Seals--Ch11-Angels Anticipate Christ's Kingdom

Verse 11: “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;”

Verse 11 – “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders:”

There is progression and acceleration through Revelation in chapters 4 and 5, covering the last part of the Christian dispensation (see table next page).

Looking now at verse 11, “Adding their number to the heavenly chorus, the angelic choir joins in a hymn of praise for the worthy Lamb.”¹

“Is this song sung at the same time that the first song is sung? Does this take place at the same time that the Lamb takes the scroll? Probably not. Once again, remember that we have to look at the context of the texts to determine the chronology. John acknowledges a sudden change in the scene [when he says “and I beheld”]. All of a sudden, the normal throne room entourage is not alone. Now there are myriads and myriads of angels surrounding the throne. They obviously were not there before. It is safe to say that with a sight in the vision, John is also seeing a different point in time.”²

Because John now states “Then I saw” or “And I beheld” it is apparent that the vast throng of angels was not part of his visionary scene until now.

“In response to the testimony of the 4 beasts and the 24 elders, the hosts of heaven join in acclaiming the worthiness of the Lamb. Thus God is vindicated before the angels, who, since the first accusations of Satan in heaven, have to fully understand His action in banishing Satan and saving men.”³

The progressive scenes reveal successive steps in an ever elevating Christocentric role. Jesus is being affirmed in a new role by an ever widening circle of created beings. He in turn, as we progress through the book of Revelation, will vindicate, through His redeemed witnesses, God’s character. Here the angels are now prepared to fully accept the remarkable blend of final justice and mercy. Now we will see confirmation of that in the next verse in song.

(I beheld) Sing – worthy to receive glory, honor, power 24 elders, 4 creatures,

What is happening through this progressive revelation? More and more of the heavenly beings are understanding and acknowledging His worthiness to execute the opening of the Seals and finally the scroll. The last group to acknowledge His worthiness will be the lost, after the millennium. Then the books will be opened once again – books of remembrance and names. Why could this not be right after His ascension?

“Christ bowed His head and died, but He held fast His faith and His submission to God. ‘And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.’ Rev. 12:10.

“Satan saw that his disguise was torn away. His administration was laid open before the unfallen angels and before the heavenly universe. He had revealed himself as a murderer. By shedding the blood of the Son of God, he had uprooted himself from the sympathies of the heavenly beings. Henceforth his work was restricted. Whatever attitude he might assume, he could no longer await the angels as they came from the heavenly courts, and before them accuse Christ’s brethren of being clothed with the garments of blackness and the defilement of sin. The last link of sympathy between Satan and the heavenly world was broken.

“Yet Satan was not then destroyed. The angels did not even then understand all that was involved in the great controversy. The principles at stake were to be more fully revealed. And for the sake of man, Satan’s existence must be continued. Man as well as angels must see the contrast between the Prince of light and the prince of darkness. He must choose whom he will serve.”⁴

“By a life of rebellion, Satan and all who unite with him place themselves so out of harmony with God that His very presence is to them a consuming fire. The glory of Him who is love will destroy them.

“At the beginning of the great controversy, the angels did not understand this. Had Satan and his host then been left to reap the full result of their sin, they would have perished; but it would not have been apparent to heavenly beings that this was the inevitable result of sin. A doubt of God’s goodness would have remained in their minds as evil seed, to produce its deadly fruit of sin and woe.

“But not so when the great controversy shall be ended. Then, the plan of redemption having been completed, the character of God is revealed to all created intelligences. The precepts of His law are seen to be perfect and immutable. Then sin has made manifest its nature, Satan his character. Then the extermination of sin will vindicate God’s love and establish His honor before a universe of beings who delight to do His will, and in whose heart is His law.”⁵

“In the presence of the assembled inhabitants of earth and heaven the final coronation of the Son of God takes place. And now, invested with supreme majesty and power, the King of kings pronounces sentence upon the rebels against His government, and executes justice upon those who have transgressed His law and oppressed His people....

“It is now evident to all that the wages of sin is not noble independence and eternal life, but slavery, ruin, and death. The wicked see what they have forfeited by their life of rebellion.... All see that their exclusion from heaven is just....

“As if entranced, the wicked have looked upon the coronation of the Son of God.... They witness the outburst of wonder, rapture, and adoration from the saved; and as the wave of melody sweeps over the multitudes without the city, all with one voice exclaim, ‘Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints; ‘and falling prostrate, they worship the Prince of life.

“Satan sees that his voluntary rebellion has unfitted him for heaven ... And now Satan bows down, and confesses the justice of his sentence.”⁶

“In the Introductory Sanctuary Scene, we see a progression of three songs. These songs do not occur at the same time chronologically. Remember that the events portrayed by Introductory Sanctuary Scenes do not necessarily chronologically precede the events of the associated series. Rather they provide a background for the entire sequence of events. We must analyze the content of the scenes and the events to determine where they lie in relation to each other.”⁷

Verse 11 – “and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;”

“Now John sees a new feature in the vision: ‘thousand upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand’ angels surrounding the throne. The vision is similar to Daniel’s vision of the countless multitude before the Ancient of Days (Dan 7:10).”⁸

“The adoration of the Lamb moves out in ever widening circles. Now it is the innumerable host of angels who lift their voices in a great doxology of praise. Their number (‘thousands upon thousand, and then thousand times ten thousand’) is not to be taken arithmetically but as an apocalyptic symbol for a countless multitude. Angels were held to be so numerous as to be beyond human calculation.”⁹

“We are informed in Scripture as to the number, and the power and glory, of the heavenly beings, of their connection with the government of God, and also of their relation to the work of redemption. ‘The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all.’ And, says the prophet, ‘I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne.’ In the presence chamber of the King of kings they wait – ‘angels, that excel in strength,’ ‘ministers of His, that do His pleasure,’ ‘hearkening unto the voice of His word.’ Psalm 103:19-21; Revelation 5:11. Ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, were the heavenly messengers beheld by the prophet Daniel. The apostle Paul declared them ‘an innumerable company.’ Daniel 7:10; Hebrews 12:22. As God’s messengers they go forth, like ‘the appearance of a flash of lightning,” (Ezekiel 1:14), so dazzling their glory, and so swift their flight.”¹⁰

Daniel’s view of the heavenly host around the Ancient of Days is in a setting of judgment begun. It is in affirming who the saints will be. When He comes, that group will have been made up.

