Please have your Bibles open and stand with me for the reading of God's Word. Our passage this morning is in the book of Revelation, chapter 5. We're making good progress through the book of Revelation, and this morning we're going to be looking at the first five verses and the sermon that I've entitled, Worthy Are You, O Lord? This is the part one of that sermon title that we will be going through chapter 5. And this is the reading of God's Word. Revelation 5 verse 1. Then I saw in the right hand of him who sits on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals? And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. Then I was crying greatly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, stop crying. Behold, the lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has overcome so as to open the scroll and its seven seals. Amen and amen. Please be seated. Chapter four, we study the throne room of the worship. of the heavenly hosts, the 24 elders, and the four living creatures. Fantastic vision of the one who sits on the throne. The throne was the key word in chapter 4. In this chapter, chapter 5, the word scroll, that word that appears seven times just in this chapter alone, will be the central word and the central theme. The scrolls were usually made from papyrus reeds. Scrolls that were important were of an expensive product of animal skins. And not only important letters were written on these scrolls, but all sorts of official documents were written on them in the first century biblical context, such as marriage contracts, rental and lease agreements, purchase and releasing of slaves, contract bills, and bonds, etc., etc. We still value these documents, documents of great importance, of lesser importance, common letters. All these things were written down in either cheap and readily available papyrus, flattened reeds that were woven into a thin layer that you could write with ink or, as I said, more expensive animal skins for more important documents, some things that you wanted to preserve for a long time. Well, that's a general term that's used here, Biblion, scroll. But this scroll is in the right hand of the one who is sitting on the throne. It had seven seals on its scroll. And the verbs break the seal and open the scrolls. Those two verbs indicate that you could see that there's writing on them, but you can't decipher what's in the writing unless you open it, which means it's closed. Information on that scroll is closed. This is what John saw. Now we saw this term scroll commanded by the Lord Jesus to John in Revelation 1.11. Here is given as a command saying write in a scroll there's the Biblion what you see and send it to the seven churches. There was the command to write in a scroll so John had a roll of papyrus ready and this is what he wrote. He could write because he was shown the scroll that contained the information. Now what exactly is in that scroll? That's one of the questions that we will be asking. We have to ask good questions in order to find the answers that's embedded into this text. So first question we're going to ask is what exactly is it written? What is written on that scroll? Then we're going to ask two more questions. Why is no one worthy to open the scroll? I mean, there was a big question by a strong angel. Who is worthy? Dead silence. Why is there no one? And finally, we're going to ask the third question. Who alone is worthy to open the scroll? Those three questions will help us to discover the message of this passage. And the message is very clear. Jesus Christ, our Lord, He is worthy. And we're going to see why He's worthy, how He's worthy, and it's going to help you to worship Him in a better way, as I pray that that would be the end product of our study of this passage this morning. So let's ask the first question. What exactly is written on this scroll? Verse 1, Notice John says, then I saw, kai adon in the Greek. This phrase is repeated after each scene introducing a new vision. So there's four scenes that's woven together. And I saw, and I saw. It's translated then I saw, but it's a simple Greek conjunction, kai and adon, I saw. In the right hand of Him who sits on the throne. Now we've already identified Him who sits on the throne, that's God. And God the Father, specifically. The right hand is the hand of power, of might. It's the favored hand. It's the righteous, decisive hand. In the ancient Near Eastern context, everybody understands this is the important hand. And on that hand is a scroll. He is sitting on the throne, points to the command-control center, his sovereign. There's a scroll in his right hand. Already the scene is very important and intriguing. It is attention-grabbing. It points to the divine origin and sovereign possession. So if God originated this scroll, then he must be the writer only he understands and knows the content. If he is sovereign and he's possession in this scroll in his hand, who's going to take it from him? Already these questions are circling in the minds of the reader and the hearer and it should be in ours. A particular feature is mentioned about the scroll. This is a scroll written inside and on the back. In other words, A scroll has front side and back side, only two sides. But there's writing on both sides. And we find this peculiar feature in Yehezkel. So let's go