Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.

Revelation Lesson 5 Revelation 5:1-14 Last time we studied Chapter 4 of Revelation with its figure of Jesus Christ on His throne. These demonstrated the holy, faithful, and just character of Jesus Christ and the judgments from His throne. Around the throne were the four living things which spoke of the testimony of the life of Jesus Christ, the living Word. The four living things spoke of the four aspects of the person of Christ which were represented by the four Gospels. The emphasis of the Gospel of Matthew was represented by the face of a lion which spoke of His being the promised King. The emphasis of the Gospel of Mark was represented by the face of an Ox which spoke of His being a servant. The emphasis of the Gospel of Luke was represented by the face of a man which spoke of His being truly man, the seed of the woman descended from Adam. The emphasis of the Gospel of John was represented by the face of an eagle which spoke of His being truly God. This brought glory to God and caused the twenty four elders (who represented regenerate Israel and the Church in Heaven) to fall down and worship Him saying: Revelation 4:11 You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. Here He was receiving worship for being the creator, the author of life, in other words, for the exercise of His power. The scene continued: Revelation 5:1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. At this point, John s attention was drawn back to Jesus Christ sitting on the throne. Here He obviously appeared to John as He first saw Him in Revelation 1. He had a right hand like a son of man. [a] The scroll was in the right hand because it is the hand of authority and power. [b] The Greek word translated scroll here is βιβλίον {bē-blē'-on} which is derived from the Greek word for papyrus, so named because it was exported to Greece from the Phoenician town of 1 / 14

Byblos. As such it merely refers to something written on paper or papyrus. These papers were commonly rolled into scrolls (as in Revelation 6:14), and that is probably the sense intended here. Copies of the Old Testament were usually kept on papyrus rolled into scrolls. The seven seals here were evidently progressive, so that as the scroll was unrolled, one seal after the other had to be broken to read further. Revelation 5:2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll? The purpose of this vision being played out before John was to teach John. It also teaches us. It had already been proclaimed that the Lord Jesus had proved Himself worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. Now the question was being asked who was worthy to reveal the end times. You may remember that after the last day that Jesus had been in the Temple, and before Jesus had died and been raised again He had been asked about the end times by four of His disciples, [c] of whom John was one. This was His reply at that time: Mark 13:32 No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Also Matthew 24:36. So this was a question which had been on John s mind for over sixty years. During Jesus life on earth, He had surrendered the exercise of His omniscience [d] which had belonged to His deity. So when Jesus spoke to John on that previous occasion He did not have that knowledge 2 / 14

available to Him. It was not part of what the Father had taught Him in His thirty three years of humanity during His walk toward the cross. Revelation 5:3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. We don t know how long John was held in suspense while a search was made among those in heaven (the angels and those saints in Heaven), those confined in Hell (under the earth), and those still living on the earth. None among them was found. It is worth noting that this is knowledge that Satan doesn t have. Revelation 5:4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. In the midst of this vision, John became so deeply frustrated that he began to weep uncontrollably. However, the situation had changed since Jesus had previously been asked. As the Son of Man and Lamb of God He had triumphed over death and fulfilled His mission. He had resumed all the attributes of His deity (including His omniscience). 3 / 14

Revelation 5:5 Then one of the elders said to me, Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, [e] the Root of David, [f] has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals. Here, one of the elders explained what John should have known. Jesus was no longer among any of the categories which had been searched. After His triumph, He was restored to all of His attributes as God as well as the Son of Man. The elder spoke of Jesus by two of the titles by which His coming was prophesied in the Old Testament: Lion of the tribe of Judah and Root of David. Both describe Him as the rightful King. Revelation 5:6a Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, At this point John looked back at the throne, and the appearance of Jesus had changed from that of a son of man to that of a lamb that was slain. It must be remembered that the one on the throne was still Jesus Christ. He is also the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David (the King). Now He was seen as the Lamb that was slain. This presented Jesus as the redeemer or Passover Lamb. This was done for the purpose of John s instruction. The image John would have seen would have been a Passover lamb that was sacrificed and its blood spilled by cutting its throat. This is the first of 31 times in Revelation that Jesus is referred to as the Lamb. It is interesting that this was the name by which John himself was first introduced to Jesus by John the Baptist when he said Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) 4 / 14

