A.    Rev. 5 gives us insight into the Father’s plan to exalt Jesus as a human king over all the earth. Jesus coming as king to take over the nations is one of the main themes of Revelation (Rev. 1:7).
 
16 He has on His robe…a name written: King of kings and Lord of lords. (Rev. 19:16)

8 I (the Father) will give You (Jesus) the nations for Your inheritance (Millennium)... (Ps. 2:8)
 
B.    Jesus is fully God and fully man. This is a great mystery.
 
16 Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh… (1 Tim 3:16)
 
C.    The Father promised to exalt Jesus because of His faithfulness in His humanity.
 
8 He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death…9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth… (Phil. 2:8-10)
 
D.    God gave the dominion (authority) of the earth to Adam as a representative of the human race as an eternal stewardship. To reverse this decision would be injustice and failure to keep His word.
 
28 God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over…every living thing that moves on the earth." (Gen. 1:28)

16 The heavens…are the Lord’s but the earth He has given to the children of men. (Ps. 115:16)
 
E.    By sinning, Adam forfeited his authority to Satan (Gen. 3; Lk. 4:6). Jesus came to win back the dominion given to humans. Jesus, as the last Adam, won the rights to the dominion of the earth.
 
5 The devil…showed Him all the kingdoms of the world…6 and said…, "All this authority I will give You…for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” (Lk. 4:5-6)

4 Whose minds the god of this age (Satan) has blinded, who do not believe. (2 Cor 4:4)
 
 

A.    As Jesus is commissioned, He take the scroll from the Father’s hand (v. 7). This scroll represents the title deed of the earth and the action plan (Rev. 6-19) necessary to prepare the Church as a mature Bride who partners with Jesus to bring in the Harvest and judge the Antichrist’s worldwide empire as a key part of His plan to drive evil off the earth.
 
1 I saw in the right hand of Him (the Father) who sat on the Throne a scroll…sealed with seven seals. 2 I saw a strong angel proclaiming…, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?"…5 One of the elders said, "…The Lion of the tribe of Judah…has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals." 6 In the midst of the Throne…stood a Lamb as though…slain. 7 He took the scroll out of the right hand of Him…on the Throne. (Rev. 5:1-7)
 
B.    The Father gives the title deed of the earth to Jesus as a human King. He is the only Man with the ability to govern the whole world and lead all its governments (v. 2).  He is the only one found worthy (deserving and capable) to take the scroll from the Father. In taking the scroll (v. 7) Jesus accepts the responsibility to cleanse and rule the whole earth.
 
C.    To “open the seals” means to release the judgments in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 6-19) to cleanse the planet from evil and to restructure all the governments of the earth (Rev. 20:4-6).
 
D.    Jesus is the only Man with the wisdom, love, humility and power to open the seals (release judgment) in a way that produces righteousness and love across the entire earth.
 
E.    Jesus has the fierceness and fearlessness of a lion and the tenderness and humility of a lamb.
 
 

A.    To be worthy is to be deserving and capable to open the seals of the scroll and rule the earth. The 4 living creatures (angelic) and the 24 elders (human) agree with the “great love song” that Jesus is worthy and they agree with the Father’s decree to give Jesus leadership of the earth.
 
8 When He (Jesus) had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb…9 They sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals (release God’s judgments); for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God (proved Your leadership and love) by Your blood out of every tribe…and nation, 10 and have made us kings and priests to God; and we shall reign on the earth." (Rev. 5:8-10)
 
B.    Jesus is worthy: three applications
 

1.    Jesus is worth it: the devil seeks to stir up self pity in us by telling us that we are getting a bad deal from God and that it is no longer worth the trouble to seek God with diligence. The devil says, “Give in and give up because it is too hard”. Paul’s response to the excellency of Jesus was to give all to Him with extravagant love.
 
8 I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish… (Phil. 3:8) 

2.    Jesus is capable: to drive evil off the earth and reorganize all the governments.
 
3.    Jesus deserves it: Father will give the leadership of the earth to Jesus as He gave it to Adam. Jesus has proven Himself by making every choice in love and righteousness.
 
9 You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. (2 Cor. 8:9)
 

C.    Jesus being slain: He had to become human and live in obedience and dependence on the Spirit.
 
       1.    Jesus had to become human forever: to qualify as a sacrifice for humans.
 

2.    Jesus lived in perfect love, humility and righteousness: to qualify to bear God’s wrath.
 
3.    Jesus lived dependent on the anointing of the Spirit: ever since the incarnation, Jesus has “never ever been less than God” but He has lived as though He was “never more than a man.” For the 33 years on the earth He lived in dependence on the Spirit as a Man. He waited on the Father in prayer and obedience for Him to release the Spirit every time.
 
2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge…3 He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears (Isa. 11:2-3)
 

D.    The humility of Jesus: is beyond our understanding in His humanity, anointing and intercession.
 
E.    The Father gives Jesus an unprecedented measure of favor over 7 spheres of leadership.
 
11 The voice of many angels…12 saying…, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing." (Rev. 5:11-12)
 

1.    Power (political) – Jesus will receive governmental leadership over all nations. 
 
2.    Riches (financial) – all the money on earth will be under Jesus’ leadership.
 
3.    Wisdom (intellectual) – Jesus will replace every evil government on earth with new leaders and laws along with restoring every sphere of life (political, economic, family educational, agricultural, media, technology, environment, social institutions, etc).
 
4.    Strength (emotional) – Jesus will have strength in His inner man (Eph. 3:16) so as to continue steadfastly as He restores the nations and contends against all resistance.
 
5.    Glory (spiritual) – all will boast in Jesus with loving delight and joyful trust. Paul gloried in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:3, NIV, NAS). Children glory in their father (Prov. 17:6), young men glory in their strength (Prov. 20:29) and we glory in God’s name (Ps. 105:3; 43:4).
 
6.    Honor (relational) – Jesus will be greatly respected and listened to in all nations. Dictionary: to publicly esteem by showing unusual respect to one with superior standing and to listen to their words with reverence.
 
7.    Blessing (social) – all will fully cooperate with His leadership resulting in the mightiest work force in history. The nations will bless all of His plans and policies. In other words, they will agree and cooperate with them by putting their resources behind them.
 
 

17 Your eyes will see the King in His beauty… (Isa. 33:17)

2 In that day the Branch of the Lord (Jesus as Man) shall be beautiful and glorious. (Isa. 4:2)
 
 

A.    Father’s promise to Jesus: to make Him preeminent in all things
 
18 He is the head of the Body…that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Col. 1:18)
 
B.    Jesus earned the right to rule the earth yet gives it to the Father. Jesus delights in humility.
 
24 Then comes the end (Millennial Kingdom), when He (Jesus) delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He (Jesus) puts an end to all rule (hostile, evil authorities during the Millennium)…28 Now when all things are made subject to Him (Jesus), then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him (the Father)… that God may be all in all. (1 Cor. 15:24-28)