Revelation 5,1-5; Populus Zion

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever 

se cwide þæs béaggiefan ábireþ ferhþ

Revelation 5,1-5 (6-14)   0118

1. Sonntag im Advent  01; Populus Zion

Sola, Abbot at Solenhofen, Bavaria ✠ 760

3. Dezember 2017 

1. О Merciful Jesus, Thou hast arrived to see and to save what was lost, grant us the strength of Thy Holy Spirit, so that we may spend this season of Advent in holy meditations and to the edifying of our souls (Starck 50).  Amen.  

2. Then I saw in the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice: „Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?“ And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me: „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.“ 

  3. Advent begins the Church Year and thus opens with Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Advent prepares us to celebrate Jesus’ birth at Christmas by pointing us to His cross. Jesus was born to die as the Lamb of God redeeming the sins of the world. He rode up to Jerusalem on an ass to unfold that redemption.  

  4. Sixty years later, the last remaining apostle, John, had a revelation. At the start of his vision he saw God the Father seated on His throne; a mighty angel proclaimed: »Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?« (Revelation 5,1-2). Was John standing before the throne of the Lord’s judgement or was he before the mercy seat of the Lord’s grace? It’s a mystery! It’s hidden! No one knows, for the scroll is sealed and no one has opened it! Is the verdict guilty or not guilty? We wait with anticipation, nervously eager for the answer. But, alas, John begins to weep loudly, for no one is found worthy to open the scroll or look into it (Revelation 5,4); John looks fervently, but no one in heaven, on the earth or under the earth was found worthy to open the scroll (Revelation 5,3). No one is found in heaven? The archangel Gabriel, who announced the birth of John to Elizabeth and the birth of Jesus to Mary and Joseph, he cannot open the scroll? What about the Archangel Michael, who is the Guardian of the Church, he cannot open the scroll? John is an apostle, hand-picked by Jesus Himself, and the last remaining apostle living on the earth, not even he, beloved by Jesus can open the scroll? We shudder to think of the underworld! Satan, the archangel who’s abode will be hell, the great accuser of mankind, cannot open this scroll? O how he would relish the task and spew out more condemnation upon us, but thankfully even he is unworthy to open the scroll in the hand of God the Father. Truly John weeps for us all as no one is found to open that holy scroll and its hidden words. 

5. At the bleakest moment, a voice of encouragement is heard! One of the 24 elders seated around the Divine throne speaks up: »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!« (Revelation 5,5). All of heaven erupts in praise and worship for Jesus is found worthy to open the seals and read the scroll (Revelation 5,6-14). 

6. The 1. seal releases a rider who goes forth conquering. The 2. seal unleashes Warfare, the 3. seal Famine and the 4. seal Death and Hades! The 5. seal reveals all the Christians who were martyred for their faith in Jesus. The 6. seal portends the day of great tribulation as the earth quakes and the sun turns dark (Revelation 6,1-17)! This does not bode well! Why open those seals? Keep the 7. sealed lest it be worse than the previous six! But open that fine seal Jesus did, and all heaven went silent for half an hour (Revelation 8,1). John ponders what he has thus seen in his apocalypse, and he recalls a similar day, a day he witnessed with his own tear-streaked eyes: the day his friend and messiah was crucified. The emblem of the Roman legions went forth as a conqueror paving the procession of Jesus to Calvary. The roman guards were arrayed in their terrifying implements of warfare. Famine, death and hades befell upon Jesus the Christ and who became the chief martyr off Good Friday. The earth quaked and the sun went dark the moment He died. But 3 days later John saw Jesus risen from death and alive. Ah, the 7. and final seal may be comforting! 7. The 7. seal culminates with Christ returning from heaven on a white horse at His second advent; the host of heaven descends with Him (Revelation 19). The wicked are judged and the Church is gathered up for everlasting life at the dawning of the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 20). 

8. Jesus is worthy to open the seals and read the scroll in His Father’s hand. John tells us: »Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory and blessing« (Revelation 5,12)! 

9. And so we await Jesus’ 2. advent by remembering His 1. advent that culminates with Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. This blessed Holy Week culminates with Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection for the redemption of the world. This is why in his vision John sees heaven worshipping Jesus: He is the world’s Savior and at His return He will draw the 1. heaven and the 1. earth into completion. This Jesus is the Lion of Judah and the Root of David. He entered Jerusalem as a humble prince on an ass, but He will return to Earth as a glorious king one an horse. Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed (Romans 13,11); for blessed is Jesus who arrives in the Name of the Lord (Matthew 21,9)!  Amen.  

10. Let us pray. O Christ, out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, You shine forth; do not keep silent, so that by the declaration of Your mouth You proclaim our sins forgiven and the gates of heaven opened to us.  Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. 

The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers, Vol. 4. © 1963 Henry Regnery Co. 

VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2013 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. 

Starck, Johann Friedrich. Starck’s Prayer Book. Copyright © 2009 Concordia Publishing House.