El León, El Cordero, y El Trono de Dios

Presentación del tema: "El León, El Cordero, y El Trono de Dios"— Transcripción de la presentación:

1 El León, El Cordero, y El Trono de Dios
Apocalipsis 4-5

2 Después de esto, miré y vi una puerta abierta en el cielo
Apocalipsis 4:1   Después de esto, miré y vi una puerta abierta en el cielo; y la voz que yo había escuchado primero, y que parecía un toque de trompeta, me dijo: “Sube acá y te mostraré las cosas que tienen que suceder después de estas.” Apocalipsis 4:2   En ese momento quedé bajo el poder del Espíritu, y vi un trono puesto en el cielo, y alguien estaba sentado en el trono. 3 El que estaba sentado en el trono tenía el aspecto de un diamante o de un rubí, y alrededor del trono había un arco iris que brillaba como una esmeralda; 4 también alrededor del trono vi otros veinticuatro tronos, en los cuales estaban sentados veinticuatro ancianos: iban vestidos de blanco y llevaban una corona de oro en la cabeza. 5 Del trono salían relámpagos, voces y truenos; y delante del trono ardían siete antorchas de fuego, que son los siete espíritus de Dios. 6 Delante del trono había también algo que parecía un mar, transparente como el cristal.  En el centro, donde estaba el trono, y a su alrededor, había cuatro seres vivientes llenos de ojos por delante y por detrás. 7 El primero de aquellos seres parecía un león, el segundo parecía un toro, el tercero tenía aspecto humano, y el cuarto parecía un águila volando. 8 Cada uno de los cuatro seres vivientes tenía seis alas, y estaba cubierto de ojos por fuera y por dentro. Y ni de día ni de noche dejaban de decir: “¡Santo, santo, santo es el Señor, Dios todopoderoso, el que era y es y ha de venir!” Apocalipsis 4:9   [-10] Cada vez que esos seres vivientes dan gloria y honor y gracias al que está sentado en el trono, al que vive por todos los siglos, los veinticuatro ancianos se arrodillan ante él y lo adoran y, arrojando sus coronas delante del trono, dicen: Apocalipsis 4:11   “Tú eres digno, Señor y Dios nuestro, de recibir la gloria, el honor y el poder, porque tú has creado todas las cosas; por tu voluntad existen y han sido creadas.”

3 En ese momento quedé bajo el poder del Espíritu, y vi un trono puesto en el cielo, y alguien estaba sentado en el trono As the scene opens, we realize that we are in one of the most incredible places we’ve ever been. It’s a throne room, the throne room. God’s throne room. We look in wonder at the great throne where sits the Ancient of Days; we’re unable to see him, but perceive the reflections of the “unapproachable light” which surrounds him, seeming like the shining of precious stones. The brilliance of the light produces the effect of a rainbow surrounding the seated figure. Lowering our eyes from the throne we make out smaller thrones for each of twenty-four elders. We cringe as thunder and lightning leap from the throne, and our trancelike gaze is drawn to seven oil lamps which burn before the throne. Next we contemplate a smooth, almost glasslike sea, its might controlled by the will of he who sits on the throne. We gaze upon the four living creatures, the guardians of God’s holiness, those mighty beings which had been seen by prophets like Isaiah and Ezekiel, whose likenesses had been carved on Israel’s Ark of the Covenant. We hear the continuing chorus of “Holy, holy, holy” that rises up before God as all of the heavenly beings proclaim his worth. It is a scene of wonder, a symphony of sight and sound that evokes praise from all who witness it.

