Revelation (Written)

Saturday, 14 November 2020

saying with a loud voice:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” Revelation 5:12

What is recorded here is based on what was said in the previous verse –

“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice…”

With that context understood, the voice of the many angels is described now as megalē. It is variously translated as loud, mighty, great, and so on. Some translations also change the word “saying” to “singing,” to convey the idea that this doxology is actually sung out. Either way, their words are words of great exaltation and laud concerning the event that took place before them, beginning with, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.”

Like the previous doxology from the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders, the focus is not merely on the Lamb, but that He was slain. What is implied is that the Lamb was worthy prior to having been slain, but that the slaying of the Lamb completes the idea of worthiness. In other words –

The Lamb was born worthy; pure and undefiled, and qualified to complete a mission.
The Lamb lived worthily without ever sinning. He remained qualified throughout His life.
The Lamb died in sinless perfection. Thus, He was not only qualified to take the scroll, but He was now worthy of doing so as well.

Death was a necessary part of the Lamb’s mission. Until death in a sinless state occurred, the argument by someone could be made that the Lamb could potentially sin. Thus, the scroll would need to be withheld from the Lamb based on this “what if” scenario.

However, in His death of sinless perfection, the mission came to an end. There could never be a challenge to the right to take the scroll. In Christ’s death under the Law of Moses, the law was fulfilled. In fulfilling the law, it was annulled (Hebrews 7:18), made obsolete (Hebrews 8:13), and taken away (Hebrews 10:9). Paul gives the appropriate symbolism in Colossians 2 –

“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, ¹⁴ having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13, 14

Nobody walked up to the cross of Christ and nailed a copy of the Law of Moses to it. Rather, the symbolism Paul is conveying is that Christ, the embodiment (and thus the fulfillment) of the law, died on the cross. As He embodies the law, and as He died, the law died (annulled, made obsolete, and taken away) with Him. In Christ, His people likewise die to the law.

This is what is being conveyed in the doxology. It is the slaying of the Lamb that makes this possible. In His death, He who was qualified and capable of receiving the scroll also become worthy:

“To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

Power – (Note: there is an article in the Greek before “power.” It is “the power.”) As the Creator, He was entitled to all power and authority, but He set that aside to walk and dwell among us. However, after the resurrection, He said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). With authority comes power. Jesus has complete and absolute power over the created order because of His having prevailed.

Riches – This includes every tangible part of the creation. Not only does He have rule over the creation, but He is the owner of it. He is the Creator and He is the Redeemer. Everything belongs to Him alone. We are only His servants participating in the abundance of His wealth.

Wisdom – In 1 Corinthians 1:24, Christ is called “the wisdom of God.” What God has done has been done through Jesus Christ. This includes the way creation occurred and how it continues to work and be sustained. Further, the way God has preordained the plan of redemption demonstrates the execution of His infinite intelligence. The depths of His wisdom are embodied in the Person of Jesus.

Strength – The concept of strength belonging to God permeates the Bible, such as in the psalms – “To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises” (Psalm 59:17). Jesus Christ is worthy to receive this honor because it came from Him and is now returning to Him as the Victor.

Honor – This includes reverence, respect, and worship. Because He prevailed, Jesus has the right to all of these now and forevermore. When we bow before God, when we proclaim the majesty of God, when we pray to God, we do these things through Jesus Christ.

Glory – In God, there is no darkness. He is the infinite brightness of splendor and radiance. Jesus Christ is the One who reveals this to us. Towards the end of Revelation, it says, “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light” (Revelation 21:23). Jesus Christ receives and directs the full glory of God. He is the very light that dispels the darkness.

Blessing – There are two types of blessing that should be noted. The first is the blessing from a greater to a lesser, such as when a father blesses his son. The other blessing is the one spoken of here and can be equated with “praise.” Jesus is worthy of all blessing and praise. He created us, and therefore He is to be blessed. He redeemed us, and therefore He is to be blessed. He sustains us, and therefore He is to be blessed.

Life application: The heavenly choir of angels – an innumerable number of them – joins with the living creatures and the elders to proclaim the infinite worth of the Lamb. This Lamb was slain, and He bears the marks of His death as a testament to the ages that He paid the price for the people of the world. They call out seven ways in which He is worthy. He is to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing.

