Context No. 4209 of 4322 · Revelation

Revelation 5:6-14: in context

6I saw in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. 7Then he came, and he took it out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9They sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the book and to open its seals, for you were killed, and bought us for God with your blood out of every tribe, language, people, and nation, 10and made us kings and priests to our God; and we will reign on the earth.” 11I looked, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. The number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands, 12saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!” 13I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!” 14The four living creatures said, “Amen!” Then the elders fell down and worshiped.

In John's vision of heaven, a scroll no one is worthy to open leaves him weeping, until one is found who can open it. And the one who steps forward is not a conquering lion as expected, but a Lamb, standing as though it had been slain. The whole of heaven then breaks into worship of this Lamb, and the reason they give is his sacrifice: you are worthy, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and nation.

What stands out is why the Lamb is worthy. He is worthy not merely because he is strong, but because he was slain; his worthiness is bound up with his sacrifice. The one at the center of heaven's worship bears the marks of having been killed, and it is precisely as the slain Lamb, who ransomed people by his blood, that he receives the praise of every creature. Heaven worships a Lamb who died.

The center of heaven's praise is the crucified and risen Christ, worshiped for his self-giving sacrifice. What makes him worthy of all honor is that he was slain and by his blood bought people for God from every nation. Our worship, too, finds its center here: at the Lamb who was slain, whose sacrifice ransomed us.

Does my worship center, as heaven's does, on the Lamb who was slain, adoring Christ for the self-giving sacrifice by which he ransomed me, and do I join the song that he is worthy to receive all blessing and honor and glory forever?

Sources

Revelation 5:9: "You are worthy to take the book and to open its seals, for you were killed, and bought us for God with your blood out of every tribe, language, people, and nation."
Revelation 5:12: "Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!"
Revelation 5:6: "I saw... a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain."