Title Deed to Everything

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 17, 2022

"When you see all these things..."

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In Matthew 24:32 Jesus turns to parables. Why? To illuminate and illustrate His prophecy stated before. In Matthew 24:32, Jesus says, “Now learned this parable from the fig tree.” The fig tree has a definite article. And what fig tree is he talking about? Jesus is making THAT fig tree is the symbol of Israel, a specific fig tree. Matthew 21:18 says, “Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry and seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on the leaves and He said to it, ‘Let no fruit grow on you ever again.’ And immediately the fig tree withered away and when the disciples saw that, they marveled, saying, ‘How did the fig tree wither away so soon?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, be removed and be cast into the sea, it will be done.” Israel the fig tree He's talking about in Matthew 24 is the fig tree he cursed in Matthew 21. That's why He says, “Learn a parable from the fig tree.” They still have this in their mind. It was only two days previous. They learned a parable from that cursed fig tree because it represents the nation of Israel when its branches become tender and puts forth leaves. You know that summer is near Jesus saw this fig tree and it had leaves on it, did it not? Fig trees put forth the fruit before the leaves so when the leaves are visible, there should be fruit on it. When Jesus came to the nation of Israel, they had the appearance of having fruit but there was no fruit. In Matthew 23, He had just cursed them (eight “woes”), had he not? He cursed them because there was no fruit, because their religion and ritual and activity and careful observance of the law, there was no fruit. So Jesus says, learn a parable from the fig tree. "When you see all these things, you know that summer is near.” All what things? Everything He's been talking about earlier in Matthew 24,. What is the summer? Summer is the kingdom. The kingdom is near. Have you and I seen “all these things” yet? Many of them are still future. The Rapture is still future. Tribulation still a future. Abomination is still a future. Great tribulation and everything else is still future. But one day there's going to be a group of people who are going to see those things happening and they're going to know if they're well instructed. When they see antichrist sign a covenant for seven years, they're going to know they have seven years till the Lord returns. There's not going to be any question. You and I have no idea when Christ is going to return. They're going to know. Matthew 24:34 says, “Assuredly I say to you, this generation will by no means pass until all these things are fulfilled.” Because the fig tree is symbolic of the nation of Israel, with the appearance of the nation of Israel, our generation is not going to pass until all these things are fulfilled. He's saying this generation is not going to pass. By interpretation it's the generation that sees all these things happening. We're not there yet. But by application, we do see one the fig tree blossoming. Right? When you see these things, you know that His coming is near. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.” The Word of God is going to be fulfilled he says. “But of that day, and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my father only.” In another passage, He says, not even the son of man.” Why would Jesus, as God in the flesh, not know when that day He will return? The answer is in Philippians 2:6-8, where it says that “He emptied Himself…” In the Greek this means to voluntarily lay aside certain privileges. Jesus Christ voluntarily laid aside the exercise of certain of His attributes or of it. He didn't lay aside his duty. He simply laid aside the use of certain of His divine attributes for a time in order to make Himself subject to the same uncertainties and difficulties that we are subject to. He did everything he could to make himself as much like you and I as He could without sin. Hebrews 4:15 says, “He was tempted in all points as we are, yet, without sin.”