By Bill Britton: The Throne, The Book, And The Lamb , Who is the God of the overcomer? Jesus our Lord! Who is the Son? The Overcomer! But Jesus Himself is also the Son of God, isn’t He? Yes! And He also identifies Himself as an Overcomer in Revelation 3 – 21. This is the other part of the mystery concerning the nature and character and identity of our Lord Jesus. Praise His Name! in Revelation 21:7 we hear the words of Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, as he says: “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his GOD, and he shall be my son.” Jesus! Hebrews 1:8 calls Him God, and says that he laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning (verse 10). The prophet called Him God, and He said himself that He was the Lord, the Almighty, the God of the overcomer. WHICH WAS, AND IS, AND IS TO COMEHere is another of the descriptions of Him that sat upon the throne. Now turn back to Revelation 1:8 and see that Jesus Christ is speaking. This is plain to see from the context of verses 5 through 7. Jesus says: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, WHICH IS, AND WHICH WAS, AND WHICH IS TO COME, the Almighty.” The exact wording of Revelation 4:8 concerning Him that sat on the throne. This same wording is given in Revelation 11:17 concerning our Lord. It is also used in Revelation 1:4 in the introduction of the book and the greeting from our Lord Jesus!

THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH

“The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” Now who can this be? There is only one in the Bible who fits this description. Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Turn to Revelation 22:16 . . . “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I AM THE ROOT AND THE OFFSPRING OF DAVID, and the bright and the morning star.”

John looked for the lion of the tribe of Juda who had prevailed, and he saw “in the midst of the elders stood a IAMB as it had been slain.” In John 1:29 we hear John the Baptist saying of Jesus: “Behold the LAMB OF GOD, who taketh away the sin of the world.” In Revelation 4:9 they sung a new song to the Lamb, saying, I ‘Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: FOR THOU WAST SLAIN, and HAST REDEEMED US TO GOD BY THY BLOOD out of every kindred, and tongue and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God KINGS AND PRIESTS.”

Now for the identity of this Lamb, let us turn to Colossians 1:14 again where we find that it is Jesus, the Son of God, who redeems us to God by His blood. This of course would not have to be proved here. Many scriptures verify this truth. Then in Revelation 1:5-6 we read that “Jesus Christ … hath made us KINGS AND PRIESTS unto God and His Father.” There is absolutely no one else in heaven or earth who can fulfill this description of the Lamb who took the book, except Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God. Glory to God!

DOWN FROM HIS GLORY

Now we come to the strange part of this whole story in these two chapters. We found that the scriptures teach and reveal to us without doubt that the One who sat on the throne with a book in His right hand is Jesus Christ. But we also found that according to scripture, the one who came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat on the throne was also Jesus Christ. How can this possibly be? Is this a mistake ? Is it utter confusion? No! There is a beautiful and glorious truth hidden here, but only to be revealed by the Spirit of God to those with ears to hear and hearts to receive.

Here it is …. We see the picture of Jesus, in His creative deity, sitting on the throne. All the description of him here represents Deity, Almighty God. He has the book, and He has the ability. But this book has to be opened by man, so that man can partake of that which is in the book, the creative life of God. If God, in His powers of Deity, opened the Book, then man in his low estate would still not be able to benefit from it. And after much searching, it is evident that there is no man able to open the book. The race of Adam has utterly failed to produce a saviour. They have not produced ONE single man that is worthy. God said in Ezekiel 22:30 “I sought for a man … but I found none.”

Since the race of Adam has failed to open the book, God brings into existence a new creation. And in Revelation 3:14 we find that Jesus Christ is “the beginning of the creation of God.” A NEW MAN is being created in Christ Jesus, holy and righteous. (Ephesians 4 : 24) . In order to do this, He had to give up His deity estate, be made like unto us, take on the seed of Abraham, and overcome all that was facing the human race. Had He failed in just one point, the new creation would have been doomed. But thanks be to God, He did not fail! The new creation was proved to be worthy to take the book. In Philippians 2:5-9 we read that Jesus “emptied himself,” and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. But after his glorious victory on this earth realm, God hath highly exalted him, and given to this worthy man who had prevailed, that which had before only been in the hand of Deity.

And in 2 Corinthians 8:9 we read: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, THOUGH HE WAS RICH, yet for your sakes HE BECAME POOR, that YE through his poverty might be rich.” Here we see the emptying of him that was rich. He that had the likeness of God, taking on the likeness of man, that through this he might lift man into the likeness of God. Praise His dear Name! What a price He paid for our redemption. And beloved, it was a very REAL price. It was not just theoretical. He actually came down from Deity to Humanity. Yet He came not from Adam’s race, nor of the seed of men, but he was born of the seed of God. That which had become human was, in its basic substance, the very Word of God.

BOTH LORD AND CHRIST

Acts 2:36 tells us that this same Jesus is now both LORD and CHRIST! As Lord He sits upon the throne in His creative Deity, Almighty God, the everlasting Father, the God of the Overcomer. This shows us His relationship to God the Father. He is One. As Christ (meaning “the anointed man”) we see Him in his relationship to His Body, the Son of man, the chief cornerstone of the temple, the firstborn of “many brethren.” As Lord, He is bringing many “sons” to glory, and as Christ He is not ashamed to call us “brethren.” (Hebrews 2:10-11). As LORD, He is one with the Father. One God. But as CHRIST, He is one with us. One Body. Colossians 2:9 says that in Him dwelleth ALL the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And in Ephesians 1:23 it says that the Church His Body is the fulness of Him.

