Scripture: Revelation 5:1-14
Video Link: https://youtu.be/15y0IXakKzk
Audio Link: Stream Sermon – 17 May 2026 – As He Is In Heaven by tawabaptist | Listen online for free on SoundCloud
Structure:
- Introduction
- Worthy
- Sacrifice
- Redemption
- Omnipotent
- Incense
- Praise
- Hope
- Conclusion
Introduction:
Good morning everyone.
The first time I saw Aoraki Mt Cook up close and personal, I was awestruck.
The mountain was magnificent, majestic, beautiful. I could have sat there soaking up the grandeur all day. Every other little thought faded from my mind. It was liberating.
Last Thursday was Ascension, a special day in the church calendar when we remember the Ascension of Jesus. For 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples before ascending to heaven.
Today, in celebration of Jesus’ Ascension, our message focuses on Revelation chapter 5. In Revelation 5, the apostle John describes his vision of the ascended Jesus in heaven. John’s vision is magnificent, far greater than seeing Aoraki Mt Cook for the first time. It has the power to leave us awestruck in wonder and praise.
As we read this Scripture then, I invite you to park your questions and simply bask in the glory of the scene which John describes. Don’t think too hard about what it means. Simply enjoy the drama and majesty of it all. We will get to the interpretation later. From Revelation 5, verse 1, we read…
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the centre of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spiritsof God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” 11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!” 13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!” 14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s for word for us.
The number seven is significant in the book of Revelation. It represents wholeness, completeness, perfection, like the seven days of creation. With this in view, our message today touches on seven key words from this chapter.
Our first word is worthy.
Worthy:
Some of you may be familiar with the legend of King Arthur. The story goes that one Christmas Eve an anvil sitting on top of a stone appeared in a churchyard. Embedded in the anvil was a sword. According to Merlin, only the true king could draw the sword out of the anvil.
Many nobles tried, but none succeeded. None were found worthy to be king. Then came the young Arthur, a teenage boy, whose true lineage was unknown. Quite by accident and without being aware of the contest, Arthur pulled the sword out of the anvil easily. The humble Arthur proved to be the only one worthy to release the sword and inherit the throne.
Revelation 5 begins with God holding a scroll in his hand. We wonder to ourselves what the scroll contains. Some think the scroll reveals God’s will and purpose for the future. More than just revealing knowledge though, opening the scroll may in fact release God’s plan of salvation on the earth.
This fits with the theme of Revelation. But we cannot afford to be too dogmatic, nor too literal in our interpretation. We can’t see the whole picture, which is probably the point.
In any case, the scroll has seven seals which can only be opened by someone worthy. To be worthy here is to be morally good enough. The seals of the scroll are like the sword in the anvil. They cannot be released by brute force or cunning. The test for unlocking the scroll is the moral worth that comes from divine pedigree.
How different heaven is from the world we live in. In this world, rulers get things done by force or deceit or just being popular. But in heaven things get done by righteousness, purity of heart and goodness of character.
When the angel asks, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”, no one can be found. John weeps. Weeping is a Godly response to the evil that happens in this world. Is there really no one good enough to open the scroll and release God’s saving purpose on the earth?
I like the way Leon Morris sees this: The seals that no man can break speak to mysteries in life. We can feel caught up in the world’s evil and its misery, unable to break free. At times we feel a sense of hopelessness and helplessness in the grip of forces stronger than us. The world’s agony is real. The world’s inability to break free from the consequences of its guilt is real. [1]
Only Jesus is worthy enough to open the seals and release God’s saving purpose.
From verse 5 we read…
5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Those of you who know your Old Testament will recognise that the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Root of David is code for Jesus, the Messiah. So why not just say ‘Jesus is worthy to open the scroll’? Why does John hide what he is saying in poetry?
Well, John was protecting the church. In the historical context of the first century, the early church was persecuted by the authorities. If John wrote in a plain straight forward way and the Roman authorities got hold of his writing, Christians everywhere would suffer for it.
