Christ Takes The Scroll

Transcript

GR 1519
02-22-09
Christ Takes the Scroll
Revelation 5:1-7
Gil Rugh

We're in Revelation 5. At the center of God's plan for His creation is the work of His Son in providing redemption, salvation, because the creation under the leadership of man has fallen into sin, has been alienated from God by sin, has been doomed to corruption and ultimate destruction. Jesus Christ is the focal point of history and of all that heaven and the God of heaven has set out because He is the One who made possible the redemption, not only of humanity but ultimately of all creation, so that the intention and purposes of God as He brought all things into being will finally be realized.

We go back to the Garden of Eden when God created Adam and Eve. He placed them in a perfect environment, in a perfect garden. There they were privileged to walk with God in the cool of the evening to enjoy fellowship with Him. But as a result of rebellion and sin, misery came in. And the corruption that sin brings not only has brought death and destruction to mankind, but it has impacted and affected the whole creation. And now the whole creation groans under the weight and impact of sin. But it groans in anticipation of a coming redemption, Romans 8 sets out. God's great mercy and the great demonstration of His love and mercy was in the provision of the One who would be the Savior and enable us to be brought into right relationship with God.

Nothing fits, nothing is understandable. We're talking about the environment and environmental concerns. But ultimately we know where everything is going, we cannot change the corruption of our society. I'm not saying we shouldn't recycle or whatever you like to do, but ultimately the only thing that will bring redemption to this creation, stop the corruption, stop the decline is the ultimate intervention of Jesus Christ. And that will only be possible because He has already intervened in human history, coming to this earth to suffer and die and pay the penalty for sin, which will enable all creation ultimately to be released from the curse of sin.

Where we come to in Revelation 5, we've been in the throne room of God in chapter 4. The focus has been on God the Father on the throne. We are still in the throne room of heaven in chapter 5, but the focus will change from God the Father on the throne to the Son of God coming now to take the scroll, which will be the rest of the book of Revelation, we'll talk about in a moment, which is His authority to bring all creation to its appointed conclusion, which will be unredeemed beings, angelic and human, being consigned to an eternal hell and unfallen angels and redeemed human beings becoming part of a glorious eternal kingdom ruled over by Jesus Christ. The focus here in chapter 5, chapter 4 was God the Father on the throne, chapter 5 is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Remember when John the Baptist introduced Christ to the nation Israel in John 1:29? Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Now we see this Lamb in heaven, the One who takes away the sin of the world, ready to bring to its appointed conclusion God's plan for His creation.

Let's pick up with chapter 5 verse 1, I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. The One who sits on the throne from chapter 4 is God the Father. Interesting here as we've mentioned, John sees the manifestation of all three person of the Godhead manifested. That was true in chapter 4, it will be true again in chapter 5. And here the Father sits on the throne and in His right hand He holds out, literally upon His hand there rests a scroll. We have a book here, it is a scroll and it would have been in this time and as later the seals would indicate, we are talking about a scroll that is rolled up. It contains everything that is revealed and will be unfolded in the book of Revelation beginning in chapter 6 and all the way through to the end of the book. So what we have in this scroll are all the judgments that are going to be unfolded and then the ultimate redemption of creation, the establishing of the eternal kingdom, dealing first with the thousand-year initial phase and then the eternal aspect.

This scroll is of great importance because it sets forth God's final judgment on an unbelieving world, an unbelieving creation because those judgments will all ultimately encompass the devil and fallen angels. The focus is on this world but it also focuses on the redemption where the Lamb's role is key here. Without the Lamb all we would have in this scroll is judgment, doom of creation. There would be no redemption, no salvation. So we have both the redeemed and the unredeemed that will be included here.

