Worthy is the Lamb

Revelation 5:1-14

“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God”

Well, good morning. Oh, yep. Close. I’m on. Okay. It’s a mic thing. Nobody got that? Okay. . Thank you. Worship team. Uh, hey, we intentionally picked that last song. Um, we’re gonna be in Revelation chapter five this morning, and if you feel like you just sung a song and you’re not sure what you just sang, uh, we’re gonna be reading those words this morning actually.

Oh, holy Night. Also, a beautiful picture. Uh, I don’t know if they wrote it with Revelation five in mind, but it fits perfectly with our series on the glory of Jesus. Um, this advent season leading up to Christmas, we have been studying the names of Jesus, kind of revealing a, a fuller picture of who he is leading up to Christmas.

And so again, the series, the Glory of Jesus is really all about him. The book of Revelation, uh, was written by the Apostle John in 95, 96 AD 60 years after the Death and Resurrection of Christ, which would put John in his eighties or nineties, somewhere around there. And as you’ve been looking through the Book of Acts in our previous series before we picked up in, uh, this advent series, we know John was an evangelist, someone who was part of the early church, leading people to Christ, preaching Christ.

And at this time, John and the church was under great persecution. Mark mentioned this a few weeks back under the Emperor Dian, and he was sent away to the island of Patmos, which was a, an island for criminals in Roman culture. He was removed from fellowship all alone. And as we know from the Book of Acts, God routinely uses and allows.

Wicked men to persecute the church. And I say uses intentionally. This is not a lapse in God’s goodness. We have seen, we have studied, we have read the book of Acts, the church grows, expands, is blessed and is strengthened. And so when we approach Revelation this morning in our Bibles, I want us to read slow and to read carefully.

Uh, so many people can be afraid of what this book means or what it says, or I don’t really understand it at all. But I assure you it really could be worse. You could be on a stage preaching from the Book of Revelation this morning, . So I want to read just the first three verses of the book of Revelation.

If you’re there, chapter one, turn right to it’s all the way at the end of your Bible. Uh, page 9 67 is where chapter five starts, but go back a few. This is the opening of the book, the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him. To show his servants the things that must soon take place, things in the future.

He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads, allowed the words of this prophecy. And blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it for the time is near.

Pray with me this morning. God, I thank you for your incredible self revelation in John’s uh, book here. We do feel blessed to know you as Savior, blessed to read these words this morning. We wanna be people that also as we read them, hear them, understand them, and put them into practice knowing what is to come.

God, I pray you’d lift our eyes even this morning from specific situations that may either confuse us or, or hang us up. Lift us from the present circumstances that we are in to see something beautiful this morning. The glory of your son Jesus. Help us to worship him. And in turn that we might be people who live changed because of a eternal perspective that we see in this, the last book of your word.

God, we thank you and pray these things in your name. Amen. Well, if, uh, you’ve been watching, it’s been a politically charged world cup thus far, it’s also been one of incredible upsets, um, exciting shootouts and some of the usual stars rising to the top. Uh, there’s been this interesting, uh, thing that has kind of risen up talking about bench players, people that have come off the bench as a substitute.

Uh, some of you know that actually, uh, what is happening right now is that bench players are currently outscoring the starting players. It, it’s a thing that’s been happening and so there’s kind of been some press about it and they’re on paces. Set the record for the most goals scored by substitutes in a World Cup.

There’s even been some controversy over which players stars and not stars are sitting on the bench. If you’ve watched yesterday’s game, Christiana Ronaldo sat the bench in the first half of his game. I’m gonna leave that right there for anyone that wants to talk about it later. Okay? . But a substitute is a person who enters the game as a replacement of another substitute is, uh, a Latin word that literally means put in place of.

You may understand the concept of substitute, uh, from a sports game or something like that, but let me tell you another story that talks about the word substitute, which may give you more depth and meaning. Boarding the Ss Dorchester. On a dreary winter day in 1943, there were 904 troops, four of whom were chaplains.

