Can we again open our Bibles if you have one? Revelation chapter 5. Let's read verse 5 and verse 6.
!
I don't know how familiar you are with the book of Revelation, but there's probably two main myths about the book of Revelation.
One is it's about the future. Many people who speculate about these things say that the book of Revelation talks about things that will happen in the future.
And they read all sorts of amazing things into the book.
And especially in these days of power politics in the Middle East, there are many folks who say, well, it's obvious, it's all there in the book of Revelation.
Well, the book of Revelation, frankly, may allude to the future, but it is very much a book which talks about today.
So that's mythology number one, that it's a book entirely about the future.
Mythology number two is that it's a difficult book.
Now, there's a certain degree of truth in that.
The book of Revelation is perhaps not the easiest book in the Bible, but it's not as difficult as we think.
Remember, the Bible is a people's book.
The Bible is written for every single one of us.
It's not for experts to stand up in a podium and to explain it and unpack it to people as if there was some priestly caste who is understanding,
and the ordinary people can't really get it.
The Bible is a book for every single person.
And there, of course, there's symbolism in the Bible.
We'll see symbolism in the verses we're going to read.
But at the end of the day, it's not as difficult as it appears.
And so if you were to have an image here about Revelation chapter 5, indeed the whole of Revelation,
you would ask the question, what is behind the locked door?
Or what is behind the curtain?
Because the word Revelation means an unveiling.
So what we have is you imagine something and it's mysterious.
And someone says, look, you go into that room, but don't look behind the curtain,
because there are mysteries behind the curtain.
And so look at the Revelation as the unveiling, the opening of the curtain to see what is behind it.
Now remember also that whenever we read the Bible, and again we see this tonight when we look at Esther,
there is really one story in the Bible, and that's the story of Jesus.
And the story of how Jesus came to save, and that runs from Genesis right on to Revelation.
How he came on a great rescue mission.
And so the hero of the Bible, the hero of the day, the hero of the hour is always the Lord Jesus.
And of course he is featured very much in this chapter.
He is seen there in two figures.
He is seen there as a lion.
We see that, of course, in verse 5.
And he's seen also as the lamb.
There was a 13th century Italian philosopher known as Bonaventure.
And someone, a student, said to Bonaventure,
why don't people love God more?
And his reply was, they don't love him because they don't know him.
It's interesting, isn't it?
They don't love him because they don't know him.
That's true very much here in the Western Isles.
The church-going population of the Western Isles is, I think, the highest in the United Kingdom
at something like 10%, but 90% of folk don't appear to know him or don't appear to even care.
And I think a lot of the problem is that folk just don't know him.
They don't know about him.
They don't know what he is like.
And sometimes we've not really helped.
And so what I want to do here is look at this passage.
And the key word in the passage is, if you wanted one key word in the passage,
it is the word worthy.
Dominates it.
You see it there in verse 2.
You see it in verse 9.
You see it in verse 12.
It's the theme of the song of the angels in verse 9.
And worthy are you to take the scroll and open its seals.
Worthy.
And again, we'll unpack that in a wee while, God willing.
But this morning, as we look at the passage, I just want us to notice, strangely enough, three things.
The first thing we notice there is the scroll.
And that kind of dominates the chapter, isn't it?
The scroll.
What do we notice about the scroll?
Well, verse 1 and verse 3, we notice that the scroll is sealed.
And so you're always wondering, what's inside a sealed scroll?
Well, we've got to ask ourselves, what exactly is this scroll?
Verse 1 says it's got writing on it.
There's writing on it on both sides.
The idea there is it's packed with information.
It's packed with writing.
And there's lots of ideas, lots of theories about what actually is written on the scroll.
Some folks say it's prophecies are written on the scroll.
There's another interesting view.
It's the last will and testimony.
Some folks say it's the last will and testimony of Jesus.
That's what's written on the scroll.
And so the picture is it's like the reading of a will.
What has Jesus left for the church?
And it's in the scroll.
And people are really keen to open the scroll.
So it could be prophecies.
One view is it's the last will and testimony of Jesus.
And another view, and I think this is probably the most accurate, is everything's in the scroll.
The history of the world is in the scroll.
The future is in the scroll.
The purposes and plan of God are in the scroll.
Wouldn't you like to know the purposes and plan of God?
Well, sometimes it's a blessing not to know the purposes and plan of God.
Have that picture in your mind that that's what the scroll is.
It is the purposes and plan of God for everything.
It's not the first time we see the scroll.
You see the scroll in Exodus chapter 2.
The same book.
Sorry, Ezekiel.
Ezekiel chapter 2 verse 10.
