Revelation Chapter Five The Title Deed of The Earth

If there is one chapter in GodÂ’s Holy Word that stands out like the Rock of Gibraltar for our future, this must be it. This earth has become a cesspool: filth, garbage, human debauchery, and demonic activity are riding like a victorious army across the entire world, spreading its moral sewer as they go. But listen to this preacher, this false triumph of darkness is ripe for judgment and our Holy God will have the last word. The devilÂ’s business for six thousand years has been to turn the beautiful into the ugly, the well-watered plains into a wilderness, and to spread sorrow and destruction on this earth.

Satan walked proudly into the Garden of Eden for the very purpose of supplanting GodÂ’s wonderful design in that luxurious place. When he had lied, deceived, and stolen his way into the hearts of Adam and Eve, he had to crawl his way out of that formerly harmonious place. Although he had stolen the title deed of this earth, he certainly had no glory for his success. From that day, he has been the god of this earth. Every false religion is his design and every god other than the true God is nothing but the devil disguised in a religious coat. Any person that is willing to follow the present design of praying without naming the name of Jesus as their right of entrance is actually praying to the devil. The false god of this world is riding his way to hell on the back of the false one-world religion and a multitude is riding with him.

This fifth chapter of Revelation is the Father and SonÂ’s revelation of the coming redemption of this earth. This entire cosmos that we live in and the earth that we live on is ripe for redemption. The darker it gets and the more evil we see triumphing, the closer we are getting to the earthÂ’s cleansing. The cup of wrath must be filled to the brim. God acts only in full judicial perfection. Satan must be allowed, along with his entire horde, to complete their claim on this earth. The Father intends for this worldÂ’s population to see the devil for what he really represents. Satan has never had any powers but what was conceded to him by GodÂ’s created family. Satan is an interloper and masquerader. He lies and cheats his way to every evil victory. Right now, the world scene reveals his closing actions. The culture of the coming personified Antichrist is spreading into worldwide acceptance. Satan is preparing for his last hellish endeavor.

The next crisis event must be the Rapture, which will be followed by the opening of the book containing the title deed of this earth. The saints must be in Heaven to assist the Father and the Son in this triumphant takeover of the earth. We are the ones to whom He has promised the right to rule this earth for Him. He never meant for Adam and Eve to give up the right of authority over the earth. They were told to take dominion, to rule and direct a Holy government for the Creator, and to enjoy this planet. It was an absolutely perfect world of exquisite beauty. The devil bulldogged his way and mankind became his servants. The Rapture will remove the elect of His saints to His presence (Revelation chapter four) and the great God will move to begin the process of eviction. The hordes of SatanÂ’s followers will be allowed a fling of passing authority as we, the raptured saints, unite with the Heavenly leadership and GodÂ’s angelic host to judge and then cast out the offending powers of evil. LetÂ’s look at Revelation chapter five, verse by verse.

“And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?” (Revelation 5:1-2)

In the previous chapter, we witnessed the throne of God with the First and Second Testament saints worshipping in the FatherÂ’s presence, unashamed and glorified. For the first time in human history since the fall in the garden, saints could worship before Him without falling on their faces. No doubts can be raised that these had been raptured. They are not the spirits of the saintly dead, but are glorified with bodies. They are seated before the exalted Creator on lesser thrones and are fully prepared to sit with Him in authority and to transact the redemptive process. The scene He is directing before these saints would be impossible without the resurrection of the dead and their removal to His throne room.

Now, He appears before this host of the redeemed with this magnificent book in His right hand. This book not only contains content within, but it is sealed with seven seals and written on the backside. The inside script continues the process to follow the opening but the outside contains the rights of the opening. This great heavenly angel, no doubt a Brigadier General of HeavenÂ’s highest order, proclaims with this loud voice a question. This question was a heavenly question that was heard in Heavenly Jerusalem when the great moment occurred that the Son of God would be the FatherÂ’s sacrifice on earth. The heavenly godhead of the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost, and the great leadership of angels knew that no ordinary member of the mighty angelic host could merit this redemptive act. Glorious created beings were certainly of great honor, but yet incapable of His divine act.

“And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.” (Revelation 5:3-4)

Please remember that the John that was answering this question was the physical John on the Isle of Patmos, not the glorified John that will soon be among the glorified multitude. So, his answer was from the fleshly mind of the earthly John before his death beholding this vision. When he heard this great question, “Who is worthy to open the book?” all he could do was weep. From his Jewish background, he understood the process of redeeming property that had been sold or taken as debt or even stolen by an interloper. The redeeming member of the family that had sold or been evicted from the property had to be the first of kin. He surely did not understand all of the connecting dots or there would have been shouting instead of weeping.

John was seeing this entire picture and the verses show us that a survey of all creation quickly occurred before his face. Heavenly beings were surveyed and they stood incapable of this act of opening this book. The earthÂ’s populace was considered, but it was hopeless. They even surveyed all the dead since Adam and no one was found worthy.

John wept much because he knew the hell that this earth had experienced, and he knew the hope of tomorrow when this earth would become the kingdom of God again. Did he doubt for a moment that no one would be found? I cannot answer that, although I doubt it. I can tell you that he knew the future was bleak until a “Kinsman Redeemer” could be found to set this earth straight. I can imagine that this veritable giant of the faith could say with certainty that God his Father and Christ His Lord had a plan, but somehow he could not grasp it and his weeping stirred his heart with concern. But, then voices rang out with the answer.