World War II was in full swing, and the ship was headed across the icy North Atlantic water where German U-boats lurked. At midnight the morning of February the third, a German torpedo ripped into the side of the ship and the men aboard knew immediately that the hit was fatal. They frantically scrambled to deploy lifeboats and a, a younger soldier crept up to one of the chaplains and said, I’ve lost my life jacket.

Handing over his jacket to the man. He said, take mine. Before the ship sank, each chaplain of the four gave away his life jacket to another man. The heroic chaplains then linked arms, lifted their voices in prayer As the Dorchester went down, survivors tell of the comforting sound of hymns being sung by those four men.

675 of the 904 died as that ship go down as the single worst loss of American lives in World War ii. These clergy men were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and Purple Heart Medals after they passed, and Congress would later declare February 3rd as four Chaplains Day, giving them a special medal of Honor the Chaplain’s Medal of Honor.

It’s an incredible act of heroism and an incredible picture of substitute. , the four men said, we will trade places with you. We will give you safety and face our death. And so our name of Jesus as we come today comes out of that same sense, this substitute revelation, chapter five. We find Jesus the Lamb of God, the substitute for a sins.

So I’m gonna read Revelation chapter five this morning. Uh, again, it’s page 9 67, I think I said. And if you want to turn there, um, if you don’t, that’s okay. But I’m gonna ask you to close your eyes and potentially visualize what is happening here in Revelation chapter five. This would be an easy one to just read through and be like, I didn’t get any of that.

Listen to it this morning and see what you. Then I saw, this is John writing. Then I saw the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. A scroll written within and on the back sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 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 to open the scroll or to look into it. And I, John began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, 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.

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a lamb standing as though it had been slain with seven horns and with seven eyes. Which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures, and 24 elders fell down before the lamb, each holding a harp, a golden bowl full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints, and they sang a new song saying, worthy, are you to take the scroll and to open its seals for you? Were slain and by your blood, you ransom people for God from every tribe, every language, every people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God and they shall reign on the earth.

Then I looked and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, the voices of many angels, numbering, myriads upon myriads and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice. Worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them saying to him, who sits on the throne and to the lamb, be blessing and honor, glory, and might forever and ever. And the four living creatures said, amen. And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Revelation chapter five this morning. What an incredible picture of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all together. And as we walk through the text this morning, I want to just paint a picture of what the Lamb of God looks like. First, we have this search happening and if you remember, some of these, uh, words read that is because they were last week.

Pastor Jared talked through this same specific passage and did a great job teasing out the, the search, uh, last week. So we’re gonna move quickly through this first part here. But John looks and sees that God is there on the throne holding a scroll with seven seals, and the angel is calling out loudly searching, looking who is able to carry out the will of God, who is able to take this scroll and carry it out.

And no one is found. You think about all the people throughout the, uh, history of our world who have tried to take over or rule or conquer. Uh, there are many people who have tried, and I wanna keep this verse number three here in mind. And no one on heaven or earth or under the Earth was able to open it.

King Nere, you remember him from the Old Testament. He was a king who sought to, uh, expand his kingdom. God reduces him down to grazing in a field of grass because of his pride, humbled by the living God. Alexander the Great tried conquering, uh, until nothing was left to conquer. He just wanted to go until there was nothing left to take over.

And at the age of 34 came to his own death. Julius Caesar would lead a sweeping expanse of the Roman Empire, and yet his days expired as well. Joseph Stalin led the, uh, bloody uh, growth of the Soviet Union. Killing millions in his path was brought to nothing. Hitler brainwashed. Many people desiring to expand some sort of a superior race, and yet he was unworthy.

And you may even fill in the blanks of many in modern cultures, dictators, countries, whatever it might be, attempting to expand and go beyond their own abilities. But no one is worthy to continue and there may be more prideful ones yet to come. And we’re actually told there will be one who will rise more powerful, deceiving many the anti-Christ, and yet all fail to pass the test.