Yes! Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is Jesus! For all eternity, may the souls of God’s people bless the Lord! He is great, He is glorious, and He is worthy! He is JESUS!

O Lord our God, You are infinitely worthy of power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing! May we never fail to give You these through the Person of Jesus. He is the One who humbled Himself even to death so that we may have life. Through Him we ascribe to You the splendor and majesty that You are due! Amen.

Friday, 13 November 2020

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, Revelation 5:11

After the song of praise from the living creatures and the twenty-four elders, John’s attention is again redirected. As he says, “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders.” The Greek reads ēkousa phōnēn, “I heard a voice.” It is singular. One can imagine this immense heavenly host breaking out in a single united voice.

Further, it is as if he didn’t even see these angels before. His attention was so captivated by the vision of the scroll, the Lamb, and so on, that the angels were completely out of his focus, but now, because of their voice, they come into clarity of vision. Once in focus, John was certainly awed at what he saw, describing the scene in a superlative way, saying, “and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand.”

In this, the Greek reads, myriades myriadōn, or “myriads of myriads.” A myriad signifies ten thousand. So, a literal reading would be ten thousands of ten thousands. If counted exactly, it would be one hundred million. However, the term in the plural is simply given to express an immense, or even unlimited number. That this is a superlative, and not an exact number, is then seen in the addition of the next words, which say, “and thousands of thousands.”

The Greek reads, chiliades chiliadōn, or “thousands of thousands.” The word chilias signifies one thousand. Saying “thousands of thousands” is again a way of expressing a superlative. By adding it to the previous number, the idea is that John is viewing an inexpressible multitude. It is a number he wouldn’t even attempt to exactingly count.

Such a heavenly multitude is described elsewhere in Scripture, such as –

“The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
Even thousands of thousands;
The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.” Psalm 68:17

In the end, the number of the heavenly host that is around the scene set before him is immense, and what their purpose in the divine vision is will next be seen.

Life application: People write songs about the voices of angels, knowing that they must be the sweetest sound of all – like a heavenly concert. In this vision, there weren’t just a few. Rather, their number went on and on and on. The sight that John saw encompassed a number of angels that was simply impossible to count.

Think on what is being relayed. Jesus, before His crucifixion, said, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. ⁵³ Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?” (Matthew 26:52-54).

All of the power of the heavenly hosts was at Jesus’ disposal, and yet He willingly suffered for the sins of fallen man. If you wonder what you are worth to Jesus, it is reflected in this thought today. All of the power of heaven could have been brought to save Jesus from the cross, but He died for you.

Jesus said something else on similar lines, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

In other words, all of the riches of the world are not worth one human soul. What we cannot always see clearly is brought into absolute clarity of focus at the cross of Jesus. And so, the angels’ voice is raised to proclaim the majesty they beheld. As this is so, shouldn’t we likewise proclaim the magnificence of our Lord! He is worth all of our praise, because He is JESUS!

Lord, when I have doubts about my own worth, all I need to do is to reflect on the cross. What You did for fallen man includes each of us, unworthy as we are. We are so sorry for the sins of our lives, and we are sorry that they necessitated Your sacrifice. We will forever sing Your praises as we gather around Your glorious heavenly throne. Amen.

Thursday, 12 November 2020

And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:10

This verse continues and completes the doxology sang by the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders concerning the triumph of the Lamb. In it, there are several significant differences between source texts. Placed side by side, they read –

“And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.” NKJV

“You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.” Holman

The latter text certainly fits what is being presented far better. The living creatures and elders are in heaven. Therefore, to say “we” makes no sense, unless they are taken as representing the people of God as a whole. If so, then “we” instead of “they” can be allowed.

Further, the previous verse said, “Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” Therefore, to say “they” instead of “we” again makes the most sense. Finally, instead of “kings and priests,” it reads “a kingdom and priests.” Again, as Christ is the King, and as His people are given the priestly duty of sharing the gospel, this makes by far the most sense. It is, therefore, from this perspective that this verse should probably be considered.

