"And He went and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne. 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."
(Revelation 5:7-8)
There are a number of important things here. For one thing, the Lamb possesses the same glory and authority as does the one sitting on the throne. When heaven worships the Lamb, they are worshiping God, the second person of the Holy Trinity. The Lamb’s majesty and glory are clearly equal to that of the one seated on the throne. No mere creature could ever possess such glory. It is nothing less than the glory of God. Furthermore, the elders who represent the redeemed and the living creatures who represent creation fall before the Lamb and worship him. This also points us to the fact that Christ’s glory and worthiness is equal to that of the father’s, for the hosts of heaven would never bow before any creature or any created thing.
Later on, in the Book of Revelation, we will read that the prayers of the saints rise to heaven. In Revelation 6:9-11 and 8:4 the saints pray for vindication of martyred believers. They cry out for judgment upon the ungodly. The fact that these prayers ascend to God’s throne and to the Lamb reminds us that the opening of the scroll is somehow connected their vindication. The judgments yet to come and contained in the scroll will, in part, bring about the vindication of the saints.
With the elders holding harps in their hands and singing, the scene in heaven is suddenly reminiscent of the Levitical priests who were commissioned to lead the people in the praise and worship of YHWH.
(Dr. Kim Riddlebarger)
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