No one is found worthy. to carry out God’s will in the scroll. No one audacious enough to approach the throne of God and take his will and say, I’m the one to carry this out. And so why is this important? Why is this search here in scripture? Uh, I really think it’s here to just remind us, just to caution us potentially as we think about the people and the places and the, the things we put our hope and our trust in.

Who in what do you place your allegiance in? Remember this Daniel 2 21. God changes times and seasons deposing some kings and establishing others. He’s the one that gives wisdom. He’s the one that gives knowledge and understanding. Psalm one 15, our God is in heaven. He does all that he pleases. Proverbs 1921.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Proverbs 21, 1. The king’s heart is, but a stream of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever He will. In who or what do we do? You place your allegiance, your security, your hope. No one is strong enough. No one powerful enough to open the scroll and carry out the will of God.

And this unsuccessful sherp search causes John to weep, which brings us to number two, the selection. 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 come and open the scroll and it’s seven seals. And so this elder is calling out and he’s saying, weep no more.

There is someone who can. The lion of the tribe of Judah. We find this prophesy about in Genesis, Jose and Amos talk about the lion of the tribe of Judah, that God would one day raise up to come and, and so John, uh, of course he would be a lion. That’s how God’s gonna appear, conquer evil, destroy Satan once for all.

He’s come to fight for his people and the root of David. I remember this Isaiah and Jeremiah and Zacharia all prophesied, pointing to this moment. And then we have the form of how the savior shows up. Verse six, and between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders. John says, I saw a lamb standing as though it had been slain with seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

John hears lion of Judah. John hears the root of David. All make sense. John sees. and something’s up here. Uh, I’m hearing one thing. I’m seeing something totally different, but I assure you this is not a mistake. There was no, uh, mix up in the heavenly wardrobe. The costumes were not like misplaced. This is how it was supposed to be.

The chosen way that Jesus reveals himself in the heavenly thrown room of God is a lamb. A lamb as though it had been slain. A slain lamb with seven horns and seven eyes. Now I wanna pause for a minute. If, if you’re newer to the Bible, this might seem incredibly weird, right? Let’s, let’s picture this. I actually went and tried to search for the picture of the slain lamb with seven horns and seven.

It’s not a pretty one. Um, the Greek word actually is little lamb. So, So, yes, I’m telling you that, um, Jesus showed up as a little lamb with eyes and horns. And you might say, this is why I dodged the Book of Revelation because of all the bad imagery. , my wife told me that I shouldn’t, but I just could not help.

It’s just too perfect. Um, but this is exactly how Jesus shows up. This is exactly how he shows up. And there’s a reason why I wanna look back with you back to the beginning and trace the idea, the theme of substitute, the, the, the theme of sacrifice throughout scripture, and you may not know this, but that began in the garden.

Adam and Eve were there, and, uh, as they were walking through the garden naked and unafraid, God gave them explicit instructions not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and of evil. The serpent cane, the enemy tempted them. They were, uh, tempted, chose to give in and go their own way apart from God, and they did eat from that tree.

The option to walk away in our own sin is there for each one of us. We are not simply robots. So Adam and Eve, now naked and ashamed of their sin, hide and cover themselves up with leaves. And the gracious God steps in with the first sacrifice in scripture in Genesis chapter three. Listen to this. And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife, garments of skins and them.

They had this, uh, quick covering of leaves and God says, there’s been some brokenness here. There’s some punishment for the sin. Things are going to be different, but I’m gonna close you and I’m gonna take the life of an animal in your place. Sin brings death. The lamb was the substitute. God in His grace provides the sacrifice.

Genesis chapter four, not really far after just one chapter later, Adam and Eve’s children, Cain and Abel, you see them bringing sacrifices to the Lord. It’s becoming a part of the rhythm of life at this point. Just four chapters into human history that we know human brokenness and sin separates us from God.

