The Scroll in God's Hand That No One Could Open — Revelation 5

Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. And again, good afternoon, good evening, and we're glad to have everybody back. Just about everybody is still here. And for those of you on television, again, we certainly want you to feel welcome. We are dispensing with all announcements during these four programs so we can spend as much time as we can in the Scripture. So we're going to go right back to where we left off in Daniel chapter 7. And remember, as we saw last week, that Daniel sees the same unfolding of human history in all the Gentile empires in animal form as Nebuchadnezzar dreamed in the metals, the gold, and the silver, and the brass, and so forth. Daniel saw it as lion, and bear, and leopard, and then a beast that couldn't be explained, which was the Roman Empire. And then you remember we left off in verse 7, and we said that the semicolon after that it was diverse or different from all the beasts that were before it. Are you with me in verse 7 of Daniel 7? And then the semicolon, and then the verse ended, and it had ten horns. Now that semicolon is 2,000 years of time as we reckon it, but always remember that in God's way of reckoning, it's been no longer than a semicolon. It just, and we'll go through this probably in our next program, how that everything in prophecy that's been laid out in the Old Testament never gives a hint of that intervening church age. Now, once I can get people to understand that, then prophecy as well as the age of grace falls into its right perspective. But the Old Testament knows nothing but the prophetic program moving right straight through to the end. Always remember that. And we'll put our timeline on the board next program, because it's about time we reviewed that anyway. It's been a long time. And I know that that timeline has helped a lot of people to comprehend the unfolding of Scripture. But remember that so far as God is concerned, this prophetic program from start to finish in the context goes without interruption. But we know historically it was interrupted. It is still interrupted, but it's going to end one day. All right, now then back to chapter 7, verse 7. It had 10 horns, and remember we went to Revelation and saw that John speaks in the same language, that these empires are going to be bestial as Daniel saw them, and it's going to end up with 10 horns, 10 nations. And out of that 10 nations will come the Antichrist. And of course you pick that up in Revelation. But now I want to go on. Verse 8. I considered the horns, these leaders, these kings, and behold there came up among them another little horn. Now here is the mention of the Antichrist. These nations of Western Europe are seemingly coming together. And believe it or not, there is already a Western Europe parliament. They already meet. Now they don't have absolute power yet, but the organization is already there. I read the other day that they already have their own currency. It's already registered on the world's currency markets. You can go and exchange dollars for what they call the European Community Unit, I think is what it is, ECU. If you want to change dollars into ECUs, you can do it already today. So it's that close. They are not pushing it as yet because they're not quite ready for it. But everything is set. The whole constitution of Western Europe is ready to be implemented. Then, what I think is going to happen, and this is strictly projection, I can't prove it, but it seems that when you study the Scripture, that when these 10 nations seemingly feel like they've got their act together, there's going to be so much turmoil, as we're seeing in Europe even today. There's going to be so much turmoil that this will make the time ripe for the appearance of a strong man. And that, of course, will be the Antichrist. And so he's the little horn here. Out of these 10 nations that make that revived Roman Empire, the 10 toes of Nebuchadnezzar's vision, out of those 10 kingdoms or nations will come this little horn, before whom three of the first were plucked up by the roots. Now, I think all that means is of the 10 nations that originate the European community and their parliament and their government, three of the smaller ones will lose their identity. They'll just be gobbled up by the other seven. And then out of the remaining seven will come this man Antichrist. Now, let's go back to Revelation for just a second. I didn't intend to do this, but I think it'll help you to see how these two great prophetic books just work hand-in -glove. Go back to Revelation, or is it chapters 13 again? Revelation chapter 13, verse 2, "...and the beast which I saw would liken to a leopard, his feet like a bear." In other words, you've got all the attributes, excuse me, you've got all the attributes of these previous empires now coming to a head in this revived Roman Empire. In other words, all of the best part of the Babylonian Kingdom is still with us. All the best part of the Median Persian Empire, they're still with us. All the best part of the Grecians are still with us. Their architecture, their philosophies, and what have you. All the best part of the Roman Empire, they're still with us. Their courts of law and their so-called justice, their