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Studies in the Book of the Revelation.
#25. The Universal Praise of the Lamb (Rev. 5: 11-14).
pp. 1 4
When the four living ones and the four and twenty elders had sung their new song,
representing the innermost circle around the throne of heaven, its theme is taken up by
the next order of created beings, the angels; here the number is so vast as to pass beyond
definite enumeration, "their number was ten thousand of ten thousands, and thousands of
thousands". These "holy myriads" seem to be referred to in Jude 14, and Matt. 26: 53.
Dan. 7: 10, to which we have referred before, speaks of those who surrounded the
heavenly throne in similar language. "Thousand thousands ministered to Him, and ten
thousand times ten thousand stood before Him." These angels are spoken of as being
ministering spirits, and in connection with Israel they had many opportunities of realizing
the problem of redemption. From the tremendous host of angels sound forth the words,
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive
Power, and
Riches, and
Wisdom, and
Strength, and
Honour, and
Glory, and
Blessing."
Here is a seven-fold ascription, detailing in heavenly joy the perfections of the Lamb that
was slain. The first is POWER.--He is worthy to receive power. The question is raised,
Does this mean that He is worthy of having all these virtues and gifts bestowed upon
Him? or is it that He is worthy of being praised as possessing them? That the Lord did
possess power before His birth in Bethlehem we know, for Heb. 1: 3 speaks of Him as
"upholding all things by the word of His power". The Lord Himself, when He died on
Calvary's cross, "was crucified through weakness, yet He liveth by the power of God"
(II Cor. 13: 4). That risen life marked Him off as "the Son of God with power"
(Rom. 1: 4), and His resurrection was the source from which His believing children draw
their power (Phil. 3: 10).
In the three gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the words of the Lord are recorded
concerning His coming in the clouds with power and great glory. His High Priesthood is
in the power of an endless life (Heb. 7: 16). The host of heaven say that the Lamb is
worthy to receive power. We take this here in a literal sense. The Lord had been exalted
to the highest place of glory, graced with the name that is above every name, that at that
name every knee should bow; here in Rev. 5: the myriads of adoring ministering spirits
acclaim His worthiness to receive this seven-fold blessing. Power had been given to
others, but how unworthy had they proved themselves to be of the trust. We read of the