The wages of our sin. That’s it’s death. Genesis 22, God is testing Abraham and walking along and and says, Abraham, I want you to go and make a sacrifice on top of the mountain, and I will be the one to. I want you to go and sacrifice your only son, Isaac. And so they climb this mountain and uh, they are carrying firewood typical to probably carry the sacrifice with you.

So if you’re the son, Isaac, wondering, okay dad, uh, where’s the lamb? What’s going on here? I don’t see our sacrifice. And you maybe have heard the story Abraham repeats. God will provide, they set up the altar. Abraham ties his child and raises the knife to sacrifice him, and God steps in and provides a ram caught in the thicket to sacrifice in Isaac’s place.

The lamb was the substitute. Genesis continues on this cycle of sin and, and people sacrificing was something that had to happen to cover over the sins that were of the people. Usually it was a spotless lamb as a substitute. Exodus chapter 12, we jump ahead and what’s happening here, the Israelites are in captivity and the Egyptians will not let them go.

10 plagues are there, right? Remember this? And what is happening is Pharaoh is saying, no, I’m not gonna let you go. And God says, okay, one final plague will I do. And this is the death of the firstborn son of everyone in Egypt. While God provided a way for his people to be preserved, they were to take a spotless lamb, and as they killed it spread the blood of the lamb over their doorposts.

And so as the angel of death would come and, and take the firstborn of each son in Egypt as the final plague, God would see the death of this lamb as payment, the lamb, as substitute. Exodus and Leviticus, God would continue to give, uh, all these instructions for many sacrifices, burnt offerings and guilt offerings, sin offerings, peace offerings.

These priests in the temples would facilitate this, this sacrificial system. They would bring these offerings before God. Only they could go and allow these sacrifices to be made. The blood of lambs and bulls their substitute over and over. So as an ancient near Eastern person, an Israelite, what do you know from this?

You really know that sin is separated you from God, that you gotta make a sacrifice for the wrongdoing that’s happened in your life. Sin equals death, and you saw that all the time. How would it make you feel if you were part of this system? potentially bad over and over again. Constant death also a, a real hit to your family’s livelihood as you are.

Killing The lambs was real, and yet it was redemptive. God wasn’t slaughtering you. He was allowing your sin to be punished, allowing for a sacrifice, making a way for a substitute. And it would be easy to read these stories as you read through the scriptures and just little chunks here or there, isolated meanings of what was happening.

Maybe to draw confusing points from them. But I wanna caution you don’t miss the forest for the trees. Zoom out. The Bible is a collection of individual stories. Yes, but the Bible is ultimately telling one true story, the true story of Christ. From Genesis to Revelation, beginning to end, finding its message and its hope coming to a pinnacle in Christ.

The whole story begins to make sense when it’s read as a whole story. We often talk about, uh, in the nativity, many of you are actors in some of the scenes are helping in, in different roles in various ways. And one of the things I encourage you, and I’ve heard this encouraged by many people for a long time, um, if you’ve never gone through the entire thing, do so.

Um, maybe not tonight cuz we have a cast shortage. But, uh, if you could, uh, at some point go through the whole thing, see it from beginning to end, you could play a part in the Lazarus scene and, and really dial into that story, but it begins to make sense. When you see the whole story, actually, if you go right onto the next scene, the cross in our nativity, you find that is what is happening.

We are tying together all these pieces. The whole story is about him. So Revelation five comes in, and when Jesus reveals himself and John’s vision, he’s the lamb. He’s the lamb who was slain. He is though not a dead lamb. He is standing and alive with the marks of his death at the right hand of the Father.

There’s this aha moment I wanna read to you. Hebrews chapter 10, uh, portion of the scripture. It’s up here on the screen. I believe this is one of the most incredible tie it all together, uh, parts in all of scripture. For, since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come, instead of the true form of these realities, it can never by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year make perfect those who draw near wait.

