In the right hand of Him who sat on throne....


    A Book/Scroll written on both
    sides of the page and closely
    sealed with seven seals....


    A mighty angel asks:

                                            
    WHO IS WORTHY
    TO OPEN THE BOOK AND BREAK ITS SEALS?  

    But no one in heaven or earth was able to open the book
    or look into it.


        I wept bitterly
    because
    no one was found worthy
    to open the book or look into it


    An elder (with golden crown and white robe) said:

            “Do not weep.”

    “The Lion which belongs to the tribe of Judah, the Root
    of David, has won the right to open the book and break it’s
    seven seals.”


    The I saw
                    
    between the throne (with the four living creatures)
    and the elders,

    A Ram standing

    looking as it had been slain.

    And it had seven horns and seven eyes,
    which are the seven Spirits of God
    who have been sent far and wide into
    all the earth.


    And it came and took the book out of the right hand of Him
    who is seated on the throne.





    Revelation 5

5:1  And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back,
sealed with seven seals.

  • Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7 – 4:1-8:1 – what is going to happen is that the throne is revealed and the sealed scroll is
in the Father’s hand – in the midst of power and authority – the God of all creation – who owns everything and has the seal
– the Redeemer Son accepts responsibility for the seals.  Chapter 4 – the Creator Father who owns all things and has
total authority – a few of the details of His power and authority.  Chapter 5 – not the Father, it’s the Son.  He says “Yes” –
He is the only One worthy.  Every seal He breaks off in front of everyone and when Jesus unrolls the scroll as the human
King – it releases judgments – and whatever was on the Father’s heart is written in that scroll – not only the title deed of all
creation – it’s the Father’s plan to bring everything to justice and mercy – to bring voluntary lovers forth in the human race.  
  • Revelation is best described as a drama.  There are characters, changing scenes and action.  The title of the drams
is “The Unveiling” (bringing to light).  Basically this is a moving-picture book.  Here we have the last dramatic scene of a long
and difficult criminal case finally unraveled.  We are presented with clues, exhibits, records, witnesses, culprits, jury and judge.  
The lid is taken off everything – heaven, hell, the abyss, the dead, demons, the devil and all his subordinates.  The only
things not revealed are the sins of the saints, which have been covered (atoned for) by the blood of the Lamb.  (TB)
  • Hitherto the apostle had seen only the great God, the governor of all things.  Now, he is favored with a sight of the
methods of His government, as they are all written down in a book (scroll) which He holds in His hand; and this we are now
to consider as shut up and sealed.  (MH)
  • God holds this book in His right hand, to declare the authority of the book.  It is known to none but Himself, until He
allows it to be opened.  (MH)
  • In – lying upon the right hand – His right hand was open and on it lay the book.  On God’s part there was no with-
holding of His future purposes as contained in the book:  the only obstacle to unsealing it is stated in verse 3 (JFB)
  •  The fact that it contains writing outside as well as inside may suggest the amplitude of the revelation it contains; but
more probably the writing outside is a copy or summary of the writing inside.  But the writing inside is the legal document, and
only when it is exposed and read can its contents be validly implemented (Z)
  • The fibers of a papyrus scroll run horizontally on the inside, which makes writing easier than on the reverse side
(where the fibers are vertical)  (NIV)
  • The scroll is likely the same one sealed by Daniel (NCBC)  Daniel 12:9 “And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the
words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.)
  • The scroll is sealed with seven seals.  Each part seems to have its particular seal.  These seven parts are not
unsealed and opened at once, but successively, one scene of Providence introducing another, and explaining it.  (MH)
  • Like a will or other official instrument under Roman law, which required to be sealed by seven witnesses.  The seals
could be properly broken only by someone with due authority to do so.  (Z)
  • The book was full of solemn contents within, but it was sealed; and on the backside was a superscription indicating
    its contents.  (AC)
  • The writing on the back implies fullness and completeness, so that nothing more needs to be added (JFB)
  • The scroll is not only the title deed but also the plan to bring forth justice and mercy- to cooperate together to bring
voluntary lovers forth at the end of natural history – and how it is significantly increased at the end of the age – that’s the
mystery of God.
  • So the Father has it in His hand and it’s sealed up – “I own it and I want to give the title deed of everything I possess.
I want to give everything I own to My Son.”  But when He gives it to His Son – the second person of the Trinity – He gives it
to a human.  Again it is staggering – when God gives the scroll to Jesus, He’s not giving it to the uncreated God per se, He’s
forever the uncreated God in the Spirit – He’s giving it to a human being – who will forever be a human being.  “You have the
complete authority to My vast empire” -- not to an angel, not to an archangel, not even to Got the Holy Spirit – but to a
human being.  “I’m giving the title deed of all My creation to the man, Jesus.” – that’s what is going on here – the slain Lamb
– the God Man standing there before the witness of the heavenly host and He takes the scroll – the rightful owner.   
  • The number seven here implies that the thoughts of God in the scroll are complete and constitute an unalterable
whole – nothing can be added to it or subtracted from it.  The scroll is complete in itself.  What is the significance of the
scroll?  The scroll symbolizes the covenant of God, whose chief purpose is to see established the kingdom He planned from
before the foundation of the universe.  The breaking of the seals and the opening of the scroll signify the realization of that
kingdom (TB)
    
  • God’s plan:
    1.        Give His kingdom to His Beloved Son
    2.        Wants Son to reign with His bride
    3.        Allows history to end with world leader/an enemy that has to be defeated/overcome.  History will end in
     cosmic conflict
    4.        The evil empire will make war and prevail/overcome (martyrdom) for a season
  •  God prepares His bride and makes her worthy
  •  She will be equally yoked and worthy
  •  Martyrdom is the training – purifies and refines
  •  It’s a staggering concept that a human could take that power and beckon the human race to come up and enjoy Him.    
It’s not only that – it’s the plan of God the Father – to work with no contradiction of Himself – it’s His plan.  It’s in the scroll.  
He won’t contradict mercy when He exercises justice; He won’t contradict justice when He exercises mercy.  He doesn’t
suspend one attribute to exercise another and that’s why we have to gaze on the Throne.  We have to have a God who’s
transcendent.  
  • It’s easy for Him to unfold the plan.  It’s hard for us to think of Him not contradicting Himself with this plan.  “It’s an
easy thing.  It’s effortless for Me not to contradict Myself.”  But God’s not only not going to contradict Himself, there is
something else:  He will not violate the free will of the human spirit.  When a multitude of voluntary lovers are presented to
Him on the last day – not one of them was forced to become a voluntary lover.  It’s a true romance.  Love has not been
forced.
  • The God who burns with desire for humans has chosen to entrust His plan to a human being who is the Bridegroom,
King, and Judge.  He has human emotions – fully God and fully man – and emotions as a Bridegroom – He has authority to
Judge in righteousness.  God does not want His plan outside of a human being with emotions and a free will.  But whether
sons or a bride we function as priests and kings.  That is how Jesus functions.  As a priest we worship God but as a king we
administer His rule throughout ages to come.

  • IMPORTANT TO KNOW FOR END TIMES:
Romans 11:25 & 26
--Must not be ignorant of this secret plan.  Only told to apostles and have to search for it.  If you are ignorant, you will be
wise in your own opinion – arrogance.  Verses 20-22:  arrogance is against God without even knowing it.  This arrogance
will lead a number of believers to apostasy (denying your faith).
    1.        Blindness (spiritual) in part has happened to Israel
    2.        This blindness is “UNTIL” the fullness of the Gentiles comes in
    3.        All Israel will be saved

