And nobody in heaven or on the earth or under the earth could open the scroll or look at it….Then I heard every creature in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, and in the sea, and everything that is in them, saying, “To the One on the throne and the lamb be blessing and honor and glory and power forever and ever!” ~REVELATION 5:3 & 13

I just love the symmetry of these two verses. You’re either worthy to open the scroll with the seven seals and look at it (to unfold God’s mind and plans), or else you’re made to worship the one who is worthy.

How is that for simplicity?

Verse 3: No one anywhere is worthy.

Verse 13: Everyone everywhere recognizes that the Lamb is worthy.

“Know your place, young one.” as Obi-Wan says to Anakin.

Perhaps that could be our succinct title for this section of John’s Apocalypse.

John is being quite explicit that Jesus has revealed the Father Creator and unfolded His plans like no one else possibly can, since he and the Father are indeed, One.

Jesus the Lamb won the ultimate victory and revealed his untouchable worthiness through his most unpredictable kind of win.

The Lamb’s death is a victory because it is a refusal to capitulate to God’s adversaries, it brings redemption for others, and it culminates in resurrection…Jesus conquered the world through his crucifixion, which overcomes the wold’s hatred and deception with God’s truth and love…Like Christ, the redeemed conquer by remaining faithful, even at the cost of their lives. ~Craig Koester

This chapter gives us “a glimpse of a rightly ordered universe, in which God and the Lamb are central.” says again Koester.

This is alignment. This word comes to mind often as I read the Holy Scriptures. Like a good chiropractic adjustment, keeping Jesus the center of our lives, keeping God our Father on the throne, keeps us in the ultimate alignment, outside of which there is only misadventures, or, to keep with the fancy chiropractic term–sublaxations [spinal dysfunctions that interfere with nervous system communication and overall health].

One more point from Koester which led to an interesting inference for me: “Instead of staining those it touches (Lam. 4:14), the Lamb’s blood brings cleansing that allows access to God (Rev. 7:14).” Immediately this reminded me of the last verse of James chapter 1. There we are instructed to keep the world from leaving its dirty stain, or smudge, on us. Perhaps we could think of the world’s blood? Do not get so cozy with the world’s ways to where you are close enough to be bled upon and stained. But if you do, simply return to the Lamb for a nice little blood shower–the only cleansing strong enough to remove said stain.

Who or what would we find at your center?

Who or what have you granted permission to sit on the throne of your life?

Or another way of asking these poignant questions: Who or what do you give most of your thoughts and energy and internal conversation toward?

Jesus alone deserves the Lion’s share of our energy, of our rumination, of our internal conversation. And when we are giving him the honor he is worthy of, we will be in alignment. And as my chiropractor tells me, when we are in alignment, our immune system is working optimally. It doesn’t mean nothing will attack us, but that we will be in the best possible position to do battle. On the other side, when blessings rain down, we will be fit to maximally enjoy them.