So I was never designed to work correctly sort of otherwise. Would they not have ceased to be offered since the worshipers having been once cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins. But in these sacrifices, there’s a reminder of sins every year for its impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

But Jesus came and he says, I have come to do your will. Oh God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the. His death on the cross. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And so in that old system, every priest stands daily at his service offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Revelation five, Jesus, God’s only son became our substitute. He died in our place. This is grace. Hallelujah. It’s not me. The end of this system. Everything Jesus did, he did as a substitute.

Everything he did, he did for you. The life we couldn’t live, he lived for us. The death we should have died. He died in our place. The new life we need. he gives to us. Jesus paid it all. So what’s his function? We just read that he was sitting at the right hand of his father, God, revelation five, seven. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.

And man, what a beautiful picture of everything coming to fulfillment in Christ. The scroll, the will of God, what was to be carried out in the future. One worthy, the sacrificial lamb. And he gets up and he takes the scroll from God. And this is really no small thing, like think about this. He’s approaching the glorious creator God, and he’s gonna take something out of God’s hand.

I mean, that is just a crazy picture to think about. This is not a violent usurping, it’s not lording it over God like, yeah, it’s my turn. He’s conquered. He’s defeated sin and death and he is worthy to take that scroll. He’s not taking over God’s plan. He is God’s plan. Perfect harmony between the father and the son.

The lamb delighting to do the will of the Father. So what’s in the scroll? What is the will of the Father? I’m not gonna tell you that cuz I actually don’t know. Neither do you. We sort of do in some ways as we continue to read the book of Revelation. We read on here in verse eight, and when he had taken the scroll of four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb, each holding a harp, jumping on to verse nine and they sang a new song, sang Worthy Are you to take the scroll and open its seals for you or slain and you are by your blood.

Here we go. You ransom people for God from every tribe and every language and people and nation and. You’ve made them a kingdom and priest to our God, and they shall reign on the earth. The death and resurrection of Christ comes to ransom, to buy back from sin, to buy back, from the curse of death, people from every tribe, language and nation, from all different descents, racists cultures.

If you think about this picture in Revelation five, talking about every tribe, tongue, and nation, this is unity in Christ, but not uniformity. I’ve talked about this before. God’s people intentionally looking completely different and diverse, yet saying the same thing, totally unified in one kingdom. Uh, we must not be careful to just flatten the scriptures to say, um, This is what the kingdom of God’s gonna look like.

Here’s what it is saying, that cultures and people that look different than us, spend different than us, talk different than me. And you eat like you. It’s the way it should be. They celebrate holidays differently than maybe we do. They don’t dress like you, and we all say together. That’s how it’s supposed to be under the headship of Christ.

That is a good thing. Now, I want to say something too, because remember, jump back to who is writing this book out. A man in his eighties and nineties sitting in a Roman prison on the island looking for hope, and he hears this, that God’s plan is that he will ransom for himself a people from every tribe, tongue, language, and nation.

John’s been in prison for doing this, but he knows the future is coming where the church does expand, where there is hope. Me locked in a prison cell. That’s not it. That’s not the end. Jesus is doing something far greater. Nothing is going to stop God’s plan. Imagine the confidence of John sitting there.

Imagine the joy of knowing what is to come and what is he doing? He’s going to build a kingdom of priests. Kind of a strange thing, we talked about how the priest was the only one who could go in and make, uh, the sacrifice, make the access to God. They have free access. He is building a kingdom of priests.

That one day in relationship with Christ, you and I will have full free total access to our father to Christ. Nothing dividing us from our worship and our service to him, nothing holding us back. A kingdom of priests with free access to him. Then this song breaks out in verse 11. Then I looked and I heard around the throne, the living creatures and the elders in the voice of many angels, thousands and myriads worthy of the lamb, who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might honor and glory.

And I heard in heaven and earth again, listen to these words in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. And all that is in them saying to him, who sits on the throne? End the lamb. Be blessing and honor, glory, and might forever and ever. And the four living creatures saying. Amen. I mean, there’s thousands million, billions.

