And they sang a new song saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”
Revelation 5:9
Summary from our brother, Joe Watson
Brothers in Christ!
Praying all is well with you and with your loved ones…and that you can join us for a Saturday morning of fellowship at Kindred Coffee.
Attendees 9/6:
Karl, Mike Allen, Mike Arras, Dominic, Tom, Daryl, and JC.
The study material was from the O.S.Hawkins series “The Joshua Code” Chapter 47,
“A NEW SONG of REDEMPTION”
And they sang a new song saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeem to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” Revelation 5:9, with commentary from Dr. Tony Evans, Dr. David Jeremiah, and closing by Max Lucado!
Thanks to JC for putting the attachment together!
Revelation – Book Introduction
1. Sometime during the apostle John’s lonely exile on the tiny island Patmos, the risen, the glorified Jesus Christ appeared to His beloved disciple in all His glory: white head and hair, eyes of fire, feet of bronze, a voice “like the sound of rushing waters … His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance” (Revelation 1:14-16).
2. John’s reaction was understandable. He wrote: “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead” (Revelation 1:17).
3. The Lord’s assignment for John sounded simple enough: “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later” (Revelation 1:19).
4. The apostle could not have imagined, however, the impact the things he saw would have on every Christian’s understanding of the future.
5. These were “words … of prophecy” (Revelation 1:3; 22:7), meaning that it foretold the future and offered exhortations about those events – what Jesus described as “what will take place later.”
6. The apocalyptic imaginary of Revelation must have utterly overwhelmed John at times, based as it was on fantastic symbols and images.
7. John was compelled to use words to write down the revelation, but he received it primarily in pictures – we can only imagine a sky-size, three-dimensional, high-definition viewing.
8. Jesus told John to write it down “on a scroll … and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea” (Revelation 1:11).
9. Jesus had specific messages for each of the seven churches – and for all churches through all the ages (Revelation 2-3).
10. There were letters of commendation and tender encouragement, but mostly warning.
11. Out of the seven churches only two of them were faithful; the other five were in danger of losing their witness because of worldly compromise.
12. The Lord uses the phrase “I know” ten times in these letters – assuring the persecuted churches that He understood their plight, as well as their opportunities and dangers, while warning the compromising churches that he saw their shortcomings.
13. The revelation that John received reminds the church of every age that Jesus Christ is Lord of all, that He will be the ultimate victor over the devil and his representatives; and that Christ’s triumph over death at the resurrection ensured that death will have no power over those who belong to Him.
14. Regardless of what comes upon the earth in terms of test and trials, the Christian knows the “final outcome”: all things lead to Christ’s eternal kingdom.
15. This should encourage God’s people to follow Christ no matter the cost and to exchange the world’s offerings for Christ’s eternal kingdom.
16. The Book of Revelation promises a special blessing for those who take the time to peer into the future with the apostle John (Revelation 1:3).
17. If they do, they will see that God wins, Christ triumphs!
18. Righteousness prevails. Satan loses. Sorrow, sickness, and death disappear.
19. A new heaven and a new earth emerge from the ashes of the old.
20. And God Himself wipes the tears from every eye.
21. Regardless of what happens in this life – no matter how depressing the world news or how difficult or dark the season we might be enduring – life in Christ has a happy ending … and nothing in earth, heaven, or hell can ever take that away!
22. When the headaches of this world weighs heavily on us, we have to only look up and look ahead at the radiant end of one story and the joyous beginning of a new story that will never end!!
23. An eternal story with one central theme, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain” (Revelation 5:12).
Scripture Context provided by Dr. Tony Evans and Dr. David Jeremiah
1. “Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals” (Revelation 5:1).
2. Both sides of the scroll contain writing, indicating that nothing more could be added.
3. This scroll sits in the hand of the One “on the throne” and is the title deed to the earth.
4. As it is gradually unsealed and unrolled – symbolizing the progressive judgments on earth – the earth is ultimately delivered into the hands of the King of kings, its rightful owner!
5. The seven seals represent the first in a series of judgments to come on the earth that will also include the seven trumpets (Rev. 8:1-9:20; 11:15-19) and the seven bowls (Rev. 16:1-21) among metaphorical depictions of God’s wrath.
6. The scroll depicts God’s ownership of all creation and the right to hold accountable those who misuse it and thus dishonor Him.
7. Through judgment administered by Jesus, God once again will lay claim to His creation, which was plunged into sin by Adam (Genesis 3).
8. “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” (Revelation 5:2) – “no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth” is found worthy (Revelation 5:3).
9. This is the main question that this chapter answers!
10. In fact, no one is worthy even to look at the Lord’s plan for worldwide judgment, much less administer it, prompting John to weep (Rev. 5:4).
11. One of the Elders comforts John, telling him not to cry because Jesus – “the Lion from the tribe of Judah and the Root of David” – is worthy to open the scroll and administer the judgment of its seals.
12. Christ, by virtue of His full divinity, sinless humanity, and atoning death, is qualified!
13. God the Father granted judging authority to the Son (John 5:22,27).
14. Jesus died to redeem humanity at His first coming.
15. He will judge in order to redeem the entire creation at His second coming.
16. When the Lamb (Jesus Christ) “took the scroll” the weeping ended and praise erupted in the form of a “new song” celebrating what He had done
(providing redemption through His death) and what he was about to do (reclaim authority over all the earth) (Revelation 5:7-8).
17. There are redeemed people in heaven “from every tribe and language and people and nation (Revelation 5:9; 7:9)
18. This portrays the ethnic, linguistic, and national diversity that will be present in eternity!
19. This means that difference and diversity are not problems, but were a part of God’s plan from the very beginning.
20. God delights in the variety and beauty of His creation.
21. “Red, yellow, black and white” they are precious in God’s sight!!
22. The chapter culminates in a magnificent scene of worship, involving “angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand,” the living creatures, the elders – the total number of worshipers reaching countless thousands (Revelation 5:11).
23. The first two persons of the Trinity are worshiped together when “every creature in heaven. On earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them praises the one seated on the throne and the Lamb forever” (Revelation 5:13).
24. The worship ends in John’s vision as the four living creatures add their approval to this great doxology (Amen!).
25. The infinite majesty and glory of the tribune God will now move into action to judge the earth (Revelation 5:14).
The Joshua Code by O.S. Hawkins – “A New Song of Redemption”
1. And they sang a new song saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9).
2. Our limited minds can scarcely grasp the thought that Christ redeemed us with the purchase price of His own blood.
3. The writer of Hebrews reminded us that it is “not with the blood of goats or calves, but with His own blood He entered the most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12).
4. Simon Peter elaborated on the point, saying, “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by
tradition from your fathers, but with precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
5. It is no wonder that we will be singing this “new song” in heaven.
6. Jesus alone is worthy to be the object of our worship.
7. He is the only One who was slain and who redeemed us by His own blood!
8. This verse reveals to us the hope of redemption as well as the scope of redemption.
THE HOPE OF REDEMPTION
1. Our hope of being redeemed is found in Christ and in Christ alone!
2. As Paul said, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
3. Redemption is the scarlet thread that is woven throughout the entire Bible.
4. The word “redemption” comes from “agora” the Greek word for “the marketplace.”
5. In its verb form in Revelation 5:9, the word indicates that Jesus Christ entered the marketplace and purchased us out of the market to be His very own.
6. How much do you think you are worth to Him?
7. What would He pay for you?
8. Our redemption had a high price tag affixed to it.
9. The cost was Christ own blood!
10. In the fifth chapter of Revelation, we come upon one of the great worship experiences of all time.
11. What is it that gives us access to Christ’s presence in worship?
12. Is it the observance of certain religious rituals, the adoration of certain images or icons?
13. The Bible is explicit: it is the blood of the Lord Jesus that gives us access to His throne of worship, not only in the unfolding scene in Revelation, but also in our own private devotional time.
14. Our only hope for redemption is in Christ and His shed blood!
THE SCOPE OF REDEMPTION
1. Who is covered by this purchase price?
2. Is it only for those on one end of the economic and social spectrum?
3. Is it only for those who look like us and act like we act?
4. The new song of heaven declares that the scope of God’s redemption extends to “every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”
5. Jesus reaches out to those in the most tribunal regions of our world.
6. His redemption knows no language barrier. It’s for every tongue.
7. And yes, it’s for every people and every nation.
8. O.S. remembers the first time he ever saw the word “redemption.”
9. He was about eight years old and desperately needed a new baseball glove.
10. This was in the day before we used credit cards to the extent they are used today.
11. Most of us used those plastic cards in order to earn points so that we could acquire certain goods or services without actually having to pay cash for them.
12. Back in the “olden days,” we had what was called “S&H Green Stamps.”
13. They served the same purpose.
14. One day while browsing through his mother’s catalog, O.S. saw a genuine leather baseball glove that could be his with two and a half books of Green Stamps.
15. Therefore, he persuaded his mother to let him have the Green Stamps she received from shopping from the grocery store, gasoline station, and the like.
16. Finally, after a few months, he had licked and stuck enough Green Stamps into his book to acquire that glove.
17. One Saturday, his dad drove him to the southside of Fort Worth.
18. They pulled into a parking lot adjacent to a large, white concrete block building.
19. As they were walking into the building, he noted over the door the words “S&H Green Stamps Redemption Center.”
20. He had never seen that word “redemption” before and had no idea what it meant.
21. Upon entering the building, he approached the counter and laid out his two and a half books of Green Stamps along with the page of the catalog with the picture of the baseball glove.
22. The lady began thumbing through each page. His heart started fluttering.
23. What if he had skipped a page??
24. Next, she disappeared into a back room.
25. Minutes later she returned with a square box.
26. She shoved it across the counter in his direction.
27. He opened it and, sure enough, there was a genuine leather baseball glove inside.
28. He put it on and started patting the pocket with his other fist.
29. He did this all the way home.
30. A teenager up the street had told him that he should put some linseed oil in the pocket, wrap a ball inside, and tie it off with a large rubber band at night to form the pocket.
31. He actually slept with glove the first few nights that he had it.
32. He had redeemed that baseball glove with two and a half books of S&H Green Stamps.
33. And so, our dear Lord one day stepped up to the redemption’s counter … for us.
34. His Father sent Him!
35. So down He came, past polar systems and constellations and through measureless space.
36. Down still farther to become a helpless seed planted in the womb of a young virgin to grow for nine months.
37. Down yet farther, to be born in the dung and filth of a Bethlehem stable.
38. Then down even farther, to go about doing good, only to be beaten and mocked, spit upon and scorned, and to finally walk up to redemption’s counter.
39. There He put down His own blood to redeem us.
40. Why, so He could take us home with Him!
41. This is the message of the Gospel.
42. This is why we will one day join that celestial choir in singing a new song, “You are worthy … for You were slain and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”
43. As you memorize this verse, meditate on the tremendous price our Lord paid to purchase you out of the marketplace and taking you home to be with Him!
Benediction
When the headaches of this world weighs heavily on us, we have to only look up and look ahead at the radiant end of one story and the joyous beginning of a new story that will never end!!
An eternal story with one central theme, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain” (Revelation 5:12).
Those who walk in pride, God is able to humble. But those who walk in humility, God is able to use!
WALK YOUR FAITH…and Take JESUS with you…On the Way Home!
May God greatly bless your commitment and work for His Kingdom
☕Kindred Faith 
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