Revelation 5:6b encircled by the four living creatures things and the elders. The ministry of the twenty four elders (Israel and the Church) and the four living things (the word of the Gospels) was to proclaim Christ to the world. They were to proclaim His as both King and Redeemer. The One who had been seated on the throne in Revelation 4:3 now appeared as a lamb. The one, who had been seen as a man, was now seen as a lamb. He was also the lion of the tribe of Judah and the root of David. This established a pattern which we need to apply to interpreting the rest of Revelation. That is that often the same things or events can be presented more than once, but in different aspects. Revelation 5:6c He had seven horns [g] and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God [h] sent out into all the earth. Horns always refer to power. Seven is the number of perfection. The seven horns refer to Jesus omnipotence or perfect power. The eyes refer to knowledge of God which is taught by the Holy Spirit to all on the earth who want to know it. These are very similar to the seven eyes 5 / 14

in the stone in the prophecy of Zechariah: Zechariah 3:9 See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it, says the LORD Almighty, and I will remove the sin of this land (earth) in a single day. This verse in Zechariah was clearly speaking of Jesus who was represented in that vision by the High Priest Joshua (the name Joshua is a form of the name Jesus) with a Kingly crown on his head. The day spoken of when sin would be removed was the day of the Crucifixion. [i] Revelation 5:7 He came had come [j] and took had taken [k] the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. As John looked again he saw a different figure. Where before John had seen the scroll in the hand of Jesus represented as the son of man, now John saw the scroll possessed by the lamb that was slain. I have adjusted the translation to indicate the proper understanding. Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures things and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were 6 / 14

holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Each of these that surrounded the throne was holding two things, a harp, and a golden bowl. In the Old Testament, the harp always spoke of an intensity of worship. [l] I suppose that is because there is something about music that focuses the mind and makes a deeper impression. I know that I can always remember the words of a hymn after hearing only a few notes of its music. Sometimes it can be for a hymn I haven t heard or sung in decades. That leaves us with the question of what do the golden bowls represent? We are told that they contain incense which represents the prayers of the saints. We have studied many times that gold represents deity not only because of its surpassing value, but because it shines like the sun and it is incorruptible. When we studied the tabernacle and the altar of incense we saw how the incense burned there represented the bread, [m] which represented the righteous life Jesus lived in the humanity of His body. When incense was burned, and the smoke ascended upward, it was presenting a picture of ascending into the presence of God. Thus, the picture presented here is that the prayers of the saints ascend to God on the basis of who we are in Christ. Because of what He did, the Father hears our prayers. Because the golden bowl is held by the images that represent the Gospel (the living things) and the Old and New Testaments (the twenty-four elders) the incense represent the fact that our prayers must be in accordance with the LORD s revealed will. Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 7 / 14

The harps that were being held no doubt accompanied the singing. The first line of the song tells us why Jesus could open the scrolls. It tells us that Jesus death was for every tribe, people, language and nation in the world. It tells us that the foundation of our acknowledgement of the Lord s glory is not His found in His power to create. It is found in His love which was demonstrated by His willingness to sacrifice Himself and die for the sins of the world. This was something that could only be demonstrated by the incarnation of the Son. The song goes on. Revelation 5:10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests [n] to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. God is finally able to fulfill His plan for Israel, which He had promised in Exodus 19:5-6 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Notice that the promise was conditional. They had to obey God fully and keep His covenant. Israel failed utterly, so how could God fulfill His plan? He could fulfill it because Jesus Christ Himself came to represent Israel. That is why they are named Israel, which means Prince of God. Jesus fulfilled the requirements. That is why the people are God s treasured possession. You will notice that the them here are those from every tribe, people, language and nation so that all believers will be incorporated into the promise to Israel to be Kings and Priests. As Peter wrote in 1 Peter: 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people 8 / 14

belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Revelation 5:11a Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. At this point, John heard the voices of the all the angels in God s heaven singing. These are the same numbers of angels mentioned in Daniel 7:10 and Psalms 68:17. Daniel 7:9-10 As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. Psalms 68:17 The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. 9 / 14

