Revelation Chapter Five Part Two
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PART TWO
THE KINSMAN REDEEMER
We must keep in mind that for John this was a vision of the Great Day
of the Lord, Zephaniah 1:14 “The great day of the LORD [is] near, [it
is] near, and hasteth greatly, [even] the voice of the day of the LORD:
the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.” The date when John had this
vision is important because He saw the unfolding of church history from
AD 96, when the reign of the Emperor Domitian ended. This is explained
in Revelation 1:9-10, “I John, who also am your brother, and companion
in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in
the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the
testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and
heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.” The Lord’s Day is not
the Sabbath as we have mentioned, and should be rendered Day of the
Lord which is signified by the use of the word trumpet.
At first, he observed only the Lord Jesus Christ upon the throne of His
glory. His attention then moves to another scene. He sees God upon the
throne, and in His hand is a little book or scroll written on both
sides. He observes the search and it appears that no one is worthy to
open the book and to break the seals thereof. Such a scroll was
familiar to John. Even in Ancient Israel, it was possible for adverse
circumstances to reduce an Israelite to slavery. He could wait for the
Year of Jubilee, but it was also always possible for a relative to
redeem him. This kinsman or relative must meet all the conditions
required for redemption. He had to be willing and financially able to
redeem. If he loved his relative he would surely help him. In the
vision John fully understood this. This is why he wept. All creation
would remain cursed and desolate without redemption.
In our previous message in Part One, we stated that the correct
understanding of the remainder of the Book of the Revelation depends
upon the correct interpretation of Revelation 5. This book or scroll
revealed the redemption of all the creation. John sees all the saints
of both dispensations fully redeemed in their resurrection bodies. They
are being prepared at the judgment seat of Christ to reign with Christ
upon the earth. The earth remains under the curse. The earth here
refers only to the Roman earth or world. We must understand this and
failure to do so makes the symbols of Revelation meaningless. This is
one reason why so many can only see all Revelation as future having
future fulfilment.
Therefore, before John proceeds with an account of this tribulation
period that commenced several years before his vision. Now he sees the
Only One Who is worthy to open the sevensealed book.
ADAM LOST HIS INHERITANCE
Adam, by his fall, forfeited his right to be a king over the earth and
came under the curse. The earth refused to yield her increase normally
and man today must wrest from it its treasures by force. Satan today is
the god of this age. He holds claim to the earth by reason of Adam’s
sin, but the earth is destined to be ruled by the saints who are the
Body of Christ, Matthew 5:5, “Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall
inherit the earth.” We constantly pray for this, Matthew 6:10 “Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven.” Most
believers do not understand that they are praying for a literal kingdom
sometimes called the “Messianic Kingdom,” on earth.
The redemption of the earth includes Adamic man, and the mineral,
vegetable and animal realms. The terms of this redemption are contained
in the sevensealed book, hence the search for someone who could and
would redeem the earth by meeting all the conditions set forth in the
little book.
THE THREE CONDITIONS FOR REDEMPTION APPLY.
In the Book of Leviticus, we are told that one who would redeem a
possession lost by a brother must meet three definite conditions
1. He must be a near relative of the one who had lost the
inheritance.
2. He must be willing to act as a Redeemer.
3. He must be able to pay the price of redemption.
Remember these three basic requirements. If such a relative were found,
he could go to the priest, who was also the judge, and demand that the
scroll laid up in the Tabernacle be brought forth, and if he was able
to meet the three conditions he was permitted to redeem the lost estate
and return it to its previous possessor.
We find an example of this recorded in Jeremiah 32. In the days of
Jeremiah Judah was about to go into the Babylonian Captivity because
the refused to obey YHWH. This meant the loss of their inheritance in
Palestine. Jeremiah had confidence in the promises of God concerning
the land’s redemption. He knew the Jews (Judahites) would return to the
land of their possession. Therefore he posted his intention to redeem
the inheritance which was to be lost.
All these details are described by the prophet’s example in Jeremiah
32:6-15, “And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee,
saying, Buy thee my field that [is] in Anathoth: for the right of
redemption [is] thine to buy [it]. So Hanameel mine uncle’s son came to
me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and
said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that [is] in Anathoth, which
[is] in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance [is]
thine, and the redemption [is] thine; buy [it] for thyself. Then I knew
that this [was] the word of the LORD. And I bought the field of
Hanameel my uncle’s son, that [was] in Anathoth, and weighed him the
money, [even] seventeen shekels of silver. And I subscribed the
evidence, and sealed [it], and took witnesses, and weighed [him] the
money in the balances. So I took the evidence of the purchase, [both]
that which was sealed [according] to the law and custom, and that which
was open: And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son
of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle’s
[son], and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of
the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.
And I charged Baruch before them, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts,
the God of Israel; Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase,
both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in
an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days. For thus saith the
LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall
be possessed again in this land.”
Jeremiah met all the scriptural conditions required by a Kinsman
Redeemer:
1. He was a relative, an uncle of the one who lost the possession.
2. He was willing to function as a redeemer, for he obeyed the Lord.
3. He was able. He had the silver to redeem the possession.
THE SEVENSEALED BOOK IN REVELATION
I pray that these facts will assist us in interpreting the sevensealed
book in the hand of the One on the throne of whom we read in Revelation
5. God holds the scroll containing the price and condition for
redeeming the earth and returning it to those who had lost it because
of sin. The entire creation lies under the curse. Soon the redeemed
saints by resurrection will be ready return with Christ to reign upon
the earth. Before this, a Kinsman-Redeemer must be found. He must also
be worthy, fit and able to meet all the terms required for Redemption
of Israel and the world. A search is made of all heaven, earth, and
Hades (the unseen or the grave) but no man qualifies. Finally, the
question of the strong angel is answered. He said, “Who is worthy to
open the book?”