there in chapter 2 and read verses 9 and 10. This is not the first time that a double-sided writing on a scroll was shown to man. in both cases to a prophet, God's chosen instrument of revelation. Yerushalayim 2, verse 9, it says, Then I looked, and behold, a hand was sent forth to me, and behold, a scroll was in it. Then he spread it out before me, and it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, sighing, and woe. In Yehezkel the contents of the scroll were unveiled and explained but here it's closed up and sealed. Commentators note that in the first century Roman contracts were written on both sides. Insides were in all the details of the contract while the outside contained a summary of the document. And multiple theories are offered up as to what the scroll is all about and what it contains, including the New Covenant. Some say it's the content of the New Covenant. Another option is inheritance reserved for the saints. This is our future inheritance, inheritance rights. Another option is Lamb's Book of Life. This is the Lamb's Book of Life. Another option is God's redemptive plan. And the fifth option is Christ's title deed or contract for the world. This fifth option is what John MacArthur believes that the scroll in Revelation 5 refers to, the title deed to the earth which he will give to Christ. MacArthur and others get this information from the fact that the Roman wills, the will and testament, were sealed with seven seals. So there's a cultural connection to this. Another commentator, Stauffer, observes that the wills left by Augustus and Vespasian for their successors were sealed with seven seals in the history of Romans. However, John Walvard, a theologian from Dallas Seminary, believes that the scroll to be a book which contains the prophecy of impending events, since that's what's revealed when the seals were broken and opened. This is the view that Robert Thomas also takes, as he explains that the scrolls contain the judgments that will fall upon the earth during a relatively brief period, eventually at their conclusion, issuing in the coming of the promised Messiah and his kingdom. It is a history of the future that gives us successive steps leading to the inauguration of the world kingdom of Christ. That's what Thomas writes. So taking all that into account, the fact that the scroll is written on both sides is not to summarize its content like a will or a testament, but to demonstrate the comprehensiveness of the information that's contained in it. There's a lot written in it. Not only on one side, but on the other side, it's comprehensive. We take this view because Yehezkel was shown a scroll with writings on both sides, with the content of God's judgment. That seems to fit in better with the content that we see in this scroll. because it is a scroll that has seven seals, but when the seventh seal is open, there's a telescoping view now of the blowing of the seven trumpets. No longer is the scroll active, now the trumpet sound is blown. And when the seventh trumpet's blown, there's another telescoping event that opens up the seven bowls of God's judgment. So when we look at Revelation, it serves a partial purpose, but not the complete purpose. It does have the seventh seal that opens up to the telescoping event. So the scroll could contain all the other things that we see in the book of Revelation. So it is comprehensive, but it also has a limitation of opening up to these other features of the prophecy. Therefore, I think what John Wolvard and Robert Thomas says makes greater sense in light of what Yehoshua was shown in chapter 2 of Ezekiel and with what John was shown. Both are prophets, both are instruments of the revelation of God. Since this is what was revealed and since John was commanded by the Lord Jesus to write what he saw in a scroll, that's the view that we will take. Now notice this scroll was sealed up with seven seals. Of course the prophetic number seven is the number of perfection and completion, so this represents the perfect and complete purposes of God and His eternal counsel for the end times. But it's currently sealed up and closed up. MacArthur comments, while the scroll is a scroll of doom and judgment, it is also a scroll of redemption. It tells how Christ will redeem the world from the usurper Satan and those men and demons who have collaborated with him. This is why MacArthur believes this is the deed of the earth and the kingdoms given to Christ, but it is not there in a passive way. but that Christ has to win this deed, cause the deed to come into fruition. So we conclude that the scroll contains God's comprehensive will and counsel of its purposes for the judgment of the earth and the history of the world, culminating in the glorious kingdom of Christ and the eternal age. In other words, this is God's will for the future. Now that we've answered the question, what is written? God's will and his purposes for the future. Let's proceed to ask the second question. Why is no one worthy to open it then? Verse two, then I saw, we saw that familiar phrase, Kai Adon here, another prophetic scene is introduced with this familiar phrase, a strong angel, a strong angel, nondescript, we don't know his name. Only two angels are named in the entire, Bible, one is Gabriel and the other is Michael. And since Michael is mentioned in