Revelation 5: Seven Eyes and Seven Spirits

Today’s reading is Revelation 5.

John looked to see the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, but instead saw a Lamb that had been slain. But this Lamb had seven horns on which were seven eyes, which were the seven spirits of God. Click here to reread last week’s post explaining the seven spirits as an apocalyptic presentation of the Holy Spirit. We don’t want to rehash that point from last week. This week, we want to notice the Lamb, Jesus, has the seven spirits.

Earlier in the week, as we considered Jesus as the “root of David,” we looked back at Isaiah 11:1. Allow me to share it again, this time reading on into vs. 2:

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit and knowledge and the fear of the Lord (ESV).

The root of Jesse, of David’s father, would have the Spirit of the Lord. But not just any measure of the Spirit of the Lord. He would have a sevenfold measure of the Spirit of the Lord. Count the descriptors in the passage: seven. The Messiah, the new David would have the Spirit in full measure, in sevenfold measure.

Sadly, because of modern debates about the Holy Spirit, we miss what is promised here. In the Hebrew Scriptures, we should remember the judges and deliverers who repeatedly brought deliverance because the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon them. See Othniel in Judges 3:10, Gideon in Judges 6:34; Jephthah in Judges 11:29; and Samson in Judges 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14. Of course, recall in 1 Samuel 16:13, the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David. In the next chapter, David defeated Goliath.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the Spirit of the Lord was the empowering presence of God to strengthen His people to accomplish His victorious goals for them. Isaiah 11:1-2, and other passages, explained we would know when the Messiah arrived because He would have the empowering presence of the Lord’s Spirit in full measure. John the Baptizer saw the Spirit coming upon Jesus according to John 1:32-34 and was, therefore, able to testify He is the Son of God.

In Revelation 5, John the apostle saw an apocalyptic presentation of Jesus as a slain Lamb full of the sevenfold Spirit of God. He was/is the Messiah. The fulness of God dwelt in Him bodily (Colossians 1:19). By Him, we are delivered.

In Revelation, this is fantastic news. Remember, the early readers were beset by enemies. They were in the middle of intense tribulation and persecution. Like the ancient Israelites in the days of the judges and the early kings, the Gentiles plagued them. What did they need? They needed a deliverer. They needed a deliverer full of the empowering presence of God who would go out conquering the enemies. They needed an Othniel, a Gideon, a Jephthah, a Samson. They needed a David. Then needed a victor, a rescuer, a deliverer.

John makes it clear. We have One. He is Jesus Christ the Lord. He doesn’t have the Spirit in partial measure. He has the sevenfold, full measure of God’s empowering presence.

Praise the Lord! Our King delivers!

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 5.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Revelation 5 prompt or improve your hope in God?

Revelation 5: The Lion of the Tribe of Judah

Today’s reading is Revelation 5.

When one of the elders told John not to weep because One had been found worthy to open God’s sealed scroll, he claimed:

Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals (Revelation 5:5, ESV)

Here at the end, John is taken back to the beginning. Perhaps not all the way to the beginning, but to Genesis 49:9-12. When Jacob blessed his twelve sons before his death, he declared of Judah:

Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples (ESV).

This lion of the tribe of Judah is the root of David. Isaiah foretold a new “David” in Isaiah 11:1, 4-5:

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit…with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins (ESV).

And again in Isaiah 11:10:

In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples–of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious (ESV).

The elder told John that the Messiah, the King, the Lord, the ultimate David had finally come. God’s plans for His people could finally play out. All that had been sealed and waiting was free to occur because the Lion had conquered. He had won the victory.

That’s our King, the conqueror. He had vanquished the enemies. Therefore, the scroll could be opened. Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 5.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Revelation 5 admonish you?