Saying with a loud voice: The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power and divinity and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and benediction.
λεγοντες φωνη μεγαλη αξιον εστιν το αρνιον το εσφαγμενον λαβειν την δυναμιν και τον OMIT τον πλουτον και σοφιαν και ισχυν και τιμην και δοξαν και ευλογιαν
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
"And I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and of the living creatures and the elders." For God is glorified by all that is spiritual and sensible, living and simply existing, as the cause and beginning of all being. He is glorified as the Son of God, Only-begotten and consubstantial, who granted renewal to mankind and restored them to their original dignity. Yet it is written that He received authority over things earthly and heavenly as Man.
He is not saying of Christ as God, in whom all the treasures of wisdom are hidden (Col. 2:3), that He Himself receives this wisdom. Rather, he speaks of the man assumed by Him and of His body, which is the Church, or of her martyrs who suffered in His name. For in her Head the Church receives all things, as it is written: "How shall He not also with Him freely give us all things?" (Rom. 8:32). The Lamb Himself receives, who says in the Gospel: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Mt 28:18). That is, He receives according to His humanity, not according to His Divinity.
Let us also see who has come to reign upon the throne of God. I had thought that the lion, as conqueror, had received the kingdom: "Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered" (Rev 5:5). The Lord says: "To him who conquers I will grant to sit with Me on My throne" (Rev 3:21). Yet I do not see a lion on the throne of God. Then I thought that the eagle had received the kingdom, the eagle who covered its nest, loved its young, spread its wings, took them, and lifted them upon its shoulders. Yet I do not see an eagle on the throne. Who, then, is this who could receive royal divine honor, and before whom every creature above and below would worship? I look again, and behold, I see the Lamb enthroned, the Lamb slain.
I hear thousands of thousands saying with a great voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and strength and wisdom and honor and glory and blessing." Here let us note that the same Christ is lion, eagle, and lamb. He is a lion, for He conquered the world and death, and destroyed Hades. He is an eagle, for He lifted the souls of the saints like young birds on His wings and on His shoulders, and brought them out of Hades. He is a lamb, for He suffered for all. Yet when He willed to reign, He reigned not in the form of a lion or an eagle, but in the form of a slain lamb. He showed that there is no other path to the crown of the heavenly kingdom and to eternal glory, except the path of wounds, slaughter, and sufferings. If anyone on earth wishes to receive the crown there, let him wound his heart with compunction. Let him slay his passions by mortification. Let him suffer in the labors of repentance.
"And the Ancient of Days sat. His throne was like a flame of fire, and its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came forth from before Him. Thousands of thousands served Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him" (Dan 7:9-10). The spotless Lamb, slain and offering Himself in sacrifice through His love for mankind, alone is worthy to receive sovereign power. It befits Him as God by His eternal generation. It also befits Him according to His humanity, as the second Adam, faithful to the Father unto death and receiving the crown of life (cf. Rev 2:10).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 24 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS