Revelation 5:1-10 NASB
I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. [2] And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?” [3] And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. [4] Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; [5] and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” [6] And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. [7] And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. [8] When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. [9] And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. [10] “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
The finished work of Christ accomplished so much, but as far as our humanity is concerned, it accomplished two primary things: the death of the guilty defeated false self in the crucifixion of Christ, and the creation of the righteous victorious true self in the resurrection of Christ. This work of Christ at the Cross required Him to be both the slain Lamb, and Judah’s Lion. In the Lamb slain both sin and the sinner was put to death; and in the Lion of Judah both the saint and the overcomer arose.
The sealed book in Revelation 5 was the book of human history and destiny, and the fact that it was sealed reveals that it was set for the sons and daughters of Adam. It contained your story, and my story, and our destiny sealed because of the fall, and the scroll was written on the inside and on the back; both our past, and our future was written in the book.
The question that the strong angel asked was very simple; “Who is worthy to break the seals and to open the book of human history and destiny.” Who is worthy to open my story and your story. If they could break the set seal and open our story, then they could change the story.
As it became obvious that no one in heaven or on earth, among the living or the dead could break the seal and open the book, the old apostle began to violently weep. As John wept one of the elders (the twenty-four elders are believed to represent the church triumphant in Heaven) told John to stop weeping and told him to “behold” the Lion of Judah, who, because He had overcome, was worthy to open the book and its seven seals. We are then given a different view of Jesus as a Lamb standing, as if slain, and He took the book, and verse 9 says that all fell before the Lamb and they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the book, and to break its seals; for you were slain, and did purchase for God with your blood people from every tribe and tongue and nation.”
It took one who was both the Lamb slain, and the lion of Judah to be worthy to open the book of human history and destiny and to change its story. One who came as a Lamb and took on human flesh, and in so doing became one of us, identifying with the battle that all broken humanity faces, being tempted in every way as us, who would be meek enough to take all of fallen humanity into himself, and One who could rise as the all conquering lion of Judah raising up in His rising a whole new victorious humanity, to break the seals set, and to read a new story over each of our lives. The death and resurrection of Jesus extend backwards and forwards, and the little lamb because of his mighty meekness changed our past, and now our past is His story, and in the rising roaring lion of Judah our future is forever changed, now a part of His story, the One who overcomes.