Revelation chapter 12 verse 7, he could have easily been introduced here, but he's not. So the nondescript strong angel points to the fact that he is among several mighty and strong angels. How do we know this? Well, in Revelation 10, verse one says, then I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven. So the strong angel that's introduced in chapter five is not the only one. There's another strong angel in chapter 10. And so in Revelation 10, Revelation five, the combination of angels' strength, and the proclamation of his loud voice, because notice what it says, he didn't just say, the verb Lego is not used, but Caruso is proclaiming. with a loud voice. Proclaiming has to do with an amplification for the purpose for a large crowd to hear. So this is what we call a herald. A town herald was the one with a loud voice reading the edict of the king to the masses. This is a public proclamation. So that's the verb that is used. And then the loud voice adds to the fact that this is very important. It has far-reaching ramifications. This is not just a dictation of a soft voice or a regular voice. This is a strong angel, a mighty angel, proclaiming with a loud voice. And what's the proclamation? Here's the quotation of the proclamation. Who is worthy to open the scroll? That's the first phrase. Who is worthy to open the scroll? This is almost a challenge and almost an invitation. It is a question that evokes in the mind of the hearer, yeah, who is worthy? To ask that question again and again. Who really is worthy? The term worthy or worthiness has the connotation of inner moral competency or ethical attainment in the first century world. When somebody says he is worthy, you're saying somebody who has a very noble character, whose inner moral character matches up with his ethical and outer speech and actions. So worthiness had a very strong moral connotation in the first century Greek. But there's more. Who is worthy to open the scroll and then here's the synonym and to break its seals? Well obviously you have to break the seals first to open the scroll. It is two of the same kind of an action. You have to break the seal to open the scrolls. But here, open the scrolls is mentioned first and breaking the seals is mentioned. Why is this important? Because as we will see in chapter 6, the seal is broken one at a time. So in your mind, put an equal sign between breaking the seals and then opening the scroll. It's the same action. It's the same thing. But the fact that it is portrayed here in a matter points to the fact that, well, this is an important action. This is a powerful action. Somebody has to be powerful and worthy enough of inner character. and have the ability to do this, first you have to take it from the one who is holding it, that's Almighty God, and then it's sealed up with seven seals, this is God's perfect sealing, who can do this? All these questions would be circling in the minds of the hearer, and as it should be in ours. It's to reveal the extreme unlikelihood of someone who can actually do this. So the question and the challenge almost seems impossible. Who can do this? And many people in that generation ask these questions. Who can forgive sins but God alone? There's no way they could fathom even anyone on earth who will be able to do this. And yet Jesus says what? Son, your sins are forgiven you. They say, what? Who can forgive sins but God alone? It made no sense to them. But John intuitively knows that the scroll contains the most important information regarding the counsels of God. It is in his right hand. But more importantly, the prophecies they must contain. John intuitively knows this. Why? Because he knows Ezekiel. It was another scroll, but it was open for the prophet. It was written on both sides. John sees this. And of course that was in heaven, a flying scroll. So it was heavenly, it was a heavenly origin. John understands this. And then look at verse three, and no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able. Now notice the verb of ability there, able. No one was able. That's in the imperfect tense in the Greek, implying that all creation's inability and unworthiness to open the scroll was a chronic and ongoing condition, one that describes the unaltered and complete impotence of created beings to perform the function, writes Thomas. An excellent way of saying it. Total impotence of created beings to perform the function. The deadly silence in heaven and on earth and under the earth indicates that there was no one with the qualification who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. Not even Gabriel, not even Michael stepped forward and saying, I can or I will. The English simply uses the negative particle no one with the conjunction or for brevity and idiomatic flow. No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able. But that's not how the Greek is written. The Greek is very redundant giving three separate negative particles emphasizing no one, none, none. We see this regional triplet pattern in Exodus chapter 20. Let's go there. Exodus 20 verse 4 and see its importance. This triplet pattern has a familiar ring to it. Exodus 20 verse 4 and notice the negative command. You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the water under the earth. heaven above, earth beneath, or water under the earth. In