REVELATION CHAPTER FIVE
Revelation 5:1-14 KJV
And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. [2] And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? [3] And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. [4] And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. [5] And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. [6] And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. [7] And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. [8] And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. [9] And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; [10] And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. [11] And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; [12] Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. [13] And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. [14] And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
Now in Rev chapter 4 we see Him who is seated on the throne of grace, and from there we go forward to see the book which is sealed with seven seals. The book is in the hand of him who is seated upon the throne. He is upon that throne as a just judge to preside over the case of redemption. Thus He is as a presiding officer, a president of the council of elders in the heavenly court. He is a president of freedom and liberty; a president of justice and true judgement.
He is not just a judge, no, he is more than that. He is not just a chief justice, no, he is more than that. He is the president of the heavenly council of elders to preside over the case of redemption. Thus this place is a heavenly court of appeal, and the case at hand is about the redemption of the man that was lost, and all the things that were lost from the beginning, from the foundation of the world. There are those lost by the fall of angels, and others by the fall of man.
Thus the book in His hand holds the record of all the things that need a redeemer, things that were created and made from the foundation of the world. This book also holds the account of the redemption of those things and all the inheritance that goes with them. Thus it is a book of the accounts. In it the work of the redeemer is recorded and the confession of those to be redeemed.
To account for something is to prove or justify how it was done. Thus this book also has such proves. It proves how the redeemer redeemed those who were sold unto death. It has the accounts of the payments.
Thus, He is going to show us all the things that pertain to redemption and the accounts of their redemption. It is all happening in a court of law, and all must be done in a just way and meet the required standards of the court perfectly. No shortcuts are accepted in this heavenly court.
The book in the hand of the presiding officer is the book of Hebrews and of Christ the mystery of God revealed, and he is revealed as he is identified in his characteristics. Thus, this book has all the records of the Hebrew people concerning the accounts of their redemption and the redemption of all their inheritance. Secondly, it also has the records of the Christian peoples of all ages as concerns the accounts of their redemption and the redemption of all their inheritance.
How is this book a book of Hebrews? It records the accounts of the faith of the Hebrew people from Adam to John the Baptist. It has the very records of their calling, how they responded to that calling and how they walked with God from that time onward, accepting the price of their redemption.
Now, notice this, that not every son of Israel was a Hebrew, neither because they were children of Abraham so were they Hebrews, but a true Hebrew was the true believer in the word of God. Jacob was a Hebrew but Esau was not a Hebrew. Isaac was a Hebrew but Ishmael was not a Hebrew. So, a Hebrew was so by faith. Those who believed in one true living God were called Hebrews, that is from Adam to John the Baptist. “Hear oh Israel, the LORD your God is one Lord.”
True Hebrews believed in that and those are the people through whom the true living God was revealed. God was called their God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Ishmael and Esau are nowhere in the picture. They were not Hebrews! A Hebrew was so by faith, the faith of one living God, creator and sustainer of all things and the same is a redeemer of all. Amen!
This council is seated in the gate of heaven, and this brings in the day of redemption. It is not a twenty-four hour day, please!
Ephesians 1:13-14 KJV
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, [14] Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
By the Holy Spirit the saints are sealed, and that seal protects them and also it is a token of whom they belong to.
Ephesians 4:30 KJV
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Thus there is a day known as the day of redemption. That is not one solar day, but is a period of time when the work of final redemption takes place.
Exodus 3:18 KJV
And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.
See? The Israelites were being called the Hebrews, but there is no time the Edomites were ever called the Hebrews. Of course, not all Israelites were Hebrews, some among them were not. A true Hebrew was a child of the promise, the promise that God made from the foundation of the world to give eternal life to man. This was revealed at various levels to various generations. Those who received this promise during the Old Testament were the true Hebrews. Thus a Hebrew was a child of the promise, the way Isaac and Jacob were.
God had their record in heaven, a perfect record of their faith and pilgrimage. Though there are some sketches of the pilgrimages of some of them in the Bible, yet many of them the Bible did not even mention them. Their true record is in a spiritual book before God in heaven.
This book has a second section recording the faith of the New Testament believers called Christians on the backside of it. The Bible has a sketch of the lives of some of these Christians. But a great number of them the Bible has no record about them, but God has a book of the records of their pilgrimage clearly written and kept before Him.
