The Coronation of the King
Sermon Manuscript
This is our second week in our Advent series in Revelation. As I said last week, we are in Revelation because we get a good look not only at the first arrival of Jesus, but also the second and what Jesus is doing in between His first arrival and His second coming. Last week we looked at Revelation chapter one and today we are jumping to chapter five.
Revelation can feel very intimidating to read, but really there are two vital things to understand and, when we do, most of it becomes pretty clear. I remember in seminary learning this from Dr. Kruger and felt like the most complicated calculus problem in the world became simple addition and subtraction. The first thing I learned is the importance of numbers. Now, this isn’t numerology where numbers have mystical meanings that can reveal hidden truths. Numbers in Revelation are symbolic devices God uses to communicate theological meaning. Numbers had meaning in the ancient near east. This was and is well known. The number 1000 means a lot. It means a large complete period or a large complete group. Twelve is another one. It represents God’s people. Twelve tribes in the Old Testament and Twelve apostles in the New Testament. So, put that all together and the number 12,000 means the whole complete large number of God’s people. Then we have seven. This will come up the most in Revelation. Seven means fullness, completion, or perfection. We saw a lot of sevens last week and we will again this week.
That’s the first thing. The second, and even more important, is the concept of recapitulation. I don’t normally get too deep in theological terms, but this one is going to open up Revelation to you. Can everyone say the word recapitulation? Recapitulation is a very common literary device used in ancient near east apocalyptic writing. Apocalyptic means ‘revealing.’ And what kind of writing is Revelation? Ancient near east apocalyptic. Recapitulation is when you tell the same story multiple times and each time you tell it you increase the intensity of the story. Imagine a football player making it into the endzone just as the clock hits zero to win the game against all odds. Camera angle one is the player crossing the goal line. Angle two is the player crossing the goal line and celebrating. Angle three is the same event, but now the players all run in to celebrate. Angle four is the crowd rushing the field. Angle five is the touchdown, the celebration, and the goal posts being torn down and carried downtown. The same event, but from different angles and increasing in intensity. What if someone saw these different angles as one chronological event? They would mistakenly think five touchdowns were scored and not just one very important one.
That’s what is going on in Revelation. The one story being told is the story of Jesus from His first arrival to His second coming. This story is told seven times and increasing each time in intensity. Why does this matter? Because if we read it as if it were chronologically written, it will sound like Jesus is going to come back multiple times. But, Revelation just shows Jesus coming back one time, but from different angles and this story is growing in intensity. And when we jump from chapter one to chapter five, we are jumping from the first camera angle to the second.
Ok, that was the heavy lifting for today. Chapters 1-3 are showing Christ among His churches correcting, comforting, and calling them to endure as they look forward to the final judgment and the new creation. Chapters 4-7 focus on the seals which speak to the church’s suffering in this present age and God’s sovereign protection over them. And the hero of the story here is Jesus. Jesus, the King, is here to accomplish God the Father’s plan for His people.
This scene is focusing on the celebration in the heavenly realm after Jesus resurrects and ascends into heaven. So this scene is happening not long after Jesus’ ascension at the end of the gospels. Scholars have called this scene the coronation of the King and that’s how I want us to see this passage. Now, maybe the Sopers can appreciate a coronation more than the rest of us, but the coronation of a king is a huge deal! There is elaborate planning and extravagant celebration. And here in this passage we have the coronation of the King of Kings. The coronation that will make every other earthly coronation look like a candle next to the sun.
So, I want to look at this coronation and answer three questions from this passage. 1) Why we need this King, 2) Why only Jesus can be this King, and 3) What the King accomplished. And my hope is that once we see this, Jesus won’t feel like a good luck charm or your chill best friend, but that we would stand in awe of the King we have and the way He loves us.
- Why we need this King 1-4
We need this King because the scroll must be opened. John writes that in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne was a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And he saw a mighty angel with a loud voice asking, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able. And John wept loudly. So, why is John weeping? Because the scroll represents God’s eternal plan for His people. God’s unrevealed and unexecuted plan for the redemption of the universe and the judgment of sin. If this scroll is not opened, God’s plan does not happen.