Exact same book.
It says,
And both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.
It's seen in Psalm 139.
Within the volume of the book, it written as of me.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to pass.
And of course, in an ancient tradition, a book was often sealed after the contents were witnessed by seven people.
And so it's the future of humanity here.
And it is jaw-dropping.
Because when the book is opened, chapter 8 verse 1,
it says that there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
But there's a problem, isn't there?
You've got this book.
You've got this scroll.
And it's got everything in it.
It's like a safe.
But nobody knows the combination.
And you see here, there, the problem with scroll.
In verse 2, I ask the question,
Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?
You've got the picture there, haven't you?
The scroll.
I see two concepts there, don't you?
The first concept I see is the concept of frustration.
Who is able to open the scroll?
It's like you know something is there.
Now, in the idiom of the day, there's something bigger going on here.
Because not only did the person who opened the scroll see its contents,
but actually, in the context here,
the person who opened the scroll didn't just read it,
but they enacted it.
They made it happen.
So, this stuff in the scroll wasn't going to happen.
Good things, bad things, all these things,
the future of humanity,
the history of the world,
everything wasn't able to get going
unless someone opened the scroll.
The promise of the new heavens and the new earth.
Although the book of Revelation is not all about the future,
where it is somewhat about the future.
That this world is not all there is to be.
That there is a new creation.
That there is a new day coming.
That there is an end to all the tears.
That there is an end to all the pain.
That there is an end to all the frustration.
That this valley of tears is not determinist.
But that there will be a glorious new creation.
But there is nobody able to enact it.
Because nobody can open the scrolls.
And the book was in the hand of a man on a throne.
And he is encircled by a rainbow.
Isn't he?
And the rainbow there,
don't you just love rainbows?
I don't know about you,
but my heart sings
when I see a rainbow.
Because it speaks to me about promise.
It speaks to me about God and the throne.
It speaks to me about a God who said,
I am with you.
I will never leave you.
I'm the promise keeper.
And from the throne,
yes, it's surrounded by a rainbow
and there's flashes of thunder.
That's what God is.
God is a God of awe,
of majesty,
of wonder.
But there's a frustration here,
isn't there?
That's the first concept,
it's frustration.
The second concept is
what I've called worthiness.
They weren't looking for a powerful person.
Don't we today have world leaders
who talk about power?
They boast about power.
My aircraft carrier is bigger than yours.
My army is bigger than your army.
I am the emperor.
What I say goes.
Power.
And it's seen there in the world stage.
It's seen also in your office.
It's seen also in your home.
Power.
And everybody is looking for power.
But it's not a powerful person
who opens a scroll.
This is how world politics,
this is how domestic politics
gets it all wrong.
Power is useless
in the kingdom of God.
Power is also useless
in the way the universe works.
We're not looking for a man or woman of power.
Revelation chapter 5
is looking for someone of worthiness.
Who is worthy?
Not a person who's powerful,
but a person who is good.
Godly.
Humble.
Not a person who sees himself as Jesus
or even a universal doctor.
But someone who sees himself as nothing.
the power of goodness.
So the question goes out again.
Who is worthy?
You look in the world situation
through history and through time,
who's worthy?
Is there a worthy politician?
You see great humanitarians.
You know,
we've seen them in the past.
Nelson Mandela,
Mother Teresa,
great humanitarians,
wonderful people.
The world leaders.
Who's good?
Is there one good figure
for maybe the
five of you
who like Lord of the Rings?
Who is able
to destroy the ring?
That that ring,
that malevolent thing
that brings misery
into the world
is not a symbol of sin.
It's not a symbol of transgression.
That misery thing
that brings
rottenness
into the core
of everything in the world.
Who is able
to destroy the ring?
Nobody.
Verse 3,
he's in despair.
No one in heaven
or in earth
or under the earth
was able
to open the scroll
or to look into it.
Verse 4,
and I began
to weep loudly.
That brings out
the original,
snorting,
wailing like an animal
and inconsolable grief.
And if you have
a sensitive
conscience,
that's how you'll feel
just now
whenever you watch
the news.
There are folk
near to me
who just can't
watch the news anymore.
It literally
triggers
an emotion
of grief.
Where can we go?
We're just lost.
We need
a Messiah.
Don't we?
These islands
need a Messiah.
Our nation
needs a Messiah.
There are elections
coming up
and folk are saying,
yeah,
we are the people
who will sort this
and sort that
and sort the others.
Can't even get off
a ferry
in five minutes.
The world's
in a mess.
We need
a Messiah.
And so what
do we see
in the passage?
We see a scroll,
don't we?
