Revelation 5:9-14 - Fortissimo (ff)
- Chad Werkhoven
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
You've been redeemed with people from all over the world to serve God.
Revelation 5:9-14 (NIV)
CONTEXT: John has been taken into the heavenly throne room where God is worshiped as Creator (Revelation 4). In chapter 5, a scroll appears in God’s hand. This scroll, as William Hendricksen writes, "represents God’s eternal plan, His decree which is all-comprehensive." Only the slain Lamb—Jesus—is found worthy to open it, prompting worship from all creation.
9 And they [the four living creatures and twenty-four elders before God's throne] sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Canons of Dordt
Point 2 - Limited Atonement
Article 8: The Saving Effectiveness of Christ’s Death
For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father
that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death
should work itself out in all the elect,
in order that God might grant justifying faith to them only
and thereby lead them without fail to salvation.
In other words, it was God’s will that Christ
through the blood of the cross
(by which he confirmed the new covenant)
should effectively redeem
from every people, tribe, nation, and language
all those and only those
who were chosen from eternity to salvation
and given to him by the Father;
that Christ should grant them faith
(which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death).
It was also God’s will
that Christ should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins,
both original and actual,
whether committed before or after their coming to faith;
that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end;
and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle.
Summary
What a scene, in which John in a matter of moments goes from weeping in hopeless anguish that nobody can be found worthy enough to unseal the scroll containing God's comprehensive decree, which includes the salvation of His covenant people, to unbridled joy when the Lion-Lamb is found worthy.
As God's throne room begins to swell with heavenly music, the words of the spirits and elders who eternally stand before the throne explain the Lamb's blood soaked worthiness. The infinite value of Christ's death, which we learned of a few weeks ago, purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
Upon this announcement, the heavenly choir grows infinitely greater. Many angels joined in, writes John, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. The very first note they sounded must have rung out through the heavens; if they had sheet music, the first word would have been preceded with the subscript letters ff, meaning fortissimo, indicating to belt it out as loudly as possible.
That word describing the Lamb can't be emphasized enough: WORTHY! Heaven celebrates as it does because finally mankind, represented here by the Lion-Lamb who is Christ, has fulfilled God's covenant requirements. This is why the slain Lamb is worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!
Dig Deeper
William Hendricksen goes on to describe the relationship between this doctrine of Limited Atonement and the reception the Lamb receives before God's throne. He writes,
Here very definitely the Mediator’s present rule or dominion over the universe is described as being a reward for His suffering and death. Both the particular and universal aspects of the atonement are beautifully combined. The Lamb did not purchase the salvation of every single individual. No, He paid the price for His elect, that is, for men out of every tribe and tongue, etc. Yet, on the other hand, there is nothing narrow or national about this redemption. It is world-wide in its scope and embraces every group; ethnic (tribe), linguistic (tongue), political (people), and social (nation). Together all the redeemed constitute a kingdom and priests. (See 1:6.) By means of the incense of their prayers the saints even now reign upon the earth.
Once again, we're reminded that our designation of Christ's atonement as being limited only refers to its application, not to its value or glory. Take time today to thank God that He has saved people from every corner of the earth, and pray that Christ soon returns so we can hear this heavenly choir for ourselves.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live in a manner worthy of one who's been made a kingdom and priests to serve our God;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 16