And so, with that understood, they first sing forth, “You made them a kingdom and priests to our God.” It is reflective of the words of Revelation 1:6 –

“and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father–the glory and dominion are His forever and ever. Amen.” Holman

As noted in the commentary of verse 1:6, that verse (and indeed countless other verses also), as well as this verse, are misused by hyperdispensationalists in their claim that there are two gospels – one to the Jews and one to the Gentiles. They claim that the kingdom belongs to the Jews, as do the priestly services. Such claims are false.

The idea of being part of a kingdom permeates Paul’s writings, the term “kingdom” being applied to believers almost fifteen times. It would be rather stupid to have a kingdom without a King. Further, the idea of being priests is not limited to the Jewish people and a Jewish kingdom. Paul uses the term in the book of Romans, saying –

“But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, ¹⁶ to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:15, 16 (NASB)

Paul shows that preaching the gospel is a priestly duty in the New Covenant. He then says this to those at Corinth –

“Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? ¹⁴ Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.” 1 Corinthians 9:13

Again, Paul directly equates preachers of the gospel to the priests who ministered in the temple under the Old Covenant, demonstrating that they were only types of what would come in the New Covenant. Thus, this is speaking of all in the church who are a part of the kingdom of Christ and who share the gospel as priest. This is in service to God. Understanding that, the doxology finishes with, “and they will reign on the earth.”

The verb is in the future tense. However, Vincent’s Word Studies says, “Read βασιλεύουσιν they reign. Their reigning is not future, but present.” This makes complete sense. The kingdom of God that is being referred to is not an earthly kingdom, but a spiritual one. Even now this kingdom reigns. This does not, however, negate a literal kingdom in the millennium where Israel will be exalted above the nations.

However, the spiritual kingdom spoken of in the epistles is referred to both in the sense of here and now, and also in the future. Paul speaks of it as “right now” in verses such as Romans 14:17. He refers to it as a future reality in verses such as 1 Corinthians 15:50.

Life application: Care must be taken when evaluating differences in verses from various source texts. Without taking the whole counsel of God into consideration, false doctrines – such as hyperdispensationalism – are an inevitable result. Always be ready to consider variations with an open mind when they are supported by Scripture elsewhere.

In the end, let us trust that the differences that do exist can be explained, and let us trust that the word we have is sufficient for all matters of doctrine and understanding the greater plan of redemption that is found in the pages of Scripture.

What a wonderful Lord! What a wonderful Savior! You brought us out of the chains of sin and condemnation, and You have freed us to be Your servants. But even more, You have given us the right to serve You in Your kingdom – even now – if we will just step forward and participate. We stand up and praise You, O God. Thank You for the precious gift of Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen.

Wednesday, 11 November 2020

And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, Revelation 5:9

In Chapter 4, the living creatures and the twenty-four elders were seen to fall before the One on the throne, saying –

“You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.” Revelation 4:11

That was a doxology of praise to the Lord for His creative efforts.

Now, in Chapter 5, the living creatures and the twenty-four elders are seen to fall before the Lamb. In this, it says, “And they sang a new song, saying.” The verb is in the present tense – “they are singing.” The song of creation has been sung, but creation was marred by the sin of man. Paul referred to the fallen state of creation in Romans 8 –

“For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. ²³ Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” Romans 8:22, 23

Fallen things must be redeemed. Now, the heavenly scene shows that the Creator, Jesus Christ, has become the Redeemer. The song that the heavenly chorus sings is an ongoing song that begins with, “You are worthy to take the scroll.”

The Lamb is worthy because He had done what no other creature in all of creation could do. He alone was able to approach the throne of God and to receive the scroll that none other could touch, or even look at. The Lamb prevailed and earned the right “to open its seals.”

Not only could He take the scroll, but He has the power to break the seals and to effect the purposes of the holy God upon the world. None other could because no other was found worthy. But the Lamb could because, as the heavenly chorus testifies, “For You were slain.”

As in verse 5:6, the word here signifies to butcher. In this case, it was in sacrifice. The Lamb became an offering before God. This doesn’t mean that there is nothing else worthy in the Lamb except the sacrifice, but that the sacrifice is the highlight and consummation of all other worthiness. In other words, the Lamb had to be pure and undefiled to be acceptable.

The slaying of the Lamb highlighted that fact. Everything about Jesus Christ and His worthiness comes into focus at the cross of Calvary. It is the cross that revealed His infinite worth in all other areas. This is confirmed as the song continues with, “And have redeemed us.”

