Revelation Chapter 5

In Chapter 5, we see what Jesus, the Lamb of God, accomplished on the cross and the results of His sacrifice.  John saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne of God, a book that had writting on the inside and on the back.  A strong angel, probably one of the Arc angels.  Enoch had seen four angels before the throne of God.  He told of Michael, who was over the merciful and patient; Raphael, who was over the suffering and afflicted; Gabriel, who was over the powerful; and Phanuel, who was over repentance.   So probably one of these four Arc angels was the one who cried out,"Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seal?" John began weaping because no one in heaven, or on earth or under the earth was found to be worthy enough to open the book and look into it.  One of the 24 elders that were before the throne told John to stop weeping, saying, 
                        "Behold the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David,
                           has overcome as to open the book and the seven seals."
Then John saw in the middle of the throne and the 4 living creatures, and in the middle of the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having 7 horns and 7 eyes, which are 7 Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.  I am always intrigued by the 7 Spirits of God and with Spirits being capitalized means that they are actually a part of the existence of the Living God, that are out into all the earth.  These 7 Spirits are a part of the Lamb of God.  You cannot seperate Jesus from the Living God.  Isaiah wrote in his 44th Chapter, verse 6, that God said, "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of host: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me."  Jesus is the first and the last, as we have learned already in the earlier chapters of Revelation.  With God being One, it is obvious that there are many attributes and exstensions of this One God.  It is much more than any of us can even begin to comprehend.  If we can understand that all the fullness of God dwells in the existance of Jesus then we can see who God is, by knowing Jesus.

John then saw the Lamb take the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.  When the lamb took the book, the 4 living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb, having each a harp, and golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.  Notice how God refers to the prayers of the saints.  He looks at the prayers as incense, a pleasent aroma.  The prayers of the saints are precious to God.
The 4 and 24 sang a new song, saying'
                           "Worthy art Thou to take the book and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and dist purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.  And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

Anyone, from anywhere on this earth, who receives what Jesus did for them on the cross, will receive the things that are promised in this song.  The saints will reign with Jesus over the earth during Jesus' mellinial reign.  Their dwelling will be in the heavenly Jerusalem, that Jesus is preparing at this very moment, and they will rule from there.  In the gospel of John Capter 14, verses 1 - 6, Jesus told His disciples this,
                     "Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
                      In my fathers house are many dwelling places; if it were not so,
                      I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
                      And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again,
                      and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
                      And you know the way where I am going."
Thomas said to Him," Lord, we do not know where you are going, how do we know the way?"
                      Jesus said to him," I am the way, and the truth, and the life;
                      No one  can come to the father, but through Me."

Then John looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads and myriads, and thousands and thousands, saying with a loud voice,
                               "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches
                                and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."

The least shall be the greatest in the kingdom of God.  The biggest servant shall shall be the greater in the kingdom of God.  John tells us in the 1st Chapter of his gospel, that 'God Himself became flesh', taking on the form of a man, became the sacrificial Lamb Himself.  He became the least, taking on Himself the sins of the world.  Jesus was the greatest servant of all,
serving up Himself to death, burying both sin and death in the grave.  When he rose again, He was raised in glory.  Therefore, He is worthy of the honor, of being the greatest in heaven.  No greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for a friend.

What John has seen here are three seperate progressions of time before the throne of God;
1st - John sees before the throne when Jesus is declared the One worthy to open the book.
2nd - John sees the saints before thone after the ressurection of the saints.
3rd - John sees before the throne, the white throne judgement after the 1000 year reign of Jesus.

The 3rd vision is when John goes on to say,                     
And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying,
                            " To Him Who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing
                              and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever"
Then the 4 creatures kept sayig , "Amen" (so be it) And the elders fell down and worshiped.

These 3 visions can be summed up in what the apostle Paul wrote about in his letter to the Philippians Chapter 2, verses 5 - 11,
                             " Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who,
                               although He existed in the form of God, did not reguard equality with God
                               a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond -servant,
                               and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance of man,
                               He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even
                               death on a cross. Therefore God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him
                               the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow,
                               of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that
                               every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Isaiah wrote this in his 45th Chapter, verses 21 -23,
                                "Is it not I the Lord? And there is no other God before Me, A righteous God
                                 and a Savior; There is none except Me.  Turn to Me, and be saved, all the
                                 ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.  I have sworn by Myself,
                                 The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back,
                                 That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance."
The name Jesus(Yeshua) means the Lord our Salvation.  So Jesus is the Savior, and God is the only Savior, then Jesus is God.  If A = B and  B = C, then A = C.
                             
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