Chapters four and five of Revelation form a vision of the throne of God. Chapter five amplifies what is recorded in chapter four by focusing on the Lamb, the eternal Son of God. The result is a vision of God’s throne which is explicitly Trinitarian and focused on God’s glory in the salvation of his people. It is a scene of awesome glory such that John is restricted to the use of simile and metaphor to describe what he is shown.

As John continues to survey the action all around the throne he notices something which brings him to a point of profound grief. In the hand of the One who sits upon the throne is a scroll representing the completion of God’s redemptive work, the final consummation of the ages. But the scroll is sealed with seven seals, marks of ownership. Only the One whose authorization is impressed within the seals is worthy to break them and open the scroll, thus bringing about the final judgment and the new creation. It initially appears as though there is no one worthy to open the scroll and bring about the consummation of the age. And for this, John weeps in bitter grief (vs. 4).

But one of the 24 elders says to John, “Weep no more; 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” (vs. 5). As John peers through the glorious light he sees One near the throne who is likewise encircled by endless praise. And what he writes are among the mightiest words in all of Scripture, “I saw a Lamb…” (vs. 6). The conquering Lion of Judah is also the Lamb of God. Readers of the Old Testament and the Gospel accounts understand immediately that this is the eternal Son of God, the incarnate second Person of the Trinity. He bears the marks of crucifixion, having died in the place of his people. These are the wounds of humiliation and human cruelty but they are also the marks of divine grace: “Those wounds yet visible above in beauty glorified…All hail Redeemer hail! For Thou hast died for me; Thy praise and glory shall not fail throughout eternity.”