78 The Revelation of Jesus Christ he wrote: "And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?" That cry rang out over the universe; but "no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon." Not a man stirred, for none was worthy; that is, none had the right. And John "wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon." As John stood weeping because none seemed worthy to open the book, he heard one of the elders speaking to him, and this is what the elder said: "Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." John wept because he knew that if no one: was worthy to open the book, to take the title deed and deal with the earth, then the earth, whose history is written in blood and tears, in sorrow and tragedy, would be in the hands of the devil and the Antichrist indefinitely. So he wept. But as we have seen, one of the elders entreated him not to weep, telling him that there was One who was worthy, "the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David." He alone is worthy to rule over the dominion which the first Adam lost through sin; for He purchased it with His own redeeming work on Calvary. It was ever His by right of creation; He gave it to Adam, a beautiful Paradise; Adam lost it through sin; and the Lord Jesus, the second Adam, redeemed it from the curse. He and He alone is "worthy" to claim His purchased possession. This fact we shall con sider more in detail, but first let us note a very significant truth. ·'THE L10N ·op THE TRIBE OP Juo.1rn" Is "THE LAMB OP Goo" When one of the elders told John not to weep, that "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" had "prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof," the apostle "beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain ... And he/came and took the book out of the \right hand of him that sat upon the throne"-the Lamb of God,
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