The Worthy One
The Lamb of God is revealed to be the only One worthy to open the seals that usher in the End-time distress. These distressful things must happen before the King can administer judgement determining who are His from those who refuse Him as their Lord. Distress and tribulation (2 Cor. 15:4, Is. 26:9) causes many to seek God and learn righteousness. Eventually people stop repenting in the end-time tribulation (See Rev. 9:20-21).
John saw the worthy Lamb and the marvelous event of determining His worthiness.
5 In the right hand of the one sitting on the throne I saw a scroll[a] that had writing on the inside and on the outside. And it was sealed in seven places. 2 I saw a mighty angel ask with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look inside it .4 I cried hard because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look inside it. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop crying and look! The one who is called both the ‘Lion from the Tribe of Judah’ and ‘King David’s Great Descendant’[c] has won the victory. He will open the scroll and its seven seals. ”Rev. 5:1-5
The Seals
Revelation 6 describe the End time events as each one was removed. We can read about the prophet, Daniel’s reaction as these events were revealed to him.
Daniel wrote:
I was trying to figure out the meaning of the vision, when someone suddenly appeared there beside me. 16 And from beside the Ulai River, a voice like that of a human said, “Gabriel, help him understand the vision.” 17 Gabriel came over, and I fell to the ground in fear. Then he said, “You are merely a human, but you need to understand that this vision is about the end of time.” 26 This vision about the evenings and mornings is true, but these things won’t happen for a long time, so don’t tell it to others. 27 After this, I was so worn out and weak that it was several days before I could get out of bed and go about my duties for the king. I was disturbed by this vision that made no sense to me. Dan 8:15
After witnessing these events much distress and anguish overwhelmed Daniel and he asked for more understanding.
I heard this, but I couldn’t understand what it meant; so I asked, “Lord, what will be the outcome of all this?” 9 But he said, “Go your way, Dani’el; for these words are to remain secret and sealed until the time of the end. Dan 12:8
All Dominion
The description of the One worthy to open the seals is detailed in both the book of Revelation and Daniel. It was determined that the Son of Man, Yeshua was worthy to receive all dominion, power and glory.
And among the menorahs was someone like a Son of Man, wearing a robe down to his feet and a gold band around his chest. 14 His head and hair were as white as snow-white wool, his eyes like a fiery flame, 15 his feet like burnished brass refined in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of rushing waters. Rev. 1:13-15
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” Rev 5: 13
Now compare Daniel’s account:
“As I watched, thrones were set in place; and the Ancient One took his seat.
His clothing was white as snow, the hair on his head was like pure wool.
His throne was fiery flames, with wheels of burning fire. Daniel 7:9
Daniel also states that He was determined worthy by the Ancient One.
“I kept watching the night visions, when I saw, coming with the clouds of heaven,
someone like a son of man. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. 14 To him was given rulership, glory and a kingdom, so that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him. His rulership is an eternal rulership that will not pass away; and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
The Earthly Resurrection
After His crucifixion and death Yeshua went down into the lower parts of Hell to take back all authority (the keys) over death, Hell and the grave. Then the Son of Man ascended into another part of Hades in what the Bible calls “Abraham’s Bosom”. (See Luke 16:19-31 for more explanation on the place where the righteous went at death before Christ). In this place were those who had faith and believed in God’s plan of redemption as Abraham did and were accounted as righteous. They were waiting on time and trusting in the promised Messiah to come to release them from captivity and then lead them into the Presence of Ancient of Days.
The chariots of God are tens of thousands— thousands of thousands are they; the Lord is in His sanctuary as He was at Sinai. You have ascended on high; You have led captives away. You have received gifts from men, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there. Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God of our salvation. Our God is a God of deliverance; the Lord GOD is our rescuer from death. Psalm 68:17-20
The prophecy in Psalm 68 is referred to by the apostle Paul to the Ephesians:
“When he went up to the highest place, he led away many prisoners and gave gifts to people.” When it says, “he went up,” it means that Christ had been deep in the earth. This also means that the one who went deep into the earth is the same one who went into the highest heaven, so he would fill the whole universe. Eph. 4:8-10
We read that many were resurrected from their graves on the same day that Christ resurrected.
The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 After Jesus’s resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people. Mat. 27:52
The 1500 Year Annual Rehearsal
For centuries the Hebrew people had been rehearsing this blessed event of a mass resurrection. It was understood through their traditions and obedience connected to the Feast of First Fruits
The Wave Offering Bundle
At sundown at the beginning of Bikkerim or First Fruits – (the Hebrew day begins at sundown not midnight) – all the people of Israel were called out to cut down the very first stalks of their harvest to take them to the Temple. The stalks were tagged earlier in the season when they broke through the ground. On the feast day a linen cloth was used as each farmer cut the stalks, careful not to touch them, allowing them to fall on to the cloth. The streets were buzzing as the stalks were carefully brought to the Temple Priests.
The Temple also had a plot of land for Temple harvest. Many people watched the same process of cutting down the first fruits in the Temple field by the appointed priest. The priest did not touch these stalks as they fell onto the linen cloth. The jubilant crowd followed these special bundled sheaves which were the representation of all the bundled stalks that were now laid within the Temple courtyard. Later during the morning on the same day of Bikkerim, the High Priest would wave the representative holy bundle in hopes that if accepted, then all the first fruits would be accepted. And all the barley still waiting in the fields would be acceptable before God. Yeshua was referring to this idea in John 4:35 as the fields are white for harvest. Aren’t the souls of man likened to sheaves?
Yeshua’s Performance and fulfillment
- He was crucified at the same hour and same day (Passover) as the Passover lambs at the Temple.
- He was put into the grave at the onset (sunset) of the Feast of Unleavened bread (He who knew no sin became sin for us.)
During the 3 days inside the grave, He went into the depths of the Earth and set the righteous waiting on Messiah free. And took the authority over death from Satan.
- He was raised from the dead on the feast of Bikkerim.
(He was seen while it was still dark. The women ran to Him but He said not “to touch” Him. This is important to note as this what was said about the first fruits from the ground. The First born of the dead was relating Himself the bundle. He even said He had not been presented to the Father yet.
Here is where the words of Daniel connect to the Son of Man riding on the clouds as also described in Psalm 68. The captives from Abraham’s bosom were bundled with Him and were with Him on the chariot of the clouds.
Yeshua stood before the ancient of Days and because He was perfect in holiness and because defeated Satan, he was given glory, power and a Kingdom having all authority deemed unto Him. The Lamb that was slain, the Great descendant of King David. Now this One is the worthy One that can unseal the End-time events.
He has been unsealing the seals since His ascension, but it takes time on the Earth for conquering wars, fear and turmoil, economic collapse, famine and death, martyrdom, earthquakes and natural disasters to come to their fullness. May He provide a way to keep you from these things coming to the Earth.
Are you part of the next bundle?
