“But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne.” Revelation 5:5-7
Because his tears were unnecessary, one of the elders told John to stop weeping. Then he drew John’s attention to a new Person emerging on the scene: “the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.” No human or angel can redeem the universe, but there is One who can—Jesus Christ. The Jews of Jesus’ day expected the Messiah to be powerful and to liberate them from the heavy hand of their Roman oppressors. It was partly because Jesus failed to live up to those expectations that they rejected Him. Tragically, the Jews completely misjudged their Messiah. He is a lion, and will tear up and destroy their enemies. But He will do so according to His timetable, not theirs. His lion like judgment of His enemies waits the yet-future day that He has chosen. Jesus is the One worthy to open the scroll.
When John turned he saw the Lamb of God. There are a few words in the Bible for lamb. The word, for Lamb, used here is one associated with the Passover Lamb. This tells us that what makes Messiah unique is, not just that He is the Son of God but, that the Son of God is also the Redeemer who did the work of redemption. We see that there is a case being made, theologically, to show that there is a connection between the Kingdom and Redemption. Without experiencing redemption, we won’t experience the Kingdom.
Jesus is in heaven. He is not in the manger, in Jerusalem, on the cross, or in the tomb. He is ascended and exalted in heaven. What an encouragement this is to suffering Christians, to know that their Savior has defeated every enemy and is now controlling events from glory! He too suffered, but God turned His suffering into glory. But where is Christ in heaven? He is in the midst. The Lamb is the center of all that transpires in heaven. All creation centers in Him (the four living creatures), as do all of God’s people (the elders). The angels around the throne encircle the Savior and praise Him.