It's in the right hand of the One who sits on the throne. That indicates God the Father is the source. There is order in the Godhead and we don't understand how this all works out but we do get glimpses. Here we have God the Father being the source of this scroll and all that is in it. It comes from Him and it comes from His right hand, His sovereign power has ordained and established it all. It is about to be passed off to God the Son. Since it's God's authority and God's power that stands behind this scroll, there is no room for variation, alteration or change of any kind. That's why when we get to the end of the book in Revelation 22:18, I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to them God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book. If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city which are written in this book. You can't be part of God's redemptive program and alter or change the words of this prophecy by adding to them or taking away. Anybody who does that will be excluded from God's redemption. That is the point of these verses. So God's full authority is here and anyone who attempts to change it is acting in rebellion to the God who gave it.

This scroll is written inside and on the back. It is full and complete. Normally you wrote on one side of the scroll. You are familiar with the scrolls and we have replicas of different kinds of scrolls today. As you unfold them you could read what was written there. But this you can see has been written on the back side. So it is full and complete, written on the inside and also written on the back as well. There will be nothing else to be said, this is complete.

Back in Ezekiel 2, a verse that has a similar statement, not the same scroll but the same idea. We go back to these verses fairly often and regularly so you do see the connection between the book of Revelation and the Old Testament some of these concepts that are sometimes directly related, sometimes the idea is taken as it is here on the scroll written on the front and the back but this scroll is not the same scroll that we're talking about. In Ezekiel 2:9 when he spread it out before me I looked and behold a hand was extended to me. And lo a scroll was in it, when he spread it out before me it was written on the front and the back. And this is a scroll that contains lamentations, mourning and woe. And then as you come into chapter 3 Ezekiel is to eat this scroll which he takes in as the word of God and the pronouncement of judgment on the unbelieving nation. And then he is to go and give that word out. You see the similarity, here is a scroll written on the front and the back. It is full of judgment. The scroll that we will have is full of judgment but it also contains the ultimate redemption.

Come back to Revelation. It is sealed up with seven seals, and this becomes key because the seals are, if you will, the backbone of the rest of the book of Revelation. So it's a scroll and it is rolled up like a scroll would be and it has been sealed. The seals would be on the flat side but it's on the edge here, so the seal comes out to the edge and that guarantees the security of the scroll. Because anybody who would open it, you would break that seal, wax seal, clay seal. What happens is as you unroll it you will get to the second seal and that will stop it. Then you will unroll it more after you break that seal and you get to the third seal, until you get to the seventh seal. You'll note the seven seals contain everything. The fact that there are seven seals on this, they'll be unfolded sequentially, gives us a guideline and a pattern. The book of Revelation will unfold sequentially, the events will take place in order. So we will just move through the book of Revelation beginning in chapter 6 and they'll break the first seal and a certain set of judgments will come out. You break the second seal, that's followed by another set. When you break the seventh seal it will contain the rest of the book, it will contain the seven trumpets, it will contain the seven bowls. And then the climax and redemption. So the seven seals contain everything. When you break the seventh seal the rest will come out. There is no eighth seal. So everything then will follow out of that seventh seal, as we'll see as we move along.

Those three sevens will pick up later—seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls. That series of judgments. But keep in mind this scroll is seven seals so that is everything that will be opened, everything that is left will come out of the seventh seal.

Verse 2, I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals. A strong angel, an angel with strength, with might, thus enabled to carry out God's plan in this matter. And he calls out to all creation, who is worthy to open the book. Two other times a strong angel will be seen in the book of Revelation, you might just note it. Chapter 10 verse 1, I saw another strong angel coming down from heaven. And then in chapter 18 verse 21, then a strong angel took up a stone. There are other angels but this angel is marked out in a special way as one of special strength and might in carrying out the work of God. And we note, remember from the book of Daniel, there are orders among the angels that have to do with authority and power. So the prince of the kingdom of Persia, a fallen angelic being, was able to withstand Gabriel until Michael the archangel came. But for three weeks Gabriel cannot proceed because of the authority and power of the prince of Persia, until Michael the archangel with superior power and authority comes. So here we have an angel that's marked out in a special way. We say, all angels would be strong. This angel is marked out in a special way as a strong or mighty angel. He steps forward with a voice of authority, a loud voice, and asks the question, who is worthy. Who can bring to its appointed climax God's plan for His creation? That's what it is to open these seals, to bring all creation to its appointed climax and conclusion that the One on the throne has determined. Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals? You have the authority to carry this out if you are worthy to do it, you have done what is necessary for this to be brought about.

No one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book, the scroll, or to look into it. No one in all creation anywhere, in heaven, on earth, under the earth, a way to express, same expression used in Philippians 2:10 where everyone will bow before the Son—those in heaven, on earth and under the earth. A way of saying all creation wherever it is found, under the earth may refer to demonic beings, but an expression that is all inclusive. No matter where you would search through creation no one is found. It's clear, there is no one who is worthy, who has the power. Because the One who would have the authority to take the scroll from the hand of the Father and open its seals would be One who has brought about what is necessary to provide redemption for fallen creation, as well as to bring judgment on fallen creation. And so there is no one.

John recognizes something of a tragedy in this, the awfulness of the delay here, that we can't proceed. And he began to weep greatly because no one was worthy to open the book or to look into it. From where he is at this point and what has been unfolded to him at this point, he just sees a tragedy here. Here is the Father on the throne, John has some grasp of the significance of what is taking place here. But who can take it? And so he weeps uncontrollably and no one can bring about the conclusion here.

Then one of the elders said to me. And here we have one of the elders, and we noted we believe the elders represent the church redeemed. And it would be fitting that one who has experienced redemption would be the one to announce the One who is the redeemer and thus worthy to take the seal. The angels could have done it, but they have never experienced redemption. They long to look into the redemption we've experienced. But a fallen angel has never experienced redemption, an unfallen angel never needed redemption. So they are observers of redemption. But one of the elders speaks up as one who has experienced that redemption, representative of the church, and said to me, stop weeping. Behold the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the root of David has overcome. There is the key. You need the ultimate overcomer who has defeated satan and sin so that He can open the scroll and break its seven seals.

The One who is worthy is identified with two Messianic titles here. He is the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah. That is a Messianic title, goes back to Genesis 49. You see how the book of Revelation goes all the way back to the various parts of scripture in its hundreds of references and allusions to Old Testament passages. In Genesis 49 Jacob is giving his blessings, if you will, and prophecies concerning what will happen for each of his sons, the twelve patriarchs that will be the heads of the twelve tribes as the nation develops and their descendants. And when you come down to verse 8, we're talking about Judah. Judah, your brothers shall praise you, your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies, your father's sons shall bow down to you. Judah is a lion's whelp, from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion. And as a lion who dares rouse him up. But like a young lion, an old lion, the power of the young lion and the majesty of that mature lion, the king of the beasts as we view him. The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the ruler's staff from between his feet until Shiloh comes and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. We move into the events of the kingdom that he will establish. His prosperity is brought out in verses 11-12. But you'll note, Judah is a lion's whelp in verse 9. Lies down as a lion, as a lion. So He is the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the One whose coming will ultimately bring the fulfillment of all the promises to Abraham in the Abrahamic Covenant. Here He is the ruler, will center and come from the tribe of Judah. The lion characterized by majesty, by boldness, by rule.

He is also, back in Revelation 5, the second Messianic title, the Root of David. It is clear we are identifying here the Messiah of Israel. Because you carry it back and connect Him to the tribe of Judah and the promises given by Jacob back there before Israel went down into Egypt and spent the 400 years in captivity where they developed from a family into a great nation. He is the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecy, the One who will bring in the prosperity for Israel, the prosperity of the kingdom. He is also the Root of David, it means He is the offspring, the descendant of David, which is another requirement for the Messiah and another identity of the Messiah. This title will be used over in chapter 22 verse 16 of Christ, I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the Root and the descendant of David. I am the fulfillment of the promises to David in the Davidic Covenant. And again the kingdom that is associated with that.

Come back to Isaiah 11:1, then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse and a branch from his root. So He's the Root of David, the offspring of David, the descendant of David. Down in verse 10, then in that day the nations will resort to the Root of Jesse, who will stand as a signal for the peoples. And his resting place will be glorious. And in between that we have the prophecies of the kingdom. Verse 6, the wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the young goat and so on. Verse 9, they will not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain until the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. When? In the days when the Root of David reigns, the descendant of David. He brings the prosperity that is a result of His redemptive work and He is reigning now on the earth.

In the Old Testament, Jeremiah 23:5, behold the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous branch. It's the same thing, it has to be the descendant of David. He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which you will be called, the Lord our righteousness, Jehovah Tsidqenu, one of the names of the Lord. In Jeremiah 33:15, in those days and at that time I will cause a righteous branch of David to spring forth and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. So you see these Messianic titles for Christ as He appears in this throne room scene in heaven tie Him with the promises that will reach their fulfillment in the Messiah. He'll come and bring judgment, but He comes and brings redemption and deliverance and a glorious kingdom. You can jot down Romans 15:12.

Come back to Revelation 5. Now what does one of the elders say? Stop weeping. Behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David. The One to whom all the promises are focused, He has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals. He has overcome, He has conquered sin and Satan through His work on the cross. He has done what is necessary to bring redemption to a fallen, sinful, Satan-enslaved creation. He is the Savior.

He is identified as the One who has overcome. We have seen that expression in each of the seven churches, remember. To him who overcomes I will give this, it's a promise. Come to chapter 3 verse 21, he who overcomes, here is one of the promises to the overcomer. But note further on, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. So you see we are overcomers because we have come to know the One who is the overcomer and in Him we have our victory. Who is he that overcomes but he who believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, I John 5. So I have overcome, in His death and subsequent resurrection victory over sin was accomplished.

In John 16:33, these things I have spoken to you. We are at the last night, Jesus is preparing the disciples for His impending betrayal and crucifixion. These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage. I have overcome the world. We have the victor. The whole world lies in the evil one, I John 5 says. But we don't lie in the evil one because we belong to the One who has overcome the world and the god of this world and sin and its power and authority over us. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, He conquers all His enemies.

Back in Revelation 5. Since He has overcome He is the One who can open the book. We couldn't open the book even though we are overcomers because our position of being overcomers is a result of our association with Him and the victory that He and He alone could and did accomplish. He takes that ultimate authority by doing the work of redemption. So as to open the book and thus bring to completion. Without Him you couldn't bring creation to its God-ordained completion because there would be no redemption, there would only be judgment and destruction. The judgment and destruction is not the end, the glorious kingdom is the end for a redeemed creation. And to break its seals. So in opening the scroll, that authority to break each of the seals which will unfold each stage in the unfolding plan of God that will ultimately bring us to the eternal kingdom when we get to chapters 20-22.

Verse 6, I saw between the throne with the four living creatures, these are the four living creatures around the throne, one on each side, and the elders a Lamb standing as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sits on the throne. The central figure here now, in chapter 4 it was the Father on the throne. Chapter 5 opens up with the scroll in the hand of the Father on the throne but the central figure becomes this One that is the focus of all heaven, the One worthy to take the scroll. I saw between the throne and the elders a Lamb standing. This word Lamb is used of Christ 28 times in the book of Revelation. It is a key title for Christ, a key identification. He is the Lamb, 28 times used of Christ in the book of Revelation. Because without that there is no hope in all this judgment. The Lamb, there is a Lamb who has taken away sin, there is redemption. We never lose sight of that in all the judgments that are poured out on an unbelieving world, the terrible devastation that is about to be unleashed on a sinful world. So 28 times we will be reminded of the Lamb because the lamb is the animal of sacrifice. And He is the Lamb as it is slain, He bears the marks of His death.

Remember in John 20:27 with the one we know as Thomas and we call him doubting Thomas. Turn back to John 20. Remember Jesus had appeared earlier to the disciples and Thomas wasn't present. Thomas said, verse 25, unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, put my finger into the place of the nails and my hand into His side where the spear was thrust, I will not believe. After eight days Christ appears again and in verse 27 He says, reach here with your finger. See my hands, reach here with your hand and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving. You see the marks of redemption are there because they have eternal significance. So they are not removed. Christ is here in His glorified body but the marks of redemption are there. So we see the Lamb as if it were slain, bears the marks of its execution, if you will.

The picture goes back to Exodus 12, the Passover lamb. We don't have time to read that whole section there, but in Exodus 12 remember God instructed Israel when He was going to slay the firstborn. You slay the lamb and put the blood on the doorposts, then you stay in the house. When I see the blood I will pass over you. The angel of the Lord will pass over, He will not slay the firstborn in that house. In effect the blood of the lamb has taken the place of that firstborn. And so we get the name Passover because the Lord passed over. That is the background for the picture here. He is the Lamb of God.

Isaiah 53. Isn't it amazing how much information and detail is packed into each of these references? We don't look at all the scriptures we could, but that's where people get lost in the book of Revelation so often, along with faulty hermeneutics. Just so unfamiliar with the Old Testament we're adrift, because when you have hundreds and hundreds of references to the Old Testament in the book of Revelation and we are in the dark about the Old Testament, we end up not having any idea what he is talking about. Isaiah 53:7, He was oppressed, He was afflicted. Who are we talking about? The One in verse 5 who was pierced through for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities. The chastening for our well-being fell on Him. By His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. He was oppressed, He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth. He will be the sacrificial lamb, the Passover lamb. The Lamb of God as John the Baptist introduced Him who will take away the sin of the world. Peter refers to that, He's the Lamb of God who was foreknown from before the foundation of the world. The plan of God that He would be our sacrifice.

Isn't it interesting, as you come back to Revelation 5, the picture of Christ that's unfolded. In verse 5 He is the Lion from the tribe of Judah, in verse 6 He is the Lamb with the marks of His being slain. How can you get two more different kinds of animals representing Him—the lion with its majesty, its power, the one that we saw in the Old Testament that none challenge in the animal world; and the lamb meek and powerless, if you will, before those who would take its life. And you have the meekness and gentleness of Christ and you have the majesty and power of Christ together in the same person. Here He is the sacrificial lamb.

Having seven horns, this lamb has seven horns. The horn is a symbol of strength and power in the Old Testament. Go to Numbers 23:22. Here you see the picture of God. God brings them out of Egypt, referring to His people Israel. He is for them like the horns of the wild ox. It denotes the strength, the power. Deuteronomy 33:17, another reference, gives you the same idea of the power. And there are seven of these horns. Remember seven denotes completion, fullness. He has complete power, He is omnipotent. So again you see these things that would seem in and of themselves contradictory but they are all found in this one person. He is the Lamb with seven horns, having complete power because He is omnipotent.

Come back to Revelation 5. He has seven eyes. The number seven is so essential in the book of Revelation, we are looking at a seven-sealed scroll denoting the completeness, the fullness. Here He has seven eyes, denotes the completeness of His knowledge, He is omniscient. He is not only omnipotent, He is omniscient. And then you have the identification, the seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. We've seen this reference before. This refers to the Holy Spirit. So now you see we have the Father on the throne passing the scroll to the Son who is the fulfillment of Old Testament Messianic prophecies as well as the fulfillment of the sacrifices of the Old Testament. And now you have the Holy Spirit represented. The seven eyes which are the seven spirits sent out into all the earth, just as the Father send the Son and the Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit. And Christ's promise, if I ascend to the Father I will send the Holy Spirit to you. And here these eyes representing the Holy Spirit and the One who serves on behalf of the Godhead, if you will, on the earth. Where did we start in Genesis 1? In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And what happened then? The Spirit of God hovered over the face of the deep. They are actively involved in creation. The Father has created all things through the Son and the Spirit we see involved in that work. So He is the One sent into all the earth.

