The Lord says to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool."
(Verse 1)
"Behold! The Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world!" John 1:29
Heaven was breathless. The Son risen and returning. Thousands upon ten thousands of angels, the living beings that surround the throne of God and twenty-four elders more fervent in their worship as they anticipate His arrival. "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" John, the disciple of Jesus, then saw a scroll in the hands of the One seated on the throne. There was writing on both sides of it and it was sealed with seven seals.
"Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seven seals?" cried a mighty angel in a loud voice that echoed to the ends of heaven.
No one. The silence of it broke John as he waited, looking for someone to come forward. Not one stepped up to the throne, in heaven or earth or from under the earth. All were still in heartbreaking anticipation. The void filled the apostle and he wailed the grief of it. John's keening heard over the worship, cutting through the praise until one of the twenty-four elders noticed. "Don't weep any more!" he cried out to John. "Look! Look there! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered! He can open the scrolls! He can break the seals!"
Fresh from victory, still bloodied as though He'd been slain, was Jesus, the Lamb of heaven, standing at the right hand of God, His Father. Jesus now home. Finished with crosses and the darkness of tombs! The Messiah straight from fulfilling all the hundreds of prophecies set in the earthly book to announce a spiritual victory proclaimed and rejoiced over by the host of heaven. Jesus stood there silently as John moved to see His face, a sacrificial Lamb still bearing the marks of Earth that made Him worthy to finish history by His every command.
Then Jesus moved. Took the scroll from the Father's right hand and heaven's host fell face down before Him. The twenty-four elders held harps and bowls of incense. These bowls were the prayers of God's people, and the fragrant smoke rose to sweeten the throne room as the elders played a song never heard before in heaven. The new song. To a risen Lamb. All the honor Jesus missed from the ignominy of His cross, now split heaven open as the elders loudly sang: "Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth!"
The music of heaven, more full, more harmonious, more breathtaking than John could imagine. And Jesus standing in the midst, made of light, glistening in His glory unashamed of His wounds, aware of the import of the sealed scroll now in His hand, received the adoration shouted from the throngs of heavenly beings whose bodies shook with the fervor of it. "Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"
Suddenly, in response to the rumbling declaration of heaven, John heard the future collide with the present. Every creature in the heavens and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and everything that is in them, cried out, "To Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" Like the roaring of myriad waterfalls, loud and resonating to fill the vacuums in every soul, to shake the mountains of creation and the foundations of heaven, all strove to somehow express the depths of the love they felt with their entire beings.
And the four living beings around the throne shouted, "Amen!" Heaven reverberated as the twenty-four elders fell down once more in abject and unabashed worship before the Lamb.
That is why Jesus could endure the cross, carry our shame, bear our sins. For this. The acknowledgement when He went home that He is the Only One worthy to see us through to the end. The accolades earthy, dusty men failed to honor Jesus with were waiting for Him in the throne room drenched in emerald brilliance, shaking with lightning and thunder. All the hosts waited in breathless anticipation for this day. Legions of angels had to be held back as they watched God the Son murdered on the cross. Mourning pierced heaven when God the Father turned from His Only Begotten Son so the Lamb could bear the just punishment for our sins. But the moment the bloodied Lamb appeared from His destined death, walked up to His Father waiting there with the scroll of the Son's honor in His right hand, He knew He'd come home to finish the work of our salvation, smelling the incense of our continued prayers. In that moment it was worth it all.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily clings to us, and let us run with endurance the race set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, Who, for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12 (italics, mine)
(Verse 1)
"Behold! The Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world!" John 1:29
Heaven was breathless. The Son risen and returning. Thousands upon ten thousands of angels, the living beings that surround the throne of God and twenty-four elders more fervent in their worship as they anticipate His arrival. "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" John, the disciple of Jesus, then saw a scroll in the hands of the One seated on the throne. There was writing on both sides of it and it was sealed with seven seals.
"Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seven seals?" cried a mighty angel in a loud voice that echoed to the ends of heaven.
No one. The silence of it broke John as he waited, looking for someone to come forward. Not one stepped up to the throne, in heaven or earth or from under the earth. All were still in heartbreaking anticipation. The void filled the apostle and he wailed the grief of it. John's keening heard over the worship, cutting through the praise until one of the twenty-four elders noticed. "Don't weep any more!" he cried out to John. "Look! Look there! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered! He can open the scrolls! He can break the seals!"
Fresh from victory, still bloodied as though He'd been slain, was Jesus, the Lamb of heaven, standing at the right hand of God, His Father. Jesus now home. Finished with crosses and the darkness of tombs! The Messiah straight from fulfilling all the hundreds of prophecies set in the earthly book to announce a spiritual victory proclaimed and rejoiced over by the host of heaven. Jesus stood there silently as John moved to see His face, a sacrificial Lamb still bearing the marks of Earth that made Him worthy to finish history by His every command.
Then Jesus moved. Took the scroll from the Father's right hand and heaven's host fell face down before Him. The twenty-four elders held harps and bowls of incense. These bowls were the prayers of God's people, and the fragrant smoke rose to sweeten the throne room as the elders played a song never heard before in heaven. The new song. To a risen Lamb. All the honor Jesus missed from the ignominy of His cross, now split heaven open as the elders loudly sang: "Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth!"
The music of heaven, more full, more harmonious, more breathtaking than John could imagine. And Jesus standing in the midst, made of light, glistening in His glory unashamed of His wounds, aware of the import of the sealed scroll now in His hand, received the adoration shouted from the throngs of heavenly beings whose bodies shook with the fervor of it. "Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"
Suddenly, in response to the rumbling declaration of heaven, John heard the future collide with the present. Every creature in the heavens and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and everything that is in them, cried out, "To Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" Like the roaring of myriad waterfalls, loud and resonating to fill the vacuums in every soul, to shake the mountains of creation and the foundations of heaven, all strove to somehow express the depths of the love they felt with their entire beings.
And the four living beings around the throne shouted, "Amen!" Heaven reverberated as the twenty-four elders fell down once more in abject and unabashed worship before the Lamb.
That is why Jesus could endure the cross, carry our shame, bear our sins. For this. The acknowledgement when He went home that He is the Only One worthy to see us through to the end. The accolades earthy, dusty men failed to honor Jesus with were waiting for Him in the throne room drenched in emerald brilliance, shaking with lightning and thunder. All the hosts waited in breathless anticipation for this day. Legions of angels had to be held back as they watched God the Son murdered on the cross. Mourning pierced heaven when God the Father turned from His Only Begotten Son so the Lamb could bear the just punishment for our sins. But the moment the bloodied Lamb appeared from His destined death, walked up to His Father waiting there with the scroll of the Son's honor in His right hand, He knew He'd come home to finish the work of our salvation, smelling the incense of our continued prayers. In that moment it was worth it all.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily clings to us, and let us run with endurance the race set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, Who, for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12 (italics, mine)
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