Much of Revelation is written in code, using language that would be understood by Christians but not by outsiders. John was being as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves to protect the infant church.
Sacrifice:
And so we come to our second word: sacrifice. In verse 6, John is given a vision of a Lamb that looked as though it had been slain. In Old Testament times, lambs were sacrificed as an atonement for sin. Jesus is the sacrificial lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Notice the contrast here. One of the 24 elders has just told John to look at the Lion of Judah, but instead of seeing a mighty lion, John beholds a wounded lamb. Jesus still bears the marks of his sacrificial death, even in heaven.
Most earthly kingdoms use mighty beasts to represent their countries.
Russia elevates the bear, Britain the lion, India the tiger and America the eagle.
Each of these creatures is noble but also naturally inclined to devour its prey.
New Zealand bucks the trend by having the kiwi as its national bird. The kiwi is a shy, flightless bird that comes out mostly at night to eat insects. The kiwi is no threat whatsoever. In fact, it is a vulnerable species.
In heaven, the lamb is elevated. Lambs are a bit like kiwi, vulnerable.
How different heaven is from the power broking kingdoms of this world. Jesus conquered sin and death, not by brute force, but by obedience to God the Father. Jesus gained the victory by losing. The weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Redemption:
Hand in hand with Jesus’ sacrifice is our third word, redemption. In verse 9 the 24 elders sing to Jesus the Lamb, saying: and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
This verse is speaking about redemption. Jesus purchased, he bought back, he redeemed human beings for God. The purchase price of our redemption is the blood of Jesus the sacrificial lamb.
What we notice here is that Jesus redeems persons from every tribe and people group. John’s vision of redemption is broad and inclusive in its scope.
Omnipotent:
We need to be careful not to overplay the lamb of God image. Yes, Jesus is represented as the Lamb who was slain, but he is not powerless or defenceless. This lamb has seven horns.
As we have already noted the number seven signifies wholeness, completeness or perfection. The horn, in Biblical imagery, represents strength or power. Seven horns, therefore, represents complete or perfect power. Omnipotence in other words.
Jesus’ omnipotence (his power) is perfect in the sense that no one can defeat him. As we sang earlier in the service, “There’s nothing too big, big, big for his power”.
But Jesus’ power is also perfect in the sense that Jesus is incorruptible. Jesus is worthy enough, he’s good enough to hold absolute power without being corrupted by it.
He possesses the strength of a lion and the gentleness of a lamb. Jesus exercises his authority as one who understands suffering. His power is tempered with compassion.
What about the seven eyes, which are the seven spiritsof God sent out into all the earth. Well, eyes are about seeing. Jesus is all-seeing, all knowing, he is omniscient, like God. There is no place in heaven or earth that the risen and ascended Jesus cannot see you or reach you.
In Psalm 139 we read…
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
I invite you to sit with that for a moment. Soak in it, like a warm bath. Jesus is watching over your life for good, 24-7. He is with you always. Wherever you go, he sees you. Jesus sees the good you do that no one else notices. He sees your heart, your motivation, your wounds. He sees your desire, your doubt, your faith, your quiet desperation. Jesus bears witness to your life. He is worthy of your trust.
Incense:
Knowing that Jesus sees us and is near to us is an encouragement to pray. Indeed, the prayers of God’s people are precious to Jesus. In verse 8 of Revelation 5, John saw the 24 elders holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.
Incense is our fifth word this morning. How different heaven is from earth. Most people in this world do not see the value in praying. It seems so weak, so ineffectual, so feeble. How can prayer make a difference? But in heaven our prayers are like expensive perfume, highly valued as a fragrant offering to God.
To pray to Jesus is to acknowledge that Jesus is worthy. Worthy of our time, yes, but more than that. Jesus is worthy in the sense that he understands us completely and is he willing and able to help us.
We have touched on five of our seven words so far: Jesus alone is worthy to open the scroll. Jesus is the lamb of God who, by his sacrifice, redeems humanity. Jesus is omnipotent, all powerful, all knowing and he values our prayers like costly incense.