Some have interpreted this to mean a million times a hundred million. At any rate, it is an innumerable number of angels. Revelation 5:11b They encircled the throne and the living creatures things and the elders. At this point they must have become visible to John. They were innumerable. They must have surrounded the throne in a scene something like the innumerable stars and galaxies surrounding the earth, stretching to an immeasurable distance. Angels are often compared to the stars. This scene might give you reason to adjust your view of the universal history of the angels and men. Here all of the angels are shown centered on the history of mankind (the twenty four elders). They are also shown centered on the story of Christ s life (the four living things). In the very center of it all is Jesus Christ Himself who as God Himself became man and then died to redeem His creatures. This scene had previously been represented in the Tabernacle in the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies where the seven lamps (representing the Church), the table of shewbread (representing the tribes of Israel), and the Ark of the Covenant (representing Christ and His person and work) were surrounded by the curtain walls embroidered with many angels: Exodus 26:1 Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by a skilled craftsman. 10 / 14

Among other things, this scene in Revelation made me revise my estimate of how many are contained in the angelic order. There are evidently far more angels than all the humans that have ever lived on the earth. Revelation 5:12 In a loud voice they sang: Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! They sang a refrain to the first verses. It centered on the glorious revelation of the incredible love of God as revealed in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We must remember that a great part of the reason for the drama that is human history, is to play out before God s first creation (the Angels, both fallen and elect) the true nature of God. God always had power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and praise, but the elect Angels didn t have the evidence before their eyes that proved to them that was a good thing. In the life of Christ, they progressively had that evidence. That is why they were so joyful at the birth of Christ: Luke 2:11-14 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. Also, we know that the life of Christ had great significance for the angels: Colossians 1:19-20 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Ephesians 1:9-10 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he foreordained in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reached their fulfillment to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. 11 / 14

Revelation 5:13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever! It seems to me that this vision foresees the fulfillment of Romans 8:19-21 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. Revelation 5:14 The four living creatures things said, Amen, and the elders fell down and worshiped. The Gospels impel us to say Amen which means I believe. Indeed all of human history and all of the Old Testament and New testify of who the I am what I am is and they oblige us to worship Him. I expect this is good time for all of us to say Amen. 12 / 14

[a] Corrected translation of Revelation 4:2 there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it and upon the throne He was sitting. [b] Genesis 48:13-20. Exodus 15:6, Psalm 89:13 and many others. Of course Jesus Himself is often described as the right hand or right arm of the Father because the Father s authority and power have been delegated to Him. [c] Mark 13:3. [d] A theological term which means all knowing. [e] Lion of Judah - Genesis 49:9-12, 2 Chronicles 9:17-19, Hosea 11:9-10. [f] Root of David - Psalms 80:14-15, Isaiah 11:1-3a, Isaiah 53:1-3. [g] The horns stand for the omnipotence of God. [h] See Zechariah 3:9 [i] It is also possible to argue that this is speaking of the Day of Atonement when Christ returns to Jerusalem because that is when the sin of the land of Israel will be atoned for in preparation for the establishment of the promised Kingdom. [j] The Greek word here is ἔρχομαι {e'r-kho-mī} in the second aorist tense. The second aorist emphasizes the punctiliar action; that is, the concept of the verb is considered without regard for past, present, or future time. However, because the verb following it is in the perfect tense, it is best understood in the perfect tense as had come. 13 / 14

[k] The Greek word here is λαμβάνω { läm-bä'-nō} in the perfect tense. The perfect tense in Greek corresponds to the perfect tense in English, and describes an action which is viewed as having been completed in the past, once and for all, not needing to be repeated. The correct translation is had taken. [l] Psalms 108:1-2 My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. Psalms 98:4-6 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram s horn-- shout for joy before the LORD, the King. Also see Psalms 92:1-3, Psalms 147:7, Psalms 149:3, Psalms150:3-5, 1 Chronicles 25:3, Psalms 33:2, Psalms 43:4, Psalms 49:4, Psalms 57:7-8, Psalms 71:22, Psalms 81:1-2 [m] Leviticus 24:7 Along each row put some pure incense as a memorial portion to represent the bread and to be an offering made to the LORD by fire. [n] Revelation 1:6. 14 / 14