  • The context of 4:1-8:1 – the opening of seven-sealed scroll.  God the Father holds the scroll of life in His hand for
redemptive history and He’s been waiting for a human being to be qualified to take the scroll and administer justice.  
Chapter 4 is the Father as Creator who holds the right and authority over everything.  The theme of Chapter 4 is that no
one can dismiss His claims over their life.  Chapter 5 – fully God and fully man – God wanted a human to do for enrichment
for humans with intimacy with the Godhead.  God’s plan to have voluntary lovers at the end of human history – that’s the
plan written in the scroll.
  • It’s a staggering concept that God would want human beings to have intimacy and to share His authority and share
the intimacy of His heart.  When a human takes the scroll it implies He will execute the plans in the scroll.  Trouble will result
when seals broken – 1/3 of human race will die through tragedies and plagues.  The context of the scroll will create a
pastoral crisis to the human race because the scroll releases the judgment of the Lord.  Nations of the earth will be outraged
at Him.  Even the body of Christ will struggle as the contexts of the scroll are broken – its judgments loosed.  Chapter 6-19
are judgment and power – in natural history – mostly in one period of time in the generation of the Lord’s return.  It’s been
released throughout the ages but crescendos at the end of the age and creates a pastoral crisis.  The body of Christ will be
shaken by a God who claims to be good and who actually is the author and administrator of these judgments.  The context
is very important – the most intense description of God the Father and God the Son together in unity beckoning the human
race to gaze on it and enter in of that which the beauty speaks of in the heart of God.
  • The Father thought of the plan.  The Son fills the Father’s desire and Holy Spirit sets in order.  Job 1:36 Father is
the genius.  The Son speaks it.  Through the Son the Father does it all.  The Holy Spirit empowers.
  • The drama of Revelation 5 doesn’t touch us without Chapter 4 – we have no idea of what we are talking about.  The
slain Lamb is the jasper God.
  • Kings 1:5, 6  20:4  Kings – rulers – voluntary lovers in the government.  He wants humans involved.  It is the
Father’s desire to have humans involved and voluntary lovers to govern.  Seven different times we gather on the sea –
a place of celebration – at pinnacle is the throne.  Conference time is awesome.  We want to go deep and it will transform us.
  • Written on both sides – denotes the fullness of its contents (W)
  • Sealed with seven seals – denotes the security of its subject matter (W)
  • The seal is a symbol of secrecy; it safeguards the contents from the eyes of those for they are not intended (TB)
  •  Seven seals – as seven is a number of perfection, it may mean that the book was so sealed that the seals could
neither be counterfeited nor broken; i.e., the matter of the book was so obscure and enigmatical, and the work it enjoined
and the facts it predicted so difficult and stupendous, that they could neither be known nor performed by human wisdom or
power (AC)
    
References:   Ezekiel 2:9 (Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it), 10 (Then He spread
it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe); Isaiah 29:11
(The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.”  
And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.”); Daniel 12:4  (But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many
will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase)
     
    5:2  Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and
to loose its seals?”
     
  • He heard a proclamation made concerning this sealed book.  (MH)
  • The crier was a strong angel.  This angel seems to come out as a champion, with a challenge to any or all the
creatures to try the strength of their wisdom in opening the counsels of God.  (MH)
  • Strong angel – one of the chief of the angelic host (AC)
  •  Strong – His voice penetrated heaven, earth, and Hades (JFB)
  • The question is not, Who should reveal the destinies of the Church (for this any inspired prophet would be competent
to do)? But, Who has the worth to give man a new title to his lost inheritance?  (JFB)
  •  Loose the seals – so as to be able to read the book and learn its contents (W)
    
References:   Revelation 4:11 (You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they exist
and were created); 5:9 (And they sang a new song, saying:  “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have
redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation); Psalm 103:20 (Bless the Lord, you His angels, who
excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word)
     
5:3  And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.
     
  • None in heaven or earth could accept the challenge and undertake the task (MH)
  • No one – no man.  Not merely no man, but also no one of any order of beings.  (JFB)
  • The silence of no one answering the angel’s challenge represents humankind’s vain efforts to work out their own and
the world’s salvation, without dependence on the Lamb.
  • None under the earth – none of the fallen angels.  The devil himself with all his subtlety cannot do it (MH)
  • Neither angels, men, nor devils can fathom the decrees of God (AC)
  • None can look into it unless it be opened, and none can open it unless the seals be unloosed (AC)
  • Look thereon – to look upon the contents, so as to read them. (JFB)
    
References:  Revelation 5:13; Philippians 2:10  (that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and
under the earth)
     
5:4  So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll, or to look at it.
     
  •  It was a great disappointment to John (MH)
  •  Weeps – his earnest desire being apparently frustrated.  He is a pattern to us to imitate, as an eager and teachable
learned of the Apocalypse.  (JFB)
  • Wept – as well he might, for unless the seals were broken and the scroll opened and read, the divine purpose of
judgment and blessing for the world must remain unfulfilled.  (Z)
  • The focus switches and begins with a problem which causes John to burst into tears with frustration….He knows that
inside the scroll are written the end time events.  What makes him weep is that no one can open the scroll because God
wants a human being to open it.  (DP)
  • By what John had seen in Him who sat upon the throne, he was very desirous to see and know more of His mind and
will (MH)
  • Then John realizes that his tears are wasted.  An angel tells him God has found a human being He can trust.  (DP)
  • Look on it – so as to gain any idea as to its contents (W)

5:5  But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep.  Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of
David, has prevailed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
     
  • Who it was that gave John the hint:  one of the elders.  God had revealed it to His church.  (MH)
  • One of – one from among (JFB)
  • The elders in heaven round God’s throne know better than John, still in the flesh, the far-reaching power of
Christ. (JFB)
  •  Who it was that would do the thing:  the Lord Jesus Christ – called the ‘lion of the tribe of Judah” according to his
human nature; and the ‘root of David” according to his divine nature.  (MH)
  •  Jesus proved Himself worthy to break the seals and open the scroll by living a perfect life of obedience to God, dying
on the cross for the sins of the world, and rising from the dead to show his power and authority over evil and death.  Only
Christ conquered sin, death, hell, and the devil himself; so only He can be trusted with the world’s future (LB)
  •  Has prevailed – by the merit of His incarnation, passion, and death (AC)
  •  To open – to explain and execute all the purposes and decrees of God (AC)

Refernces:  Genesis 49:9 (Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up.  He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion,
who shall rouse him?); Hebrews 7:14 (For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood);
Isaiah 11:1 (There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.  The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon
Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord), 10 (And in that day
there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious);
Revelation 3:21 (To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne);
Revelation 6:1 (Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder,
“Come and see”.); Romans 15:12  (And again Isaiah says, ‘There shall come the root of Jesse, and He who arises to rule over the gentiles; in Him
shall the gentiles hope)

5:6  And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst
of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are
the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

  • An unprecedented revelation of three faces of Jesus’ beauty:
    1.        Jesus as a passionate Bridegroom
    2.        Jesus as a transcendent King
    3.        Jesus as a Righteous Judge
  • He was on the same throne with the Father (MH)
  • In the midst of the throne – not on the throne, but in the midst of the company which was round about the throne (JFB)
  • Jesus is the RAM of God.  A lamb is a little wooly thing a few weeks old.  The Passover Lamb was one year old – it had
horns.  A one year old male sheep is not a little cuddly thing.  Jesus is the Ram with seven horns.  He is the Lion and the
Ram – both strong male pictures (DP)
  • Jesus is the only one worthy to bring to completion the glorious kingdom of God
  • The Lamb is the life and center of them all and His seven spirits are all-pervading
  • Stood a lamb – as if now in the act of being offered.  This is very remarkable; so important is the sacrificial offering
of Christ in the sight of god that He is still represented as being in the very act of pouring out His blood for the offenses of
man (AC)
  • Jesus, not the devil, is the one who breaks open the seals around the scroll and then releases His end time
judgments.  In this act of loosing the judgments, He reveals himself as the Lamb.  The Lamb is the one who poured out His
soul to death for the sake of love.  Jesus, the Lamb, is the most radical lover of human beings that has ever lived.  It is this
radical lover that opens the seals of judgment to awaken love in the earth.  He says in effect, “Look at My scars, I am a slain
Lamb.  I am judging the earth as a Lamb in pursuit of love.  I am a Lover opening the seals of judgment.  I am only a King
displaying My power.  I am a Lamb who was led to the slaughter because of Love.  And I will produce love by opening the
seals.”
  • All power in heaven and earth is surrendered into His hands; He now controls all history and is working out God’s
decree.
  • To spiritual children, He is the Lamb.  To the maturing He is the Lion.  To the fully mature He is both the Lion and the
Lamb.  Final Quest  p47
  • The Lamb’s wounds are those inflicted on Jesus’ body during His trial and crucifixion (LB)
  • As it had been slain – bearing marks of His past death wounds.  In the midst of heavenly glory Christ crucified is still the
    prominent object. (JFB)
  • Bearing the marks of its slaughter—He has come to power through His death  (NIV)
  • Lamb and bride and new song release judgments   Psalm 149
  • Seven horns – the symbol of perfect authority and power (W)
  • Seven eyes – the symbol of perfect vision or knowledge  (W)
  • Seven horns and eyes – perfect power to execute all the will of God and perfect wisdom to understand it all (MH)
  • Seven Spirits of God – they seem to denote rather His providence, in which He often employs the ministry of
angels (AC)
  • In Zechariah 4:2-10, the eyes are equated with the seven lamps and the one Spirit (LB)
    
References:  John 1:29 (The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world!); Zechariah 3:9 (For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua; Behold, I will engrave its inscription, says the Lord of hosts, ‘And I will
remove the iniquity of that land in one day.); 4:10 (For who has despised the day of small things?  For these seven rejoice to see the plumb line
in the hand of Zerubbabel.  They are the eyes of the Lord, which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth); Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5;
Daniel 7:13-14 (I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven!  He came to the
Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.  Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations,
and languages should serve Him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall
not be destroyed); Daniel 8:3 (then I lifted my gaze and looked, and behold, a ram which had two horns was standing in front of the canal.  Now
the two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, with the longer one coming up last)
     
5:7  Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
     
  • The Lamb takes the scroll in the midst of the praises of the redeemed and of the whole heavenly host (JFB)
  • The Redeemer’s Son opens the seal.  A human opens the seals.  Everyone’s watching.  This is the day.  He walks
up to the Father’s throne because nobody can just walk up to the Father’s throne.  You can’t approach the throne of God
and touch it.  The Word of God describes Him as touching Him – the scroll is in His hand – it’s the very passion of His heart –
it’s His plan – it’s His ownership.  His burning desire for the human race is captured in the plan and the title deed contained in
that scroll.  It’s in His hand – the right hand – nobody can touch that scroll without the Father’s permission.  And the One, the
Son of God, comes up and takes the scroll out of His hand and breaks the seals and judgments are released.  This Man who
feels the plight of man understands no violation of mercy and judgment – no violation of anything.  He knows what He’s
doing:  releasing the Father’s will.  He will understand it’s not too severe.  He’ll understand all these things.  “I know about these
things.  It’s not too severe.  I know the human heart because I have one.”  
  • This is the context.  This is the seriousness of what is going on.  It’s an essential part of scripture to know at the end
of the age.  The hour that the scroll is being unfolded in real life events.  We can’t ship Revelation 4 and 5 and just have to
tread water through Revelation 6 to 11 when the events unfold.  Our strong hope is to enter into the power and fascination
and the worship of the heavenly symphony in Revelation 4 and 5 being the participants and agreeing with God in created
order because they’ve seen a little bit of the power and splendor of the throne.
  • “No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”  
With Jesus alone are all the counsels and mysteries of God. (AC)
  •  When Jesus takes the scroll it means “I will take it to completion”.  The plan of God with human – a human will bring
  • it to completion.  It has to be someone who has felt everything they feel – who enacts all the dynamics of grace and
  • mercy and justice – every phrase a book!
  • Then when everything is in order, I believe it will be a model for how to interpret the scroll with power for the harvest.  
We do it as a lovesick bride who trembles before Him and that’s where God’s taking His church.
  • And it begins with the taking and the opening of the scroll as the mystery of God is recorded and revealed.  Taking
  • responsibility as a human of the unfolding of redemptive history and history of human affairs.
  • The jasper God has become slain as a human in His commitment and desire for the human race.  The very core of the
drama is God’s longing and plans for humans.  It’s this understanding that causes us to know the judgments of God never
contradict the beauty of His drama to crown humans.  The great pastoral crisis at the end of the age will be His judgments
as the church will be angry at first and the world really angry.  It will appear that the God who claims to love has severe
contradictions and it’s the beauty realm that settles the heart and the fact that His judgments do not contradict love.
  • The very core of the drama is Christ Jesus – a human – lobbying for the rest of the human race to enter into the
beauty realm with Him.  So no matter what the enemy says, we never want to believe that the God of judgment is a
contradiction to the passion of the Bridegroom and the power of the King and the terrifying judgments of the Judge.  They
all flow out of the jasper/sardus God under an emerald rainbow.
  • Seven seals – implies that the thoughts of God in the scroll are complete and constitute an unalterable whole –
nothing can be added to it or subtracted from it.  The scroll is complete in itself.
  • Significance of scroll:  symbolizes the covenant of God whose chief purpose is to see established the kingdom.  He
planned from before the foundation of the universe.  The breaking of the seals and the opening of the scroll signify the
realization of that Kingdom
  • The seal is a symbol of secrecy; it safeguards the contents from the eyes of those for whom they are not intended
  • No portion of the roll is said to be ‘unfolded and read’; but simply the seals are successively opened, giving final
access to its contents being read as a perfect whole, giving final access to its contents being read as a perfect whole, which
shall not be until the events symbolized by the seals shall have been past, when Ephesians 3:10 shall receive its complete
accomplishment, and the Lamb shall reveal God’s providential plans in redemption in all their manifold beauties. (JFB)
  • When all seals loosed, the intentions of God will have been fulfilled and established in glory by the Lord Jesus Christ
  • This introductory vision thus presents before us, in summary, the consummation to which all the events in the seals,
trumpets, and vials converge, viz., the setting up of Christ’s kingdom visibly.  Prophecy ever hurries to the grand crisis or
end, and dwells on intermediate events only in their typical relation to, and representation of, the end. (JFB)

References:  Revelation 4:2; 5:1