The blessing, honor, and glory are for the Lamb, not on the cross but standing before the throne at the center of the universe, receiving a universal commission! We must not be so shallow as to confine our praises to Christ for redemption only. Our vision must be uplifted to see this Lamb accomplishing a work of eternally vast dimensions.
Consider this photograph that John has taken for us. The redeeming Lamb is now standing at the center of the universe, before God's throne. This tells us that the Redeemer is now in God's administration. He is the Administrator of the universe, executing God's economy. He is not sitting or sleeping there. He is standing, His seven eyes flashing, watching, searching, and even burning. The whole universe is watching this scene. The four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, myriads of angels, and all other creatures are wide awake, alert, observing. These are the circumstances in which they proclaim, "To Him Who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb, be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever" (Rev. 5:13).
How do we know that this scene took place at the time when Christ ascended? We conclude this from 5:6, where the Lamb is described as "having been slain." The Greek here implies that He had just recently been slain. Right after His sacrificial death, He received the universal and eternal commission from God's hand.