And a Christian is so by faith! Not by organization! Not by the church he attends! But by New Birth! Amen! A Christian is born so! Born from the word of God! Born in the Spirit of truth! Such true Christians won’t join some organization to be led by some human head. They separate themselves unto one head, the Godhead revealed in Jesus Christ. That is their true God, the God of Jesus Christ is also their God. The Father of Jesus Christ is also their Father. Through Jesus Christ the truth has been revealed to them. They have received the Spirit of Christ and are led by the same into all truth. The mind of Christ is in them by which they know the truth and have received it. The very truth dwells in their hearts! The God of the Hebrews revealed through Jesus Christ dwells in them. Those are the true Christians. Anything else God does not recognize it!
Then the book of the mystery of Christ revealed pertains to the Gentiles, and those are the true Christians. And we say again that one is not a Christian just because he belongs to some organization named after Christ, but a true Christian is one through whom Christ is revealed. Those through whom Christ was truly revealed in their lives are the true Christians. Similarly, those through whom the living God was truly revealed were the true Hebrews.
Thus, true Hebrews are those through whom the living God revealed Himself. Those are the men of Genesis and of the Old Testament. Thus, Genesis and the Old Testament holds the records of the revelation of the living God in the characteristics of those who believed Him, the same were called Hebrews.
And the New Testament holds the records of the revelation of Jesus Christ the son of the living God in the characteristics of the Christians of all ages, that is from the apostolic times to the last Gentile generation. After Noah, the Hebrews were mainly sons of Shem, while the Gentiles have been mostly the sons of Jephath.
Thus, the book in the hand of the presiding officer is the book of the records of the true Hebrews and the accounts of their redemption and also is the book of the records of the true Christians and the accounts of their redemption.
Therefore, this book is a two in one book, written inside and on the backside. The writings within pertain to the Hebrews, the people who truly believed in one living God who is the creator of heaven and earth, and they also believed the words of His covenant in which he promised them the coming of the redeemer (the Messiah) and also a heavenly inheritance.
The writings on the backside of the book pertains to the Christians, those are the people who truly received the Gospel of Jesus Christ the son of God, believed it and walked in it, and therefore, by them and through them Christ was revealed in their characteristics.
Therefore, you can see that book clearly before you, for it’s known all over the world. It is called in their tongue as the Bible. That name means a book of many books which falls into two groups or sections. Bi- means two. And -ble from book, thus a Bi-book was the original prononciation, and finally it was pronounced as Bible. In other words it is a book with two sections. The Old Testament and the New Testament. The first part is the inner section which pertains to the Hebrews while the second part is the outer section and the same pertains to the true Christians.
Christians are not so because of belonging to some church, but it is those who are born of the water and of the Spirit, so that Christ who is the word of life is revealed through their lives, the same way the living God was revealed through the Old Testament saints who are called Hebrews.
Therefore, by this we see that the full records of these two kinds of people is not found in the earthly book called the Bible, which consists of papers written on with ink. Why? It is clear that the Bible does not consist of all the records of all the people that were indeed Hebrews, but it has a few characters recorded. And similarly, the same Bible does not contain all the records of the Christian people of all ages, but it has a few characters recorded in that second section.
Therefore, the book that has the complete records of the two sections is in heaven. It is a heavenly book with heavenly records, not consisting of papers and not written in ink. But the heavenly book is a lively book written by the Spirit. The earthly book contains some sketches of the two sections of that book in the characteristics of a few whose works were recorded therein. But the heavenly book has all the details of the works, ways and labours of the redeemed people clearly written with their true names. The writings are in words called characteristics. Thus, all the characteristics of the Hebrews were written within the book and all the characteristics of the Christians were written on the backside of the book. So, the heavenly book is a scrowl of one sheet written on both sides. The writings are called scriptures, thus it is said:
Daniel 10:20-21 KJV
Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. [21] But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.
Thus, the things which this heavenly messenger told Daniel in chapter eleven and twelve of his book were already noted in the scripture of truth, and that scripture is not an earthly book, for the book of Daniel was not yet part of the scriptures at that time. It was still in the making. Therefore, the earthly book contains sketches of that which was already noted in the scripture of truth in heaven. Thus, Daniel was finally told:
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Daniel 12:4 KJV
Now, a note is that which is written in short, yet it is the very theme and summary of what is there or is to be there. For instance, the seven letters to the seven churches were notes from the heavenly scripture of truth. Similarly, the seals, the trumpets and the vials are about elaborate events written in note form. (Maandiko kwa ufupi).
And thus the Bible is only sketches of what is noted in the spiritual book that is in heaven. And if this scripture of truth is in form of notes, that is shorthand writings, then there is a lot of things hidden within the notes which any reader cannot see. And furthermore, the earthly book only contains the sketches of those notes! Thus is it sealed and no man in heaven, on earth or under the earth was able to open the book, loose the seals, look thereupon and read it. For all they are looking at are sketches of what is noted in the Spirit book.
