BOOK OF REVELATION copyright 2001 by Glenn Davis LESSON 15 Chapter 5 Verse 1 I saw that in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne there was a scroll that had writing on back and front and was sealed with seven seals. [JB] In the Father's right hand was a scroll. The scroll represents God's eternal purpose in the world. It was something planned and sealed beforehand. "...according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." [Eph. 3:11] His eternal purpose was the plan of redemption and the bringing of all people into relationship with Him [the New Covenant]. This was accomplished in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the ancient world a scroll with seven seals was a will or testament. So it is that the eternal purposes of God could only be released with the death of the Testator [Jesus Christ]. If possible, in the old days, the seven witnesses who sealed the testament were present when the testament was opened. In Revelation we have the seven-fold Holy Spirit, Who was the Witness of the eternal covenant between the Father and the Son, present before the throne as the testament or scroll is opened. Being in the Father's right hand shows the complete eternal purposes of God [which spans all history] was known only the Father Himself. The right Hand reveals it was a natural expression of His power and character. Even Jesus Himself said there was something He did not know while He was on earth. "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." [Matt. 24:36, Amp.] Of course, in the verses which follow, we see the risen Saviour has now gained the right to the scroll. On a personal level, even as God has an eternal purpose or plan of redemption, He also has a perfect plan for our lives as individuals. Only through Jesus will the seals be released and we will be able to discover and operate in that plan. The seals, not necessarily bad, are things in our lives - while they may have had a legitimate purpose - now need to be released so that God's plan for our lives can come into glorious fulfillment. The breaking of the seals can be an adventurous, rewarding time as we launch out into new depths of God, or it can be a time of judgment as we refuse to let go of the past. We experience the blessing of God or the curse of sin to the degree we obey or disobey Him and His plan for our lives. The seven seals, of which John gives the details in chapters 6:1-8:1, show something which bound or limited the scroll - the eternal purpose of God. These seal represent the nation of Israel. Until the death and resurrection of Jesus, God's redemptive plan was limited to one nation. It was never God intention to leave it there; He always desired a world-wide people [church]. "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." [Gen. 22:18, NAS] The seals were necessary to prepare the way of Christ but they were never intended to be permanent. In this period of time - between the resurrection of Jesus and the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 - the church was in a transition stage. Many of the converts still clung to Judaism and considered
themselves primarily as Jews [as witness the first part of Acts]. The transition from a physical nation to a spiritual kingdom could have been a time of rewarding to the Jewish nation if they had chosen to follow God. They, as a nation, could have led the world into a dynamic relationship with God. Their knowledge of God's law and ways could have been a great help to the new born church and perhaps changed all history. However, as a nation, they chose to keep their traditions and rejected God. Therefore, the breaking of the seals - the taking away of the old for the new - became a time of horrible judgment instead of a time of fantastic reward for the physical Jews, as we will see later. Verse 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof? A strong and mighty angel searched for someone who was worthy to open the scroll and reveal the perfect, eternal plan of God for His people and the world. Just anyone would not do. It had to be someone who was worthy - who was Himself perfect. It had to be someone who would be able to execute the plan - to release both the Father's rewards and judgments. Verse 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth [in the realm of the dead, Hades] was able to open or to take a [single] look at its contents. [Amp.] A very thorough search was conducted. No one - no human, no angel, no demon - was found worthy to look at the scroll, let alone open it. God's perfect plan of redemption could not be released as long as sin stood in the way. Sin formed the barrier between man and God. Only a perfect person who died on behalf of others could remove that barrier and release the eternal purpose of God on the earth. Verse 4 I began to weep bitterly because no one could be found fit to open the book, or even to look at it, [Phillips] Weeping was an expression of great sorrow and distress. Would the plan of God remain a mystery? Could no one bridge the barrier and release the plan? Was no one worthy to take the scroll and read it? Was there any hope for mankind? Some may one why John was weeping since this was written about thirty-four years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. John already knew the answer. Please remember, John is in his vision caught up to heaven to witness these dramatic events. This fresh behind-thescenes revelation is as real and emotional as if he is witnessing it for the first time. How often do we, even in much less vivid situations, experience great emotion even though we mentally know the answers. Dreams and visions can also drive points home to our hearts that we only know as cold facts during our waking hours. We see a difference between the Western culture and the Eastern culture. For John to weep or express his emotions with tears was not considered "unmanly". It was customary to express grief or sorrow with tears, wailing, even tearing the clothes or covering the head with ashes. "And it came to pass, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord. Then he sent Eliakim...and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet..."
[2 Kings 19:1-2] Eastern culture has an entirely different way of thinking. They often express their emotions and talk in the form of parables or symbolic stories. "The parable form that He [Jesus] used was customary in the East..." [Christ and Caesar, 564] It was their way of thinking, their way of life. One reason people in the Western culture have a hard time understanding some aspects of the Bible is that they fail to remember how the people to whom it was originally written thought. We need to overcome our fear of expressing emotion [if we have it]. God has given emotions to us; however, they are not intended to control us. We need to learn to communicate openly and honestly with God. Although He knows our every thought we need to learn how to express ourselves to Him, keeping nothing back. Verse 5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. The first part of this verse translated literally is: Stop weeping; behold He has conquered! The elder was so excited that he burst out with this statement even before he said Who it was Who had conquered. John saw the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. A lion is known for his royalty, courage, and strength. Why the Lion of Judah? This is a fulfilling of the prophecy given way back in Gen. 49:9-10. The Hebrew word for Judah is "Yehuwdah" [yeh-hoo-daw] which means "praised" or "celebrated". It comes from another word "yadah" [yaw-daw], which means to "use the hand" - especially to worship with extended hands. "Yet, Holy One, You make Your home in the praises of Israel." [Ps. 22:3, JB] This is the only time Jesus is given the title of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, but how appropriate. He is the courage, strength, and honour of those who praise and worship Him with their whole hearts. He is also the Royal Ruler over all. As the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, even today, Jesus shines forth His power, majesty, strength, and royalty in our praise and worship. A continuous relationship requires continuous worship. God has done so much for us and worship is the only thing we have to give in return. Is it really such a great requirement? The Root of David is an interesting expression. Jesus was born after David so would He not be the Branch [which He is]? How could it be the Root? Being the Root of David, the one from whom David came, shows Christ existed before David as He did before Abraham [John 8:58]. It was because of the plan of God in Christ Jesus that David and his line came into being. Jesus is the Root of all history - the foundation of everything. "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.'" [Rom. 15:12 NAS - which is a quote of Is. 11:10] Jesse was David's father so the Root of Jesse and the Root of David are the same. The Root of David [Jesse] is a allusion to the promise of bringing the Gentiles into relationship with God. Jesus made that promise a reality. "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him." [Rom. 10:12, NAS] Jesus, after fulfilling all the righteous requirements of the Law and offering Himself as a
sacrifice for sins, was worthy to take the scroll and release the seals holding it shut. If He had failed to bring Salvation, the scroll and its seals would have been meaningless since we would all be damned to Hell. Verse 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. [NKJV] "The next day John [the Baptist] seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." [John 1:29] The Old Testament lamb was sacrificed to cover the sins of the people. It symbolically looked forward to the day when Jesus would come and offer Himself up as the perfect sacrifice. "But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to conscience...but Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come...not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." [Heb. 9:7-12, NKJV] I suggest you read Hebrews chapters 7-10. John saw a Lamb "that seemed to have been slaughtered. [Phillips] Jesus' blood sacrifice made Him worthy to take the scroll and open the seven seals. It is interesting that in verse 5 John is told about the Lion but when he looks he sees a Lamb. Jesus is both a Lion and a Lamb. As the Lion He rules, as the Lamb He paid the price of our sins. If we come under the blood of the Lamb we will never see the teeth of the Lion. If we refuse the blood of the Lamb, the teeth of the Lion will one day shred us. [Ps. 2:9-12]. Every human being will in the end meet Jesus as either the Lion or the Lamb. If we have met Him as the Lamb, the Lion holds no fear for us. Horns represent strength and power. Seven, being the number of perfection or completeness, reveals that Jesus has perfect or complete power and authority. No one who rebels against Him can succeed. The seven horns also reminds us of the seven ram's horns which were used by God to bring down the wall of Jericho [Jos. 6:2-5]. This was the first battle on entering the Covenant Land, so Christ leads us into victorious possession of the New Covenant Land which has been provided to us by His shed blood. As we have seen, the seven Spirits of God refer to the Holy Spirit and eyes represent perception and knowledge. The Holy Spirit, Who is perfect in power, strength, perception, and knowledge, was then sent into the world to see the eternal purpose of God brought to fulfillment [John 14:26; Acts 2:33] The seven Spirits brings to mind the first mention in Genesis of the Spirit hovering over the earth, filling it and bringing life to it. Even now, the Spirit of God goes over the earth filling it with newness of life. Seven times in Genesis 1 we are told that God "saw that it was good" as He was assessing and judging His creation. God still assesses and judges His creation - including us. Lesson 16 will see the end of Chapter 5 and the beginning of the seals starting to be broken Ġod Bless.