Just imagine… watching the whole hope of the world hanging in the balance. Imagine realizing that every promise God ever made…every promise of justice, forgiveness, healing, resurrection…remains locked away, frozen, out of reach. Imagine seeing the future of God’s people sealed shut with no one able to bring it to pass. Imagine heaven holding its breath, the angels silent, creation waiting and… nothing, absolutely nothing… able to move forward. Imagine everything you’ve ever hoped God would make right will remain forever wrong. I cannot overstate the weight, the implications of what John is watching.
Without a King to open this scroll, God’s plan of redemption does not come to pass. No human power, no political system, no spiritual longing can accomplish what is needed. To get our minds and hearts into this passage and into Advent, we need to feel the ache of a world we cannot fix. We need to feel the need for the scroll to be opened.
- Why only Jesus can be this King 5-10
Three reasons. First, because Jesus is the true Promised King. As John was weeping, one of the elders said to John, “Weep no more; Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. - Rev 5:5 We are in the last of the sixty six books of the Bible and we are seeing the fulfillment of the very first book. In Genesis 49 we see the groundwork for this very scene 9 Judah is ka lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. lHe stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? 10 The mscepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff nfrom between his feet, until tribute comes to him;1 and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. - Gen 49:9,10 Jesus is that long ago promised Lion.
Jesus is not only the True King though, He is also the Eternal King. He is not only the Lion of Judah, He is the Root of David. That is, King David of Israel. To call Jesus the “Root of David” is to say He is not only David’s promised descendant, but David’s eternal Lord. This comes from Isaiah. Isaiah 6:13 is talking about Israel says, 13 jAnd though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned6 again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump kremains when it is felled.” lThe holy seed7 is its stump. - Is 6:13 The holy seed is the remnant of believers in Israel. Then, in chapter 11, Isaiah says, There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of lJesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. - Is 11:1 Jesus is that shoot coming from the roots of the stump.
He is the source and foundation of the kingdom of God. He is the King behind the king, the One who gives life to every promise, and the only One worthy to open God’s plan for history. Jesus isn’t just the descendant of David, He is the origin of David. David’s kingdom comes from Jesus, not the other way around. David’s reign was temporary, his line faltered, and Israel’s kingdom collapsed. But, the root cannot be cut down, it does not decay, it does not fail, and it does not depend on our own human faithfulness. Jesus is the source of the kingdom and the power behind every promise God made to David in 2 Samuel 7.
Jesus isn’t just continuing David’s story, he wrote David’s story. Jesus isn’t merely the heir to the throne, He is the author of the throne. Jesus’ kingdom can’t be overturned, it won’t be corrupted, and it will never be defeated because its life comes from Him. He alone is the foundation of every promise God has ever made.
Jesus is the True King, the Eternal King, and thirdly, He is the crucified and risen King. John hears about the Lion of Judah and the Root of David and he turns and sees, not a lion, but a lamb. A lamb standing with seven horns showing His power and authority. Seven eyes showing the fullness of the Holy Spirit, through whom Christ watches over His church. He sees all things perfectly, and executes God’s plan with complete wisdom. But, why a Lamb instead of a Lion? Because Jesus conquers not through worldly strength and domination, but through sacrifice.
Jesus, the True, Eternal King took on flesh and came to this world to redeem His people. He was without sin, but tempted in this world in every way we are. Our King deserved honor, worship, and praise, but instead, He willingly went to the cross to take on the shame and horror of God’s wrath that we deserve in our place. He gave us His righteousness so we could be seen by God the Father as if we had never sinned. As if we were every bit as righteous as our King is. Only Jesus can do this. His worthiness to open the scroll is rooted in His death for us. He doesn’t just forgive sinners, He makes us a kingdom and priesthood for God. This is why verse ten says, 10 and you have made them ya kingdom and priests to our God.. - Rev 5:10a
Can you see why only Jesus can be this King? Jesus died for us, but then He resurrected, defeating death, and then He ascended to this moment in Revelation. He took the scroll from the right hand of God the Father and opened it. Now, I want to make sure we don’t misunderstand the Trinitarian cooperation here. Revelation five does not picture a moment where the Father is unable to do something and the Son steps in to fix it. The scroll belongs to the Father and only the One who shares the Father’s own divine authority, holiness, and worthiness may take it and unfold its plan. What we see here isn’t a contrast of ability, but a revelation from and about the Trinity. The Father holds the plan of redemption, the Son, having accomplished that redemption through His death and resurrection, receives the authority to execute it, and the Spirit (the seven spirits sent to all the earth) applies that plan of redemption to the world. Here we see the perfect unity and cooperation of the Triune God. The Father authors the plan, the Son embodies and accomplishes the plan, and the Spirit brings the plan to life among God’s people.
