Worthy Art Thou

JOSHUA ALEXANDER

“Worthy of praise is christ our Redeemer, Worthy of glory, honor and pow'r! Worthy of all our souls adoration, Worthy art Thou! Worthy art Thou! Worthy of riches, blessings and honor, Worthy of wisdom, glory and pow'r! Worthy of earth and heaven's thanksgiving, Worthy art Thou! Worthy art Thou!”

This wonderful song exemplifies the worthiness of Christ of praise and honor. The power and majesty of God is on display throughout the Bible. The book of Revelation gives many great pictures and images which communicate the power of God over the world. Christ is exalted throughout the book, and one notable place which shows Christ’s exalted status is Revelation chapter five. This chapter is typically called “The Scroll and the Lamb.” This is an exciting and quite noisy chapter that has one main purpose, to glorify the Father and the Son.

The chapter starts with John seeing a scroll in the hand of the Father who was on the throne. The scroll was closed with seven seals which made it impossible to open. A very strong angel asked the question, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof” (Rev. 5:2)? As they looked upon all creation, there was no creature who was worthy of opening the scroll and losing the seals. The contents of this scroll would contain information regarding Roman persecution upon the church. When no one was found worthy to open the scroll, John began to cry. One of the elders told him about one who was worthy of losing the seal. The Lion from the tribe of Judah and the root from the seed of David, which we know is Jesus the Christ. He has prevailed and been victorious over death and is worthy to open the scroll (Rev. 5:5)!

Jesus went to the throne of God and took the scroll out of the Father’s right hand. When this happened, the four beats and the twenty four elders fell down and worshiped the lamb which was slain, which is Jesus Christ. They sang a new song about His worthiness to take the scroll and lose the seals, and about how his death has “redeemed” or “bought back” every nation and every tongue (Rev. 5:9). Just then, John saw and heard the voice of a multitude of angels come to the throne of God. This multitude is too numerous to count. All of these angels were saying, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing” (Rev. 5:12).

Every creature which was created by God on the earth, in the sea, or anywhere proudly proclaimed these words, “Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (Rev. 5:13). This picture is similar to Isaiah 44:23, which states that the mountains and the trees sing praises unto God. The twenty four elders and the four beasts joined the angels and all of creation in worship to the lamb that was slain (Jesus) and to the one who sits on the throne (The Father). 

What is the purpose of this amazing vision? The first century Christians were facing Roman persecution. They have suffered tremendously for their faith and are told that it is going to get worse. They needed strength to continue pressing on toward the mark. God gave them that strength and assurance. The book of Revelation assures the first-century Christians that they have received the victory over death from the lamb that was slain. We surely have an awesome God, and we can be assured that, like the first-century Christians, we too have been given the victory over death from Jesus Christ. He is the lion from the tribe of Judah, the root of David, and the lamb that was slain. Truly, worthy art thou!