jurisprudence, and what have you, still with us. So all of the attributes of these previous kingdoms are going to be headed up in this final empire. So you have the feet of the bear, the mouth of a lion, but as we saw last week, Satan gives it its power. And then you come down to, oh, verse 4, "...they worshiped the dragon who gave power to the beast." In other words, Satan is going to begin to show his authority through this man Antichrist. And they worshiped the beast, see, the Antichrist. And they'll say, who is like unto the beast, who is able to make war with him, and so on and so forth. And then verse 6, "...to show his true character, he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven." In other words, he's going to literally begin to war against the very spiritual powers of God and of heaven itself. Well, I wanted to find the other verse. In fact, you and I were looking at it. It's chapter 17 now. Helen and I were just looking at it during the break. Now flip over to chapter 17 and come down to verse 9, because I want you to see these numbers, how they all fit with Daniel. Now in Revelation chapter 17, beginning with verse 9, "...and here is the mind which hath wisdom, the seven heads are seven mountains." In other words, seven nations with seven prime ministers or kings or whatever you want to call it, "...on which the woman sitteth." Now, the woman, of course, is the religious system that we see taught earlier in the chapter. "...and there are seven kings." In other words, three have already lost their identity. We started with ten. Three were usurped by seven. One is, and the other is not yet come. "...and when he cometh, he must continue a short space." In other words, there will probably be another world leader or another European leader or whatever. He's going to come in that interval. But now verse 11, "...and the beast that was." And again, remember I said I prefer to think that this is the old Roman Empire that was seemingly dead. It was seemingly gone, and now all of a sudden here it is back on the scene with all of its attributes in place. And this man Antichrist is going to head it up, and he is the eighth. Now, remember I brought it down, maybe not in this class, but I think in one of our weekly classes, that numbers all have a value in Scripture. For in other words, the number three refers to the Godhead, deity. Number five is the number of grace. Number six is the number of man. Man was created on the sixth day. Seven always refers to deity. Eight always refers to that which follows the completion of number seven. In other words, well, how can I put it? You take how many souls went into Noah's Ark? Well, eight, and so they were the new beginning after the flood. And you get back to the book of Revelation, and you move into eternity. Christ has had seven names of deity all through Scripture, and we've pointed them out even in this class. There are seven I-M's in the Old Testament. There are seven I-M's in the book of John. And you get to the book of Revelation where He is the I-M of the bright and morning star. Well, that's the eighth I-M, and that is the new beginning of the eternal day. And so the number eight will follow the perfect number of seven, and it's another beginning or a new beginning. Well, so this is what the Antichrist is. He comes on the scene, and everything that has been seemingly completed, he brings it to the finish. And he even is the eighth. He's out of the seven, but what's his end? He goes into perdition. And, of course, we'll see that later on when we study the book of Revelation in detail. This is not intended to be a study of the book of Revelation. I think you all know that. All right, now back to Daniel. Back to Daniel again, chapter 7. And so the man Antichrist comes on the scene out of Western Europe. He rules and reigns for his seven years, and then verse 9. I beheld, Daniel says in his vision, I beheld till the thrones were cast down. In other words, Nebuchadnezzar's song, crushed under the stone until they became powder and the wind blows them away. All right, Daniel sees them as cast down, destroyed, and the Ancient of Days did sit. Now, that's capitalized, so it's referring to God. So, the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool. Now, this is merely a symbolic picture again of the purity and the majesty of the Godhead. His throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. Now, that takes you back to what book? Ezekiel, chapter 1. I saw the wheel, the spiritual says. And you read Ezekiel, chapter 1, and you'll see what I'm talking about. And then verse 10. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him, and thousands, thousands ministered unto him, millions, and ten thousands times ten thousands stood before him. Now, there's a colon, so we're going to stop there because the rest of the verse leaps the millennium again and ends up at the great white throne. We're not ready for that. So, now I'm going to take you over to verse 13. Verse 13. I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like who? Now, I'm in Daniel, chapter 7, Virgil. Daniel, chapter 7, verse 13. And I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of Days. Now, I like to put the two persons of the Godhead here. God the Father sitting on the throne, God the Son comes before him here, and he's brought before the Ancient of Days, God the Father. And then there was given him dominion and glory and a... There's that word again. What? A kingdom. See? Now, this is God the Son coming before God the Father as he is about to return to earth and smite these Gentile empires that have been on human history now for 2,600 years. He's going to come and destroy them. They're going to disappear from view. And he sets up his kingdom, a dominion, see, which shall not pass away. It's eternal. As I said in the last program, yes, it's going to be interrupted again, of course. We know that when Satan will be released for a little while. But then comes the new heaven and the new earth, and the kingdom just continues on into eternity. Okay. And his kingdom, finishing the verse, and his kingdom is that which shall not be destroyed. There he's got his rule and reign. All right, now let's go back to Revelation chapter 5. Revelation chapter 5, and I have to start with verse 1. Revelation chapter 5. Now, I think this gets interesting. I just, I can't help but love these things, and you know I do, because it is just so beautifully put together. And then when they say that this is just a bunch of myths and stories, that kind of, that gets to me, and I think it does you too, because this is so intrinsically fitted together. All right, chapter 5, Revelation. "...And I saw in the right hand of him who wore hair like wool." All right, it's the same setting. "...I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a..." Now, the King James uses the word book, and really it should be scroll. It should be a scroll. They didn't know what books were back at the time that John wrote. They only used scrolls, and it's one of the unfortunate translational errors, and it should be scroll. "...And I saw on the hand of him that sat on the throne a scroll written with N and on the backside, and sealed with seven seals." Now, there's that number of completion again. Now, this scroll written with N and on the backside, you have to know your Old Testament. You've got to know Jewish history. This is what a mortgage was. So, God is holding a mortgage. And in this mortgage, in this scroll, are written details within and without. Now, you go back into the Old Testament, and a Jew could mortgage his land just like we can mortgage property today. And just like we do today, whatever is for public scrutiny has to be recorded in the courthouse for the protection of others who may want to buy your property and not knowing it was mortgaged, they'd end up behind the eight ball. And so, in Israel, the same way. If they mortgage their land, the details that were pertinent to the public were written on the outside. Details that were not public were written on the inside. So, what we've got here is a mortgage. Now, even though God is holding it, whose mortgage is it? Well, it's Satan's mortgage. Now, let's go on. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, or the scroll, and to loose the seals thereof? Now, we would normally think the other way around. Who's worthy to take off the seals and open the scroll? Verse 3, No man in heaven, no one, not even the angels, nor in earth, nor under the earth. In other words, nowhere in God's creation was there anyone that had the authority or the capability of opening this mortgage. Verse 4, And for old John says, I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll or to look thereon. And then verse 5, And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not, behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Now, the word Lion is capitalized. And who came out of Judah? Well, Christ did. So, here we have Jesus the Christ now, who is already in heaven. He comes before the throne of the Father. And He is the only one that has the authority to open this mortgage and to say, I'll pay it off. Now, again, you have to go back into Jewish history and Jewish custom. You pick this up, especially in the book of Ruth. If a Jew had mortgaged his land and had become incapable of paying it off, but just before they would foreclose and take it away from him, as, you know, we see happening every day in our society, they, like we, could have a rich uncle. But it had to be a next of kin. They couldn't go to a stranger. But they could go to a next of kin and they could say, Now, uncle, I've got this mortgage that I can't pay, and they're about to foreclose on me. Will you help me out? Or maybe a rich uncle would die just at the appropriate time, whatever. But let's prefer to use him alive. Now, that rich uncle had three prerequisites for bailing the young man out. Number one, naturally, he had to have the funds. He had to be able. Number two, he had to be the next of kin. A stranger couldn't do it. Number three, he had to be willing. I mean, nobody has to do anything if they don't want to. So if that rich uncle didn't like the nephew, he could say, Buzz off. Don't want you. I won't help you. But if he had the funds, and if he wanted to, and he was the next of kin, he could say, Well, of course, I'll pay off your mortgage. All right. Now, that's the picture here. Jesus comes before God the Father. And the question is, Who can pay this mortgage? And now look what it says. Verse 