Revelation 5:1-5, “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the
throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven
seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is
worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And, no man in
heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the
book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was
found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And
one of the elders saith unto me, weep not: behold, the Lion of the
tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and
to loose the seven seals thereof. And no man in heaven, nor in earth,
neither under the earth was able to open the book, neither to look
thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and
to read the book, neither to look thereon.
John says that he wept much. He knew that everything depended upon the
finding of a Redeemer and the opening of the sevensealed book
otherwise God’s Word would be untrue. This would mean that God had
promised to do something that He was unable to accomplish. John wept
much because no redeemer was found worthy to open the book, to break
the seal and to meet the conditions for redeeming the earth from the
curse arid restoring it to its fruitfulness and blessing in the Garden
of Eden.
The Redemption of all Israel is vital for the world, Malachi
4:4 “Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto
him in Horeb for all Israel, [with] the statutes and judgments. Behold,
I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and
dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to
the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I
come and smite the earth with a curse.”
THE LION OF JUDAH
While John weeps in despair, one of the elders speaks words of
encouragement, Revelation 5:5 “And one of the elders saith unto me,
Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David,
hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”
John sees the one and only Redeemer. He is called the “Lion of the
Tribe of Judah and the Root of David.” It is the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Redeemer. He has many titles but these two apply here. Jacob foretold
this in Genesis 49:10, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a
lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [shall]
the gathering of the people [be].” The Redeemer, the Lion of the Tribe
of Judah, and the Root of David, had to be a true Judahite from the
tribe of Judah and a member of the House of David. Here we observe both
the humanity and the Deity of Jesus Christ! As a man, He is the
offspring of Judah. As God and the eternal Creator He is the root, the
origin, the creator of David. His words are in Revelation 22:16, “I
Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the
churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, [and] the bright
and morning star.”
The Lord Jesus Christ is both the root and the offspring of David. This
indicates that He alone was worthy to open the book and break the
seals. He fulfilled the three qualifications that the Redeemer must
possess:
1. As the Son of Man, He is related to all mankind.
2. He is qualified and willing to be the Saviour of all, 1 Timothy
4:10, “We trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men,
specially of those that believe.”
3. He is able to be the Redeemer of all as Jude states in Jude
1:24 “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to
present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding
joy.”
He was fit to be a kinsman redeemer because He was the offspring of
David. As a man, Jesus was a descendant of David and therefore a human
being and near relative of humanity, but as the root of David He was
God, Omnipotent God, and therefore fully able to be the Redeemer and to
pay the infinite price of redemption from the curse of sin. Even more
important He is willing, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, “For this [is] good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be
saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST
Infidels claim that Jesus Christ was not Deity but a mere human like
us. They hurl the charge that we build the doctrine of His deity on
Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold,
a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name
Immanuel.” This alone they say is vague evidence. They maintain that
this is the only Biblical reference to His virgin birth and deity, but
to those who have been spiritually born from above and given spiritual
eyes of understanding the entire Bible abounds in direct statements
concerning His deity and supernatural birth.
The first promise in the Bible after the record of man’s fall is a
declaration of the virgin birth and deity of the Redeemer. He is “the
seed of the woman,” rather than “the man”. He alone is called the seed
of the woman, and in the last chapter of the Bible, He is also both the
root and the offspring of David. Between these two verses, one at the
beginning of Genesis and the other at the close of Revelation, we have
scores of references all presenting the same truth.
We only have to read Isaiah 9:6-7, “For unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and
his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of [his]
government and peace [there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David,
and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment
and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of
hosts will perform this.”
As Adamic man He is born a child; as the Son of God He is the Eternal
and Holy One of Israel. This is plainly stated in John 1:1-3, “In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by
him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
Here the Redeemer is God, but John also records His humanity, for he
says in John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father,) full of grace and truth.”
BOTH GOD AND MAN
We cannot understand the fact but we believe that Christ was both
perfect God and perfect man. This was imperative if He was to be the
Redeemer who was to open the book and deliver the earth from the
bondage of sin and corruption. Each broken seal unfolds History
concerning Israel and the Church. John now sees Him as takes the book
out of the Hand of the One on the throne. By this He declares that He
is fit, willing and able to meet the conditions of redemption, because
He is related to us as a human being and able to pay the price because
He is Omnipotent God, Revelation 5:5-6, “And one of the elders saith
unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of
David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals
thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the
four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had
been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven
Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.”
As the elder says to John, “Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda,” he
looks up and sees not a Lion, but a Lamb. John is soon put at rest
when the Lamb as it had been slain, steps forward to take the book and
to open the seals. The Lion and the Lamb are the same Person, namely
the Lord Jesus in his first and second comings. When He came the first
time, He came as the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the
world.” He came as a suffering Saviour to die for us and to pay the
price of redemption. At that time He was rejected and slain, but He is
coming again, as a Lion, not as a Lamb, but as a Lion to roar and
destroy and avenge His enemies. END OF PART TWO
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