The Investigation                

 

I.   The investigation

     A. Rev 5:3

        "And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under

         the earth, was able to open the book, neither to

         look thereon"

     B. Lets follow the angel as he begins his threefold

        search

        1. The search in heaven

           "Was there any among the redeemed worthy to claim

            the earth's title deed? There was not!

           a. Adam originally possessed this title deed

              (1) Gen 1:28-29

              (2) But was cheated out of it by the devil

              (3) Gen 3:1-19

           b. Noah, the hero of the flood,

              (1) Subsequently became the drunkard of

                  the vineyard, thus disqualifying himself

              (2) Gen 6-9

           c. Abraham, the father of Israel,

              (1) Backslid and went to Egypt temporarily

              (2) Gen 12

           d. David, the man after God's own heart

              (1) 1 Sam 16:7

              (2) Later broke God's heart through lust

                  and murder

              (3) 2 Sam 11

           e. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ,

              (1) In a moment of weakness doubted the same

                  Messiah

              (2) Matt 11:3

           f. Peter, the rock,

              (1) Denied his Lord in the hour of need

              (2) Matt 26:70

           g. Paul, perhaps the greatest Christian who ever

              lived

              (1) Compromised his testamony

              (2) Acts 21

        2. The search on earth

           a. Who could accomplish in the sinful enviroment

              on earth what no man could achieve even in the

              sinless enviroment of heaven?

           b. Preachers and priests may minister to the

              earth

           c. And kings rule over sections of it

           d. But claim it they could not

        3. The search under the earth (Hades)

           a. If no saint or angel could purify this earth,

              then certainly no sinner or demon would, even

              if this were possible.

           b. Rev 5:4

              "And I wept much, because no man was found

               worthy to open and to read the book, neither

               to look thereon"

              (1) Why did John weep?

              (2) Perhaps because (among other things) he

                  realized that the ultimate resurrection

                  and glorification of his own body was

                  directly connected with the removal of

                  the curse placed upon the earth

              (3) See Rom 8:17-23