6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!” 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might for ever and ever!” 14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshipped.
Christ is the centre of history, changing its course from meaninglessness and chaos to a glorious purpose of fulfilment. The plan for the world is made possible through His victory, and all the sovereign mysteries of His purposes can now go into gear, so to speak. Evil has lost the initiative in the world; it no longer has the last word. It is easy to see what a tremen dously practical message this is - and was to John, when the Roman Empire in all its arro gance and power was oppressing the Christian Church. They were throwing Christians to the lions, pouring tar over them and setting them alight, using them as torches on the avenues of the imperial palace in Rome, and in the midst of these terrible atrocities God was saying to them, 'Fear not, evil does not have the last word, since Jesus has risen and taken the book'. Everything in this sense centres on the cross - the cross is the watershed of history and eterni ty, the turning point of history. Up to the time of the cross history was going in one direction, but now it has received a new direction, one in which its fulfilment becomes possible and in deed inevitable. This is what may be called 'the cosmic significance' of Christ. It is central to the teaching not only of the New Testament but also of the Old that not only mankind is in volved in the victory of the cross; all creation is involved. As one of our hymns puts it
'Earth and sea and stars and mankind
By that stream are cleansed all,'
This is in fact evident in this chapter, where not only the elders, but also the beasts and all inanimate creation. and all animate creation join together in the song of Praise. The entire created order has an. interest in this glorious victory and the appearance of the Lamb from the place of shame and sorrow to occupy the place of honour and glory,
'Jesus takes the highest station,
O what joy the sight affords!'
We must beware of holding small and pigmy views and understandings of the gospel. Christ is a cosmic figure towering over the entire 'cosmos' as its rightful Lord and King. That is what John saw. Could anything have been more suited to his position, when the Church was passing through the fires of tribulation?