Revelation 5:1-6
In verse 1 after such a powerful time of worship the Book is brought out. Much like Church, we finish the worship service, and out comes the Book, (The Bible)!
This Book contains seven seals that have the attention of the Apostle John as he awaits its opening with anticipation.
In verse 2 we read the proclamation being made by an Angel, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?” In all probability this book was not a book as we would know one, it most likely is a scroll of parchment or material used in Heaven, notice in verse one, it was written on the front and on the back.
Verse 3 starts with a disappointment because no one in Heaven, earth or under the earth including Hell is worthy to open the book or to even look inside it.
In verse 4 we see a picture of the extreme disappointment in John because no one was found worthy to open the book. That gives us an estimation of the level of anticipation John had; for he wept “much.”
In verse 5 we see that one of the twenty four Elders tells John to stop crying; the Lion of the tribe of Judah has just shown up! “He is the one who prevailed and is worthy to open the book!”
Then in verse 6 the scene changes; now the Lion is a Lamb. The Lion is representative of the authority of Jesus and The Lamb is representative of the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus.
First the proclamation is of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, yet John is seeing a Lamb with “seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.”
This is where we will deal with the seven spirits and what is happening in this scene that John is observing.
First we need to note of all the sevens used up to this point and further on as we get into this Book. Seven is the number of completion demonstrated in the beginning when the creation of the present earth was completed in six days and God rested on the seventh.
The seventh day is prominently noted throughout the Old Testament; it is also eminent in the Ten Commandments (‘remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.’) This commandment instructed the people to complete all their work in six days and rest on the Sabbath. The Sabbath is always the seventh calendar day of the week.
The number Seven signifies completion or perfection which in the New Testament defines out as spiritual maturity. Colossians 2:10 says ‘we are complete in Him’ and Hebrew 12:23 states ‘the Church is made up of spirits of just men made perfect’ or complete.
The Church was to grow up into Christ; see Ephesians 4:13, yet spiritually it is complete in Christ, the growing up is to be in the soul (the mind, the will, the emotions) and body realms; see James 1:21.
The seven Churches that we have already discussed in previous chapters are the basis of the whole book of Revelation. The book was written to the present day Churches of that era; however it is also for the admonishing of each one of us personally and covered the Church age over the last two thousand years.
Let’s address the seven candlesticks which Jesus said in Chapter one were the seven Churches. A candlestick of that day was a pedestal that held a small burning lamp. It takes two Greek words to give us this rendering. In Chapter 4, verse 5 we see the seven spirits are seven burning lamps before the throne.
Then in Chapter 5, verse 6 The Lamb is described with seven horns and seven eyes. This all represents the seven Churches, the leadership of the Churches, (i.e., the Pastors) and the Angels that represent the Churches before the Throne of God.
Horns in the Bible represent Kings, Kingdoms and Authority, which the Church represents in the earth shown to us in the Chapter 1, verse 6. Then the seven eyes of the Lamb represent the great commission to the Church to go into all the world. We are the Lamb’s eyes, feet, hands, mouths etc…
Remember in Matthew 18:10 Jesus states that ‘children have an Angel that always look into the face of the Father?’ Well, we do not lose our Angel when we grow up, he may just have less to do because of our little faith. Angels have responsibility before God for the Church they are assigned to, which we will see more of their role later in the study.
When John wrote this letter, he did not intend for it to be a mystery. He is writing to the Seven Churches that Jesus selected to represent the whole Body of Christ then and now. All these symbols of seven that are used involve the Church, which is Jesus’ Body in the earth and He is the Lamb before the throne. Even when the Church is in Heaven it will have an effect on earth during the Tribulation Period.
Bottom line is; the Seven Spirits are the Seven Churches which include the people, the leaders and the Angel in charge of each Church.
