The Throne, the Book and the Lamb

Listening to the word of the Risen Christ addressed to the seven churches has purified the communities and made them capable of celebrating the holy mysteries. Thus, the Revelation of John is presented as the revelation of God's project in the history of humanity. And the Church, based on the current difficulty in which she is, contemplates participation in the history of salvation. She experiences the power of the Risen Christ that guides her through the times, through the difficulties in challenging situations.

In chapters four and five, John describes the main scene: from the first vision he had on the island of Patmos, which was followed by the dictation of the seven letters, John is called to ascend to heaven and participate in a heavenly council meeting. He is admitted to the throne room, as is the case with some ancient prophet; so, also John, with an inspired fantasy, enters the throne room and goes to the other side; he goes beyond the veil and understand the meaning of history.

What he describes in chapters four and five can be summarized in three fundamental symbols: the throne, the book and the Lamb. Or, rather, the fundamental symbols are: the throne and the Lamb and the book serves as a connecting element. We can compare these two chapters to a diptych, that is, to a painting on two frames; two parallel but different frames. The first represents creation and the second redemption; that is, the creator God is evoked through the symbol of the throne and to the redeeming God through the symbol of the Lamb. The transition from one to the other is determined by the symbol of the book.

Let's see some particular details. John is invited to go up to heaven; he enters in the Spirit, the same expression that we already found at the beginning is repeated here, (the translation that says ‘in ecstasy’ is not correct as I mentioned earlier). It means that he entered a deep dimension, enlightened by the Spirit of God, and saw a throne in heaven. And on the throne there was one who was sitting.

The throne is the simple symbol of power, of command. In heaven is the throne and the throne is not vacant, there is one who commands; one sitting on the throne. It is an expression that is repeated many times throughout the book of Revelation to indicate God as the ruler of the universe, but it is not described. John offers some bright impressions, compared to precious stones.

“I had a vision: A throne was there in heaven, and on the throne sat 3 one whose appearance sparkled like jasper and carnelian. Around the throne was a halo as brilliant as an emerald.” It was similar to brilliant prints produced by precious stones. No particular description. "Surrounding the throne I saw twenty-four other thrones on which twenty-four elders sat, dressed in white garments and with gold crowns on their heads."

Who are these twenty-four elders? It is one of the many difficulties of interpretation of the book of Revelation. The proposals of the scholars throughout the centuries have been many. Some thought it was about angels; others thought of the twelve tribes of the Old Testament and the twelve apostles of the New. Or twenty-four other people or symbolic figures. It is likely that they are not specific characters.

In the Jewish tradition, the number twenty-four refers to two important realities. Twenty-four were the priestly classes in the Jerusalem temple, and according to Jewish tradition, twenty-four were the books of the bible. These twenty-four elders who sit on the thrones and form the heavenly council, represent symbolically history, represent those who made history because together with them there are other important symbolic elements: four animals, four living beings.

"In the center and around the throne, there were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back." John describes them by taking the images of Ezekiel and Isaiah. Who are these four living beings? In the Christian artistic tradition they became symbols of the evangelists. The figure of man, calf, lion and eagle. But this was not John's intention since these symbols are taken from the ancient prophets. They are images of the created, important elements of different living areas.

With modern language we could say that the four living beings represent nature, history and nature in our modern languages; they serve to understand better. John spoke a different language: ‘Twenty-four elders… four living beings…’ meant in abstract concept what for us are history and nature. Around the throne of God are human events and the natural reality of creation. The throne governs all of this. God is the lord of history and nature. The heavenly court worships the Almighty Lord and announces a time when everyone will worship saying: “Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things; because of your will they came to be and were created."

The key to reading is offered to us by this verse. The heavenly choir sings the glory of God who created everything. Therefore, although the particular details are complex and difficult to understand, the global meaning of the first frame is clear: John described the creation of God in apocalyptic language, full of symbols, the picture of the creator God.

Let's go to the second frame where the redeeming God is represented with the symbol of the Lamb, but to get to the Lamb, John puts on stage a kind of event, a drama: "To the right of him who sat on the throne I saw a scroll written on the front and on the back and sealed with seven seals.”

In ancient times, books did not have this form; they were scrolls and therefore, a closed book. The coiling held in the right hand was shaped like a scepter, like a baton. In the right hand of the one who holds the world is a fully written book. The sign of God's government is a book. This book is sealed with seven seals. We have already said that seven is a symbolic number to indicate integrity, totality. But what does the seal mean?

In our language when we say sealed, it means closed, hermetically sealed, but in reality, the seal corresponds to our rubber stamp, it is a kind of signature; it is an authentic signature. The seal placed on a document is the guarantee that that document belongs to that authority that issued it. Generally, in ancient times it was connected to a ring, that had a particular shape in relief and was printed on the wax, leaving the mark of belonging.