4 En la mano derecha del que estaba sentado en el trono…
Apocalipsis 5:1   En la mano derecha del que estaba sentado en el trono vi un rollo escrito por dentro y por fuera, y sellado con siete sellos. 2 Y vi un ángel poderoso que preguntaba a gran voz: “¿Quién es digno de abrir el rollo y romper sus sellos?” 3 Pero ni en el cielo ni en la tierra ni debajo de la tierra había nadie que pudiera abrir el rollo, ni mirarlo. 4 Y yo lloraba mucho, porque no se había encontrado a nadie digno de abrir el rollo, ni de mirarlo. 5 Pero uno de los ancianos me dijo: “No llores más, pues el León de la tribu de Judá, el retoño de David, ha vencido y puede abrir el rollo y romper sus siete sellos.” En la mano derecha del que estaba sentado en el trono…

5 In the midst of all this, a man weeps
In the midst of all this, a man weeps. John, the apostle, the one that Jesus loved, stands and cries bitterly. Tears seem out of place in the presence of God, in the midst of this spectacle, but John cannot help himself. He has learned that the scroll, the one bearing seven seals, that scroll with writing both inside and out, cannot be opened. The seals cannot be broken and the contents cannot be revealed. It is not idle curiosity that moves the apostle to tears. No, John knows what is in that scroll. It’s not a scroll of information nor a scroll of teaching, although both can be found within. The scroll contains the marching orders for the hosts of God, the commands that will set in motion God’s unfolding plan of redemption. Until that scroll is opened, the advance of the kingdom of God is stymied. God has prepared great things for his people, so many plans that they had to be written on both sides of the paper, yet none of them can come into being because the seals on the scroll cannot be broken. …vi un rollo escrito por dentro y por fuera, y sellado con siete sellos.

6 ¿Quién es digno de abrir el rollo y romper sus sellos?
To open that scroll, one would have to be worthy. Ancient royalty placed seals of wax on their documents. Only those of the proper rank could break those seals. If no one of sufficient rank could be found, the seals could not be opened and the scroll could not be read. You might compare it to the security system used by the military, where different individuals have different levels of clearance. Some are cleared to read “Secret” materials, while fewer are cleared to read “Top Secret” documents. Some highly sensitive documents can only be read by those of maximum rank. When a document is received for which no one has clearance, it remains untouched until someone arrives who is authorized to examine it. For security clearance purposes, the ancient world often used seals, such as those we see here in Revelation. A king or high official would put a bit of hot wax on a document, possibly with a cord through the wax, encircling the document. While the wax was still soft, the official would press his ring into it, leaving an impression that bore his mark. Such a seal proved authenticity and provided for security. Only a person of the required standing could break the seal and read the document. This scroll has seven such seals, requiring the presence of someone with enough clearance to open the seals. If the seals are not broken, the orders will not be given, and God’s plan will not be put into motion.

7 ¿Quién es digno de abrir el rollo y romper sus sellos?
But a search of heaven and earth and all of creation comes up empty. There is none worthy. So John weeps. His tears flow freely until one of the elders stops him. “Do not weep! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:5) Pero ni en el cielo ni en la tierra ni debajo de la tierra había nadie

8 Pues el León de la tribu de Judá, el retoño de David, ha vencido
The Lion of Judah! Of course! The conquering king. The promised Messiah. Descendant of David, rightful heir to the throne. How obvious! He was worthy. The tribe of Judah was the tribe of kings, and the lion was the symbol of Judah.9 Of all the kings of Israel, the greatest was David, the king of whom God had said: “Tu dinastía y tu reino estarán para siempre seguros bajo mi protección, y también tu trono quedará establecido para siempre.” (2 Samuel 7:16) Naturally his true heir would be worthy of breaking the seals and opening the scroll. The Lion of the tribe of Judah would be a king, no, the King. Descended from the mighty warrior king David, who had been God’s chosen to push back his enemies. The Lion of Judah is certainly worthy of taking the scroll and breaking its seals.

