Weep No More, For the Scroll Will be Opened!
In Revelation 5, the apostle John is the last standing apostle. All of the others – his closest friends -have been martyred. John himself was imprisoned in the maximum-security island prison of Patmos (the Alcatraz of the Roman world). It is here that he is ushered into a vision of heaven – the very throne room of God. But it’s not necessarily a celebrative time.
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. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.
There was an issue: no one was able to open the scroll. And John wept. Actually, it says, he wept loudly. The vocabulary is very emphatic – John was coming unglued with his hysterical sobbing. John had faced many horrific situations with calm, peace, and deep faith but now he seems to be losing it. Why?
Well, back on earth life wasn’t going well for the young church. Many, many of those John had loved had been tortured and murdered because of their faith in Christ. Nero, the Roman emperor, had seemingly unleashed all hell on the fledgling church. Nero had the apostle Peter crucified upside down. He had decapitated the apostle, Paul. He lit his gardens with screaming followers of Christ that he had dipped in pitch, impaled on stakes and set afire. But still John trusted. He knew God would vindicate his own – that the scroll of God’s justice would soon be opened. But, in heaven, he found that the scroll would not soon be opened. Or ever. God’s plan was in that scroll. His justice and power and victory were written in that scroll. If that scroll remained shut God’s justice, God’s plan, God’s victory would never be realized. Evil would win. More and more believers - men and women and children - would die. Rome in its arrogance and evil would bury the Way. It was over.
Have you felt that kind of despair?
There was a day, maybe not so long ago, that I went to the news with a level of excitement or anticipation. Today, if I go to the news at all, it is with a level of dread. I find myself having to brace myself in preparation for the onslaught of pain, unbridled godlessness, celebrated evil, injustice and moral chaos. Frankly, the news seems toxic to my mental and spiritual health.
I’ll be frank: my optimism regarding a revival in America has waned substantially. It sure seems as if the battle is over. Evil has won.
God’s ending will never be realized. The scroll – the potential scenario of God’s reign over this mess will never be realized.
But then…
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.”
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. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 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. 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,
10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.” [1]
John’s anxiety was turned to anticipation. His fainting was turned to faith.
In this world, and maybe in your own private world, it looks as if evil is reigning. God’s glory has been closed up. Spend a bit of time looking over Revelation 5. There is one who is worthy to open the scroll. He has. And one day, everything sad will be made untrue.
And check out this music video. And worship.
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