And we're asking
this question,
we need
a Messiah.
Messiah.
Enter
the Lamb.
Point one,
the scroll.
Point two,
the Lamb.
There's something
dramatic happens here.
Look at verse five.
I love the language
of verse five.
It's very
military,
isn't it?
Weep no more
and behold
the lion
of the tribe
of Judah.
The root
of David
has conquered
so that he
can open
the scrolls.
And there's
this image
of a lion,
an image
of power,
the king
of the jungle,
invincibility.
You've seen
a lion's jaws,
how it can
just consume
a wildebeest.
A lion
is at the top
of the eating
hierarchy.
Lions eat
people,
so there's
this image
of power.
And Jesus
is that lion,
isn't he?
He is the one
who is of the
tribe of Judah.
He is the one
of the root
of David.
People talk
about Jesus,
gentle Jesus,
meek and mild.
Yes,
he is.
But he's also
lying.
He's also
all-consuming.
He's also
powerful.
Folks say
they don't know
about Jesus.
Do they know
about the Jesus
who is not
some sort of
leftover
hippie
from the 60s?
Someone who
just floats
about being
nice to
everyone?
No.
But there's
more to
Jesus than
the lion
is of
Jesus.
The lion
is a
lamb.
Looking for
a lion,
finding a
lamb.
That could
be the
metaphor for
where we
are in
Stornoway
today.
That could
be a
metaphor of
where we
are in
Scotland,
in the
United
Kingdom.
We're
looking for
a lion.
But he
sent a
lamb.
What do we
notice about
a lamb?
Well, one or
two things.
We notice
weakness,
don't we?
This reveals
the values
of the
Kingdom.
Strength
is through
weakness.
Strength
is through
weakness.
If you
watch the
major world
powers,
it's almost
a comedy
show,
isn't it?
Let's
take
Vladimir
Putin.
You ever
seen his
table?
You need
binoculars to
see the
guy at the
other end.
It's the
biggest table
I've ever
seen in
the world.
So you've
got little
Vlad at
one end of
this huge
table.
It's the
optics of
power,
isn't it?
the optics of
power,
the optics of
power,
and then
of course
we have
the
president
with
Air
Force
One.
Invincible
world
power.
I live in
Edinburgh
when the
royals are
in town.
You always
know the
royals are
in town.
There's a
cavalcade,
the cars
are there,
the motorcycle
outriders,
the cars
with the
flashing blue
lights.
It's the
royals,
there's
power,
there is
power here.
But here
is the
power of
the Lamb.
Folk talk
about soft
diplomacy,
don't they?
Soft power.
We are
Christians,
we are
people,
men and
women of
the kingdom.
And this
is where
our power
comes from.
And the
power of
the kingdom
is inverse.
isn't it?
It's the
power of
gentleness,
it's the
power of
opposites,
that the
way up
is the
way down,
that those
who have
less have
more,
that those
who have
nothing have
everything.
It's the
mathematics of
the kingdom.
And the
paradox is
things are
not as
they seem.
Things are
not as
they seem.
Here we
are in
this
building.
It's a
simple
building,
traditional
Presbyterian
church,
plain
building.
And yet
there's more
power in
here this
morning,
isn't there,
than
Downing
Street,
Holyrood,
the Kremlin
and the
White House
combined.
Isn't
there?
power.
But it's
a quiet
power.
And that's
the way
God most
often works.
Again,
we'll see a
little bit of
that tonight
in Esther.
God doesn't
just work
with the
dramatic
signs and
wonders.
He works
powerfully.
Have you
ever heard
the moon
operating in
the tide?
Have you?
No,
it's
silent.
And yet
the seas
rise
and the
seas
fall.
That's
power.
The
lamb is
gentle,
the lamb
is silent,
the lamb
is meek.
We see
weakness,
but also
we see
sacrifice,
verse 6.
This is a
weird lamb.
Verse 6,
I saw a
lamb standing
as though
it had
been slain.
You know,
the metaphors
are bizarre.
Not only
is the
Messiah,
not only
is the
one who
is able
to open
the scrolls
a weak
lamb,
he's a
dead
lamb.
It looks
as if
he's been
slain.
Now,
again,
the gospel
and grammar
as they
say,
I saw
a lamb
standing
as though
it had
been
slain.
There's
an ambiguity
there.
Is it
dead?
Is it
alive?
Well,
it looks
as though
it had
been
slain,
but,
you know,
it's
alive.
who
does that
remind you
of?
That
reminds you
of Jesus
and
resurrection.
He looks
as if
he's been
slain,
but he
is
alive.
