Morning Manna | Revelation 5:6 | Jesus in the Midst

Revelation 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

Revelation is placed at the end of our Bibles because it is the final revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ until the end of this age. Logistically, a working knowledge of the rest of the Bible is needed to rightly interpret it. Most of the themes and imagery in this book are deeply connected to things already revealed in other parts of Scripture. This is the case with the small detail we want to highlight this morning.

Notice where Christ is—He is in the midst of the throne, and He is in the midst of the elders. This reminds us of many times throughout Scripture when He is said to be "in the midst."

To be "in the midst" simply means to be at the heart or center of something. At the end of the day, Jesus is at the heart of all things. He was in the midst of creation, in the midst of our redemption, and He is the central figure of both time and eternity. He is even the central reference point of our calendar system. So, it is no wonder that we find the central figure of creation and eternity always in the midst.

He passed in the midst of the sacrifice while making a covenant with Father Abraham, signifying that He is the central figure of our promise. He was in the midst of the burning bush, instructing, inspiring, and assuring Moses, signifying that He is at the heart of our calling. He was in the midst of the fiery furnace as the three faithful men stood against idolatry, signifying that He is in the midst of our suffering. He was hung in the midst of two sinners on the cross of Calvary, showing us that He is in the midst of lost humanity—the central figure, the God-Man, bridging the gap between judgment and forgiveness. He was in the midst of the upper room as the disciples gathered in fear of the Jews, calming their fears and assuring their faith, signifying that He is at the heart of our hope.

Jesus is central in all things. So, it is no wonder that even in the throne of God, He is central, and among the elders (the church), He remains central.

Now, we must consider the question: Is He central in our lives? Is Jesus in the midst of your salvation? Is He the foundation of your faith? Yes, there are other elements of faith—the products of faith and the growth of your faith—but is Jesus central? Or is it you, the church, or someone else who holds the central place in your salvation? Is He the central figure of your service? Was it He who called you and instructed you? Is He central to your life in general? If not, He must be.

The reality is that Jesus is the central figure of all things, and if you want to live a life rooted and grounded in reality, then Jesus must be in the midst of all you do—not just in what you do, but in why you do it.

Notice what happens in our passage when Jesus is in the midst:

"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:9-10)

No songs are sung of their accomplishments—only of His. No glory is reserved for anyone but Him. Like mirrors, they reflect the light of God’s glory back to Him. This is the result of Jesus being in the midst of the throne and the church in heaven, and it is also the result of Jesus being in the midst of the throne and the church in this world.

When Jesus is central to all that we do—when He sits on the throne of our lives—then we have nothing to glory in but Him. We shine as He shines, reflecting His glory back to Him.

Oh, what a glorious life we have to look forward to in the world to come! But how gloriously we could live even in this hour if Jesus be in the midst!

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.