The word translated as “redeemed” is agorazó. It signifies the act of buying in a marketplace, and thus to purchase. Christ has come into the “marketplace of the world,” and purchased His people back “to God.” In other words, it was through the slaying of the Lamb that the purchase was made, and that act was acceptable to bring fallen man back to His Creator. Thus, it was an act of redemption. And it was accomplished, as it says, “by Your blood.”

Rather than “by,” the Greek reads “in.” Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God, has redeemed man to God in His blood. The purchase was made through the slaying, but the price paid is His blood. It is reflective of the words of Peter –

“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; ¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:17-19

It is the blood of Christ that has paid the price to redeem fallen man to God. The implication is that no other price is acceptable, and it confirms the words of Jesus of John 14:6 –

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

If Satan possesses the right to fallen man, and the price paid to bring us back to God is the blood of Christ, then all either belong to the devil still, or they belong to God because of Christ. There are no other options available. The church, meaning the people of God, are brought near to Him through this transaction. Again, as Paul noted in Acts –

“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” Acts 20:28

It is the incarnation of God in the Person of Jesus Christ who has made this possible. And in His sacrifice, He has redeemed people, “Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”

The word translated as tribe is phulé. It is the root of our modern words that begins with “phyl,” such as phylum, phylogeny, and so on. It signifies a tribe of people, such as race or lineage. It is used to refer to the twelve tribes of Israel, but here it extends to every tribe of people.

The next word, translated as “tongue,” is glossa. It refers to any known languages.

The third word, translated as “people,” is laos. Here, it signifies people in general, even a crowd.

Finally, the fourth word, translated as “nation,” is ethnos. It refers to any race, people, or nation found throughout the world.

The use of these four descriptors is to show the all-encompassing power of the blood of Christ to redeem, and the all-effectual nature of the redemption. No person or group of people who fall into some particular category is excluded, and all are included in the possible redemption. For those who come to God through Christ, they go from “potential redemption” to “actually redeemed.”

It is to be noted again (as was noted in verse 4:11) that in the giving of the Ten Commandments, as is recorded in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 4, the reason for the giving of the Sabbath follows the pattern of the doxologies of Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 of Revelation – Creation and then Redemption. This can be seen when they are placed side by side –

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11

“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁴ but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. ¹⁵ And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.” Deuteronomy 5:13-15

One can see in this that the “rest” of God which was first referred to after the six days of creation is finally realized in God’s act of redemption through Jesus Christ. All who come to Christ “do enter that rest” (Hebrews 4:3). In other words, the Sabbath of God is not a day of the week, but a state of existence. Israel’s weekly Sabbath was given as a type, or shadow, of what is offered in Christ. Now that Christ has come, those who believe in Him enter the true rest of God. Thus, Paul reveals that we now exist in a state that the Sabbath, and the other Old Covenant types, only anticipated –

“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷ which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” Colossians 2:16, 17

Life application: Worthy! The Lamb is worthy; the Lion has prevailed; the scroll will be opened after all. The Creator is now the Redeemer.

Before, the call was made to all humanity – “Is there no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth who could open the scroll, or look at it?” Everything appeared to be lost, and all humanity was unworthy – dead in sins. But then came Christ Jesus! The slain Lamb stepped forward – the One who redeemed us to God by His own precious blood. God’s plan for the ages is fulfilled in the God/Man – Jesus Christ.

And this plan isn’t for a certain group of people only. Jews are covered – yes, of course. They are the line from whom Jesus can trace His earthly lineage. But this isn’t just about the Jews… This is about “every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”

Do you dislike someone because he is Asian? Jesus has shed His blood to redeem him too. Do you feel somehow superior to the Mexicans who moved in down the road? Jesus’ life was given so that they too can have the offering of eternal life. Does the thought of sharing a table with an African upset you? Jesus has offered them a seat at the Feast which is coming – a heavenly banquet. When you were stationed in the Philippines, did the customs of the locals make you long for home to get away from such people? Jesus has sent them an invitation as well.

