"The Scroll In The Nail-Pierced Hand" Revelation 5When The Lamb Stands, series by Sharon Clemens

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The moment of eternal destiny arrives—when Christ receives the scroll in a nail-pierced hand. Chapter five of The Revelation continues the commissioning service of Jesus Christ begun in chapter four. The authority to judge the earth is passed to the Son with incredible pageantry and soul-piercing worship. When the Scroll is taken, judgment has come.

This is the moment for which Christ has prepared for eternity. Psalm 2:1-8 describes it. The nations of the earth may plot against God’s authority, but the LORD laughs at their arrogant plans to stage a rebellion. Their pride stirs His wrath tipping the scales to bring about the appointed time of judgment. He announces that Christ alone will rule and reign on earth, headquartered on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem. The appointed time has come for Christ to take the nations as His inheritance, wielding His scepter like a rod of iron. Christ has been stationed in the midst of the throne at the right hand of the Father for this day to come—and He is about to stand! [Psalm 110:1-2]

Chapters four and five are one event, providing an eye-witness account of this epic moment, but the focus shifts to show progression. The central theme of chapter four is THE THRONE and the Father is the central figure of the Trinity. The focus of chapter five is now THE SEVEN-SEALED SCROLL and the central figure of the Trinity is Jesus Christ. When the Lamb stands to take the Scroll, the age of grace transitions to the tribulation of wrath to finish the redemption of creation. How does creation react? All of heaven and earth and all that is in it erupts in praise.

What Is The Significance of The Scroll?

The Scroll is the trigger of judgment—the vehicle Christ uses to unleash the Tribulation judgments. Its broken Seals set into motion the events preceding His return. Why does this supernatural document represent such power?

The Scroll as the Title Deed of the Earth: Dr. Harry Ironside suggested that the Scroll represents the title deed to this world. There is precedence for a sealed scroll representing a symbolic title deed to the promised land of Israel. In Jeremiah 32:6-15, the prophet purchased land from a relative, acting as the kinsman redeemer in order to keep the land in the family. But the purchase also represented a promise that the people of Israel would return to the land of their possession after the Babylonian captivity. When Christ returns, He will establish Israel as the capital nation and Jerusalem as the capital city of the world and Israel will dwell in peace within it.

Christ, the Lamb of God, is the kinsman redeemer of Israel. He alone is able to take the Scroll and activate it by breaking open the seals. Larkin states that His mediatorial work, finished at the cross, has ceased [1 Timothy 2:5-6], but now His REDEMPTIVE WORK begins through the activation of the seals. He bought the creation with His blood and now He prepares to take possession and redeem it.
The Scroll as the Last Will and Testament of Inheritance: The Scroll is sealed with seven seals as Roman wills were sealed. Only the heir of the property had the legal authority to break all the seals and look inside. The Son alone has this right. It is the purpose of God the Father to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under Christ Jesus, when the exact time reaches its fulfillment [Ephesians 1:9]. When the Lamb stands, that time has come.

The Scroll as the Document of the New Covenant with Israel: Dr. J. Vernon McGee believes the Scroll also represents God’s new covenant with Israel. Before Israel inherits the Kingdom promised to Abraham, they receive Christ as Lord and Savior, the Messiah of Israel [Jeremiah 31:31 and 33]. Jews who survive the Tribulation will be converted to Christ through the anointing of the Holy Spirit at His appearing [Zechariah 12:10-13:1]. “And so all Israel shall be saved…” [Romans 11:26, 27] See also Hebrews 10:16 and 9:15. This New Covenant for Israel is the same New Covenant by which the Church Age believers are saved, the Gospel [Matthew 26:28].
The Scroll as the Law: THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THE SCROLL HAS MYSTERIOUSLY APPEARED IN SCRIPTURE. In the Old Testament, the Scroll appeared to the prophet Zachariah, flying through the air in judgment [Zechariah 5:1-4]. It is a two-sided scroll as the Word is called a two-edged sword. John MacArthur states that the scroll, symbolizing the law of God, is a figure for a curse or punishment on all who disobeyed it and for blessing on all who obeyed it. It probably contained the Ten Commandments, but two are singled out that summarize man’s sins against man [stealing] and man’s sins against God [defiling His name]. [See Deuteronomy 27 and 28 for blessings and curses.] In Zechariah 5:3 the Scroll is called “the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth.” By the time of the Tribulation when the Scroll appears again, the world will be more cursed than blessed because God’s Law is so grossly abused.