6, And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts. Now, again, that word is simply living creatures, angelic beings. And so, in the midst of these four angelic beings, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb, capitalized, as it had been slain, referring to his death, burial, and resurrection, having seven horns and seven eyes. Now, there again, that depicts his political power, and the seven spirits. Now, we haven't got time, I'm sure, but you go back into Isaiah chapter 11, and about the fourth verse, you will find the seven attributes of the Holy Spirit. And these are what are referred to here, the seven attributes of the Spirit. And the seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. Now, verse 7, And he, the Lamb, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Jesus the Christ, he came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. Now, I know the question is going to come up. Well, where do you get the idea that this is a mortgage? Why is something having to be paid off? Well, now, let's go all the way back. In fact, let's do it biblically, scripturally. Go back with me to Genesis chapter 1. Genesis chapter 1. Adam has just been created. He's on the scene, and God has given him his instructions. Genesis 1, verse 28. Genesis 1, verse 28. And God blessed them. That is Adam and Eve. Even though Eve hasn't been created, she's still in Adam, if you remember when we were back there in Genesis. And so, he's addressing them both, and he blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, subdue it, and have what? Dominion. In other words, Adam was to have ruled over the creation under God. He had total dominion. He was going to be, literally, God's second in command. Now, when Adam sinned, what happened to that role as having dominion? He lost it. He lost it. He dropped the ball. Who picked it up? Satan did. Now, from that time on, Scripture makes it so abundantly clear. Who is the God of this world tonight? Satan is. Another Scripture says, The world lieth in the lap of the wicked one. Satan is the God of this world. Everything that mankind accomplishes, whether it's good, whether it's beautiful, whether it's ugly, or whether it's bad, who has prompted it? Satan has. God is not in the business of a material world. And so, the world is in the lap of the wicked one. Satan has total dominion. Let me show you an example. Go back to Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 5, if you doubt me. And here we have the temptations. And Satan is trying every ploy at his command to get Jesus to bow down to him. But the only one I want to look at is verse 8. And again, the devil takes him up into an exceeding high mountain. Matthew... I said 5. I'm sorry. Verse 4. Chapter 4. Forgive me. Matthew 4. Somebody should have screamed at me by now. Matthew 4, verse 8. And the devil takes him up into an exceeding high mountain and showeth him all the... What? The kingdoms of this world and the glory of them. You see that? All the beautiful Parthenons. All the beautiful aqueducts and all the production and everything that mankind had accomplished. Oh, Satan said... Now, do you see all that? Now, look at the next verse. And he said unto him, all these things I will... What? Give you. Was it his to give? Yes. Absolutely they're his dominion tonight. But you see, he didn't trick Jesus because Jesus knew that one day he'd have them anyway. And he didn't have to fall down and worship Satan to get them. All right. Now then, if you'll come back to Revelation chapter 5. So as the Lamb, the Christ, the Son of God comes before the Ancient of Days, according to Daniel, and he takes that mortgage from the hand of God the Father, what does he say in so many words? I'll pay it off. Now, what's he going to pay off? He's going to pay off the curse. The world has been under the curse ever since Genesis chapter 3. And now it's time to end it. You know, don't you look at the misery going on in the world tonight and you wonder how much longer is it going to last? It's just about over. And he will pay off Satan's mortgage. And he alone can do it. Why? Because of his death, his burial, and his resurrection. And he is worthy. See? And verse 8 of Revelation 5. And when he had taken the scroll, the four creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before him, having every one of them harps. Verse 9. They sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the scroll, and to open the seals thereof. Why is he worthy? Because he was slain, he was crucified, and you have redeemed us to God. Out of every kindred tongue, people, and nation, you have made us under a God. Kings and priests. And here's the promise now. And we shall reign where? On the earth. Now then, how is it all going to happen? Well, this is the whole reason for the seven years of the tribulation. Satan is going to have his final time. And it's going to be such a crescendo of the wrath of God upon Satan and mankind who have been following him, that all the cataclysmic cosmic events of those seven years will culminate with the curse being totally lifted, Satan defeated, removed from the scene, and after all of that holocaust, out will come that garden of Eden-like earth for the kingdom. Thank you, and be sure to tune in next time.