9 El León de la tribu de Judá es digno
Lions are powerful. Awe-inspiring. A lion could tear those seals off with one sweep of his mighty claws. King of the beasts, lord of the jungle, the lion is one of the most terrifying animals around. His roar sets lesser animals to flight, his appearance strikes terror in his prey. From culture to culture, for thousands of years the lion has been the symbol of royalty, a representation of power and bravery. This Lion is no ordinary lion, no brute animal. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Descendant of David. Messiah. The anointed one, the chosen one. Behold the powerful creature …

10 El León de la tribu de Judá ¡es un cordero!
“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it has been slain …” (Revelation 5:6) Oops! We must have stepped into the wrong vision. Excuse me, poor little lamb, we’re looking for the Lion. You know, the conquering Lion of Judah. The one who triumphed. No offense, but the blood on your throat doesn’t speak of triumph. Who ever heard of a conquering lamb? In the United States, we choose mascots for our sports teams. Lions. Tigers. Bears. Fearsome animals. Did anyone ever choose to call their football team “the Lambs”? How about “the Lambs with their throats slit”? Would that strike fear in the hearts of our opponents? No, this can’t be the one we’re looking for. There must be some mistake. We are looking for the triumphant Lion of the tribe of Judah, and we find a Lamb that someone has killed. God’s people are facing persecution. Their very existence is threatened. It’s time for the Lion to roar, for the house of David to rise up once again with swords drawn. It’s time for action. War! And someone has sent a lamb by mistake.

11 ¡Un cordero que ha sido sacrificado!
But there is no mistake. In fact, this verse is key to our understanding of the entire book of Revelation, if not the whole of the New Testament. The triumphant Lion is a Lamb. A sacrificed Lamb. Could John have presented us with a more startling contrast? The mighty, royal lion contrasted with the poor lamb with its throat cut. While we may not be familiar with the meaning of a slain lamb, John and his readers would have been. We might think of an animal that had been attacked by a coyote or one that was struck by a vehicle. We might even picture a slaughterhouse scene, with lambs being killed to provide meat for humans. But to readers in the first century, the image of a slain lamb was one of sacrifice. While other animals were used in sacrifice, the lamb was by far the most common. The image of a lamb with its throat cut evoked the image of the altar, the image of men offering sacrifice to their God. The Lion of the tribe of Judah is the Lamb of God. The triumph of the Lion comes about through the sacrifice of the Lamb. If we have any doubt about the matter, the four living creatures and twenty-four elders remove it by singing: “Tú eres digno de tomar el rollo y de romper sus sellos, porque fuiste sacrificado; y derramando tu sangre redimiste para Dios gentes de toda raza, lengua, pueblo y nación. De ellos hiciste un reino, hiciste sacerdotes para nuestro Dios, y reinarán sobre la tierra” (Apocalipsis 5:9–10) Then tens of thousands of angels join the chorus, singing “¡El Cordero que fue sacrificado es digno de recibir el poder y la riqueza, la sabiduría y la fuerza, el honor, la gloria y la alabanza!” (Apocalipsis 5:12) The Lamb is worthy not in spite of being slain; he is worthy because he was slain. The sacrifice of the Lamb is the triumph of the Lamb.

12 Cristo es digno porque fue sacrificado
Because of their unwillingness to worship the emperor, Christians in the province of Asia would come under persecution. They would be threatened with prison and even death. From an earthly point of view, such times of persecution represent a triumph for the enemies of God and a defeat for the church. When Christians are imprisoned and killed, it can seem like Satan is winning. That’s why John is writing: to replace that earthly point of view with a heavenly point of view. These Christians need to see that the path to triumph is not through armed uprisings and military resistance. They are to emulate the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Lion who was willing to be sacrificed as a lamb. They are to be lambs unto slaughter, faithful witnesses who will not deny their testimony that Jesus is Lord, even if it costs them their lives. Just as Jesus triumphed through his death, their deaths will help bring about the triumph of God’s kingdom: “Entonces oí una fuerte voz en el cielo, que decía: “Ya llegó la salvación, el poder y el reino de nuestro Dios, y la autoridad de su Mesías; porque ha sido expulsado el acusador de nuestros hermanos, el que día y noche los acusaba delante de nuestro Dios. Nuestros hermanos lo han vencido con la sangre derramada del Cordero y con el mensaje que ellos proclamaron; no tuvieron miedo de perder la vida, sino que estuvieron dispuestos a morir.” (Apocalipsis 12:10–11) They will overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. It will be their willing sacrifice that brings about the downfall of the demonic kingdom.