This Scroll is the official document justifying all that is to happen in the coming Tribulation. Although Christ needs no legal document, the Scroll is for our benefit, demonstrating His right to judge. It represents the indictment of man’s accumulated curses described in Deuteronomy, like an arrest warrant containing criminal counts. As the title deed to the earth, it also represents Satan’s official eviction notice.

It is no wonder that a great deal of drama accompanies the taking of such a document. A strong angel proclaims, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” There is a breathless pause as a search is made in every corner of the universe for one “worthy” to break open the Scroll. This search is not so much about finding someone as demonstrating that no one worthy CAN be found. John weeps when no one is found worthy because no man can stand above the Law of sin and death by his own merit. But one of the elders speaks: “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” After such a dramatic pause, John turns in expectation, believing he will see Christ Jesus as King—the Lion of Judah. He expected to see Christ, perhaps, as he saw Him in chapter one, the glorified Christ. But instead of seeing the great Lion, he turns to see “a LAMB as though it had been slain” in the midst of the throne of God. [5:2-6]

Did Christ actually appear as a lamb? More likely, John described Him as the Lamb because he saw Christ bearing obvious marks of crucifixion in His resurrected human body, marks that may have been obscured by His radiance earlier. Christ Jesus the King still bears the marks of His sacrificial death, and He will do so for all eternity as a reminder of the atonement for our sins. However, His wounds do not represent humiliation; they represent victory over death and sin and are carried proudly. To emphasize His deity, Christ also appears with seven horns representing complete power and seven eyes representing all-knowing omniscience. As God, Christ possesses all the divine attributes while being fully man in His resurrected body. He is fully God and fully man for eternity—our Redeemer, Savior and LORD!.

THE MOMENT HAS COME: Christ approaches the Father in confidence and authority. He reaches out with a nail-pierced hand and grasps the scroll with the right hand of power! Instantly, heaven erupts in praise. The book of The Revelation is the revealing and glorification of Christ, and at this turning-point of history, heaven rightly resounds in worship. Rev 5:7-14

The Five Songs of Chapters 4 and 5:

The song of the three “holies” in Revelation 4:8 is sung by the four Living Creatures around the throne. In 4:10-11, The Song of Creation is sung by the twenty-four Elders. The praise builds by 5:8-9 when the four Living Creatures and the twenty-four Elders join together to sing The New Song.

Innumerable Angels join the twenty-eight in the worship by 5:11-12 and sing The Sevenfold Doxology to the Lamb. At this point the symphony of sound fills every corner of heaven. However, the praise is not complete. Creation is about to join the chorus. In 5:13-14, EVERY creature in the universe, “in heaven or on the earth or under the earth” sings The Fourfold Doxology to the Father and to the Lamb.

CREATION CANNOT HELP BUT SING WHEN THE LAMB TAKES THE SCROLL. When man fell, creation was also plunged into the “bondage of corruption.” And, when the Lamb redeems the earth, creation will also be redeemed and restored [Romans 8:19-22] to the Lord’s original purpose and intention. Creation will be restored like unto to Eden [Ezekiel 36:35]. We cannot begin to imagine what voice creation will find to express the doxology song, but man and beast, thunder and lightning, rushing water, wind and storm crying in one voice will be heard as a crowning worship song in heaven! NEXT TIME—CHRIST OPENS THE SEALS.

In Him We Wait, Work, and Watch,
[Luke 12:35-59]
Sharon

[Prophecy Chat is a weekly commentary of current events in light of Bible prophecy. Sharon L. Clemens is an evangelical, premillennial, dispensational teacher of eschatology. She can be reached for comment or questions by e-mail at farmgrove@frontier.com]