Lamb in the Midst of the Throne

Before turning to Revelation's great assertions of Christ's kingship, Pastor Martin lays out first principles for interpreting the book. Negatively, Revelation is neither a pre-written crystal ball of coded history nor a preview of a seven-year future segment. Positively, it is a lengthy letter sent by an exiled, suffering apostle to seven real first-century churches, and its contents are essentially ethical and practical, imminent and contemporary, conflict-and-conquest oriented, and Christ-centered. He shows that 'throne' occurs 45 times in Revelation compared to 15 in the rest of the New Testament, teaching believers in any age to have a 'throne fixation' on the Lamb in the midst of the throne. He closes with a brief look at Revelation 1:4-5, where the threefold description of Christ as faithful witness, firstborn of the dead, and ruler of the kings of the earth meets suffering saints on the very threshold of the book.

Pastor Martin expounds the second half of the throne-room vision, Revelation 5, in three movements: the problem of the sealed scroll, the answer in the Lion who is the slain Lamb, and the response of all creation in worship. He identifies the seven-sealed scroll as the completeness of God's counsels and purposes for the church and the world from that point to the consummation, and the worthy One as the Lion of Judah who prevails precisely by becoming the slain Lamb. He then draws four abiding messages from the vision: a word of consolation (the Lamb in the midst of the throne is administering every seal for His people's good), a word of instruction (might conquers by meekness), a pattern for imitation (true worship flows from seeing the worthiness of the Lamb), and a frightening warning that the Lamb will yet break the sixth seal in the wrath of the Lamb upon every impenitent sinner.