore, we are priests in the kingdom of God serving our God.

Ultimately, the kingdom of God will be the only kingdom.

But not now, not yet. The scroll has to be unsealed and its contents revealed.

For those who believe, the scroll will reveal great hope…

“I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

‘See, the home of God is among mortals.

He will dwell with them;

they will be his people,

and God himself will be with them;

he will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more;

mourning and crying and pain will be no more,

for the first things have past away.’” (Revelation 21:3-4)

“Let anyone who has an ear listen…”

Join us Sunday morning at 11:00 at Greenfield, 384 Fairmont Road, Gretna or on Facebook Live on the Greenfield Baptist page. With fall upon us and winter coming, it is cold, flu, and covid season. If you have a compromised immune system and prefer to stay out of crowds, but have a desire to attend a service, we still offer a drive-in service each Sunday.

blessings

*See The Revelation 5.