And this
is us
right into
the heart
of our
faith.
The
kernel of
the
kernel,
the very
epicenter
of the
Christian
faith.
What is
the
center of
the
gospel?
What is
the center
of the
church?
It's not
all the
stuff.
It's not
all the
accoutrements.
It's not
all the
outward
stuff in
the church.
And that's
what I
would love
to do,
and that's
what I
try and
do from
day to
day.
Get folk
to the
kernel of
the
gospel,
and the
kernel of
the
gospel is
dear
dying
lamb,
thy
precious
blood
shall
never
lose
its
power
till
all
the
ransomed
church
of God
be saved
and sin
no more.
This
is
a
foolish
message.
You say
to it,
what is
the answer
to the
world's
ills?
A
dying
lamb
who was
sacrificed
for our
sin.
Look at
how all
the faith
traditions
view God.
I was
in India
recently,
and it
was dominated
by the
Hindu faith,
and there
are shops
that sell
idols,
and they're
all there,
and they
all look
very
idly.
The
gods
of human
invention
are either
too
bizarre
and remote
and up
there and
unattainable,
or they're
too human.
this is
not an
avatar,
this is
a flesh
and blood
god,
this is
a god.
We've
seen the
scroll,
we've
seen a
lamb.
Thirdly,
what are the
implications?
The question
we may ask
is,
so what?
Who
cares?
here we
are,
a few
folk
gathered
here in
this
building,
Kenneth
Street.
You go
home and
someone says,
oh,
what was he
on about
today?
Well,
he spoke
about a
lamb.
What else
did he
speak about?
Spoke about
gentleness,
spoke about
sacrifice,
a lamb who
died for
our sins.
So what?
I think
this passage
speaks,
and this is
the application
for today,
there's several
levels of
application.
The first,
the passage
to me speaks
in terms of
reversals.
Number one,
there's a
reversal of
power.
Look at
verse six.
Here we
move into
symbolism.
The lamb
looking as if
it had been
slain with
seven horns
and seven
eyes.
Well,
you know,
symbolism 101
tells you that
seven is the
number of
perfection.
Every school
girl knows
that.
Seven is the
word of
perfection.
So when you've
got seven
horns,
horn is a
symbol of
power.
Again,
that's not a
complex image.
The eyes,
wisdom.
Zechariah speaks
of the seven
eyes of the
Lord which
range throughout
the earth.
Stop right
there.
Stop right
there.
The lamb
has seven
horns.
He's all
powerful.
And he's
got seven
eyes.
He sees
everything.
Again,
the present
tense is
used of
the power
and not
the visibility
of the
lamb but
the vision
of the
lamb that
he can see
absolutely
everything.
think for
a moment
of the
people to
whom the
book of
revelation
was written.
It wasn't
written to a
group of
comfortable
Christians
in an
island,
seated in
nice padded
pews in a
warm building
like us.
the book of
revelation was
written by
two people
who perhaps
the very next
day they would
have been fed
to the
lions.
It was
written to the
persecuted
church.
It was
written to
people who
feared the
Roman Empire.
The Roman Empire
was tyrannical.
It was going to
massacre people.
That's who it
was written to.
Not folk in a
tidy situation
like us but
folk who in
fear of their
lives.
Suffering
persecution for
their faith.
And so much
of this was
behind closed
doors.
See that again?
Closed doors,
veil.
And they
wondered,
did anyone
ever notice?
Did you ever
think that?
Does anybody
ever notice?
I heard in the
news two days
ago,
Nigeria.
The persecution
of Christians
in Nigeria
is going
through the
roof and
only recently
has it begun
to be spoken
about.
I read
this morning,
that's an
incredible
statistic,
365 million
Christians,
one in
seven Christians
in the world,
one in seven,
365 million
are being
persecuted for
their faith.
who cares?
Who knows?
He sees.
In verse
seven,
he took the
scroll from
a hand.
Didn't he?
Verse seven
says that.
He went and
took the scroll
from the right
hand of him
who was seated
on the throne.
the will of the
father and
son are one.
Do you feel
you're alone?
Churches can
feel
isolating
places at
times,
don't they?
you've got
the inner
people,
you've got
the circle,
the in
crowd,
but you're
not one of
the in
crowd.
You're just
sitting there
in the pew.
Does
anybody know
I'm here?
Does
anybody care?
care?
He cares.
There's a
Zulu
greeting.
Not used
it often
myself,
but there's
a Zulu
greeting
and it's
sawabona.
Sawabona.
It means,
if there are
any Zulu
speakers here,
they'll correct
my pronunciation,
it simply
means,
I see
you.