Exodus 32:31-33 KJV
And Moses returned unto the Lord , and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. [32] Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. [33] And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
Yes, God has a book which He wrote, and the same is a Bi-book, and it is a book of His covenant which has also His promise. And in it are also the names and characteristics of the people with whom God has made that covenant. All their works and ways are recorded in there in note form.
Then as these people come upon the earth their section is progressively unfolded to them, little by little, by which they grow from glory to glory as they receive from that book light and understanding. These are received from that book as it unfolds to the individual who is thus named. That name noted thus is one’s portion in that book.
Psalm 40:6-10 KJV
Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. [7] Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, [8] I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. [9] I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord , thou knowest. [10] I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
The revelation of the records that pertains to all saints when written makes a big volume, and in the same volume are the records of the accounts of their redemption. In those records comes out clearly the characteristics of the living God in Jesus Christ, first in the inner section of the book, then on the backside.
Psalm 56:8 KJV
Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
His wanderings means his pilgrimage, and thus with tears he wanders about. And his tears God collects into His bottle, while his wanderings he writes in His book; He writes that against what is already noted about him in the heavenly scripture, for that note is what is sown in him which he should watch over to bring forth fruits as the Spirit quickens.
What are therefore these tears?
Hebrews 5:7 KJV
Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared.
Tears of a broken and contrite heart are an acceptable offering unto Elohim. That is well pleasing unto Him. They are not tears of sorrow, no, they are tears of the heart’s supplications, and they are a revelation of the fountains from the broken heart. The fountains of the heart has opened and her waters flowing freely to the throne of grace.
The tear drops are the very silently and softly spoken words from the heart making intercessions. These are collected in a bottle and kept before God. And since his inner eyes are seven, those are the eyes of his understanding within the heart, then his tears are sevenfold, and each is collected and kept in a bottle. Thus, there are seven bottles that holds his tears. These are kept before God for a memorial.
Notice also that the word eye means a small opening, and from Kibusu language the word for eye also means the point in a well from where the water gushes out. It is called the eye of water (Emoni eya kamechi). Thus, the lamb having seven eyes of understanding also means seven eyes of the fountains of truth. In him is a sevenfold fountain of truth. The water flowing bubbling out of that are words of truth. Those words of truth flow out of his heart as tears. The same are drops of mercy from the mercy seat which is in him, and they are spoken on behalf of the lost, the ignorant and the erring. Thus, the water of life are the softly expressed words of life from the thoughts of life within His bosom. His thoughts becomes words, his words becomes droplets of water, and that is the water of life.
Now, the bottles in which these teardrops are collected and kept are the seven horns. In old times bottles were made out of horns. They were used to store oil, wine or water for a pilgrim. Thus, are those seven horns, making as it were the branch on the head of the deer.
As pertains to the oil, the Spirit of the LORD in seven folds rests upon the branch-like horns. And that means he is seven times anointed to save, a sevenfold Christ. He is therefore able to save to the utmost those who come to God through him.
As pertains to wine, in him is the sevenfold revelation of God, and that means the fullness of God is revealed through him, because he is the son of God and thus heir of all things from his Father.
As pertains to the seven eyes as being lights means the sevenfold light of the day of redemption, that final day which no man or angel knows.
And as pertains to those seven eyes as lamps of fire, by that he searches the reins and the hearts of all giving all according to their works.
And as pertains to those seven eyes as seven days, by which perfection is achieved of all things that pertain to his body, which is the church.
As pertains to the seven eyes as messengers sent forth in all the earth, they are his heralds who clear the way before him, for indeed he is a king of kings, for a horn means an anointed king. He is anointed seven times to deliver and be crowned king of kings.
And lastly, as pertains to the seven horns gushing with a sevenfold fountain, that is the final trumpet message of jubilee.
That is the lamb who rises from the midst of the throne and takes the book of redemption from the president of this divine council.
Revelation 5:6-10 KJV
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. [7] And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. [8] And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. [9] And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; [10] And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Look closely at that. Who are those rejoicing as the lamb takes the book from the president of the council? The four beasts and the twenty four elders! The twenty four elders represent the positions of all whose names are written within the book. Twelve for the Genesis group and twelve for the Old Testament (Israel) group, for the inheritance of the two groups was divided into twelve.
Deuteronomy 32:7-8 KJV
Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee. [8] When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
Thus, Adam like Jacob, had twelve sons whom the LORD finally divided some special land for. Thus twelve elders from Adam and twelve elders from Israel (Jacob), that makes twenty four of them.