“And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.” (Revelation 5:5-7)

No heavenly scene can transcend this event. For six thousand years the Great God and His Son have anticipated this day. Heaven gave its Crown Prince to step from its presence into a virginÂ’s womb to be born a fleshly man and die a horrible death. Angels ascended and descended about Him as He fulfilled His redemptive role in His FatherÂ’s great plan. His whole life was a series of multiple choices to never deviate from the plan. He knew death on the cross was His lot in life, but each step to that cross was more than robot activity. He felt each moment of rejection, each word of blasphemy, and, finally, each pain of crucifixion. In order to be the Kinsman Redeemer, He had to be one of us and yet rise above us so that no act would ever mar the sacrifice. To do what had to be done, to put this earth back on track again, required a spotless lamb hanging on a cruel tree until each drop of divine blood could shake a godless earth back to the FatherÂ’s design.

The church now steps into our future role in this vision of tomorrow. An elder and glorified saint answers John’s mournful response. The answer is a wonderful description of our Lord’s heritage as well as His victory. He had to be a Kinsman. It was not enough that He was the son of man, but He had to be the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” and the “Root of David.” He had to fulfill every prophecy and be of the Jewish genealogy. Anyone that seeks to attack the nation of Israel or to deny their relationship to Christ or the prophetic future of the Jews is clearly speaking for the devil himself. Jesus said it well when He said, “Salvation is of the Jews.” (John 4:22) The Son of God’s death was the final act of sacrifice and was followed immediately by His descent into the realm of the First Testament abode of the righteous dead. After that, He finished that victory for His own (mostly) Jewish forbearers. He arose as the first fruits of our coming resurrection.

John saw Him standing triumphantly in the midst of the Father’s throne, surrounded by His cherubims. All of this is in the midst of the raptured saints encircling and clearly endearing to the seven spirits or the person of the Holy Ghost. “Awesome” is the only word to describe such a sight. The Father is triumphant, the Son is triumphant, the Holy Spirit is triumphant, and the cherubims are triumphant. But, do not forget the saints of God; because all of this triumph is ordained and offered as the glorious triumph of His Bride, the church.

The Son of God then stepped forward to His FatherÂ’s grand poise with the seven-sealed book in His hand. There is no hesitation because the Father in preparation for this moment has exalted the Son of God. Thirty-three years of pilgrimage, followed by a willing sacrifice on a cross and a glorious resurrection; and then He was seated at the FatherÂ’s right hand so that all the process was finished except to take the book and to let the final redemption of this earth begin. And begin it will just as soon as the Bridegroom calls for His Bride. He would never take the earth unless He had His Bride ready to possess her inheritance.

“And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:8-10)

Let the shouting begin! If the church could get a little picture, just a birdÂ’s eye view of what awaits the victorious saints when the process of redeeming this earth begins, we would start the shouting now. This hour of glory is just as certain as the sun rose this morning. O, yes, this is a future prophecy and it cannot be relegated to church history and it cannot begin until the saints are transported to the Heavenly City, but the plan is ready. There is surely an angel standing somewhere near the portals of glory awaiting the word to make the trumpet blast. As soon as the Lamb had taken the book, the cherubims and elders fell down before Him and began the Heavenly worship of the coming victories.

They were all possessors of harps and vials of triumphant prayers, and the mixing of the music and the great odors of prayers made heaven become a place of glory and praise. The saints and elders began to sing a song that answered the great weeping of John and the question of the great angel that asked, “Who is worthy?” The saints will sing, “Thou art worthy.” It’s very apparent that the opening of this seven-sealed book is a misunderstood truth of today’s church world. These saints clearly have the picture and we have the privilege of their understanding. They had endured exactly what we are now enduring, an earth where sin reigns and a world of people that are easily offended and are ready to devour. But, they had passed into the hope that is waiting every unfailing saint. They were where we are soon to be. They were experiencing what we are soon to experience. They were ready to unite with the Lamb to cleanse and purify the corrupted earth.

Listen to the second stanza of their song. First, they glorified Him, but then they sang of their present and future. They sang it as those already possessing it because just like our redemption from sin in our life so is this future redemption. ItÂ’s already done! That second stanza says,

“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.” (Revelation 5:11-14)

Now, we move beyond the symbolic number of twenty-four – twelve representing the Old Testament saints and twelve representing the New Testament saints – and we see the multitudes they truly represent. The term “ten thousand times ten thousand” in the original Greek means “myriads times myriads,” which means an “exceeding multitude times an exceeding multitude.” If you can multiply an innumerable number times an innumerable number, you will have a little idea of this multitude.

This worship event is impossible to describe or understand. These saints are glorified with their new bodies, totally uninhibited by the limitation of flesh, and worship in heaven will be our natural culture. We are already spirit-beings or, in other words, we have a spirit within. When we are glorified with our resurrected bodies that are made in Christ’s likeness, our spirit will be holy in nature and will possess a new body that is holy in nature. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (I John 3:2)

This earth is soon to be the possession of His Saints. As much as Satan has sought to destroy this earth and to make it uninhabitable, it is still the LordÂ’s earth. “For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.” (I Corinthians 10:26) Every molecule of this present cosmos, except the Lake of Fire, will be purified and made spotless. We will breathe in an atmosphere that is perfectly pure. We will enjoy the fruit of the earth delivered of its curse and live forever without the aging process. The animals will be a joy and every man will be a friend. The presence of God will fill His universe until there is no place for sorrow of sadness. The book in my FatherÂ’s Right Hand has been completed and finished on the cross and the drama is ready to unfold.