I see
you.
quiet,
marginal
person
suffering
without anybody
knowing your
story.
The lamb
in the midst
of the throne
sees you.
So there's
a reversal
of status
here.
Look at
what the
passage says.
These saints
have been
despised for
many years,
not many
noble,
not many
wise,
but he
sees you.
verse 8.
Isn't
that intriguing?
They fell
down before
the lamb,
each one
holding a
harp and
a golden
bow full
of the
incense.
Again,
we know
what the
incense is,
which are
the prayers
of the
saints.
the
prayers of
the
saints.
And the
prayers are
answered.
The
worthiness is
the scene.
And notice
what the
worthiness
is.
The
worthiness
arose from
his death,
slain with
that blood.
Verse 2,
there was
silence in
heaven.
Verse 9,
there's this
chorus of
wonder of
praise.
There's a
reversal of
status.
But then
thirdly and
finally,
there's a
reversal of
exclusivism.
Look at
verse 9.
Whether you
are to
take the
scroll and
to open
its seals,
for you
were slain
and by
your blood
you ransomed
people for
God from
every tribe
and language
and people
and nation.
the true
internationalism
of the
church.
One of my
big things,
I pray for
our own
denomination,
is it
will become
bigger,
it will
become
poorer,
and it
will become
darker.
Bigger,
poorer,
darker.
What does
that mean?
Bigger means
that we
want to
see our
churches
grow and
expand.
We want
to see
people come
to faith,
not just
splitting
churches
and forming
new churches,
not just
doing that
constantly,
it gets a
bit weary,
but people
who are
non-believers
seeing the
beauty of
Jesus,
seeing the
beauty of
Jesus and
running to
him and
filling up
the churches
that we
have,
planting new
churches,
bigger,
also poorer,
that we
have folk
from every
socio-economic
unit,
that we've
got folk
from housing
schemes,
that we've
got folk
from all
over as
well,
darker for
ethnic
diversity.
And that's
the promise.
You ransom
people from
every tribe
and language
and people
and nation,
whoever you
are in
this island.
And one
of the
great things
about the
highlands
and islands,
whether not
everyone sees
it as great,
but I
certainly see
it as great,
is the
diversity
of our
religions,
people who
come from
every single
area.
And the
wonderful thing
is that
they're welcome
in the
church of
God.
Someone once
said to me,
what's your
name?
I said,
David Meredith.
And the
reply was,
Meredith,
what sort
of a name
is that?
I'm sorry
I wasn't a
McLeod or
a Nicholson
or a
McKenzie
or a
Smith
or a
Bacani.
Every tribe
and language
and people
and nations
folk with
the weirdest
names and
folk from
every complexity
purchased.
We look for
the internationalism
of the church.
So what do
we have
here?
Let's
come into
land.
We've got
the world
in a mess.
And how
can I put
it simply?
We've got
a Messiah.
A Messiah
who can
change the
world and
change your
heart and
change your
life.
What do
we have
here?
Some folks
say it's
too good
to be
true.
It is
true.
Folks,
it's
true.
The
gospel's
true.
Jesus is
the lamb.
Jesus is
the one
who says
trust in
me,
lean in
me.
Jesus is
the one
who says
yes,
I have
died,
but I've
died for
you so
that you
would not
die.
And I'm
going to
bring a
new creation.
I'm
going to
make this
world
new.
There's
going to
be a
freedom
from all
sin,
freedom
from all
illness,
freedom
from all
division,
freedom
from
everything.
The four
living
creatures,
what did
they do?
verse 14.
They said
Amen.
And the
elders fell
and worshipped
him.
We're
Lewis folk.
We don't
say Amen
out loud.
We say
in here.
Sing it
out or
keep it
in.
It doesn't
matter.
Our
response
this morning
should be
Amen.
And we
fall down
and
worship
him.
Father,
we thank
you for
your word,
for its
power,
and the
power of
God
unto
salvation.
Help us
today to
rejoice in
the Lamb
and to
see him
as King
of Kings
and Lord
of Lords.
Amen.
we sing
in Psalm
34 from
the
Scottish
Psalter,
page 247.
Scottish
Psalter is
Psalm
34
from
verse
8.
The tune
is
Denfield.
O taste
and see
that God
is good,
who trusts
in him
is blessed.
Fear God
has
saints,
none that
in fear
shall be
with want
oppressed.
Singing
to verse
15,
to God's
praise,
O taste
and see
that God
is good.
Standing
need
to sing.
Amen.
Thank you.
And now may the grace of Lord Jesus, the love of God the Father, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be upon us all now and forever. Amen.
Thank you.