each case, there is a negative command. No one, none, none. And the Apostle Paul also uses this triplet pattern in Philippians 2, verse 10. Philippians 2, verse 10. And I call this the regional triplet because it's heaven, earth, under the earth. These are regions. These are spheres of existence. Philippians 2.10 says this, so that the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, where? Of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth. So notice this regional sphere of existence, heaven, earth, under the earth, is a triplet pattern in the mind of biblical writers. This is a Hebrew idea that comes in the Torah, and so Apostle Paul uses it, and we see it here. in the strong angels challenge to the whole creation, all of creation. So that links the worthiness with the idea of ability, since the word ability is used here, who is able, the opposite of ability is inability. The silence means they're unable. So the one who is worthy, who is able, the one who is able is the worthy one. Now we have understood the definition of worthy. You have to have an inner moral perfection of holiness, and you need to have the power and the ability, right? But not only authority, but also the ability to do this act. The three negative particles all add to the idea that there were absolutely no one who was worthy in heaven or earth or under the earth. The New Testament commentator and scholar Leon Morris writes, the possibility is reduced to a vanishing point after a search produces no one in region after region. There's no one to open the scroll or to look into it. Not even to look into it, not even take a glimpse into it. The act of opening is the same as act of breaking as we saw in verse 2. since the angel's question equivocates them. Since no one can open or break the seals, it follows that no created being, neither of the angelic realm or the human realm or the creative world, can look and read the scroll's contents. So we've just answered the question, why is no one worthy? Because it is because no one is mighty enough. No one is godly and holy enough. No one is authoritative enough, no one can fulfill God's qualifications to read the scroll and its contents to fulfill the prophecies of the will of God. Why? They're all creatures. This is beyond the ability of any creatures. No one. What does that make Jesus? Well there is one who is worthy. Now that we asked two questions, what is written in the scroll and why is no one worthy to open the scroll, let's proceed to third and final question. Who then can open the scroll? Is God teasing humanity? Is God teasing John? Is God saying, here is my divine and sovereign prophetic will for the universe. that is completely sealed up but there's no one who can understand its contents except of course me because I caused it to be. Well this leaves John in a state of great emotional turmoil. He knows how important that is and all of his hopes and dreams and desires are tied in with the content of the scroll as we shall soon see by his reaction. So as we ask this third and final question, who then can open, we find great hope here and great joy. Verse four, then I was crying greatly. It says, literally, I was weeping much. And this kind of weeping is a weeping that is not quiet, silent, whimpering. This is a loud cry. This is a kind of weeping where you make a sound. This is a cry. So this is a good translation. crying greatly, crying much, literally, that's what it says. So John was emotionally overwhelmed with deep sorrows that was just bursting out in cries, loud cries of painful, tearful sorrow. So why is John crying like this? Well, the most plausible reason for such great emotional trauma was John's fears his mind at this point were being realized. The events contained in the revelatory scroll would remain not only unknown but also unfulfilled and unaccomplished. It's just God's will for the world and it's sealed up. No one can know it but it's sealed up which means it's not going to be accomplished. Why is that a very important topic for John, and why did it cause such an emotional trauma that he would just burst out in loud cries? Well, here is the explanation. Because, there's the explanation. Because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look into it. None of the angels were found worthy. None of the saints on earth or godly people that John looked up to, respected, honored, were worthy. You know, think of the people that we can think of. John must have thought, our father Abraham, who was the friend of God, he was unworthy. The godly prophets, they were unworthy. King David, he was unworthy. What does this mean? It means that indefinite postponement of God's prophetic agenda in the mind of John. They're hoping for the deliverance of Israel. They're hoping for the messianic kingdom. Does it mean that God's vindication of Israel is indefinitely, indefinitely delayed? Does this mean that the messianic hope is indefinitely quenched? What was his hope he lived this entire life for? His labor for the gospel, for the Lord. The trauma for John is too great. as are the tears and the pain and the suffering and the trauma of all those who hope for the fulfillment of the Word of God and yet under great persecution, suffering, pain, confiscation of property, and death. Could you imagine if your understanding of God's will