Day 106

“And I heard every created thing which is in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, or on the sea, and all the things in them, saying, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever.” ¹⁴ And the four living creatures were saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.” Rev 5:13-14. 

That Jesus overcomes by dying certainly challenges our way of doing things. We prefer to approach God from a position of strength. We prefer to win on the basis of our talents, not God’s grace. Through the slain Lamb, we learn that true victory comes in sacrifice and weakness. The sacrifice of Christ compels us to depend on God’s vindication rather than on our own abilities or efforts. Jesus sets the example of true victory and we are called to follow Him. 

There are 5 hymns in these 2 chapters that represent an ascending crescendo of praise. The divinity of Christ is underlined in the progression of hymns in the vision. The first two hymns praise the One sitting on the throne (4:8,11). The third and fourth praise the lamb (5:9-12). The fifth offers worship to both the one sitting on the throne and then the lamb. (5:13). This fifth one is the clear climax of the series, in which blessing honour, glory, and power are acclaimed to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb! 

A second feature of these hymns also highlights the fifth hymn. It is the climax of the grand crescendo of singing. The first hymn is sung by the four living creatures (4:8). The second hymn is sung by the 24 elders (4:11). The third is sung by both the four creatures and the 24 elders (5:9,10). The fourth hymn is sung by more than 100million angels (5:11,12). The fifth hymn is sung by every creature in the universe (5:13). So, the fifth hymn is the great crescendo as all attention focuses on the throne, affirming the divinity of the lamb. 

The whole sequence of Revelation 4-5 is moving forward to the great climax in which the Lamb joins the Father on the throne. The major point of this passage is the exaltation of the Lamb to equal status with the Father. This is a status He clearly had before the cross. But after His death, there is fresh praise to the glory of Jesus Christ. His mighty self-sacrifice on the cross raises the acclamation of heaven to new heights never before seen. Never again will God be praised without mention of Who the Lamb is, what He has done, and why He is accounted worthy. The joy and integrity of the universe are now centred in the worthiness of the Lamb.