When you sum it up, Jesus Christ our Lord is the hub of all wisdom. He is our wisdom, and righteousness, and redemption. Now let us go back to Revelation chapter 5 to see what happened in this drama that took place before those heavenly witnesses. Let me make a little diagram to show how Jesus fits into this situation:

HE THAT SAT UPON THE THRONE – THE ONE WHO WAS WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK:

[Compare corresponding verses for each attribute to see the Deity of Jesus Christ clearly delineated.]

1. Is LORD(Rev. 4:8)
2. Is LORD(Rev. 1:8, Acts 2:36, Phil 2:11)

1. Is GOD(Rev. 4:8)
2. Is GOD(Isa. 9:6, Rev. 15:3, Rev. 21:7, John 20:28)

1. Is ALMIGHTY(Rev. 4:8)
2. Is ALMIGHTY(Rev. 1:8, Rev. 15:3)

1. Is HE “Which was, and is, and is to come” (Rev. 4:8)
2. Is He “which was, and is, and is to come.” (Rev. 1:4, 8)

1. Is “He that liveth forever and ever” (Rev. 4:9-10)
2. Is “He that liveth forever and ever” (Rev. 1:18, Rev. 10:6, Heb. 7:25)

1. All things created by Him and for his pleasure(Rev. 4:11)
2. All things created by Him and for Him(John 1:1-14, Col 1:16, Heb 2:9-10)

THE TRANSFER OF LIFE

Now we see the life of God transferred from the realm of deity to the realm of humanity. Now we see God’s kingdom brought to earth. And here is the nature and character of God being made available to those who were once members of Adam’s race, but now born anew into a new creation, into the likeness of Him who is worthy.

All this was done through the intervention of Him who was willing to step down from His glory and become flesh, human flesh. All that had once been in the right hand of Almighty God on the throne now passes into the hands of the man who has passed through death and conquered all enemies. All authority that once belonged only to the invisible God, now is available to mankind through the person of the Son of God. So the glory He once had before the world was, while in the form of God (as Deity) , is now regained while in the form of man (as humanity). Jesus bridged the gap between God and man. He brought the very life and nature of God to this earth in a visible human body. And He took this human flesh, glorified it, and took it back to heaven into the very presence of Almighty God.

What does this mean to us? It means that as His Body, we are destined to be with him, in whatever state He is. “As He is, so are well. No longer is the book of Life, the nature of God, and His glory available only on a plane of deity where it is unattainable to us. But Jesus has prevailed to bring it to us! Bless His Name! Thus the blessings of Heaven and Life are brought to earth through Jesus Christ, and our association with Him. We are associated with Him IN HIS DEITY, as “SONS OF GOD,” into which He can pour His own divine nature, and through which He can manifest Himself to all the world. We are associated with Him IN HIS HUMANITY, as “BRETHREN,” “joint-heirs with Christ,” with whom He can have fellowship and share His glorious inheritance.

His humanity was never destroyed, but He has taken that blood, or “life of the flesh” back to the Father eternally! Just as the blood of the goat on the day of Atonement was taken beyond the Veil into the Holy of Holies and placed on the Mercy-seat in the very presence of God, just so the robe of flesh that Jesus wore on this earth was resurrected and taken into the very presence of Deity. Some would say that His body no longer exists, and that we shall never see Him again in that body. But the Bible declares that we shall see Him, and that He shall make our present bodies like unto the body He now has in glory. Praise His Name!

Let us worship and praise Him who is worthy, who has prevailed to open the book! Three is the number of Deity (as well as being the complete number), while seven is the number signifying perfection Notice in Revelation 4:11 they said “Thou art worthy, O LORD, to receive GLORY and HONOUR and POWER.” Three things ascribed to deity. But in Revelation 5:12 “Worthy is THE LAMB that was slain to receive POWER, and RICHES, and WISDOM, and STRENGTH, and HONOUR, and GLORY, and BLESSING.” Seven attributes (including the three given to deity) now ascribed to the perfect Lamb who was worthy. All the blessings of deity (plus four, the blessings of earth) given now to this new creation.

A new heaven, a new earth! Yes, a new creation. And Jesus Christ Himself, tho He has been exalted above every name that is named and is one with the Father, yet He will always be the federal head of this new creation man. For He is, and always shall be, one with His Body. And through this Body He shall rule and reign forever and ever. One thing to remember, humanity will always be in subjection to deity. As I Corinthians 15:27-28 points out, when God in His deity has put ALL things in subjection under the feet of Christ in His Body, it is manifest that deity is not under the feet of humanity. So that the Son in his humanity, the entire Body of Christ, shall always be subject to Jesus Christ the Lord in His deity, that God may be all in all. Hallelujah! What a mighty God we have! What a glorious plan He has for us! Eye has not seen, nor ear heard what God hath prepared for them that love Him!

Truly we can say with the Apostle, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” And “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”