And what is an elder? A mature, experienced person who is full of wisdom to give right judgement and direction.
Hebrews 11:1-2 KJV
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. [2] For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Elders like who? Adam, Abel, Seth, Enos, Enoch, Lamech, Noah, Like Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
Yes, elders like Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, John the Baptist.
They make the heavenly council in the court of heaven.
Matthew 5:22 KJV
But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Anger without a cause is not justified, and whoever gets thus enraged shall fall into condemnation and be in danger of judgement.
Raca is a word which in modern language implies one saying ‘nonsense’. That is more serious than one who is angered. No matter how angry you are you are not justified to speak swelling words. Whoever shall tell his neighbor, “Nonsense!” Shall be in danger of the council of elders.
But worst of all is he who says, “You fool” to his neighbor. He shall be in danger of hell fire. The serverity of judgement increases with the increase in the offense. All those actions are crude weapons that commit murder.
Thus, are the elders and their ministry. They finally make a heavenly council that shall sit in the heavenly court to look into the matters pertaining to their respective generations. They are the heavenly court presided over by the chief elder who sits upon the throne in their midst. They represent the two dispensations: Genesis and the Old Testament.
That is why immediately the lamb takes the book of redemption, they fall before the throne having golden vials full of the prayers of the saints of their respective days. Twelve representing Genesis and twelve representing the Old Testament.
And besides the elders there are the four beasts who also fall before the throne singing the new song. They also have golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of the saints. These four beasts are the four standards of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They represent all the saints of the Gentile church ages. The first is like a lion and represents the apostolic times. The second is like a calf representing the dark ages. The third is as a man representing the reformation age of the Protestants, while the eagle represents the end times.
The elders represent all whose names are written within that book, the Hebrew race of believers, and thus offers their prayers. The beasts represent those whose names are written on the backside of the book, the true Christian race. Thus, are the two races and their positions, the Hebrew race and the Christian race. One more race remains, and in the prophecies given through Branham it is called a super race. Super here means superior race. Superior means above these other two. That race is not represented by the twenty four elders nor the four beasts. Then who represents them, and where are they in redemption? This is the church of the firstborn and they are the members of his body and thus he represents them. He is their only elder or beast, yea, neither an elder nor a beast but he is all of them in one, the lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. They are the members of that body in which he was slain to lay the foundation of the world, and the same body is a volume of a book. These is the book of the records of his very brothers and sisters, begotten in him in the day in which he was begotten.
Yea, first are the twelve elders of the book of the generations of Adam. Second, the twelve elders of the book of the generations of Israel. Third, the four beasts of the book of the generations of Jesus Christ, the son of God. Fourth and lastly, the lamb that was slain, his body is the book of the generations of God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he is the firstborn among them.
Revelation 5:11-12 KJV
And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; [12] Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
The angels also offer their praise and worship, evidently they represent beings of power, of riches, of wisdom, of strength, of honour, of glory and of blessings. All these are collectively called gifts.
Genesis 25:1-6 KJV
Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. [2] And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. [3] And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. [4] And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. [5] And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. [6] But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.
Isaac was the heir of Abraham, and to him Abraham gave all the inheritance, but to the sons of the bond women he gave gifts. Angels represent such gifts. By the slaying of the lamb were such gifts found, and by them the angels serve those who are the heirs of salvation.
Thus, all servants in the kingdom of God are represented by angels who never fell. That is their place in the book of redemption. In other words every servant shall stand for himself, by his works shall he be judged and by that he is either received in or cast away. Where then are these servants represented by the innumerable company of angels? These are they who will go through the judgement by the white throne, and shall be received in upon their good works. So, they are not represented by Christ, the beasts nor the twenty four elders. For John heard and beheld the voice of an innumerable company of angels. He heard and beheld – two-fold, the angel as a spirit and the servant upon whom the spirit abides.
Revelation 5:13-14 KJV
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. [14] And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
So, John comes in for the rest of the creation, and thus the four beasts or living creatures respond to his voice. In the midst of the throne and round about the throne were the four living creatures. The first four represents the saints of the church ages while the other four represent the creation within that book of redemption.
Thus are the things found in the book of redemption.
The two Hebrew races: the first before Noah and the second after Noah, that is Genesis and the Old Testament. Then third the Christian race of the New Testament, and fourth the super race. Then fifth the angel race: those under the law of angels are servants, then sixth the creature and its treasures. Then in the seventh position the creator Himself in His only begotten son by whom He created all things.
From “Hear Ye Him”
Echoes From Paradise 