for the future is forever closed and you don't know what's going to happen and you're facing all these problems? You would be sad, too. You would be hopeless, too. You would be crying, too. So in many ways, John is weeping for all of us because if we can't know the sovereign will of God, not only understanding, but the fulfillment of His promises, and it's indefinitely delayed, that would be very painful. For people who are suffering in the world for their faith, that would be incredibly painful. As Israel was suffering. This is post AD 70 in our understanding of the book of Revelation. Millions of Israelites were put to death. Millions were taken in as slaves. The temple is destroyed. No hope for Israel. And the scroll is closed. This is devastating. But, verse 5, and one of the elders said to me, stop crying. One of the 24 elders now take up the position of a guide and gives John a mild rebuke and the command to stop crying. The command was necessary because from John's perspective, there was no hope. All seemed lost. like the widow of Nain who had lost her only son in Luke 7, 13, right? I mean, could you imagine anyone being more sad than a widow who had no husband, her only son whom she had placed all her hope in, in this world, he's dead before her? Who's more sorrowful? Who's more broken? Who has lost all hope than this woman? But Scripture says, He felt compassion for her and said to her, Do not cry. How can anyone offer solace and comfort like this unless you have the power to wipe away those tears and turn them into joy? But that's our Lord. That's our Lord. And Jairus' family over the death of his daughter in Luke 8.52, Now they were all crying and lamenting for her, but he said, Stop crying, for she has not died but asleep. Who can say this? Only the one who has power over death can turn death into sleep. And he can wake up the dead just as anybody can wake up those who are sleeping. He has this awesome power. Only the one who can comfort, who can reverse the curse, who can bring solution to an insolvable, unsolvable problem for man. So this elder sees what John doesn't see. He knows what John doesn't know. That the one who raises the dead and gives hope to the hopeless, he is worthy and he is near. That's why. And here's the attention-grabbing word. Behold. Hinen, Hebrew, edu here in Greek. Behold. And here's the, after that, in the typical Greek grammar, you have the verb first, overcame, overcame. Here's the nike verb, nikao verb, he overcame. Who is the one who overcame? The lion that is from the tribe of Judah. And then another title, the root of David. The Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Root of David are familiar Old Testament messianic titles. Every Jew knew them. But they're linked together only here in the New Testament. Beautifully so. First, the conquering king of the prophetic messianic tribe of Judah, Yehudah. Even though Yehudah was the fourth tribe, it was the most prominent tribe. It was the kingly tribe. It was the tribe that produced David, the Messiah of the Old Testament, who would bring forth one of his descendants, through whom God made a Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel chapter 7, that one of his descendants will sit on his throne forever. And here's the prophecy. Let's go to Genesis chapter 49. Genesis 49. As you understand the context, this is before Yaakov, whose name was changed to Israel. This is the ancestor of the Israelites. Before he died, he issued a prophetic proclamation. for the 12 tribes, and this is what Yaakov said in verse 9 regarding Yehudah. He said, Yehudah is a lion's whelp. There's a young lion. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches, he lies down as a lion. He would be a very regal animal, noble animal, but very strong, ferocious predator. and as a lioness who dares to rouse him up. He will be unmatched in power. And that's true. Yehudah would be the most powerful tribe. It would produce many kings. But the particular king would be David, and through David, the Messiah, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Proverbs 28.1 says, The wicked flee when there is no one pursuing, but the righteous are secure as a lion. The righteous are secure as a lion. A lion is just left alone. No other animal dare to come and bother a lion in the wild. This is the king of the animals. So noble, regal, and boldness, plus power and strength is the imagery of the lion. All Jewish people knew that. That was the symbol and the title for the Messiah. The second title, the Root of David, is a Hebrew metaphor for offspring. root. We would think of a root, it's not like ancestry. No, but this is different and here's why. Let's take a look first at Isaiah, Yeshayahu chapter 11, Isaiah 11 verse 1. Because of this term shoresh, a shoot, a tzemach, which is very interesting. Now we learned this firsthand when we traveled to Israel on a study trip that the olive tree is really interesting that while the roots grow into the ground, from the root come shoots. Not from the trunk, not from the branches, but from the root come new shoots in the olive tree. It's a pretty interesting sight. And we saw them. And that's what's being mentioned here. Not from a already fully grown, from a branch way up there, but no, from the very root, there are new shoots that's popping up. Take a look at Isaiah 11, 1. Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Ishai, Jesse. That's exactly what happens with an olive tree. And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. Look at verse 10 of Isaiah 11. Then it will be in that day that the nations will seek the root of Jesse. who will stand as a standard for the peoples and his resting place will be glorious. And now take a look at Jeremiah. Jeremiah, Yirmeyahu, chapter 33, verse 15. Jeremiah 33, verse 15, says this, In those days, and at that time, I will cause a righteous branch of David, righteous branch of David, to branch forth and he shall do justice and righteousness on the earth. That's the messianic prophecy of the language of the root of David. This is what the Apostle Paul quotes in Romans 15 verse 12 and again he quotes Isaiah. Isaiah says, there shall come the root of Jesse and he who arises to rule over the Gentiles in him shall the Gentiles hope. So this rude of David has overcome. This lion of Judah has conquered. He is the victorious one. And so the Nikao verb here, overcoming, refers to the reality of Christ's victory over sin, death, and through the cross, as already mentioned in Revelation 3 verse 21, where he said, He who overcomes, this is after the church of Laodicea, he addresses them, he says, 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. And the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14, Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death he might render powerless of him. How? Through death. Render powerless. That's conquering. That's might. Powerless to him who had power of death, that is the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. Look at all the things that people do and are afraid to do because of death. Look at all the time and the energy and emotions, money wasted because of death and the fear of death. Satan controls this. If you do X, Y, and Z, you'll die. But if you trust in me, I will let you live long healthy and wealthy. It's the temptation of the lies of the enemy. He uses death to bring fear into people, to motivate them to go against the will of God, to control them, to slave of sin all their lives. This is the spiritual bondage of the plight of mankind and yet God sent forth his son and his great love that he might render powerless of him who had the power of death and might free those through fear of death or subject to slavery Colossians chapter 2 verse 15 Apostle Paul writes having disarmed the rulers and authorities they're powerless because they have no power of death they're powerless having disarmed the rulers and authorities he made a public display a public spectacle of them having triumph over them in him He triumphed over death because He triumphed over sin. There's no enemy that can withstand the one who overcame all these things. How did Christ overcome? He overcame through the cross, through the obedience to the point of death on the cross. And because He overcame, He is qualified. Why? Because he was so infinitely pure and holy that his holiness and his perfect life of righteousness and obedience basically defeated sin and Satan and death and the power of death. It is ultimately worthy and qualified. That's why it says, so as to open the scrolls and its seven seals. this is a well-translated purpose clause not with the use of the Hina in the Greek but the usage of the infinitive as the intermediate Greek students will know how infinitives are used in this way so here's the infinitive open open open this verb is used quite a few times in this chapter but as to open the purpose well this is amazing purpose What does this mean? Listen to what one commentator named R.H. Charles writes. The reason he won the victory was to enable him to open the scroll of destiny and its seals and implement God's purposes throughout the final stages of human history. That's monumental stuff. Why? Christ conquering sin and death made Him worthy. How do we know? Because He was justified. He was declared righteous through His resurrection. When God looked at Christ's work on the cross, He says, that is perfect sacrifice. That's the remedy for sin and all that's in the world, a curse through sin. I will raise him from the dead. I will fulfill my promise to him. Because the son trusted in the father, he entrusted his own life and soul to the father. He became obedient to the point of death. The father says, your sacrifice is complete. It is righteous. I accept it. Here's the proof. Resurrection from the dead. He overcame all the obstacles, our greatest enemy, and that was to enable him to open the scroll of destiny. Now he is worthy, he is powerful, he is right, he has authority, his might, he's both God and perfect man. Now he is enabled to implement God's purposes. for the rest of God's plan. He alone is worthy. In God's prophetic history, the purposes and plans of God's sovereign agenda had been revealed. And it was revealed to his prophets first. But the meaning and the significance would be closed up and sealed up. This was the great frustration of prophecy. Take a look at Daniel chapter 12 with me. Daniel 12 verse 4. After all the 11 chapters of incredible detailed prophecy, God says to Daniel at the end, the last chapter, chapter 12 verse 4, He says this, but as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the time of