They Had Their Own Script in Heaven

This had to be done for you and me. There was no other way. And Jesus did it once and for all, for all time, forgiving the world its sins and reconciling the Father to the world. All that was lacking was something He couldn’t do. The world, which He loved and still loves, had to reconcile itself to Him. There is no other way.

We know the scene well, and most of us do an admirable job in recreating Good Friday and Easter with pageants and glorious music, just as we are doing this weekend. I love the church, and I love its pageantry when done to the glory of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit (who did the work of raising Jesus from the dead [Romans 8:11], along with a lot of other things).

I also love the precious Holy Scripture, which gives us a scene from heaven about the Risen Lord, and I want to talk of that scene today. I have also written a separate piece consisting of a poem about the scene in the Garden of the Tomb Easter morning. Please turn to it when you finish my column.

It helps to note Revelation 4:1ff, where the author of the prophecy – traditionally labeled John the Apostle – is told to "come up here," suggesting he was too earthbound to see what was really happening. Are you too earthbound to see clearly? "At once I was in the Spirit," he said, so up he went into the throne room of the universe where "one was seated on the throne." There is nothing democratic about who’s in charge of the universe. John describes an apocalyptic scene – beautiful, busy, and full of glory and honor. The singing is powerful and ever worshipful. We should learn from the worship.

Then, at the beginning of Chapter 5, comes a scene that a man I loved, David duPlessis, used to refer to occasionally as the "first ascension." We find the heartbreaking need for someone to break the seals opening the scroll in the hand of God on the throne that contains the future. No one is worthy apparently. John starts weeping. Who wouldn’t? No future? Has Satan won? Then an elder in heaven told John to knock it off. "The Lion of Judah…has triumphed." He can do it.

John looks around quickly and all he sees is a lamb, "looking as though it had been slain." The Lamb of God – He was the Lion of Judah, having died an ignominious death without uttering a sound, without losing His love for His Father or for His friends throughout all the passion. He had paid the price in full, so He went to take the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne, and the universe breathed a sign of relief.

When the Lamb had taken it, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before Him. Each had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints (you and me). They sang a new song, which I hope you are able to join in with: "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; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth" (KJV).

If you listened real closely you could hear the whole earth saying, "Amen." Happy Easter! Jesus is alive! He is alive indeed!

More from CBN.com's special Easter section

Answers about Jesus from 'The Passion of The Christ'