Who is Worthy?

Not only does the Bible record literal historical events, the Bible also records prophecy of literal future events. Prophecies that have already been fulfilled in precise, literal detail indicate that God intends for prophecy to be understood and interpreted in its most literal sense.

Prophetic language will often employ visionary language to convey literal truth. Symbolic imagery must be interpreted within the context of the prophet's writings, and within the grammatical/historical/chronological/canonical context of the passage in accordance the whole counsel of Scripture.

An example of obvious symbolic biblical imagery is the identification of Jesus as the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah. Jesus is not a literal lamb or lion, but the names reveal more about Jesus than literal language could convey.

Jesus offered his life as a sacrificial lamb on the altar of God on behalf of sinners. Jesus was born of the tribe of Judah in the flesh. Jesus will return in power and glory like a lion to execute God’s judgment on earth. Prophetic language will often employ visionary language to convey literal truth.

The book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ. The prophetic book contains some expressed symbolic imagery within a larger prophetic, chronological account of literal events that will take place at the end of this present age and introduce the age to come. God gave the revelation to Jesus to show his servants things that must soon take place.

The revelation was made known to the apostle John who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ. John received the revelation while he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day during his exile on the island called Patmos. In a time of great persecution of Christ's followers, John had been sent into exile on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Rev 1:9-10).

After Jesus’ direct message to the seven churches in Asia Minor (Revelation 2-3) and prior to the commencement in Revelation 6 of the progressive judgments that will shortly fall upon the earth during the final period (70th week) of Israel’s history, John records what Jesus revealed to him of events taking place in heaven (Revelation 4-5).

Read the following two chapters in Revelation that record what Jesus showed John in a vision of heaven. In the vision, make note: How many were worthy to take the scroll that was in the right hand of God who is seated on the throne?

Rev 4:1
¶ After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
Rev 4:2
At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.
Rev 4:3
And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.
Rev 4:4
Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.
Rev 4:5
From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God,
Rev 4:6
and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. ¶ And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind:
Rev 4:7
the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight.
Rev 4:8
And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
Rev 4:9
¶ And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
Rev 4:10
the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
Rev 4:11
¶ “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
Rev 5:1
¶ 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.
Rev 5:2
And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
Rev 5:3
And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it,
Rev 5:4
and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.
Rev 5:5
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.”
Rev 5:6
¶ And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Rev 5:7
And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.
Rev 5:8
And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Rev 5:9
And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you 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,
Rev 5:10
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
Rev 5:11
¶ Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,
Rev 5:12
saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
Rev 5:13
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
Rev 5:14
And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

How many were found worthy to take the scroll from God’s right hand?

One: Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, Lion of the tribe of Judah, Root of David.

God's Word = God's Masterpiece

Does God answer to you, or do you answer to God? Does God answer to man's truth, or must man's truth answer to God? God’s Word does not rest on the testimony of man. The testimony of man must rest on the truth of God’s Word.

All discoveries and interpretations of truth must conform to the Bible. Truth cannot be added to or taken away from the sixty-six books of inspired Scripture without distorting the truth of God. The canon of Scripture has been closed since the apostle John wrote the final book of Revelation. The Bible is unique in its authority and power to reveal truth.

Each believer will be held accountable for his/her stewardship of God’s Word. By the Holy Spirit’s power, we are to “test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thess 5:21). The Holy Spirit teaches us how to test everything according to Scripture, then to hold on to what is good.

If you do not know God’s Word, you are easy prey for deception. “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8). Guess who he targets?

My dad was a corporate pilot for Tenneco Oil Company in the 60’s to the 80’s. He flew to many different countries and often brought home exotic gifts and artifacts. One treasure that he was especially proud of was an artifact from Lima, Peru. I don’t know what it was, but it looked like a small, petrified piece of something important. My dad stored the artifact in a drawstring pouch in a safe place.

One day, when it was still cool to play outdoors, I decided to make an artifact. I found a small stone of East Texas clay, perfect for making a carving. In an attempt to give the artifact some artistic value, I carved a face, without much success. Oh well, good enough. It looked like an artifact.

Now, where should a person store an artifact? In a small, drawstring pouch, of course. Where could I find a drawstring pouch? Ummm… But what about the artifact that was already in the pouch? Hmmm… Oh well, why would my dad want to keep an ancient artifact from Lima, Peru when he could have an original "JKK" artifact from East Texas?

Many years passed and the substitution went undetected. Then one day, my dad began to reminisce with friends over dinner about his travels to Peru. In fact, he wanted to show them his ancient Peruvian artifact that was now even more ancient and valuable. Even I had forgotten my day as an artifact maker. We all sat admiring this small piece of red clay, as if it held some connection to the ancient past. Then I thought, “That looks strangely familiar.” And with growing unease of impending doom, I said, “Dad, turn it over.”

Finely engraved on the back of the red piece of clay were the initials: JKK. Jessica Kay Knoff, guilty of substituting the real thing for a piece of red dirt. Thankfully, my dad appreciated the humor more than his ancient relic.

Principle: God's Word is God's masterpiece. Study God's Word until you are able to easily identify worthless forgeries.

Let’s consider what happened next? Did my dad say, “You mean this is not the authentic, ancient artifact from Lima, Peru? Wow, I guess I did not actually go to Lima, Peru, after all.” No, the absence of the original artifact did not change the fact that my dad had traveled to Lima, Peru. And anyone who knew anything about ancient Peruvian artifacts would have immediately detected the forgery. My East Texas clay contraption did not even resemble a Peruvian artifact.

Principle: Distortion of original truth does not nullify truth.

Another quick illustration that is a bit more subtle…

On my first trip to Israel, I visited a place called the Garden Tomb. The site has been developed as a possible location of the crucifixion of Christ and the tomb where Jesus was buried. A tomb that dates to the Old Testament period is located at the site, and there is a cliff nearby that overlooks a modern crossroad, a logically conceivable location for a public crucifixion. The curators planted a lovely garden around the tomb for visitors to come, partake of the Lord's Supper, and meditate on the Person and work of Christ.

On a subsequent academic study tour of Israel, I learned that while the Garden Tomb site does contain an authentic Old Testament tomb, resembling the tomb in which Jesus was buried, the majority of biblical scholars and biblical archaeologists have dismissed the Garden Tomb as a possibility of the original tomb of Jesus because of its location in relationship to the ancient walls of Jerusalem.

Did I walk away from the Garden Tomb in disappointment and conclude, “Well, I guess that Jesus was not really buried in a tomb after all if this is not His tomb”? No, faith does not depend on ancient archaeological evidence, although the Lord is graciously uncovering much of biblical history in Israel, which testifies to the truth of Scripture and its inspired, inerrant record of the history of Israel and the revelation of Christ. Go to Israel to study God's Word!

Principle: Go to Israel to study God's Word, not to prove it.

The Bible records literal history of literal events in the lives of literal people that occurred in literal Israel and surrounding nations. Only through faith in Jesus Christ is the veil of unbelief taken away. "Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed" (2 Cor 3:15-16).

Presently, the ministry of the Holy Spirit testifies to the truth of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible. Only those who turn to the Lord will believe. The veil of unbelief is removed only through Jesus Christ.

Principle: Only through Jesus can one see God's masterpiece.

How do we know that the Bible is not the work of creative imaginations? To the glory of God’s sovereign grace and eternal power, God revealed His Word, God fulfills His Word, God preserves His Word, and God testifies to the truth of His Word by the Holy Spirit to those who abide in Jesus.

Conclusion: Turn to Jesus in order to see and believe.