Worthy is the Lamb

Homily for Thursday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

In today’s passage from the Book of Revelation, we are introduced to the scroll with seven seals. The members of the court of heaven cry out: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” The fact that the scroll bears seven seals, seven being the perfect number, indicates that this scroll is of the utmost importance and that only someone who is perfectly worthy would be able to open its seals. It is generally agreed among Scripture scholars that the scroll represents God’s plan of salvation, set in motion immediately after the fall of Adam and Eve. The one who would open the scroll would be the individual who would bring that plan of salvation to fulfillment.

The seer John weeps because no one is found worthy. However, one of the elders approaches him and tells him that the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed, enabling him to open the scroll with its seven seals. The title used in this instance obviously indicates that it is the Messiah who is worthy to open the scroll, a Messiah who is pictured as a lamb who had been slain yet who lives in the court of heaven and stands in the midst of the many thrones circled around the throne of God. In our own tradition, the icon depicting this lamb has its head twisted back as if its neck had been broken. Once the Lamb receives the throne, the court bows down and worships before it and begins singing a hymn: “Worthy Is the Lamb.” The Lamb has seven horns and seven eyes indicating its strength and the fact that it knows everything. In other words, the Lamb is God incarnate.

In the coming months, the world will witness the enthronement and coronation of a new king of the United Kingdom. The ceremony is filled with anthems and symbolic gestures including an anointment with chrism. Our earthly enthronement and coronation ceremonies take much of their tradition from this picture from the Book of Revelation. Just as the people gathered at Westminster Abbey will sing an anthem as their new king is crowned, the court of heaven proclaims Jesus Christ the King with the anthem: “Worthy is the Lamb.” As we approach the end of our liturgical year, we too look forward to singing the praises of our King.

The symbols that populate the visions of the Book of Revelation all point to the praise of our Redeemer, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Each time we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, we remember not only the sacrifice of Calvary but also these scenes from Scripture which point