Let's go back to Zechariah, we've been back to Zechariah because of this kind of identification. Zechariah 3:9, we're just going to pick up the reference because we have talked further about this before. For behold the stone that I have set before Joshua, on one stone are seven eyes. There we have the seven eyes. And we come down and we have seven lamps in verse 2, with seven spouts. We come down to verse 6 and we were reminded what this is all saying. Not by might nor by power, but by My spirit says the Lord. Come down to chapter 4 verse 10, for who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These are the eyes of the Lord which range to and fro throughout the earth. So here we have the seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. So those familiar with Zechariah's prophecy, yes, these are the eyes of the Lord which roam to and fro throughout the earth. The eyes of the Lord roam on the earth, they behold the evil and the good. The Spirit is present throughout the world. And so you have God present and God working and the knowledge of the Son of God as the Spirit of God works.

Back in Revelation 5, we wrap up, verse 7. He came and took the book out of the right hand of the Him who sat on the throne. So this description after the call to all creation which is to portray the fact that there is no one anywhere in the creation, now Christ is not a created being but He did become man. And the emphasis here is on His humanity and the One who could fulfill the promises as the descendant of Judah, the descendant of David, the Lamb that was slain. He alone can step forward as the Redeemer and take the book for His hand.

We have one other passage to go to in the Old Testament, that is Daniel 7, because that's the scene here. He comes and takes the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. And you'll know what this means. This is, if you will, the title deed, as it is sometimes referred to, to creation. And He is the One now with the right and authority to rule and to bring to completion the work of God. Daniel 7:9, I kept looking until thrones were set up and the Ancient of Days took His seat. That's God the Father on the throne. His vesture was like white snow, the hair of His head like pure wool, His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire, a river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him. Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, myriads upon myriads were standing before Him. The court sat, the books were opened. Come down to verse 13, I kept looking the night visions and behold with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming. And He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. To Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom that all the peoples, nations, men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away, His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. You see the One who comes and takes the scroll out of the hand of the Father on the throne is taking to Himself the rights and authority, now, the prerogative to unfold the climactic portion of God's plan that will conclude with Him on the throne, ruling an eternal kingdom over the redeemed.

Okay, we don't have time to give you my seven concluding points, I'll share those with you as we start next time. What a glorious scene. In our announcement time I talked about the trivialness that comes in. Isn't it amazing? We have this as our destiny and we get involved in silliness that distracts us. We have such a glorious message to bring in the midst of all the catastrophe that even unfolds in the world today, which is just a light taste of what is to come beginning in Revelation 6. But there is a Savior, that's what we have to talk about. Ultimately this creation will be redeemed, but not by our efforts, not by our work. I'm not against recycling, if you want to do it, do it. If you want to change your light bulbs, do it. Whatever. But that's not what it's about for us as a church, we have a far more important message. We can tell you about the One who will restore creation to what it was before sin entered, and it will be a time when the Savior will reign and all those who have become overcomers through faith in Him will reign with Him.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the insights we've been given into the glory of your presence. An awesome scene, reminder that the focal point in heaven as we prepare for end events is your Son, the work you have planned to carry out the work of redemption in and through Him and Him alone. There is no other Redeemer, there is no one else worthy and qualified in heaven, on earth or under the earth. He is the only Savior and He is ultimately the only King. Lord, thank you this salvation is available in Him to us today and we through faith in Him have entered into the wonder of that salvation and look forward to the glory of heaven and the unfolding of the events that will climax in the reign of Christ and our privileged reign with Him. May we keep this before us even in our service for you in the days of the week before us. We pray in Christ's name, amen.