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light … Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints” (Colossians 1:12, 26).

The angels now anticipate the Lamb’s final inauguration. The wicked judgment issue must be settled in their minds.

Verse 12: “Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.”

The Greek word for “loud” is megistanes and is interpreted frequently as “loud” in the New Testament. But this can intimate also grandeur and honor. Thus the imagery is one not of simple loudness but of singing aloud with awe, reverence and beauty to bring honor to the Lamb.

Verse 12 – “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.”

The septiary of qualities that justifies His worthiness has changed. The 24 elders sang of His qualities based on redemption from His death. The angels have not experienced the redemptive issue to praise the Lamb. They ascribe kingly qualities. They now have fully seen the beauty of the plan to deal with the sin controversy and ruling honor is given.

This is the adoration song of the angels who have been with Him, perhaps for untold millennia. It is their reason He can proceed to finalize the kingdom. The living creatures related to God as the Creator. The 24 elders relate to Jesus because of His redemptive work; the angels affirming His anticipated kingdom.

“The repetition of kai (‘and’) between each member of the series gives a kind of solemn dignity to each word even though the group is viewed as a single complex expression. It requires each of the seven features of the Lamb’s worthiness to be reflected upon separately (Bullinger).”¹¹

“D. H. Milling, who has conducted one of the most thorough studies of the origin of doxological language in the NT, includes that 1 Chron 29:11-12 stands behind the combination of ... (‘power’), ... (‘wealth’), ... (‘might’) and ... (‘glory’) and that use of ... (‘wisdom’) is drawn from Dan 2:20 (in Dan 2:23 [Theod.] ‘wisdom’ is coupled with ‘ power’). This use of ‘ wisdom’ would especially be evident, since apocalyptic use of ‘wisdom’ is unique to Daniel 2 in the OT, and in both Daniel 2 and Rev 5:12 ‘wisdom’ has an eschatological association with the divine kingdom. In the light of this it is probably not accidental that ... (‘might’), ... (‘glory’), and ... (‘honor’) are found together in Dan 2:37 (LXX) and 4:30 (LXX; cf 4:31 LXX), a combination occurring only twice elsewhere in the LXX. Some link with Daniel can be maintained, probably indirectly through a liturgical tradition associated with Daniel or as a result of the writer’s long acquaintance with Danielic language, which had become part of his stock vocabulary for the theology of sovereignty. This influence is to be seen as combined with that of 1 Chronicles.

“The combination of the above terms for ‘might,’ ‘honor,’ and ‘glory’ is also found in Job 37:22-23 and 40:10 (although ... [‘power] occurs for ... [‘might’]). Varying combinations of two of the three words occur often elsewhere in the LXX and extrabiblical literature). But in Daniel and Revelation the words occur in the same order and refer to the universal kingship given by God to another.”¹²

It is intriguing that E. G. White identified also that song as one the redeemed will sing at the final coronation of Jesus and on the new earth.

“Before the universe has been clearly presented the great sacrifice made by the Father and the Son in man’s behalf. The hour has come when Christ occupies His rightful position and is glorified above principalities and powers and every name that is named. It was for the joy that was set before Him – that He might bring many sons unto glory – that He endured the cross and despised the shame. And inconceivably great as was the sorrow and the shame, yet greater is the joy and the glory. He looks upon the redeemed, renewed in His own image, every heart bearing the perfect impress of the divine, every face reflecting the likeness of their King. He beholds in them the result of the travail of His soul, and He is satisfied. Then, in a voice that reaches the assembled multitudes of the righteous and the wicked, He declares: ‘Behold the purchase of My blood! For these I suffered, for these I died, that they might dwell in My presence throughout eternal ages.’ And the song of praise ascends from the white-robed ones about the throne: ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.’ Revelation 5:12.”¹³

“Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured senses we shall remember that Jesus left all this for us, that He not only became an exile from the heavenly courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal loss. Then we shall cast our crowns at His feet, and raise the song, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.’ Rev. 5:12.”¹⁴

When the angels come on the scene, Jesus has already taken the scroll (verse 5). No Seals have been broken, and the book has not been opened. In anticipation of those events the angels as a whole body declare His kingly worthiness. This is most intriguing. Since the open scroll executes the final outcome of the conflict of the ages, the perspectives are unique:

A harmony of understanding is coming to the beings of God’s creation. The stage is being set for the vindication of God’s character. When does this occur?

“This even could possibly happen before the close of probation. It is clear that the angels are shown God’s final verdict before the Seven Last Plagues are poured out. Notice what the angel says who pours out the third Plague.

“And the third {angel} poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, ‘Righteous art Thou, who art and who wast, O Holy One, because Thou didst judge these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink. They deserve it.’ And I heard the altar saying, ‘Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments.” Rev 16:4-7 (NAS)

“Apparently, God’s final verdict had been revealed to the angels at this point. The Seven Last Plagues are punitive judgments from God upon the wicked. Just as the angels helped God in the ministry of reconciliation to the world, they also participate in the punitive judgments of the Seven Last Plagues. It would make sense that God would give the angels an opportunity to confirm His judgments.”¹⁵