You can’t even count them myriads upon myriads. This is the highest number they could have counted to at that point. That’s what they’re saying. There’s just so many beyond everything, bowing down and worthiness to the king. I mean, picture this, every creature in heaven, earth, under the earth, in the sea, singing out, praise to God.

I mean, what does that look like? What does that sound like? All of creation, crying out erupting in praise and these four living creatures around the throne, and they’re just constantly saying, amen, amen. Amen. So let it be. He’s worthy. The whole creation is erupting, and they’re like, yes, amen. Just let it happen.

Jesus is the one stage is now set. Jesus holding the scroll. And the Book of Revelation continues on carrying out God’s future plan to bring redemption to the world, a, a total defeat of evil, a new heavens, a new Earth. And we say, worthy is the Lamb who was slain. Do you know him? Have you trusted him? Are you walking with him full allegiance to Christ, the one who is our substitute.

This morning, we have the joy of coming together and celebrating communion. There’s no better way to celebrate the sacrifice of the Lamb of God through the supper of the lamb. , we’re gonna, um, continue on here and, uh, bear with us because for the first time in like three years or so, we’re actually gonna pass the communion around, have the deacons come part of this.

There’s actually some deacons that are coming this morning who have never done this because they were elected during the Covid era and they’re gonna figure this out. So if it doesn’t work out, okay, great. We’re gonna make it work. Um, so the deacons, if you guys wanna come and join me, uh, up front as we, um, Doon this morning,

you guys can have a seat in those chairs there for you to sit in. There you go. Okay. We’re doing great. So we’ll do so, uh, with passing around, uh, the cups and baskets this morning for you to just take, if you have a relationship with Christ, I encourage you, join in. This is a remembrance of what God has done, the sacrificial lamb of Jesus.

And if you’re maybe still trying to figure out what this whole relationship with Christ looks like, I’m gonna encourage you not to take, uh, them this morning and to listen in to what God has done and the lamb that has been slain for you. We’d love the chance to talk with you about that relationship. Um, so we’re gonna do that now.

Uh, we’re gonna pass these around and, um, as we do that, I’m gonna ask, uh, with this microphone. Matt, would you pray for us for the bread, please, father,

Lord, we come to you this morning, grateful God, Lord, that your. Body served as a substitute for ours, Lord, that you would love us and pursue us while we didn’t pursue you. God, that your grace, your grace, is just a wonderful gift that we don’t have to perform to earn. Lord God. Lord God, I pray for those that are here that may be trying to earn their way to heaven.

Lord, that the way of trying to get it all right, lead them to their knees and accepting of your grace, Lord. Father, for those who have accepted, I join them in celebrating God that. Your free gift is available to all that. You say that for none who will call upon the name of the Lord in no way shall be turned away.

I thank you for that Lord this morning. In Jesus’ name, amen.

So as we, uh, pass things around, just uh, take a small time of just reflection to just consider as Matt just prayed, the weight of ARS sin and the hope that is the lamb in our place. So

go for.

The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed, took bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, this is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Okay.

I’m gonna ask Mark if you pray for the cup.

Lord Jesus, we read about this passage in this wonderful study this morning that you are the lamb that was slain. Lord, we worship you for being willing to be slain to burying a criminal’s death to bear the penalty separation from the Father. For our sin, we worship you for your shed. Blood as the lamb, uh, fulfilling all their pictures.

Mike talked about this morning of all those centuries, culminating it in the one who once and forever took away sin that we could know the Father and find freedom with him. We worship you this morning, Lord, the Lamb who is slain in Jesus’ name. Amen.

In the same way, also, he took the cup after supper saying This cup is the new covenant, the new promise in my blood as often as you drink it in remembrance of me

gonna ask you to stand. As we, uh, dismiss this morning,

we say now and look forward to one day when every creature will join, saying to him who sits on the throne and to the lamb, be blessing and honor. Glory and might forever and