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Revelation chapters four and five set forth the Pre-Advent, Investigative Judgment that must take place before Jesus can return to earth, bringing His rewards with Him "to give to every man according as his work shall be." Obviously the Judgment must take place before Jesus comes, so that when He comes He can have His rewards ready to be awarded, as stated in Revelation 22:12.
If anyone disputes that Rev. 4-5 is portraying the Pre-Advent, Investigative Judgment, here are my evidences:
Please notice that Rev. 5:11 specifies the number of angels gathered around God's throne: "And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;"
There is only one other place in the Bible where the same figure is given for the number of angels gathered around God's throne, and that is Daniel 7:10: "A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the JUDGMENT was set, and the books were opened."
This figure (which works out to a few million over 100 million) is translated in some modern versions as "myriads of myriads." But still, only Daniel 7:10 and Revelation 5:11 state this same thing. And notice the passage in Daniel says explicitly in the very same sentence that it is the Judgment.
Here are more textual evidences that tie Rev. 4-5 to the Judgment in Daniel 7:
Other thrones are mentioned besides God's throne. Compare Daniel 7:9 with Revelation 4:4.
The Son of Man (the Lamb) receives dominion and a kingdom: Revelation 5:9-13; compare Daniel 7:13, 14.
The people of God are said to be saved in His kingdom as a result: Revelation 5:9, 10; compare Daniel 7:27.
A book or books are mentioned, which need to be opened and consulted: Revelation 5:1-5, 7-9; compare Daniel 7:10.
Some defenders of the old, traditional, Protestant interpretation have tried to claim that Rev. 4-5 depicts the inauguration of Christ after His Ascension—but Revelation was written something like 60 years after His Ascension, and Rev. 4:1 introduces the whole Heavenly court scene by saying "After this" and "I will show you things which must take place after this." This clearly precludes any application to the Inauguration of Christ after His Ascension, since His Ascension was nearly 60 years in the past at this point.
If we admit that Revelation chapter five is portraying the Judgment, then we must see in it that it is the Lamb who is found worthy, not anyone else in all the human race, living or dead. And it is this that redeems mankind, so that the song is sung in praise of Jesus for saving humanity.
I suggest that the book that was sealed that only the Lamb could open, was the book that contains the good works of the saints--which cannot be consulted in the Heavenly court since "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6.) Christ, as the New Adam, gives to humanity a righteous heritage by which our works in Him can be considered worthy to be rewarded. And the Second Coming of Christ itself is one of those rewards. This is why Jesus cannot come until the Judgment of Rev. 5 is completed. Fortunately, Jesus stands for us in Judgment even in determining our rewards.
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