Biblion Bible Commentary
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Worthy Is the Lamb Who Has Been Killed
Revelation 5:11-14
11 I looked, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. The number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands, · WEB
The choir widens in three rings to every creature that exists, and the doxology seats the Lamb and the throne in one blessing.
I looked, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. The number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands.
The worship detonates outward in rings. The inner court sang the new song Revelation 5:9; now the angelic host joins — counted in Daniel's own numbers for the court of the Ancient of Days Daniel 7:10: myriads of myriads, arithmetic giving up. And their anthem hands the slain Lamb a sevenfold portfolio: worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing Revelation 5:12.
Seven predicates — the book's number of completeness spent on a single ascription: everything receivable, received. The list quietly includes categories the world was currently using against the churches — wealth, against Smyrna's poverty Revelation 2:9; power, against Philadelphia's little Revelation 3:8 — all located finally in the Lamb who was killed.
Then the third ring, and it is everything: I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever!" Revelation 5:13.
Every creature — the four zones of creation emptied into one chorus. The vision leaps to the consummation the rest of the book must still travel to Revelation 15:4: the whole created order, without exception, ascribing blessing to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb — one preposition, two persons, a single worship. The book's answer to every christological question is its liturgy: the Lamb is worshiped with God, by everything, forever — and the same pairing will hold at the city, where the throne of God and of the Lamb is one throne Revelation 22:1.
The four living creatures said, "Amen!" Then the elders fell down and worshiped Revelation 5:14.
The scene closes where worship closes — the Amen of the innermost ring, and prostration. Two chapters of throne room now stand complete as the book's stage-setting: the Creator worshiped, the Lamb enthroned with the scroll in hand, the prayers of the saints in the bowls, and every voice in the universe on record. Now — only now — the seals can be opened, and the reader watches what follows from inside this room.
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