Who is worthy of owning everything? Who is worthy of claiming the title deed to the earth? Jesus Christ, of course.
Revelation 5:1 starts, “I saw in the right hand of Him the sat on the throne.” That’s significant because we know that at the resurrection of Jesus Christ, according to Psalm 110:1, where was Jesus seated? “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” So, the Lord Jesus is going to have to go very far to receive this from the Almighty, because He’s right there. “In the right hand of Him who sat on the throne, a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.” What is the significance of being written inside and on the back? It was typical of a title deed in the ancient world that it would be written front and back and then it would be sealed. The fact that it’s sealed with seven seals shows something very important. To break the seal, back then, you had to be the person to whom the deed was given.While weeping and as John admits, he reports in Revelation 5:5 that “One of the elders said to him, “Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed.” When did Jesus prevail? Obviously, on the cross. “It is finished.” That was Christ’s victory. “He has prevailed to open the scroll and to lose is seven seals. “And I looked,” John says in Revelation 5:6, “and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders stood a Lamb.” Jesus, The Lamb of God, is standing “as though it had been slain having seven horns and seven eyes.” Once again, symbolism is being used. It’s not always describing the actual appearance of the person is describing something about them. And the horn in Scripture is a symbol of strength, power, and authority. And the eyes, intelligence. “So it had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God set out in the earth. And he came and he took the scroll out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne when he had taken the scroll. The four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb, each having a harp and golden bowls of incense which are the prayers of the saints.” Did you ever stop and think that every prayer you pray is on record? And it says here that the prayers are incense offered before God. Before the veil separating the Holy of Holies, the assigned priest would light the altar of incense and the smoke of it would go up. And what was it a picture of? It was a picture of the prayers of the saints.
In Revelation 5:9,” they sang a new song.” Who is singing the new song? Well, it’s the elders and those who are with it, and I include us in that group. They sang a new song. “You are worthy to take the scroll and open a seal for you were slain.” The idea of redemption when it relates to people has the slave market in mind. You’re a slave. You’re standing on the slave block. Redemption means to pay the price to set you free and then you were let go. That’s the idea of redemption. “You have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue.” No group not represented. And notice in Revelation 5:10, “you have made us kings and priests.” Who again are these people? Church age believers. No Old Testament believer was King Priest. 1st Peter 2:9 says, “we are a royal priesthood.” The very fact that these people are singing and saying, “You redeemed us and you have made us kings and priest,” tell us, those are church age believers. Are any believers in the tribulation going to be royal priests? No. Church age only. That’s one of the privileges we have that no one of any other time of history is going to enjoy among many, many of the things that we have in Christ.
Revelation 5:10 concludes, “…and we shall reign on the earth.“ One day I believe each one of us is going to be a lot of certain responsibilities in the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we’re going to exercise authority. John says in Revelation 5:11, “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was 10,000 times 10,000 saying with a loud voice say, ‘Worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” Now we’ve had the first chorus church sing, second the second chorus is angels. Revelation 5:13 says, “and every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and as are in the sea and all that are in them. I heard saying blessing and honor and glory and power be to him who sits on the throne under the Lamb forever and ever.” There is a day coming when every created thing is going to be singing praises to Jesus Christ. In fact, the Old Testament tells us that when the kingdom begins, the mountains and the hills and the trees and the rivers will begin to sing. You might think that this is just imagery. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem and the Pharisees rebuked his disciples, to stop speaking messianic prophecy. Jesus replied, “I tell you of these keep silent the rocks of the earth would cry out. I believe it’s going to happen one day. I can’t wait to see all creation, just joining in and singing, “blessing and honor and glory and power to Him who sits on the throne in the land forever and ever. Revelation 5:14, ends the chapter, “The four living creatures said, ‘Amen!” and the 24 elders fell down and worshiped Him, who lives forever and ever.” That is the last beautiful picture that you’re going to see until Chapter 20.
Gene Cunningham - August 5, 2022
The Abomination of Desolation
Matthew 24 covers the Tribulation period of seven years. Verse 14 says, “This Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come.” The Church is never going to reach the whole world for Christ. But in seven years, a bunch of Jewish evangelists are going to do what we haven't done in 2000 years. Do you think they were provoked by us to get in gear and get involved? I think so. The Gospel of the Kingdom is going to be preached in all the world. Why does he say the gospel? The Kingdom? Because what's going to be the emphasis of the gospel in the tribulation period? The King and the kingdom are coming right and it's going to be preached as a witness to all nations. “And then the end will come.” Have we seen that word before? Verse 13, verse 3, verse 6 all refer to the end of the age of Israel. Matthew 24:15 says, “Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet standing in the holy place…” No Jew would misunderstand this because the holy place with the holy of holies in the temple parentheses, Matthew adds this little note, “Whoever reads, let him understand.” Then verse 16 says, “Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…” Here's where we are in a period of time -- the Tribulation -- that begins. Jesus gives us the outline to the whole thing. What about this abomination of desolation? Let's focus in on the “abomination of desolation” from Daniel Chapter Nine. Most of you will know that this is in the section dealing with the 70 weeks of Daniel starting in Daniel 9:24. “70 weeks”, the word weeks is “Heptane”, meaning sevens. Say, how do we know what sevens they are? We find out by comparing Scripture with Scripture. And we know that is talking about 70 weeks of seven years; in other words, 490 years. “70 weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation, for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.” All of those things must be finished by the end of the 490 years. Which brings us to what event the return of Jesus Christ. We know they're for and understand what did, what did Matthew just say? “He who reads, let him understand know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem…” (this happened, by the way, under Artaxerxes in 445 B.C.) “…until Messiah the Prince,” that is, until the coming of Jesus Christ. How many weeks altogether? 69. How many weeks are left? What one if one week is left? Why is it left? Because it's the final seven years of the tribulation period, right. After 483 years of Jewish history, “Messiah shall be cut off…” (the cross) “…but not for himself.” Who's he cut off for? You and I. This where we need to get a little bit careful. Who's “the prince who is to come?” We call him Antichrist. The people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary who destroyed the city and the sanctuary in 70 A.D. Rome. “And the end of it shall be with a flood till the end of the war. Desolations are determined.” Will you say that we've been seeing Desolations thus far in Matthew 24? I think so. There's a phenomenal book called “The Coming Prince” by Sir Robert Robertson. If you want all of the details that I'm leaving out here, get the book. Daniel 9:27 says, “He shall confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week (3 ½ years) he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering on the wing of abominations.” Why did Jesus tell everybody to run? Because the abominations are going to bring desolation “…on the wing of abomination shall be one who makes desolate.”, in other words, scorched earth policy against the Jews. “Even until the consummation” – literally “the end.” We're talking about the same end here. Matthew 24:13 “he who endures to the end shall be saved.” “Until the end (or the consummation)” which is determined is on the “desolator”. In other words, his come-uppance will come.
