Worthy Is The Lamb!
WORTHY IS THE LAMB!
REVELATION 5:6-14
Only one being can make sense of existence; only one is worthy enough to interpret life and history. That is why creation and heaven join in worshiping the Lamb.
The Lamb stood “at the center of the throne” (NIV). He was not “among the elders” but in the middle of the circle formed by them and the living creatures (NIV). In other words, he occupied the central position even before he took the scroll. “With the marks of slaughter upon him” (NEB) is preferable to “as though it had been slain,” for it makes it clearer that sacrificial death is meant. The lexicons give no support to the sentimental tradition, that we should translate “little lamb.” The horn is a symbol of strength. In 12:3 and 13:1 the number of horns is linked with Daniel 7:7 and must be interpreted in the light of it. Here the number is clearly symbolic, the perfect number representing perfect strength, just as the “seven eyes” show perfect knowledge.
“The prayers of God’s people” (5:8, NIV) have such an inherent value, since they are a testimony to God’s salvation and power, that they can make the worship of heaven even sweeter. People admire ability and force; the key word in heaven is “worthy” (5:9,12).
In the dominant Greek philosophical thought of John’s day matter was not merely inferior to spirit but was positively a limitation on it, and therefore evil. Old Testament thought is radically opposed to this throughout. As soon as the Hebrew Christian was squeezed out of the church, and the Old Testament was increasingly neglected, Christian theology was poisoned by this Greek concept. This earth was regarded as evil and destined to be destroyed once its purpose as a testing ground for humanity was accomplished. The true biblical concept was retained mainly by those regarded as sectarians or ignorant. We are told in Genesis 1:31 that God saw that all that he had made was very good. This creation has been partly marred by human sin, but to assume that this means its destruction is to affirm God’s defeat, at least in one sphere. So in the worship of the Lamb we find the creation anticipating its deliverance (5:13; see also Romans 8:19-22). So, too, the elders see the goal of redemption in “they shall reign on earth” (5:10). This is equivalent to affirming that humanity will reach the original purpose of their creation, namely having dominion (Genesis 1:26,28). This thought is taken up again at the end of Revelation, which ends on earth and not in heaven, or which brings heaven down to earth rather than earth up to heaven.