A closed book with seven seals means that it belongs totally to God. It is his book. What does this book represent? "I saw a powerful angel crying out in a powerful voice: Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" Materially a seal is a thread blocked by wax. Minimal force is needed to open it, but obviously, something larger is evoked here.

The symbol always reminds of something else and therefore we should never stop at the literal image but try to understand the message in its deepest and most spiritual dimension. Who can open the book? "But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to examine it." Neither angels, nor people, nor the dead, no one could open that book.

"I shed many tears" (it is John who is narrating this. In the middle of the throne room he witnesses this scene.) No one is found capable of opening the book. "I shed many tears because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to examine it." So, what does this book represent? It is not simply the explanation of some obscure biblical text; it must be something much bigger and much deeper. It is the book of mystery; it is God's project; it is the meaning of history; it is the meaning of my life; there one finds the answer to the great 'why', man’s existential questions; it is the answer to those underlying problems that none of us can find an explanation.

And John's crying is the symbol of humanity's anguish. Behind are all the men and women who have wondered over the centuries: ‘why’; and have not found reasons, explanations, motives. It is the anguish of all the writers, poets, philosophers who have tried to understand and they have found no explanation. No one can explain the meaning. John's crying ends when one of the twenty-four elders says: “Do not weep. The lion of the tribe of Judah has triumphed, enabling him to open the scroll with its seven seals.” It is a prophetic oracle contained in the end of the book of Genesis. The lion of Judah is a messianic symbol, but the lion is a fierce and strong animal, it is the king of the jungle, it is the powerful. If the lion wins, it wins by destroying the others. It is an Easter announcement of victory.

“Do not weep. The lion of the tribe of Judah has triumphed." "Then I saw standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and the elders a Lamb that seemed to have been slain." We are at the center. This is the most important part. Finally, the one who has triumphed appears; the only one who can open the book; but a lion had been announced and a lamb appears. It is an inversion of the image. A lion that tears apart enemies is replaced by a devoured, slain, dead lamb, but it is still standing even though it has been killed. How can He stand if he has been killed? He is in the middle of the throne. John does not see him coming, he sees him in the middle of the throne, but in the throne there was already one sitting, right? And how does the Lamb stand in the middle of the throne if there is already one sitting there?

Do you understand how the symbol is theological? He wants to show Jesus Christ, dead and risen, immolated, but standing that He is in the middle of the throne. Let us try to translate this into theological language. At the center of God's power is the slain Lamb. The heart of the cosmic government, surrounded by history and nature, is the dead and risen Christ. "He had seven horns and seven eyes."

Don't try to draw it or imagine it ... it becomes a monster. The book of Revelation should not be drawn; it must be mentally imagined and translated into concepts. A lamb does not have horns and if it did, it would not be seven. Nor does it have seven eyes. Drawing a lamb with seven eyes and seven horns means turning it into a monster impossible to see; but if 'seven' means totality, what do the horns mean?

In our modern symbolic language, it means marital treason; it's a symbolic game that we don't have many reasons to explain, but in fact we quickly understand what it means. Instead, in this ancient language, horns are the sign of power, of force; is the most logical and normal thing: animals with horns use them for fighting and having horns is a sign of strength. Having seven horns means having all the power.

With an abstract and theological concept we say that He is the almighty; while the eyes are the obvious symbols of knowledge. Having seven eyes means having full knowledge. With another theological and abstract adjective we say He is omniscient. We could say that the risen Christ is the center of the power of God and He is omnipotent and omniscient.

John says: "I saw the center of the throne a lamb standing as sacrificed with seven horns and seven eyes." This is the apocalyptic language, a kind of foreign language that needs to be translated to be understood. Little by little, while we understand the language and translate the images into concepts, we will understand the revelation. Jesus Christ is this Lamb who comes and takes the book from the hands of the One who sits on the throne; and is able to open the seals. The entire heavenly court kneels in adoration and sings the second stanza of that hymn.

Previously he had sung: You are worthy because you have created. Now the heavenly court sings: “Worthy are you to receive the scroll

and to break open its seals, for you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on earth.” Creator God, Redeemer God. The Lamb has done the work of creation by redeeming for God, everything that comes from four elements, that is, from the cosmic totality.

"I looked again and heard the voices of many angels who surrounded the throne and the living creatures and the elders. They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing.’ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out: ‘To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever.’

Nature and history "answered, ‘Amen,’ and the elders fell down and worshiped." The central picture of the book of Revelation has been presented: the throne and the Lamb. The Risen Christ is the revealer of God's project. The only one who can explain the meaning. Thus He begins to open the seals and begins with the first of seven.