Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a
scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a
mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll
and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was
able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because
no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the
elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the
Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven
seals.”[1]
This paragraph
has mesmerized me for a week. This morning it settled into a heartbreaking and
hope-building picture that left me built up and encouraged in a way that only
grace could accomplish. It is actually difficult to jump in to a conclusion
without giving you a week’s worth of journey, but I trust that these few
thoughts will stir you up to read the book for yourself, and join with other
believers to delight in the one who sits on the throne.
The first four
chapters of Revelation have led us to clearly see that there is one who is “seated on the throne” of heaven, and
that this throne transcends every other throne, power or authority we could
fabricate or imagine. Now we are drawn to look at his right hand, the strong
hand of the Lord God Almighty, and consider that he holds in this hand a scroll
containing words that belong to him alone. Not only do this scroll and these
words belong to him, but the scroll is sealed with seven seals, the signature
of God’s completeness in what is in the scroll, and his completeness in sealing
it against all intruders.
While we are
overwhelmed with the wonder of the words that God has written on the scroll,
and the inescapable certainty that this scroll of words is held in the strong
right hand of the one who is seated on the throne that is above every throne, a
mighty angel comes to center stage and voices the obvious question, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break
its seals?”
Suddenly the
silence is deafening! There was not one person in heaven, including this mighty
angel, nor one person on earth, who was able to open the scroll. Immediately
the prophet begins to “weep loudly”
because “no one was found worthy” to
open the scroll or to look inside it.
What this taught
me this morning is that this revelation is death to all human pride. There are
words written by God, ordained by God, sealed up in the strong right hand of
the Lord God Almighty, and there is not a man or woman, angel or demon, who can
open up the thoughts and words of God and look inside them. Pride is broken.
There is no hope in people; there is no hope in angelic or demonic beings. No
one can enter into what God has written by his own will and authority.
On the other hand,
the children of God have great reason for hope. We will face all manner of
enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ who will attack his good name with their
philosophies and religions, their antichrist atheism and evolution, their
godless and unrighteous expressions of utter wickedness, and yet they will not
touch the words that God has written. Even when the whole of the earth gathers
against the one who sits on the throne, they will not be worthy to open the
scroll and read what God has written, let alone interpose their thoughts and
desires on the sacred words of God’s scroll.
Which leads to
the timeless exhortation to God’s people: “Weep
no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has
conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” In other
words (while remaining true to the words on the scroll), our pride is crushed,
and our hope is built up, because Jesus Christ alone is worthy to open the
scroll and its seven seals, to look inside, and to bring all God’s plans and
purposes to fruition. No one can open the scroll, and no one can stop Jesus from
doing so.
While on my
journey to become like Jesus, this week has been both pride-shattering and
hope-building. God doesn’t renovate. He demolishes what pride has built in
order to give us what grace is building. He teaches us “to put off your old self, which belongs to your
former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in
true righteousness and holiness.”[2]
So,
with the eyes of faith on the one who sits on the throne, and his strong right
hand, and his perfect scroll of plans and purposes sealed with divine
completeness, and opened by the divine Son of God, let us submit to the work of
God to break our pride and humble us, and let us surrender to God’s work of renewing
our minds and clothing us with the new self, the one that is created to be like
Jesus Christ in true righteousness and holiness.
After
all, the words of Scripture are one with the words on the scroll, and guarantee
that, “…until heaven and earth pass away,
not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”[3] And, as the one who opens the seven seals promises in Amen to the
Father, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”[4]
From my heart,
Monte
© 2013 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
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