And as Jesus took the scroll, the four living creatures (which closely match Ezekiel’s vision in Ezekiel one and ten) and the twenty-four elders fell down before the lamb. And, again, this is where numbers matter. Remember 12 represents the people of God in each covenant: 12 tribes and 12 apostles. So putting them together makes 24 which represents the full, united people of God. Old Testament saints and New Testament believers together, redeemed, and worshiping around the throne. They represent the church in its completed, glorified state.
Everyone falls at the feet of the Lamb and each of the 24 elders holds a harp representing joy and praise and they each have golden bowls full of incense which represents all of the prayers of the saints which are being answered because the scroll can be opened. And this is where we have the new song. They all sang a new song, saying..“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for vyou were slain, and by your blood wyou ransomed people for God from xevery tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them ya kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” - Rev 5:9b,10
This is why we need a King and this is why only Jesus can be that King. Now, lastly we get to see what the King accomplished.
- What the King accomplished 11-4
He accomplishes praise now and hope for the future. There are three praises in this passage. The new song was the first and the group closest to the throne sang it. Then we have a second praise and the angels join the living creatures and the 24 elders. So many angels John can’t count them all. That’s what thousands and thousands mean. They collectively sing. a“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”- Rev 5:12 And again we have the number seven. In this song of praise there are seven excellencies (power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing) which represent all virtues and excellences in heaven and on earth. They all belong to the King who is now being crowned.
Can you see that Revelation five is the coronation of all coronations? The most famous coronation in recent history (and maybe ever) was who? Queen Elizabeth. It was 1953, she was just 27, and it was the first coronation ever to be globally televised. When Queen Elizabeth was crowned, the world watched with awe. The music, the jewels, the procession, the splendor. But even that great moment was a shadow of this one. Her crown was placed on her head by human hands. Jesus wears His because He conquered death. Her throne rested on centuries of tradition, but His rests on eternal deity. Her reign was long, but His is everlasting. And the crowd in Westminster Abbey and the TV audience was tiny compared to this: angels without number, elders representing the redeemed, cherubim, the thunder of worship echoing across creation. And here’s the miracle: the Lamb’s coronation is not distant from you. He was crowned for you. He took the scroll for your salvation. His enthronement is not simply grand, it’s deeply personal.
It’s personal because of the hope it secures for our future. Jesus’ coronation is the guarantee that our story ends in glory. Here we come to the third and final song. And in this song not only do the elders, living creatures, and angels sing, but every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea join in. Now, this raises a question. If this coronation is happening after Jesus’ ascension which was over 2000 years ago, how can every creature on earth be joining in on the praise? Because this last song is looking forward in time. It’s called prophetic telescoping. It’s looking at one event and at the end of the event, immediately showing the ultimate result of that event.
All creation will one day sing together, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”- Rev 13b Verse 13 is a glimpse of the future. The moment when all creation, not just the church, recognizes Jesus as King. Revelation five shows the coronation of the Lamb. Verse 13 shows the ultimate result of that coronation when He returns. We see the hope Jesus’ coronation secures for our future. And after each of these three songs of praise we see in verse 14 that the four living creatures said, “Amen” and the 24 elders fell down in worship.
Advent is supposed to reframe our reality and I don’t know of anything that can reframe reality more than the Lamb at the center of the universe. His reign is cosmic. Nothing is untouched by His redemption. On that day, some will celebrate it and some will horror in it, but no one will deny who the rightful King of the universe is.
Whatever is pressing on you today, this look into the heavenly realms of past and future is meant to bring you hope. Because the Lamb reigns, we wait with courage. Because He is worthy, we witness with boldness. Because He has conquered, we worship with joy. The King we long for has already come and He reigns in redeeming mercy. And because the Lamb is worthy, God’s people can face our future with unshakeable hope. Whatever is pressing on you today, let this picture reframe the way you look at the troubles of this world. Let it give you hope that God has a plan, Jesus has accomplished that plan, and the Holy Spirit is bringing that plan to you. All will be made right in the universe. Let this passage reframe your heart to the call of Advent: Come, Lord Jesus. Come.
