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 22, 2022

Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth

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The parable of the faithful and evil servants in Matthew 24:45-51 often cause theological problems, because it is commonly mis-interpreted and mis-applied to the church. Matthew 24:45-51 says, “Who then is a faithful and why servant whom his master made ruler over his household to give them food and do season. Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing assuredly I say to you he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, My master is delaying his coming and begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him at an hour that he is not aware of and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” There are people who teach that this applies to the church. Some teach that if you as a believer, are not ready and not busy doing the Lord's service, you are not only going to be “cut in two”, but you will be given your portion with the hypocrites” and you will be “weeping and wailing and gnashing your teeth.” This is false. Can we find application of what we're seeing here in Matthew 24? Of course. See 1st John 2:28-29. We don't want to turn application into interpretation. The evil servant says “the master delays his coming. He beats his fellow servants. He eats and drinks with the drunkards. The master comes at a day that he's not looking, an hour he is not aware of, cuts him into and appoints him his portion with the hypocrites.” People who believe the false teaching on this passage say you, as a believer, have lived a hypocritical life and hypocrites are going to receive a portion of weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth. There's just one problem. The Scripture cannot contradict itself. Luke 12:42 begins, “and the Lord said, ‘Who then is that faithful and why? A steward whom His Master will make ruler over his household to give them their portion of food in due season. Blessed is that servant whom is master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler.” This is the same story in Matthew 24. “But if that servant says in his heart, My master delays his coming, he begins to beat the maids, servants and servants and maid servants, and we eat and drink and be drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him at an hour when he is not aware and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.” This is not talking about believers, and it is certainly not talking about the church. He's talking about unbelievers. How is it possible that both the why is servant the faithful servant and the evil servant are called servants of God? Is it possible for an unbeliever to be called a servant of God? In the Old Testament the entire nation of Israel is many time referred to as servant of God, or “My Servant Israel”. Paul's interpretation in Romans 9:1-5 explains. Paul expresses in these verses his own attitude, God's desire as expressed by Christ in Matthew 23:37 “Jerusalem. Jerusalem. How often I would have gathered you together, but you would not.” The breaking heart and the tears of the Lord in Matthew 23 is that breaking heart and the tears of Paul in Romans 9. There are two terms that are used for Jesus Christ throughout the Old Testament as the coming Messiah that are also applied to the nation of Israel – “servant” and “son.” All of those in the nation of Israel were given the privileges that Paul speaks of in verses Romans 9:4-5. What did the name Israel mean? “A prince having power with God and man.” Israel was the name change of Jacob. The entire nation of Israel received many blessing, but rejected Jesus, their Messiah. All of these Israelite treasures, all of these riches were pointing forward to the greatest treasure of all, the coming of the Son of God in the flesh of a Jew. And when they rejected Him. They lost it all because you can't have the blessings without the source of the blessing. You can't have the gifts without the giver. Paul goes on to Romans chapters nine, ten and eleven to show us that because of their rejection of their savior -- like Pharaoh, who hardened his heart and was destroyed --the nation of Israel had hardened their heart. And because of their own belief, they would be destroyed and therefore they would suffer the fate of their unbelief. They would receive their portion with the unbelievers.