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Scarlet Thread – The Bloodied Lamb at the End

Scarlet Thread – The Bloodied Lamb at the End

The Scarlet Thread – The Bloodied Lamb in the End.

“Glory be to Jesus, Who in bitter pains, poured for me the life-blood, from His sacred veins.

Grace and life eternal, in that blood I find, blest be His compassion, infinitely kind.

Blest through endless ages, be the precious steam, which from endless torments, did the world redeem.

Lift ye then your voices, swell the mighty flood; louder still and louder, praise the precious blood.” (Friedrich Filitz).

Glory Be to Jesus – Christian Song with Lyrics (youtube.com)

The scarlet thread that is sewn into Holy Scripture from beginning to end is unmistakable. There is no doubt whatsoever that the Bible is blood-centric, that there is an overriding theme of blood wherever we look. We don’t need to be super-detectives to discover blood patterns in the Word. The Scripture seems practically preoccupied with blood, and one could be excused for observing that God seems to be out for blood. We find out why this is the case in Leviticus 17:11 and 13… “The life of all flesh is in its blood. The life is in the blood.” The Word of God seems preoccupied with blood only because God is preoccupied with life. God is out for blood only in the sense that He is out for Life. The Bible is blood-centric only because God is life-centric. In fact, the term “scarlet thread” is not strong enough. Instead, the Bible has a powerful crimson tsunami flowing through its pages from Genesis through Revelation, from before creation to the New Creation.

In this Bible study we will take a good look at the blood-stories in Scripture, from the divine sacrifice before the foundation of the world, to the animal sacrifice in the Garden of Eden; from the bloodshed in the first family, to the blood-themed covenant between God and Noah; from the Nile River, to the Passover in Egypt; from the bloody mess in the Tabernacle, to the Scarlet Worm that hinted at Jesus, and yes, even to the bloody betrayal of Judas. Yes, there seem to be blood-splatters all over the floors and walls of Scripture. Through it all, the precious blood of Jesus is the centerpiece.

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

If there is one dominant title given to Christ in Revelation, it is that of Lamb. John uses it 29 times in his vision of the Apocalypse. We are privileged to see much of the Lamb in John’s vision of heaven:

  1. In the middle of the heavenly throne, looking as though it had been slain (5:6);
  2. With seven horns and seven eyes. Horns are a symbol of power and authority, and the seven number symbolizes perfection. Eyes signify watchfulness and comprehension. The Lamb that was slain has perfect authority, and is constantly watchful and full of understanding (5:6);
  3. As the only One in the universe who is worthy to open God’s holy scroll (5:8-10);
  4. The object of high praise and worship by “every creature in heaven and on earth” as well as myriads of angels (5:11-13);
  5. The object of great fear on the part of the rulers and great ones in hiding, fearing the fiery passion of the Lamb (6:16-17);
  6. The One who was worshiped by great multitudes from all the nations (7:9);
  7. The One who will lead the people, shepherding them to living fountains of waters (7:17);
  8. The Author of the Lamb’s Book of Life (13:8);

Blood Done Sign My Name (youtube.com)

  1. The One standing on Mount Zion, listening to the New Song sung by those “who follow the Lamb wherever He goes”(14:1-4);
  2. The recipient of a song sung by the triumphant believers, singing “the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb” (15:3-4);
  3. The victor in a war with the Beast, proving that the Lamb is “Lord of lords and King of kings” (17:14);
  4. The One held in honor at the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (19:9);
  5. As the One who was the true Temple in the New Jerusalem (21:22);
  6. As the One providing the sole source of light in the New Jerusalem (21:23);
  7. On the throne in the new Garden of Eden, providing “a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal” (22:1).

When John the Baptist shouted out that Jesus was the Lamb of God, he was referring to the Passover lamb, the defining moment in Jewish history (Exodus 12). Inspired by the Holy Spirit, John is saying that, just as the blood of the perfect, unblemished male lamb provided a way to escape judgment and experience redemption from slavery in Egypt, Jesus will soon provide for redemption through His very own sacrificial blood. The lamb became the primary sacrificial animal in Mosaic Law, a lamb sacrificed in the Temple every morning and evening for the sins of the people (Ex. 29). For centuries, a lamb’s life had to be sacrificed for the penalty of sin. And now the Messiah, Jesus Christ, offering His pure blood as sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world.

“May the kindness of God’s grace and peace overflow to you from Him who is, and who was, and who is coming, and from the sevenfold Spirit who is in front of His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn from among the dead, and the ruling King, who rules over the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” (Revelation 1:5, TPT).

Christ was a faithful witness to sacrifice. The Greek word for “witness” translates to the English word for “martyr.” In this sense, Jesus was a true witness. He testified to the importance of submitting to the Father’s will. He fleshed out the truth through His actions. He verified His witness by giving up His life. Jesus was a martyr to the truth of God’s love. The Passion of Christ was a long, bloody witness to the eternal importance of God’s salvation plan for humanity. Jesus’ willingness to be tortured to death witnessed to His love and trust in the Father. “Not my will, but thine.” In the midst of Jesus’ profound nighttime chat with Nicodemus, He told him… ‘Listen carefully. I’m speaking sober truth to you. I speak only of what I know by experience; I give witness only to what I have seen with my own eyes. There is nothing secondhand here, no hearsay. Yet instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with questions. If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don’t believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can’t see, the things of God? In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent in the desert so people could have something to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up – and everyone who looks up to Him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life.” (John 3:10-15, MSG). Jesus bore witness to Nicodemus of the Lord’s coming martyrdom on the Cross. Jesus testified to God’s plan of redemption through His death. Jesus was a faithful witness to the Father, to the truth of God’s will, and to the need for self-sacrifice.

“And they sang a new song, crying out: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals. For you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood…” (Rev. 5:9).  Here we are in the heavenly throne room, and we hear music, we see worship in another sphere. There is a new song being sung, a song that has never been sung, a heavenly original. This new song also signifies that a new era has begun. The Father on the throne is holding the scroll which contains His final plans for the world. The scroll reveals what God has in store for the end of days. And only the Lamb of God, the sacrificial lamb, is worthy to open the scroll. Only this one Lamb that was slain to atone for the sins of the world. (John 1:29). The Lamb being celebrated in the song has been slaughtered. It’s clear to the worshipers that this Lamb had been slain, slaughtered, because the scars and wounds are still noticeable. It’s obvious to those around the Lamb that He was bloodied, grievously wounded in the Passion of the Lord. This Lamb indeed had shed the blood of ransom for the people of God. The people ransomed include every language, every people group, every nation. There is no race or ethnic group that has a monopoly on the Truth of Jesus. The Christian Faith is an equal opportunity operation, it does not tilt in favor of a particular people. Jesus’ salvation is universal, His body covers the earth, and He has gathered His believers into a Kingdom.

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many kingly crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood and His name is the called The Word of God.” (Rev. 19:11-13).

Redeemed By The Blood Of The Lamb (Ft Sean Carter, David Gentiles & Melanie Tierce) (youtube.com)

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