The entire book of Revelation deals with God’s offer to redeem mankind through Christ, and mankind’s consistent rejection of that freely given gift. Through the use of parallelism, this dilemma is illustrated three times. The opening of the seven seals, which only Christ can do, pictures God’s plan of redemption, mankind’s rejection of that plan, and the resulting consequences. The sounding of the seven trumpets paints the same picture using different colors. And finally, the seven bowl judgments illustrate the same plight that mankind finds itself in as a consequence of choosing evil over good.
In the second part of Chapter 5, John sees a peculiar sight – a slain lamb. But even more strange, this lamb has seven horns and seven eyes:
(*All Bible verses are from the NIV unless otherwise noted)
Chapter 5:6-8
Rev 5:6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Rev 5:7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.
Rev 5:8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.
Rev 5:6
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne:
The Hebrew word for “atone” is kaphar, meaning “to cover, expiate, placate, or cancel”1. Ancient Israel was commanded to make continual sacrifices of animals as atonement for their sins. This was to teach them that justice demands a consequence for committing a wrong.
If there are no consequences for breaking laws, the laws become useless and justice becomes null and void. If there are no fines for speeding, speed limit signs are of no use. If there are no consequences for robbery and murder, crime would reign supreme! So, through Moses, God instituted laws for Israel to follow such as the following:
Exod 29:36 Sacrifice a bull each day as a sin offering to make atonement. Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate it.
Lev 5:6 As a penalty for the sin they have committed, they must bring to the LORD a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for them for their sin.
Exod 22:1 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.
But the lesson was soon lost, and the acts of sacrifice became empty rituals. The people came to believe that the sacrifice of a lamb or calf was what pleased God. Their hearts weren’t changed. God isn’t interested in the blood of cattle and goats! He’s all about the condition of His people’s hearts – love, compassion, caring, and mercy! God, through His prophet Isaiah, chastised His people’s lack of repentance:
Isa 1:11 “The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the LORD. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
Isa 1:15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! 16 Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. 17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
Mercy and justice are opposing forces. While justice demands consequences, mercy forgives and erases the sin altogether. How can God be both just and merciful at the same time? If He is merciful and erases the sin, the law becomes void. If He is just, a consequence must be paid. To satisfy the demands of justice and, at the same time, be merciful, the Father paid the price for all our wrongs Himself through Christ Jesus.
When we surrender ourselves to God and accept His free gift of mercy through Christ, all of our mistakes and foolish decisions are forgiven and forgotten. Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb who was prepared from the foundation of the world – the last great sacrifice:
1John 4:9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and afflicted,yet he did not open his mouth;he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,so he did not open his mouth.
Jer 11:19 I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying,“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit;let us cut him off from the land of the living,that his name be remembered no more.”
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Isa 43:25 “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.
Heb 8:12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.
Rev 5:6
Encircled by the four living creatures and the elders:
The Lamb had seven horns:
John sees those who serve God, along with all created order, surrounding the Lamb and giving him praise.
The image of horns represents two significant things – power and mercy. Animals use their horns for defense and battle, and Old Testament prophets employed that image to describe the move of nations against nations in war and conquest:
Deut 33:17 In majesty he is like a firstborn bull; his horns are the horns of a wild ox.With them he will gore the nations,even those at the ends of the earth. Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim; such are the thousands of Manasseh.”
1 Kings 22:11 Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns and he declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’ ”
Mic 4:13 “Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion, for I will give you horns of iron; I will give you hooves of bronze, and you will break to pieces many nations…”
A different kind of “horn” was seen on each corner of the Temple altar. These represented mercy and forgiveness:
Exod 27:2 Make a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze.
Lev 4:25 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.
Exod 30:10 Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the LORD.”
2Sam 22:3 …my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior…
A story from 1 Kings illustrates this symbol of the horns of mercy. One of David’s sons, Adonijah, and his failed attempts to usurp the throne of Israel after his father’s death. Adonijah had himself anointed king as David lay on his deathbed, but David had Solomon crowned as the legitimate king. Adonijah heard the fanfare and celebration, and, fearing for his life, fled to the temple and appealed for clemency by taking hold of the horns of the altar, an ancient plea for mercy. Solomon allowed Adonijah to come before him peaceably and promised him safety, as long as he was found worthy:
1Kgs 1:51 Then Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’ ”
The number seven symbolizes perfection and complete order. The combined symbolism of the Lamb’s seven horns portray perfect power, sacrifice, and mercy.
Rev 5:6
He had … seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth:
As we saw in Chapter 4, the picture of multiple eyes demonstrates the omniscience of God, revealed in Christ, the Lamb. The “seven eyes” are defined as the “seven spirits of God” that are sent out into the world, representing the work of the Holy Spirit bringing light and truth to the darkness (Rev 1:4, 3:1, 4:5).
“Sent out” is the Greek term apostello, meaning “to set apart”, or “to send out on a mission”2. It’s from the same root as apostolos (apostle), “one who is sent, a delegate, a commissioner of Christ”3.
Matt 10:2 These are the names of the twelve apostles [apostolos]: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John…
Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle [apostolos] and set apart for the gospel of God—
Rev 5:7
He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne:
John sees the Lamb who was slain, receive the sealed scroll, God’s plan of redemption. The Lamb is the only one who can open the scroll; the only one who can fulfill God’s plans for mankind’s salvation:
Ps 13:5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
Isa 12:2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”
Luke 1:69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
Acts 4:11 Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Rev 5:8
And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb:
The prophet Daniel saw a similar scene some six hundred years before John:
Dan 7:13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Rev 5:8
Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints:
Incense is made from resins and gums of specific plants, which when burned, produces fragrant smoke. Incense, especially frankincense, was an important trade product for 1,500 years among ancient Persians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Babylonians, and Romans4. For centuries, Christian churches have burned incense during services, which symbolizes the prayers of the saints rising up before God. This ritual is still practiced, particularly in Eastern and Western Orthodox congregations.
Exod 30:1 “Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense.
Lev 16:12 [Aaron] is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain.
Luke 1:9 [Zechariah] was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
Footnotes
- Strong’s H3722 ↩︎
- Strong’s G649. ↩︎
- Strong’s G652. ↩︎
- Incense: https://www.britannica.com/topic/incense, retrieved Jan. 11, 2024. ↩︎
*All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