Praise:
Praise is our sixth word. In verse 12 of Revelation 5, John saw and heard countless angels giving praise to Jesus, saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!”
Notice there are seven things Jesus (the Lamb) is worthy to receive here. Notice also that these seven things are highly valued by most people in this world too. People want power, wisdom wealth, strength, honour, glory and praise for themselves. In fact, we human beings tend to make idols out of them.
When we pursue these things, they tend to ruin us. How easily we become slaves to money and the approval of others. We are not worthy, not morally strong enough, to receive too much of these things.
King Solomon is a case in point. He had power, wisdom, strength and wealth in abundance. He was showered with honour, glory and praise from all around, but it led him away from the Lord and it caused him to oppress his own people.
Unlike Solomon, Jesus is worthy. Throughout his ministry the devil tempted Jesus with offers of counterfeit power and glory, but Jesus resisted the evil one, remaining loyal to God the Father.
By overcoming these tests, Jesus proved that he alone is good enough, pure enough, righteous enough, strong enough, to receive and handle power and glory in all its forms, without becoming a slave to it.
Hope:
Our seventh word is hope. In verse 9 we read how the 24 elders sang a new song… The book of Revelation is full of new things: a new name, a new song, a new heaven, a new earth, a new creation. The elders sing a new song because God is making all things new, through Jesus.
The New Testament was originally written in Greek. The Greek language has two words for new, Neos and Kainos.
Neos means new in terms of time or age, something recent. Like when someone says, have you seen the new Spiderman movie? It’s the latest version of the same old story. Or when someone buys a second-hand car; its new for them but not brand new.
In contrast, Kainos means new in terms of quality or essence. Something fresh, something original that has not existed before or that we have not experienced before.
Revelation uses the word Kainos. New in the sense of: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no human mind conceived what the Lord has prepared for those who love him.’
One of the big themes of the book of Revelation is that Jesus comes to bring a newness that is original and fresh, a quality of life that we have not experienced before. This Kainos type newness gives us hope.
The Christians of the first century (that John was writing to) were suffering and persecuted in this world. They needed something better to look forward to. John’s vision of the ascended Jesus, ruling from heaven, gave them hope that the life to come is not just more of the same. It is qualitatively new, different.
The hope John articulates is this: You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
God’s people may often be last in this world, but they will be first in the next. They may be subject to oppression in this life, but they will reign in the next. Through Jesus, God is making all things Kainos new.
Conclusion:
This morning we have touched on seven words, inspired by Revelation 5.
If we rearrange these seven words, the first letter of each word spells, W.O.R.S.H.I.P. W stands for Worth, O is for Omnipotence, R is for Redemption,
S is for Sacrifice, H is for Hope, I is for Incense and P is for Praise.
Jesus alone is worthy, for he is omnipotent, perfectly powerful. Jesus redeems humanity through his atoning sacrifice. Through Jesus we have the sure hope that God is making all things new. The Lord values our prayers like costly incense. Jesus is worthy to receive our praise.
Revelation 5 describes John’s vision of the ascended Jesus being worshipped alongside God the Father. We worship Jesus because he is divine.
Let us pray…
Jesus, you are worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and praise. You are our hope, our righteousness, our joy. Be large in our awareness we pray. Amen.
Questions for discussion or reflection:
- What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
- Have you ever had the experience of being filled with awe and wonder? What were the circumstances?
- What does it mean that Jesus is worthy?
- Discuss / reflect on some of the ways John’s vision of heaven (in Rev. 5) is different from the way things operate on earth.
- What does it say about Jesus that he is described as a slain lamb with seven horns and seven eyes?
- Why does John hide what he is saying in poetic code?
- Why do the elders sing a new song? Take some time this week to compose a song or write a poem in praise of Jesus.
Bibliography
- William Barclay, The Revelation of John, Volume 1, 1965.
- Leon Morris, Revelation, 1969.
- Marva Dawn, Joy in Our Weakness, 2002.
[1] Morris, page 93.
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