the end. Many will go to and fro and knowledge will increase. They will go to and fro and knowledge will increase. Etc, etc. But God said, conceal these words and seal up the book until the time of the end. Was the book of Daniel supposed to be understood in its fullness by every generation of believers in its full content? Not according to this passage. Well, why is it that we can gain a great understanding? Because it was fulfilled. And is being fulfilled. Well, how can we understand this? When great godly saints of the Old Testament times did not understand it is because Christ was worthy to send his Holy Spirit after he had finished the work of redemption he sent his Holy Spirit to illuminate the church so that the church would have an unveiled understanding of God's purposes for the end times that's how in Christ through the finished work of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. God is revealing the final details of his cosmic agenda for the world and calling all souls to repent and believe in the good news of the coming kingdom of Christ. So you see, beloved, having the right understanding of the end times is a rich blessing. That's why the book of Revelation begins with the blessing. You're blessed. You're blessed for your assurance as well as your confidence. When you preach the gospel of God's salvation, you know the end as well as the beginning. You know that it is accomplished and there's nothing that we can add or subtract to it. The confidence comes because you know and it's been shown to you and you understand because someone opened these mysterious things to you. You have assurance. You have confidence. You are motivated. And now you know there's much at stake. So the gospel of salvation from the coming wrath of God, you know what's in store in your near future. You know what's in the store for your loved ones, your family, for the people of the world. You know because He has told you. the entrance into the blessed kingdom of the eternal world, also the opportunity, the immense opportunity for us to be welcomed into His eternal kingdom. That's amazing. Do you know what for 2,000 years God's people have done because of this knowledge? Do you know for 2,000 years what religious people who couldn't care less of God's plan have done? Yeah, I think you know. you can just clearly set them apart. For 2,000 years, those who heard the Word of God, those who came and were richly blessed, were assured, were comforted, they continued to be faithful. Despite the hardship, despite the persecution, despite death, they did it. Because they know. They were assured. They were comforted. And they were waiting for all these things to come to pass. They're still praying, how long, O Lord, O holy and true? And even during the tribulation period, they will be praying, how long, O Lord? But they know that the worthy one, the Lion of Judah, the Root of David, he's worthy, and he will unveil what is to come. So blow by blow, step by step, year by year, you will know because God has shown what's going to happen in the world. And right now, our current events, we're being set up for what is to come. And it will make so much more sense to you. Why? Because we're that close to the end times. What did God say to Daniel? Seal up the vision. What did God say to John? Blessed are those who read and understand and obey the Word of God. We're living in exciting biblical times of rich blessings because we have the final and last opportunity to serve God in these days while the stage being set for what is to come. The hour of testing that will be coming upon the whole world So read carefully, pray sincerely, be watchful with full alertness. Do not be sidestepped from what God is doing. Make sure that you join in God's program. and make sure that you go against the deceptions of the enemy of the world that appeals to and panders to your pride and your foolishness to want to do your own thing apart from God's agenda. As God's people, we all know that we're all committed to God's purposes, so he uses weak creatures like us for this purpose so that our joy will be full and manifest when all these things come to pass. What a blessing for us to be living in these exciting prophetic times. Let's give thanks to the Lord and to the one who is infinitely worthy. Father, we come into your presence with joy and gratitude in our hearts that we serve the one who is truly worthy, the one through his perfect overcoming victorious work on the cross who has earned the right and who alone is worthy to reveal to your people your perfect and sovereign divine will for these end times. Or when you look at the things in the world, we know that there's so much evil and that you will punish evil. As you have done so in the past, so you will do in this coming world system. But we await for the glorious age of the Messianic kingdom when the Lord Jesus returns with His heavenly hosts to establish His millennial kingdom and the eternal state that is to come afterwards. We look at these things and we are so assured, we're so comforted that as you have caused John from weeping to joy, from sorrow and hopelessness to awe and wonder, Lord, would you lift up our hearts so that we might be better worshipers of you and better people of obedience and faithfulness to your commands. In Jesus' precious name we pray, amen.