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“Who is Worthy to Open the Book, and to Loose the Seals Thereof?”

 

Who can open Sevenseal? Who, with spotless hands of fire

Can unclasp these awful locks, loose the thunder of God’s ire,

Who is worthy to release thundering terrors on the earth,

Devaste the populace, instigate Earth’s second birth?

 

Who is meet to trigger heaven’s pent-up rage at unbelief?

Spark the blowtorch of God’s fury, tip the cup of wrath’s release?

Turn the gears of destiny, activate the Judgment Day,

Bring mankind to reckoning, heaven and earth to pass away?

 

Who’s sufficient for such things? God, who reigns transcendently?

High, un-touched by suffering, distant-throned in majesty?

Human justice doubts  the fairness of HIs hand upon such seals;

Doubts that He would stoop t’enact a misery he never feels.

 

Who’s sufficient for such things? Man or woman, boy or girl?

Dusty wisp, a jar of clay, greedy self-myopic churl?

Group consensus rises up and bars a human from that place;

“ Power corrupts”, we’ve learned together; one of us would not be safe.

 

 

Thus John wept as none in heaven, none on earth could bear the weight

None could rightly loose the seals or open up th’ eternal gate.

Til th’ apostle heard an Elder whisper like a roaring gale,

“Weep not! Look, the Lion of Judah, Root of David has prevailed!”

 

Hear John testify: “I looked, and Lo, en-centered in the throne

Stood a Lamb as freshly slaughtered, sevenfold  pow’r and sight unknown,

And the Lion thus revealed, scaled those flaming cliffs of light

To the Seated Majesty and took the book, his worthy right.”

 

Trigg’ring clouds of volleyed praises, myriad maelstroms of new song,

Buckled knees and bowls of fragrant pray’rs poured out where they belong,

To the Once-despised Jesus, Suffering Lion, Sovereign Lamb,

Rightly credited with ransoming the flock from every land.

 

Elders, angels, beasts, and creatures sound th’ announcement without end,

Yell and sing through thousand ages, “Jesus Christ, the sinner’s friend,

Mary’s son, the Word incarnate, Crucified and Risen, look!

He’s acquired the worthy title and will open up the book.

 

Thou art worthy, Son of God, Triple Holiness untold;

Thou art worthy, Son of Man, battle-scarred, pure beaten Gold;

Father’s well- beloved Son, sinner’s only hope and plea

In your worthy hands, O Christ, hangs Creation’s destiny.”

 

(The Revelation, chapter 5)

Reuben Huffman

July 2, 2012

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