If you are bearing some ill will towards a different ethnic group, culture, nation, or language, you need to re-evaluate your thinking. They are God’s image-bearers and equal with you in all ways. Acts 17:26 bears this out –

“From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”

We all came from one man – Adam. We are all one group – human beings. And we are all given the same opportunity to call on the name of Jesus. God is no respecter of persons. The Lamb died for all. The Lamb prevailed for all. The Lamb is JESUS!

Lord, it is true that we have held bitterness towards people of other cultures. Most of us have felt ill will towards them. In this, we have failed to look at the greater picture – that they are, in fact, a part of the same human family. We came from the same father, Adam, and each bears Your image too. Give us the sense, the will, and the heart to love those whom we have not loved in the past. Amen.

Tuesday, 10 November 2020

Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Revelation 5:8

In the previous verse, the Lamb came forward and had taken the scroll out of the right hand of the One who sat on the throne. From there, John continues the scene. He says, “Now when He had taken the scroll.”

The verb reverts to the aorist tense here and should say, “Now when He took the scroll.” This is the moment of victory. The Lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed, and He did it in the form of an innocent, slain Lamb. Through death, the victory has been obtained and the right to the scroll has been obtained. With this, “the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb.”

The act signifies worship. Normally it would be a fully prostrate position. However, the next words would seem to preclude that. Either way, they fall down before the Lamb in “glory and honor and thanks” (verse 4:9). This then explains the meaning of the word “whenever” in 4:9. At such a marvelous moment, such as now with the Lamb taking the scroll, the words of that verse come to pass.

The symbolism of the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders falling down is that of 1) the gospel message (the four living creatures, thus signifying any who have received it) and 2) all of the heavenly government (symbolized by the twenty-four elders). In this, they acknowledge the Lamb for His glorious achievement.

John next says of them (probably only meaning the twenty-four elders), “each having a harp.” The word is kithara. The word is found only in 1 Corinthians 14:7 and three times in Revelation. Vincent’s Word Studies explains it –

“Κιθάρα harp signifies an instrument unlike our harp as ordinarily constructed. Rather a lute or guitar, to which latter word kithara is etymologically related. Anciently of a triangular shape, with seven strings, afterwards increased to eleven. Josephus says it had ten, and was played with a plectrum or small piece of ivory.”

The word is the root of our modern word “guitar.” These are not the harps of David’s time, known as gittiyth and kinor. Nor are they the Greek style of lyres. Instead, these are more closely associated in sound and style with guitars. In the Bible, harps and similar instruments are seen in connection with service to God, prophesying, and so on. The harps here would be used in connection with the worship and praise of the Lamb. Next, John says, “and golden bowls full of incense.”

The word is phialé. One can see the etymological root of the word vial in it, but the word vial as is used today does not convey the idea of what is being seen. Rather, it signifies a shallow, flat bowl. The incense in these vessels is then explained for us, saying, “which are the prayers of the saints.”

Because the incense is explained here, there is no need to go beyond this to find any other meaning. However, the symbolism is also explained in this manner elsewhere –

“Lord, I cry out to You;
Make haste to me!
Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.
² Let my prayer be set before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” Psalm 141:1, 2

Life application: Until now, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders have fallen down before the One on the throne – the eternally existent God and Creator of all things, who is Jesus. But now it says they “fell down before the Lamb.” Jesus is God united with human flesh. This will always be so. He will never cease to be other than the God/Man. As such, it is to Him that our attention, thoughts, allegiance, and worship are to be directed. This is the point of the symbolism we have been given. Jesus has prevailed!

As a point of doctrine, the symbolism of the incense representing the “prayers of the saints,” it is important to understand that God only accepts the prayers of true believers.

In the Old Testament, authorized incense was never to be mixed with any other. When it was, the people offering it died. This lesson is important for us – we are never to pray with non-believers in inter-faith prayer gatherings. By doing so, we are telling them that their prayers are as valid as ours. In this, we – by default – are condoning the false god they worship. Only one type of prayer is acceptable to God and that is prayer offered to, and through, Jesus Christ.

The Lamb is worthy. He receives worship, He receives petition, and He receives prayers. He is the Prophet, Priest, and King. He is JESUS!

How marvelous is Your plan, O God! You have never lost control! When we thought all was lost, Your plan was being carried out in the Person of Jesus Christ. The Lamb of God has prevailed and we are saved! Praises be to You for the marvelous workings of Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen.